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The USA is the fourth largest wine producing country in the world. Wine regions stretch from one side of this vast land to the other, with almost all states now growing grapes for making wine. Most of America’s wine production flows from the western states bordering the Pacific Ocean. California produces the largest amount of wine with more than 90% of the nation’s production. Washington, Oregon and New York are also important regions, producing quality wines.
The enormous diversity of this continent has enabled an extensive selection of vines to flourish. Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are widely planted, with both grapes capable of producing a remarkable range of styles. Merlot thrives, mostly in cheaper beverage wines and blends, although there are some outstanding varietal examples. Zinfandel produces chewy red wines and by contrast fine rosé or blush wines while Pinot Noir and some aromatic white varieties are impressive in the cooler regions.
American Viticulture Areas (AVA’s) are the USA’s version of the more complex European wine classifications. An important difference is that the AVA’s are purely geographical, and are not necessarily an indicator of quality.
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