Appellation · United States
Ribbon Ridge
The smallest AVA in the Willamette Valley — a single ridge of uniform soil entirely surrounded by Chehalem Mountains.
Medium-bodied Pinot Noir, perfumed and red-fruited with fine tannin and good acidity.
About Ribbon Ridge
Ribbon Ridge is a single ridge of about 500 hectares, entirely enclosed by the larger Chehalem Mountains AVA, and it is unusually uniform: one soil type, one aspect, one elevation band.
That uniformity is the case for its existence as a separate AVA, and it is a stronger case than most American sub-appellations can make.
The wines are perfumed and finely structured, sitting between the Dundee Hills and Yamhill-Carlton in weight.
What the name means
- Legal name
- Ribbon Ridge AVA
- Type
- American Viticultural Area (AVA)
- Set by
- Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)
- Recognised
- 2005
- Regulates
- Origin only. It sets no rules about varieties, yields, ageing or winemaking.
Only where the grapes were grown, plus the percentage that must come from the named area. An AVA sets no varietal, yield, ageing or winemaking rules whatsoever — the single most commonly misunderstood fact about US wine labels.
Grapes
Wines from here
What to eat, and how to serve it
Derived from this region’s signature styles. Each is listed separately, because a region does not have one serving temperature.
Oregon Pinot Noir
Serve at 14–16°C (cellar cool).
Try with fillet steak, duck or steak with mushroom sauce.
Where to go next
Places worth trying if you like this one — neighbours, rivals, and the obvious step across.
- Dundee Hills — Oregon’s original Pinot Noir hillside, on distinctive red volcanic soil, and where the state’s industry began.
- Yamhill-Carlton — A horseshoe of hills west of Dundee on ancient marine sediment, making the Willamette’s fullest Pinot Noir.
Sources
Sources consulted
- American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) — Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), US Department of the Treasury
- Oregon Wine Board — Oregon Wine Board