38°0′N 78°25′W / 38.000°N 78.417°W / 38.000; -78.417

Monticello AVA

Wine region
Type	American Viticultural Area
Year established	1984
Years of wine industry	250
Country	United States
Part of	Virginia
Other regions in Virginia	Middleburg AVA, North Fork of Roanoke AVA, Northern Neck George Washington Birthplace AVA, Rocky Knob AVA, Shenandoah Valley AVA, Virginia's Eastern Shore AVA
Growing season	220-250 days
Climate region	Humid subtropical/maritime in highlands
Precipitation (annual average)	39.4–44.0 inches (1,001–1,118 mm)
Soil conditions	Granite-based clay loam
Total area	800,000 acres (1,250 sq mi) 106,240 acres (166 sq mi) added in 2019.
Size of planted vineyards	450 acres (182 ha)
No. of vineyards	28+
Varietals produced	Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Malbec, Merlot, Muscat Canelli, Muscat of Alexandria, Norton, Orange Muscat, Petit Manseng, Petit Verdot, Pinot gris, Pinot noir, Riesling, Rkatsiteli, Sauvignon blanc, Seyval blanc, Syrah, Tannat, Touriga Nacional, Traminette, Vidal blanc, Viognier, Zinfandel
No. of wineries	30+

Monticello is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in the central Piedmont region of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on February 22, 1984, after six wine grape growers in the Charlottesville area petitioned the ATF to designate a viticultural area to be known as “Monticello.” The name "Monticello" is known nationally and locally as the historic home of Thomas Jefferson, located near the center of the area. Monticello AVA includes most of Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Orange, and Nelson counties. The area is nestled along the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains and encompasses the small ridge known as the Southwest Mountains. There are approximately 30 varieties of grapes grown in the Monticello AVA. However, the most notable grapes grown in the area include Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Viognier. The hardiness zone is 7a except in some higher vineyards which are 6b. In 2019, the Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) granted a petition to expand the AVA by approximately 106,240 acres (166 sq mi) into Fluvanna County.

The earliest recorded attempts at winemaking in the area occurred in the 1770s, when Thomas Jefferson provided financial support to Italian winemaker, Filippo Mazzei, who made a small quantity of wine from the native grapes, but without much success. Jefferson gave Mazzei significant acreage less than 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Monticello for the purpose of growing grapes. The area was planted in 1774. In 1776, with the advent of the Revolutionary war, Jefferson and George Washington dispatched Mazzei back to Italy to solicit war funding from the Duke of Tuscany. As was the practice at that time, Mazzei rented his home, in this instance to the Hessian cavalry officer Friedrich Adolf Riedesel, a prisoner of war who had been captured at Saratoga and was imprisoned in the Charlottesville barracks. Riedesel moved his entire staff up to Mazzei's home and turned their horses out to pasture in the infant vineyards. The vineyards were destroyed.

The geographical features of gaps in the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east causes “rivers of cold air” to flow through corridors that converge east of the Monticello AVA. It is manifested by the tendency of the cool air to sink along the surrounding topography and drain to the surface of the valley floors. This atmospheric phenomenon draws warmer air closer to the ground and reduces the incidence of frost damage. As a result, the climate is favorable to viticulture in Monticello AVA where temperatures are 4 to 5 °F (−16 to −15 °C) warmer than the surrounding areas. The warmer weather produces a longer growing season and protection from vine-freeze which can be fatal to ripening grapes. The season is a minimum of 190-200 day average in the AVA compared to areas further east and south that average 150 days and less. To maximize vine protection, vignerons selected sites with sunny, south-easterly exposure at 800 feet (244 m) and above between the mountain slopes.

• Virginia Wine
• List of wineries in Virginia

• Monticello Wine Trail
• Central Virginia region from the official Virginia Wine site.
• TTB AVA Map