Our vineyards

The largest AVA in Oregon, both in size of region and most vineyard plantings. Dominated by three major soil types ancient Marine Sedimentary Ocean Uplifted soils, Volcanic Basalt soils and Windblown Loess Silt Loams. The broad river valley of the Willamette is framed on both sides by protective mountain ranges, the high imposing Cascades Mountains on its eastern boundary and the lower lying Coast Range on the western flank which serves as a buffer to the cold storms and winds that arise in the Pacific Ocean just 45miles from the valley. While the Willamette Valley AVA officially spreads from Portland in the north to just beyond Eugene at its most southerly boundary the majority of the vineyards we source from for Limited Addition are in the "North Valley" where there are ten official subregions, we work with growers in at least six of these but are expanding each year.

From north to south we work with the Aurora Vineyard in the Laurelwood District (this AVA is defined by the windblown soils deposited over millenia by the fierce winds that blow from the east down the Columbia River Valley and deposit on these high elevation sites. These soils are fine as talcum powder, nutrient poor (less vigorous) and provide a topsoil over the volcanic basalts below. Wines grown in these soils have distinctive chalky tannin profiles and bright perfumed fruits, these are some of the most easy drinking and approachable wines in the valley.

Chehalem Mountains AVA home to some of the oldest vineyards and wineries in the Willamette Valley these hills are primarily marine sediment Willakenzie series soils that are free draining and relatively nutrient poor, establishing cover crops is important for vine health in this AVA, the Chehalem Mountains Vineyard that we work with is farmed Biodynamically and provides our Blaufrankisch, St Laurent, Gamay noir (358 clone) and Gruner Veltliner. It is a moderately high elevation site around 700feet that faces west to the Ribbon Ridge AVA the vineyard is steep farmed hill top surrounded douglas fir forest and farmlands. Wines from the Chehalem Mountains AVA tend to be elegant and perfumed showing a red fruits and spice flavors and silky tannin profiles.

Yamhill Carlton AVA another AVA based around the free draining less vigorous Willakenzie marine sediment soil series, this amphitheatre shaped AVA is also one of the regions' warmest as it moves from the western boundary to its protected eastern slopes, the cool coastal wind influences tend to drop around the west and south of the AVA to the warmer eastern vineyard holdings east of the towns of Yamhill and Carlton. Some of the ripest fruitiest styles of wine are made in this AVA where ripening is never an issues and wines can easily build power and structure and dark blue and purple fruit profiles.

Tualatin Hills AVA one of the newer AVAs in the region, created in 2020, but home to some of the oldest vineyards planted in the mid-1960s. This AVA is also one of the coolest with its western edges sitting firmly in the coastal Tillamook corridor and Gales Creek river valley benefiting from the cooling Pacific ocean influences. Its' soils are also a mixture of Laurelwood windblown loess on the higher elevations and east facing hills and volcanic basalt bedrock giving wines of elegance and freshness. This AVA produces high acid vibrantly fruited wines and is particularly well suited to aromatic varieties of Pinot gris, Gewurztraminer, Muscat and Riesling.

Eola-Amity Hills AVA This ridge of hills extends north-south below the town of McMinnville providing a very warm west-facing slope that captures the full impact of both the afternoon sun and the cooling winds that blow down the Van Duzer Corridor from the Pacific ocean. The eastern side of these hills benefit from the gentle early morning sun that rises over the Cascades and a gentle warming growing season. Fruit in this AVA ripens later than fruit from the more northerly Chehalem Mountains and Ribbon Ridge AVAs. The bulk of the soils in this AVA are volcanic basalt Jory and Nekia (more shallow and rockier than Jory soils) wine from this AVA tends to be very structured and darker in profile with distinctive umami characters and compact tannins that can take time to resolve, wines are complex, distinctive and worthy of cellaring.

Van Duzer Corridor AVA one of the few low lying AVAs in the valley the ancient marine sediment soils and river bed terrain provides good drainage and lowers vigor but the main character of the AVA comes from the cooling winds that sweep over the AVA delaying ripening and flavor development. This regions wines tend to be vibrant and high toned in both acidity and lively red fruits and lower in alcohol.