I n the wine business, there's nothing more apparent than one designated wine growing AVA compared to another. For those of you who may be new to wine lingo, AVA is short for American Viticulture Area, an official term designated to wine-grape growers by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

Actually, the AVA serves as a point of reference defining the area's climate, soil, elevation and properties of the land in concern. This information is absolutely necessary for the grower, who, unlike a stock broker, will need to know what to expect from his vines before speculating anything, inclu...