Columbia Valley AVA

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This article refers to the wine appellation in the United States. For the Columbia Valley in British Columbia, Canada, see Columbia Valley

The Columbia River (shown here from the Gorge Amphitheater in George, Washington) is at the heart of the Columbia Valley AVA

The Columbia Valley American Viticultural Area, or Columbia Valley AVA (recognized 1984), is an American Viticultural Area which lies in the Columbia River Plateau, through much of central and southern Washington state, with a small section crossing into the neighboring state of Oregon. The AVA includes the drainage basin of the Columbia River and its tributaries through much of Washington.^[1]

1 Description
2 See Also
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Description

The Columbia Valley AVA lies mostly in Washington state, with a small section in Oregon. It encompasses the valleys formed by the Columbia River and its tributaries, including the Walla Walla River, the Snake River, and the Yakima River. The Columbia Valley AVA is a large growing region, consisting of over 11,000,000 acres of land in total, and 29,000 acres of vineyard, 99% of the total acres planted in Washington. Varietals grown here include Merlot, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sémillon. Concord grapes and other Vitis labrusca grapes are grown in the region as well.

The AVA includes six subordinate AVAs; these are the Yakima Valley AVA, the Red Mountain AVA, the Walla Walla Valley AVA, the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, the Rattlesnake Hills AVA, and the Wahluke Slope AVA. North of the Rattlesnake Hills is a region commonly known as Columbia Cascade, but which is not officially recognized.^[2]