Oregon Wine Resource Studio
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The powerful Columbia River divides Oregon from the state of Washington, but this mighty river is not enough to diminish the collaborative powers of the resilient growers and audacious winemakers who craft bold and surprising wines from the slopes of the Columbia Gorge and Walla Walla Valley. Journey with Bree Stock MW through the regions and wines of these cross-border AVAs.
Situated along latitude 46° N, midway between Bordeaux and Burgundy, the Walla Walla Valley AVA lies on a bedrock of fractured basalt laid down 15 million years ago, its soils composed of the sand and gravel discarded by ancient floods, layered by wind-deposited silts. Those soils produce not only juicy strawberries and sumptuous sweet onions, but also some of the finest Cabernets, Merlots and Syrahs in the world, which are increasingly making their way onto top wine lists nationally and internationally. In the land of “many waters,” this oasis amid the vast sagebrush desert that rolls across America’s northwest interior, winegrowers are working their craft, from the foothills of the spectacular Blue Mountains to the arid regions of the valley’s west, building on a history almost four decades long and spanning the two states of Oregon and Washington.
Established: 1984
Total Area: 359,600 acres (145,525 ha)
Planted Area: 2,930 acres (1,185 ha) total, 1,260 acres (510 ha) in Oregon*
Predominant Soils: Volcanic, Missoula flood sediments, loess, cobbles
Predominant Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot
*Updated November 1, 2018
Located about 250 miles (400 km) east of Portland, the Walla Walla Valley AVA straddles southeast Washington State and northeast Oregon. It is contained within the Columbia Valley appellation. Vineyards are hemmed in by the Blue Mountains to the southeast, the Palouse to the north and the Columbia River westward. Elevations across the valley soar between 400 and 2,000 feet (120-610 m) above sea level creating many micro-climates.
Located far from the marine influences of the Pacific Ocean, the Walla Walla Valley is the warmest growing region in Oregon, making it ideal for warm-weather varieties like Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Dry July and August heat provides a vibrant core of ripeness in the berries, while the chill of September nights assures the acidic backbone necessary for creating superb wines.
There are four distinct soil terroirs in the Walla Walla Valley: loess (wind-deposited silt) overlying Missoula flood sediments, thick loess overlying basalt bedrock, basalt cobblestone gravels and very thin loess on basalt bedrock.
The warm growing season temperatures, low rainfall and complex soils lead to complex, full-bodied wines.
Region History:
It is believed that winegrowing in the Walla Walla Valley dates back to the 1920s, although the modern-day wine industry began in the 1970s when childhood friends Gary Figgins of Leonetti Cellar and Rick Small of Woodward Canyon Winery began conducting oenological experiments in Rick’s garage. They soon began growing grapes in the Valley, and subsequently founded their wineries in 1977 and 1981, respectively. L’Ecole No. 41 was established soon after, in 1983. The Walla Walla Valley was officially designated as an AVA in 1984, but it took another decade for the growth spurt to begin. At the turn of the millennium, more than 50 wineries called the Valley home, and today that number has grown to more than 100. In 2015, a sub-section of the Walla Walla Valley called The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater was approved as an AVA.
Established: 2015
Total Area: 3,770 acres (1,525 ha)
Planted Area: 330 acres (138 ha)*
Predominant Soils: Basalt cobbles and gravels (Freewater series)
Predominant Varieties: Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache
*Updated November 1, 2018
The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater is wholly contained within both Walla Walla Valley and Columbia Valley AVAs and is found in northeastern Oregon, 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Pendleton, Oregon and five miles (eight km) south of Walla Walla, WA. The Rocks District occupies a very gently sloping alluvial fan that was deposited by the Walla Walla River where it exits the foothills of the Blue Mountains and enters the broad flat floor of the Walla Walla Valley. Elevations range from 800 to 1,000 feet (245-305 m).
Most days during the growing season are sunny and clear with very low humidity, so large daily temperature variations are common. During summers, the region often experiences 5-10 days with temperatures exceeding 100 °F (38 oC).
The unique soils of The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater are its defining characteristic. They consist of pebbles and cobbles of basalt (dark volcanic rock) in a matrix of sand and silt. The rocky soil is extremely well drained, encouraging the vines to root deeply, and the dark rocks efficiently transfer heat into the soils and radiate heat to the ripening grapes. The Rocks District is the only AVA in the United States whose boundaries were determined by a single land form and a single soil series.
Wines produced from this region showcase a lovely perfumed bouquet with a savory palate and a prominent, lingering minerality on the finish.
Region History:
Wine grape production in The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater was initiated by Italian emigrants who first arrived in the area in the 1860s. By the early 1880s, the region was producing thousands of gallons of wine, mostly for consumption by miners in the gold fields of northern Idaho. A series of very cold winters in the late 1880s, combined with the end of the gold rush, forced the farmers to turn most of their vineyards into orchards. However, many farmers maintained small vineyards and continued to produce limited quantities of wine for family and friends. Isolated wild vines that are the remnants of these small family vineyards can still be found in The Rocks District.
The modern era of wine production began in the 1990s when vineyards planted by winemakers in the region earned acclaim for producing wines with sumptuous aromas and unique flavor profiles. By 2015, the cobble soils near Milton-Freewater hosted more than 280 acres (115 ha) of vineyards and The Rocks District was approved as Oregon’s 18th AVA.
