Eola-Amity Hills
Eola-Amity Hills is a sub-appellation of the Willamette Valley AVA located just
west-northwest of Salem, Oregon's state capitol. It's comprised of 37,900 acres consisting of 30 wineries,
2,000 vineyard acres
The Eola-Amity Hills (EAH) winegrowing region is composed of a string of hills located
nearly in the center of the Willamette Valley of Oregon. These hills are coated with soils formed from
ancient marine sediments, derived from massive primordial lava flows, or deposited by post-glacial floods
of biblical proportions, and the hills are warmed by Oregon's long, dry summer growing season. The hills
are now home to numerous vineyards and wineries producing ultra-premium wine grapes and wines that capture
the unique terroirs of the EAH region
Wine History: The agricultural history of this area near Salem dates
back to the mid 1850s, though it wasn't until the 1970s thatwinemakers started to discover the area as
having ideal growing conditions for high-quality wine grapes. It was around this time that a few modern
pioneers, including Don Byard of Hidden Springs, planted a patchwork of vineyards in Eola-Amity Hills.
Soon after, other pioneers followed suite and today this area produces world-class, handcrafted cool-climate varietals. The appellation became official in 2006.*
Climate: The Eola-Amity Hills region enjoys a temperate climate of warm summers and mild winters, and 40 inches of annual rain, most of which falls outside of the growing season.
Average maximum temperatures are 62 degrees F in April and 83 degrees F in July, which contributes to the ideal conditions for the cool-climate grape varieties that dominate the
Eola-Amity Hills. The climate in this region is greatly influenced by its position due east of the Van Duzer Corridor, which provides a break in the coast range that allows cool
Pacific Ocean air to flow through. This drops temperatures in the region dramatically, especially during late summer afternoons, helping to keep grape acids firm.*
Soils: The soils in the Eola-Amity Hills predominantly contain volcanic basalt from ancient lava flows as well as marine sedimentary rocks and alluvial deposits at the lower elevations of the ridge. This combination results in a relatively shallow, rocky set of well-drained soils, which typically produce small grapes with great concentration.*
Grapes: Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Pinot gris, and Pinot blanc. Smaller quantities of Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, Gewürtztraminer, Sauvignon blanc, and Gamay, among others are grown as well.
* Source: Oregon Wine
The wineries located here are
| Amity Vineyards |
|
Bethel Heights Vineyard |
| Brooks Winery |
|
Bryn Mawr Vineyards |
| Cherry Hill Winery |
|
Cristom Vineyards |
| Cubanisimo Vineyards |
|
Dukes Family Vineyards |
| Evesham Wood Winery |
|
Kathken Vineyards |
| Kristin Hill Winery |
|
Lewman Vineyard |
| Methven Family Vineyards |
|
Mystic Wines |
| NW Viticulture Center |
|
Orchard Heights Winery |
| Redhawk Vineyard Winery |
|
St. Innocent Winery |
| Stangeland Vineyard |
|
Witness Tree Vineyard |
| Zenith Vineyard |
|
|
They are listed in Willamette
Valley AVA The wineries of Oregon's
Willamette Valley
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