An American Viticultural Area, or AVA, is an appellation of origin system used on wine labels, denoting a specific geographical area. Many countries around the world have their own form of appellation system, most notably France, where the concept was originated. An AVA is a delimited growing region with geographic or climatic features that distinguish it from the surrounding regions and affect how grapes are grown and wine is produced. In other words, in order for a region to be a delimited appellation, it usually has to be known for some form of anomaly (cool winds, different soil, site aspect) that lends character to the wine produced there.
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