American Viticultural Area · WA
Yakima Valley
Yakima Valley is a federally-designated American Viticultural Area in WA, established in 1983. The map below shows its official TTB boundary alongside nearby AVAs.
The Yakima Valley boundary is highlighted. Nearby AVAs are rendered in gray — click any of them to view that AVA's page.
At a glance
Established
1983
State
WA
Climate
Continental
Signature varietals
Boundary recorded in 27 CFR Part 9 · Source: TTB
About the Yakima Valley AVA
Yakima Valley, designated 1983, was Washington State's first AVA. It sits inside the larger Columbia Valley and covers a broad east–west valley along the Yakima River in south-central Washington. The climate is continental: hot, dry summers and cold winters, with the surrounding ridges sheltering the valley from Pacific weather and the latitude (roughly the same as Bordeaux) giving long summer days.
Yakima Valley produces a wide range of varietals — Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and increasingly Syrah. Several smaller AVAs nest inside Yakima Valley, including Red Mountain (best known for Cabernet), Rattlesnake Hills, Snipes Mountain, Goose Gap, and Candy Mountain. Each highlights specific elevation or soil pockets within the larger valley.
Nearby AVAs
Other American Viticultural Areas closest to Yakima Valley — useful when a vineyard sits inside more than one AVA at once.