Oregon Flashcards
Year David Lett of Eyrie Vineyard planted Pinot Noir in Willamette Valley
1965
- Pioneering the varietal style for which the valley would become internationally known

The vintage of David Lett’s “South Block Reserve” Pinot Noir that achieved outstanding results in French competition and brought vindication to the efforts of the early trailblazers of Oregon
1975
Year Burgundy négociant Maison Joseph Drouhin purchased property in Dundee Hills
1987
AVA with Jory soils
“red hills” of Dundee Hills AVA

Willamette Valley
Sub AVAs
- Tualatin Hills 2020
- Laurelwood District 2020
- Chehalem Mountains 2006
- Yamhill-Carlton District 2004
- Ribbon Ridge 2005
- Dundee Hills 2004
- McMinnville 2005
- Eola-Amity Hills 2006
- Van Duzer Corridor 2019
- Mt. Pisgah Polk County Oregon 2022
- Lower Long Tom 2021
Jory soils
Jory
- Well-drained soil of volcanic origin
- “red hills” of Dundee Hills AVA

Willakenzie soils
Willakenzie
- Marine sedimentary
- Willamette Valley’s westernmost slopes, ex. Ribbon Ridge AVA

Jory soils vs Willakenzie soils
- Jory - more elegant (Dundee)
- Willakenzie - denser, darker fruit (Ribbon Ridge)

Name of the gap in the Coastal Mountains that separates Willamette Valley from the ocean
Van Duzer Corridor

Style of Pinot Noir from McMinnville and Eola-Amity
more tannic

Coolest AVA within Willamette
Chehalem Mountains

Warmest and driest growing region in southern Oregon, west of the Cascades
Applegate Valley AVA

3 AVAs shared between Washington and Oregon
- Columbia Gorge
- Columbia Valley
- Walla Walla Valley

The Rocks of Milton-Freewater AVA sits entirely within what larger AVA?
Walla Walla Valley

Varietal wines from Oregon must contain a min 90% of the stated variety rather than the standard 75%. What grapes are the exception?
- White and red Bordeaux varieties
- Major Rhône grapes
- Zinfandel
- Sangiovese
- Tannat
- Tempranillo
basically, only Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris will contain 90% of the varietal
Oregon AVA
min % of grapes fom labeled appellation
95%
90% Willamette Valley
* vs. 85% mandated by federal law
Oregon
Most densely planted and most historic AVA
Dundee Hills AVA
- Site of the original Eyrie Vineyard

Dundee Hills AVA
Producers

- Archery Summit
- Domaine Drouhin
- Domaine Serene
- Sokol Blosser

AVA of Archery Summit, Domaine Drouhin, Domaine Serene, Sokol Blosser

Dundee Hills AVA

Willamette Valley
AVA with the highest point
Chehalem Mountains AVA
- Summit of Bald Peak, 1,633 ft

Chehalem’s 1st vineyard

- Dick Erath
- Planted in 1968
Willamette Valley
Smallest AVA
Ribbon Ridge AVA

Ribbon Ridge AVA
2 producers
- Beaux Frères
- Brick House

McMinnville AVA
Major geographic influence
Van Duzer Corridor - cool coastal Pacific winds blow through the gap
- Reduces berry size and crop load, produces thicker skins, creates general stress for the vine and grower
- Often East-facing slopes in shelter from west winds
- Constant gusts reduce fungal issues
- Denser, more tannic PN, darker fruit flavors and pigment

Eola
Orign of name
Aeolus, Greek god of winds
- AVA sits directly East of Van Duzer Corridor w/ similar tannic structure and dark fruit Pinot Noir as McMinnville AVA
AVA of …
Evening Land’s ‘Seven Springs Vineyard’
Domaine Serene’s low-elevation ‘Jerusalem Hill’
Roserock, site purchased in late 2013 by Domaine Drouhin

Eola-Amity Hill’s eastern edge
- On basaltic soils (“Nekia”)

What’s the collective name for the alluvial soils of the Willamette Valley?
Willamette Silt - found over older volcanic and sedimentary bedrock
What are the sub-AVAs of the Willamette Valley?
Yamhill-Carlton - 2005 Dundee Hills - 2005 McMinnville - 2005 Ribbon Ridge - 2005 Eola-Amity Hills - 2006 Chehalem Mountains - 2006 Van Duzer Corridor - 2019 Laurelwood District - 2020 Tualatin Hills - 2020 Lower Long Tom - 2021 Mt Pisgah Polk County - 2022
What are the sub-AVAs of Southern Oregon AVA?
Red Hills Douglas County Umpqua Valley Elkton Oregon Rogue Valley Applegate Valley
What AVA does Oregon share with Idaho?
Snake River Valley
What are the exceptions to Oregon’s varietal law?
BDX varietals Rhone varietals Zinfandel Sangiovese Tempranillo Tannat
What is Oregon’s largest producer?
King Estates
Where and when was the first Pinot Noir planted in Oregon, and by whom?
1961, in Umpqua Valley by Richard Sommer, at his winery Hillcrest.
When and where was the first Pinot Noir planted in the Willamette Valley, and by whom?
1965
David Lett (Eyrie); experimental vineyard near Corvallis in 1965, replanted in Dundee Hills in 1966.
Charles Coury in Chehalem Mountains (vines are part of the David Hill Winery today)
Other Willamette Valley Pioneers (of the Modern Era)
Erath (Chehalem Mountains, 1969) Ponzi (Chehalem Mountains, 1970) Amity Vineyards (Eola-Amity Hills, 1974) Elk Cove (Chehalam Mountains, 1974) Sokol Blosser (Dundee Hills, 1977) Bethel Heights (Eola-Amity Hills, 1977)
Compare and contrast the climates of the Willamette Valley and Burgundy
Both run roughly along the 45th parallel, are Region 1 and have similar average growing season temperatures.
However, the Côte d’Or’s season is compressed and shorter, with higher mid-season temperatures and lower temps in the spring and fall (to illustrate, budbreak is 1 week earlier and veraison and harvest 5 days later in the Willamette than Burgundy, on average).
Willamette is wetter (avg. 40 inches of rain annually), but most falls during the winter months, and the growing season is drier than Burgundy’s, resulting in less risk of rot and hail.
Willamette Valley: pest problems
Birds
Rust mites, nematodes, phylloxera
Gophers, voles, and other diggers
What does LIVE stand for? When was it founded, and when did it begin awarding certifications?
Low Input Viticulture and Enology
Promotes an overall reduction in the number of raw materials required in the vineyard and winery.
Founded in 1997 by Ted Casteel (Bethel Heights) and Carmo Vasconcelos (OSU).
Certifications began in Oregon in 1999 and Washington in 2006.
What is the average altitude of Willamette Valley vineyards?
275ft - 900ft; due to higher rainfall, the key is to find more nutrient poor soils at higher elevation.
What are the four major soil types of the Willamette Valley?
Uplifted Marine Sediments
Volcanic Soils
Loess
Missoula Flood Deposits
Describe Willamette’s uplifted marine sediments
Nutrient poor, derived from sandstone and shale. Oldest bedrock in the valley.
Willakenzie (northerly) and Bellpine (southerly) are examples.
Describe Willamette’s volcanic soils
Created by volcanic activity in the Cascades 15-17 million years ago; depleted and weathered basalt.
Contain more clay, and therefore retain more water, than the other soils in the valley.
Jory is the most well-known example, and Oregon’s “official” soil.
Describe Willamette’s loess
Windblown sediments, often intermixed with basalt-derived soils and marine sediments.
Older than Washington’s loess - predate the last ice age (2.6 million years old).
Laurelwood, Cornelius, and Cascade are examples.
Describe Willamette’s Missoula Flood deposits
Flood-borne sediments, low-lying and deep, very fertile. Youngest in the valley.
Comprise approx 10% of the valley’s vineyards; best purposed for other agriculture.
Woodburn is the primary series.
What two major soils do not appear in the Willamette?
Limestone and Marl
Is chapitalization legal in Oregon?
Yes
Name two Oregon producers who promote whole cluster
Cristom
White Rose
What is the most densely planted region in Oregon?
Dundee Hills
Name four major Dundee Hills vineyards
Eyrie
Maresh
Abbey Ridge
Thomas
Where is Shea Vineyard?
Yamhill-Carlton
What river runs through the Chehalem Mountains AVA?
Tualatin
What AVA sits in the mouth of the Van Duzer corridor? What does this mean for viticulture?
McMinnville
The intense winds coming through the corridor off the Pacific denude vines, reduce yields, reduce berry size and thicken skins, creating denser, more tannic wines.
Most vineyards are planted on east facing slopes, to avoid as much direct impact from the wind as possible.
What is the predominant climatic element affecting Eola-Amity Hills?
The wind from the Van Duzer Corridor (the AVA sits east of McMinnville).
Major vineyards in Eola-Amity Hills
Seven Springs (Evening Land) Jerusalem Hill (Domaine Serene) Roserock (Drouhin) Bethel Heights Justice Temperance Hill Spirit Hill (Argyle)
What was the first US varietal Pinot Gris to be released with the grape on the label?
Eyrie Vineyards 1970 Pinot Gris
In addition to the Coast and Cascade ranges, what mountains will you find in Southern Oregon?
Klamath Range
What are the nested AVAs within Umpqua Valley?
Elkton Oregon
Red Hills Douglas County
What are the nested AVAs within Rogue Valley?
Applegate Valley
What is the warmest AVA in Oregon?
Rogue Valley; pushing Region II, comparable to Bordeaux in heat summation levels
What are the subregions (official and unofficial) of Rogue Valley?
Applegate Valley (very dry, with vineyards up to 2000ft; highest elevation in Oregon) Bear Creek (warmest and farthest inland, very dry) illinois Valley (cool, rainy, and coastal)
From where did the Wädenswil clone of Pinot Noir originate?
Switzerland
What is the name for the flood events that scoured much of the land in Oregon and Washington down to its bedrock?
Missoula Floods
What type of soil defines the Ribbon Ridge AVA?
Marine sediment (Willakenzie Series)
99% of America’s supply of this crop comes from Oregon, a large portion of which grows in wine-producing regions such as Yamhill County:
hazelnuts
This coastal county is known predominantly for a series of devastating forest fires and a dairy noted for its ice cream and cheddar:
Tilamook
What is the most noteworthy effect noticed in grapes grown along the Van Duzer corridor as well as in grapes at the Eola-Amity Hills terminus of the corridor?
Skins thickened by the wind
If you were standing in a random spot in The Rocks of Milton Freedwater AVA what direction would you move if you wanted to experience higher levels of rainfall?
East
How many Washington State wineries produce a wine sourced from The Rocks at Milton Freedwater AVA?
Zero. Legally a wine must be finished in the state within which the AVA lies and The Rocks at Milton Freedwater is wholly located in Oregon.
What Napa winery did Tony Soter found before moving to Oregon to found Soter Vineyards?
Etude
When was the Willamette Valley AVA established?
1983
Which 2 mountain ranges border the Willamette Valley to the west and east?
West- Coastal
East- Cascades
Match the series to its broader soil type:
1. Jory A. Loess
2. Willakenzie B. Volcanic Soils
3. Laurelwood C. Missoula Flood Deposits
4. Woodburn D. Uplifted Marine Sediments
1=B, 2=D, 3=A, 4=C
Which is the most recently added sub-AVA of Willamette Valley?
Mount Pisgah Polk County Oregon (2022)
Match the producer or vineyard with the correct appellation:
1. Shea Vineyard - Yamhill
2. Ponzi - Chehalem
3. Seven Springs Vineyard - Eola
4. Brick House - Ribbon Ridge
5. Eyrie Vineyard - Dundee
1=C, 2=A, 3=D, 4=E, 5=B
Name the most northern, southern, western, and eastern sub-AVAs of Willamette Valley.
N= Tualatin Hills
S= Lower Long Tom
W= McMinnville
E= Chehalem Mountains
Where was Oregon’s first winery located?
Rogue Valley (Valley View Winery )
Where would you find the highest elevation vineyards in Oregon?
Applegate Valley (almost 2,000 ft above sea level)
Where will you find Oregon’s oldest estate winery?
Hillcrest Vineyards in Umpqua Valley
Name two effects of the Van Duzer Corridor.
Protects against vineyard challenges- rot/bacteria/pests
Thicken skins of grapes
What two AVA’s are affected by the Van Duzer Corridor most?
McMinnville
Eola-Amity Hills tend to show stalkier tannins, deeper color due to the thickened skins the wind causes
What are the two sub-AVAs of Chehalem Mountain?
Ribbon Ridge
Laurelwood
This producer was purchased in 1986 by Robert Parker and his brother-in-law Mike Etzel. Name the label and the AVA.
Beaux Freres
Ribbon Ridge
Match the vintage with its headline:
A 2010- D. 1.Early Vintage
B 2011- E. 2. Excellent vintage, cooler than recent hot vintages
C 2014- A. 3. Cool vintage
D 2015- C. 4. Very Warm vintage
E 2018- B. 5. Late Vintage
Name the 5 AVA of Southern Oregon:
Umpqua Valley
Elkton Valley
Rogue Valley
Applegate Valley
Red Hill Douglas Country
What is the warmest, driest AVA west of the Cascade Mountains?
Applegate Valley
This AVA has galets, like CdP and is favorable for creating Rhône style wines?
The Rocks of Milton-Freewater, 2015
This producer, helmed by Champagne native, Christopher Baron is the pioneer in the above AVA. Can you name the original estate vineyard?
Cayuse, Cailloux Vineyard planted 1997.
Other top vineyards:
Armada Vineyard (10 acres): Walla Walla Valley AVA. Syrah and Grenache on cobblestones. Planted in 2001.
Coccinelle Vineyard (7 acres): Walla Walla Valley AVA. Syrah on cobblestones. Planted in 1998.
En Cerise Vineyard (10 acres): Walla Walla Valley AVA. Syrah on cobblestones. Planted in 1998.
What is the highest point in the Willamette Valley? What AVA is it within?
Bald Peak in Chehalem Mountains
The Name “Eola” is derived from what Greek word?
Aeolus - the Greek God of Wind
Who planted the first Pinot Gris vines in North America?
David Lett
What is the oldest rock in the Willamette Valley? Where is it found?
Siletz in Mount Pisgah Polk County,
What AVAs are affected by the Siskiyou Mountains?
Rouge Valley, Applegate Valley
What AVA’s are shared with Washington State?
Columbia Valley
Columbia Gorge
Walla Walla
In which AVA would you find the following Vineyards: Eyrie Vineyard, Seven Springs Vineyard, Erath, Shea Vineyard?
Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, Chehalem Mountain, Yamhill-Carlton District
Where is “Shea” vineyard located? List four producers who make a “Shea” vineyard bottling:
a. Yamhill-Carlton AVA
b. Ken Wright
c. Purple Hands
d. St. Innocent
e. Bergstrom
f. Winderlea
g. Shea Wine Cellar
Which AVA experiences the greatest diurnal shift?
a. McMinnville AVA
b. Nighttime temperatures can plummet in the summertime by 40-50° F
Where is the high-elevation “Temperance Hill Vineyard” and what style of wine is most produced from there?
a. Eola-Amity Hills AVA
b. 100-acred Certified Organic, mostly Pinot Noir
c. Sparkling wine
Name four producers of traditional method sparkling wine from Willamette Valley:
a. Argyle
b. Soter
c. Corollary
d. Roco RMS
e. Domaine Willamette
Describe the tableside difference in taste between wines grown in Jory vs. Willakenzie soils?
a. Jory soils - provide more red fruit and elegance, lighter color
b. Willakenzie soils – provide more dark, dense, spice-driven fruit
What soil series is exclusive to Milton Freewater?
Freewater soil, a type of Basalt Cobblestone Gravel
Name the AVA associated with each producer:
a. Patricia Green
b. Ken Wright
c. Colene Clemens
d. Lingua Franca
e. Soter
a. Patricia Green (Ribbon Ridge)
b. Ken Wright (Yamhill-Carlton)
c. Colene Clemens (Chehalem Mountains)
d. Lingua Franca (Eola-Amity)
e. Soter (Yamhill Carlton)
Name the AVA associated with each producer:
f. Beaux Freres
g. Archery Summit
h. Cristom
i. Bergstrom
j. Domaine Serene
k. Domaine Drouhin
f. Beaux Freres (Ribbon Ridge)
g. Archery Summit (Dundee)
h. Cristom (Eola-Amity)
i. Bergstrom (Yamhill-Carlton)
j. Domaine Serene (Dundee Hills)
k. Domaine Drouhin (Dundee Hills)
What Pinot Noir clones do we find in Willamette?
Wadenswil (oldest plantings)
Pommard (lush, darker fruit, spice)
Dijon clones: 667, 777, 113, 114, 115
Willamette Valley Chardonnays:
a. Walter Scott “Cuvee Anne”
b. Brick House “Cascadia”
c. Domaine Serene “Evenstad Reserve”
d. Lingua Frana “Avni”
e. Argyle “Nuthouse”
f. St. Innocent “Freedom Hi
What two types of Volcanic soil (NOT Jory) can be found in the Southern Oregon AVA?
a. Silezia Terrane
b. Cascade Sediments
Describe Laurelwood soils:
Laurelwood - deep, well drained silty loess soils
What’s the origin of the name “Eola-Amity”?
a. Eolian – rocks shaped by wind
b. Aeolus – Greek god of winds
In what historic and densely-planted AVA do we find the famed “Eyrie Vineyard”?
Dundee Hills AVA
In what AVA would we find the famed “Maresh Vineyard”? Name 3 producers who bottle their fruit:
a. Dundee Hills AVA
b. Arterberry Maresh
c. Kelley Fox
d. Harper Voit
e. Et Fille
f. Tan Fruit (Chardonnay)
When referring to the birth of Oregon as a wine region, who are the storied “Two Dicks and Two Davids”?
Dick Erath, Dick Ponzi, David Lett, and David Adelsheim
What year was the first Post Prohibition Licensed winery established? Who Established it and where?
Richard Sommer, 1961, Umpqua Valley
What impact did the Missoula floods have on the development of Oregon’s wine regions?
Deposited various marine soils across the entire Willamette valley
Who is Mimi Casteel and what is her contribution to Oregon’s winemaking community?
Daughter of Bethel Heights’ Ted Casteel and Pat Dudley, she established Hope Well Wine and Vineyard equipped with a master’s in Forest Science and experience as a botanist and ecologist. She has honed farming techniques that emphasize soil health, biodiversity, cover crops and no tillage in order to improve water retention and sequester carbon.
Who is the winemaker for Antica Terra, and what famous domestic winery did she intern at prior to starting Antica Terra?
Maggie Harrison, SQN
What are some other Crops Oregon is known for?
Hops, Christmas Trees, Apples, Cherries, Hazelnuts, Pears
What AVA, that rests closer to the OR/CA border is known for Rhone Style Wine production?
Applegate Valley
What brewery is known for its regular collaboration with local wineries to use spent barrels and infusing wine grapes into their beers?
Pfriem
Name 3 popular Spirits that hail from Oregon?
Westward Whiskey, Freeland Spirits Gin, Clear Creek Liquer (best known for using local fruit ((pear, marionberry, etc.)) to make local distilled liqueurs)
Willamette Valley is how many miles long?
120 miles
Outside of Dundee, where else will one find Jory soils in Oregon?
Red Hill Douglas County (Umpqua Valley)
Who makes “Sigrid Cuvée?”
Bergstrom
Who makes Cuvee Arthur?
Domaine Drouhin
Where is Zena Crown Vineyard located?
Eola-Amity Hills AVA
Which AVA of Willamette Valley have predominantly Loess Soils?
Laurelwood District AVA (Laurelwood Series)
Tualatin Hills AVA (Laurelwood Series)
Which AVA of Willamette Valley have predominantly Marine Sediment Soils?
Eola Amity Hills AVA (Willakenzie Series)
Ribbon Ridge AVA (Willakenzie Series)
Lower Long Tom AVA (Bellpine & Bellpine-Jory)
Van Duzer Corridor (Helmick, Steiwer, Helvetia Series)
Yamhill-Carlton AVA (Willakenzie Series)
List some producers found located in the Dundee Hills AVA?
Bergstrom
Cameron
Domaine Drouhin
Domaine Serene
Eyrie
Which AVA of Willamette Valley have predominantly Volcanic Soils?
Dundee Hills AVA