Washington Flashcards
What is Washington’s largest AVA?
Columbia Valley (at 11 million acres!)
What was Washington’s first AVA?
Yakima Valley (1983)
What is Washington’s warmest AVA?
Red Mountain AVA
What is Washington’s smallest AVA? When was it approved?
Candy Mountain AVA
2020
Where can you find “The Rocks”?
Oregon side In Walla Walla Valley
What Washington AVAs are NOT contained within Columbia Valley?
Puget Sound
Lewis Clark Valley
Columbia Gorge
What are the sub AVAs of Columbia Valley?
(N to S)
Lake Chelan
Rocky Reach
Ancient Lakes
Royal Slope
Wahluke Slope
Naches Heights
Yakima Valley
Rattlesnake Hills
Snipes Mountain
Red Mountain
Candy Mountain
Goose Gap
White Bluffs
Horse Heaven Hills
Walla Walla Valley
The Burn of Columbia Valley
Columbia Valley
What are the sub-AVAs of Yakima Valley?
Rattlesnake Hills
Red Mountain
Snipes Mountain
Candy Mountain
Goose Gap
Who owns Columbia Winery?
Gallo, as of 2012
Five major wineries/parent corporations in Washington
Chateau Ste Michelle
Gallo
Hogue Cellars
Hedges
K Vintners
Precept Wines (Canoe Ridge Vineyard, Waterbrook, Willow Crest Winery)
Columbia Basin: Climate and latitude
Arid continental (average diurnal shift 28º, may be up to 40º). 6-12 inches of rain annually; irrigation required for vinegrowing.
46º N, or more
What are synclines and anticlines?
How were these created?
Anticlines are ridgelines
Synclines are the valleys between them
In Washtingon, created by tectonic compression during the Miocene Epoch.
Why is rainfall so scarce in eastern Washington?
As it hits the Cascade Range, Pacific air is pushed upward, cooled and condensed into clouds which release their moisture as precipitation.
This creates a rain shadow effect for the Columbia River Basin in eastern Washington
-the western slopes of the Cascades receive over 80 inches of rainfall annually, yet 50 miles to the east the climate is desert-like.
What do the Cascades do for Eastern Washington.
-rain shadow effect
-responsible for the Columbia Basin’s continental climate -they block the moderating maritime air from moving further inland
What do the Rockies do for the Columbia Basin?
they are located to the north and east so they shelter the region from icy polar air masses.
What is the Yakima Fold Belt, and how does it affect viticulture?
The low-lying topography of south-central Washington, striated by east-west ridges, from 4,000ft high at most, and generally no more than 1,000ft high in the valleys.
The anticlines restrict airflow and cause a temperature inversion layer, as cool air bottlnecks in the synclines. This means that valley vineyards are colder, have a wider diurnal shift and more frost pressure than higher elevation vineyards.
How are Washington’s ripest vineyards situated?
On anticlinal ridges, facing south (seen in Red Mountain, Wahluke Slope, Horse Heaven Hills, and elsewhere); elevation and aspect grants higher degree days, temperatures, and lesser risk of frost.
What are two techniques used to protect against the winter cold?
Dual trunk training and buried canes.
Dual trunk is just what it sounds like, starting an inch or so above the soil; statistically, if one trunk dies in the winter, the other may survive.
Buried cane is used with low cordon trained vines; one fruiting cane is buried by heaping up soil around it so as to protect it from the cold; if the aboveground canopy dies over the winter, the buried cane can be unearthed and used in the coming year.
When were the Missoula Floods, and what caused them?
12,000-18,000 years ago, 2 to 3 times per century as the glacier lake periodically broke through the retreating Cordilleran Ice Sheet.
The Wallula Gap bottlenecked the onrushing water, causing massive flooding of the Columbia Basin.
What are Touchet beds?
Nutrient rich deposits of gravel and other flood sediments, up to 100ft deep at the lowest points of the Columbia, Yakima, and Walla Walla Valleys.
At what elevation did the Missoula floods top out?
1200ft.
What does the term Eolian mean?
Shaped by wind - referring to the loess soils of the Columbia and Willamette valleys.
Who is the father of Washington wine, and why?
Dr. Walter Clore
Pioneered the study of properly siting vinifera in Washington (prior to that, grapevines were either native, or killed off every few years by the cold); mentored the nascent WA wine industry from the 1940’s to the 1970’s.
Who owns the majority of Snipes Mountain? What are the two vineyards planted there?
Upland Estate
Upland Vineyard and Harrison Hill
When was Associated Vintners founded, and what was their original estate vineyard? What is the winery known as today?
1962; planted Harrison Hill Vineyard in 1963.
Columbia Winery
Who was the original consulting winemaker for American Wine Growers? What is the winery known as today?
Andre Tchelistcheff
Chateau Ste Michelle
Major white grapes of Washington
Chardonnay
Riesling
Pinot Gris
Sauvignon Blanc
Gewurztraminer
Major red grapes of Washington
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Syrah
Cabernet Franc
What and where is Sagemoor Vineyards?
A vineyard network of 900 acres north of the Tri-Cities; breaks down into four smaller vineyards:
Sagemoor, Dionysus, Bacchus, Weinbau
An important source of grapes for the Washington wine industry since its planting in 1968.
Located in White Bluffs AVA
Where was Washington’s first Syrah planted, and when?
Red Willow Vineyard (Yakima), 1986
Where was Washington’s first Cabernet planted, and when? Who is the owner of the vineyard?
Otis Vineyard (Yakima), 1956.
Tom and Sean Tudor and Sean’s uncle Mark Tudor - purchased from Otis Harlan in 2013
What are some top vineyards of Yakima Valley?
Red Willow Vineyard
Boushey
Otis
Where do most vineyards in Yakima Valley lie?
-Clustered north of the town of Prosser
-along the slopes from 1,000-1400 feet in elevation
How many degree days in Red Mountain AVA in 2013?
1866 degree days
-nearly 200 more than western sector of the Yakima Valley
Major vineyards of Red Mountain
Ciel du Cheval (1975, Jim Holmes)
Kiona (1975, John Williams)
Grand Ciel
Klipsun
What were the first vineyards planted in Red Mountain?
Ciel du Cheval (1975, Jim Holmes)
Kiona (1975, John Williams)
What is Washington’s most densely cultivated AVA?
Red Mountain AVA
What is the main grape of Red Mountain?
Cabernet Sauvignon
-about 70% of the plantings
What is the climate of Red Mountain AVA?
Warm
-about 16 hours of high summer sunshine a day
-windy and arid
-significant diurnal temperature shifts
-moderating influence of the Yakima River
What is Col Solare? Where is it?
A collaboration between Antinori and Chateau Ste. Michelle.
Red Mountian
Acclaimed producers of Red Mountain
Col Solare
Force Majeure
Upchurch Vineyards
What is the viticultural elevation of Snipes Mountain?
750ft (south side) and 820ft (north side) at the low end; planted all the way to the summit at 1310ft.
Where were the first vinifera vines planted in Washington, and when? What was the grape?
1917, by William Bridgman on what is now Snipes Mountain on the Upland Vineyard property
Muscat of Alexandria
Who owns Upland Vineyards?
Todd Newhouse
-drafted the AVA petition for Snipes Moutain
What is the 1963 block of Cabernet Sauvignon in Snipes Mountain?
Harrison Hill
Who is the only estate producer in Snipes Mountain?
Upland Vineyards
Who recently started bottling his own wines under the Upland Vineyards label?
Newhouse
At what elevation are vines planted in Rattlesnake Hills?
850-1600 feet
How is Rattlesnake Hills protected from winter’s icy grip and fall and spring frosts?
Elevation
Yakima Range to the north-blocks the full impact of cold Arctic blasts
What is important white grape variety in Rattlesnake Hills?
Riesling
What is the Rattlesnake Hills first parcel of vinifera grapes?
Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon in Morrison Vineyard planted in 1968
Name two vineyards in Rattlesnake Hills, and a producer for each. How do they appellate?
Two Blondes (Andrew Will)
Dubrul (Côte Bonneville)
Appelated as Yakima Valley (residual sign of the local opposition to the creation of Rattlesnake Hills).
When was Goose Gap AVA approved?
2021
Walla Walla: Rivers
Columbia
Walla Walla
Snake
What marks the eastern boundary of Walla Walla? What two subregions are located there?
The Blue Mountains (create a rain backdrop - higher precipitation and therefore more possible dry farming close to the foothills).
Mill Creek
North Fork of Walla Walla Valley
What is Columbia Valley’s easternmost nested AVA?
Walla Walla Valley
What is the Wallula Gap?
The bottleneck of the Missoula floods through which the Columbia now flows.
What AVAs are shared between Washington and Oregon?
Columbia Gorge
Columbia Valley
Walla Walla Valley
What is the main soil of Walla Walla Valley
Covered in loess - frequently reaching 25-30 feet in depth
Who are the founding fathers of Walla Walla?
Gary Figgins (Leonetti; first vinifera in the AVA in 1977)
Rick Small (Woodward Canyon)
Baker Ferguson (L’Ecole No. 41)
Eric Rindal (Waterbrook)
Who are Walla Walla Valley’s second wave of Vitners?
Christopher Baron (Cayuse est 1997)
Norm McKibben (Pepper ridge est 1998)
What grape varieties did Christopher Baron focus on? What is the significance?
Rhône varieties
-pushed viticulture into a barren, cobblestone covered, nearly flat area across the Oregon border now known as “the Rocks”
To whom can the Rocks of Milton-Freewater AVA be accredited?
Cayuse
Major producers of Walla Walla Valley
Leoneti Cellars
Cayuse
L’Ecole 41
Waters Winery
Gramercy Cellars
Va Piano
Buty Winery
àMaurice
Rotie Cellars
Amavi
Chris Figgins
Major vineyard sites of Walla Walla Valley
Seven Hills Vineyard (overlooking the Rocks in Oregon)
Pepper Bridge Vineyard (valley floor, north facing)
Les Collines Vineyard
Woodward Canyon
Where is the Rocks of Milton-Freewater AVA located? What is the soil and what is it similar to?
Oregon’s Umatilla County
-old riverbed soils
-similar to galets of CDP
What is Vinea?
An organization devoted to promoting sustainability (not necessarily organics) in Washington, also called the Winegrower’s Sustainable Trust. Provides guidelines for environmentally friendly vineyard practices.
Collaborates with Oregon’s LIVE to conduct certifications, which are therefore accredited by IOBC (International Organization for Biological Control of Noxious Plans and Animals) and embrace the same standards as Salmon-Safe.
Currently 2/3 of Walla Walla acreage is under the Vinea umbrella, if not actually certified.
What is Salmon-Safe?
A group dedicated to the protection of the Pacific Northwest’s watersheds.
Top three Washington regions by planted acreage
Columbia Valley (60,079)
Yakima Valley (18,924)
Horse Heaven Hills (17,000)
What is the second largest AVA in Washington by total acreage? How many acres are planted?
Puget Sound AVA.
5.5 million acres total; 178 planted
Horse Heaven Hills: Major vineyards
Champoux (1972)
Alder Ridge
Phinney Hill
Canoe Ridge (houses Ste. Michelle’s red winemaking facilities)
Benches
McKinley Springs Vineyard
Climate of Horse Heaven Hills
-slightly warmer than the western end of Yakima Valley
-slightly cooler than Red Mountain
-200-1800 feet elevation
-hills get hit by winds funneled inland through the Columbia Gorge
Grapes of Wahluke Slope
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah
Geographic features of Wahluke Slope
Saddle Mountains on the north
Hanford Reach National monument to the east
Columbia River on the west and south
Soils of Wahluke Slope
Deep, well-drained, windblown sands
What is the driest AVA in Washington?
Wahluke Slope
-barely gets 6 inches of rain a year
What was the first commercial vineyard of Wahluke Slope?
Weinbau
-planted in 1981 by Germany’s F.W. Langguth Erben (known for the Blue Nun brand)
Name another early arrival to the Wahluke Slope
Milbrandt Vineyards (1997 by Butch and Jerry Milbrandt)
What is Ancient Lakes named for?
35 glacier lakes scattered throughout the region that moderate the temperature.
Main grape of Ancient Lakes?
Riesling - most planted
What is Ancient Lakes largest operation?
Milbrandt Vineyards
Where is Lake Chelan?
75 miles north of Ancient Lakes
What is unique about Lake Chelan?
Columbia Valley’s northernmost nested AVA
It is the only region in the Columbia Basin to lie outside the reach of the Missoula Floods.
Climate of Lake Chelan?
-Moderating affect of the glacial lake, Lake Chelan
-avg temperatures about 4 degrees F less than in Wahluke Slope
-winter time lows are equal to Wahluke Slope
Main grapes of Lake Chelan?
Pinot Noir
Riesling
Where is Royal Slope AVA? How does climate compare?
Between the Wahluke Slope and the Ancient Lakes
-Considerably cooler than Wahluke Slope and warmer than Ancient Lakes
Most notable vineyard of Royal Slope?
Stillwater Creek
Where is Naches Heights?
Columbia Valley AVA, Washington
Northwest of Yakima Valley
Where is White Bluffs AVA?
Columbia Valley AVA, Washington
-on a plateau on the eastern side of the Columbia River just north of Kennewick
Where is the Burn of Columbia Valley?
Lies between the Horse Heaven Hills and Columbia Gorge AVA.
Why is harvest delayed in the Burn of Columbia Valley despite it being one of the warmest AVAs in the Columbia Valley?
Persistent winds delay maturation.
Where is Rocky Reach AVA located?
What is the soil?
Columbia Valley AVA, Washington
-between Ancient Lakes and Lake Chelan
-Gravel and loess over granitic bedrock
What was the first vineyard planted in the Columbia Gorge?
Atavus Vineyard, planted to Pinot Noir in 1968 by Walter Clore.
Dry-farmed, 1700ft elevation.
What are the two key subregions of Columbia Gorge?
Underwood Mountain (Washington side)
Hood River Valley (Oregon side)
What Washington AVA is shared with Idaho?
Lewis-Clark Valley
What are the major geographic features of Columbia Gorge AVA?
Oregon’s Mount Hood
Columbia River
Cascades
What happens when you drive East through the Gorge from Dalles, OR to Hood River, OR?
The landscape shifts from dry desert scrub of eastern Washington to lush scenery, verdant conifer forests, and hidden waterfalls.
How much does rainfall increase from east to west in the Columbia Gorge?
-Quadruples in 40 mile span from east to west
-increases from 8 inches annually to 36 or more at the AVA’s western end
Where do some of the only dry farmed vineyards lie in the state of Washington?
Columbia Gorge
How does the Columbia River affect the climate of the Columbia Gorge?
-moderating influence
-suppresses rising springtime temperatures
-pushes back budbreak to late April
-holds onto warmth in the fall
-allows for grape harvests through Halloween and reduces the worry of early autumn frosts
What are Washington’s coolest appellations?
Puget Sound
Columbia Gorge
What is the defining climatic feature of Columbia Gorge?
Wind
What vineyard is the Gorge’s most notable fruit source?
Celilo
-planted on Underwood Mountain
-supplies producers like Woodward Canyon and Ken Wright
Are more white or red varieties planted in the Gorge?
White
Main grapes of the Gorge
W: Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer, Riesling
R: Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Gamay, Zinfandel
Top producers of the Gorge.
Syncline
Memaloose/Idiot’s Grace
Analemma
Who planted the first notable vineyard on Puget Sound?
Lambert Evans (1872)
on Puget Sound’s Stretch Island
-black labrusca hybrid Island Belle (became one of Washington’s first commercially successful grapes)
What is Washington’s first bonded winery?
St Charles
-was Lambert Evans property sold by his widow to Charles Somers in 1918
Most prominent vineyards of Puget Sound
San Juan
Bainbridge
Lopez
on the islands in the sound
Main grapes of Puget Sound?
early ripening varieties
Madeline Angevine
Müller-Thurgau
Siegerrebe
Where is Chateau St. Michelle located?
Woodinville in Puget Sound
What is Washington’s newest AVA? When was it est? What is the main grape?
Rocky Reach
Columbia Valley
2022
Cabernet Sauvignon
