If you were a wine grape, you’d want to be planted in Oregon.
When Oregon’s wine pioneers looked out across the state’s varied landscape they saw what others didn’t: a perfect place for wine.
They understood that Oregon’s northerly latitude meant grapes would get extra growing season sunlight for long, even ripening, and that our crisp, cool nights would help grapes retain their freshening acidity. Such a combination meant Oregon grapes would naturally achieve mature, balanced flavors and full varietal character. The resulting wines, they surmised, could be sustainably grown and made without dramatic manipulation to be naturally fresh, lively and have true-to-the-fruit flavors.
They were right. Today, the suitability of Oregon for great wine is unquestioned. There’s a home in Oregon for any wine grape, from Arneis to Zinfandel.
Explore the AVAs (that’s “American Viticultural Areas”) below to find out what makes each growing region in Oregon special.
Explore Oregon’s American Viticultural Areas (AVAs)
Applegate Valley
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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.
Chehalem Mountains
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Chehalem Mountains is 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.
Columbia Gorge
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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.
Columbia Valley
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The Columbia Valley AVA is a very large growing region with 11 million acres of land in total.
Dundee Hills
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Dundee Hills is a sub-appellation within the Willamette Valley located 28 miles southwest of Portland and 40 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean.
Elkton Oregon
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Eola-Amity Hills
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Eola-Amity Hills is a sub-appellation of the Willamette Valley AVA located just west-northwest of Salem, Oregon’s state capitol.
McMinnville
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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.
Red Hill Douglas County
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Ribbon Ridge
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The Rocks District
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The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater is situated in the Walla Walla Valley in northeastern Oregon 25 miles northeast of Pendleton, OR and 5 miles south of Walla Walla, WA.
Rogue Valley
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Snake River Valley
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Southern Oregon
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The Southern Oregon AVA encompasses Umpqua Valley, Rogue Valley, Red Hills Douglas County, and Applegate Valley appellations.
Umpqua Valley
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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.
Walla Walla Valley
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Willamette Valley
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The Willamette Valley is 150 miles long and up to 60 miles wide making it Oregon’s largest AVA.
Yamhill-Carlton
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