Vineyard and Winery / About the Dundee Hills

Red Soil of the Dundee Hills
The Dundee Hills is famous for its red Jory soil. The soil gets its reddish hue from oxidation and high amounts of iron. It is not incredibly fertile, but provides excellent drainage for our wine grapes.
Photo by Doreen Wynja
As of January 2005, the Dundee Hills is an official appellation! There are about 1,300 acres planted in the Dundee Hills; the total size of the area is about 6,500 acres. Visit the Dundee Hills Winegrowers Association's website to learn more about the Dundee Hills.

The formation of the Dundee Hills started 15-17 million years ago, when lava from Eastern Washington flowed west into the Northern Willamette Valley. At that time, the Willamette Valley was a large body of water, and the Dundee Hills were an island! Then, 5 million years ago, the land started to move again and a landmass rose up from above the Willamette Valley floor. Finally, as catastrophic Missoula Floods receded, a small layer of sediment was laid down over the Willamette Valley covering all elevations below 300'. The soil above this point remained the red Jory soil.

The Dundee Hills appellation is unique for these five reasons:

  • The Dundee Hills are home to more than 20 of the top Oregon Pinot Noir producers in the state.
  • The Dundee Hills have iron-rich, fertile and well-drained red Jory soil.
  • Higher elevation, warmer nighttime temps and less low-elevation fog and frost help protect grapes in the Dundee Hills.
  • Many of the growers in the Dundee Hills are committed to sustainable farming.
  • The Dundee Hills are home to Oregon's pioneering winegrowers: David Lett, Dick Erath, Jim Maresh, and us — the Sokol Blosser family.