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Oregon Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley has a large presence, but the vineyards and wineries located in southern Oregon are bringing notoriety to other varietals the region. The terroir of the southern region offers more variety of grapes grown and a range of wines crafted. The Southern Oregon AVA was established in 2004 and begins south of Eugene and contains 2,283,600 acres towards the California border. Within this larger AVA are the notable regions of the Umpqua Valley AVA, Red Hills Douglas County AVA, Elkton Oregon AVA, Rouge Valley AVA and Applegate Valley AVA (About the Southern Oregon AVA, Oregon Wine Board 2023). Each is unique in soil composition, climate and wines produced.
Above map courtesy of the Oregon Wine Board, https://www.oregonwine.org/regions/avas/southern-oregon-ava.
Within the 125 mile stretch of the Southern Oregon AVA sits the Klamath Mountains, Coast Range and Cascade Mountains. These mountains offer a barrier from the coastal air and create a rain shadow for the region. The vineyards planted within the AVAs vary in elevation from 1,000 to 2,000 ft (305 to 610 m). Additionally, the region experiences many micro-climates that are more defined in the smaller AVAs within Southern Oregon. Overall, the temperatures are warm with some cooling in the hillsides and valleys. Snaking throughout Southern Oregon are several rivers including the Umpqua, Applegate, Illinois and Rogue. Offering ideal growing climates along their banks, these rivers also provide irrigation water throughout the growing season (Southern Oregon, Oregon Wine Board 2023).
The dominant soil types found in this region consist of marine sedimentary, alluvial gravels and volcanic soils (About the Southern Oregon AVA, Oregon Wine Board 2023). In the valleys and at lower elevations, the soil is deep alluvial matter with some clay components. The northern and western areas receive more rainfall than the rest of the Southern Oregon AVA, drainage and moisture content will vary depending on the exact mixture and soil types for each vineyard (Jones, Gregory V.).
Located in the north region of the Southern Oregon AVA is the Umpqua Valley AVA. Established in 1984, there are 3,605 planted acres as currently within the Umpqua Valley. These vineyards have a variety of soils that include stream sediments, marine sedimentary bedrock and volcanic soil (About the Umpqua Valley, Oregon Wine Board 2023). The Umpqua River courses through the area and the Coast Range, the Klamath Mountains and the Cascades to create many valleys with their own micro-climates (Umpqua Valley Wine, Wine Searcher 2023).
The Umpqua Valley AVA has what can be considered a milder growing season. The area experiences longer frost-free periods, which have been recorded in a range of 180 to 220 days (Jones, Gregory V.). The northern territory experiences cooler temperatures due to air currents from the Pacific Ocean. In the Southern Umpqua Valley, the mountain range creates a barrier from the northern air current so the weather is warmer and dryer. While overall, the soil retains moisture and is free-draining, in the drier regions, supplemental irrigation is needed at times (Umpqua Valley Wine, Wine Searcher 2023).
Reportedly, there are more than 40 varietals of grapes planted in the Umpqua Valley AVA. The wines produced vary from the dominant Riesling and Pinot Noir in the northern region to other varieties like Syrah, Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon (Umpqua Valley Wine, Wine Searcher 2023).
Continuing south in the Umpqua Valley is the Red Hill Douglas County AVA. The elevation range is 800 to 1,200 ft ( 245 to 365 m) with the Coast Range offering less shelter for these vines which develop cooler temperatures throughout the growing season (About the Red Hills Douglas County AVA, Oregon Wine Board 2023). Rich volcanic soil from ancient uplifted seafloors create the iron-dense, red volcanic Jory that is found in the 460 planted acres (Red Hills Douglas County, Oregon Wine Board 2023). The soil offers low water content, thus the vines yield smaller grapes that are highly concentrated because of their deep root structure (Red Hills Douglas County Wine, Wine Searcher 2023). The leading wines produced from this region are Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris (About the Red Hills Douglas County AVA, Oregon Wine Board 2023).
The Umpqua Valley is also home to the Elkton Oregon AVA. The area is closer north and benefits from a cool, marine-influenced climate. The AVA as a whole has a milder and longer growing season than the whole of Umpqua Valley. Additionally, the area receives more rain annually. The soil composition of the Elkton Oregon AVA is dominated by residual clay and silt loam. Alluvial deposits and river terraces are found around the Umpqua River that carves through the middle of the AVA. The clay soils retain water well and result in less irrigation requirements for the area (About the Elkton Oregon AVA, Oregon Wine Board 2023). An overview of the vineyards finds that the most are planted near the Umpqua River or Elk Creek. The topsoil layer is thin and overlaid on gravel beds which have low mineral content. This causes the grape yields to be lower (Elkton Oregon Wine, Wine Searcher 2023). Wines produced from the grapes in the region are largely Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer and Riesling (About the Elkton Oregon AVA, Oregon Wine Board 2023.)
The Rogue Valley AVA lays in the south western territory of the Southern Oregon AVA and is largely defined by the scenic Rogue River carving through the vineyards. The Applegate, Bear Creek and Illinois tributaries supply additional water throughout the AVA (About the Rogue Valley AVA, Oregon Wine Board 2023).
When comparing the Rogue Valley AVA with the other AVAs of southern Oregon, the overall elevation sits higher and the climate provides wetter and cooler conditions (Jones, Gregory V.). The convergence of the Cascade, Siskiyou, and Coastal mountain ranges make up the topography and thus some of the vineyards are planted on the hillsides, rather than valleys, with typical elevations 1,200 to 2,000 ft (365 to 610 m). This combination of hillside and valley creates micro-climates throughout the AVA that allow for both warm and cool climate grape varieties to be grown (Rogue Valley, Oregon Wine Board 2023). The wines produced are nearly as varied as the climate pockets, with the list consisting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris (About the Rogue Valley AVA, Oregon Wine Board 2023).
Nestled inside the Rogue Valley AVA is the Applegate Valley AVA. The Siskiyou Mountains offer shelter from the cooling winds of the Pacific Coast. Most of the vineyards planted here are sitting at an elevation of 1,000 to 1,500 ft. This combination creates a climate of warm days and cool nights (About the Applegate Valley, Oregon Wine Board 2023).
Currently there are 700 planted acres with dominant soil features of alluvial fans and ancient river sediment. The alluvial soil sometimes includes granite from the nearby mountains which makes for better draining soil (Applegate Valley AVA, Oregon In Depth, Applegate Valley Vintners Association). When looking at the wines produced from this region, the list includes Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah, Tempranillo and Pinot Noir (About the Applegate Valley, Oregon Wine Board 2023).
The diverse landscape created by the three mountain ranges of the Southern Oregon AVAs contribute distinct qualities to the soil structure found in the hillsides and valleys as outlined above. This topography creates several microclimates in the area and provides unique vineyards for each of the sub-AVAs. Overall creating wines of variety, bringing out the attributes of the vineyards in each region. The wine pioneers of southern Oregon have certainly taken advantage of the geography and elements distinct to where their vineyards are located.
Estate Properties Vineyards & Country Living Northwest Real Estate brokers specialize in the purchase and sale of in vineyards, wineries and small acreage real estate sales in the Willamette Valley 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 the Willamette Valley 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 at vineyardandcountry@bhhsnw.com.
Click to View References
Oregon Wine Board 2023, Oregon Wine Board website, About the Southern Oregon AVA, accessed 17 October 2023 <https://www.oregonwine.org/regions/avas/southern-oregon-ava/>
Oregon Wine Board 2023, Oregon Wine Board website, Southern Oregon, accessed 17 October 2023, <https://trade.oregonwine.org/resources/southern-oregon/>
Jones, Gregory V., International Viticulture & Enology Society website, Southern Oregon Ava landscape and climate for wine production, accessed 17 October 2023, <https://ives-openscience.eu/4461/>
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Oregon Wine Board 2023, Oregon Wine Board website, About the Applegate Valley, accessed 17 October 2023, <https://www.oregonwine.org/regions/rogue-valley/applegate-valley-ava/>
Applegate Valley Vintners Association, Applegate Wine Trail website, Applegate Valley AVA, Oregon In Depth, accessed 17 October 2023, <https://applegatevalley.wine/wine-trail-news/applegate-valley-ava-oregon-in-depth/>
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