Washington State — The Perfect Climate for Wine

A distinguished panel of winemakers and winery owners from three Northwest wineries will help us understand why Washington wines are winning awards and recognition around the world. Cathy Preston-Mouncer will join us from Preston Premium Wines. The Preston family has been making premium wines from Washington grapes for 30 years. Rich Cushman, head winemaker for Viento, will share his 20-plus years of experience in winemaking. And rounding out our panel will be the ever-popular duo, Len Parris and Richard Corella of Chandler Reach Winery. Many of you will remember their presentation to the Society in 2004, which was quite entertaining.

Starting off the evening’s tasting will be a 2004 Viognier from Viento. Grapes from the Lonesome Spring Ranch near Benton City bring out a bouquet of white roses and tropical fruits in this exotic, barrel-fermented wine. Paired with the Viognier will be a classic Washington wine grape, a Chardonnay from Preston Wines. Sourced from the estate vineyards near Pasco, this fruit-forward wine has a touch of French oak to add complexity and flavor.

There is a great deal of experimentation going on by growers and winemakers in Washington to determine which grapes grow best in our climate. Our next wine represents the grape that many feel put Washington on the map of top wine-producing regions in the world (Sideways notwithstanding) — Merlot. The 2001 Preston Merlot is a good example of what this grape is capable of when properly handled. The Syrah grape is perhaps gaining even higher recognition here. It is grown around the world, but seems to have found a perfect home in the hot, arid slopes of eastern Washington. We will taste two examples of this fine grape: the 2002 Preston Syrah from their estate vineyards and the 2003 Viento Syrah, which blends grapes from five highly regarded vineyards in the Columbia Valley.

Sangiovese is another grape which is being planted in increasing amounts in Washington, although as recently as 1999 there were only 40 acres of this varietal planted in the entire state. We will taste a gold medal winner, the 2003 Viento Sangiovese.

Artful blending of grape varieties proves that sometimes the whole is much more than the component parts. The 2002 Monte Regalo from Chandler Reach is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, all sourced from the estate vineyard across from Red Mountain in Benton City. Finishing out our evening will be the 2002 Parris Estate Reserve Cabernet Franc. This grape has traditionally been used primarily for blending, but you will see that it can be outstanding on its own.

Our food bites for the evening will be prepared by Purple Café and Wine Bar. As their Web site states, Purple is a “multifaceted food and wine concept” with an eclectic menu featuring northwest-inspired dishes and an extensive wine selection, with 75 available by the glass. Purple has locations in Woodinville (14459 Wood-Red Road, 425-483-7129) and Kirkland (323 Park Place, 425-828-3772).

After tasting some of the wines that are helping to establish our state’s reputation as a world-class wine region, paired with food bites especially chosen to bring out their finest nuances, we think you will agree that Washington does indeed have the perfect climate for wine.

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