© Wikimedia/Marco Becerra
Ozark Mountain is one of the largest American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) in the United States. Covering 3.5 million acres (1.4 million hectares) of mountainous terrain, it includes the northern part of Arkansas, along with southern Missouri and a small portion of eastern Oklahoma. The Ozark Mountain terroir is too varied to be efficiently described with any detail, but overall the climate here is continental and vineyards sit on a range of slopes, river plains and valleys.
The cold midwestern winters have meant that cold-hardy Franco-American hybrid grape varieties are favored by vignerons in the Ozark Mountain AVA. Ravat Vignoles, Chardonel and Vidal, along with the native Norton variety, are found planted throughout the AVA, making a wide range of wine styles.
For more-detailed information about this AVA, see Ozark Mountain – Missouri.
