by Nicolette L. Cagle, October 25, 2018
In the United States, Washington State is a top producer of powerfully structured, berry-driven Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon (MacNeil 2001). Its wine tradition began in the late 1800s with the arrival of German and Italian immigrants. By the 1960s, Washington vineyards were commercially producing northern white grapes, especially Riesling, Gewürztraminer, and Chardonnay. Those varieties remain important, but Washington’s red wines have also become top-tier (MacNeil 2001).
By the time I first wrote this guide in 2018, Washington was producing more than twenty grape varieties (MacNeil 2001). It was also the second-leading producer of Vitis vinifera wine in the United States (Johnson and Robinson 2013). Its sandy soils and cold winters meant that, unlike in California and Oregon, phylloxera had not harmed Washington’s vineyards (MacNeil 2001).
East of the Cascades. Most of Washington’s wine is produced east of the Cascade Range, where the vineyards are warm and dry (MacNeil 2001). The established appellations include Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley, and Red Mountain, with newer regions nested within or around them. West of the Cascades lies the much smaller Puget Sound appellation, which covered only about eighty acres when Johnson and Robinson described it (MacNeil 2001; Johnson and Robinson 2013).
The eastern appellations receive as much as seventeen hours of sunlight a day during the growing season—about two hours more than Napa Valley—and approximately 300 days of sunshine each year (MacNeil 2001; Johnson and Robinson 2013; “Columbia Valley: Washington’s Biggest Wine Region” 2017). Cool nights help the grapes retain acidity, while sandy loams and volcanic soils provide good drainage and relatively low nutrient levels (MacNeil 2001). The region’s loess soils also contribute to more aromatic wines (“Columbia Valley: Washington’s Biggest Wine Region” 2017).
The climate is remarkably dry. Average rainfall is just 8.9 inches—think of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia—and only about 0.8 inches falls in October, Washington’s harvest month (Johnson and Robinson 2013; “Columbia Valley: Washington’s Biggest Wine Region” 2017). Vineyards occupy a latitude between Burgundy and Bordeaux, but this is an irrigated agricultural landscape. The Columbia River and snowmelt from the Cascades bring water to the dry country east of the mountains (“Columbia Valley: Washington’s Biggest Wine Region” 2017).
Wine grapes grow here within a broader agricultural mosaic of wheat, hops, and fruit orchards; the Yakima region is also surrounded by cattle ranches (Johnson and Robinson 2013). The resulting red wines can evoke the “primal, lush berryness of wild Northwest blackberries, boysenberries, raspberries, and cherries” (MacNeil 2001).
Columbia Valley: The Great Wine-Growing Basin. Established in 1984, the Columbia Valley American Viticultural Area is Washington’s largest appellation. It extends across 18,000 square miles, reaching south into Oregon and east toward Idaho (MacNeil 2001; “Columbia Valley: Washington’s Biggest Wine Region” 2017). Yet less than one percent of the region was planted in vines: about 50,000 acres within an eleven-million-acre landscape (“Columbia Valley AVA” 2017; “Columbia Valley: Washington’s Biggest Wine Region” 2017).
Although Columbia Valley contains many microclimates, much of it shares eastern Washington’s long sunlight, cool nights, and dry soils (“Columbia Valley AVA” 2017). Red grapes account for slightly more than half of its production, led by Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah (“Columbia Valley AVA” 2017; “Columbia Valley: Washington’s Biggest Wine Region” 2017). The resulting reds tend to express cherry, currant, and cassis. Notes of dried herbs may accompany the fruit (“Columbia Valley: Washington’s Biggest Wine Region” 2017).
Among the whites, Chardonnay, Riesling, and Pinot Gris are prominent, with Sauvignon Blanc also widely grown (“Columbia Valley AVA” 2017). These wines tend toward citrus, apple, and stone-fruit notes (“Columbia Valley: Washington’s Biggest Wine Region” 2017).
Twelve smaller AVAs had been distinguished within Columbia Valley by 2018. Together, they reveal how differences in glacial history, wind, and proximity to water shape Washington wine (“Columbia Valley AVA” 2017; “Columbia Valley: Washington’s Biggest Wine Region” 2017).
Ancient Lakes, Columbia Gorge, and Horse Heaven Hills. Ancient Lakes lies east of the Cascades, among Ice Age deposits left by the ancient Missoula floods. The region is especially known for aromatic white wines (Johnson and Robinson 2013).
At the southwestern edge of Columbia Valley, Columbia Gorge produces Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel, as well as other aromatic whites (Johnson and Robinson 2013).
Horse Heaven Hills is a major source of Washington grapes. Its vineyards supplied producers such as Chateau Ste. Michelle and Canoe Ridge and accounted for approximately twenty-five percent of the state’s grape production (Johnson and Robinson 2013; “Columbia Valley: Washington’s Biggest Wine Region” 2017). Champoux Vineyard was known for old-vine wines, including a 100-point wine produced by Quilceda Creek Vintners (“Columbia Valley: Washington’s Biggest Wine Region” 2017).
More than 15,000 acres of vineyards lie near the Columbia River, whose waters moderate extremes of heat and cold (Johnson and Robinson 2013; “Horse Heaven Hills Wine Growers” n.d.). South-facing plantings receive strong westerly winds through the Columbia Gorge, reducing rot and fungus, while quick-draining silty loam soils further shape the growing conditions (“Horse Heaven Hills AVA” 2017). Horse Heaven Hills is especially well known for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. Chardonnay and Riesling also have an important presence (“Columbia Valley: Washington’s Biggest Wine Region” 2017; “Horse Heaven Hills AVA” 2017).
Yakima Valley and Its Nested Landscapes. Yakima Valley, contained within Columbia Valley, is the historical heart of Washington wine and its oldest appellation (MacNeil 2001; Johnson and Robinson 2013). It is bordered by Rattlesnake Hills to the north, Horse Heaven Hills to the south, and the Cascade foothills to the west. Red Mountain lies along its eastern edge (MacNeil 2001).
Within this landscape, each smaller appellation carries its own history. Rattlesnake Hills was carved from the northern end of Yakima Valley, while Snipes Mountain in the southern valley holds some of Washington’s oldest vines (Johnson and Robinson 2013). Naches Heights was a newer, very small appellation—only thirty-seven acres of vines—but was already producing distinctive wines (Johnson and Robinson 2013).
Hyatt Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon (2008) — Rattlesnake Hills AVA, Washington. Mint, herbs, and leather—very nice. The blend was 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, and 2% Syrah.
Idilico Graciano Reserva, Upland Vineyard (2013) — Snipes Mountain AVA, Washington. Dark berry and black cherry on the nose, with a hint of cigar smoke. On the palate, oak, tobacco, and cigar smoke; very Zinfandel-like.
Yakima Valley itself also appears in my tasting archive:
Hyatt Vineyards Syrah (2009) — Yakima Valley AVA, Washington. Rich berry.
Red Mountain occupies the eastern edge of Yakima Valley and is considered a prime location for red wine production (MacNeil 2001).
Walla Walla, Lake Chelan, and Puget Sound. Walla Walla produces some of Washington’s most revered red wines, including those of Leonetti Cellar (Johnson and Robinson 2013). Although vineyards are concentrated there, some grapes used by the region’s wineries are brought in from Oregon (Johnson and Robinson 2013). Walla Walla Syrahs may be less fruit-forward than wines from other parts of the state, instead expressing “notes of roasted meats, olives, and iodine” (“Columbia Valley: Washington’s Biggest Wine Region” 2017).
Lake Chelan was considered a promising region, with Johnson and Robinson advising readers to look for the CRS label (Johnson and Robinson 2013). Across the Cascades, Puget Sound supports a very different mélange of grapes: Müller-Thurgau, Madeleine Angevine, and Siegerrebe (Johnson and Robinson 2013).
Grapes and Wines to Know. Washington’s leading wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay. Riesling, Pinot Gris, and Sauvignon Blanc are also central to the state’s wine identity. Syrah deserves particular attention, as do Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc.
Several less familiar varieties reveal the breadth of Washington wine. Lemberger, more often associated with Austria and Germany, produces rich, spicy reds reminiscent of Zinfandel (MacNeil 2001). Madeleine Angevine, a grape also grown in England, produces floral white wines (MacNeil 2001). Semillon was emerging as a promising variety, both in blends with Chardonnay and in Botrytis-powered dessert wines (MacNeil 2001).
Washington also produced limited amounts of Petit Verdot, Mourvèdre, and Petite Sirah (“Columbia Valley: Washington’s Biggest Wine Region” 2017), alongside fruit wines and sparkling wines.
Producers to Know. Chateau Ste. Michelle began in 1965 with the merger of Pommerelle and Nawico, two companies that had produced sweet, fortified wines from native grape varieties such as Concord (MacNeil 2001). After hiring wine consultant André Tchelistcheff, the winery began producing wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Semillon, among other grapes (MacNeil 2001). By 2013, it was the world’s largest Riesling producer (Johnson and Robinson 2013).
Leonetti Cellar was considered Washington’s most prestigious small winery and produced some of the finest Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in the United States (MacNeil 2001). Other producers included in my original guide were Hogue Cellars, Kiona Vineyards, and Latah Creek Wine Cellars.
A Landscape in Tension. Washington wine emerges from a set of productive tensions: intense sunlight and cool nights, desert-dry soils and irrigation water, broad agricultural valleys and highly particular vineyard sites. The Cascades create the dryness; snowmelt helps make cultivation possible. Rivers temper the climate, wind protects the fruit, and old flood deposits remain present in the glass.
That is perhaps the clearest expression of Washington terroir: wines shaped not by a single condition, but by the relationships among climate, geology, and water—and, in the reds especially, by the flavor of the Northwest’s own wild berries.
References
“Columbia Valley AVA.” 2017. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Columbia_Valley_AVA&oldid=794950840.
“Columbia Valley: Washington’s Biggest Wine Region.” 2017. Wine Folly. October 3, 2017. https://winefolly.com/review/columbia-valley-washingtons-biggest-wine-region/.
“Horse Heaven Hills AVA.” 2017. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Horse_Heaven_Hills_AVA&oldid=785766139.
“Horse Heaven Hills Wine Growers.” n.d. Horse Heaven Hills Wine Growers. Accessed October 25, 2018. http://www.horseheavenhillswinegrowers.org/.
Johnson, Hugh, and Jancis Robinson. 2013. The World Atlas of Wine. 7th ed. London, England: Octopus Publishing.
MacNeil, Karen. 2001. The Wine Bible. New York, NY: Workman Publishing.
Sense of Place 