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Oregon Wine, Wineries & Wine Regions
The
Umpqua Valley
and Red Hill Douglas County AVAs
of
Southern Oregon
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What happens when three mountain ranges collide? The Umpqua Valley.
The forces spawned by the mountainous convergence of the Klamath,
the Cascade and the Coastal ranges were the real
progenitors of Oregon's
Umpqua Valley AVA., not the usual suspects of valley formations.
While the world-famous Umpqua River, renowned for its fly fishing, is the largest
and most notable of the many waterways in the region, it is not
responsible for forming what is referred to as the Umpqua Valley.
In fact, the Umpqua Valley region -- stretching 65 miles from
north to south and 25 miles in width -- is not a valley at
all; it is a network of hillsides and river drainages of
interconnecting smaller mountain ranges, geological offspring of the
major mountain collisions that predate them. In spirit, the
popular nickname - the "Hundred Valleys of the Umpqua" - is a more
accurate description of the region.
This is the Umpqua Valley AVA. -
not a simple open basin, but a series of valleys and undulating
hills straddling the 43º N and 44º N latitudes, the same as
those running directly through some of Europe's greatest
wine-growing districts. Drier and warmer than the
Willamette Valley wine region to the north, and cooler than
the Rogue and Applegate wine regions
to the south, the Umpqua Valley currently hosts 23 Oregon wineries,
providing a variety of microclimates and offering the best of its
neighboring grape-growing regions. The single-vineyard and
single-winery appellation of
Oregon's Red Hill Douglas County also lies
completely within the Umpqua Valley AVA's boundaries. So too
does the most recently authorized Elkton Oregon
AVA. As the Umpqua River juts westerly in the northern
end of the Umpqua Valley AVA the cooler microclimate that defines
the Elkton Oregon AVA is all but trapped by its topography to create
ideal growing condition for cool-climate viticulture.
Diversity is the key word for the Umpqua region - diversity of
microclimates created by the many hills and valleys of the area and
diversity of soil types (more than 150) due to the varying ages and
structure of its major geological players. The Umpqua wine region
is cool enough to produce high-quality Burgundian wines from varieties
like Pinot noir and Chardonnay, yet warm enough to grow Bordeaux
varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Add to that the
fruity and floral Rieslings and Gewürztraminers reminiscent of Germany
and Alsace, and you begin to appreciate the versatility this region
allows the winemaker.
In
the relative short history of the Umpqua's current wine industry, it
is its broad diversity that makes possible the successful growing of more than
30 wine-grape varieties in this relatively small region.
Wine Shops and Regional Tasting Rooms
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Red Hill
Douglas County AVA
Red Hill Douglas County is a sub-appellation of the Umpqua
Valley AVA near the small town of Yoncalla, which lies about
30 miles north of Roseburg and parallels Interstate 5.
It encompasses 5,500 acres and is a single vineyard AVA (Red
Hill Vineyard with 220 acres planted), one of just a few in
the county.
The Red Hill
microclimate is one of a large number of different climates within a
relatively short distance along
I-5. The climate changes are primarily caused by associated
landforms and elevation differences.
The Applegate and Scott families, pioneers of
Southern Oregon, settled at the foot of Red Hill in the mid-1800s.
Jesse Applegate planted Douglas County's first established vineyard
in Yoncalla in 1876. Red Hill Douglas County appellation was
approved in 2005. |
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Elkton
Oregon AVA
Elkton Oregon is a sub-appellation of the Umpqua
Valley AVA which is entirely contained within the
Southern Oregon AVA. The small town of Elkton (pop
170) is 36 miles from the Pacific Ocean and is subject to a
strong marine influence with daily sea breezes and fog
penetrating into the Umpqua River Valley, at least as far as
the boundaries of the Elkton Oregon AVA. The
topography of this 79,900-acre AVA all but blocks the cool
marine air from moving into other parts of the Umpqua
region, making Elkton Oregon a cool climate
viticultural microclimate within the larger Umpqua Valley
AVA.
It was wine pioneer Ken Thomason who first planted grapes in
1972 in the Elkton area. He dreamed of growing
world-class cool-climate Pinot noir and white grapes here.
His vineyards are now owned by Mike and Vonnie Landt of
Rivers Edge Winery.
At the time of federal authorization of the Elkton Oregon
AVA, there were five wineries, 10 vineyards planted with
100 acres of grapes. The federal ruling is effective March
7, 2013. |
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Navigating the Umpqua Valley
Wine Region
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Use
the map below to explore Oregon wineries in the Umpqua Valley region.
Twenty-four wineries in the area are
open for your tasting pleasure. Click on the thumbnail map to see a
larger, more detailed map of the region; use links in the left margin of
this page to find nearby suggested lodging and dining opportunities
within the same region. For detailed information about each
winery, check the Winery and Merchant Finder.
Umpqua Valley
Wineries & Touring Map
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Featured Winery
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Henry Estate Winery
(Daily, 11 - 5, except major
holidays)
687 Hubbard Creek Road
- Umpqua, OR 97486
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ALL WINERIES
Always call ahead as
hours may change.
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Abacela Vineyards & Winery -
Vine & Wine Center
(Daily,
except major holidays:
Nov thru May: 11 am to 5 pm
June thru Oct: 11 am to 6 pm)
Amaranth Ridge Vineyard & Winery
(Not open to public)
Anindor Vineyards
(Memorial Day thru Dec:
Wed - Sun, 11 am to 5 pm)
Becker Vineyards
(Year round: 11 - 5, weekends & holidays)
Bradley Vineyards
(June thru
Nov: Wed - Sun, 11
am to 5 pm
Otherwise by appointment)
Brandborg Winery
(May - Oct: Daily, 11 - 5;
Nov - Apr: Weekends)
Chateau Nonchalant Vineyards
(By Appointment - 541-679-2394)
Delfino Vineyards
(Open daily May thru
Nov: 11 – 5 pm)
Girardet Wine Cellars
(Daily, 11 - 5)
Glaser Estate Winery
(Fri,
Sat, Sun: 11 am - 5 pm)
Henry Estate Winery
(Daily, 11 - 5, except major
holidays)
Hillcrest Vineyard
(March thru Dec: Daily, 11 - 5)
MarshAnne Landing
(May - Oct: Wed - Sun, 11 am - 5 pm,
Nov - Dec: Weekends, 11 am - 5 pm
Other times by appointment -
541-459-8497)
Melrose Vineyards
(Daily, 11 - 5)
Misty Oaks Vineyard
(March - December: Wed - Sun,
11 am - 5 pm & by appt- 541-459-3558)
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Pyrenees Vineyard & Cellars South
(Open
Daily: 11-5 pm)
Pyrenees Vineyard North
(Memorial Day - August:
Fri, 5 - 8 pm; Sat, 11 am - 6
pm)
Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards
(Tues - Sat, 10 - 5 pm.
Closed Sun, Mon & Major Holidays)
River's Edge Winery
(Summer - May thru Sept: Daily, 11 - 5;
Fall - through Nov: Wed - Sun
Otherwise by 24-hour advance appointment.)
Sienna Ridge Estate
(Red Hill Douglas County AVA)
(Daily, Noon - 6 pm)
Spangler Vineyards
(Daily 11 - 5)
TeSóAria Vineyard &
Winery
(Daily, 11 - 5)
Triple Oak Vineyard
Tasting Room: Triple Oak Wine Vault
(Fri, 3 - 6 pm; Sat & Sun, Noon - 5 pm) Wild Rose Vineyard
(Daily: 11 am - 5 pm)
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Wine Shops, Wine Bars and Regional Tasting Rooms
Dino's Italian Cafe & Wine Bar
404 SE Jackson
Roseburg, OR 97470
541-673-0848
Grist Mill Café
(Umpqua Valley wine tastings)
116 NE Locust Street
Oakland, OR 97462
541-459-2727
Raise Your Glass
(Tues - Thurs, 4 to 10 pm
Fri & Sat, 4 pm till closing)
630 Jackson Street
Roseburg, OR
541-643-0264
Triple Oak Vineyard
Tasting Room: Triple Oak Wine Vault
(Fri, 3 - 6 pm; Sat & Sun, Noon - 5 pm)
137 NE Locust Street
Oakland, OR 97462
541-459-4287
Copyright © 1998 -
May, 2013
Susan R. O'Hara. All
rights reserved.
Last revised: 05/03/2013
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