The Atlas
American Viticultural Areas
Every federally recognized AVA in California, Oregon, and Washington — plus overview entries for emerging regions in Idaho and Arizona. Each entry connects terroir, history, varietals, and culinary tradition.
St. Helena
within Napa Valley
The historic heart of Napa winemaking — ripe, full-bodied Cabernet from warm alluvial fans.
Cabernet Sauvignon · Zinfandel · Petite Sirah
Lower Long Tom
within Willamette Valley
The southernmost Willamette sub-AVA — warm, dark-fruited Pinot Noir from marine sediments.
Pinot Noir · Pinot Gris · Chardonnay
Mount Pisgah, Polk County
within Willamette Valley
A small, new Coast Range-shadowed ridge — bright-acid, floral Pinot Noir west of Salem.
Pinot Noir · Chardonnay · Pinot Gris
West Linn
within Willamette Valley
The newest Willamette sub-AVA — basalt-structured Pinot Noir from the Boring lava field.
Pinot Noir · Chardonnay
Oak Knoll District
within Napa Valley
Napa's cool southern floor — crisp Chardonnay and supple, elegant reds.
Merlot · Cabernet Sauvignon · Chardonnay
Los Carneros
within Napa Valley & Sonoma County
California's first climate-defined AVA — cool, fog-swept Pinot Noir and Chardonnay above San Pablo Bay.
Pinot Noir · Chardonnay · Merlot
Wild Horse Valley
within Napa Valley
A small, high, remote eastern valley — cool mountain Cabernet and Syrah.
Cabernet Sauvignon · Syrah · Chardonnay
Yountville
within Napa Valley
Napa's newest nested AVA — aromatic, balanced Cabernet on the Yountville benchland.
Cabernet Sauvignon · Merlot · Chardonnay
Chehalem Mountains
within Willamette Valley
The largest and most geologically diverse Willamette sub-AVA — multi-soil Pinot Noir birthplace.
Pinot Noir · Chardonnay · Pinot Gris
Ribbon Ridge
within Willamette Valley
Oregon's smallest AVA — a sheltered ridge of perfumed, silky marine-sediment Pinot Noir.
Pinot Noir · Pinot Gris · Chardonnay
McMinnville
within Willamette Valley
A Coast Range rain-shadow AVA — dark-fruited, earthy Pinot Noir southwest of McMinnville.
Pinot Noir · Pinot Gris · Chardonnay
Yamhill-Carlton District
within Willamette Valley
Marine-sediment dark Pinot from the warm, Coast Range-protected northern hills.
Pinot Noir · Chardonnay · Pinot Gris
Van Duzer Corridor
within Willamette Valley
A Coast Range wind-tunnel — cool, coastal, high-acid Pinot Noir.
Pinot Noir · Pinot Gris · Chardonnay
Tualatin Hills
within Willamette Valley
Northernmost Willamette AVA — unique loess-over-basalt soils yielding perfumed, mineral Pinot Noir.
Pinot Noir · Pinot Gris · Chardonnay
Laurelwood District
within Willamette Valley
A high nested AVA within the Chehalem Mountains — loess-over-basalt Pinot of chalky minerality.
Pinot Noir · Chardonnay · Pinot Gris
Oakville
within Napa Valley
The structured, dark-fruited heart of Napa Cabernet, defined by its alluvial benchland soils.
Cabernet Sauvignon · Merlot · Cabernet Franc
Howell Mountain
within Napa Valley
Napa's first mountain AVA — powerful, volcanic Cabernet above the fog line.
Cabernet Sauvignon · Zinfandel · Merlot
Mount Veeder
within Napa Valley
Steep sedimentary slopes of the Mayacamas — aromatic, bright-acid mountain Cabernet.
Cabernet Sauvignon · Merlot · Malbec
Spring Mountain District
within Napa Valley
The springs and steep volcanic slopes above St. Helena — dense, finely tannic Cabernet.
Cabernet Sauvignon · Cabernet Franc · Merlot
Diamond Mountain District
within Napa Valley
Volcanic glass slopes above Calistoga — brooding, graphite-mineral Cabernet.
Cabernet Sauvignon · Cabernet Franc · Merlot
Calistoga
within Napa Valley
Napa's warmest northern frontier — ripe, volcanic-soil reds from alluvial fans.
Cabernet Sauvignon · Zinfandel · Petite Sirah
Atlas Peak
within Napa Valley
A high, cool volcanic plateau — bright-acid Cabernet and Sangiovese east of the valley floor.
Cabernet Sauvignon · Sangiovese · Chardonnay
Chiles Valley
within Napa Valley
A cool, elevated eastern valley — old-vine Zinfandel and structured Cabernet.
Zinfandel · Cabernet Sauvignon · Merlot
Coombsville
within Napa Valley
Napa's cool, fog-influenced eastern edge — elegant, soft-tannin Bordeaux reds.
Cabernet Sauvignon · Merlot · Cabernet Franc
Rutherford
within Napa Valley
The heart of Napa's Cabernet country — alluvial 'Rutherford dust' soils yielding structured, age-worthy reds.
Cabernet Sauvignon · Merlot · Cabernet Franc
Stags Leap District
within Napa Valley
A narrow volcanic benchland whose elegant, restrained Cabernet won global recognition at the 1976 Judgment of Paris.
Cabernet Sauvignon · Merlot · Cabernet Franc
Russian River Valley
within Sonoma County
A fog-cooled Sonoma basin whose Goldridge loams produce benchmark New World Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Pinot Noir · Chardonnay · Syrah
Sonoma Coast
within Sonoma County
California's extreme maritime edge — cool, wind-swept ridges yielding tense, structured Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Pinot Noir · Chardonnay · Syrah
Dry Creek Valley
within Sonoma County
An Italian-rooted Sonoma valley defined by gravelly alluvium and century-old Zinfandel vines.
Zinfandel · Sauvignon Blanc · Cabernet Sauvignon
Willamette Valley
within —
Oregon's flagship region — cool, maritime, and volcanic, defined by world-class Pinot Noir across distinct soil series.
Pinot Noir · Pinot Gris · Chardonnay
Dundee Hills
within Willamette Valley
The red volcanic hills where Oregon Pinot Noir was born — Jory basalt soils yielding structured, age-worthy wines.
Pinot Noir · Chardonnay · Pinot Gris
Eola-Amity Hills
within Willamette Valley
Wind-swept volcanic hills west of Salem, where Pacific breezes through the Van Duzer Corridor sharpen Pinot's acidity.
Pinot Noir · Chardonnay · Pinot Gris
Rogue Valley
within Southern Oregon
Oregon's warm southern frontier — elevated, sun-driven terrain suited to Syrah and Bordeaux varieties.
Syrah · Cabernet Sauvignon · Merlot
Yakima Valley
within —
Washington's first AVA — a high-desert basin of Missoula-flood silt-loam yielding ripe, structured reds and Riesling.
Cabernet Sauvignon · Merlot · Riesling
Walla Walla Valley
within —
A cross-border valley of cobblestone terraces and silt-loam, producing powerful Syrah and Cabernet.
Syrah · Cabernet Sauvignon · Merlot
Red Mountain
within Yakima Valley
A small, sun-baked ridge yielding Washington's densest, most age-worthy Cabernet Sauvignon.
Cabernet Sauvignon · Syrah · Cabernet Franc
Horse Heaven Hills
within —
A wind-scoured south-facing ridge in the Columbia basin, producing deeply colored, powerful reds.
Cabernet Sauvignon · Syrah · Merlot
Snake River Valley
within —
Idaho's emerging high-desert AVA — volcanic soils and sharp diurnals showing promise for Riesling and Syrah.
Riesling · Syrah · Chardonnay
Sonoita
within —
Arizona's high-desert AVA — at ~5,000 ft, an experimental frontier for Rhône and Iberian varieties.
Syrah · Grenache · Viognier
Napa Valley
within —
California's flagship region — a narrow valley of alluvial fans and volcanic hillsides producing world-renowned Cabernet Sauvignon.
Cabernet Sauvignon · Chardonnay · Merlot