Santa Cruz Mountains
Location: California, United States
Legal name: Santa Cruz Mountains American Viticultural Area
Regulatory body: TTB
Official designation: 27 CFR §9.31
Santa Cruz Mountains 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 defined by elevation, marine influence, and mountain exposures rather than a single valley floor. Commonly associated grapes include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah. 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, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah.
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
Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, Santa Cruz Mountains American Viticultural Area
Sources & References
- eCFR / 27 CFR §9.31 — United States appellation and AVA framework; public regulatory reference.
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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.