Hello everyone. I just wanted to give you some information on how the USA, and especially California wine laws affect your decisions on purchasing wine.
First the distinct “wine growing areas” of this country are called AVAs, or American Viticultural Area. The AVA was created by federal law in 1978 and anyone can petition for and AVA of any size. The distinction is a guarantee of source but not of quality of production. If the AVA is mentioned on the label, it means that 85% of the grapes used to make that wine are from that area. Yes, this means the other 15% “filler” grapes can come from anywhere.
Another interesting fact is that this “filler” amount does not even have to be the same varietal (grape type). The laws vary from state to state dictating how much of a varietal has to be in the bottle for it be labeled as that varietal. Sounds a little confusing but I think and example will help clarify. If I but a wine that is from California and the label says California Cabernet Sauvignon, it must contain 75% Cabernet Sauvignon. So, you are probably saying, well, what is the other 25%. This is an excellent question, but not easily answered. It can be almost anything. This minimum % of a varietal varies from state to state, with 75% being the lowest allowed. some of the more strict states are Washington and Oregon being 85% and 95%, respectively.

Tags: Allowed percentages in wine, American AVAs, American Viticultural Area, Dennis Fraley, Florence wine, sc wine guy, Varietal percentages, wine wired, winewired