top of page
Caitlyn Morin

Eastern Oregon: Snake River Valley AVA

Updated: Nov 17, 2023

Estate Properties Vineyard & Country Living Northwest Real Estate | 503-212-2718

The Snake River Valley AVA shares ground in Oregon and southwestern Idaho and has a total of 1,205 planted acres. Recognized in 2007 as an official AVA, the majority of wineries and vineyards are found in the expansive Idaho section (Oregon Wine Board). Despite the arid landscape and higher elevation, the Snake Valley has proved the region suitable for grape growing and wine production.

Unlike most of the other AVAs found throughout Oregon, this region has a climate that changes in line with the four seasons. With elevations of 2,500 feet (760 m) to 3,000 feet (915 m), the temperature fluctuations are more drastic than the other appellations in the Pacific Northwest. The cold nights and warm days provide stability for the grape's acidity. During the winter months the vines are able to enter a state of hibernation and the cold helps rid the plants of bugs and disease (Oregon Wine Board).

The Snake Valley AVA has a rain shadow created from the Cascade, Sierra Nevada and Owyhee mountain ranges and therefore receives 10 to 12 inches of rain annually. Most of the rain occurs during the winter months (Oregon Wine Press). The Snake River that courses north through the AVA provides irrigation for the dry area during summer months (O'Hara, Susan R.). The air currents that come off the river provide cooling to the otherwise warmer summer temperatures, but have the opposite effect during winter (Wine Searcher).

The Idaho portion of the AVA is largely defined by the ancient alkali flat that was once Lake Idaho (Wine Searcher). While most AVAs have a soil type that distinguishes them from other regions, the Snake Valley does not. The soil composition throughout the AVA varies but is predominantly sand, mud silts, loess and volcanic detritus on top of sedimentary rock (Oregon Wine Press).

The top wines produced from the Oregon region are Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Merlot, Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay (Oregon Wine Board). From the Idaho vineyards, the top produced wines are Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot and Syrah. The white wines from this region have strong acidity and minerality notes with crisp fruit flavors. Though more often the reds can be described as having an “old world elegance” (Wine Searcher).

A majority of the wine production currently comes from the Idaho vineyards and wineries. The Oregon region is continuing to grow and has a positive outlook for future grape growing and wine production.

Estate Properties Vineyard & Country Living Northwest Real Estate brokers specialize in purchase and sale of vineyards, wineries and small acreage real estate sales in the Eastern Oregon grape growing region. We have several properties on the market that include vineyards, farms and small acreage properties that are available for sale. For additional information, please contact our team of real estate professionals. We can assist you with purchasing land in Eastern Oregon and throughout the Northwest. If you are considering the sale of your farm, ranch, vineyard, winery or small acreage property, call our knowledgeable team for a confidential consultation and complimentary real estate broker’s price opinion. Estate Properties Vineyard & Country Living Northwest Real Estate is here for you. Call 503-212-2718 or email us vineyardandcountry@bhhsnw.com.


 

Click to View References

Oregon Wine Board, Oregon Wine Board website 2023, Snake River Valley AVA, accessed 27 October 2023, <https://www.oregonwine.org/regions/avas/snake-river-valley-ava/>


Oregon Wine Press, Oregon Wine Press website 2023, Oregon AVA 101, accessed 30 October 2023, <https://www.oregonwinepress.com/oregon-ava-101>


O'Hara, Susan R., Wines Northwest website 2019, Idaho Wine Country, accessed 30 October 2023, <https://www.winesnw.com/sna.html>


Wine Searcher, Wine Searcher website 2020, Snake River Valley Wine, accessed 30 October 2023, <https://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-snake+river+valley>


7 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


Commenting has been turned off.
bottom of page