Columbia Gorge AVA
Description
The Columbia Gorge AVA 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 Underwood, Washington in the west, to Rowena, Oregon and Lyle, Washington in the east. It includes the river valleys of the Hood River and Deschutes River in Oregon, and the Klickitat River and White Salmon River in Washington.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/50/Columbia_River_Gorge_2.jpg/220px-Columbia_River_Gorge_2.jpg)
As this region lies to the east of the summits of nearby Mount Hood and Mount Adams, it is in rain shadow of these Cascade volcanoes. The region is significantly drier than the Portland metropolitan area to the west. Annual precipitation ranges from 30 in (762 mm) at the western end of the range, to only 18 in (457 mm) in the eastern part. Elevation in the region varies considerably, increasing as one travels from the Columbia River into the plateaus on either side, and the strong Columbia Gorge winds also play a factor in the region's climate. This allows a wide variety of grapes to be grown in the Columbia Gorge.
The region has nearly 40 vineyards, growing a wide variety of grapes, including Syrah, Pinot noir, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot gris, Riesling, and Sangiovese.