Red Hill Douglas County, Oregon AVA

Red Hill Douglas County, Oregon
Wine region
TypeAmerican Viticultural Area
Year established2005
Years of wine industry57
CountryUnited States
Part ofOregon, Southern Oregon AVA, Douglas County, Umpqua Valley AVA
Other regions in Oregon, Southern Oregon AVA, Douglas County, Umpqua Valley AVAElkton Oregon AVA
Growing season170 days
Precipitation (annual average)51.53 inches (1,309 mm)
Soil conditionsReddish soil is composed of silt-sized volcanic ash
Total area5,500 acres (9 sq mi)
Size of planted vineyards450 acres (182 ha)
No. of vineyards1
Grapes producedBaco Noir, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Muscat,Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Syrah, Tempranillo, Zinfandel
No. of wineries0

Red Hill Douglas County, Oregon is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in northeastern Douglas County of Southern Oregon, near the town of Yoncalla. It lies entirely within the other county appellation, Umpqua Valley, which itself is a sub-appelletion in the multi-county Southern Oregon AVA. It was established as the nation's 166th, the state's eleventh and the county's fourth appellation on October 14, 2005 by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury after reviewing the petition submitted in 2002 by Mr. Wayne Hitchings, the sole vineyard owner in the locale, proposing a viticultural area named “Red Hill."

Originally petitioned in 2002 as the "Red Hill," the proposed appellation name was protested by vintners in the older Willamette Valley AVA where a region known as Red Hill is also located. Opposing commenters also expressed concern about the proposed "Red Hill (Oregon)"’ name. They cited consumer confusion with other "Red Hill" wine regions in Oregon, California, New Zealand, and Australia. In California, an AVA was officially designated in 2004 as Red Hills Lake County AVA. Consequently, the name "Red Hill Douglas County, Oregon" was designated by the TTB to uniquely identify the appellation. The USDA plant hardiness zones are 8b and 9a.