| Washington State Wine Country | | | | By: Ron Kapon |  Page 1 of 3 next >> |
Washington State is the nation’s second largest producer (behind California) of premium wines with 300 grape growers, 30,000 vineyard acres and more than 325 wineries. In 1981 there were 19 wineries; 5 years ago there were 155 and one winery owner told me he believes that in 5 years there will be 500 wineries. More than 15 wine grape varieties are grown (57% red and 43% white wine) including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris.
Washington’s northerly latitude (the same as Burgundy & Bordeaux) averages two more hours of daily sunlight (17.4 hours) than California’s major growing regions, allowing grapes to fully ripen. It also means that the grapes must struggle to survive in the rich volcanic soil surrounding Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens (no vineyards there) with the snow melt from the mountains providing natural irrigation to the vineyards. The fruit ripens over a longer time frame and combined with the warm daytime temperatures that can reach over 100 degrees and cool nights allows the fruits natural acids to remain high, creating well-balanced wines. Before my trip I believed the myth about the cold, rainy climate where everyone drank Starbucks coffee to keep warm.
There are six major AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) including Yakima Valley, the first AVA established in 1983 with about 40 wineries & 10,000 acres of vineyards. Walla Walla was established in 1984 and includes land in both Washington & Oregon and more than 55 wineries and over 1,200 acres of vineyards. Columbia Valley established in 1984 is Washington’s largest AVA and includes vineyards in Washington & Oregon with over 25 wineries and almost 17,000 vineyard acres. Puget Sound was established in 1995 with 35 wineries and about 100 acres of vineyards growing cool climate grapes such as Muller Thurgau, Siegerrebe and Muscat Canelli (most of the grapes, however, are sourced from eastern Washington). Washington’s smallest AVA is Red Mountain established in 2001 with a dozen wineries and about 700 vineyard acres and sits within the borders of the Yakima Valley. Columbia Gorge is the newest AVA with four Washington wineries and approximately 300 acres.
The Cascade Range divides both Oregon & Washington almost in half. Whereas the majority of vineyards are west of the mountains in Oregon they are east in Washington. I sort of followed the old adage that Oregon made excellent red wines and Washington white wines (think Salmon) but decided to test the theory during this trip. You can read the results as I covered most of the major wine regions in a very short time. That meant starting before 8AM & tasting, but not necessarily swallowing, through lunch and dinner as well as visiting 6 to 8 wineries a day, plus meeting with winemakers and owners at lunch and dinner.
Visiting Napa and Sonoma from San Francisco is a breeze; start tasting and visiting in a bit over 1 hour. Long Island requires patience navigating the Long Island Expressway and averages 2 ½ hours from Manhattan. Arriving in Seattle I flew a commuter airline and in 45 minutes (it is a 3 hour drive) I began my journey in the Yakima Valley, which produces over 75% of the hops used in the production of beer. My three days in eastern Washington covered about 135 miles and took me to 25 wineries whose sales ranged from 2,000 to over ½ million cases. The one dominating factor during all my visits was the passion and commitment of everyone involved to make superb wines no matter what size winery was involved. During my ½ day in western Washington (Woodinville) I visited 5 wineries that all sourced their fruit from the eastern part of the state. A few of the wineries I visited were still looking for representation in the New York/New Jersey area and I have noted that in this story. The Wine Spectator has honored Washington State by naming 7 of its wines in the 2004 Top 100 wines of the world.
|
Wine Related Articles 
