Willamette Valley AVAs
No grape variety is as reflective of climatic and site differences as Pinot noir. That is why it demands a cool climate to thrive and why small distance differences in the valley often yield wines of distinctively different character. General attributes that make the Willamette Valley suitable for cool climate grape growing include the protection afforded by the Cascade Mountains to the east, Coast Range mountains to the west and a series of lower hill chains to the extreme north of the valley. Almost all grape growing is done on lower hillsides, avoiding deeply fertile alluvial soils and cooler hilltop mesoclimates.
It is on these hillsides that Pinot noir uniqueness is found and where apparent families of wines urge distinctive American Viticultural Area identification. In 2002, a collaborative action of vineyards and wineries delineated and submitted to the TTB petitions to divide much of the northern part of the large Willamette Valley AVA into six more specific AVAs: Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge, and Yamhill-Carlton. The Van Duzer Corridor AVA went into effect in January 2019, and the Tualatin Hills and Laurelwood District AVAs (details coming soon) were approved in June 2020.
Chehalem Mountains AVAEST. 2006
The Chehalem Mountains AVA is a single uplifted landmass southwest of Portland in the northern Willamette Valley, extending 20 miles in length and 5 miles in breadth, stretching from southeast to northwest. It includes several discrete spurs, mountains and ridges, such as Ribbon Ridge and Parrett Mountain.
Dundee Hills AVAEST. 2005
The first grapes in the Willamette Valley were planted in the Dundee Hills, and it remains the most densely planted locale in the valley and state.
Eola-Amity Hills EST. 2006
Two of the predominant influences on the characteristics of wines from the Eola-Amity Hills are shallow soils and the Van Duzer Corridor. The soils of the Eola-Amity Hills contain predominantly volcanic basalt from ancient lava flows, combined with marine sedimentary rocks and/or alluvial deposits, making a generally much shallower and rockier set of well-drained soils which produce small grapes with great concentration.
JUST ANNOUNCED: Laurelwood District EST. 2020
This new Willamette Valley nested AVA has just been announced by the TTB! Details coming soon; read the press release.
McMinnville EST. 2005
The McMinnville AVA of nearly 40,500 acres sits due west of Yamhill County’s seat, the city of McMinnville. It extends approximately 20 miles south-southwest toward the mouth of the Van Duzer Corridor, Oregon’s lowest coast range pass to the Pacific Ocean.
Ribbon Ridge EST. 2005
The AVA is distinguished by uniform, unique ocean sedimentary soils and a geography that is protected climatically by the larger landmasses surrounding it. Paucity of aquifers forces most vineyards to be dry farmed. Ribbon Ridge is contained within the larger Chehalem Mountains AVA.
JUST ANNOUNCED: TUALATIN HILLS EST. 2020
This new Willamette Valley nested AVA has just been announced by the TTB! Details coming soon; read the press release.
Van Duzer Corridor EST. 2019
The Van Duzer Corridor is an anomaly in the Coast Range through which oceanic winds funnel into the Valley, creating a cooling effect that occurs as early as 2:00 in the afternoon. This breeze dries out the vine canopy and decreases fungus pressure, making the area highly attractive for grape growing and supporting sustainable practices by drastically reducing the need for fungus spray. As a phenomenon of wind protection, the grape skins thicken, leading to an abundance of anthocyanins (color) and tannin.
Willamette Valley EST. 1983
A large AVA of 3,438,000 acres (5372 square miles), running from Portland in the north to Eugene in the south, it includes rich alluvial soils on the valley floor, that are great for agriculture but inappropriate for high quality grapegrowing, and a selection of volcanic, loess and sedimentary soils on hillsides of varying mesoclimates. Discover the Willamette Valley AVA
Yamhill-Carlton EST. 2005
North of McMinnville, the foothills of the Coast Range create an AVA of nearly 60,000 acres, centered around the hamlets of Carlton and Yamhill.
Willamette Valley Visitors
Let’s raise a glass to Friday, shall we?! ⠀⠀
This weekend is going to be a busy one in the Willamette Valley, jam-packed with tons of fun Pre-Thanksgiving events and opportunities to stock up on wine for the holidays. I’m having a hard time narrowing down the list of events I want to attend, though these are my top contenders:
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• Flâneur Thanksgiving Wines, Saturday & Sunday 11-4 at the Grain Elevator. Flâneur will be pouring their ‘16 Couvee Constantin Pinot Noir (and others), which was named one of the best wines for Thanksgiving by foodandwine Magazine. Entry is $30, or complimentary for club members.
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• Beauxfreres Pre-Thanksgiving Open House, Saturday from 10 to 3. This annual event is a rare opportunity to drop in to the normally by appointment only winery, and one of the only times that you can also taste sequiturwine & coattailswine at Beaux Fréres. $25, complimentary for club members.
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• delancellottiwines Pre-Thanksgiving Open House Friday & Saturday 11-4, pouring new releases. $30, free for club members.
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• hundredsunswine Fall Tasting, Saturday 12-3 at their winery - Gamay, Grenache, and hats!
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Are you headed to any fun events this weekend, in the Willamette Valley or elsewhere?
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#prethanksgivingweekend #visitwillamettevalley #wvwines #thanksgivingwine #gowinetasting #carlton #mcminnville #whitdrinkswine #youcansipwithus #oregonpinot #pinotnoir #gamaynoir #chehalemmountainsava #yamhillcarltonava #ribbonridgeava #ribbonridge #beauxfreres #sequiturwine #flaneurwines #winecountrythanksgiving #wineinhand #raiseyourglass #friyay #weekend
5 of the World's Top Wine Regions Where Women Are Leading the Scene - Sip the finest vino in the world's best women-led wineries. Cheers to our own Katie Santora and Stoller's Kate Payne-Brown for their amazing wines and trailblazing spirit 🍷read article from departuresmag 🔗 in bio •
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#womeninwine #winemaker #wvwines #oregonwine #winestagram #imbibe #traveloregon #gowinetasting #rosé
"This was the first year that we had a team of all interns from the United States. The five of them ranged in experience and background. Coming together during a pandemic and getting through harvest was challenging but we had the right team for the job. 2020 will be one for the books. Cheers to our Harvest Team!" - Katie Santora, Winemaker. Learn more about our interns - follow the 🔗 in profile!
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#harvest2020 #winetime #winemaking #chehalemwines #wvcommunity #teamworkmakesthedreamwork #wvwines #oregonwine #gowinetasting #winemakerslife
Love to learn about wine? Me too! Save this post for go-to website I love to visit to expand my wine knowledge. 🤓
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I’m just starting to study for WSET 3. But you don't have to start a formal wine education to learn about wine. The beauty of the internet!
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In no particular order, here are some of my fave wine websites:
🍷 jancisrobinson.com
🍷 daily.sevenfifty.com
🍷 jamessuckling.com
🍷 vinepair.com
🍷 decanter.com
🍷 winefolly.com
🍷 sommjournal.com
🍷 guildsomm.com
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I'm also big on regional websites; currently and frequently on
🍷 vins-bourgogne.fr
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Tell me your faves, too!
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Can you name the variety pictured here?
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Keeper of the Barrels, Princess of the Pinot ♥️ We love her cool demeanor and are always thrilled when her mother, Winemaker Katie Santora brings her to work at the winery. 🍷🐾 Happy #nationaldogday Mani!
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#pinotnoir #wvwines #oregonwine #pdxpups #adoptdontshop #dogsofinsta #gowinetasting #wine #oregon #vineyarddog #winedog
What a grape view! And, amazing wine with 93 and 94 points! .
.Ponzi Vineyard, est. 1970, was a founding Oregon Winery who helped put Willamette Valley on the map as a world-class wine region. .
.The Ponzi Reserve Chardonnay received 93 points. On the nose is Marzipan, lemon meringue, lychee, straw. Mouth is silky with juicy yellow apple, fennel and honeycomb which frames the bright acidity and long finish. Dijon clones on 15% new French oak. It is an exquisite Ponzi unique Oregon style Chardonnay. AVA is Chehalem Mountains. .
.The 2016 Pinot Noir Reserve received 94 pt from Wine Spectator. AVA is Chehalem mountains. Aged in French oak barrels 30% new for 20 months. initial aromatics of dark chocolate, salted caramel, then deep notes of fig, paprika, cedar, clove. Laced w beautiful floral notes of violet and dried rose petal. The pallet is seamless and finish is long. . ....
.Have you tried Ponzi Vineyard wine? OR, the unique Oregon style of Chardonnay? These grapes and female winemaker, Luisa, have done their job well! 🍇🎉
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What happens in the Vineyard....well...a beautiful surprise happens while on a wine tour! 🍷🎉 A new life was born while my wine guests were on a winetasting tour at Youngberg Hill Vineyard💕 They have beautiful views, Mt. Hood And Mt Jefferson, amazing wine, staff and a new girl! They were asking what ideas to name her? 🍇🎉💕 .Any suggestions? 💕
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Peak fall 🍁 is happening in the Dundee Hills. Come take in the beauty of this wonderful time of year. 📸 viagemdevinho
Winemaker, Katie Santora and her dog, Mani headed up to walk the Ridgecrest Vineyard this morning and sample some of the ripening fruit. Planted in 1990, Ridgecrest was the first vineyard in what would be the famed Ribbon Ridge AVA. Located in a cooler microclimate, Ridgecrest tends to be about a week later – from bud break through harvest – than our other estate vineyards. It is planted to seven different Pinot Noir clones. The wines from this site tend to be big and brambly, with black-fruit aromas and flavors like blackberry, and black cherry. A wine club favorite, we can’t wait to see what the 2020 vintage brings!
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#ribbonridgeava #wvwines #oregonwinecountry #pinotnoir #vineyarddog #gowinetasting #ridgecrest #wvcommunity #vineyardviews #celebrateoregonharvest #feedoregon, #chehalemwines
Has your wine club membership ever been rewarded with a custom etched 3 liter bottle of wine? Last year we drove down to Carlton Oregon for the Ken Wright Cellars Ten Year Anniversary Party. Surprisingly, our membership was rewarded with this bottle of wine. 💥 For real!!! That is the equivalent of 4 bottles of wine. When the hubby first saw this, though, he was a little worried that it had his name on it instead of mine! 😂
Even though this year is a little different without big celebrations, we're so happy for the great memories. Today on the VinoSocial blog, I write about our experience as members. Read more via Linkin.bio and leave a comment about your fave wine club!
#LetsTalkAboutWine #VinoSocial #PinotNoirDay
