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Elkton Oregon

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Elkton Oregon

Established: 2013
Total Area: 74,900 acres (30,311 ha)
Planted Area: 305 acres (125 ha)
Predominant Soils: Clay loam
Predominant Varieties: Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Gewürztraminer, Riesling

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The Elkton Oregon AVA is situated 33 miles (53 km) inland from the Pacific Ocean. It is wholly within the Umpqua Valley AVA, which in turn lies within the larger Southern Oregon AVA. Elkton Oregon is the northernmost region in the Umpqua Valley. The Umpqua River weaves through the middle of the region, offering a cool afternoon breeze during the growing season.

Elkton Oregon vineyard soils are predominantly residual clay, silt loam soil, alluvial deposits and river terraces around the meandering Umpqua River. Clay soils retain water very well, resulting in less of a need to irrigate and lower yields.

In contrast to the rest of Southern Oregon, wines produced from this region are more often from cool climate varieties made in a lusher style, fuller in body with bolder fruit notes than those produced in the Willamette Valley.

Region History:

Winegrowing in Elkton dates back to the early 1970s when Ken Thomason began planting cool climate whites and Pinot noir. The first winery was established in 2000. Currently, there are four licensed wineries and 12 commercial vineyards totaling 96.5 planted acres (39 ha).

Dundee Hills

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Dundee Hills

Established: 2004
Total Area: 12,500 acres (5,100) ha)
Planted Area: 2,225 acres (900 ha)
Predominant Soils: Volcanic (Jory series)
Predominant Varieties: Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Pinot gris, Pinot blanc

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The Dundee Hills AVA is contained within the Willamette Valley AVA and is located 28 miles (45 km) southwest of Portland and 40 miles (64 km) inland from the Pacific Ocean. It is defined by a single, continuous landmass that rises above the low, flat floors of the surrounding Willamette and Chehalem Valleys beginning at the 200 foot (60 m) contour line and extending to the AVA’s highest peak of 1,067 feet (325 m).

The Dundee Hills area is effectively an island protected from great climatic variations by the Coast Range to the west and the Chehalem Mountains to the northeast. The Dundee Hills receive less cooling influence from the Pacific Ocean and Columbia Gorge, resulting in slightly warmer growing seasons than most Willamette Valley AVAs.

The Dundee Hills AVA is known for its rich, red volcanic Jory soil, formed by the Columbia River Basalts more than 14 million years ago. Jory soils typically reach a depth of 4-6 feet (1.2-1.8 m) and provide excellent drainage for superior quality wine grapes. Pinot noirs from this area are most often bright with elegant red fruit, earthy, truffle-like flavors and silky mouthfeel.

Region History:

Winemaker David Lett planted the first Pinot noir in the Dundee Hills in 1966, establishing The Eyrie Vineyards. Soon after, Dick Erath, the Sokol Blossers and other winemakers cleared south-facing slopes to plant many of Oregon’s first vineyards. They whole-heartedly believed this area would one day be an important cool-climate winegrowing region. It didn’t take long for the world to discover the Dundee Hills and Oregon – especially once The Eyrie Vineyards Reserve Pinot noir was rated among top Burgundian wines in the 1979 Gault-Millau French Wine Olympiad. Today, the area is home to many of Oregon’s modern pioneer winemakers who continue to successfully grow and make premium wine. The appellation was approved in 2004.

Chehalem Mountains

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Chehalem Mountains

Established: 2006
Total Area: 62,500 acres (25,300 ha)
Planted Area: 2,720 acres (1,100 ha)
Predominant Soils: Marine sedimentary, volcanic, loess (Laurelwood series)
Predominant Varieties: Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Pinot gris, Riesling, Pinot blanc, Gamay noir

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The Chehalem Mountains AVA is contained within the Willamette Valley AVA and is located 19 miles (30 km) southwest of Portland and 45 miles (70 km) east of the Pacific Ocean. The region is defined by its namesake Chehalem Mountains, a single landmass made up of several hilltops, ridges and spurs with the tallest point, Bald Peak, at 1,633 feet (498 m) above sea level. These mountains, identified as the highest in the Willamette Valley, greatly impact the vineyards by sheltering them from winds blowing south through the Columbia Gorge.

Volcanic soils, marine sedimentary soils and a distinct series of loess called Laurelwood can all be found throughout the Chehalem Mountains AVA. Most of the vineyards are planted between 200 and 1,000 feet (60-305 m) elevation. Due to its great diversity, leaders are continually working to learn the intricacies of the land and further define their region. In 2005, Ribbon Ridge, contained within the Chehalem Mountains AVA, was approved as an AVA defined by its Willakenzie series of sedimentary soil.

With such diversity of elevations, soils and aspects, this region offers wines of great complexity and intrigue. The cool climate and endless combinations of soils and elevations produce wines with defined structure, offering notes of strawberries and cherries in cooler vintages and darker fruit in riper years.

Region History:

Chehalem Mountains’ winegrowing history dates back to 1968 when UC Davis alum Dick Erath purchased 49 acres (20 ha) on Dopp Road in Yamhill County. He aptly called the property Chehalem Mountain Vineyard. By the mid to late 1970s, there was a patchwork of vineyards in the area, including those owned by the now-recognizable founders Adelsheims and the Ponzis. The Chehalem Mountains AVA was formally approved in 2006.

Applegate Valley

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Applegate Valley

Established: 2000
Total Area: 278,190 acres (112,600 ha)
Planted Area: 750 acres (300 ha)
Predominant Soils: Stream Sediments
Predominant Varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah, Tempranillo, Pinot noir

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The Applegate Valley AVA is contained within the larger Rogue Valley and Southern Oregon AVAs. It stretches 50 miles (80 km) north from the California border to the Rogue River just west of Grants Pass. Surrounded by the Siskiyou Mountains, the Applegate Valley is shielded from cooling marine winds coming from the Pacific Ocean. Vineyards are typically grown at elevations up to 2,000 feet (610 m) and experience hot days and cool nights.

The Applegate River greatly influenced the development of soils in the area. Most vineyards are planted on stream terraces or alluvial fans, providing deep, well-drained soils that are ideal for high-quality wine grapes.

Wines from this region are generally plush, full-bodied, fruit-forward Bordeaux- and Rhône- style wines with a subtle underlying minerality.

Region History:

Applegate Valley’s wine history began in 1852 when an early settler named Peter Britt planted wine grapes. In 1873, he opened Valley View Winery, Oregon’s first official winery. Valley View closed in 1907; then Prohibition hit. It wasn’t until the 1970s, after modern pioneers began discovering the neighboring areas’ quality wine growing conditions, that the Applegate Valley experienced a resurgence of winemaking. It began with a few family-run wineries that planted their roots and opened their doors. Today, this area is an important winegrowing region turning out a diversity of high-quality wines. The appellation became official in 2000.

Van Duzer Corridor

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Van Duzer Corridor

Established: 2019
Total Area: 59,850 acres (24,220 ha)
Planted Area: 1,000 acres (405 ha)
Predominant Soils: Marine sedimentary
Predominant Varieties: Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Pinot gris, Riesling, Pinot blanc, Sauvignon blanc

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The Van Duzer Corridor AVA is contained within the Willamette Valley AVA and is located approximately 50 miles (80 km) southwest of Portland and 40 miles (64 km) east of the Pacific Ocean. The AVA is named after the Van Duzer Corridor, a natural break in the Coast Range that results in 40-50% stronger winds in the afternoon compared to other Willamette Valley AVAs. Direct coastal wind exposure results in cooler average temperatures and higher grape skin-to-pulp ratios, producing wines with more phenolic structure, densely structured tannins and firm acids.

The Van Duzer Corridor is comprised primarily of marine sedimentary soil. The region’s trademark afternoon winds combined with these soils result in Pinot noirs offering notes of dark fruits, tea leaf and earth. White wines tend to have bright fruit and acid-driven profiles complimented by weight and texture.

Region History:

The appellation became official in January 2019.

Columbia Gorge

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Columbia Gorge

Vertiginous cliffs plunge to the mighty Columbia River below, while on the plateaus above, wind-swept vineyards are planted on complex, ancient soils. The Columbia Gorge AVA, no stranger to superlatives, is defined by the river that cuts through the majestic Cascades—and by the Missoula Floods that scoured the region 15,000 years ago. In this dramatic tableau of geological history, winegrowers cultivate diverse varieties in climates that vary wildly—from the high desertlike east, to the cooler, wetter west. So many different grapes thrive in this region, from Arneis to Zinfandel, that it’s no wonder enthusiasts celebrate it as “a world of wine in 40 miles.”

Established: 2004
Total Area: 186,610 acres (75,520 ha) total, 120,010 acres (48,565 ha) in Oregon
Planted Area: 925 acres (375 ha)
Predominant Soils: Volcanic, lahar, loess, silt, sand
Predominant Varieties: Many different varieties thrive, varies by geography and elevation

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Just 60 miles (95 km) east of Portland, the Columbia Gorge AVA lies in the heart of the dramatic river corridor that straddles the Columbia River along the borders of Oregon and Washington.

The climate in the Columbia Gorge AVA is categorized as transitional. The western end of the Columbia Gorge, close to the Cascade Mountains, has a cooler, marine-influenced climate where it rains 36 inches (91 cm) per year. Stretching 40 miles (65 km) eastward, the climate transitions to continental high desert with just 10 inches (25 cm) of annual rainfall. Throughout the Gorge, elevations of vineyard sites range from sea level to 2,000 feet (610 m), which greatly impacts temperatures during the growing season.

The Columbia River Gorge is the only sea-level passage through the Cascade Mountain Range, funneling persistent winds at an average speed of 10-20 miles per hour (16-32 kph) or more, acting as a cooling and drying force to the vineyards.

This extreme variance of climate means the Columbia Gorge AVA can successfully grow a wide range of classical varieties. Wines produced from this region tend to be riper than wines from Oregon’s cooler, western regions with higher acidity and structure than what occurs naturally in the warmer, eastern AVAs.

Region History:

Lewis and Clark first made the Columbia Gorge famous when they passed through on their way to the Pacific Ocean in 1805. Grapegrowing in the Columbia Gorge area dates back to the 1880s when the Jewitt family (who founded the town of White Salmon, WA) planted American vines they had brought with them from Illinois. Other pioneer families followed suit, and today some of their original vines are still alive and have withstood sub-zero temperatures. It wasn’t until the 1970s that post-Prohibition pioneers started experimenting with vineyards on the south-facing slopes of the Underwood Mountain in Washington. Over the next two decades, well-known winemakers started to discover the incredible potential of grapes grown in this region. The Columbia Gorge appellation became official in 2004.