Isle St. George AVA

Created: 1982

Size: 320 acres planted

Climate: Cool to moderate maritime

Soils: Glacial deposits with high proportions of sand and clay

First planted: 1850’s

Number of wineries: 0 (mainland wineries source grapes from this AVA)

This AVA is located on North Bass Island, 40 miles south of Detroit. Its location in Lake Eerie, the warmest of the Great Lakes, creates a maritime climate that allows for V. vinifera plantings. The growing season here is significantly longer than that of other Ohio AVAs, and harvest can push up to six weeks beyond the mainland areas.

The Isle St. George AVA grows cool climate vinifera grapes such as Cabernet Franc and Pinot Grigio (the two most common), Riesling, and Chardonnay alongside hybrids like Delaware and Catawba. The grapes best known here, however, are Cabernet Franc and Pinot Grigio. Most of the land here is owned by the State of Ohio (there are only about 20 residents on the island).

Grand River Valley AVA

Created: 1983

Size: 128,600 acres

Climate: Cool to moderate maritime

Soils: Glacial deposits, sand and gravel

First planted: mid-19th century

Number of wineries: 30+

This AVA lies along the shore of Lake Erie and entirely within the larger Lake Erie AVA. The warm waters of the lake create a maritime climate which allows for ripening of a wide range of V. vinifera and hybrid varieties. Reduced risk of spring frost results in plantings of earlier-budding varieties like Merlot here.

Glacial activity in this region has created a varying topography that includes many slopes with southeast aspect and excellent drainage ideal for viticulture. Riesling, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc are joined in the vineyards by hybrids such as Chambourcin, Vidal Blanc, and Traminette.

Lake Erie AVA

Created: 1983

Size: 40,000 acres planted (18,000 ha)

Climate: Cool continental, high humidity

Soils: Sand and gravel topsoil over deep clay, fertile

First planted: 1840

Number of wineries: 58

This is a large region (the largest grape-growing region east of the Rockies) that spans the three states of New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and includes the 18 US islands in Lake Erie. Shallow Lake Erie’s proximity creates a lake effect here, lengthening the growing season and allowing ripening of vinifera grapes. Vines are generally safe from spring frost due to cold winds keeping the temperatures down and therefore delaying budburst until weather threats have passed.

Complex soils here are the result of glaciations slowly carving the landscape. Glacial deposits form the topsoil, allowing for good drainage. Many mesoclimates are available to vineyards due to the sculpted environment, and sought-after southern facing slopes offer warmer locations with plenty of sunlight hours.

Lake Erie AVA is the land of the Concord grape, which was introduced in the mid-1800s and has dominated the landscape ever since. Many wineries here sustained themselves through Prohibition by selling grapes to home winemakers (and selling some illegally to Canada), producing sacramental wines, and making grape juice from their Concords for Welch’s. Today Concord still dominates production along with a handful of other native and hybrid varieties, but cold-hardy V. vinifera grapes are increasingly being planted and quality improvements are being seen. Riesling has been the most successful vinifera grape thus far.

Ohio River Valley AVA

Created: 1983

Size: 15,500,000 acres

Climate: Wide range

Soils: Wide range

First planted: early 1800’s

Number of wineries: 103

This AVA spans the catchment of the Ohio River on its south-westerly course through West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, and is the second largest AVA in the United States. Many question its existence as an AVA due to its sheer size, which is comparable to the distance from Los Angeles to Napa. The Ohio River Valley’s climate is difficult to pinpoint, as it’s based on exact location. Climate zones range from cool continental to warmer humid subtropical. Many hybrid varieties are grown throughout the AVA, as well as V. vinifera varieties like Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Petit Manseng, and Riesling.