Electronic Media Kit

Facts

Oregon AVAs

1984:
Columbia Valley
Umpqua Valley
Walla Walla Valley
Willamette Valley

1991:
Rogue Valley

2001:
Applegate Valley

2004:
Columbia Gorge
Dundee Hills
Yamhill-Carlton
Southern Oregon

2005:
McMinnville
Ribbon Ridge
Red Hill Douglas County

2006:
Eola-Amity Hills
Chehalem Mountains

2007:
Snake River Valley

2013:
Elkton Oregon 

The Dirt on Oregon Soil

Applegate Valley: soil types are typically granite in origin, and most of the area's vineyards are planted on stream terraces or alluvial fans, providing deep, well-drained soils that are ideal for high-quality wine grapes.

Chehalem Mountains: a combination of Columbia River basalt, ocean sedimentation, and wind-blown loess derivation soil types.

Columbia Gorge: soils are generally silty loams collected over time from floods, volcanic activity and landslides.

Columbia Valley: roughly 15,000 years ago a series of tremendous ice age floods (dubbed the Missoula Floods) deposited silt and sand over the area. These deposited sediments, along with wind-blown loess sediment, make up the area's present-day soils, which are well drained and ideal for grapevines.

Dundee Hills: known for its rich, red volcanic Jory soil, which was formed from ancient volcanic basalt and consists of silt, clay and loam soils. They typically reach a depth of 4 to 6 feet and provide excellent drainage for superior quality wine grapes.

Eola-Amity Hills: predominantly contain volcanic basalt from ancient lava flows as well as marine sedimentary rocks and alluvial deposits at the lower elevations of the ridge. This combination results in a relatively shallow, rocky set of well-drained soils, which typically produce small grapes with great concentration.

McMinnville: soils are typically uplifted marine sedimentary loams and silts, with alluvial overlays. As compared to other appellations in the Willamette Valley, these soils are uniquely shallow for winegrowing with low total available moisture.

Red Hill Douglas County: soils are iron-rich, red volcanic Jory soils, which were formed from ancient volcanic basalt and consist of silt, clay and loam soils. They are mostly deep, well-drained to the 15-foot depth, and considered premier wine grape growing soils.

Ribbon Ridge: primarily sedimentary soils that are younger, finer and more uniform than the alluvial sedimentary and volcanic soils of neighboring regions. These moderately deep, well-drained silty-clay loam soils are part of the Willakenzie soil series and are of low fertility and ideal for growing high-quality wine grapes.

Rogue Valley: soil types are many and varied, including mixes of metamorphic, sedimentary and volcanic derived soils ranging from sandy loam to hard clay.

Southern Oregon: soils are varied and complex, though generally derived from bedrock, specifically from the 200 million year old Klamath Mountains, which are comprised of sedimentary rocks, to the west.

Umpqua Valley: soils are as varied as the climate. Generally, they are derived from a mix of metamorphic, sedimentary and volcanic rock; though more than 150 soil types have been identified in the region. The valley floor levels have mostly deep alluvial or heavy clay materials, while the hillsides and bench locations have mixed alluvial, silt or clay structures-all typically excellent for winegrowing.

Willamette Valley: an old volcanic and sedimentary seabed that has been overlaid with gravel, silt, rock and boulders brought by the Missoula Floods from Montana and Washington between 10,000 and 15,000 years ago. The most common of the volcanic type is red Jory soil, which is found above 300 feet elevation (as it had escaped the Missoula Floods deposits) and is between four and six feet deep and provides excellent drainage for superior quality wine grapes. Anything below 300 feet elevation is primarily sedimentary-based soil.

Yamhill-Carlton: comprised of coarse-grained, ancient marine sedimentary soils, over sandstone and siltstone that all drain quickly, making them ideal for viticulture. Grapes grown in such soil often result in wines lower in acid than those made from grapes grown in basaltic or wind-blown soils.