Tag Archives: Washington
Washington Wine Tour
Washington Wine Trip
Every person has listened to of The golden state wines yet very few people realize that Washington is an up-an-coming wine region that is starting to come to be understood in the professional wine world. There is a multitude of small vineyards in Washington, especially in the Yakima Valley and Columbia Gorge regions. The location does not produce wine on the range of California in amount yet the high quality of lots of wines is rivaling the most effective of the Californian vintages.
Most individuals do not think of Washington as an excellent growing area. Pop culture from Hollywood has Seattle’s rainy environment infect the entire state. Nothing can be further from the fact. The eastern part of the state obtains over 300 wonderful days annually as a result of the Waterfall Mountains which obstruct a whole lot of the wetness from the west. The wonderful weather condition as well as easy access to water makes this region an excellent one for expanding wine grape varieties.
Within the 9 recognized viticultural locations, an excellent selection of grape varietals could be expanded. Red wine grapes grown in Washington consist of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and also Merlot varietels. Gewurztraminer grapes that do especially well in the area include Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Semillon and Chardonnay. Each area has various micro-climates that are suited to particular varietals.
Whether on your own or as a present, a wine tour in Washington would certainly be a terrific way to experience the superior quality wines of this region. Many wineries are small and family-owned so you will generally obtain a much extra individual as well as intimate consider the wine making process. The smaller wineries also often tend to have a higher consistency within specific vintages of wine.
Smaller vineyards will certainly often enable the wine enthusiast access to the owners as well as the wine manufacturers for discussion as well as education and learning. Often wine tastings are done right in the wine manufacturer’s house! Look for that in The golden state amongst the hundreds of other travelers.
The wineries in Washington make wine scenic tours a little bit much more hard than in The golden state. The Napa Valley in The Golden State is an extremely small area so wineries are fairly close together. There is a much larger part of Washington with vineyards so to visit numerous wineries will certainly typically entail some circumnavigating.
The advantages of offering a gift of a Washington wine scenic tour is that it is a lot more economical than a The golden state tour. This is partially as a result of the loved one freshness of the Washington wine industry and also partly due to the fact that there are less tourists there. Also, it is a lot extra not likely to obtain the up close and also individual sensation in The golden state as there are many people taking tours. While the Washington wine trips are still unknown, you could obtain a deal on wine excursions for gifts.
The Washington wine sector is taking off after the wine globe in recent times. Despite the fact that wine making is reasonably brand-new there, the area has actually ended up being the second biggest wine producer in the United States. The amount of land devoted to growing grapes for wine has actually tripled in the last 10 years as well as is showing no signs of reducing. Give a wine present that will undoubtedly rise in cost over the following couple of years.
Washington Wines Revealed
For too long now, Washington wines have existed under the shadow of their neighbors to the south, and living under the pretense that they could not, and would not stack up to the boisterousness and nobility of California wine. Washington has been prisoner to the understandable misconception that they simply do not host a suitable grape growing climate. How could they grow grapes, you may ask, when it rains all the time? In fact, the majority of Washingtons wine growing region lies to the east of the Cascade mountain range, which, due to the rain shadow effect is arid and sunny. While damp and temperate Western Washington gets an average of sixty inches of rain per year, the East Side receives eight.
Its true that Washington was still making fortified wines based on Concord grapes in the 1960s when California wines were already receiving awards and becoming world recognized. But they have grown with leaps and bounds over the past 40 years and are producing high quality wines that compete with the best of California. The wheat fields and fruit orchards that were the previous staple economy in Walla Walla and Yakima Valleys have been replaced with acres of lucrative vines, growing from just ten wineries in 1970, to over five hundred today.
The Washington wine industry is currently worth three billion dollars and is ranked second to California in grape growing and wine production. The 1980s saw a huge demand for white wines and interest spiked for Rieslings and Chardonnays. Although the white wines are continuing to hold their popularity and prestige, Washington is now praised for its Syrahs, Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots as well.
One of the most notable and celebrated winemakers out of Walla Walla Valley is winemaker Charles Smith. This year will mark his tenth year. The retired rock band manager shifted gears when he taught himself the art of creating quality wines, starting with very small batches of Syrah. Dont be fooled by the wine label effect and eye catching names, these are not mediocre wines with a cushy marketing budget. Inside the bottle are some of the most tremendous wines coming out of that region. These wines are not for the faint at heart. They are powerful, rock solid wine that pack a serious punch. With his wild thick hair, leather boots and a plain black t-shirt Smith looks like a cross between Jerry Garcia and a Harley Davidson poster child, and seems a little out of place in the perceived pretentiousness of the wine industry. His motorcycle riding, live on the edge, rock n roll personality shines through in all aspects of his winemaking, from labels to descriptions and within the wines themselves.
You can find Charles Smiths wines, the signature black and white labels, under his self-titled Charles Smith label, K Vintners and The Magnificent Wine Company. K Vintners is his original production and consists mainly of 100% Syrah and Syrah blends. The value-based Magnificent Wine Company label revolves around House Red Wine and House White Wine; quality table wine blends from multiple vineyards and vintages. His most recent endeavor is his Charles Smith wines, where he has been continuing with his full bodied, best wine possible approach and branching out to Rieslings, Chardonnays and Merlots.
Listed below are just a few of the favorites.
Charles Smith Label
Kung Fu Girl Riesling ($ 17)
Inspired by the Quentin Tarantino film Kill Bill
Tasting Notes: THIS GIRL IS SERIOUS! Aromatic, smooth, vibrant and tasty. Think tangerine, apricot, wet stone, key lime, clove and nectarine.now stop thinking and start drinking CAUSE KUNG FU GIRL KICKS ASS! Charles Smith
Eve Chardonnay 2007 ($ 15)
Tasting Notes: Sinfully temptingfresh, crisp, the perfume of sweet apple blossoms lures you into The Garden of Eden. Silky, soft, mouth filling deliciousnesstake the first sip! Charles Smith
Velvet Devil Merlot ($ 15)
Tasting Notes: If velvet had a flavor this would be it. Bittersweet chocolate, dark Italian cherries. Sweet rose petals with a firm, satiny finish. Pure Washington Merlot. HELL YEAH! Charles Smith
Chateau Smith Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 ($ 21)
96.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3.5% Malbec
Tasting Notes: Delicious Cabernet Sauvignon. Aromatics galorecigar box, pencil lead, cedar and currants with super refined tannins and a long, fine finish. French? No. Chateau Smith? OUI! Charles Smith
Boom Boom Syrah ($ 18)
99.5% Syrah, .5% Primitivo
Tasting Notes: Everything you want in a syrah.smooth, firm, fresh & darksuper
dense purple with meaty dark fruit, Asian five spice & sweet tobacco. Intense yet
plush textureit will KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF! Charles Smith
K Vintners Label
K Vintners Milbrandt Vineyard 2007 ($ 36)
Tasting Notes: As the day is longa never ending finish of spices, fresh tobacco, cured meats, and stone. So smooth, so fine. Charles Smith
K Vintners Northridge Vineyard 2007 ($ 40)
Tasting Notes: Extremely concentrated, intense color. Notes of huckleberry, cedar, cigar and kirsch. Built like a brick shit-house; exuberant ripe fruit with grippy backbone and spice and a seamless finish. Charles Smith
K Vintners Phil Lane Vineyard 2007 ($ 75)
Tasting Notes: Violets, lavender, roasted meat, game, crushed stone, and a super long finish. Charles Smith
Washington Facts retrieved from Complete Wine Course by Kevin Zraly. Additional Charles Smith information can be found at www.charlessmithwines.com, www.kvintners.com & www.magnificentwine.com