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Page10 North Douglas Herald April 2024 - North Douglas County Rural Report Wine Growing in in the Elkton Umpqua Valley. During the ’70s, cool-climate varieties thrive here. Oregon’s AVA’s Continued from Page 7 and is a single-vineyard AVA — one of just a few in the country — with Red Hill Vineyard planted to 220 acres of vines. Climate Red Hill Douglas County has a relatively mild climate, with daytime averages of 75°F during growing season (as opposed to regions farther south that can experience highs of 105°F). The marine influence reaching this area also provides a wetter climate than the surrounding Umpqua Valley area. Thanks to its higher elevation, the area generally enjoys a frost-free growing season. Soils Red Hill Douglas County is dominated by iron-rich, red volcanic Jory soils, which were formed from ancient volcanic basalt and consist of silt, clay and loam soils. They are mostly deep and well drained to the 15-foot depth. Topography Elevation in this area ranges from the 800-foot contour line to 1,200 feet, the maximum elevation for quality grape production. Geologically, Red Hill is part of the Umpqua Formation, which is composed of basalts similar to the volcanic rocks on the Pacific Ocean floor. It has many rising domes that give it an undulating appearance. Varieties Grown Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling. Story by Rusty Savage The Umpqua Valley AVA sits between the Coast Range to the west, the Cascade Range to the east, the Willamette Valley to the north, and the Rogue Valley to the south. It’s near everything, and entirely unique. The Umpqua Valley’s winegrowing history dates back to the 1880s when German immigrants who had worked for the Beringer Bros., the oldest continuously operating vineyard in Napa, planted the first wine grape vineyard in the Valley. In 1961, Richard Sommer established HillCrest Vineyard near Roseburg and sunk Oregon’s first Pinot noir vines into the ground. Like his Willamette Valley peers, he ignored the pessimists in California who said Oregon was too cold and wet to grow Pinot. In fact, the Umpqua Valley has one of Oregon’s more diverse regional climates, successfully growing both cool and warm varieties. Post-prohibition, Richard Sommer established HillCrest Vineyards near Roseburg in 1961. He planted Oregon’s first Pinot noir vines into the ground as well as Riesling and small amounts of other varieties, despite being told by his California (Davis) cohorts that it was impossible to successfully grow wine grapes in Oregon. Obviously, they were wrong. Just eight years later, in 1969, Paul Bjelland of Bjelland Vineyards founded the Oregon Winegrowers Association new wineries opened, including Henry Estate, whose winemaker Scott Henry developed his eponymous world- famous trellis system, which increases grape yield, among other benefits. The northern area around the town of Elkton enjoys a cool, marine- influenced climate and receives around 50 inches (125 cm) of annual rainfall. Pinot noir and other cool-climate varieties thrive here. The central area to the northwest of Roseburg, has an intermediate climate where both cool and warm varieties do well. The area south of Roseburg is warmer and more arid, similar to the Rogue and Applegate Valleys to the south. Warm-climate varieties, including Tempranillo, Syrah, and Merlot thrive here. Growing season temperatures vary dramatically from north to south creating a gradient of opportunity for winemakers and wine drinkers. The Elkton Oregon AVA is the coolest and wettest region within the larger Umpqua Valley AVA and produces different varieties and different wine styles than the rest of the larger AVA. The northern area around the town of Elkton enjoys a cool, marine-influenced climate. The Elkton Oregon AVA has a cooler, but milder and longer growing season than the rest of the Umpqua Valley AVA and receives much more rain annually, about 50 inches. Pinot noir and other The Elkton Oregon AVA is situated 33 miles (53 km) inland from the Pacific Ocean. It is wholly within the Umpqua Valley AVA, which in turn lies within the larger Southern Oregon AVA. Elkton Oregon is the northernmost region in the Umpqua Valley. The Umpqua River weaves through the middle of the region, offering a cool afternoon breeze during the growing season. Elkton Oregon vineyard soils are predominantly residual clay, silt loam soil, alluvial deposits and river terraces around the meandering Umpqua River. Clay soils retain water very well, resulting in less of a need to irrigate and lower yields. In contrast to the rest of Southern Oregon, wines produced from this region are more often from cool climate varieties made in a lusher style, fuller in body with bolder fruit notes than those produced in the Willamette Valley. The future of Winegrowing and production in The Elkton AVA and this region are poised to experience phenominal growth and consequence to the entirety of the Wine industry, not just in Oregon. As climate change affects Europe and California, to it’s detriment. The nature of our climate, soil and terrain will contribute to the quality, quantity and diversity of wine to quench the thirst of markets, likely world wide. Secretary of State Launches Public Information Campaign for May Primary Election With the May Primary Election right around the corner, the Secretary of State’s Office is launching a public information campaign aimed at providing Oregon voters with accurate and trusted information about elections. “False information is as prolific as ever, meaning it’s more important than ever that Oregonians know where to get accurate information from a trusted source,” said Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade. “Voting in Oregon feels good, and this is just one way we’re spreading the word.” This campaign is part of a larger initiative with the Secretary’s In Oregon, this campaign includes: Continuing the success of our public service announcements done in partnership with Happylucky, a Portland-based design firm. These include animated videos, radio spots, and graphics for print and social media in the most commonly spoken languages in Oregon. These PSAs are a fun way to inform voters with accurate information from an official, trusted source. In 2022, the campaign generated a 259% increase in the number of people visiting OregonVotes.gov. Research shows this approach can limit the impact of false information. The latest PSA highlights all the ways we work to keep elections accurate, safe, and secure. Previous PSAs have shared information about closed primaries and the postmark rule. The Elections Division encourages media outlets to air these materials as part of the effort to combat false information. The Legislature allocated $150,000 for the 2024 PSA campaign. The Secretary of State’s Office is working with Gard Communications on the PSAs, which launched today. A social media campaign designed to reach voters with accurate information in easy to understand — and easy to share — formats. You can follow the campaign on the Election Division’s Facebook and Twitter. The Elections Division continues to share plain language information on how elections in Oregon work and debunking common myths. The division’s website, OregonVotes.gov, is the best source of accurate information from a trusted source that strives to keep Oregonians informed and answer any questions. What you need to know about the May 2024 primary election The deadline to register to vote, update your voter registration, or register with a political party is April 30, 2024. Both the Republican and Democratic parties in Oregon choose to hold closed primaries. That means you won’t see those candidates on your ballot unless you are a registered member of the party. Ballots will be sent out starting May 1, 2024. Election Day is May 21, 2024. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. or postmarked Story by Milo Banks on this day to be counted. Return your ballot in the mail, at a county clerk’s office, or at any of the secure, official drop boxes available throughout the state. Your ballot will be routed to the county in which you are registered to vote for processing. The postmark rule, passed in 2021, allows ballots postmarked on or before Election Day to count even if they are received up to seven days later. These ballots are not late — they were cast on time and will be counted alongside every other vote cast before 8 p.m. on Election Day. For this reason, election results may be delayed because it will take a few days for all the votes to be counted. Preliminary results will be available on the Secretary of State website starting at 8 p.m. on Election Day. The last day for the Secretary to certify election results is June 27, 2024. The 2024 elections will be the most secure elections in history. Learn all the ways we protect your vote at OregonVotes.gov/Integrity. Veterans Corner - Enjoying your Freedoms? Thank a Veteran!
