Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley in Oregon is the New World's premier Pinot Noir region outside California. The 100-mile valley between Portland and Eugene combines marine-influenced cool summers, volcanic and sedimentary soils, and a long ripening season that yields perfumed, lower-alcohol Pinot more aligned with Burgundy than Russian River. Chardonnay and Pinot Gris fill the white slot.
Signature grapes
Defining styles
Famous appellations
- Dundee Hills
- Eola-Amity Hills
- Yamhill-Carlton
History
David Lett (Eyrie Vineyards) planted the first commercial Pinot Noir in 1965, against the prevailing wisdom that the climate was too cool. A 1979 blind tasting that placed Eyrie's 1975 Pinot near the top alongside Burgundies attracted Burgundian investment, including Maison Joseph Drouhin. The valley grew slowly through the 80s and 90s and accelerated in the 2000s into a serious global Pinot region.