The Dundee Hills AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Yamhill County, Oregon. It is entirely contained within the Willamette Valley AVA, and is approximately 28 miles (45 km) southwest of Portland, near the towns of Dundee and Dayton. The area is 6,940 acres (2,809 ha) in total size, with 1,300 acres (526 ha) planted with grapes. The Dundee Hills are a north-south oriented line of hills on the western side of the Willamette River valley. The soil is red in color, rich in iron, relatively infertile, making it suitable for grape cultivation. The region gets 30 inches (76 cm) to 45 inches (114 cm) of rainfall per year. The Chehalem Mountains to the north protect the region from the cool breezes that enter Willamette Valley from the Columbia Gorge.[3] Over 25 wineries and independent vineyards in this region produce over 44,000 cases of wine.[2]
| Wine region | |
 Domaine Drouhin vineyard in the Dundee Hills | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 2004[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | Oregon, Willamette Valley AVA |
| Other regions in Oregon, Willamette Valley AVA | Chehalem Mountains AVA, Eola-Amity Hills AVA, Laurelwood District AVA, Lower Long Tom AVA, McMinnville AVA, Ribbon Ridge AVA, Tualatin Hills AVA, Van Duzer Corridor AVA, Yamhill-Carlton District AVA |
| Climate region | Maritime |
| Soil conditions | Volcanic, sedimentary loam[2] |
| Total area | 6,490 acres (2,626 ha)[2] |
| Size of planted vineyards | 1,300 acres (526 ha)[2] |
| Grapes produced | Chardonnay, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot blanc, Pinot gris, Pinot noir, Riesling[3] |
| No. of wineries | 25[2] |
The Dundee Hills has been a grape growing region since 1966, when David Lett established Eyrie Vineyards, planting Pinot noir and Pinot Gris. In 1975, Dick Erath and C. Calvert Knudsen formed Knudsen Erath Winery, the first commercial winery to open in the Dundee Hills.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "§ 9.180 Dundee Hills" (Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Part 9 — American Viticultural Areas; Subpart C — Approved American Viticultural Areas). Code of Federal Regulations. Retrieved January 29, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e "Dundee Hills Winegrowers Association Brings Further Recognition to Oregon 's Premier Wine Region". Dundee Hills Winegrowers Association. 2006. Archived from the original on January 19, 2008. Retrieved January 29, 2008.
- ^ a b "Dundee Hills (AVA): Appellation Profile". Appellation America. 2007. Archived from the original on July 19, 2008. Retrieved January 29, 2008.
- ^ "Historic Erath Winery is closing its Dundee tasting room; Knudsen Vineyards taking over". February 22, 2020.
External links
edit45°15′31″N 123°02′38″W / 45.2586°N 123.0438°W
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