Topic summary
Oregon wine
The state of Oregon has established an international reputation for its production of wine, ranking fourth in the country behind California, Washington, and New York. Oregon has several different growing regions within the state's borders that are well-suited to the cultivation of grapes; additional regions straddle the border between Oregon and the states of Washington and Idaho. Wine making dates back to pioneer times in the 1840s, with commercial production beginning in the 1960s.
American Viticultural Areas (AVA) entirely within the state borders are the Willamette Valley AVA, with ten sub-appellations, and the Southern Oregon AVA, with five sub-appellations. The Columbia Gorge, Walla Walla Valley, and Snake River Valley AVAs extend acreage into the adjacent states of Washington or Idaho.
Total wine production was 137,065 short tons (124,343 t) in 2022. Pinot noir and Pinot Gris are the top two grapes grown, with over 104,519 short tons (94,818 t) harvested in 2022, up from 59,452 short tons (53,934 t) in 2016. In aggregate, the most valuable grape is Chardonnay with a 2022 price per short ton of $2,908 (average) or $2,861 (median). But Pinot Noir commands the high end with the top three growers averaging $5,824 per short ton in 2022, versus Chardonnay's $4,114. Oregon winemakers sold just over 5.7 million cases in 2022, up from just under 3.4 million cases in 2016.
With 1116 wineries in Oregon, a tourism industry has developed around wine tasting. Much of the tourism focuses on the wineries and tasting rooms in and around the Yamhill Valley southwest of Portland. It is estimated that enotourism contributed US$207.5 million to the state economy in 2013 excluding sales at wineries and tasting rooms.