| Wine region | |
 | |
| Official name | State of West Virginia |
|---|---|
| Type | U.S. StateAppellation[1] |
| Year established | 1863 |
| Years of wine industry | 199[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Sub-regions | Shenandoah Valley AVA,Ohio River Valley AVA,Kanawha River Valley AVA |
| Climate region | Continental/humid subtropical |
| Total area | 15,384,320 acres (24,038 sq mi)[3] |
| No. of vineyards | 4[4] |
| Grapes produced | Aurore,Baco noir,Cabernet Franc,Cabernet Sauvignon,Catawba,Cayuga,Chambourcin,Chancellor,Chardonel,Chardonnay,Concord,De Chaunac,Fredonia,Marechal Foch,Niagara,Norton,Petite Sirah,Pinot noir,Riesling,Seyval blanc,St. Pepin,St. Vincent,Van Buren,Vidal blanc,Vignoles[1] |
| No. of wineries | 11[1] |
West Virginia wine refers towine made fromgrapes grown in theU.S. state ofWest Virginia. West Virginia has 11 wineries located throughout the state among three designatedAmerican Viticultural Areas (AVA), Shenandoah Valley, Ohio River Valley and Kanawha River Valley. Only Kanawha River Valley AVA is located entirely within West Virginia while the other two extend acreage into the adjacent states ofOhio andVirginia.
Nicknamed the "Mountain State," West Virginia has the topography which is an important factor to wine region terroir taking advantage of the prevailing winds, the air drainage and the general topography. Vineyards planted among the mountains benefit from constant winds that are funneled through the valleys, drying the canopy and reducing the risk offungal vine diseases in West Virginia's humid subtropical climate.[2] Because of the state's cold winter climate, most producers focus onFrench hybrid and nativeVitis labrusca grape varieties. The most successfulVitis vinifera plantings areRiesling in the northeast portion of the state.[1]
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