Is it true that a wine labeled "Napa County" can have less Napa juice in it than a wine labeled "Napa Valley"?
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Dear Dr. Vinny,
Regarding Napa Valley vs. Napa County, there’s a further distinction. An AVA must be 95 percent of the vintage on the bottle, whereas a political designation (county) needs only 85 percent.
—Brian C., St.-Emilion, France
Dear Brian,
You make a good point. In my previous answer about the difference between labeling a wine Napa County and Napa Valley, I didn’t address that aspect of the labeling laws. You’re correct that there’s a distinction between the requirements for political boundaries and American Viticultural Areas, or AVAs, but your numbers are a little off.
For a political boundary, like a county or state name, at least 75 percent of the grapes that go into a wine are required to be from within the boundaries of the location on the label. Rules for an AVA, like Napa Valley, are slightly tougher, requiring at least 85 percent of the grapes to hail from the AVA. Thanks for bringing that up.
—Dr. Vinny
