The Grapevine: Best is yet to come from Washington state
BY TIM DWIGHT | FOR FLORIDA TODAY | June 18, 2009
View full article here: http://m.floridatoday.com/detail.jsp?key=221671&full=1
Washington has come on strong in recent years as a grape-growing Mecca.
The southeastern part of the state is home to most of the prestigious wineries, and, somewhat surprisingly, lies at nearly the same latitude as the Bordeaux region of France.
The top five grape varietals grown in Washington are cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah for the reds, and riesling and chardonnay for the whites. Although whites outnumber the reds 52 percent to 48 percent, according to the Washington State Wine Commission, it's those red varietals that have brought fame and fortune to the state.
Early on in Washington's relatively brief wine history, merlot rose to prominence with such cult producers as Leonetti Cellars, Woodward Canyon and L'Ecole No. 41. And while that grape's luster may have diminished somewhat in recent years, cab and syrah quickly have risen to the top of the paradigm.
The top vineyard sites for these grapes lie three to five hours southeast of Seattle in the Red Mountain and Walla Walla American Viticultural Appellations. The area around Walla Walla, a city once foremost known for its onions -- and state prison -- now is a hotbed of vineyard operations.
Growth has been dramatic here, attracting a host of new investors.
Charles Smith's K Vintners, along with newcomers Cayuse, Cougar Crest and Long Shadows Winery, produce stellar reds capable of competing with any of Napa's best. Cabernet (blended with a bit of merlot) and syrah lead the charge.
The Red Mountain appellation, which is more of a steep slope facing southwest over the Yakima River, contains the sites of some of Washington's finest individual vineyards. It is not uncommon to see wines featuring grapes from notable vineyards such as Champoux, Ciel Du Cheval, Klipsun or Seven Hills, and vintners scramble to pay a premium to growers for the honor of using such designations.
Notable wineries in the Red Mountain region include Columbia Crest, Col Solare, Gordon Brothers and Hedges.
There are nine other AVA regions in Washington state, with the Columbia Valley being the largest and most commonly seen. This vast region encompasses a wide swath of terrain all the way through to Oregon, and as such contains few distinctive boundaries. Yakima Valley, Horse Heaven Hills, Wahluke Slope and Rattlesnake Hills have been joined in '09 by the newest eastern vineyard appellations in Lake Chelan and Snipes Mountain. Columbia Gorge and Puget Sound are remaining AVA's located to the western side of the Cascades, and are therefore subjected to much higher rainfall totals.
Unquestionably, Washington's named appellation sites have a long way to go before they reach the same level of consumer recognition as many in the Napa and Sonoma valleys.
What is important to keep in mind is that in such young, pioneering grape-growing regions, there's bound to be a lot of experimentation going on. The process will take years -- even decades -- before vintners learn which grapes will do best in which locations.
The geography is diverse in Washington, and there's a plethora of choices winemakers will have to decide with each vintage, but I'm not sure there's a more exciting region to be making wine anywhere these days.
To learn more about Washington wines, go to the fine Web site at washingtonwine.org.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
The Grapevine: Washington State a standout in wine production
The Grapevine: Washington State a standout in wine production
BY TIM DWIGHT • FOR FLORIDA TODAY • June 11, 2009
"I suspect that most wine drinkers would be a bit perplexed if asked to name the state with the second largest premium wine production in the U.S.; California is an easy guess for number one, but the wines of Washington State remain under the radar of most wine aficionados."
With that statement nearly five years ago, I began an initial column here in "The Grapevine" on Washington State wines. Much has changed in that time, and I'd offer with some certainty that the wines of this state have made significant inroads with the wine-consuming public.
Numbering 350 in '05, Washington recently celebrated its 600th opening, nearly doubling the size of bonded wineries in a remarkably short time. And while those numbers pale next to their southerly neighbors in California, they certainly represent significant growth -- in quality as well as quantity.
Large Washington operations like Columbia Crest, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Red Diamond and Hogue produce reliable bottlings in the everyday price range from $8 to $15, and these brands challenge more established wineries from California for category dominance.
At the high end, it's a common sight to see cabernets, merlots and syrahs competing for top scores from the critics. As a point of emphasis, a small winery from Snohomish, Wash., specializing in cabernet sauvignon (Quilceda Creek) has managed to score 100 points in critic Robert Parker's Wine Advocate for 3 out of the past 4 vintages. (And the '04, a blot on the record that interrupted the run of perfection? It scored 99 points.)
No other winery -- in Napa, Bordeaux, Tuscany or elsewhere -- can come close to that pinnacle.
For many of us on the east coast, Washington conjures up rainy images of Seattle shorelines and endless pine forests, and there certainly is an element of truth to that vision. But that is also not where most of the state's wine industry is located.
The Cascade Mountain Range, running north to south, bisects the state, and the differences are dramatic as far as weather patterns and geography go. It's not uncommon for Seattle and the western part of the state to tally 50 inches of rain annual. But east of the Cascades in the grape-growing region that stretches across the 120 miles or so of southeastern Washington, they receive 8 to 12 inches a year.
Click here for article link and location.
BY TIM DWIGHT • FOR FLORIDA TODAY • June 11, 2009
"I suspect that most wine drinkers would be a bit perplexed if asked to name the state with the second largest premium wine production in the U.S.; California is an easy guess for number one, but the wines of Washington State remain under the radar of most wine aficionados."
With that statement nearly five years ago, I began an initial column here in "The Grapevine" on Washington State wines. Much has changed in that time, and I'd offer with some certainty that the wines of this state have made significant inroads with the wine-consuming public.
Numbering 350 in '05, Washington recently celebrated its 600th opening, nearly doubling the size of bonded wineries in a remarkably short time. And while those numbers pale next to their southerly neighbors in California, they certainly represent significant growth -- in quality as well as quantity.
Large Washington operations like Columbia Crest, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Red Diamond and Hogue produce reliable bottlings in the everyday price range from $8 to $15, and these brands challenge more established wineries from California for category dominance.
At the high end, it's a common sight to see cabernets, merlots and syrahs competing for top scores from the critics. As a point of emphasis, a small winery from Snohomish, Wash., specializing in cabernet sauvignon (Quilceda Creek) has managed to score 100 points in critic Robert Parker's Wine Advocate for 3 out of the past 4 vintages. (And the '04, a blot on the record that interrupted the run of perfection? It scored 99 points.)
No other winery -- in Napa, Bordeaux, Tuscany or elsewhere -- can come close to that pinnacle.
For many of us on the east coast, Washington conjures up rainy images of Seattle shorelines and endless pine forests, and there certainly is an element of truth to that vision. But that is also not where most of the state's wine industry is located.
The Cascade Mountain Range, running north to south, bisects the state, and the differences are dramatic as far as weather patterns and geography go. It's not uncommon for Seattle and the western part of the state to tally 50 inches of rain annual. But east of the Cascades in the grape-growing region that stretches across the 120 miles or so of southeastern Washington, they receive 8 to 12 inches a year.
Click here for article link and location.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Pick of the Vine: Blended red from Chile a crowd-pleasing bargain
Pick of the Vine: Blended red from Chile a crowd-pleasing bargain
BY TIM DWIGHT | FOR FLORIDA TODAY | June 4, 2009
View article here: www.floridatoday.com
Palo Alto 2007 Reserve red wine is this week's Pick of the Vine.
The wine industry in Chile, long the source for great bargains, most recently has labored under the shadow of its Andean neighbor, Argentina. The emergence of malbec on the world stage has led to unparalleled growth for this latter country while Chilean imports have slowed perceptibly. But never underestimate the resourcefulness of this westernmost country in South America; well-established large-scale wine producers dominate the industry there, and they've begun to flex their muscles.
Concha Y Toro is one of the formidable conglomerates in Chile, and we all have seen -- and likely tasted -- its wines, which are omnipresent on grocery store shelves around our country.
Palo Alto is a new line of bargain-priced wines from parent Concha Y Toro, and they are based around the burgeoning vineyards in Chile's Maule Valley region.
Blending is one thing the Chileans do well, and the Palo Alto Reserve is a combination of 55 percent cabernet sauvignon, 15 percent syrah, and 30 percent carmenere. The resulting red is a medium-bodied, versatile crowd-pleaser with notes of blueberry, cassis, and dried tobacco leaf. The oak contributes back-end, finishing flavors of cedar and dried thyme, making the Palo Alto a fitting companion to burgers, pizza or barbecue.
Approximate retail price of the Palo Alto is $10 to $11; distribution in our area is through Premier Beverage Imports.
BY TIM DWIGHT | FOR FLORIDA TODAY | June 4, 2009
View article here: www.floridatoday.com
Palo Alto 2007 Reserve red wine is this week's Pick of the Vine.
The wine industry in Chile, long the source for great bargains, most recently has labored under the shadow of its Andean neighbor, Argentina. The emergence of malbec on the world stage has led to unparalleled growth for this latter country while Chilean imports have slowed perceptibly. But never underestimate the resourcefulness of this westernmost country in South America; well-established large-scale wine producers dominate the industry there, and they've begun to flex their muscles.
Concha Y Toro is one of the formidable conglomerates in Chile, and we all have seen -- and likely tasted -- its wines, which are omnipresent on grocery store shelves around our country.
Palo Alto is a new line of bargain-priced wines from parent Concha Y Toro, and they are based around the burgeoning vineyards in Chile's Maule Valley region.
Blending is one thing the Chileans do well, and the Palo Alto Reserve is a combination of 55 percent cabernet sauvignon, 15 percent syrah, and 30 percent carmenere. The resulting red is a medium-bodied, versatile crowd-pleaser with notes of blueberry, cassis, and dried tobacco leaf. The oak contributes back-end, finishing flavors of cedar and dried thyme, making the Palo Alto a fitting companion to burgers, pizza or barbecue.
Approximate retail price of the Palo Alto is $10 to $11; distribution in our area is through Premier Beverage Imports.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
