American Viticultural Area · OR
Dundee Hills
Dundee Hills is a federally-designated American Viticultural Area in OR, established in 2005. The map below shows its official TTB boundary alongside nearby AVAs.
The Dundee Hills boundary is highlighted. Nearby AVAs are rendered in gray — click any of them to view that AVA's page.
At a glance
Established
2005
State
OR
Climate
Cool maritime
Signature varietals
Boundary recorded in 27 CFR Part 9 · Source: TTB
About the Dundee Hills AVA
Dundee Hills, designated 2005, is one of the most recognized sub-AVAs of Oregon's Willamette Valley, centered on the rolling hills above the town of Dundee. Its defining feature is soil: deep, iron-rich, red volcanic Jory soil weathered from ancient basalt, which drains well and warms quickly. Vineyards sit mostly between 200 and 1,000 feet, above the valley fog and frost. Dundee Hills lies within the larger Willamette Valley AVA.
This was the cradle of the modern Oregon Pinot Noir industry — many of the state's pioneering vineyards were planted here in the 1960s and 1970s. Pinot Noir is the signature variety, with Pinot Gris and Chardonnay also widely grown. The red Jory soils are associated with a particular elegance and red-fruited perfume in the Pinot Noir, and the AVA remains among the most densely planted in the Willamette Valley.
Nearby AVAs
Other American Viticultural Areas closest to Dundee Hills — useful when a vineyard sits inside more than one AVA at once.