Wine History: Southern Oregon has the oldest history of grape growing in the state. It dates back to 1852 with an early area settler named Peter Britt, who operated a winery in Jacksonville. Post-prohibition winemaking started in 1961 when vintner Richard Sommers migrated from University of California at Davis and founded Hillcrest Vineyards in the Umpqua Valley. Impressed with the diversity of growing conditions in this area, other winemakers began planting roots in the 1970s, resulting in a patchwork of vineyards growing both cool- and warm-climate varieties. Today, this winegrowing region continues to grow and turn out a great variety of high-quality wines. The appellation became official in 2004.

Climate: While this region provides the warmest growing conditions in Oregon, there exist cool microclimates within its varied hillsides and valleys that enable Southern Oregon to successfully grow both cool- and warm-climate varietals. This area receives significantly less rainfall than other viticultural areas in Oregon (40 percent less than in the Willamette Valley) and is generally a warm, sunny, arid climate.

Soils: Southern Oregon's soils are varied and complex, though generally derived from bedrock, specifically from the 200 million year old Klamath Mountains, which are comprised of sedimentary rocks, to the west.

Varieties: Pinot noir, Merlot, Cabernet sauvignon, Pinot gris, Syrah, Chardonnay, Cabernet franc, White Riesling, Tempranillo, Gewurztraminer, Viognier

MDM Wines From Southern Oregon

Cliff Creek Syrah Cliff Creek Claret

Wine Regions Represented b y MDM

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