Regional Associations
Oregon is a world-class wine region with 16 approved winegrowing
regions and more than 450 wineries producing 72 varieties of
grapes. Oregon is blessed with some of the most diverse and
beautiful wine-growing landscapes in the world. From the benchlands
soaring above the Columbia River Gorge to the Willamette Valley's
green, rolling hills to the high mountain valleys of Southern
Oregon, there are some incredible sights to behold-and some
incredible wines to taste. Below are a list of regional association
that can help you plan your trip.
Central Oregon
Winegrowers Association of Central Oregon
In 2007 a group of adventurous Central Oregonians gathered and
asked the question, Can we grow grapes in Central Oregon? This
varied group came together with a shared desire to learn about the
challenges and possibilities of growing grapes and making wine in
Central Oregon. With the combined information from each other and
industry experts advice in hand the group began moving forward.
By 2009 vineyards were planted, wine was being made, and the
group continued to share information and evolve. On June 9, 2009
the group formalized and became the Wine Growers Association of
Central Oregon (WACO).
The association has grown, grapes are being grown and quality
wine is being produced and enjoyed. Yes there are challenges still
ahead. There is still much to learn but remembering back to 2007
when there were questions about the possibility of establishing a
vineyard and winery industry in Central Oregon, the association can
now say, "yes you can to those who said you have to be a little
crazy to think you can grow grapes in Central Oregon.
Eastern Oregon
Columbia Gorge Winegrowers Association
America's Most Unique Wine Region, the Columbia Gorge Growing
Region (AVA) is located less than an hour east of the Portland area
through some of the most amazingly scenic areas in the
Northwest.
Straddling the mighty Columbia River, the Columbia Gorge growing
region includes the fertile soils of both Washington and
Oregon!
From the marine influenced climate of Underwood Mountain to the
arid dryland of the Eastern Gorge, from Albariño to Zinfandel, the
grapes and wines produced here include a spectacular selection of
sweet whites and luscious reds.
Walla Walla
Valley Wine Alliance
Walla Walla is a valley unlike any other. Somewhere near the
crossroads of textbook terroir and superior craftsmanship sits an
approachable, welcoming valley unlike any other. A place where
working the land demands patience and commands respect, but rewards
hard work and dedication with a finished product unlike any
other.
Southern Oregon
Applegate Valley Wine Trail
Life slows a pace or two in the picturesque Applegate Valley.
Small wineries with big wines can be found all along the meandering
roads and rivers. Come meet our grape growers, step into their
vineyards and share a glass of wine. If you haven't visited the
Applegate Wine Trail, then you haven't truly experienced southern
Oregon wine country.
Southern Oregon Winery Association
Surrounded by Southern Oregon's vast collection of mountains,
rivers and green forests, the diverse collection of wineries are
all within a 45 minute to three-hour drive from each other. The
Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland and the Britt Festival in
Jacksonville both feature world-class entertainment with charming
bed and breakfasts and elegant hotels available nearby. Southern
Oregon also features a diverse array of fine restaurants with
talented chefs who often prepare locally grown cuisine to pair with
the award winning wines.
Southern Oregon is full of natural treasures: Crater Lake,
Oregon Caves, redwood forests, the mighty Rogue and Umpqua rivers;
all are surrounded by thousands of acres of wilderness. In the past
few decades, a new Southern Oregon treasure has emerged in the form
of vineyards and wineries that are garnering national and
international attention.
The rugged mountain valleys and diverse climates allow for a
wide variety of intensely flavored wine grapes to be grown. The
cooler areas of Southern Oregon produce wonderful Pinot noir, Pinot
gris, Riesling, Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, and Gewürztraminer
while the warmer, more arid regions ripen big reds such as Cabernet
Sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Tempranillo, Merlot, Malbec, Dolcetto,
Zinfandel, Grenache and Syrah. Many other unique varieties such as
Albariño, Pinot blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Marsanne, Rousanne, Baco
noir, Marechal Foch, Mourvedre, Semillon, Petite Syrah and Viognier
are also grown; making Southern Oregon one of the most diverse
winegrowing regions in the world.
A visit to a winery in Southern Oregon can involve much more
than just tasting wine. Located in beautiful valleys with stunning
vistas, a family member or winemaker may be pouring wine in the
tasting room, or be nearby to share stories and special wines with
you. Many wines are only available at the winery or have very
limited distribution, so be sure to take some wines home to share
your discovery of Southern Oregon wineries with friends and
family.
Umpqua Valley Winegrowers Association
The complex topography of the Umpqua Valley, formed by the
convergence of three mountain ranges of varying ages and structure,
contributes to the occurrence of varied soil types and the many
sub-valleys known as the Hundred Valleys of the Umpqua. The rich
diversity of landscapes and climates provide a wide range of
conditions needed to produce an exciting array of grape varieties.
The cooler valleys allow varietals such as Pinot noir, Pinot gris,
and Riesling to flourish while the warmer valleys include Merlot,
Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tempranillo, and Grenache. Overall, the
Umpqua Valley is among Oregon's most complex wine growing
region.
The region's unrivaled natural beauty, thunderous waterfalls,
covered bridges, wildlife viewpoints, as well as the warm
hospitality of the locals provides an idyllic destination.
Willamette Valley
Chehalem Mountains Winegrowers
The Chehalem Mountains Winegrowers represents vineyards,
wineries and their associates in the Ribbon Ridge and Chehalem
Mountains AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), joined by a love of
fine wine and the terrain, elevation and climate within the
boundaries of a single geological miracle.
From Parrett Mountain to the south, and running northwest across
Bald Peak and Ribbon Ridge, the Chehalem Mountains were formed by
uplifted sedimentary seabeds, lava flows, and wind-blown silt to
create the highest elevations and most diverse soils in wine
country. These distinctions make our winegrowing region famous for
rich, elegant and complex wines including benchmark pinot noir.
With beautiful vineyards, eclectic tasting rooms, farm-to-table
restaurants and other northwest cultural and recreational places of
interest just a short drive from Portland, the Chehalem Mountains
and Ribbon Ridge offer something for everyone.
Dundee
Hills Winegrowers Association
The Dundee Hills Winegrowers is a community of vintners, growers
and businesses that work together with a mission to promote,
educate and grow the appellations reputation as Oregon's premier
wine growing region. We invite you to visit and experience the
brilliance that is this world-class Oregon wine destination.
The East Valley Winery Tour
Home to more than 1,500 acres of vineyard, this quarter century
old wine growing region raises quality wine grapes for many of
Oregon's largest wineries. The East side of the North Willamette
Valley is also home to more than a dozen boutique winery
experiences. The of family owned vineyards each provide their own
unique environment in a touring region that has something for
everyone.
Eola-Amity Hills
The Eola-Amity Hills (EAH) winegrowing region comprises a
string of hills located nearly in the center of the Willamette
Valley. These hills are coated with soils formed from ancient
marine sediments, derived from massive primordial lava flows, or
deposited by post-glacial floods of biblical proportions, and the
hills are warmed by Oregon's long, dry summer growing season. The
hills are now home to numerous vineyards and wineries producing
premium wine grapes and wines that capture the unique terroirs of
the EAH region.
Heart of
Willamette Wineries
The small, boutique wineries of this region are friendly,
family owned destinations that reflect the natural beauty and
diversity of the Willamette Valley. Nestled in the foothills of the
Coast Range and Mary's Peak, the sustainable vineyards enjoy one of
the most favorable grape growing conditions in the valley.
The producers are dedicated to producing high quality wines at
affordable prices. The region's many varietals earn numerous awards
annually. Bounded by Salem on the north and Monroe on the
south, the Heart of Willamette wineries are a prime
destination for wine lovers.
McMinnville
Due west of historic downtown McMinnville, home to
top-notch restaurants, charming boutiques and urban wine tasting
rooms lies the highly regarded McMinnville AVA. Located in
the Coast Range foothills of Yamhill County, the AVA is a
sub-appellation of the all-encompassing Willamette Valley
AVA. It is here where the influences of a remarkable
geological history and an ideal climate have combined to set the
stage for winemakers to produce consistently world-class wines.
Dotting the pastoral countryside, the McMinnville Winegrowers
Association's eight member wineries, Brittan Vineyards, Coeur
de Terre Vineyard, Coleman Vineyard, J Wrigley Vineyard,
Maysara Winery, Noble Pig, Yamhill Valley Vineyards and Youngberg
Hill Vineyards & Inn make wine and grow grapes in this rich,
agricultural environment. Additionally, several member
vineyards supply fruit to some of the most prestigious wineries in
Oregon. These include Bellevue Cross Vineyard, Hyland
Vineyard, Meredith Mitchell Vineyard and Sunnyridge Vineyard to
name a few.
The significant geological history has helped to shape a highly
complex and varied terroir. The story of the soils began
roughly 38-55 million years ago when the Cascade Mountain lava
flows and tectonic plate movements created the Coast Range
Mountains. Plate movements exposed ancient and weathered
soils in the foothill regions where the AVA is located. The
lava flows created basal lava fingers, noticeable amongst marine
soils in the AVA vineyards. The soils are primarily uplifted
marine sedimentary loams and silts with a base of uplifting
basalt. Harder rock and compressed sediments of basalt
pebbles and stone are found under an average 20-40 inch soil depth,
giving the McMinnville AVA a unique soil complexity on which to
grow grapes.
In addition to the eclectic combination of soils coating our
region, the climate of the McMinnville AVA helps to create optimal
conditions for viticulture. Primarily east and south facing
slopes sit in a protected weather shadow of the Coast Range
Mountains with rainfall less than sites 12 to 20 miles to the
east. Chilling winds are avoided in the Spring and Fall as
the foothills provide continuous protection from many unstable
weather patterns. Vineyards placed on more southerly sites
take advantage of the drying winds from the Van Duzer corridor,
which helps control mold and mildew on the grapes during humid
summer days. During harvest, all of these conditions allow
winegrowers to let their grapes hang on the vine, allowing flavors
to intensify, gaining even more layers of subtlety in the finished
wines.
Most importantly are the flavor profiles of the wines created by
this unique growing region. Pinot noirs exhibit concentrated
flavors of blackberry, currant and cherry, rounded out by spice and
earthy tones. A strong backbone of fruit tannins and acidity
add age-ability to these elegant red wines. White wines of
the McMinnvilleAVAsuch as Pinot gris, Pinot blanc and Riesling are
also celebrated for their brightness, texture and fruit
forwardness.
The McMinnville AVA currently has more than 600 acres of wine
grapes planted and continues to grow in size. Many wineries
are open daily for tasting and others gladly accept
appointments. "Discover the Wines of the McMinnville AVA" is a
unique, annual opportunity to meet the winemakers, winegrowers and
taste the wines that make the McMinnville AVA.
North Willamette Vintners
The North Willamette Vintners is a collection of wineries,
vineyards, and wine tourism partners that shape the northern
gateway to Oregon's wine country. Brought together by a deep
passion for crafting the finest wines from the most fertile
environment, our members are a diverse and
dedicated group.
From small wineries that house their wine production facilities
in rustic barns, to larger vineyards with modern state-of-the-art
facilities, they work together to support and advance this abundant
and still-emerging wine region. And, just minutes from
Portland at the northern edge of the Willamette Valley, the area
provides visitors with an outstanding wine
destination experience.
Originally founded as the Wineries of Washington County, the
association has grown from a small cooperative marketing group to a
full service nonprofit professional association in 2008.
PDX Urban
Wineries
This association of wineries produces wine in the city of
Portland. That means crushing grapes and making wine in Portland
from grapes grown all over the Northwest.
The members of PDX Urban Wineries make a variety of different
wines, not just Pinot noir. Many make wines from grapes such as
Syrah, Tempranillo, Pinot blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel,
among others, as well as unique red and white wine blends.
This urban winery culture means consumers can bike, bus, cab or
even walk to visit tasting rooms to sample the wines we make.
South Willamette Wineries Association
The South Willamette Wineries Association is comprised of a
group of vineyards, wineries, vintners and related businesses that
are passionate about increasing the awareness, visitation and
prestige of the South Willamette wine growing region. From urban
wineries located in eclectic neighborhoods to rural wineries that
grace the lush rolling hills, the bounties of the south Willamette
Valley terroir are beautifully expressed through handcrafted, award
winning wines.
Willamette Valley Wineries Association
Known for making some of the world's best Pinot noir as well as
a diversity of other cool-climate varietals, Willamette Valley
wineries are dedicated to a personal, handcrafted approach to
winemaking.
In addition to producing world-renowned wines, the wineries have
set themselves apart through collaboration, sustainability
leadership, and passionate winemaking. A sense of community and a
deep connection to this beautiful place are strong throughout
Oregon's wine industry.
Yamhill-Carlton
Yamhill-Carlton AVA is home to Oregon wine industry pioneers,
winegrowing veterans and the valley's friendliest natives. Pat and
Joe Campbell founded Elk Cove Winery in 1974 -one of the first
wineries in the Willamette Valley. They paved the way for
winemakers and industry luminaries like Ken Wright, Tony Soter,
Lynn Penner-Ash, Brian O'Donnell and Dick Shea, who all chose
Yamhill-Carlton home to their life's work.
Perhaps the people who will leave the most lasting impression,
however, are the welcoming hospitality staff who man the individual
wineries, area restaurants, and local inns. The sense of community
is evident in the cooperative endeavors, generous nature and
gracious service. The people of Yamhill-Carlton are the heart
of this breath-taking region.