Country United States Climate region Continental Size of planted vineyards 230 acres (93 ha) Number of wineries 9 | Part of Pennsylvania Soil conditions Karst, slate Year established 2008 | |
Type American Viticultural Area | ||
The Lehigh Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania. The AVA includes portions of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Schuylkill, Carbon, and Monroe counties. The area includes the towns from Jim Thorpe to Easton, portions of the Schuylkill Valley and the Brodhead Creek watershed.
The wine region includes 230 acres (93 ha) of vineyards, planted to several Vitis vinifera and French-American hybrid grape varieties. The climate of Lehigh Valley has been compared to the cooler climates of central or northern Europe, favoring the production of French-American hybrid grapes, especially Chambourcin. 15 to 20 percent of the wine produced in Pennsylvania is made from grapes grown in the Lehigh Valley AVA.
The region has a humid continental climate and is located in hardiness zones 6b and 6a.