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Los Carneros

Location: California, United States

Legal name: Los Carneros American Viticultural Area

Regulatory body: TTB

Official designation: 27 CFR §9.32

Los Carneros 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 is legally distinct from either county alone and is especially important for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and sparkling wine. Commonly associated grapes include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Gris. 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: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Gris.

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

Los Carneros AVA, Los Carneros American Viticultural Area

Sources & References

  • eCFR / 27 CFR §9.32 — 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.