IT’S WILLAMETTE, DAMMIT

Pinot noir. One of the world’s most finicky grapes, thin-skinned and delicate, it can produce exceptional light-bodied red wine. Oregon’s Willamette Valley, a 150-mile-long corridor stretching from Portland in the north to Eugene in the south, contains three-quarters of the state’s vineyards, and is best known for its pinot noir production. The Valley boasts eight AVAs (American Viticultural Areas), which are designated wine-grape growing regions in the United States.

But more than 20 million visitors each year are happy to discover that more than grapes grow in the scenic Willamette Valley (pay attention to the pronunciation—rhyme Willamette with “dammit,” and