Vermont Distributed Washington Wines

The Wines of Washington

Exactly how does Washington - a place known best for its rain - make such delicious red wines? (When the sun comes out in Seattle, people look up and ask “What is that round thing in the sky?”) The answer: though difficult to fathom as it is, is that the mountains cleave western and eastern Washington into two, retaining water on one side and letting through precious little onto the other. Fortunately for us, most of Washington's vineyards are located east of the Cascade Mountains in the arid, almost desert-like eastern part of the state.

Western Washington contains some of the driest farmland in the United States (average 8 inches of rain a year). Lack of water is actually beneficial for growing high-quality wine grapes. (Think of it this way: too much water both makes it easy on vines and literally dilutes the flavors of the grapes.)

Eastern Washington is also one of the sunniest places in the country - an average 300 days a year, 11 percent more than in the winemaking country of northern California. The combination of cool nighttime temperatures and this extra sunlight lengthens ripening times, preserves acidity levels and develops both color and mature tannins in the grapes.

Thanks to four high mountain rivers, eastern Washington is not a total desert. Wheat fields and orchards are giving way to more and more vineyards. The dry climate is one factor, the latitude another. Because it is so far north the vineyards get about two hours more sunlight than the vineyards in Napa Valley. Temperatures are very warm, but again due to the northern latitude, not too hot. The day-to-night temperatures contrast, like Napa Valley, 50 degrees or more. Cool nights mean grapevines can temporarily shut down and rest, preserving acidity.

While Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are Washington’s star wines, white grapes still take a stand there. Chardonnay, especially, continues to produce lush, ripe, dependable white wines. And Sémillon shows a lot of promise in Washington, alone or in blends with Chardonnay.

Among red grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon can make for powerhouse reds that are tannic, fragrant and deeply colored. But it is Washington Merlot that takes thhington Merlot.

There are five appellations in Washine medals home. Fat, concentrated, plush, opaque, aromatic - you cannot say enough about the positive qualities of Wasgton: Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley, Red Mountain, Walla Walla, and finally, the small area and the only one located on the western side of the Cascade Mountains, Puget Sound.

Italians and Germans planted the first vines in Washington in the 1860s and 1870s, but the real wine revolution did not really take off until the early 1990s. In 1960 there were 15 wineries; by 2000 there were 145.

What we think makes Washington Merlots and Cabernets stand out is the mind-boggling fruit concentration. The aromas are wild blackberry, boysenberry, raspberry and cherries and the textures of these great Cabernets and Merlots are seamless and silky. Some of the most age-worthy wines we have come across from Washington State's best producers are Andrew Will, Owen Roe, and DeLille Cellars, all of whom Calmont represents. It seems the wine reflects the wild berries growing locally; but Cabernet and Merlot are not the only varietals producing quality wines in Washington. Syrah is the fasting growing wine in the U.S., with California leading the way. But again, Washington's fruit concentration makes the Syrah grape very dense and chewy with robust blueberry and violet note too.