Harry Peterson- Nedry considers himself part of the “second wave” of wine pioneers in the Willamette Valley. He started Ridgecrest Vineyards in 1980, which would become the first vineyard in the Ribbon Ridge AVA.

PORTLAND — The Willamette Valley wine industry may be only 56 years old, but it continues to gain a notable reputation around the world.

In its latest feat, the Willamette Valley became just the second American Viticultural Area — along with California’s Napa Valley — to be granted “Protected Geographical Indication” status by the European Union, linking certain iconic products to their unique place of origin.

Other examples include Champagne and Barolo wine, which legally can only come from the Champagne region of France or the Barolo region of Italy, respectively.

As a registered Protected Geographical Indication, or PGI, the Willamette Valley name is now secured throughout the EU’s market of 27 countries and 450 million consumers, said Stavros Lambrinidis, EU ambassador to the United States.

“For the EU consumer, the PGI is the guarantee of authenticity, that every bottle meets the quality standard set by the Willamette producers,” Lambrinidis said.

Geographical indications are the cornerstone of EU wines, spirits, food and other agricultural goods, Lambrinidis said. Products with a PGI certificate attract higher prices, which in turn can entice bad actors to forge counterfeits.

“Any operator seeking to sell non-originating wine using the registered Oregon name, or using labeling devices to evoke ‘Willamette Valley’ in the mind of the consumer, will be stopped,” Lambrinidis said.

The Willamette Valley is home to more than 500 wineries, and is known for producing high-quality Pinot noir. It was classified as an American Viticultural Area, or AVA, in 1983, noted for its distinctive climate, soils and water — collectively known as terroir.

Harry Peterson-Nedry considers himself part of the “second wave” of wine pioneers in the Willamette Valley. He started Ridgecrest Vineyards in 1980, which would become the first vineyard located in the Ribbon Ridge AVA, a sub-appellation of the Willamette Valley in Yamhill County.

By 2002, Peterson-Nedry said, the industry was becoming more intent on protecting its name and winemaking style.

“Our viticultural areas, whether it’s Oregon or the Willamette Valley, we consider almost sacrosanct,” he said. “We don’t want other people using ours.”

The reason, Peterson-Nedry said, is twofold. First, the Willamette Valley may lose its exclusivity in the marketplace if just anyone is allowed to appropriate the name.

Second, consumers may also lose confidence in the product if it does not consistently meet the region’s quality standards.

“It recognizes the uniqueness of a specific place,” Peterson-Nedry said. “And that uniqueness is not very unique if you can do it anywhere else.”

California’s Napa Valley was the first AVA to be recognized by the EU in 2007. Two years earlier, six global wine regions, including Oregon and California, signed on to what is now known as the Wine Origins Alliance, fighting to protect regional names in the marketplace.

Jennifer Hall, the alliance’s director, said granting PGI status for the Willamette Valley is a major step forward for the entire wine industry to ensure consumers are not being misled.

“This decision is an acknowledgment that location truly does matter when it comes to wine,” Hall said.

Morgen McLaughlin, executive director of the Willamette Valley Wineries Association, said PGI recognition is a big achievement for a relatively young wine region.

“The Willamette Valley’s first vines were planted in 1965, and since then several generations of growers and vintners have put their imprint on the world wine map,” McLaughlin said.

Peterson-Nedry, who led the PGI effort, said it took 13 years of start-and-stop work to reach the finish line. The main document submitted to the EU contains 30 pages of detailed descriptions about the region’s geography, wine varieties, growing practices and industry accolades.

“This is a hard-won, important designation that provides protection for the name ‘Willamette Valley’ in wines as they are marketed around the world,” Peterson-Nedry said. “And it puts us in a marketplace where we’re all watching each other’s back.”