The US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Treasury Bureau (TTB) announced last week that the new designation in southern Oregon’s Umpqua Valley will take effect from 7 March.

Elkton Oregon AVA will encompass an area of 74,900 acres (30,351ha) currently within the northern zone of the larger Umpqua Valley AVA.

Currently, the new AVA will compose of just 5 wineries and 39ha under vine.

‘We sought an AVA for Elkton because we believe our area is so much different from the rest of the Umpqua AVA,’ Michael Landt, owner ofRiver’s Edge Winery told Decanter.com.

‘Our sub-region is ideally suited to growing Pinot Noir and similar cool climate varietals, whereas the southern Umpqua AVA can ripen Syrah,Cabernet and such warm climate varietals.’

‘It is primarily the climactic differences that set us apart, which is due to our closer proximity to the pacific ocean (about 31 miles or 50 kilometres from Elkton to the beach), and the summertime phenomenon of a westerly marine breezes,’ he added.

Elkton Oregon joins another Umpqua Valley sub-appellation, the Red Hill Douglas Country Oregon AVA, which was established in 2005.