Willcox AVA

Willcox AVA
Wine region
TypeAmerican Viticultural Area
Year established2016[1]
Years of wine industry1984–present[2]
CountryUnited States
Part ofArizona
Other regions in ArizonaSonoita AVA, Verde Valley AVA
Precipitation (annual average)8.42 inches (21.4 cm)[3]
Soil conditionsLoam[3]
Total area526,000 acres (213,000 ha; 822 sq mi; 2,130 km2)[3]

The Willcox AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in southeastern Arizona, centered around the city of Willcox where it is bisected by Interstate 10. Approximately 85% of wine grapes from Arizona are grown within the AVA boundaries.[4] The AVA consists mostly of flat terrain at over 4,000 feet in elevation, including the Aravaipa Valley and much of Sulphur Springs Valley.[1] It is bounded by the Chiricahua Mountains and Dos Cabezas Mountains to the east, the Pinaleño Mountains to the northeast, and the Dragoon Mountains to the west. Sixty miles (97 km) to the southwest is the Sonoita AVA, and the Mimbres Valley AVA is 120 miles (190 km) to the east in New Mexico. The AVA is one of the three major centers of viticulture in Arizona, along with Sonoita and the Verde Valley in central Arizona.[5] Just east of the AVA are Fort Bowie National Historic Site, Chiricahua National Monument, and Coronado National Forest.

  1. ^ a b "Willcox AVA". University of Arizona. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  2. ^ Ruelas, Richard (September 13, 2016). "Willcox wins federal designation as a unique Arizona wine region". azcentral. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "Establishment of the Willcox Viticultural Area" (TTB-2016-0002-0007). Federal Register. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. September 12, 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  4. ^ Burch, Cathelina (September 10, 2016). "Willcox takes big step up in wine world". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  5. ^ Selinger, Hannah (March 26, 2020). "Exploring the Diverse, Terroir-Driven Wines of the American Southwest". Wine Enthusiast. Retrieved December 19, 2020.