Stretching 150 miles from the Columbia River in Portland through Salem to the Calapooya Mountains outside Eugene, the Willamette Valley is considered one of the world’s premier Pinot Noir wine along with the Burgundy region in France. It’s not surprising since the two regions have a similar climate. The warm days and cool nights create wines that have a fruity aroma, ruby red color and a smooth finish. But the valley is more than Pinot Noir, these conditions are also favorable for producing Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc.

In addition to the cooler climate, the nearly 700 Willamette Valley vineyards and wineries are situated on an old volcanic and sedimentary seabed that is covered with gravel, silt, rock and boulders. Wines crafted in these conditions are typically both fruity and earthy, which allows winemakers to create any number of expressions of the Pinot grape. The soil is the primary difference between the Willamette Valley and Burgundy regions. While the Burgundy region also has a marine layer in its soil composition, it has more limestone, which creates more minerality.

The Eola-Amity Hills AVA is one of seven recognized appellations in the valley located just west-northwest of Salem. The name comes from the Eola Hills, which run north-south and have numerous lateral ridges on both sides that run east-west, as well as the Amity Hills, which are part of a North Willamette Valley hill chain that developed out of intense volcanic activity and the collision of the Pacific and North American plates. Because of this, the soil is shallow and rocky, which helps vines produce small grapes with great concentration. This AVA also benefits from the cool Pacific air that flows through a break in the coastal range known as the Van Duzer Corridor, which allows the grapes to hold their acidity.

Most of the grapes sourced for our wines come from the microclimate known as the Eola Bench. Both Orchard House and Blossom Ridge vineyards are tucked into this little piece of heaven, which is one of the numerous east-west lateral ridges of the Eola Hills. Because of our western facing bench, we have the right ingredients to witness the magical transformation of vine to wine.