Ohio's AVA Regions

The American Viticultural Area (AVA) system is a program administered by the Federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). Similar to Italy's Indicazione Geografica Tipica designation, it maintains the requirements for putting a place name on a wine label. For instance, in order to list an AVA name on the label, a wine must be made of 85 percent grapes grown in that area.

There are over 185 such designations in the United States, 95 percent of which are in California. However, Ohio has six AVAs. They are:

• Lake Erie - The shoreline from Toledo to New York
  
• Grand River Valley - The area surrounding Lake County's Grand River
  
• Isle St. George - North and South Bass Islands in Lake Erie
  
• Kanawha River Valley - Along the Kanawha River in South Central Ohio
  
• Ohio River Valley - The largest AVA in the country, this area spans from Indiana to West Virginia, along the Ohio River.
  
• Loramie Creek - In Shelby County, in West Central Ohio
  

(photo credit: peddle chen/cc license)