USA: Washington State

Question 1

Washinton : Climate

Answer 1

• NW of the Us
• Casacade Mountains block the cold Pacific winds
• Dry, warm and continental
• Large Scale irrigation from the mountain meltwater has been installed to aid in arid hot summers
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Question 2

Washington : Grape varieties

Answer 2

80 different varieties
58% black grapes
1.Cabernet Sauvignon
2.Chardoanny
3.Riesling
4.Merlot
5.Syrah
6.SB

warm and sunny and dry leads to ripe flavours and high abv but with med to high acidity

Question 3

Washington: Wine making

Answer 3

• Cab Sauv- have high portions of new oak
• Syrah - older, larger oak and whole bunch fermentation
• Rielsing- off dry style with 10-15 g/L of RS …drier styles and also botrytis are becoming more common
  SS tanks but some experimenting with skin contact, ambient yeast and leees ageing

Question 4

Washington: Columbia Valley AVA

Answer 4

• cross border AVA
• Covers 3.5 million ha
• 99% of all plantings
• Smaller AVA ‘s - Yakima VAlley, Red Mountain, Horse Heaven HIlls, Wahluke Slope, Rattlesnake Hills and Walla walla valley have the most plantings
• Blending across AVA’s is allowed
• Shelter from the Casacade Mnts creates a arid desert with only 150-250mm of rainfall
• Continental wth hot summers and cold winters
• LAtitude 45-48 degrees N
• Sugar accumulates quikcly but the cooler autum temps allow grapes to ripen slowly and retain acidity
• SOILS:
• complex, basalt bedrock with sandy , silty loess and alluvial topsoils
• South central Washington , a number of ridges /anticlines can be found where the bedrock rises toward the surface creating sloped sites ( this is the case for many of the AVA’s)
• Free draining and low in nutrient , drip irrigation is essential - water is sourced from the Columbia river and its tributaries
• Most vines are planted on sandy , phyloxerra free soils
• Low disease and pest pressure
• Frost ans winter freeze are the main hazards
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Question 5

Washington: Yakima Valley AVA

Answer 5

• oldest appellation and largest sub AVA
• 1/3 of the states production
• Most planted is Chardonnay, then Cab Sauv, Merlot, Syrah and Riseling
• Vines are planted on slopes and elevated ridges to avoid the frost and freeze

Question 6

Washington: Red Mountain AVA

Answer 6

• Very densley planted
• SW facing slopes and very warm
• Soils are poor in nutrients and with careful irrigation can produce dense concentrated Cab Sauv with high abv but also high acidity

Question 7

Washington : Rattlesnake Hills AVA

Answer 7

• Rielsing is the most planted
• Merlot , Cab Sauv
• Higher altitudes them Yakima AVA
• Temperate

Question 8

Washington: Horse Heaven Hills AVA

Answer 8

• 25% of all grape production
• 2/3 Cab Sauv, Merlot and Syrah
• Chardonnay and Riesling
• South facing sloped with warm sunny conditions lead to full bodied reds with high alcohol
• Ripe fruit in white wines
• Strong winds from the Columbia River protect the vines from frost, extending the growing season and reducing disease pressure

Question 9

Washington: Wahluke Slope AVA

Answer 9

• Warmest and driest conditons
• 3,600ha under vine
• Gentle south facing slope
• Mostly Red : Cab Sauv, Merlot and Syrah
• SOILS:
• sandy, free draining and irrigated
• Close to the Columbia River with air flow to prevent frost and freeze

Question 10

Washington: Walla Walla AVA

Answer 10

• fastest growing AVA
• SE Washington with half of the land in Oregon
• 100 wineries in the area
• NE corner of the Blue Mountain foothills up to 600m
• Cooler and wetter in the East and Warmer and drier in the West - allows for a range of varieties
• Spring and Autumn frost are a risk
• -Cab sauv, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Malbec
• -Chardonnay, Viognier and Semillon
• Dedicated to sustainablity - Vinea
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Question 11

Washington: Puget Sound AVA

Answer 11

NW corner - only AVA west of the Casacade Ranges
Borders Canada and runs along the Pacific Ocean
Cool climate, with mild summers and wet winters - 1,500mm of rain !!

**Madeleine Angevine, Muller Thurgau and Siegerrebe are dominat **
Also Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris

Question 12

Washington:Wine Business

Answer 12

• 2nd largest producer in the US
• From 10 wineries in 1975 to over 1,000 today
• Production is domintaed by Ste. Michelle Wine Estate with 74 million L / year
• Most sold in state - exports aare very small to Canada , UK and Japan
• Cellar door is the most important - close to Seattle