Ken Wright Cellars (Yamhill-Carlton AVA)

The Willamette Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) was established in 1983, with the petition authored by David Adelsheim. It served the region well as a geographical marker, helping to identify the general location of Oregon’s burgeoning wine industry.

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Vineyards in the valley benefited from the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean and long summer daylight hours due to their position at or near the 45th parallel. Pinot Noir thrived in this environment.

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Over time, certain microclimates became known for consistently producing outstanding wines year after year.

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In 1995, Willamette Valley producers came together to begin identifying the regions within the valley that were truly world-class. To protect the region’s reputation for quality, it was crucial to establish a roadmap for future vineyard development.

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After selecting six distinct microclimates, leaders were chosen from each region. Their goal was to reach a consensus among local growers on precise boundary lines and to assign historically significant names to each AVA. Ken Wright served as the captain for the Yamhill-Carlton AVA and authored the federal petition for its creation. The entire process took a decade, and all petitions were submitted to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) on the same day—demonstrating the unity of the Willamette Valley wine industry in its vision. 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the Yamhill-Carlton AVA.

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The Yamhill-Carlton AVA features the oldest geology of the six sub-AVAs, primarily consisting of ancient seabed just three feet below the surface—dating back 45 million years. The western edge of the AVA contains basalt (volcanic rock) from the Coast Range Basalts, which form the oldest parent material in the entire Willamette Valley, some of which is as much as 60 million years old.

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The first vineyards in what is now the Yamhill-Carlton AVA were planted in 1974. Roy and Betty Wahle established Wahle Vineyard, while Pat and Joe Campbell founded Elk Cove Vineyard. Early development was slow due to the mistaken belief that the region, being closer to the Pacific Ocean than other vineyard areas, would be too cool to ripen even the cool-climate Pinot Noir variety. However, weather stations throughout the valley eventually disproved this assumption, revealing that Yamhill-Carlton was actually warmer than the more established wine-growing areas to the east. This warmth resulted from the Coast Range and numerous interior ridgelines deflecting cold coastal winds.

The wines speak for themselves—complex, deep, savory, and classically graceful.

Highlights:

• Explore Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley’s top AVAs.
• Discover one of Oregon’s original wineries.
• Taste within Carlton’s 1920s train depot, restored by Ken Wright himself.

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