Columbia Gorge Wineries
The 80-mile Divide in the Cascade Mountains between Oregon and Washington hosts more than 25 Vintners, Notably Maryhill and Syncline Wineries
An introduction to Columbia Gorge Wineries: one of the Pacific Northwest's newest wine regions.
Columbia Gorge Wineries
The Columbia River Gorge is one of America's most scenic winegrowing regions and one of the most recent AVAs (American Viticultural Areas). The AVA was created in May 2004 to recognize the uniqueness of the eighty mile gorge that separates Oregon from Washington State.
The Columbia Valley, east of the gorge, is a well-known wine region lying almost entirely in Washington. Here the wines reflect the warm, inland climate and long summer daylight due to its northern latitude. Red grapes do particularly well here. See our report on Pacific Northwest Wines in the California Wine archives for a description of the Columbia Valley appellation and some of its products.
In contrast, the Columbia Gorge lies mostly on the western side of the Cascade Mountains and receives much more rain. The gorge runs from Portland to The Dalles. More than twenty-five wineries now call this region home and most have estate vineyards. Refreshing crisp white wines dominate the AVA in the west, reds in the east. Larger wineries source some of their grapes from the Columbia Valley in order to round out their offerings.
Like Napa Valley in California, the Columbia Gorge AVA enjoys a range of climatic regions, ranging from cool and wet in the west to hot and dry in the east. We find Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Noir in western vineyards; Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot in the east, along with some Zinfandel.
One of the region's outstanding red wine is a Bordeaux style blend made by Maryhill Winery, one of our favorites. Formerly called Fort Rock Red, a name inspired by the Lewis and Clark expedition through this region, this proprietary blend is now labeled Winemakers Blend and priced at $15.
With wineries on both ides of the Columbia River, the best base for exploration is the town of Hood River, OR, with its bridge across the river to White Salmon and Bingen, WA. Some of the Columbia Gorge's finest wines are made by the
> Syncline Winery
Lodging and Dining information in the Columbia Gorge may be found by clicking
here. A map of the region and listing of all currently operating wineries may be found here.
