The Grapevine: Best is yet to come from Washington state

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.