There are so many wine terms, acronyms and abbreviations that can be quite confusing. And, wine labels are often a place where this confusion is on display.

In the U.S., the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), which is part of the Treasury, is responsible for regulating the wine industry. Wine labeling is one of the topics they regulate.

Per the TTB’s guidance “An American viticultural area (AVA) is a type of appellation specific to grape wine. It is a defined grape-growing region having a name, distinguishing features, and a delineated boundary…” That’s a lot of words to say that an AVA is a unique wine-growing region.

So, an AVA is not just a wine growing region, it is a very specific wine growing region. And, their words “distinguishing features” are key to defining an AVA.

At first, one might assume that a Cabernet Sauvignon grape is a Cabernet Sauvignon grape no matter where it is grown. And, while that is basically true, there are subtle nuances that make a Cabernet Sauvignon grape grown in Napa Valley different than one grown in Arizona. The interaction of the soil, climate, topography and grape variety in a specific site, imprints the wine and making of each wine with specific unique characteristics. And, the wine world refers to this concept as the “terroir” (te-war). That is, specific geographic or climatic features of a wine growing region will distinguish it from the surrounding regions and affect how grapes are grown.

So, an AVA is an American Viticultural Area that has unique grape-growing characteristics.

Next time, we’ll explore some fun facts about AVAs such as wine labeling requirements, how AVAs get created and how many there are in the U.S. Until then, cheers!