Washington State Wines: One of the Country’s Best Kept Secrets

Written by Erika Sato

Owen Roe Union Gap

There is wine produced in all 50 states of the United States. All 50. Yet California produces 85% of it[1]. Who are 2nd and 3rd? Washington is second at ~4.4% and New York 3rd at ~3.5%. Let’s think about those numbers for a minute. California produces the overwhelming majority of wine in the United States. But we all (at least those of us lucky enough to live near or to visit the Finger Lakes) know that production level doesn’t always equate to quality. Just because New York only produces less than 4% of the wines, doesn’t mean that there isn’t high quality, delicious, premium wines being produced. It just makes it harder to find, especially outside the area.

So, what does that mean for Washington? Well, as you might guess, pretty much the same.

A recent visit to Washington State wine country was illuminating. There are 19 AVAs in Washington State. They vary in climate from cool and moist to hot and dry. All AVAs except one (Puget Sound AVA) are east of the Cascade Mountains, in the Columbia Valley. Puget Sound AVA is unique in Washington State in that it has a maritime climate, and as such, they focus on very different grapes than the rest of the state: Madeleine Angevine, Siegerebbe, Muller-Thurgau, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir.

If you make the journey from the coast inland through one of the several passes through the Cascades, you find that there is an abrupt change in the climate and geography in the state once you cross over the mountains. There is a stark contrast between lush, green forestation to stubby, grassy, and arid conditions.

The AVAs in the Columbia Valley sit in the rain shadow of the Cascades, which means that the moisture and rain coming in from the ocean is blocked by the mountains, making the climate on the other side of the mountains hot, arid, and very well suited for ripening grapes with less disease pressure. And as such, the grapes that flourish in the Columbia Valley are very different from those in Puget Sound. The most planted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot for reds and Chardonnay and Riesling for whites[2].

Let’s focus on the Columbia Valley. It contains 18 of the 19 AVAs, 2 of which span two states: Washington and Oregon. Hot, dry, hilly. All the different AVAs have different terroir, microclimate, soil, aspect… One thing they do have in common is long, warm days with lots of sun, and cool nights, which helps preserve acidity.

Each AVA has its own character. For example, Ancient Lakes, with multiple bodies of water moderating the temperatures, specializes in whites, whereas areas such as Candy Mountain specialize in reds. Red Mountain is the only west facing AVA in the state and is a premier region for Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Walla Walla Valley is known for their Syrah. In addition, going west to east, the wines typically have less acid – more in Yakima Valley, and less in Walla Walla.

Unlike the Finger Lakes, where the vineyard sites are typically situated right by the winery and tasting room, many wineries in Washington source from vineyard sites around the state and process the grapes in a central location. In those vineyard sites, though, they might “own” or “lease” certain rows and involve themselves closely in the farming and treatment of the grapes in those rows. This is also a fairly common practice in Oregon and in France, where wineries may only “own” certain rows in each vineyard. For example, in Oger in France, this row of grapes is marked as belonging to Billecart-Salmon, where other rows are owned by other Champagne houses.

Let’s talk about some of the different AVAs and the wineries that are located there. Yakima Valley is the first recognized AVA in Washington State and is one of the largest and more diverse regions in the state. It averages about 8 inches of rain per year. Towards the western end of the Yakima Valley AVA is Owen Roe. Even though they are one of the more available brands due to larger distribution, they source from only 5 vineyard sites in the Yakima Valley. Only one, Union Gap, is located close to the winery itself. They produce a variety of Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley, and single vineyard designated wines.

Going further east, Red Mountain is one of the smallest, warmest, and the only west-facing AVA. It averages 90-degree daytime temperatures and about 5 inches of rain per year. It also specializes in red grapes and is home to some of the most sought after grapes in the region. Col Solare, a partnership between Tuscany’s Marchesi Antinori and Washington’s Chateau Ste. Michelle, specializes in Cabernet Sauvignon from its estate vineyards. One of the more high-tech wineries in the area, they use computer modeling to determine the shape of the canopy protecting the grapes in order to best balance protection from the sun and ripening.

Inspired by their name, their vineyards are planted in the shape of radiating rays from a central sun.

Hedges Family Estate is another iconic winery from Red Mountain, specializing in Syrah from their estate vineyards.

Even further east is Walla Walla, and the Rocks District. Walla Walla is home to some of the oldest wineries in the state (e.g., Seven Hills Winery, L’Ecole no. 41) and has the highest concentration of wineries of any AVA.

Known for their Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, the Walla Walla AVA contains the Rocks District, famous for the rocks left by receding glaciers, and dominating the landscape and terroir of the region. This sub-region is also considered a premier region, producing wines with great depth and intensity.

The fun in exploring any wine region is to dig into the different AVAs and sub-AVAs. To delve in and find the producers that want to showcase the uniqueness and the quality of wines that can be made.

Let’s talk about the important stuff- the wines! Here in New York State, we only can get access to a very small fraction of the wines that are produced in Washington State. As with any other wine producing area, it’s easier to find the wines from the larger area (i.e., Columbia Valley) than from the smaller, more specialized AVAs. A little work to find those wines, though, can be very rewarding.

What are some good wines to start exploring Washington State?

Sineann Grüner Veltliner – Columbia Gorge

While the winery itself is in the Willamette Valley, the vineyard is in Washington State. The Columbia Gorge is one of the AVAs which crosses state lines and is in both Washington and Oregon. Located closest to the Cascade Mountains, this AVA ranges from 35 inches of annual rain on the western side, to a mere 10 inches in the east (although that is still quite a bit more than the rest of Columbia Valley). As a result, the top grapes in the area are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling.

Sineann started as a joint venture between current winemaker Peter Rosback and David O’Reilly (who went on to start Owen Roe in Washington State). Sourcing grapes from select vineyards, Rosback seeks to produce mainly single-vineyard sourced wines that faithfully express the terroir and grape with minimal outside processing.

The Grüner Veltliner is styled after the Austrian versions, but with a New World feel. Peach and tropical fruits on the nose, along with a floral quality. Juicy, yet balanced with a bright acidity, round mouth feel and finishes with the characteristic Grüner minerality and white pepper.

Chateau St Michelle

Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling

From the outside, it’s difficult to understand the regard in which the wine industry in Washington holds Chateau Ste. Michelle. It is the Grand Dame of wineries in the Columbia Valley. Not only do they promote energy and resource conservation in the production of wines, but they also have LIVE and Salmon Safe certified practices. In addition, they are a big promoter of viticulture and viticulture education in the state. Chateau Ste. Michelle is a large producer, offering everything from entry level wines to premier single vineyard bottles.

The Columbia Valley Riesling is a blend of Riesling from throughout Washington’s Columbia Valley. The wine offers crisp apple and white peach aromas and flavors with subtle mineral notes. 

Milbrandt Cabernet Sauvignon

A second generation, family-owned winery. You see this a lot in Washington State – second and third generations of families involved in the winery. The Millbrandts are no exception – established by Butch Millbrandt in 1997, and now co-owned by Butch and his children Buck and Kerri Millbrandt.

This Cabernet Sauvignon is part of their introductory tier of wines (they also produce an AVA specific Cabernet Sauvignon from the Wahluke Slope). Made from a combination of grapes from the Ancient Lakes and Wahluke slope, the nose is rich with notes of black currant and black cherry. Fresh brewed coffee, a slight hint of vanilla, and a little bit of spiciness are added by 20 months of aging in the barrel. The palate is round, with a rich mid-palate; ripe black fruit, some spiciness, and a touch of herbaceousness.

Eagle & Plow Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

The Mercer family first planted wine grapes in 1972 in what is now the Horse Heaven Hill appellation. The first vintage from the Mercer Estates Winery was produced in 1995, and the family now focuses on producing wines from Cabernet Sauvignon as well as red blends.

Eagle & Plow wines are sub-brand of the Mercer Estates Winery. The grapes are sourced from a special block of Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the Cavalie Vineyard. All revenue from Eagle & Plow wines are donated to organizations supporting American service men, women, and their families.

The Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is the premier offering from this very special block of vines. The fruit was not crushed, in order to preserve as much whole-berry character to the wine as possible. Fermented in oak upright tanks with daily punch-downs, the wine was racked in both new and older French oak barrels, aged for 18 months, then blended to produce the final result:

This wine has aromas of black currant and blueberry, along with savory dried herbs and some caramel. The mouth feel is rich, with dense, powdery tannins. However, the wine shows extreme elegance and is well balanced has a restrained power.

Hedges Family Estate DLD Syrah

Hedges sources grapes from vineyards exclusively in the Red Mountain AVA. A true family effort, the winery is owned and managed by the Hedges family. They practice biodynamic farming, using biodiversity to control pests and plant, prune, and harvest by hand according to the biodynamic calendar.

The climate of Red Mountain leads to small, concentrated grapes with multiple layers and complexity, leading to wines with style, power, structure, and length.

The Descendants Liegeois Dupont (DLD) Syrah has classic red, tart fruit, blueberry pancake, black pepper, and hints of vanilla and dark cocoa. Elegant but powerful, with a smooth, creamy finish and balanced by restrained acidity, this is a great example of what Red Mountain Syrah can be.

[1] Statistics from wineamerica.org

[2] Graph from Washington State Wine Commission (www.washingtonwine.org)