Sandwiched between the Adirondack Mountains to the west and the Green Mountains to the east, Champlain Valley is New York State’s northernmost AVA. During the Ice Age, the region was covered by ice a mile thick, which receded only 13,500 years ago to form present-day Lake Champlain. However, western winds blowing across the lake warm Vermont and not the Champlain Valley AVA, which is more influenced by the Adirondacks, earning it the nickname “the Adirondack Coast.”

The AVA is characterized by relatively flat terrain, with a cool climate and short growing season. Mostly sand and clay, the AVA’s soils are mineral-rich and defined by glacial silt and sediments, as well as erosion from the Adirondacks. Find plenty of cold-hardy French-American hybrids like Marquette, Frontenac and La Crescent.