AVA · MID

Livermore Valley

Location: California, United States

Legal name: Livermore Valley American Viticultural Area

Regulatory body: TTB

Official designation: 27 CFR §9.46

Livermore Valley is modeled here as the appellation/legal-origin layer for the existing EncyclopediaOfWine region row. It identifies the protected label name associated with California, while the original region row remains available as legacy geographic context until downstream links are fully migrated. The AVA combines coastal air access with inland warmth and historic plantings. Commonly associated grapes include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Petite Sirah, Semillon. AVA status in the United States is origin-based rather than grape-prescriptive: it protects a delimited place-name and does not require one authorized grape list or a European-style production recipe.

Permitted Grapes

No AVA-specific grape restrictions. Commonly associated grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Petite Sirah, Semillon.

Notable Rules

AVA label use is origin-based: under 27 CFR §4.25(e)(3), at least 85 percent of the wine must be derived from grapes grown within the viticultural area, and American wine must be fully finished within the State, or one of the States, in which the AVA is located. The AVA does not impose a grape-variety list or European-style production code.

Also Known As

Livermore Valley AVA, Livermore Valley American Viticultural Area

Sources & References

  • eCFR / 27 CFR §9.46 — United States appellation and AVA framework; public regulatory reference.

REFERENCE NOTE

This entry is written as an educational overview and may synthesize public regulatory, historical, and editorial sources. It is not an official regulatory record.