It’s all about the Terrior
The soil and the climate of a particular region can be critical to successfully growing excellent wine grapes. Winemaking can enhance the end product, but as with any product, starting with the best possible fruit is critical to making an excellent wine. This is why having the right grapes from the right AVA is critical.
The AVA as a source of pride
The Gold Medal wine club says this, AVA stands for American Viticultural Area – “a designated wine grape growing region in the United States that is distinguishable by its geography”. They go on to describe many things about the history of AVAs in America, including the fact that the first one was designated in July 1980 as our American Wines became prominent in the world market. Read their great post about AVAs by clicking here. The AVA where your wine grapes are grown should be a source of pride – rooting for the home team. Hopefully you and other growers in your region are working hard to control what you can and working in harmony with mother nature to make the best possible fruit in each vintage.
TTB Map of AVAs – check it out!
The US Government ultimately decides what will be considered a recognized AVA or sub-AVA. Their is a rigorous process to get your particular area or region recognized – kind of like getting your home on the historic register in a particular city. This cool interactive map lets you see all the AVAs in your region – or any region in the United States.
Click here to try this great free tool.
- Select by State and County
- Browse and Zoom
- See terrain features
- Save your favorites
- It’s Free!
Call Us Today – We know Wine Labels
Not only are the AVA designations very important to the quality of your harvest and value of your land, they are also important for marketing. If your grapes come from a coveted AVA, it would be foolish NOT to include that in your label – and if you include the wrong AVA, you could be in for legal trouble. If you need legal help in this area, we can refer you to great people to help in this area.
We print for nearly 100 wineries each year and that number keeps growing. Our team has the experience and tools to make a great wine label for you, and we back the labels up with a commitment to quality. Call us today!