Wines of NY, OR, & WA Flashcards
How many licensed wineries are in the US?
8,200+
Top 4 producers in the states
- California (4,650 wineries)
- Washington (800+wineries)
- New York (410+ wineries)
- Oregon (702+ wineries)
What happened in 1880?
Phylloxera
- Root louse attacks
Vinifera produces
Chardonnay
Pinot Noir
Merlot
Labrusca; Riparia produces
Concord; Delaware
French/American hybrids produce
Seyval Blanc; Cayuga
Vignoles Traminette
Hybrid
Crossing/selective breeding of grapes
NYS hybrids
Cayuga Ravat/Vignoles Seyval Blanc Vidal Traminette
NYS labrusca (native)
Concord
Delaware
Niagara (1872 Concord plus Cassady)
NYS wine production
Labrusca 60% Volume
Hybrids 25% Volume
Vinifera 15% Volume
When were the first vineyards planted in NY?
1st vineyards planted in the late 1600s in the Hudson Valley by French Huguenots
1827 - NYS
First commercial winery opened on Croton Point on the Hudson River
1920-1933 NYS
Prohibition damages industry
1934 - NYS
Charles Fournier comes to Gold Seal from Champagne and plants French Hybrids
1933-1950 - NYS
large wineries produce jug or fortified wines
1950 - Charles Fournier
Charles Fournier wines gold in CA for Champagne
The 60s and 70s: The wine boom in NYC
HA 430 Wines 1st offered
- table wine passes the fortified wine
- Consumption doubles
- NYS Farm Winery Act
Hudson River
49 wineries, 235 acres
180–195 days growing season
White hybrids best
NYS DECODING LABELS
Label types in NY:
• Varietal - minimum of 75% grape
• Exception 51% minimum if Labrusca
• Generic - place name from a famous region: Champagne, Chablis, Burgundy, or wine style:
Sherry, Port
• Proprietary Made-up name – “Taste Red” Bedell
NYS Grape Source
• NYS – at least 75% of the wine labeled NYS must be from the state.
• AVA – if listed at least 85% of grapes must come
from that AVA.
VINTAGE DATED WINES
• A State or County designated wine must have
85% of the stated vintage year.
• A Wine from a specific AVA must contain 95% of the stated vintage year.
FINGER LAKES
- 110+ wineries, 10,000 acres
- 85% of all NY wine
- Growing season 190 – 205 days
- Riesling, Sparkling, Chardonnay
- Native Labrusca, Labruscana and Hybrids
How many AVAs does the finger lakes have? What are they?
3 AVAs:
Finger Lakes
Cayuga Lake
Seneca Lake
RIESLING: VARIETAL
CHARACTERISTICS
RIESLING: Fruity, apricot, peach, green apples, floral, lemon, tropical lushness.
DR. K. FRANK RIESLING
- Am harvest
- German yeast
- Stainless steel fermentation
- Winemaker notes: grapefruit, lime, and star fruit
OREGON WINE
US #4 Producer • 1% of U.S. fine wine production • Over 2/3 is red wine • PINOT NOIR “signature red” – over 55% (prelim. # ‘17 64%) • Pinot Gris “signature white” • Good Chardonnay & Riesling • Syrah and Spanish Varietals
Oregon geography and climate
The Pacific Ocean, the Oregon Coastal Range, and the Cascade Mountain Range are the dominant factors
- Rainfall varies from 6” to 40” per year
- Oregon has a temperate climate with cooler growing conditions than California or Washington with more vintage variation.
OREGON WINE HISTORY 1970s
- 5 wineries in Willamette Valley
• Eyrie Vineyard (David Lett)
OREGON : WINE LAWS
Generics– No Generic Names Permitted
(e.g. Chablis, Burgundy)
• 90% Minimum Varietal Wines (PN/PG)
*Exception: 75% if Cabernet and 17 other approved varietals
• Origin: 100% for County/State Listed, 95% for AVA
• Vintage: 95% for AVA, 85% for County/State
Why does Oregon have stricter laws?
They joined the wine industry late
PINOT GRIS: VARIETAL CHARACTERISTICS
Mango, melon, apple, pear, honey
Pinot Gris Food Suggestions
Salmon Halibut Chicken piccata Cheese Fruit Scallops Crab Prawns Mussels Oysters White fish
Rainstorm winemaker’s notes
- Hand harvested grapes
- 6 months aging sur lee
- No oak/ML
WASHINGTON WINES
US #2 producer “New” Region More than 50,000 Acres / 53% White 12 Million plus cases 860 plus Wineries “Ideal” Climate Varietal Labels
WASHINGTON GRAPE VARIETIES
53% White
• Riesling 22%
• Chardonnay 19%
• Pinot Gris 4%
47% Red
• Cabernet Sauvignon 18.5%
• Merlot 16.3%
• Syrah 6.8%
WASHINGTON
GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
- The Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountain Range are the two dominant factors affecting Washington’s wine regions
- Western Washington is too wet and too cool to grow grapes –The Olympic Range gets 170” of rain Seattle gets 35”
WESTERN REGION: 1 AVA
Puget Sound AVA: Temperate 15-30” Rainfall Only a few wineries Some producing fruit wines (Bainbridge)
WASHINGTON Eastern regions
Cascades Block Cool Maritime Weather
6-8” Rainfall =
Irrigation (Columbia River)
Hot, Dry Days / Cool Nights
17 Hrs. Sunlight
How many AVAs are in the eastern region of WA?
12 = 98%
- Columbia Valley (1984) Largest and contains:
- Yakima Valley averages 12” rain
- Walla Walla Valley
- Red Mountain
- Columbia Gorge
- Horse Heaven Hills
- Wahluke Slope
- Rattlesnake Hills
- Lake Chelan
- Snipes Mountain
- Naches Heights (2011)
- Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley (2012)
WASHINGTON : WINE LAWS
75% Minimum Varietal
• WA AVA requires 95% grapes from that AVA if WA
is on the label
• If not, AVA is 85%
• Generics– No Generic Names Permitted (e.g.
Chablis, Burgundy
CHARDONNAY: VARIETAL
CHARACTERISTICS
Apple, pear, pineapple, citrus fruit flavors. Also figs,
melons, flinty. (Flavors vary according to where
grown)
• Winemaking flavors: toast, vanilla, sweet clove,
buttery or creamy, coconuts, tea.
• Aged Chardonnays: Peach, pineapple, sage, honey, caramel
TOP 5 VARIETALS IN OREGON
- Pinot Noir
- Pinot Gris
- Chardonnay
- Riesling
- Syrah
Oregon Eastern AVAS
Eastern AVAs: Drier with only 6 to 8” rain Columbia Valley (with WA) Walla Walla (with WA) Columbia Gorge (With WA) Snake River Valley (With ID) Rocks District of Milton-Freewater, 2015
Oregon Western AVAs
13
PINOT NOIR: VARIETAL
CHARACTERISTICS
- Cherry, raspberry, strawberry, cola, pomegranate, mushrooms, earth, bacon, meat/game, baking spices, and purple and red flowers
- Velvety
Firesteed
- Stainless steel fermentation
- Burgundy yeasts
- Certified Oregon LIVE (low input viticulture and enology) winery and vineyards
DAVID PITTARD
CALS ‘04 OWNER, BUTTONWOOD GROVE WINERY
Long island
- 66 wineries (most on the North Fork)
- More than 2,000 acres
- 100 miles from NYC
- Merlot and reds best
- Longest growing season 215 to 233 days
How many AVAs are in Long Island?
AVAs: (3)
North Fork of Long Island
The Hamptons, LI
Long Island
CABERNET FRANC:
VARIETAL CHARACTERISTICS
• Blackcurrants (cassis), dark fruits, violets, vegetal, bell
pepper, spicy, raspberries.
Allen Shoup
Father of Washington Wine industry
Washington Wine - 1979
Allen Shoup moves from Gallo to WA and heads up Chateau Ste. Michelle
SILVER TOTEM CABERNET SAUVIGNON
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Syrah
- Half the wine is aged in oak barrels (30% new American oak) and the other half is aged in stainless steel tanks for 20-24 months
