Originally petitioned in 2002 as the "Red Hill AVA", the proposed appellation name brought protest from Willamette Valley AVA vintners, where a region known as Red Hill is also located. Another AVA in California that gained official status in 2004, the Red Hills Lake County AVA also carries a similar name. As a result, the name "Red Hill Douglas County, Oregon" was instead chosen to avoid consumer confusion and the AVA designation was granted in 2005.[3]
Red Hill Vineyard
The AVA is the home to a single vineyard, the Red Hill Vineyard, founded by the late Wayne Hitchings in 1991. Hitchings died on September 5, 2016. Fruit from Red Hill Vineyard continues to be sold to a few winemakers throughout Oregon.[4]
Notable wines
The 2011 Art Brut Outsider Cuvée, a sparkling wine by Roots Wine Company that contains Red Hill pinot noir and chardonnay, was a featured selection by Oregon wine club Cellar 503 in February 2016.[5]
References
^"§ 9.190 Red Hill Douglas County, Oregon"(Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Part 9 — American Viticultural Areas; Subpart C — Approved American Viticultural Areas). Code of Federal Regulations. February 12, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2008.