Yamhill-Carlton is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Yamhill and Washington Counties, Oregon within the vast Willamette Valley landform about 35 miles (56 km) southwest of Portland, and 25 miles (40 km) inland from the Pacific Ocean. It was established as the nation's 158th, the state's tenth and Williamette Valley's third wine appellation[5] on December 9, 2004 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted by Alex Sokol-Blosser, Secretary of the North Willamette Valley AVA Group, on behalf of Yamhill-Carlton District winegrowers, proposing a new viticultural area to be called the "Yamhill-Carlton District."[6]
| Wine region | |
 Penner-Ash Winery | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 2004[1] 2010 Amend[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | Oregon, Willamette Valley AVA |
| Other regions in Oregon, Willamette Valley AVA | Chehalem Mountains AVA, Dundee Hills AVA, Eola-Amity Hills AVA, Laurelwood District AVA, Lower Long Tom AVA, McMinnville AVA, Ribbon Ridge AVA, Tualatin Hills AVA, Van Duzer Corridor AVA |
| Climate region | Region I |
| Heat units | 2,300 GDD units[3] |
| Precipitation (annual average) | 42 inches (1,067 mm)[1] |
| Soil conditions | Coarse-grain, ancient marine sedimentary silt-loam[1] |
| Total area | 8,500 acres (13 sq mi)[1] |
| Size of planted vineyards | 2,844 acres (1,151 ha)[3] |
| No. of vineyards | 127[3] |
| Grapes produced | Chardonnay, Dolcetto, Melon de Bourgogne, Muscat, Muller Thurgau, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Viognier[4] |
| No. of wineries | 63[3] |
The AVA lies entirely within the Willamette Valley AVA, and surrounds the towns of Carlton and Yamhill. The surrounding mountain ridges in the AVA form a horseshoe shape and most of the vineyards are located on south-facing slopes. The appellation includes only acreage between 200 and 1,000 feet (61–305 m) above sea level yielding a size of 8,500 acres (13 sq mi).[1] The soil is some of the oldest in the Willamette Valley where marine sediments create unique conditions for viticulture. The region is in the rain shadow of the 3,500 feet (1,100 m) Oregon Coast Range, a short distance to the west.[7]
In 2010, the TTB favorable ruled on a 2008 petition submitted by Mr. Ken Wright, of Ken Wright Cellars, to change the name of the viticultural area from "Yamhill-Carlton District" to "Yamhill-Carlton." In the petition, Wright asserted that when the viticultural area was originally proposed "[t]he inclusion of the word "District" was completely discretionary and added only to enforce the idea of the AVA being a regionalized area." Further, he stated that "[h]istorically, the area has always been referred to as simply 'Yamhill-Carlton.' Additionally, the length of the current name is very difficult to fit on a [wine] label. Many wineries have found it impossible, given their current label graphics, to utilize the name."[2]
References
edit- 1 2 3 4 5 "Establishment of the Yamhill-Carlton District Viticultural Area (2002R–216P)" (27 CFR Part 9 [TTB T.D.–20; Re: Notice No. 19] RIN 1513–AA59 Final Rule). Federal Register. 69 (236). Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury: 71372–71375. December 9, 2004.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. - 1 2 "Yamhill-Carlton Viticultural Area (2008R–305P)" (27 CFR Part 9 [Docket No. TTB–2010–0002; T.D. TTB–87; Re: Notice No. 104] RIN 1513–AB65 Final Rule). Federal Register. 75 (212). Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury: 67616–67618. November 3, 2010. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- 1 2 3 4 "About The Yamhill-Carlton AVA". Yamhill-Carlton. Archived from the original on February 19, 2026. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ↑ "Yamhill Carlton District (AVA): Appellation Profile". Appellation America. 2004. Archived from the original on September 8, 2013.
- ↑ "List of AVAs by Establishment Date". TTB.gov. 2024. Archived from the original on February 5, 2025. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
- ↑ Sokol-Blosser, Alex (March 6, 2002). "Proposal For The Establishment Of The "Yamhill-Carlton District" American Viticultural Area in Oregon" (PDF). TTB.gov. North Willamette Valley AVA Group. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ↑ "Willamette Valley AVAs". Willamette Valley Wineries. 2008. Archived from the original on January 13, 2026. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
External links
edit45°21′27″N 123°11′08″W / 45.357479°N 123.185536°W
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