The Haw River Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a 868-square-mile region located in Alamance County, and parts of Caswell, Chatham, Guilford, Orange and Rockingham counties in Piedmont North Carolina.  The AVA is an agricultural area that has a long growing season, with approximately 214 frost-free days, making it a great place for wine grapes.

The area is rapidly gaining a reputation for its microclimate, long growing season, and mineral-rich soils that produce superior wine grapes. Wineries in the Haw River Valley include:


~Federal Designation of Haw River Valley AVA~

When you think of well-known wine regions in the United States, names like Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley come to mind.  Now the Piedmont of North Carolina has its own AVA, the Haw River Valley.

On March 30, 2009 the Haw River Valley was recognized by the federal government as an official American Viticultural Area (AVA).  An AVA is defined as a “delimited grape-growing region distinguishable by geographical features”.  These features include climate, soil, topography, and elevation that distinguish the viticultural region from its surrounding areas. 


The Haw River Valley AVA is the third AVA in the state of North Carolina.  The other two are in the western part of the state in the Yadkin Valley area.  You can read the technical details of the AVA designation on the Federal Register Notice.