Principal nested AVAs
- Dundee Hills: Basalt-derived Jory soils are a classic reference; hillside exposures vary.
- Chehalem Mountains: A larger northern uplift with varied soils and exposures; contains Ribbon Ridge and Laurelwood District.
- Ribbon Ridge: Small AVA within Chehalem Mountains, with marine sedimentary soils.
- Yamhill-Carlton: Northern valley foothills, important marine sedimentary parent materials and sheltered sites.
- Eola-Amity Hills: Near Salem; shallow soils and ocean winds through the Van Duzer opening shape the growing conditions.
- McMinnville: West of the city, toward the Coast Range and Van Duzer opening; a distinct AVA, not every winery with a McMinnville address.
- Van Duzer Corridor: The ocean-air opening is itself a named AVA, with wind as a defining influence.
- Tualatin Hills: Northwestern Willamette Valley; a distinct origin around the Tualatin watershed.
- Laurelwood District: Nested within Chehalem Mountains; the name identifies a more specific origin, not another state-level region.
- Lower Long Tom: Southern Willamette Valley, between Corvallis and Eugene.
- Mount Pisgah, Polk County, Oregon: Use the complete legal name; a distinct small hillside AVA in Polk County.