After Australia flooded the U.S. market with inexpensive and uninteresting Shiraz, Syrah has been a tough sell with consumers. Yet acreage and tonnage of Syrah continues to increase year after year. Last year, Washington winemakers harvested more than 20,000 tons of the red wine grape for the first time in state history. There are two main reasons for this. First of … [Read more...] about Syrah plays big role in Northwest red blends
Featured wines
Yakima Valley remains the cradle of Washington wine
The Yakima Valley is the heart of the Washington wine industry. It is dripping with history, leading us to dub it the cradle of the industry. It is home to some of the oldest vines - dating back a century - along with Cabernet Sauvignon blocks stretching into the '50s and '60s. Here is where some of Washington's first wineries started, and where the famous Walter Clore … [Read more...] about Yakima Valley remains the cradle of Washington wine
An Outstanding selection of Northwest wines
We taste many Northwest wines. When wine is submitted to us for review, it goes into a queue to be tasted under blind conditions - the fairest way we can think to evaluate it. During the evaluation process, we don't know the producer or the price until we have written our notes and determined our scores are completed. We don't use a point scale, rather, we use the same … [Read more...] about An Outstanding selection of Northwest wines
Merlot remains force in Northwest wine industry
In the 1980s, Washington was white wine country. Red wine was considered somewhat exotic. Then came Merlot. The Bordeaux variety known for its soft flavors and silky tannins proved to be a good match for Washington's Columbia Valley and its dry, arid soils. By the mid-1990s, Merlot was Washington's dominant red grape, and the state was gaining fame for it. In recent … [Read more...] about Merlot remains force in Northwest wine industry
Red Mountain turns more red and green
In recent years, Red Mountain has turned more red - and more green. The bench at the eastern end of the Yakima Valley is one of the warmest regions of the vast and arid Columbia Valley and has developed into one of the premium grape growing regions in the Pacific Northwest. In the past couple of years, a lot of planting has converted vast tracts of sagebrush into lush … [Read more...] about Red Mountain turns more red and green