Lake Erie is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in the Great Lakes region of the United States, covering the southern shores of the eponymous lake. The AVA, historically associated with fruit-growing and the production of table grapes and grape juice, is now home to a significant acreage of grapes for wine. Bright, fresh examples of Riesling and Pinot Gris grown along the banks of Lake Erie are complemented by the Bordeaux mainstays of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
The AVA covers 223,700 acres (90,500ha), tracing the coast from upstate New York through the north-western corner of Pennsylvania and into Ohio – a distance of 220 miles (355km). The 18 islands that lie in the US half of the lake are also included within the AVA's catchment area and one of these, North Bass Island, even has its own appellation, entitled Isle St. George.
The sheer volume of water in Lake Erie brings about a lake effect, blessing the local vineyards with a longer growing season than those further inland. It is an added bonus that Erie is the shallowest of all the Great Lakes, meaning that it absorbs heat and cold readily. In spring, winds from over the cold waters reduce the risk of spring frost by delaying bud burst until after the worst frosts have passed. In summer, the lake stores warmth, and during the long fall season, this air is swept into the vineyards, extending the hang time of the grapes.
Rainfall may be higher here than in more-inland areas, but the sand- and gravel-based topsoil is free draining and quickly disperses any excess water. Over thousands of years, strong, slow glaciations have sculpted the landscape, exposing some rock types and covering up others. In the process, the topography has also been adjusted and now offers a generous number of south-east sites. Similar growing environments can be found in such AVAs as Old Mission Peninsula in neighboring Michigan and Long Island in New York.
Lake Erie got its first vineyards in the 1840s and has been growing steadily as a wine region since, pausing only for the inevitable hiatus during the Prohibition years. Much of the vineyard land in the Lake Erie AVA is still used for grape juice and table grapes, but in the past few decades, this has been joined by a steadily growing wine industry. The northern shore of the lake lies within Canada and is also a recognized wine region, Lake Erie North Shore.
