McMinnville is a sub-appellation of the Willamette Valley AVA that sits just west of the city of McMinnville, approximately 40 miles southwest of Portland and extends 20 miles south-southwest.

McMinnville has a long farming history that dates back to the mid 1800s when berry fields, tree fruits and livestock were the norm. All that began to change when, in 1970, one of Oregon's winemaking pioneers, David Lett, bought an old turkey processing plant in McMinnville to house his winery. Soon after, winegrowers began planting vineyards and establishing wineries in the area and, in 1987, McMinnville held the very first International Pinot Noir Conference. Held every July since, it's a wildly popular three-day event where winemakers and enthusiasts from all over the world congregate for Pinot noir tastings, winery tours, and seminars. The McMinnville AVA was established in 2005. Today, the area continues to sprout more wineries and tasting rooms. In fact, in the city of McMinnville near historic Main Street, 14 wineries converted old graineries and nut processing plants into what is now known as the Urban Pinot Quarter.

The soils are typically uplifted marine sedimentary loams and silts, with alluvial overlays. As compared to other appellations in the Willamette Valley, these soils are uniquely shallow for winegrowing with low total available moisture.

Pinot noir, Pinot gris, Pinot blanc