Willamette Valley
United States
Connect with Willamette Valley:
From Portland to just south of Eugene, the Willamette Valley appellation stretches more than 100 miles long and 60 miles wide at its widest point. Bordered by the Coast Range Mountains to the west and the Cascade Range to the east, the valley is approximately 50 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The soils of the nine nested appellations range from marine sedimentary to basalt to windblown loess. The mild climate provided by the maritime winds gives the region a long, moderate growing season.
Region
25,452 acres of growing area
9 nested appellations
People
877 vineyards
676 wineries
Production
73,560 tons produced (2019)
Primary Grape Varietals
Pinot Noir
Pinot Gris
Chardonnay
Syrah
Unique Fact
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The Willamette Valley’s cool climate allows Pinot Noir grapes to thrive on a variety of climatic and site differences on the lower hillsides within the appellation. In 2002, vineyards and wineries successfully petitioned to designate six nested appellations within the AVA: Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge and Yamhill-Carlton. In 2019, a seventh nested AVA, the Van Duzer Corridor, was added, and the region welcomed the Tualatin Hills and Laurelwood District nested AVAs in 2020.
