Southern Oregon AVA

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Coordinates: 42°26′01″N 123°05′30″W / 42.4337°N 123.0917°W / 42.4337; -123.0917
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Southern Oregon AVA
Petite Sirah, Syrah, Tempranillo, Viognier[3]

The Southern Oregon AVA is an American Viticultural Area which lies in Southern Oregon, United States. The Southern Oregon AVA was established in 2005 and was created to include the land of two smaller AVAs: the Rogue Valley AVA and the Umpqua Valley AVA. Southern Oregon AVA was established to allow the two principal winegrowing regions in the southern part of the state to market themselves jointly. This creation of a "super-AVA" is a departure from the trend in the Willamette Valley AVA or northern Oregon of establishing smaller AVAs specific to a particular locale's climate or soil conditions.[3]

Description

The Southern Oregon AVA is the union of the Umpqua Valley AVA and the Rogue Valley AVA, and all land suitable for

Cascades, and consists of the river valleys of the Rogue and Umpqua River rivers and their tributaries.[2]

Umpqua Valley AVA

Umpqua River with tributaries

The Umpqua Valley AVA contains the drainage basin of the Umpqua River, excluding mountainous regions.[4] It has a warmer climate than the Willamette Valley, but cooler than the Rogue Valley to the south. Grapes grown here include Pinot Noir, with smaller amounts of Pinot Gris, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Riesling, as well as several French-American hybrids.

Red Hill Douglas County, Oregon AVA

The Red Hill Douglas County, Oregon AVA is entirely contained within the Umpqua Valley AVA. This AVA includes 5,500 acres (2,226 ha), and is located near Yoncalla. Originally petitioned as the "Red Hill AVA", the proposed appellation brought protest from Willamette Valley vintners, where a region known as Red Hill is also located; the name of "Red Hill Douglas County" was instead chosen to avoid consumer confusion.[5]

Elkton, Oregon AVA

The Elkton AVA is entirely contained within the Umpqua Valley AVA. This AVA includes 74,900 acres (30,311 ha) and is located near Elkton.

Rogue Valley AVA

Rogue River and tributaries. The unlabeled stream to the east of the Illinois River is the Applegate River; Bear Creek is not shown on this map but flows through the valley in which Medford is located.

The

Bear Creek. Most wineries in the region are found in the valleys formed by one of these three tributaries, rather than along the Rogue River itself. The region is 70 miles (110 km) wide by 60 miles (97 km) long (though much of the land within the AVA is not suitable for grape cultivation); there are fewer than 20 wineries with only 1,100 acres (4.5 km2) planted.[6] Each river valley has a unique terroir, and grows different varieties of grapes. Overall, however, this region is the warmest and driest of Oregon's winegrowing regions.[7]

Illinois Valley

The westernmost tributary is the Illinois River, which rises in southern

Siskiyou National Forest. It joins the Rogue River from the south on the Curry–Josephine county line, approximately 15 mi (24 km) from the Pacific Ocean. The region is marked by its high elevation and is significantly influenced by marine climates. The region is well suited for growing Burgundy varietals, similar to those grown in the Willamette Valley.[7]

Applegate Valley AVA

The

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.[6]
Grapes that thrive here include
Syrah, Chardonnay and Zinfandel, with Cabernet and Merlot being the dominant varietals.[6][7]

Bear Creek Valley

Bear Creek is the most populated of the Rogue River tributaries, as it flows through the cities of

above sea level, and the climate is warm and dry.[6] 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.[7]

References

  1. ^ "§9.179 Southern Oregon" (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.
  2. ^ a b c "Establishment of the Southern Oregon Viticultural Area (2002R-338P)" (27 CFR 9 69 FR 70889). Federal Register. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. December 8, 2004. pp. 70889–70893. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Southern Oregon (AVA): Appellation Profile". Appellation America. 2007. Archived from the original on April 27, 2009. Retrieved January 29, 2008.
  4. ^ "Umpqua Valley AVA: Appellation Profile". Appellation America. Archived from the original on October 14, 2018.
  5. ^ "Establishment of the Red Hill Douglas County, OR Viticultural Area (2001R-88P)" (27 CFR 9 70 FR 59996). Federal Register. October 14, 2005. pp. 59996–60002.
  6. ^ a b c d "Rogue Valley AVA: Appellation Profile". Appellation America. Archived from the original on February 18, 2009.
  7. ^ a b c d "Rogue Valley and Applegate Valley, Sub Appellations of the Southern Oregon AVA". Wines Northwest.
  8. ^ "Applegate Valley Viticultural Area [99R-112P]" (27 CFR 9 65 FR 78096). Federal Register. Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Bureau. December 14, 2000. pp. 78096–78099.

42°26′01″N 123°05′30″W / 42.4337°N 123.0917°W / 42.4337; -123.0917

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