| Wine region | |
 Willamette Valley | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 1984[1] 2016 Amended:[2] |
| 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[3] |
| Total area | 5,360 square miles (3,430,400 acres)[2] |
| 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[3] |
| No. of wineries | 500 |
Willamette Valley (/wɪˈlæmɪt/ wi-LAM-it) is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) 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 (3,430,400 acres), it is the largest AVA in the state, and contains most of the state's wineries; approximately 908 as of 2021.
The AVA was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury on January 3, 1984 after reviewing the petition submitted by Mr. David B. Adelsheim, Chairman, Appellation Committee, Oregon Winegrowers Association, and owner of Adelsheim Vineyards, proposing a viticultural area in northwest Oregon, as part of the Willamette River Basin, to be known as "Willamette Valley." Since then, ten distinctly featured areas, referred as "sub-AVA" or "sub-appellation", were recognized within the Willamette Valley AVA, with nine of them in the northern region and the Lower Long Tom AVA in the southern.[4] The Willamette Valley has a cool, moist climate, and is recognized worldwide for its Pinot noir.[3]
Although not officially recognized, many wine connoisseurs further define the Willamette Valley into northern and southern regions with the demarcation being the latitude of Salem (approximately 45° north).[5]
- ^ "Establishment of the Willamette Valley Viticultural Area" (27 CFR 9 [T.D. ATF-162; Ref: Notice No. 4731] Final Rule). Federal Register. 48 (232). Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Treasury: 54220–54222. December 1, 1983.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b "Expansion of the Willamette Valley Viticultural Area" (27 CFR 9 [Docket No. TTB–2015–0008; T.D. TTB–134; Ref: Notice No. 152] RIN 1513–AC21 Final rule). Federal Register. 81 (42). Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau {TTB), Treasury: 11110–11113. March 13, 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 23, 2021. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b c "Willamette Valley (AVA): Appellation Profile". Appellation America. 2007. Archived from the original on March 16, 2009. Retrieved January 29, 2008.
- ^ Alberty, Michael (December 18, 2021). "Lower Long Tom: Oregon's newest wine region wins the name game". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on December 22, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
- ^ "Salem, OR, USA". LatLong.net.
