Southern Oregon AVAs

Southern Oregon has the oldest history of grape growing in the state, with vineyards dating back to 1852.  Oregon's first winery was established in the Applegate Valley in the 1870s, but commercial viticulture didn't really take off in Southern Oregon until the American wine renaissance of the 1960s and 1970s.

Since then, the industry here has grown steadily. Southern Oregon became an AVA in 2004, giving the previously established Rogue and Umpqua Valley AVAs a united front under which to market themselves.

Applegate Valley AVA

Established on 13 December 2000, the Applegate Valley AVA is located in southern Oregon. It is entirely contained within the Rogue Valley AVA, which is itself included within the larger Southern Oregon AVA.  Applegate Valley AVA is one of the three AVAs within the Rogue Valley in southern Oregon.  It extends 50 miles northwest, from the California state border to the Rogue River, just west of Grants Pass.

The region is named for the Applegate River, which flows through the town of Applegate and near the city of Jacksonville.  The Applegate River, is a tributary of the larger Rogue River that flows through the Rogue Valley on its way to the Pacific Ocean. 

The Applegate Valley AVA covers the land south of this river, extending up into the Siskiyou Mountains.  The topography of Applegate Valley is formulated by the surrounding Siskiyou Mountains which create a diverse geology.

This region contains vineyards at altitudes ranging from 1,000 feet to 2,000 feet above sea level, and is warmer and drier than the Illinois Valley to the west, but less so than the Bear Creek Valley to the east. 

This elevation, combined with the valley's warm, dry climate, differentiates the wines of Applegate Valley from the larger Rogue Valley. Vineyards planted on the slopes benefit from warm sunshine during the day, followed by cooler nights. This diurnal temperature variation slows ripening in the berries overnight, leading to the development of flavor compounds as well as acidity. 

Many of the vineyards in Applegate Valley are planted on river terraces where gravelly silt loam provides a free-draining base for the vines.

These dry soils which are largely granitic in origin, stress the vines, leading them to forgo leafy vegetation growth in favor of producing high-quality berries with a concentration of sugar and acid. The wines, as a result, are rich and intense, with firm tannins. 

The warm climate here makes it well suited to the production of bright, fruit-driven wines made from Bordeaux grape varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Zinfandel. Other grape varietals can also be found, such as Viognier, Syrah and Tempranillo.

Elkton Oregon AVA

Established on 4 February 2013, the Elkton Oregon AVA is located around the town of Elkton, Oregon.  Elkton Oregon is the northernmost and lowest elevation region in the Umpqua Valley.

 It resides completely inside the greater Umpqua Valley AVA and huge Southern Oregon AVA, an area known to be warmer than the northern appellations of Oregon.

The Elkton Oregon AVA encompasses 74,900 acres, covering approximately 11 percent of the 689,904 acres Umpqua Valley AVA and .04 percent of the much larger 1,977,298 acres Southern Oregon AVA.

The Elkton Oregon AVA is situated 33 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. It is wholly within the Umpqua Valley AVA, which in turn lies within the larger Southern Oregon AVA. Elkton Oregon AVA is the northernmost region in the Umpqua Valley AVA.  The Umpqua River weaves through the middle of the region, offering a cool afternoon breeze during the growing season.

The Elkton Oregon AVA is the coolest and wettest region within the larger Umpqua Valley AVA and produces different varieties and different wine styles than the rest of the larger AVA.  The northern area around the town of Elkton enjoys a cool, marine-influenced climate. The Elkton Oregon AVA has a cooler, but milder and longer growing season than the rest of the Umpqua Valley AVA and receives much more rain annually, about 50 inches.

Elkton Oregon AVA vineyard soils are predominantly residual clay, silt loam soil, or small to large cobble-dominated alluvial deposits and river terraces around the meandering Umpqua River. Clay soils retain water very well, resulting in less of a need to irrigate and lower yields.

In contrast to the rest of Southern Oregon, wines produced from this region are more often from cool climate varietals made in a lusher style, fuller in body with bolder fruit notes than those produced in the Willamette Valley.  Pinot Noir and other cool-climate varietals such as Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, and Riesling thrive here.

Red Hill Douglas County, Oregon AVA

Established in 13 October 2005, the Red Hill Douglas County, Oregon AVA is located in Douglas County, Oregon, just four miles south of the town of Yoncalla.  It is entirely contained within the Umpqua Valley AVA, which is itself included within the larger Southern Oregon AVA. 

The Red Hill Douglas County, Oregon AVA encompasses 5,500 acres surrounding Red Hill, with the planted vineyards taking up roughly 220 acres of this.  Vines sit between 800 and 1,200 feet and do not benefit as much from the protection of the Coast Range, resulting in cooler growing season temperatures.  The elevated position also ensures the vineyard is relatively frost-free during the growing season.

Marine influences from the Pacific Ocean, 50 miles in the west, are largely blocked by the Coastal range.  The Red Hill Douglas County, Oregon AVA has a cooler, wetter climate than the rest of the Umpqua Valley, mainly because of its elevation, and the warm, sunny days during the growing season are followed by cooler nights.  This diurnal temperature variation slows ripening in the grapes, preserving acidity during the development of varietal character and flavor.

The region's main claim to fame is its Jory soils – red, iron-rich, volcanic soils made up of basalt that are found throughout Oregon.  Within Douglas County, this deep, free-draining soil is considered to be unique to the Red Hill area, although it is found throughout the AVAs of Willamette Valley.  They are mostly deep and considered premier wine grape growing soils.

Vines planted here perform well viticulturally, as the low water content in the soil lessens vigor and forces the need for deep root systems. As a result, low yields of small berries are produced, leading to highly concentrated wines with excellent structure.  Wines from this region tend to be leaner with more structure compared to other AVAs within Southern Oregon.

Rogue Valley AVA

Established on 22 January 1991, the Rogue Valley AVA is located in southern Oregon.  It is entirely contained within the larger Southern Oregon AVA, with its southern boundary bordering the state of California, and includes the drainage basin of the Rogue River and several tributaries, including the Illinois River, the Applegate River, and Bear Creek.  The region has one AVA within it, the Applegate Valley AVA.  The region is 70 miles wide by 60 miles long (although much of the land within the AVA is not suitable for grape cultivation).

The Rogue Valley AVA straddles the counties of Josephine and Jackson and covers an area of 1.1 million acres.  The Rogue Valley AVA includes the drainage basin of the Rogue River and several tributaries, including the Illinois River, the Applegate River, and Bear Creek.  Most wineries in the region are found along with one of these three tributaries, rather than along the Rogue River itself.

Rogue Valley AVA is considered to be one of the warmest wine-producing regions in Oregon, but a range of macroclimates across the AVA means there is considerable variation within it.  Applegate Valley has a more transitional climate, with vineyards that sit at altitudes of around 1500ft above sea level.

Bear Creek is the most populated of the Rogue River tributaries, as it flows through the cities of Medford and Ashland. Here, the valley floor is 2,000 feet above sea level, and the climate is warm and dry.  The diurnal temperature variation that this altitude brings about helps to extend the growing season, leading to the development of ripeness in the grapes without the loss of acidity.

At the other end of Rogue Valley, at the eastern base of the coastal mountains, Illinois Valley is substantially cooler and wetter due to its closer proximity to the Pacific Ocean, just 35 miles away.

The soils in Rogue Valley are as diverse as the terrain and much of the land is regarded as unsuitable for viticulture.  Alluvial silt, gravel and sand provide the best options for growers, as their rapid drainage stops the vines from becoming waterlogged.  Instead, root systems can penetrate the ground deeply, which adds to the strength of the vines and prevents excessive vigor.

The climate of the Bear Creek Valley is similar to that of Bordeaux, and it is well suited for cultivating varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec and Syrah.

The growing conditions in the Illinois Valley are far better suited to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, along with the aromatic varieties of Riesling and Pinot Gris.

Southern Oregon AVA

Established on 7 December 2004, the Southern Oregon AVA lies in Southern Oregon and begins near Eugene and extends 125 miles south to the Californian state border.  Southern Oregon AVA incorporates five smaller AVAs, the Rogue Valley AVA, Applegate Valley AVA, Elkton Oregon AVA, Red Hill Douglas County AVA and Umpqua Valley AVA.

The Southern Oregon AVA lies entirely within the southwest corner of the state, south of Eugene and west of the Cascades, and consists of the river valleys of the Rogue and Umpqua River rivers and their tributaries.  A small strip of connecting territory is included in the Southern Oregon AVA to make it a contiguous region, however, this strip passes through mountainous regions not suitable for viticulture.  The total area of the AVA is 2,283,600 acres.

The Klamath Mountains, Coast Range and Cascade Mountains all merge in the Southern Oregon AVA, creating a varied, mountainous topography.  Altitude is fairly important viticulturally in Southern Oregon, with vineyards typically situated in high mountain valleys at elevations between 1,000 to 2,000 feet.  The lofty southern coastal mountains provide a barrier to the west, blocking marine air and casting a rain shadow to the area’s south and east.

Generally, the AVA is warmer and drier than the Willamette Valley in the north as the high Southern Oregon Coast Range blocks out much of the Pacific Ocean’s coastal influence. However, distinct microclimates do exist as ocean breezes are channeled into the vineyards via the region's many river systems.

Southern Oregon AVA experiences one of the widest growing season diurnal temperature swings in the world, extends the ripening period, leading to the development of varietal character along with acidity, and helping to preserves grapes’ acidity and complexity in an otherwise warm climate.  Additionally, there are many cool micro-climates within its varied hillsides and valleys that enable Southern Oregon to successfully grow both cool- and warm-climate varieties.

Southern Oregon’s soils are highly varied although the predominant soils are marine sedimentary, alluvial gravels, and volcanic.  However, the many rivers that meander through Southern Oregon, including the Umpqua, Applegate, Illinois and Rogue, all have contributed to the development of well-draining stream terraces and alluvial deposits, with vineyards usually sitting on alluvial sandy loams on the hillsides.

In the Rogue Valley, alluvial gravel is more common, and many vineyards sit on river terraces above the area's many rivers. In general, these soils are free-draining and low in fertility, which is excellent for premium viticulture. Slightly stressed vines produce less vegetation and put more energy into producing high-quality grapes with concentrated flavor compounds.

The total area planted to grape vines is 9,240 acres.  Many different grape varieties are grown throughout the AVA, including the Pinot Noir that Oregon is noted for. Warm-climate varieties of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo are also found prolifically.

Whilst Southern Oregon has some of the warmest growing conditions of the whole state, cool microclimates formed from the topography also enable the successful establishment of Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Riesling vineyards as well. 

Umpqua Valley AVA

Established on 28 March 1984, the Umpqua Valley AVA is located entirely within Douglas County, Oregon.  The Umpqua Valley AVA includes two other AVAs within its boundaries, the Red Hill Douglas County AVA and the Elkton Oregon AVA.

Better known as, “the hundred valleys of the Umpqua,” the region is a result of the collision of three mountain ranges of varying age and structure: the Klamath Mountains, the Coast Range and the Cascades.

The 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.  The appellation stretches 65 miles from north to south, and is 25 miles wide east to west.  The total area encompassed by the Umpqua Valley AVA is 693,300 acres.

The Umpqua Valley AVA has one of Oregon’s more diverse regional climates, successfully growing both cool and warm varieties.  The Umpqua Valley AVA contains the drainage basin of the Umpqua River, excluding mountainous regions.  The Umpqua Valley has a warmer climate than the Willamette Valley, but is cooler than the Rogue Valley to the south.

Umpqua Valley AVA soils are as varied as the climate. Generally, they are derived from a mix of stream sediments, marine sedimentary and volcanic rock, though more than 150 soil types have been identified in the region.

The total area that is planted to wine grape vineyards is about 3,605 acres.  Overall the grapes grown here include Pinot Noir, Syrah, Pinot Gris, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, Albariño and more.  The growing season temperatures vary dramatically from north to south creating a gradient of opportunity for winemakers and wine drinkers.  One of Oregon’s more diverse climates, the Umpqua Valley AVA can successfully grow both cool and warm varieties. It comprises three distinct climatic sub-zones:

The northern area around the town of Elkton, which enjoys a cool, marine-influenced climate and receives around 50 inches of annual rainfall, making irrigation unnecessary. Pinot noir and other cool-climate varieties thrive here.

The central area to the northwest of Roseburg, which has a transitional, or intermediate, climate where both cool and warm varieties do quite well.

The area south of Roseburg, which is warmer and more arid, similar to Rogue and Applegate Valleys to the south. Warm-climate varieties, including Tempranillo, Syrah and Merlot thrive here.