American viticultural areas designated in 1995: the complete list

Quick answer: The federal government established three American Viticultural Areas in 1995: Cucamonga Valley in California on March 31, St. Helena in California on September 11, and Puget Sound in Washington on October 4. The TTB establishment-date table and the original Federal Register final rules confirm this list.

Correction published August 1, 2026: An earlier version of this page incorrectly mixed AVAs established in other years into the 1995 list. We rebuilt the page from TTB's official establishment chronology and the three original final rules. The correction preserves this URL so readers, search engines, and sites that cited the earlier version reach the verified record.

The complete 1995 AVA list

AVA	State	Establishment date	Current CFR section	Regulatory scope
Cucamonga Valley	California	March 31, 1995	27 CFR 9.150	Approximately 109,400 acres in San Bernardino and Riverside counties at establishment
St. Helena	California	September 11, 1995	27 CFR 9.149	Approximately 9,060 acres in Napa County, entirely within the Napa Valley AVA at establishment
Puget Sound	Washington	October 4, 1995	27 CFR 9.151	The lowland grape-growing area surrounding Puget Sound, defined by mapped boundaries and landmarks

These are the only three entries dated 1995 in TTB's official chronological table. TTB defines the establishment date as the date the final rule was published in the Federal Register. That detail matters because a petition date, proposed-rule date, effective date, or later boundary amendment can otherwise be mistaken for the original establishment date.

Which AVAs are often assigned to 1995 by mistake?

Several frequently repeated lists place Oakville, Rutherford, Wild Horse Valley, Malibu-Newton Canyon, Naches Heights, or Loramie Creek in 1995. TTB's chronology records different dates:

• Loramie Creek was established November 26, 1982.
• Wild Horse Valley was established November 30, 1988.
• Oakville and Rutherford were established July 2, 1993.
• Malibu-Newton Canyon was established June 13, 1996.
• Naches Heights was established December 14, 2011.

This is a useful source-checking lesson. A page may discuss a rule, amendment, petition, or nearby AVA during 1995 without that AVA having been established that year. For a year-by-year list, the TTB chronology and final rule are stronger evidence than a secondary regional timeline.

Cucamonga Valley AVA

Cucamonga Valley was the first AVA established in 1995. Its final rule was published on March 31 and added the area to the federal regulations at what is now 27 CFR 9.150.

The final rule described an area of approximately 109,400 acres in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, roughly 45 miles east of Los Angeles. At the time of the petition, the area had about 2,000 vineyard acres. The rule also documented a much larger historical wine industry, including a peak of about 35,000 vineyard acres and more than 60 wineries.

The AVA's identity was supported by a long grape-growing history, alluvial soils, a warm climate, and the geographic setting around the communities of Cucamonga, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, and neighboring areas. Those facts explain why total AVA acreage and planted vineyard acreage should never be treated as the same number. The regulatory boundary covers a geographic area; only a portion is planted to vines.

For compliance work, use the current text of 27 CFR 9.150 and the approved USGS maps referenced in the regulation. The original final rule is valuable for history and rationale, but the current CFR controls when verifying a present-day boundary.

St. Helena AVA

St. Helena was established on September 11, 1995 under 27 CFR 9.149. The final rule places the area in Napa County and entirely within the previously established Napa Valley AVA.

The petition described approximately 9,060 acres around the city of St. Helena, about 16 miles northwest of the city of Napa. The rulemaking record examined local name use, history, soils, alluvial fans, elevation contours, and the boundary relationship with Rutherford to the south. The final boundary used Zinfandel Lane as an important dividing line between the two areas.

St. Helena is the only Napa Valley sub-appellation established in 1995. Oakville and Rutherford are sometimes included in the same list because they are neighboring Napa Valley AVAs and appeared in the St. Helena rulemaking record, but both were established in 1993.

A wine that qualifies for the St. Helena appellation may use that more specific AVA name. A wine that does not meet the St. Helena sourcing threshold may still qualify for the broader Napa Valley appellation if it independently meets the applicable requirements. The narrower claim is never automatic merely because a winery or vineyard has a St. Helena mailing address.

Puget Sound AVA

Puget Sound became the third and final AVA established in 1995 when its final rule was published on October 4. The rule added 27 CFR 9.151 and defined the area through eight USGS maps plus a detailed sequence of roads, county lines, waterways, rail lines, and other landmarks.

The petition focused on the lowlands surrounding Puget Sound rather than the entire watershed. The final rule described a growing season of at least 180 days in areas below 600 feet, annual rainfall of 60 inches or less inside the relevant boundary, maritime temperature moderation, and soils associated with Vashon glaciation. Those features distinguished the grape-growing area from the wetter or more elevated land around it.

At the time of the proposal, the record noted more than 50 vineyard acres and 25 bonded wineries in the basin. Those historical figures describe conditions presented to regulators in 1995. They should not be presented as current planted-acreage or winery counts without a newer source.

Puget Sound's regulatory boundary is broad and irregular. A city name or proximity to the water is not enough to prove that a vineyard lies inside it. Parcel-level verification should begin with TTB's map resources and end with the current regulatory boundary description when the result affects a label or contract.

What does AVA establishment mean for a wine label?

An AVA is a delimited grape-growing region with distinguishing features and a federally recognized name. It is an appellation of origin, not a guarantee of wine quality and not a certification that every vineyard inside the boundary shares identical conditions.

TTB's current labeling guidance requires at least 85 percent of a wine to be derived from grapes grown in the named AVA. The wine also must be fully finished, apart from permitted cellar treatment and certain blending, in the state or one of the states where the AVA is located. Other labeling rules can apply depending on the wine's class, type, vintage claim, varietal designation, and place of production.

For the three 1995 AVAs, that means:

• A Cucamonga Valley claim requires qualifying fruit from within the Cucamonga Valley boundary.
• A St. Helena claim requires qualifying fruit from within the St. Helena boundary, not merely elsewhere in Napa Valley.
• A Puget Sound claim requires qualifying fruit from within the federal Puget Sound boundary, not simply western Washington.

The designation year does not create a lower sourcing threshold or a grandfather exception. The current labeling rules apply to current labels.

How to verify an AVA date and boundary

Use a short evidence chain that can survive a compliance review:

1. Check TTB's list of AVAs by establishment date. This confirms whether the AVA belongs in the year being researched.
2. Confirm the current CFR section in TTB's established-AVA table or the eCFR.
3. Read the original final rule for the petition history, distinguishing features, comments, and original boundary decision.
4. Use TTB's mapping resources to screen a parcel or vineyard block.
5. If a block is near a boundary, compare the parcel with the current regulatory description and approved maps. Do not rely only on a marketing map or mailing address.
6. Keep the evidence with the vineyard, grape-purchase, and lot records that support the eventual label claim.

Vineyard teams can store this evidence alongside parcel and block records in VitiScribe. The software record helps organize the workflow, but it does not replace the CFR or a formal TTB determination.

Why this history matters to vineyard records

The three AVAs tell very different stories. Cucamonga Valley's rule documents a large historic Southern California wine district. St. Helena's rule resolves a precise Napa Valley sub-appellation boundary. Puget Sound's rule defines an extensive maritime growing region using climate, glacial soils, topography, and mapped landmarks.

Those differences affect how a vineyard manager should document provenance. A clean record links each grape lot to a specific block, the block to a verified boundary, and the resulting volume to the wine lot. That chain becomes especially important when fruit from inside and outside an AVA is combined. The label claim depends on the sourcing percentage, not the winery's address or the name used in a sales contract.

Historical sources also need dates attached. Vineyard acreage, winery counts, and planted varieties reported in a 1995 petition are evidence about 1995. Treating them as current facts can make an otherwise accurate page misleading. This guide labels historical figures accordingly and uses the current TTB chronology for the answer to the central question.

Frequently asked questions

How many American Viticultural Areas were established in 1995?

Three. They were Cucamonga Valley in California, St. Helena in California, and Puget Sound in Washington.

Which California AVAs were established in 1995?

Cucamonga Valley and St. Helena. Oakville and Rutherford were established in 1993, Wild Horse Valley in 1988, and Malibu-Newton Canyon in 1996.

Was Naches Heights established in 1995?

No. TTB's establishment chronology lists Naches Heights on December 14, 2011. Puget Sound is the Washington AVA established in 1995.

Was St. Helena or Rutherford the 1995 Napa Valley AVA?

St. Helena. Rutherford was established July 2, 1993. St. Helena followed on September 11, 1995 under 27 CFR 9.149.

What is the official AVA establishment date?

TTB's chronology uses the date the final rule was published in the Federal Register. This prevents confusion with petition, proposed-rule, comment, effective, or amendment dates.

What percentage of grapes must come from an AVA to use its name?

TTB's current guidance says at least 85 percent of the wine must be derived from grapes grown in the named AVA. Additional production and labeling conditions also apply.

Is total AVA acreage the same as planted vineyard acreage?

No. Total acreage measures the land inside a regulatory boundary. Planted acreage counts land under vines and is usually much smaller. It also changes over time.

Can a mailing address prove that a vineyard is inside an AVA?

No. Postal names and AVA boundaries serve different purposes. Verify the parcel against TTB's mapping resources and the current regulatory boundary.

Who established the 1995 AVAs?

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, or ATF, issued the three final rules. TTB later inherited federal wine-labeling and AVA administration responsibilities.

Primary sources

1. TTB, List of AVAs by Establishment Date, updated March 24, 2026. This is the controlling source for the complete chronological list used on this page.
2. ATF final rule establishing the Cucamonga Valley AVA, published March 31, 1995.
3. ATF final rule establishing the St. Helena AVA, published September 11, 1995.
4. ATF final rule establishing the Puget Sound AVA, published October 4, 1995.
5. TTB, Established American Viticultural Areas, for current CFR section references and nesting relationships.
6. TTB, Wine Labeling: Appellation of Origin, for current AVA sourcing and finishing requirements.

Last reviewed and corrected August 1, 2026.