Southern Oregon
The Southern Oregon AVA exists in the southwest portion of the state, stretching 125 miles from south of Eugene to the California border, and 60 miles at its widest between the Cascade Mountain Range to the east and the Coast Range to the west. It encompasses Umpqua Valley, Rogue Valley, Red Hill Douglas County, and Applegate Valley appellations. Southern Oregon has the oldest history of grape growing in the state, dating back to 1852. Today, this winegrowing region continues to grow and turn out a great variety of high-quality wines. Predominant Varieties include: Pinot noir, Merlot, Cabernet sauvignon, Pinot gris, Syrah, Chardonnay, Cabernet franc, White Riesling, Tempranillo, Gewurztraminer, Viognier.
Rogue Valley
The Rogue Valley AVA is the southernmost winegrowing region in Oregon. It's made up of three adjacent river valleys (Bear Creek, Applegate and Illinois Valleys) that extend from the foothills of the Siskiyou Mountains along the California border north to the Rogue River. It is 70 miles wide by 60 miles long and encompasses the Applegate Valley sub-appellation. Rogue Valley's wine history dates back to the 1840s when European immigrants began planting grapes and eventually bottling wines. Predominant Varieties include: Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot noir, Chardonnay.
Applegate Valley
Applegate Valley is a sub-appellation of the larger Rogue Valley AVA in Southern Oregon. It stretches 50 miles north from the California border to the Rogue River just west of Grants Pass. Applegate Valley's wine history began in 1852 when an early area settler named Peter Britt planted wine grapes. Today, this area is an important winegrowing region turning out a diversity of high-quality wines. Predominant varieties include: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay
Umpqua Valley
Umpqua Valley AVA sits between the Coast Range to the west and the Cascade Range to the east, with the Willamette Valley AVA to the north and the Rogue Valley AVA to the south. Named for the legendary fishing river that runs nearby, the appellation stretches 65 miles from north to south, and is 25 miles from east to west. The Umpqua Valley's winegrowing history dates back to the 1880s when German immigrants who had worked for the Beringer Bros., the oldest continuously operating vineyard in Napa, planted the first wine grape vineyard in the Valley. Predominant Varieties include: Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Riesling, Syrah, Tempranillo.
Red Hill District
Red Hill Douglas County is a sub-appellation of the Umpqua Valley AVA near the small town of Yoncalla, which lies about 30 miles north of Roseburg and parallels Interstate 5. The region has a rich pioneer and fly fishing history. Jesse Applegate planted Douglas County's first established vineyard in Yoncalla in 1876. Predominant varieties include: Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Riesling.
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is 150 miles long and up to 60 miles wide making it Oregon's largest AVA. It runs from the Columbia River in Portland south through Salem to the Calapooya Mountains outside Eugene. Named for the river that flows through it, the Willamette Valley has the largest concentration of wineries and vineyards in Oregon and includes six sub-appellations: Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge, Yamhill-Carlton and the recently approved Chehalem Mountains. Predominant Varieties include: Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Chardonnay, Riesling
Eola-Amity Hills
Eola-Amity Hills is a sub-appellation of the Willamette Valley AVA located just west-northwest of Salem, Oregon's state capitol. The agricultural history of this area near Salem dates back to the mid-1850s, though it wasn't until the 1970s that winemakers started to discover the area as having ideal growing conditions for high-quality wine grapes. Today this area produces world-class, handcrafted cool-climate varietals. Predominant varieties include: Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Pinot gris
McMinnville
McMinnville is a sub-appellation of the Willamette Valley AVA that sits just west of the city of McMinnville, approximately 40 miles southwest of Portland and extends 20 miles south-southwest. During the 1970s, McMinnville's prime wine growing conditions began being recognized; in 1987, McMinnville held the very first International Pinot Noir Celebration. Predominant varieties include: Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Pinot blanc
Yamhill-Carlton District
Yamhill-Carlton is a sub-appellation of the Willamette Valley AVA. Located 35 miles southwest of Portland and 40 miles east of the Pacific Ocean, the area includes the towns of Carlton and Yamhill. Once primarily known for tree-fruit orchards, nurseries, livestock, wheat fields and logging, the area now known as Yamhill-Carlton has a relatively recent wine history; today it is known as one of the country's finest producers of cool-climate varietals. Predominant Varieties include: Pinot noir, Pinot gris, and Chardonnay
Chehalem Mountains
Chehalem Mountains is one of Oregon's newest AVAs, and a sub-appellation of the existing Willamette Valley region. This viticultural area is 19 miles southwest of Portland and 45 miles east of the Pacific Ocean, just 30 minutes from Portland, Oregon's largest city. It is 20 miles in length and 5 miles wide. Chehalem Mountains' winegrowing history dates back to 1968 when UC Davis refugee Dick Erath purchased 49 acres on Dopp Road in Yamhill County. Predominant varieties include: Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Chardonnay
Ribbon Ridge
Ribbon Ridge is a sub-appellation of the Willamette Valley AVA that sits 22 miles southwest of Portland (just 30 minutes away), 4 miles northwest of Dundee and 40 miles east of the Pacific Ocean. Ribbon Ridge is contained within the larger Chehalem Mountains AVA - which is contained with the Willamette Valley AVA. In 1980, Harry Peterson-Nedry planted the first wine grapes on Ribbon Ridge at his Ridgecrest Vineyards. Predominant varieties include: Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Chardonnay.
Dundee Hills
Dundee Hills is a sub-appellation within the Willamette Valley located 28 miles southwest of Portland and 40 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Rising above the low, flat floors of the surrounding Willamette and Chehalem Valleys, the Dundee Hills offer spectacular views, including Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson's majestic snowy peaks. The Dundee Hills appellation sits at the north end of the Willamette Valley region, just 45 minutes from Portland, Oregon's largest city. Predominant varieties include: Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Chardonnay
Columbia Gorge
Just 60 miles east of Portland, the Columbia Gorge Wine region lies in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge, a dramatic river corridor that straddles the Columbia River for 15 miles into both Oregon and Washington. This region, which encompasses 40 miles, includes both the Columbia Gorge AVA and part of the Columbia Valley AVA. Lewis and Clark first made the Columbia Gorge famous when they passed through on their way to the Pacific Ocean in 1805. Grape growing in the Columbia Gorge area dates back to the 1880s when the Jewitt family, who founded the town of White Salmon, Washington, planted American vines they had brought with them from Illinois. Predominant varieties include: Pinot noir, Syrah, Pinot gris, Riesling
Columbia Valley
The Columbia Valley AVA is a very large growing region with 11 million acres of land in total. Most of Columbia Valley and its six sub-appellations lie in Washington State, with a small section in Oregon stretching from The Dalles to Milton-Freewater. The region is 185 miles wide and 200 miles long. On the Oregon side, the Columbia Valley wine history dates back to the early 1900s, when settlers planted the area's first vineyard on a steep, southward-sloping hill near the small town of The Dalles. Predominant varieties include: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Semillon, Pinot gris, Chenin blanc, Syrah
Walla Walla Valley
Snake River Valley