The Willamette Valley is home to several distinct growing regions—most commonly called American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). Each of these regions boast unique characteristics—whether due to climate, soil content, or other factors—that impart different flavors on the grapes grown in that area. So that’s why a pinot noir produced in the sediment-rich Chehalem Mountains AVA, for instance, may taste different than a pinot noir produced in the cooler, milder Van Duzer Corridor AVA.
So with the Willamette Valley AVA covering our entire region—and eleven smaller AVAs nested within the Willamette Valley—we wanted to introduce you to our unique wine-growing areas. Here’s a bit of background on how our wine is grown, what that means, and where to learn more.
The region’s largest AVA—spanning nearly 3.5 million acres between Portland and Eugene—hosts a variety of growing regions and microclimates rich with volcanic soils, wide-open hillsides, lush valleys, and more.
The 20-mile-long Chehalem Mountains AVA sits at the northern edge of the Willamette Valley. In its ridges, hillsides, and spurs reside three important soil types (basaltic, ocean sedimentary and blown lakebed sediment) for growing grapes in roughly 180 vineyards.
The Willamette Valley’s first wine grapes were planted in the Dundee Hills AVA, which remains the most densely planted region in Oregon. Sandwiched between the Willamette River to the south and the Chehalem Valley to the north, the Dundee Hills’ sediment-rich soils are especially known for their pinot noir output.
Sitting alongside the Willamette River, the Eola-Amity Hills AVA is known for its shallow, basalt-rich soils—ideal for growing small, sugary grapes. Pinot noir is the region’s dominant grape, but chardonnay and pinot gris are also present.
The McMinnville AVA ranges from the foothills of the Oregon Coast Range in the west to rolling hillsides in the east. Its shallow soils, protected from heavy rainfalls, are well suited to growing pinot noir, chardonnay, and pinot blanc grapes.
Surrounded on three sides by other AVAs, Ribbon Ridge hosts roughly 20 vineyards spread across 500 acres. Its ocean sedimentary soils are protected from marine air and heavy rains, so Ribbon Ridge is known for its pinot noir, chardonnay, and gamay noir grapes.
The Van Duzer Corridor AVA sits where marine winds blow into the Willamette Valley, creating a cooler, milder climate than AVAs further north. The windy nature of the AVA means growers can use fewer sprays, which makes it easier to craft organic and biodynamic wines from pinot noir, chardonnay, pinot gris, riesling, and sauvignon blanc grapes.
The 57,000-acre Yamhill-Carlton AVA is home a variety of landscapes—including Oregon Coast Range foothills, low ridges, and the North Yamhill River. The pastoral settings are home to some of the oldest, fastest-drying soils in the Willamette Valley—and have given rise to pinot noir, chardonnay, pinot gris, and other wine grapes.
The Willamette Valley AVA, formally announced in December 2021, sits near the Oregon Coast Range foothills in the western Willamette Valley.
The area’s cool, dry climate—along with nutrient-rich soils—makes it an ideal region to grow white grape varieties, including pinot gris and chardonnay.
At the northwest corner of the Willamette Valley, the Tualatin Hills AVA is named for the Tualatin River watershed.
The growing area is noted for its rich, volcanic Laurelwood soils—and sees slightly less rainfall, cooler weather, and a drier climate during the fall harvest than nearby AVAs.
Laurelwood District AVA sits within the broader Chehalem Mountains AVA—and is made up of more than two-dozen wineries and nearly 75 vineyards.
The growing area was designated for the unique soils found on its north- and east-facing slopes—soils that date back, in one form or another, some 15 million years.
The Mount Pisgah AVA became the newest nested AVA in the Willamette Valley when it was formally announced in July 2022.
The 5,530-acre growing area shares a designation with its namesake volcano, which formed more than 60 million years ago as a volcano on the sea floor; today, Mount Pisgah is an above-ground mountain that’s covered with marine sediment. As such, a wide range of grapes can grow in the AVA’s shallow soils.
