The Eola-Amity Hills AVA occupies a chain of hills in Polk and Yamhill counties south of McMinnville, distinguished from every other Willamette Valley sub-region by the Van Duzer Corridor — a gap in the Coast Range that channels cold Pacific Ocean air directly across the vineyards every afternoon. Temperatures can drop 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit in less than an hour, dramatically extending the growing season and preserving natural acidity in the grapes.
This extreme diurnal temperature variation — among the most dramatic in any American wine region — forces slow ripening and produces wines of unusual aromatic complexity and structure. The best Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noirs show a tension between ripe fruit and savoury, earthy qualities that distinguishes them from the richer, darker-fruited Dundee Hills style.
The sub-region has attracted serious attention for Riesling alongside Pinot Noir — Brooks Wines and several other producers have demonstrated that the cool afternoons and marine influence create conditions as favorable for aromatic white varieties as for red. Bethel Heights, Cristom, Lingua Franca, and Brooks have collectively established the Eola-Amity Hills as one of Oregon's most exciting and underappreciated AVAs.
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