Southeastern New England AVA

Southeastern New England is a vast American Viticultural Area (AVA) that encompasses thirteen counties in the three New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. The boundaries of the wine appellation expand across New Haven, New London, and Middlesex counties in Connecticut; Bristol, Newport, Providence, and Washington counties in Rhode Island; and Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Nantucket, Norfolk, and Plymouth counties in Massachusetts. The area stretches from the east coast just south of Boston, Massachusetts westward to New Haven, Connecticut, and includes all of the coastal plain and islands within 15 miles (24 km) of Long Island Sound, Cape Cod, and Massachusetts Bay. It was established as the nation's 62nd and initial AVA in each state on March 28, 1984, by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Mr. James Mitchell, of Sakonnet Vineyards, Little Compton, Rhode Island, on behalf of local winegrowers and vintners, proposing a viticultural area located on coastal Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts named "Southeastern New England."
All offshore islands between Boston and the Mystic River, including Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, are included as part of the viticultural area. In response to this petition, ATF proposed the Southeastern New England viticultural area in Notice No. 477 on August 4, 1983 (48 FR 35462). In that notice, ATF solicited comments on alternative names or boundaries for the proposed viticultural area. Notice No. 477 also proposed the "Martha's Vineyard" viticultural area the subject of a separate Treasury decision.
The name "Southeastern New England" is descriptive of the land adjoining coastal bodies of water in eastern Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts south of the Boston area. It has been used by the New England River Basins Commission to describe this portion of New England. No comments were addressed to the name and ATF ruled "Southeastern New England" as the name of the viticultural area.

Overall, the Southeastern New England viticultural area encompasses approximately 1.88 million acres (2,930 sq mi). At the outset, there were nine bonded wineries with others being established within the Southeastern New England viticultural area. It was estimated that there was between 200 and 300 acres (81–121 ha) of grapes with additional acreage planned in the near future. Vineyards are widely distributed and consist of both French Hybrid grapes and Vinifera grapes, especially Chardonnay, White Riesling, and Pinot Noir. The plant hardiness zone range is 6b-7b. Approval of the Southeastern New England viticultural area in no way affected the Martha's Vineyard viticultural area which was also proposed in Notice No. 477 and lies within the Southeastern New England AVA.