The Yadkin Valley American Viticultural Area (Yadkin Valley AVA) is an American Viticultural Area, established to recognize wines made from grapes grown in the area. It is located in northwestern North Carolina and encompasses an area of approximately 1.4 million acres (5,700 km²) in the Yadkin River valley. The Yadkin Valley AVA includes all of Wilkes, Surry, and Yadkin counties, and parts of Davie, Davidson, Forsyth and Stokes counties. An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a delimited grape-growing region distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the United States governments Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). ... For other uses, see Wine (disambiguation). ... Species Vitis acerifolia Vitis aestivalis Vitis amurensis Vitis arizonica Vitis x bourquina Vitis californica Vitis x champinii Vitis cinerea Vitis x doaniana Vitis girdiana Vitis labrusca Vitis x labruscana Vitis monticola Vitis mustangensis Vitis x novae-angliae Vitis palmata Vitis riparia Vitis rotundifolia Vitis rupestris Vitis shuttleworthii Vitis tiliifolia Vitis... Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area  Ranked 28th  - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²)  - Width 150 miles (240 km)  - Length 560[1] miles (901 km)  - % water 9. ... The Yadkin River at Elkin, North Carolina The Yadkin River is the second longest river in North Carolina, surpassed only by the Cape Fear. ... Wilkes County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. ... Surry County is a county located in the state of North Carolina. ... Yadkin County is a county located in the state of North Carolina. ... Davie County is a county located in the state of North Carolina. ... Davidson County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. ... Forsyth County is a county located in the state of North Carolina. ... Stokes County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. ...

Designation as AVA

In 2003, the United States' Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives approved the new appellation for the region -- Yadkin Valley AVA -- allowing winemakers to bottle wines with a label indicating that the wine came from the Yadkin Valley. In 2005, there were 14 wineries and 400 acres (1.6 km²) of vineyards in the region. By 2005 the number of wine producers had increased to 23. ATF Seal The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (abbreviated ATF, sometimes BATF or BATFE) is a United States federal agency; more specifically a specialized law enforcement and regulatory organization within the United States Department of Justice. ... An appellation in its broadest sense is a name or designation. ... A winemaker is a person engaged in the occupation of making wine. ... For other uses, see Wine (disambiguation). ... Wine Barrels A winery is a facility where fruit, usually grapes, is processed into wine. ... A common vineyard. ...

Development of Winemaking in the Area

For decades, the area was a key tobacco-growing region. However, as tobacco farming and cigarette manufacturing in the area declined, some entrepreneurs, including tobacco farmers, have turned to winemaking. The native grapes of this region of the southeastern United States are the muscadine and the scuppernong. Early attempts to grow the European wine grape, Vitis vinifera, in the southeastern United States, including 18th century efforts by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello, had mixed success. But in the past two to three decades, viticultural research has helped adapt these grapes to the climate, soil, and pests of the region. Additionally, Surry Community College, located in Dobson, North Carolina, has served as a valuable community resource for this growing industry by offering certificate and degree programs in viticulture and enology. In 2005, Davidson County Community College formed a partnership with Surry Community College for the delivery of the viticulture and enology program/certifications in Davidson and Davie counties. Shredded tobacco leaf for pipe smoking Tobacco can also be pressed into plugs and sliced into flakes Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the fresh leaves of plants in genus Nicotiana. ... Two unlit filtered cigarettes. ... For the sequel to the computer game Entrepreneur, which has no article of its own, see The Corporate Machine. ... Categories: Stub | Fruit | Grape varieties ... Categories: Stub | Fruit | Grape varieties ... Binomial name Vitis vinifera L. For thousands of years, the fruit and plant of Vitis vinifera, the European grapevine, have been harvested for both medicinal and nutritional value; its history is intimately entwined with the history of wine. ... Thomas Jefferson (13 April 1743 N.S.–4 July 1826) was the third President of the United States (1801–09), the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and one of the most influential Founding Fathers for his promotion of the ideals of Republicanism in the United States. ... Monticello, located near Charlottesville, Virginia, was the estate of Thomas Jefferson, the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence, the third President of the United States, and founder of the University of Virginia. ... Loess field in Germany Surface-water-gley developed in glacial till, Northern Ireland Technically, soil forms the pedosphere: the interface between the lithosphere (rocky part of the planet) and the biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. ... Surry Community College (SCC) is a public, coeducational community college within the North Carolina Community College System. ... Dobson is a town located in Surry County, North Carolina. ... wine grapes Viticulture (from the Latin word for vine) is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. ... Oenology is the study of wines in general. ...

Geography of Area

The Yadkin Valley area is in the piedmont and foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and some have compared the grape-growing conditions of the area to France's Burgundy. The James River winds its way among piedmont hills in central Virginia. ... Blue Ridge Mountains, Shining Rock Wilderness Area Appalachian Mountain system The Blue Ridge is a mountain chain in the eastern United States, part of the Appalachian Mountains, forming their eastern front from Georgia to Pennsylvania. ... Coat of arms of the second Duchy of Burgundy and later of the French province of Burgundy Burgundy (French: ; German: ) is a historic region of France, inhabited in turn by Celts (Gauls), Romans (Gallo-Romans), and various Germanic peoples, most importantly the Burgundians and the Franks; the former gave their...

Grape Varieties Grown

A number of varieties of grapes are grown in the region, including merlot, cabernet sauvignon, and chardonnay. Merlot grapes on the vine. ... Old vine Cabernet Sauvignon at Chateau Montelena in Napa Valley. ... Oak-aged Chardonnay is particularly popular in the United States. ...

Local Wine Festivals

The Yadkin Valley Wine Festival is held the third Saturday in May at the Municipal Park in Elkin. The Yadkin Valley Grape Festival is held the third Saturday in October in Yadkinville. The 'Shine to Wine Festival is held in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina the first Saturday in May. Elkin is a town located in Surry County, North Carolina. ... Yadkinville is a town in Yadkin County, North Carolina, United States. ... North Wilkesboro is a town in Wilkes County, North Carolina, United States. ...

External links

• North Carolina Grape Council
• Map of all of the Yadkin Valley Wineries
• Surry Community College Department of Viticulure & Enology
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