Monticello AVA

The Monticello AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in the central Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is named for Monticello, the historic home of Thomas Jefferson, located near the center of the area. The Monticello AVA includes most of the counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna,[4] Greene, Orange, and Nelson. The area is nestled along the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains and encompasses the small ridge known as the Southwest Mountains. There are approximately 30 varieties of grapes grown in the Monticello AVA. However, the most notable grapes grown in the area include Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Viognier. The hardiness zone is 7a except in some higher vineyards which are 6b.

Monticello AVA
Wine region
TypeAmerican Viticultural Area
Year established1984[1]
Years of wine industry30
CountryUSA
Part ofVirginia
Growing season211 days
Climate regionHumid subtropical/maritime in highlands
Soil conditionsGranite-based clay
Total area800,000 acres (323,749 ha)[2]
Varietals producedCabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Malbec, Merlot, Muscat Canelli, Muscat of Alexandria, Norton, Orange Muscat, Petit Manseng, Petit Verdot, Pinot gris, Pinot noir, Riesling, Rkatsiteli, Sauvignon blanc, Seyval blanc, Syrah, Tannat, Touriga Nacional, Traminette, Vidal blanc, Viognier, Zinfandel[3]
No. of wineries24

History

The earliest recorded attempts at winemaking in the area occurred in the 1770s, when Thomas Jefferson provided financial support to Italian winemaker, Philip Mazzei, who made a small quantity of wine from the native grapes, but without much success. Jefferson gave Mazzei significant acreage less than 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Monticello for the purpose of growing grapes. The area was planted in 1774. In 1776, with the advent of the Revolutionary war, Jefferson and George Washington dispatched Mazzei back to Italy to solicit war funding from the Duke of Tuscany. As was the practice at that time, Mazzei rented his home, in this instance to the Hessian cavalry officer Friedrich Adolf Riedesel, a prisoner of war who had been captured at Saratoga and was imprisoned in the Charlottesville barracks. Riedesel moved his entire staff up to Mazzei's home and turned their horses out to pasture in the infant vineyards. The vineyards were destroyed.

References
  1. "§ 9.48 Monticello" (Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Part 9 — American Viticultural Areas; Subpart C — Approved American Viticultural Areas). Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR). Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  2. "American Viticultural Areas by State". Wine Institute. 2008. Archived from the original on January 27, 2008.
  3. "Monticello (AVA): Appellation Profile". Appellation America. 2007. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved January 30, 2008.
  4. McKenzie, Bryan (December 25, 2018). "Monticello wine region expanding into Fluvanna". The Daily Progress.
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