Martha's Vineyard AVA citing historical evidence that viticulture has been practiced on the Massachusetts island named Martha's Vineyard since at least 1602. The maritime location helps to create a slightly warmer climate than the nearby coastal regions of Massachusetts, and a growing season that is almost three weeks longer. The hardiness zone is 7a. Martha's Vineyard AVA The Martha's Vineyard AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Dukes County, Massachusetts, including all of the land on the islands named Martha's Vineyard and Chappaquiddick Island. These two islands are located off the southern Massachusetts coast, surrounded by Vineyard Sound, Nantucket Sound, and the
Martha's Vineyard on the island, and it was also the setting for Robert Harris' 2007 novel "The Ghost". Martha's Vineyard was known as an "everyone signed" community for several hundred years, and many Deaf people view Martha's Vineyard as a utopia. A high rate of hereditary deafness was documented on Martha's Vineyard for almost two centuries. The island's deaf heritage cannot be traced to one common ancestor and is thought to have originated in the Weald, a region that overlaps the borders of the English counties of Kent and Sussex, prior to immigration. Researcher Nora Groce estimates that by the late 19th