FAQs About the Eola-Amity Hills (EAH) Winegrowing Region

What is the origin of the EAH name?

The name "Eola" was adapted from the word, "Aeolus," a minor deity of the ancient Greeks who was in charge of the winds. Local lore suggests that the name was given by Lindsay Robbins, a pioneer musician who appreciated the powerful, predictable afternoon marine breeze that comes into the Valley from the Pacific Ocean through the Van Duzer Pass, the lowest point in Oregon's Coast Range. Mr. Robbins was reminded of a wind harp, appropriately called the Aeolian harp. The written history is sparse, but there was a village of Eola incorporated in 1856 at the southern tip of the ridge that straddles the 45th parallel. The Van Duzer winds influence not only the name of the Eola Hills, but also the excellent wine grapes produced in the vineyards of the Eola Hills. Late in the afternoon on warm summer days, the Van Duzer winds bring cool marine air to the ripening grapes. This gives complexity, balance, and finesse to the wines.

The northern extension of the Eola Hills, separated by the pass just east of the town of Amity, became known as the Amity Hills. However, these hills are actually one connected chain of hills, and because of this, the name Eola-Amity Hills was proposed for the AVA. The AVA encompasses vineyards and wineries in both Polk and Yamhill counties of Oregon.

The landmarks around the hills are rich in history with colleges, churches, and cemeteries containing gravestones dating back to the 1800's. All are reminders of a former time when the early communities were settled first to use the Willamette River and later the railroad to transport goods and agricultural products to the city. Now the hills are hosts to dairies, hazelnut groves, Christmas tree farms, cane berries, and grapevines. Less than an hour's drive from the metropolitan center of Portland, Oregon, the Eola-Amity Hills remain an area steeped in agriculture, and far enough from the city that traffic is modest and vistas are breathtaking.