Twenty Years On: The Eola-Amity Hills AVA

Learning about wine has meant exploring subjects that I paid little attention to in music school. Geography, geology, climatology and a little history all factor into understanding the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The online version appears on the Oregon Wine Press website.

A “nested AVA” might sound like something a birdwatcher would look for. In the Willamette Valley, the term refers to the American Viticultural Areas within the larger Willamette Valley appellation. This year, the Eola-Amity Hills, one of the valley’s first six nested AVAs, celebrates its 20th anniversary.

When established in 1983, the Willamette Valley AVA allowed wine labels to more accurately indicate a wine’s origin. “Nobody had ever heard of the Willamette Valley at that point,” recalled Pat Dudley, co-founder of Bethel Heights Vineyard and spouse of Eola-Amity Hills petitioner Ted Casteel. “We were all busy trying to distinguish it from Oregon as an appellation.”

SIZE MATTERS

The Willamette Valley AVA covers 3.5 million acres spanning over 100 miles from north to south. Soon after the turn of the century, it became clear that more precise geographical distinctions were necessary. “It's really big,” Dudley continued, “and we didn't stop to analyze whether all parts of the Willamette Valley were equally suitable for growing super high-quality grapes.”

In 2002, petitions for six nested AVAs were submitted to the federal government for approval. The proposed name, Eola Hills, drew negative comments because an established winery already used that name. It took time to consider other options, so the Eola-Amity Hills was among the last of the original six to receive approval.

A NEW WIND BLOWS

The towns of Eola and Amity generally mark the north and south boundaries of the AVA. According to “Oregon Geographic Names,” Eola was initially named “Cincinnati” in 1851, but was soon renamed after Aeolus, the Greek god of winds.

“That Eola wind is what makes the whole valley such an amazing Pinot growing region,” notes Erin Nuccio, owner and winemaker of Evesham Wood and Haden Fig wines. Cool, westerly winds from the Pacific Ocean draft through the Van Duzer corridor in the coastal range. “In the Eola-Amity Hills, we kind of get the brunt of it and get the biggest influence,” he continued. The marine breezes, along with the east slope’s Jory soils and the sedimentary soils found on the west, contribute to the distinct liveliness of the area’s wines, he said.

The hills are characteristic features of the appellation. Most vineyards here are between 200 and 700 feet in elevation. Nuccio still retains the tracing paper overlay used by his predecessor, Russ Raney, another author of the AVA petition. "When Russ was drawing those boundaries, elevation was a significant issue. On the lower end, it was a significant consideration because of the change of soil… but on the upper elevations, Russ was concerned that too high, in cooler years, would not be able to fully ripen.” Nuccio notes that climatic conditions have shifted. In addition to an overall warming trend, he observes wider swings between warm and cool growing seasons. Some of the higher sites have emerged as reliable and sought-after fruit sources.

WORLD CLASS

Last summer, Bethel Heights’ 2023 “The High Wire” Chardonnay became the first Oregon wine to receive a 100-point rating from Decanter magazine and was described by their critic Clive Pursehouse as “good as anything made anywhere in the world.” Dozens of the area’s Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs have likewise garnered critics’ high scores and acclaim over the past few years, including a “Best in Class” showing at this year’s San Francisco Chronicle competition for Björnson Vineyard’s 2023 Pinot Noir.

“In 2024, three of Oregon’s six wines on Wine Spectator’s top 100 came from this tiny area, even though it produces only a fraction of the state’s grapes,” noted Mark Björnson, Founder/Owner of Björnson Vineyards, in a recent press release.

“Eola-Amity Hills has quickly become one of the world’s top wine regions.”