| Lehigh Valley AVA | |
| Type: | American Viticultural Area |
| Year: | 2008[1] |
| Country: | United States |
| Part Of: | Pennsylvania |
| Sub Regions: | Lehigh Valley |
| Climate Region: | Continental |
| Precipitation: | 40-50" |
| Soil: | Karst and slate |
| Planted: | 230acres[2] |
| Vineyards: | 12 |
| Varietals: | Cabernet Sauvignon, Chambourcin, Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Riesling, Vidal blanc |
| Wineries: | 10[3] |
The Lehigh Valley AVA is an American Viticultural area located in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The AVA includes portions of Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Schuylkill, Carbon, and Monroe counties and the towns from Jim Thorpe to Easton, portions of the Schuylkill River Valley, the Brodhead Creek watershed in Monroe County and part of the Swatara Creek watershed to the west.
The wine region includes 230acres 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 and Northern Europe, favoring the production of French-American hybrid grapes, especially Chambourcin. Between fifteen and twenty percent of the wine produced in Pennsylvania is made from grapes grown in the Lehigh Valley AVA.[2]
The region has a humid continental climate (Dfa/Dfb in higher areas) and the hardiness zone is 7a or 6b.