SOUTHERN OREGON SOUTHERN OREGON

A REGION OF DISCOVERY AND EXPERIMENTATION With five AVAs defined by four rivers and three major mountain ranges, Southern Oregon produces a wide range of outstanding wines. No wonder many writers are talking about this region as Oregon’s “next big thing.”

TOP PLANTED VARIETIES

ESTABLISHED: Other 17% 2005

TOTAL PLANTED AREA: Tempranillo 3% 8,910 acres (3,605 ha) Chardonnay 3% Pinot noir 41% 25% of Oregon’s land planted to vine Viognier 4%

PREDOMINANT SOILS: Merlot 4% Marine sedimentary alluvial gravels, volcanic Cabernet Sauvignon 8%

Syrah 10%

UPDATED 1.1.20 Pinot gris 10% SOUTHERN OREGON

UMPQUA VALLEY TERROIR • The convergence of the Cascade and Coast mountain ranges and the Umpqua River creates many mesoclimates. • Growing season temperatures vary dramatically, with up to 1,000 growing degree days difference from north to south. • Diversity of the region has inspired a culture of experimentation with varieties not commonly grown elsewhere in Oregon: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Albariño, Grüner Veltliner, Malbec, Petit Verdot and more.

WINE The long growing season lets grapes take their time in ripening, creating fruit with complex flavors, well balanced structure and minerality.

ESTABLISHED: PLANTED AREA: PREDOMINANT SOILS: PREDOMINANT VARIETIES: 1984 3,550 acres (1,435 ha) Stream sediments, marine Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Syrah, sedimentary bedrock, volcanic Tempranillo, Merlot, Albariño

ELKTON OREGON

TERROIR • Coolest AVA in Southern Oregon, in some parts approaching the coolness of the Willamette Valley due to its high elevation and the strong afternoon breezes blowing through the lateral running Umpqua River gorge. • Water retaining clay soils result in a decreased need to irrigate, resulting in lower yields.

WINE Cool climate varieties produced in a lusher style, fuller in body with bolder fruit notes than those grown in the Willamette Valley.

ESTABLISHED: PLANTED AREA: PREDOMINANT SOILS: PREDOMINANT VARIETIES: 2013 305 acres (125 ha) Clay loam Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Gewürztraminer, Riesling

RED HILL DOUGLAS COUNTY

TERROIR • A single vineyard AVA comprised entirely of volcanic soil from ancient uplifted seafloor. • Vines sit between 800 and 1,200 feet (240–350 m) and do not benefit as much from the protection of the Coast Range, resulting in cooler temperatures than other parts of the Umpqua Valley.

WINE Cooler site with volcanic soil produces a leaner, more structured style of wine compared to other AVAs within Southern Oregon.

ESTABLISHED: PLANTED AREA: PREDOMINANT SOILS: PREDOMINANT VARIETIES: 2005 460 acres (186 ha) Volcanic Pinot noir, Pinot gris SOUTHERN OREGON

ROGUE VALLEY

TERROIR • Defined by the soils created by the Rogue River and Rogue tributaries: Illinois, Applegate and Bear Creek rivers. • Southernmost and warmest AVA in Southern Oregon, with an average July maximum temperature of 89°F (32°C).

WINE Fully developed fruit character and rich, full-bodied wines.

ESTABLISHED: PLANTED AREA: PREDOMINANT SOILS: PREDOMINANT VARIETIES: 1991 5,360 acres (2,170 ha) Stream sediments Pinot noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot gris, Chardonnay, Syrah, Tempranillo, Merlot

APPLEGATE VALLEY TERROIR • The Klamath Mountains surrounding the valley to the west protect it from cooling marine air and rain from the Pacific. • The Applegate River greatly influenced the development of soils in the regions, resulting in deep, well-draining stream sediments, including fractured granites.

WINE Plush, full-bodied, fruit-forward Bordeaux- and Rhône-style wines with a subtle, underlying minerality.

ESTABLISHED: PLANTED AREA: PREDOMINANT SOILS: PREDOMINANT VARIETIES: 2000 750 acres (300 ha) Stream sediments Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah, Tempranillo, Pinot noir

Warm growing season temperatures moderated by elevation, rivers and cool CLIMATE nights produce structured, balanced wines. AVERAGE GROWING SEASON TEMPERATURE ºF(ºC)

CHAMPAGNE 57.6ºF (14.2ºC) High elevation vineyards and low

COLUMBIA GORGE L O O C humidity during the growing WILLAMETTE VALLEY season in Southern Oregon create BURGUNDY one of the largest diurnal SOUTHERN OREGON

T O H temperature ranges of any WALLA WALLA VALLEY winegrowing region in the world. NAPA VALLEY 68.7ºF ALENTEJO (20.4ºC) SOUTHERN OREGON GEOLOGY & SOILS

The junction of three major mountain ranges — Klamath Mountains, Coast Range and Cascade Mountains — and four winding rivers — Umpqua, Applegate, Illinois and Rogue — were key factors in the creation of Southern Oregon’s winegrowing soils.

MARINE SEDIMENTARY BEDROCK 200 million years ago the Pacific Ocean reached to Idaho, and Oregon was entirely underwater. Marine sedimentary soils were developed from the sandstone and shale on the ocean floor. • Higher clay content than marine sedimentary soil, resulting in a deeper red hue • Clay composition requires vines to struggle and grow very deep to reach the water table

VOLCANIC SOILS Cascade Sediments Between 50 and 10 million years ago, volcanoes in the Cascade Mountain range erupted. Lava covered the mountains and, over time, weathered into rich volcanic soil in what is now the northern Rogue Valley. • Soil is less red than the Silezia Terrane (described below) • Very clay-rich and retains a lot of water

Silezia Terrane Volcanic sediment from an underwater eruption uplifted due to the subduction of the Juan de Fuca and North American plates. This subduction creates a pocket of volcanic soil called Silezia Terrane, defining what is now the Red Hill Douglas County AVA. • High in clay content and iron, resulting in a distinguishable red hue • Offers fewer nutrients than marine sedimentary soil

STREAM SEDIMENTS Around two million years ago, the ancient Umpqua, Applegate, Illinois and Rogue rivers began shifting and altering their paths, leaving flat, weathered surfaces behind called stream terraces. Alluvial fans formed concurrently around these major rivers as hillside erosion deposited sediment on river terraces. • Composed of silt, sand and gravel • Sediments are sorted by the velocity of the former streams; faster-moving water leaves behind larger sediments such as gravel • Soil drains very well

The story of Oregon wine no longer begins and ends with Willamette Valley Pinot Noir, as many of the state’s most exciting new offerings hail from Southern Oregon.

– PAUL GREGUTT, Wine Enthusiast trade.oregonwine.org

Sources: Average Growing Season Temperature - Jones, G.V., Reid, R., and Vilks, A. (2012); 2018 Oregon Vineyard and Winery Census Report