Update: I've revised and updated this cheat sheet. Check out the
new and improved U.S. Wine Cheat Sheet.
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I'm working on making cheat sheets for all the major wine regions in the world. (See the full collection
here.) Here's one covering the United States, without California. California produces 90% of the wine that comes from the U.S., so it will get its own page.
This overview includes information on climate, grapes, wine laws, and major American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). AVAs are the American version of AOCs in France or DOCs in Italy, except with far fewer regulations. I included some technical details that might not be of interest to the casual consumer, but are necessary for any serious wine students to know - such as labeling requirements and latitude.
I chose 4 states to focus on - New York, Washington, Oregon, and Texas. The first 3 were the top producers of wine in the U.S. in 2012 (after California). And I included Texas because I live here and I'm interested!
I hope you'll find this cheat sheet useful and educational, and that it will inspire you to try a wine from a place you've never had before! My personal favorites from these regions are Pinot Gris from Oregon, Cabernet Sauvignon and dry Riesling from Washington, and Cabernet Franc and dry Riesling from New York.
To see the Cheat Sheet in full size…
…in Internet Explorer, right click on it and select “open in new tab.”
…in Chrome, right click on it and select “open link in new tab.”
…in Firefox, right click on it and select “view image.”
