Eola-Amity Hills is an AVA in the center of the Willamette Valley in Oregon, just north of Salem. This bank of hills lies west of the Willamette River and runs for roughly 15 miles north-south between the towns of Amity and Eola. All of the land within the AVA must lie at least 200ft (60m) above sea level, and vineyards sit on both the sheltered eastern slopes and the more exposed western slopes of the hills. The cool climate here is well suited to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling.
The Eola-Amity Hills AVA has a unique terroir that sets it apart from the surrounding Willamette Valley viticultural area. Ancient lava flows and tectonic shift created the hills and the weathered basalt soils here have proven perfect for premium winemaking. Free-draining and rich in iron, these soils serve to stress vines, lessening vigor and yield, which helps to concentrate flavors in the grapes.
This situation is a far cry from the Willamette Valley floor, where silt was deposited thousands of years ago by catastrophic floods that washed over the land during the last Ice Age. The elevation of the Eola-Amity Hills, which rise to around 1000ft (300m) above sea level, meant that these alluvial soils largely missed the hills, making them better suited to viticulture.
Vineyards in the Eola-Amity Hills region benefit from a long, warm growing season with a maritime climate; it is, however, slightly cooler here than in the rest of Polk County, largely due to the coastal afternoon breezes that flow into the Willamette Valley through the Van Duzer Pass, a low point in the Oregon Coast Range. The drop in temperatures caused by these daily winds – especially during late summer before the harvest – helps the grapes to retain all-important acidity, which is essential for balance and long life in the finished wines. The region is partly named for these winds – Eola derives from Aeolus, a minor Greek god who was in charge of the winds.
The first recorded planting of the Eola-Amity Hills area to grapes occurred in 1971, during the American wine renaissance of the 1960s and 1970s. The acreage of vineyards has grown steadily since, and around 25 wineries now operate in the AVA, which gained official recognition in 2006. Both the red and white wines made in Eola-Amity Hills are bright, fresh and fruit-driven and have an excellent reputation with consumers and critics alike.
