General info Flashcards
What are the top 7 grapes by acreage planted?
Cabernet Sauvignon (10,293) Merlot (8,235) Chardonnay (7,654) Riesling (6,320) Syrah (3,103) Pinot Gris (1,576) Sauvignon Blanc (1,173)
How much of the US production comes from Washington?
5%
How much of the vineyards are located east of the Cascades?
95%
What is the average rainfall is Eastern Washington?
10-12 inches
What kind of climate is Eastern Washington?
True continental, with hot summers and cold winters.
What are serious concerns for growers?
Frost and winter freezes
What is the bedrock in Washington?
Basalt
What is on top of the bedrock
Deposits left from the Missoula Floods
How big is Columbia Valley AVA?
11 million acres
The Columbia Valley follows what outline?
The Columbia River Basin
What was Washington’s first AVA? When?
Yakima Valley, 1983
What was Washington’s first AVA? When?
Yakima Valley, 1983
As of 2013, how many wineries were in Washington?
850
Ste Michelle wine estates accounts for how much of Washington’s output?
60%
What 3 wineries are large players aside from Ste Michelle?
Hogue, Hedges, and Gallo
What parallel is below most of the wineries?
46th
What is the average diurnal variation in Columbia Valley?
28 degrees
What does Washington’s natural climate naturally suppress
mildew
The ridgelines of the Columbia Basin face which directions? What are they called?
East-west
Yakima Ford Belt
Which vines are more likely to not be as affected by frost and freezing?
Higher altitude vines
How far down in the Earth does the basalt layer reach?
12,000 feet
When did commercial wine growing surface in Walla Walla?
1860s
When did commercial wine growing surface in Walla Walla?
1860s
When did commercial vinifera reappear in Washington after prohibition?
1960s
Who and when were the original distributors of Washington wine, post-prohibition? What wineries were allowed to go to private distribution a year later?
The Washington State Liquor Control Board, in 1934.
Washington wineries
When did the Washington Wine “monopoly” end?
1969
Who is known as the “Father of Washington Wine”? What did he do?
Dr Walter Clore
He proved that with appropriate sites, vinifera could withstand cold snaps.
What was the first well known vineyard and when was it planted?
Harrison Hill Vineyard, on Snipes Mountain. 1963.
Who catapulted Merlot as a strength of Washington winemaking in the 1990s?
Leonetti Cellars
When did Columbia Valley get AVA status?
1984
What 850-acre vineyard does Chateau Ste Michelle own?
Cold Creek Vineyard
What marks the northern entrance to Yakima Valley?
Union Gap
What 3 AVAs are in Yakima Valley?
Rattlesnake Hills
Red Mountain
Snipes Mountain
What other produce is in Yakima Valley?
apple/stone fruit orchards
Concord grape vineyards
hops fields
When did Syrah first get planted in Washington?
1986
What are top vineyards in Yakima Valley?
Red Willow Vineyard
Boushey
Otis
What is Washington’s most densely cultivated AVA?
Red Mountain
What two vineyards were established almost simultaneously in Red Mountain?
Kiona
Ciel du Cheval
What is the climate of Red Mountain?
Sunny, windy and arid
When did Snipes Mountain become an AVA?
2009
When did Snipes Mountain become an AVA?
2009
When and what are the oldest vines of Snipes Mountain?
1917 Muscat of Alexandria
When did Rattlesnake Hills become an AVA?
2006
What is a historically important variety of Rattlesnake Hills?
Riesling
How much of Walla Walla Valley AVA is in Washington?
2/3
What is the main soil of Walla Walla Valley? How deep is it usually?
Loess
25-30 ft
Who and when was the first vinifera planted in Walla Walla Valley?
1974, Gary Figgins
What are the general borders of Horse Heaven Hills?
The Southern ridgeline of Yakima Valley and the banks of the Columbia River
What was the first famous vineyard of Horse Heaven Hills? Who planted it?
Champoux vineyard, Don Mercer/Walter Clore, 1972
What keeps fungal pressures low in Horse Heaven Hills?
Wind and low rainfall
How is the temperature of Wahluke Slope compared to most Washington AVAs?
warmer
What is the average yearly rainfall of Wahluke slope?
6 inches per year
Which AVA formed in 2012?
Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley
What is the northernmost AVA of Columbia Valley?
Lake Chelan
How many acres are planted in Naches Heights?
About 50 acres
When is budbreak in Columbia Gorge?
Late April
What Walter Clore experimental planting happened in Columbia Gorge?
Pinot Noir, 1968.
Who and when planted Puget Sound’s first notable vineyard?
Lambert Evans, 1872
What type of grapes tend to thrive in Puget Sound?
Early-ripening varieties
