American Viticultural Areas

Iwas visiting a winery and I heard that the area has been designated an official wine growing region called an American Viticultural Area or AVA. I wanted to know what an AVA is and why is it important to the grape grower? So, I did some research, and this is what I came up with...

What´s it All About

AVA is an American system implemented in the late 1970s, with purpose of appellation and classifying U.S. wines in fashion similar to other countries. Unlike other systems, the AVA is considered very lenient. An AVA classification is defined strictly by a geographic area. The key requirement for wine with an AVA designation on the label is that 85% of the grapes must be grown in that designated viticulture area.

Viticulture areas come in all shapes and sizes. The largest area is the Ohio River Valley which spans an area of approximately 25 thousand square miles. Second in line is the Texas Hill country which is about 15 thousand square miles; so large you can stuff New Jersey into it. The smallest areas only covers less than a quarter square mile.

AVA Process

Applicant Growers must petition the Tax and Trade Bureau to obtain an AVA designation for a region. The Bureau´s decision is based on the areas topography, soil type, climate, elevation and to some extent historical precedent. ATF may set standards to identify the wine, but they do not grade or regulate quality. When the agency declares and area an AVA, it is only stating that the petitioners proved all they need to prove in accordance with their regulations. ATF can't grade quality levels for wine like our government does with meat, or veal, because they're really not legally authorized to do so.

Petitions for the establishment or modifications of AVA classifications go through a lengthy review process. The petition process can take years, and with the documentation and specialist required can range from $10,000 to $20,000 thousand and higher.

Why AVA?

Viticultural areas are not considered quality designations by the U.S. government, but winemakers try very hard to use them as indicators of quality. The importance of the appellation information on a wine label that discloses where the grapes were grown opens up marketing opportunities. For winegrowers and vintners in America, marketing by appellation has many advantages in today's global marketplace. As of March, 2004 there were approximately 170 approved. Who knows by the year 2024 how many there will be?

Contributor: Jim Stein (Syracuse, NY)

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