United States Wine Map Maker: Build Custom AVA Maps in 2D and 3D

277 AVAs across 34 states. From Napa’s benchlands to the Finger Lakes, the Rocks District to the Texas High Plains. The entire American wine landscape, yours to explore and create.

The United States Map Maker is an interactive GIS workspace built on SommGeo’s AVA layer: 276 American Viticultural Areas, loadable all at once, as 144 primary or 132 secondary AVAs, or as the 163 nested ones that sit inside larger AVAs, each with its boundary and profile. Load a layer from the legend, choose a basemap, switch between 2D and 3D, measure distances, sketch and label on top, then save the view as an image. The interactive map is part of SommGeo membership, which starts with a free 15-day trial.

• AVAs on the map: 276, from the 154 of California to the single AVAs of Hawaii, Georgia and Minnesota, every boundary clickable
• Layers: All AVAs, primary (144), secondary (132) and nested (163) AVAs, with outline, white-label and black-label versions for clean exports
• Tools: 2D and 3D views, basemap gallery, measure tool, layer transparency and labels, sketch and label (2D only), save as image
• Export: Save captures the current view as a downloadable image; untick “Include Legend” for a clean map
• Profiles: Every AVA opens a popup with its grapes, soils and climate; where AVAs stack, like Oakville inside Napa Valley inside North Coast, arrows in the popup header step through them
• Largest and smallest: Upper Mississippi River Valley, at 29,914 square miles, is the largest AVA; Cole Ranch in Mendocino County, under 200 acres, is the smallest

The United States wine map is, frankly, enormous. With 277 federally recognized American Viticultural Areas spread across 34 states, it’s a viticultural landscape that ranges from the fog-cooled ridges of Sonoma Coast to the limestone peaks of Mt. Harlan, from the glacially carved Finger Lakes of New York to the volcanic soils of the Rogue Valley in Southern Oregon. California alone accounts for over 80% of national production and holds 154 AVAs; if it were a country, it would be the fourth-largest wine producer on the planet. But the real story for wine professionals goes far beyond California. Washington’s Columbia Valley, Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Virginia’s emerging scene, and the Finger Lakes’ world-class Rieslings are reshaping what American wine means. This Map Maker puts every one of those regions at your fingertips. Switch between 3D satellite, topographic relief, and classic cartographic views to build custom maps of any AVA in the country. Every mapped region includes detailed popup content covering grape varieties, climate profiles, soil types, viticulture, a sommelier-level reference built directly into the map.

What You’ll Explore

The United States Map Maker gives you full control over how you visualize American wine geography, but the real depth is in what each region reveals. Click on any mapped AVA and a comprehensive info panel opens with sommelier-level content: dominant grape varieties, climate and geographic profiles, soil composition, the viticultural specifics that define each appellation. Whether you’re reading about the alluvial benchland soils of Napa’s Rutherford, the basalt-driven vineyards of Washington’s Red Mountain, or the volcanic Jory soils of Oregon’s Dundee Hills, every mapped AVA carries this level of built-in intelligence. Beyond the content, switch between basemaps, measure distances, tilt perspectives, and save your custom compositions.

• All 277 federally recognized AVAs across 34 states with toggleable boundary layers
• In-depth AVA profiles for every mapped area: varieties, soils, climate
• Full 3D terrain with adjustable tilt and rotation. Right-click and drag to pan perspective
• Measurement tools for calculating distances between vineyards, towns, and geographic features
• Nested AVA hierarchy visible. Zoom from state-level regions down to individual sub-appellations
• Save and export custom map views for presentations, study materials, or client education

The American Wine Landscape

What makes the United States fascinating from a geographic perspective is the sheer range of growing conditions compressed into a single country. The AVA system (established in 1980 with Augusta, Missouri as the first designation) is built on a fundamentally geographic premise: that distinct climatic, geological, and topographic features create wines of distinguishable character. Unlike European appellations, AVAs don’t regulate grape varieties, yields, or winemaking methods. They simply say: this place is different from the place next to it. For wine professionals, understanding why it’s different is where SommGeo’s Map Maker becomes essential.

Consider the contrasts. In California’s Central Coast, the transverse mountain ranges run east-west rather than north-south, funneling cold Pacific air inland through gaps like the Santa Maria Valley, creating conditions cool enough for Pinot Noir just 150 miles (241 km) from the desert heat of the Inland Empire. In Washington, the Cascade Range creates a massive rain shadow that turns the Columbia Valley into a high-desert growing environment with intense sunlight, dramatic diurnal temperature swings, and almost zero rainfall during the growing season, the antithesis of western Oregon’s generally maritime Willamette Valley just a few hundred miles away. On the East Coast, the Finger Lakes’ deep glacial lakes moderate temperatures enough to ripen Riesling at the 42nd parallel, the same latitude as northern Spain. These are the kinds of geographic relationships that become immediately visible when you start building maps in 3D.

Key Regions to Explore

California: The Engine Room

With 154 AVAs and over 4,000 wineries, California is less a single wine region than a continent unto itself. Napa Valley gets the headlines (and the prices), but the state’s real geographic diversity runs far deeper. The North Coast (Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lake County) benefits from the constant push-pull between Pacific fog and inland warmth, creating the diurnal shifts that drive quality Cabernet Sauvignon in the warmer interior benchlands and Pinot Noir on the fog-cooled ridges. The Central Coast stretches over 250 miles (402 km) from the Santa Cruz Mountains to Santa Barbara County, encompassing everything from the limestone-rich micro-AVA of Mt. Harlan (home to Calera’s pioneering Pinot Noir at 2,200 feet (671 meters)) to the Rhône-inspired vineyards of Paso Robles. Use the Map Maker’s 3D satellite view to see how the transverse ranges create these radically different growing environments within a single coastal stretch.

The Pacific Northwest: Oregon & Washington

Oregon and Washington sit side by side but could hardly be more different in viticultural character. Oregon’s Willamette Valley is Pinot Noir and Chardonnay country: cool, wet winters, moderate summers, and volcanic Jory soils on the hillsides that produce wines of structure and restraint. Head south to the Rogue Valley and Umpqua Valley, and you’ll find Tempranillo, Syrah, and a wild diversity of warm-climate varieties thriving in the rain shadow of the Siskiyou Mountains. Washington’s story is almost entirely east of the Cascades: the Columbia Valley, Walla Walla, and Red Mountain, where volcanic soils and extreme diurnal shifts produce some of the most structured Cabernet and Syrah in the New World. The 3D topographic view makes the Cascade rain shadow (the single most important geographic feature in Pacific Northwest wine) impossible to miss.

The East Coast & Beyond

The Finger Lakes region of New York State is a stellar zone for Riesling. The deep glacial lakes (some reaching depths of over 600 feet (183 meters)) create a lake-effect microclimate that extends the growing season and protects vines from the brutal upstate winters. Producers like Dr. Konstantin Frank (whose founder proved vinifera could survive here in the 1960s), Hermann J. Wiemer, and Ravines have put this region on the world map. Virginia’s emerging scene around Charlottesville, Texas’ high-elevation vineyards in the Davis Mountains, and Michigan’s Lake Michigan Shore all represent the expanding frontier of American wine. The Map Maker lets you explore all of these regions with the same tools. Toggle between basemaps, zoom into specific AVAs, and build the geographic context that makes these wines make sense.

AVAs you can build with (276)

Every AVA on the Map Maker, grouped by region or state, as drawn on the United States layer. Load a layer from the legend and click any AVA for its profile.

Region or state	AVAs	Names on the map
California: North Coast	58	Alexander Valley, Anderson Valley, Atlas Peak, Benmore Valley, Bennett Valley, Big Valley District-Lake County, Calistoga, Chalk Hill, Chiles Valley, Clear Lake, Cole Ranch, Comptche, Coombsville, Crystal Springs of Napa Valley, Diamond Mountain District, Dry Creek Valley, Eagle Peak Mendocino County, Fort Ross-Seaview, Fountaingrove District, Green Valley of Russian River Valley, Guenoc Valley, High Valley, Howell Mountain, Kelsey Bench-Lake County, Knights Valley, Long Valley-Lake County, Los Carneros, McDowell Valley, Mendocino, Mendocino Ridge, Moon Mountain District Sonoma County, Mt. Veeder, Napa Valley, North Coast, Northern Sonoma, Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley, Oakville, Petaluma Gap, Pine Mountain-Cloverdale Peak, Potter Valley, Red Hills Lake County, Redwood Valley, Rockpile, Russian River Valley, Rutherford, Solano County Green Valley, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma Valley, Spring Mountain District, St. Helena, Stags Leap District, Suisun Valley, Upper Lake Valley, West Sonoma Coast, Wild Horse Valley, Yorkville Highlands, Yountville
California: Central Coast	48	Adelaida District, Alisos Canyon, Arroyo Grande Valley, Arroyo Seco, Ballard Canyon, Ben Lomond Mountain, Carmel Valley, Central Coast, Chalone, Cienega Valley, Contra Costa, Creston District, Edna Valley, El Pomar District, Gabilan Mountains, Hames Valley, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara, Lamorinda, Lime Kiln Valley, Livermore Valley, Los Olivos District, Monterey, Mt. Harlan, Pacheco Pass, Paicines, Paso Robles, Paso Robles Estrella District, Paso Robles Geneseo District, Paso Robles Highlands District, Paso Robles Willow Creek District, San Antonio Valley, San Benito, San Bernabe, San Francisco Bay, San Juan Creek, San Lucas, San Miguel District, San Ysidro District, Santa Clara Valley, Santa Cruz Mountains, Santa Lucia Highlands, Santa Margarita Ranch, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, SLO Coast, Sta. Rita Hills, Templeton Gap District, York Mountain
California: other regions	48	Alta Mesa, Antelope Valley of the California High Desert, Borden Ranch, California Shenandoah Valley, Capay Valley, Clarksburg, Clements Hills, Cosumnes River, Covelo, Cucamonga Valley, Diablo Grande, Dos Rios, Dunnigan Hills, El Dorado, Fair Play, Fiddletown, Inwood Valley, Jahant, Leona Valley, Lodi, Madera, Malibu Coast, Malibu-Newton Canyon, Manton Valley, Merritt Island, Mokelumne River, North Yuba, Palos Verdes Peninsula, Paulsell Valley, Ramona Valley, River Junction, Saddle Rock-Malibu, Salado Creek, San Luis Rey, San Pasqual Valley, Seiad Valley, Sierra Foothills, Sierra Pelona Valley, Sloughhouse, South Coast, Squaw Valley-Miramonte, Tehachapi Mountains, Temecula Valley, Tracy Hills, Trinity Lakes, Willow Creek, Winters Highlands, Yucaipa Valley
Oregon	18	Applegate Valley, Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Elkton Oregon, Eola-Amity Hills, Laurelwood District, Lower Long Tom, McMinnville, Mt. Pisgah Polk County Oregon, Red Hill Douglas County, Oregon, Ribbon Ridge, Rogue Valley, Southern Oregon, Tualatin Hills, Umpqua Valley, Van Duzer Corridor, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
Washington and the Columbia River (WA, OR, ID)	22	Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley, Beverly, Washington, Candy Mountain, Columbia Gorge, Columbia Valley, Goose Gap, Horse Heaven Hills, Lake Chelan, Lewis-Clark Valley, Naches Heights, Puget Sound, Rattlesnake Hills, Red Mountain, Rocky Reach, Royal Slope, Snipes Mountain, The Burn of Columbia Valley, The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, Wahluke Slope, Walla Walla Valley, White Bluffs, Yakima Valley
Arizona	3	Sonoita, Verde Valley, Willcox
Arkansas	2	Altus, Arkansas Mountain
Colorado	2	Grand Valley, West Elks
Connecticut	2	Eastern Connecticut Highlands, Western Connecticut Highlands
Georgia	1	Dahlonega Plateau
Hawaii	1	Ulupalakua
Idaho	1	Eagle Foothills
Illinois	1	Shawnee Hills
Indiana	1	Indiana Uplands
Maryland	2	Catoctin, Linganore
Massachusetts	1	Martha’s Vineyard
Michigan	5	Fennville, Lake Michigan Shore, Leelanau Peninsula, Old Mission Peninsula, Tip of the Mitt
Minnesota	1	Alexandria Lakes
Missouri	3	Augusta, Hermann, Ozark Highlands
New Jersey	3	Cape May Peninsula, Outer Coastal Plain, Warren Hills
New Mexico	2	Middle Rio Grande Valley, Mimbres Valley
New York	10	Cayuga Lake, Champlain Valley of New York, Finger Lakes, Hudson River Region, Long Island, Niagara Escarpment, North Fork of Long Island, Seneca Lake, The Hamptons, Long Island, Upper Hudson
North Carolina	4	Crest of the Blue Ridge Henderson County, Haw River Valley, Swan Creek, Yadkin Valley
Ohio	3	Grand River Valley, Isle St. George, Loramie Creek
Pennsylvania	2	Lancaster Valley, Lehigh Valley
Tennessee	1	Upper Cumberland
Texas	7	Bell Mountain, Escondido Valley, Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country, Texas Davis Mountains, Texas High Plains, Texas Hill Country, Texoma
Virginia	7	Middleburg Virginia, Monticello, North Fork of Roanoke, Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace, Rocky Knob, Virginia Peninsula, Virginia’s Eastern Shore
West Virginia	1	Kanawha River Valley
Wisconsin	2	Lake Wisconsin, Wisconsin Ledge
Multi-state AVAs	14	Appalachian High Country (NC, TN, VA), Central Delaware Valley (PA, NJ), Cumberland Valley (MD, PA), Lake Erie (NY, OH, PA), Loess Hills District (IA, MO), Mesilla Valley (NM, TX), Mississippi Delta (MS, TN, LA), Ohio River Valley (IN, KY, OH, WV), Ozark Mountain (AR, MO, OK), Shenandoah Valley (VA, WV), Snake River Valley (ID, OR), Southeastern New England (CT, MA, RI), Upper Hiwassee Highlands (GA, NC), Upper Mississippi River Valley (IA, IL, MN, WI)

Hopefully this index is useful on its own. To explore these regions interactively, with every boundary on real terrain and a full profile for each, start a 15-day free trial. To see what one of these maps is like first, a different map is unlocked for everyone every day. For ready-made views of the same AVAs, see the United States Fast Map and the North Coast, Central Coast, Willamette Valley, Columbia Valley and Rest of USA 3D maps; the Map Maker Guide walks through every tool.