About the Umpqua Valley
Umpqua Valley winemakers, and Umpqua Valley visitors, have a complex topography to play in. Better known as, “the hundred valleys of the Umpqua,” the region is a result of the collision of three mountain ranges of varying age and structure: the Klamath Mountains, the Coast Range and the Cascades.
Genuine. Rooted. Bountiful.
The Umpqua Valley AVA sits between the Coast Range to the west, the Cascade Range to the east, the Willamette Valley to the north, and the Rogue Valley to the south. It’s near everything, and entirely unique.
The Umpqua Valley’s winegrowing history dates back to the 1880’s when German immigrants planted the first vineyard in the Valley. In 1961, Richard Sommer established HillCrest Vineyard near Roseburg and sunk Oregon’s first Pinot noir vines into the ground. Like his Willamette Valley peers, he ignored the pessimists in California who said Oregon was too cold and wet to grow Pinot. In fact, the Umpqua Valley has one of Oregon’s more diverse regional climates, successfully growing both cool and warm varieties.
The northern area around the town of Elkton enjoys a cool, marine-influenced climate and receives around 50 inches (125 cm) of annual rainfall. Pinot noir and other cool-climate varieties thrive here. The central area to the northwest of Roseburg, has an intermediate climate where both cool and warm varieties do well. The area south of Roseburg is warmer and more arid, similar to the Rogue and Applegate Valleys to the south. Warm-climate varieties, including Tempranillo, Syrah, and Merlot thrive here. Growing season temperatures vary dramatically from north to south creating a gradient of opportunity for winemakers and wine drinkers.
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- Established: 1984
- Total Area: 683,300 acres (280,600 ha)
- Planted Area: 3,605 acres (1,440 ha)
- Predominant Varieties: Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Syrah, Tempranillo, Merlot, Albarino
- Predominant Soils: Stream sediments, marine sedimentary bedrock, volcanic
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