Washington Flashcards
Washington Makes Up Whst Percentage of US Wine Out Put?
5%
Where is Sagemoor Vineyards?
Columbia Valley
Where are the majority of the Vineyards located in WA State and why?
East of the Cascades within the Columbia Basin. This is because the Rain Shadow Effect Minimizes rain and the climate is continental - dessert like the further east you are from the Mts.
What is the general climate of the Columbia Basin?
Continental - Hot summers, long hours of sunshine, cool nights
What is the Mountain Range that creates a Rain Shadow and wind block to the North in WA
The Rockies
What is the Yakima Fold Belt? Location? Elevation? History? Why is it excellent for Viticulture?
East-West Running Ridge Lines
-Anticlines - Up to 4000ft
-Synclines - Valley Floors Up to 1000ft
Miocene Era Techtonic Compression + Erosion by Water
Frost Pressure is less after 1000 feet because diurnal temperature shift is less severe
What are the two ways the winemakers improve their vineyards chances of surviving through the extreme temps of winter?
Dual Trunk Training
Cane Burrying
Define Dual Trunk Training:
In the vineyards two vines are planted directly next to each other(1-2 inches apart) so that they are able to improve the vineyards/vines chances of survival through the extreme winter temperature. It is almost statistically impossible for both vines to die.
What disease are vines more susceptible to after surviving a hard freeze?
Crown gall
Define the Buried Cane technique:
A Wine maker will burry an additional fruiting cane in the ground to ensure that the vine will still be able to produce fruit. In the case that a hard frost or cold spell hits and the vines canopy dies, the fruiting cane buried underneath the earth will serve as an adequate replacement. For low vine training systems only.
Define two events that shaped the Columbia Basin:
Missoula Floods 12-18,000 years ago
Volcanic eruptions
What are the defining features of the Paco Basin and where is it?
The Paco Basin is a deep basin of basalt and igneous rock formed by ancient lava flows; it is 12,000ft deep in some points. Over time Loess and Loam have also washed over it as the basin was partially eroded by water
Where is lake Missoula and what is its historical significance?
Lake Missoula is in Montana and it is historically significant because it was one of the biggest ancient lakes that was damned up by the Cordillerian Ice Sheet. This ice would periodically melt and the damn would break, once or twice per century, from 12-18,000 years ago(10,000-16,000BC) and cause the most catastrophic floods - the Missoula Floods
What happened at the Wallulah Gap during the Missoula Floods? What Geographical features did the create?
The Wallulah Gap created a bottleneck for the Missoula Floods at the edge of the Paco Basin. This caused constant drainage and at times huge outpourings of water which dug trenches in the Basalt of the Paco Basin called Touchet Beds that were filled with Loams and Loess.
Why are the vineyards situated along higher elevation vineyards in WA state almost entirely Volcanic soil?
Because the Missoula Floods did reach over 1200 ft in elevation.
What is the difference between Loess and Loams?
Loes is silt sized particulate and Loams is silt and sand; finer grained
What is WSLCB and what was its affect on Washington Wine?
The WA State Liquor Control Board was in control of the wine and did not create a competitive market for Washington wines between 1934 and 1969 by causing insulation and lack of export and import within washington. there was no competition and quality was not strived for.
Who was Walter Clore?
Godfather of WA wines
1937 came to WA to study horticulture at WA State
1940 Planted vinifera at Prosser
1960 Partnered with Charles Nagel to lant vinifera around Washington finding the ideal places to suit grape varietals to regions and find vineyards with ideal aspects
Acted as a mentor to many modern day wine makers
Who planted the oldest Muscat Vines in WA state? When and Where?
William Bridgeman, planted the oldest Muscat Vines in WA at Harrison Hill on Snipes Mt. in 1910-1917
When and by whom was the Associated Vintners founded? What was its purpose and what did it become?
It was founded by Walter Clore in 1962 in Columbia Valley WA to create a winery co-op/ network that encourage quality over quantity. It became Columbia Winery.
Who was the American Wine Growers Association started by? Where and what did it become?
It was started by Andre Tchelistcheff and it became Cht. St. Michelle
