Staking a claim: Washington wines deliver on quality, value and variety for guests and operators

Cheers, April, 2007 by James Scarpa

Lightning hasn't struck Washington State the way it did California. The latter's wine burst onto the world wine scene at the fabled Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, when its upstart Cabernet and Chardonnay outscored prestigious French Bordeaux and Burgundy in a blind tasting.

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In comparison, notoriety has come less dramatically to laid-back eastern Washington, home to the majority of the state's wine makers. But if the steady stream of releases that score 90-plus points and the arrival of big-name winemaking talent are indications, the state's momentum is undeniable. Washington wines are attracting admirers sip by sip and bottle by bottle, reaching beyond the Northwest now, thanks to its sheer quality and value. There's a growing consensus that its wines are some of the most attractive on the market today.

"Washington wines combine the ripeness of Napa with the structure of Sonoma, at about half the price," says Christy Canterbury, national wine director for Smith & Wollensky Restaurant Group, the New York City-based upscale steakhouse chain of nine locations. A solid 10 percent of the 300 to 750 selections on the typical Smith & Wollensky wine list hail from Washington, including many of the "undiscovered gems" that Canterbury says delight her guests.

"Quality is very high at the upper price points, and overall value is very good, excellent if compared to similar wines from California--Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah specifically," declares Randy Goodman, wine director of Wildwood Restaurant & Bar in Portland, Ore. "I get a lot more for $30 wholesale from Walla Walla than I do from Napa Valley."

"We're seeing a very strong trend toward quality, diversity and value in these wines," says John Blazon, M.S., manager of wine sales and standards for Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla. Artist Point, its Pacific Northwest-themed restaurant, features a 120-item wine list of Washington and Oregon wines. "They've got the right varietals planted in the right areas. And as the vines mature, the fruit will get even better."

STRONG STRIDES

Great progress has been made relatively quickly. Although the first wine crush dates back to the early 19th century, significant winery development only took off in the 1970s and 1980s. Washington is now second to California in total wine production. Its 400-plus wineries tallied $685 million in retail output in 2004, according to the Washington Wine Commission. Production zoomed from less than a million cases in 1981 to seven million that same year. Since 1990, planted acreage has tripled to more than 30,000 acres.

As of the 2006 vintage, the ratio of white to red grape crush is 56/44, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture/National Agricultural Statistics Service. That reflects a 27 percent increase in Riesling tonnage and a seven percent decrease in Merlot tonnage compared to 2005. Merlot, in fact, went from the top red varietal and second overall in tonnage in 2005 to second place behind Cabernet Sauvignon among reds and fourth largest tonnage overall in 2006.

Top white varietals are Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurztraminer; leading red varietals are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Franc. However, within this diverse growing region are also found reds like Sangiovese, Malbec and Tempranillo and whites like Viognier, Rousanne and Pinot Gris. With exploration of vineyard sites continuing, expect other varietals to be planted as well. Since 2001, Washington has added four new American Viticultural Areas, or zones with unique winegrowing characteristics, for a total of nine AVAs, with more under proposal.

Washington's northerly latitude has a lot to do with its congenial growing conditions. The vineyards get an average of 17 hours of daylight in the summer, two hours more than California's regions. Add to that the marked diurnal temperature shift from warm days to cool nights and you have grapes that retain their natural acidity and make balanced wines. With a mere eight inches of rainfall per year, showers at harvest are hardly a problem. Moreover, because vines grow on their natural rootstock in this region free of the vine pest phylloxera, varietal character is enhanced.

Given such advantages, little wonder winemakers are drawn there. Some of the biggest names are making wine under the Long Shadows label with Allen Shoup, former head of the Stimson Lane wine conglomerate. Shoup has partnered with the likes of Michel Rolland, the "flying winemaker" from Bordeaux, John Duval, formerly of Australia's venerable Penfolds Grange, and Randy Dunn of Napa's cult-favorite Dunn Vineyards on a series of luxurious, limited releases made in each vintner's own style with local fruit. Chateau Ste. Michelle, the state's largest and most influential winery, works with noted German vintner Ernst Loosen on the Chateau Ste. Michelle-Dr. Loosen Eroica Riesling and with famed Tuscan vintner Piero Antinori on Col Solare, a red table wine blend. Another prominent name, Randall Grahm of California's Boony Doon Vineyard, is building his own all-Riesling winery in the state.