Columbia Gorge

Consists of four counties: Hood River and Wasco counties in Oregon, and Skamania and Klickitat counties in Washington
The region stretches from Hood River, Oregon and White Salmon, Washington in the west, to Biggs Junction, Oregon and Goldendale, Washington in the east
Includes the river valleys of the Hood River and Deschutes River in Oregon, and the Klickitat River and Little Klickitat River in Washington
Lies to the east of the summits of nearby Mount Hood and Mount Adams, it is in rain shadow of these Cascade volcanoes
The only sea-level passage through any mountain range of America’s western states and the last leg of Lewis and Clark’s nation-altering expedition
Vineyard altitudes vary from near sea level to close to 2000’
Within the compact area of the Columbia Gorge lays an extraordinary combination of climate, soil, elevations and geology creating distinctly different “micro-climates”
Western vineyards have a cool, marine influenced climate ideal for cool-weather loving varietals like Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Riesling
Eastern vineyards have a continental high desert climate with just 10 inches of annual rainfall but plentiful sunshine, perfect to ripen hot-weather Bordeaux, Rhone and Italian varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel and Barbera
It is marketed as a “world of wine in 40 miles”