Willamette Valley AVA
The Willamette Valley AVA (/wɪˈlæmɪt/ wi-LAM-it) is an American Viticultural Area which lies in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. The AVA is the wine growing region which encompasses the drainage basin of the Willamette River. It stretches from the Columbia River in the north to just south of Eugene in the south, where the Willamette Valley ends; and from the Oregon Coast Range in the west to the Cascade Mountains in the east. At 5,360 square miles (13,900 km2), it is the largest AVA in the state, and contains most of the state's wineries; approximately 908 as of 2021.
| Wine region | |
Willamette Valley | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 1984 |
| Years of wine industry | 1965–present |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | Oregon |
| Sub-regions | Chehalem Mountains AVA, Dundee Hills AVA, Eola-Amity Hills AVA, Laurelwood District AVA, Lower Long Tom AVA, McMinnville AVA, Ribbon Ridge AVA, Tualatin Hills AVA, Van Duzer Corridor AVA, Yamhill-Carlton District AVA |
| Climate region | Maritime |
| Soil conditions | Volcanic origin and weathered sedimentary loam |
| Total area | 5,360 square miles (3,430,400 acres) |
| Grapes produced | Auxerrois, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cascade, Chardonnay, Dolcetto, Gamay noir, Gewurztraminer, Malbec, Marechal Foch, Melon, Merlot, Müller-Thurgau, Muscat Canelli, Muscat Ottonel, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, Pinot noir, Riesling, Sauvignon blanc, Syrah, Tocai Friulano, Viognier |
| No. of wineries | 500 |
The boundaries of the Willamette Valley AVA were established in 1984. Since then, ten smaller AVAs (sometimes termed "sub-AVAs" or "sub-appellations") have been created entirely within the Willamette Valley AVA, with nine of them in the northern Willamette Valley and the Lower Long Tom AVA in the south. The Willamette Valley has a cool, moist climate, and is recognized worldwide for its Pinot noir.
Although this distinction is not officially recognized, many wine connoisseurs further divide the Willamette Valley into northern and southern regions, the dividing line being the approximate latitude of Salem (approximately 45° north latitude).