Haw River Valley Recognized as Third AVA in North
Carolina
April 9, 2009
Alamance County, NC - When you think of well-known wine regions in the United States, names like Napa Valley
and Sonoma Valley come to mind. Now Piedmont North Carolina has its own unique wine region to boast about.
The Haw River Valley has been recognized recently by the federal government as a distinctive grape growing and
wine producing area. The Tax & Trade Bureau, the branch of government that regulates wine and other alcoholic
beverages, allows the establishment of definitive American Viticultural Areas or AVAs. An AVA is defined as a
“delimited grape-growing region distinguishable by geographical features”. These features include climate, soil,
topography, and elevation that distinguish the viticultural region from its surrounding areas.
Using funds obtained through a Golden LEAF grant, the wineries of the Haw River Wine Trail compiled necessary
information and submitted a petition to the TTB on December 15, 2006 showing that the Haw River Valley was a
unique grape-growing region. The petition process, which involves review by TTB personnel, posting in the Federal
Register, and a public comment period, has been completed. Now wineries that use grapes grown in the Haw River
Valley region can include the AVA designation on their labels.