Isle St. George AVA

Isle St. George is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located on North Bass Island, Ohio, an island in Lake Erie. It was established on August 19, 1982 by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Meier's Wine Cellars, a bonded winery located in Silverton, Ohio (Cincinnati), proposing a viticultural area located in the western part of Lake Erie, to be named "Isle St. George."
The island is owned by the Silverton, Ohio-based Meier's Wine Cellars, Inc., the largest vintner in the North Central United States. The sole town on the Ottawa County island is also called Isle Saint George. However, the name "Isle St. George" is well established. This name has been associated with North Bass Island since at least 1903. The 1903 edition of the U.S.G.S. quadrangle map, "Put-in-Bay," identifies the community on North Bass Island as "Isle St. George. Historically, over half of the island was used to cultivate grapevines. Currently, only 44% of the island cultivates grapes. Lake Erie is warmer than the other Great Lakes, providing a moderating and warming effect on the local climate. Temperatures on the island during the growing season can be warmer than on the mainland due to the "lake effect." Cool climate varietals such as Catawba, Delaware, Gewürztraminer, Pinot noir, and Riesling are the most important in Isle St. George.