| Wine region | |
 | |
| Type | American Viticultural Area |
|---|---|
| Year established | 2020 [1] |
| Country | United States |
| Part of | Oregon, Willamette Valley AVA, Chehalem Mountains AVA |
| Other regions in Oregon, Willamette Valley AVA, Chehalem Mountains AVA | Chehalem Mountains AVA, Dundee Hills AVA, Eola-Amity Hills AVA, Lower Long Tom AVA, McMinnville AVA, Ribbon Ridge AVA, Tualatin Hills AVA, Van Duzer Corridor AVA, Yamhill-Carlton District AVA |
| Soil conditions | Fine glacial loess [2] |
| Total area | 33,600 acres (53 sq mi). [1] |
| Size of planted vineyards | 975 acres (395 ha) [1] |
| No. of vineyards | 70 [1] |
| Varietals produced | Chardonnay, Pinot Noir [2] |
| No. of wineries | 25 [1] |
Laurelwood District is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located west of the city of Portland and lies entirely within the northern end of Willamette Valley AVA and within the smaller nested Chehalem Mountains AVA. The Chehalem Mountains are a main defining feature along with the area's unique soil profile, and the AVA includes portions of the towns of Cornelius, Scholls and Sherwood in Washington County. The district was established on May 13, 2020, by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) after reviewing the petition submitted by Luisa Ponzi, then-winemaker of Ponzi Vineyards, Maria Ponzi, then-president of Ponzi Vineyards, and Kevin Johnson, winemaker of Dion Vineyards, on behalf of themselves and other local grape growers and vintners, proposing the establishment of the “Laurelwood” AVA named after the soil type that blankets the region. However, at the request of TTB, the petitioners agreed to add the word “District” to the proposed name, in order to avoid a potential impact on current label holders who are using “Laurelwood” as a brand name or fanciful name on their wine labels. Its coverage is approximately 33,600 acres (53 sq mi) and contains 25 wineries and approximately 70 commercially-producing vineyards that plant approximately 975 acres (395 ha). The main distinguishing feature of the Laurelwood District is the predominance of Laurelwood soil, a windblown loess over fractured Jory basalt. The district contains the highest concentration of the namesake soil in Oregon. [2] Other defining features of the AVA are its location among the Chehalem Mountains - granting it the highest planted sites in the Willamette Valley, and its proximity to warm wind influence from the Columbia River Gorge.
