Columbia Gorge AVA includes land surrounding the Columbia River Gorge, straddling the border between of Oregon and Washington State on the northwest coast of the United States of America.

Terroir: Southern Oregon and the Columbia Gorge have warmer growing seasons than Willamette Valley [and] allowing warmer climate cultivars (e.g., Syrah, Cabernet sauvignon) to ripen. As in all of Oregon’s wine production regions diseases like powdery mildew and botrytis must be managed. The warmer, drier conditions during the growing season do mean fewer fungicides should be required in southern Oregon and the Columbia Gorge than in the Willamette Valley. The drier conditions here do require irrigation throughout the life of the vineyard. Irrigation should be the primary means for managing canopy growth, applying water to grow the appropriate amount of canopy rather than growing extra canopy that must then be managed (Olen and Patricia Skinkis, 2018).

Wineries

Certified Biodynamic: Analemma Wines.

Bibliography

Beau Olen and Patricia Skinkis, ‘Vineyard Economics: Establishing and Producing Pinot Noir Wine Grapes in the Willamette Valley, Oregon,’ by Beau Olen and Patricia A. Skinkis (Oregon State University Extension Service, October 2018).