Pick up two bottles of Pinot Noir, one from California and one from Oregon's Willamette Valley, and both labels say the same thing: Pinot Noir, a region and a vintage. They do not promise the same thing. Oregon sets its own labeling rules above the federal minimums, and knowing the two numbers involved tells you how much of the wine in an Oregon bottle is the grape and the place on the front.

The federal floor

Federal rules from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) set the baseline for every American wine. A wine named for one grape variety must be made from at least 75 percent of that grape (27 CFR 4.23). A wine named for an American Viticultural Area, or AVA, a federally defined grape-growing region, must come at least 85 percent from that area (27 CFR 4.25). States are free to set stricter rules for wine made from their own grapes, and Oregon does.

Oregon's grape rule: 90 percent

Under Oregon Administrative Rule 845-010-0915, an Oregon wine may carry a single grape name only if at least 90 percent of the wine comes from that grape. A bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris or Chardonnay is at least nine parts in ten the named grape.

The rule makes an exception for 18 varieties, which are allowed at the federal 75 percent: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Durif (Petite Sirah), Grenache, Malbec, Marsanne, Merlot, Mourvèdre, Petit Verdot, Roussanne, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Syrah, Tannat, Tempranillo and Zinfandel. Many of them are grapes that are commonly blended. Pinot Noir, the state's best-known grape, is not on the list.

Oregon's place rule: 95 percent

Oregon Winegrowers, the state's growers' association, summarizes the state's appellation rule this way: when a label names Oregon, an Oregon county or an AVA lying entirely within Oregon, 100 percent of the grapes must be grown in Oregon and at least 95 percent must come from the named place. That is ten points above the federal 85 percent for an AVA.

What it means for the bottle in your hand

  • Willamette Valley Pinot Noir: at least 90 percent Pinot Noir and at least 95 percent Willamette Valley grapes, all of them from Oregon.
  • Oregon Cabernet Sauvignon: at least 75 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, because it is on the exception list, and all of it Oregon fruit.
  • A Pinot Noir labeled with an AVA from another state: the federal minimums apply, at least 75 percent Pinot Noir and 85 percent from that AVA, unless that state sets its own stricter rule.

None of this is a statement about quality. A blend can be excellent, and a wine with 100 percent of one grape can be ordinary. It is a statement about what is in the bottle, and Oregon's version is more specific.

How to check a particular wine

If you want to know the exact blend, look for the producer's technical sheet, usually on the winery's website under the wine's name. It lists the grapes and their percentages, and often the vineyards. For wines from a region that includes Oregon and Washington together, such as the Columbia Gorge or Walla Walla Valley AVAs, which cross the state line, ask the shop or the winery which state's grapes are in the bottle. Our guide to Wine Country Thanksgiving in the Willamette Valley covers this year's open-house weekend.

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