Oregon's northernmost and largest appellation, the Willamette Valley is also the state's production leader and the standard bearer for quality Pinot Noir in the United States. The vineyards stretch out on cool hillsides between the Coastal and Cascade Ranges luxuriating in volcanic soils and the slackwater deposits left behind by cataclysmic prehistoric floods. Here, where appellation awareness is at its peak, a number of sub-appellations have been broken out: Chehalem Mountains, Dundee Hills, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville, Ribbon Ridge and Yamhill Carlton.
The primary white grape in the Willamette Valley is Pinot Gris, which favors the hills of the coastal range. As a destination spot, the Willamette Valley is easily accessible from Portland, Salem (the state capitol), Corvalis (home of Oregon State University) and Eugene (home of the University of Oregon).
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