An AVA is important because it allows both vintners and consumers to attribute characteristics such as quality and reputation to wine made from grapes grown in a particular area of geographic origin. According to the TTB regulations, an AVA is “a defined grape-growing region having distinguishing features” which are described in 27 CFR part 9.
In order to petition for a new AVA, a petitioner must meet the following regulatory requirements:
- Name Evidence Name Usage
- Boundary Evidence
- Distinguishing Features Climate
- Maps and Boundaries Description Maps
Source of Name and Name Evidence
Geology
Soils
Physical Features
Elevation
Boundary Description
- Name Evidence →Name Usage - The name "Southeastern New England" is descriptive of the land adjoining the coastal bodies of water in eastern Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts south of the Boston area.
- Boundary Evidence
- Distinguishing Features →Climate - proposed area is part of that area shown on U.S. Weather Service climatic division maps as the coastal climatic divisions of Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.
- Maps and Boundaries Description →Maps
→Source of Name and Name Evidence - considerable precedence exists for applying the name "Southeastern New England" to this area, and it has been used by the New England River Basins Commission to describe the proposed area.
→Geology
→Soils
→Physical Features
→Elevation
→Boundary Description - the area includes New London County, Connecticut east of the Mystic River; all of Rhode Island except- most of Kent and Providence Counties; and all of southeastern Massachusetts east and south of the Norfold-Bristol County Boundary, the Amtrak (ex New Haven) mainline, and the Neponset River. All offshore islands between Boston and the Mystic River, including Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, are included as part of this viticultural area.
Update: This year makes 40 years since the Southeastern New England AVA was established!
References:
1. Federal Register, Vol.48, No. 151, Thursday, August 4, 1983.
2. Wine Regions of the World, Map of Southeastern - New England AVA.