American Viticultural Area · NY
Finger Lakes
Finger Lakes is a federally-designated American Viticultural Area in NY, established in 1982. The map below shows its official TTB boundary alongside nearby AVAs.
The Finger Lakes boundary is highlighted. Nearby AVAs are rendered in gray — click any of them to view that AVA's page.
At a glance
Established
1982
State
NY
Climate
Cool continental
Signature varietals
Boundary recorded in 27 CFR Part 9 · Source: TTB
About the Finger Lakes AVA
Finger Lakes, designated 1982, is by far the largest AVA in New York State and the most important cool-climate wine region east of the Rockies. The eleven elongated north-south lakes give the region its name and define its viticulture: vineyards plant on the slopes above the lakes because the lake mass moderates winter temperatures, reducing the risk of vine-killing freezes that would otherwise make vinifera growing impossible at this latitude.
Riesling is the region's signature varietal — Finger Lakes Riesling routinely places alongside German and Austrian Rieslings in blind tastings, and the region's cool continental climate produces a style with notable acidity and mineral cut. Cabernet Franc is the leading red, with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Gewürztraminer also important. Two smaller sub-AVAs — Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake — recognize specific lakes whose microclimates differ meaningfully from the broader AVA.
Nearby AVAs
Other American Viticultural Areas closest to Finger Lakes — useful when a vineyard sits inside more than one AVA at once.