I was struck with a sort of awe as the bus pulled up to the famous DuBrul Vineyards in Washington State. I had heard of this land over and over again in my career as a wine guy. Many excellent wines, including Cote Bonneville have been produced from the fruit grown in this vineyard. Hugh Shiels owner of the vineyard and Cote Bonneville Winery walked us through the vineyards and talked a bit about viticulture and some of the unique appellations of Washington State. It was here that I was inspired to write an article about the dirt of Washington State and it’s affect on the wine that ends up in our glass.
Ask any farmer if soil effects the flavor of the fruit that grows in it, and most if not all will say yes. That is why it troubled me when on separate occasions, two different wine makers said that terroir really didn’t mean anything when it came to wine. Fighting words if you are from France, Italy or Spain. What would cause two men who are deeply involved in wine come to such a conclusion?
Neither men has a farming backround that I am aware of or have their own vineyards. Both of these wine makers use the broader appellation, Columbia Valley on their labels. Sourcing their fruit from many vineyards all over this massive appellation with it’s unique sub-appellations no doubt has an effect on the sense of place in their wines. Or, could it be just stubborn refusal to accept the French term “terroir”?
I have been very clear in my position on terroir. The French have a phrase; gout de terroir, which means “taste of the soil”. Yes, the taste of the soil finds its’ way into the taste of the wine. I believe any argument against this is either in ignorance or just plain stubborn refusal to accept the obvious. However, there are reasons why certain wines lack sense of place or terroir.
Washington State has 11 official AVA’s or American Viticultural Areas (Appellations). Of these, there are two fairly large appellations that encompass many smaller ones. They are the Columbia Valley AVA and the Yakiima Valley AVA. When making wine, a lot of wineries will source fruit from many vineyards across the sweeping Columbia Valley AVA and blend them together in their wines. The Yakima Valley AVA is actually part of the Columbia Valley AVA. When wines are produced from several terroir driven vineyards the fruit is buried in amongst its’ cousins leaving us with a “Heinz 57” wine so to speak. In most European countries such blending of different appellations is unheard of. So, it is no wonder that the term terror is somewhat lost in many Washington wines.
Paul Gregutt who has written a couple of books about the wines and wineries of Washington State, and is the “Wine Adviser” for the Seattle Times wrote this about the Columbia Valley AVA; “Any AVA this large will incorporate significant differences in rainfall, soils and climate, but in general the Columbia Valley may be characterized by the fact that it encompasses the Eastern Washington desert. Located in the lee of the Cascade Mountains, the bulk of Eastern Washington is sheltered from the marine climate of Western Washington. Where grapes cannot be grown in this part of the state, it is either too cold in the winter or there is insufficient water for irrigation; however, virtually all Columbia Valley vineyard land is irrigated.”
~ Paul Gregutt (Appellation America.com)
I believe the key phrase in this quote is the statement that “any AVA this large will incorporate significant differences in rainfall, soils, and climate”. The unique soils of the sub-appellations of Washington State are key to identifying the terroir of the wines. So what are the eight sub-appellations of the Columbia Valley AVA? They are: Walla Walla, Yakima Valley, Red Mountain, Horse Heaven Hills, Wahluke Slope, Rattlesnake Hills, Snipes Mountain and Lake Chelan.
Many may be surprised to see the Walla Walla AVA in amongst the sub- appellations of the Columbia Valley AVA. Walla Walls is perhaps one of the most famous appellations in Washington State where some of the most highly sought after wines come from. Walla Walla brings to mind such names as Leonetti, PepperBridge, LeCole No. 41 and Woodward Canyon. However, because of the small amount of vineyards in this area, and the rising cost of fruit, even these famous wineries have succumbed to pulling fruit from the much larger Columbia Valley AVA. Could it be that these wines are losing their sense of place or terroir?
Happily, there are many wineries in the state of Washington that see the need to not only produce their wines from fruit of a specific appellation, but also a specific vineyard in that appellation. More and more we are seeing wines with Dubrul Vineyards (Rattlesnake Hills AVA) or Ciel Du Cheval (Red Mountain AVA) on their labels just to name a couple of examples.
Red Mountain is fast becoming a star appellation in Washington State. Distinctive wines that come from this area are identified by their concentration and baked earth elements. A friend of mine who has been in the wine business for many years and who is involved in a winery in Walla Walla made a comment that stuck with me. He said that he can taste the fruit of Ciel Du Cheval in a wine that uses fruit solely from that vineyard on Red Mountain. There is no doubt in my mind that this is true. While taking a blending seminar at Januik/Novelty Hill Winery with wine maker Michael Januik, Michael commented on fruit from Weinbau Vineyard(Wahluke Slope AVA). He said that he thought this was an under-the-radar vineyard where some stellar fruit comes from. I tasted the merlot from this vineyard and was in full agreement that it is quite distinctive.
Kent Walliser, General Manager for the Sagemoor Group which owns several vineyards including Weinbau is on a mission to get wineries to produce “Vineyard Designate” riesling in Washington State. He said that all riesling in Washington State is from the same clone, something I didn’t know. As he pointed out, riesling in our state is brand driven rather then vineyard or appellation driven and he wants to see that change. He has seen to it that two blocks of German clone riesling have been planted in Bacchus Vineyard and a few wineries have produced vineyard specific wine from this fruit.
Mike Sharidin, owner and winemaker at Northwest Totem Cellars puts specific vineyard sources on his labels. He uses Elerding Vineyard fruit and proudly let’s the consumer know. Elerding fruit is quite distinctive and an excellent source for syrah. It is part of the Columbia Valley AVA and Mike could have easily put that appellation on the label. However, by putting the specific appellation or vineyard he now has a wine that represents a specific terroir and has a true sense of place. Mike is not the only wine maker that sees the importance of putting sub-appellations or vineyards on the label. More and more we are seeing Rattlesnake Hills, Horse Heaven Hills, Red Mountain, Boushey Vineyards, Elerding Vineyards and Dubrul Vineyards on the labels of Washington wines.
Each sub-appellation of the broader Columbia Valley and Yakima Valley AVAs brings with it a uniqueness that is reflected in the wines produced from the vineyards in each appellation. As we have already noted, Red Mountain wines can be identified by their concentration and baked earth elements. Walla Walla fruit demands some of the highest prices in the state and wine produced from this appellation often brings some high scores from well known wine writers. Some outstanding vineyards from this AVA include Seven Hills, PepperBridge and Cayuse. Horse Heaven Hills is also taking on a identity of it’s own as many wineries seek the fruit from this area. One of the most touted vineyards of Washington, Champoux, is part of the Horse Heaven Hills appellation. Personally, I would like to see more appellation specific and vineyard designate wines from all varietals in Washington State, giving consumers the chance to identify the unique terroir of these vineyards and appellations.
It may be years before we reach the level of appreciation for terroir that France and Italy have. Let’s face it, the United States wine culture is very young in comparison. As we grow in our knowledge and understanding of wine and terroir, we will demand a certain standard for identifying where a wine comes from. It won’t be too far in the future when wineries will see the total advantage in giving their wines geographic identity. Consumers will respond by buying their favorite terroir driven wines. Like the folks who prefer Pomerol Bordeaux over Margaux, consumers will show a preference not for Columbia Valley wines, but for Snipes Mountain, Rattlesnake Hills, Dubrul or Boushey Vineyard wines.
Napa Valley is a classic example of how this can happen. There was a time not long ago when consumers were satisfied with the designation Napa Valley on the label. Not so today as more wine consumers seek out sub-appellations such as Stags Leap, Howell Mountain, Rutherford, Spring Mountain or Calistoga; all under the Napa Valley umbrella . We have come to appreciate that each of these sub-appellations in Napa has a unique terroir and we can taste it in the wine. I can’t tell you how many times a week I get a request for cabs from Rutherford, rather then the sweeping appellation, Napa. As our wine culture matures, so will our appreciation of terroir.
Columbia Valley, like Napa Valley has many terroir driven sub-appellations that the consumer is recognizing as unique. There will always be a place in the market for Heinz 57 (Blended appellation) wines. I have quite a few favorites myself. However, the value of single appellation or vineyard designate wines is significant if wines are to have a sense of place. Walla Walla set the standard in Washington for terroir driven wines. I am looking forward with keen anticipation as each sub-appellation of the giant Columbia Valley AVA takes on it’s own identity and reflects in it’s wines the unique appellations of Washington State. Cheers! Stan The Wine Man