Responding to a petition from the Appalachian Region Wine Producers Association, the Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau proposed to established the "Upper Cumberland AVA."

The proposed Upper Cumberland AVA covers all or portions of eight counties in Middle Tennessee: Cumberland, Fentress, Macon, Putnam, Overton, Smith, Warren, and White. The proposed AVA contains about 2,186,689 acres, with 55 vineyards totaling over 71 acres spread throughout the proposed AVA. There are also nine wineries within the proposed AVA. According to the petition, there is at least one vineyard in each of the counties within the proposed AVA, demonstrating that commercial viticulture and winemaking take place throughout the entire proposed AVA.

Comments due: Oct. 30.