Oregon Gains Two Wine Appellations

Wine Spectator reports that Oregon has gained two new wine appellations: Laurelwood District and Tualatin Hills. Both AVAs are located in the northwest corner of the Willamette Valley, with Laurelwood being the smaller of the two. Senior editor Tim Fish elaborates that Lawuewood “spans 33,600 acres, 1,000 of which are planted to vine. It’s home to more than 30 wineries, and hugs the north-and-east-facing slopes of the Chehalem Mountains,encompassing within its borders the highest elevation in the Willamette Valley.

In an interview with winemaker at Ponzi Vineyards, Luiza Ponzi commented that “The most significant thing about this AVA is that it’s defined by soil, not just geographic boundary […] Young vineyards in the AVA tend to produce elegant, red-fruited Pinot Noirs with light tannins. But as the vines age and the roots spread to the basalt, the wines change. They develop darker and brambly blueberry fruit, with fennel and licorice.” Ponzi, along with Dion Vineyard, formally filed the petition for the Laurelwood AVA in 2016.

To learn more about the new AVAs and Ponzi Vineyards, read the full story HERE.