chehalem mountains

EXPERIENCE WORLD-CLASS PINOT NOIR AND CHARDONNAY INSPIRED BY THE BOUNTY AND WILD MAGIC OF THE CHEHALEM MOUNTAINS.

While luck played its part, it was this place, the Chehalem Mountains, that kept us. For nearly 50 years we have been listening to our land, our soil, and our climate – slowly deciphering why wine here tastes so good. Vintage after vintage, we’ve added a little wisdom to our repertoire and expanded our vineyard plantings accordingly. Today, our patience and commitment to place has been rewarded with a focused portfolio of exceptional wines that express the uniqueness of the Chehalem Mountains with purity and intention.

At Adelsheim, we are obsessed with making incredible wines while protecting our land, our soil, and the integrity of the Oregon winemaking community. We are driven daily by the adventurous spirit and trail blazing vision of our founder, David Adelsheim, and invite wine lovers from around the world to discover the wild, delicious bounty of this place we call home…

Welcome to the Chehalem Mountains!

A single-uplifted landmass 20 miles long and 5 miles wide, The Chehalem Mountains is a nested American Viticulture Area (AVA) within Oregon’s North Willamette Valley -- prized more for its exceptional differences rather than its uniform sameness. At its heart, rises the valley’s highest point, Bald Peak. At 1,633 feet above sea level Bald Peak Mountain overlooks what was once a vast Oak Prairie. Streaming down its flanks, hillsides of lush forests and oak groves meet lakes and streams, all set against rocky spurs and ridges. This incongruent mix forms a rich and rugged ecosystem for growing grapes amongst the three most influential hillside soil types: volcanic, marine sediment, and loess (blown lake bed sediment).

We are proud to say that Adelsheim was the first winemaker to break ground in the Chehalem Mountains for winemaking. What began in the 1970’s with a single vineyard and winery is now considered one of the New World’s great Pinot noir and Chardonnay producing regions, home to 179 vineyards and 53 wineries. This includes all five of Adelsheim’s estate single vineyards: Quarter Mile Lane (1972), Bryan Creek (1989), Calkins Lane (1990), Ribbon Springs (1996), and Boulder Bluff (2003).

Less than 4% of the 70,000 acres that make up the Chehalem Mountains AVA are planted vineyards, preserving landscapes of true, classic, Oregon beauty.

As storied and complex as the wine it produces -- The Chehalem Mountains is a wild, elegant mix of soils, elevations, and exposures. Together these varied aspects produce complex and beautiful wines that are wholly unique to the place from which they thrive. And this is the true magic of the Chehalem Mountains.