Did you know that the Washington wine industry is the second largest premium wine producer in the United States? Over the last decade, wine production more than doubled to make wine grapes one of Washingtons leading fruit crop. There are over 240 wineries that produce Washington wine harvested from 29,000 acres of wine grape vineyards.
Compared to California, the nations leading wine producer, Washingtons latitude allows vineyards to receive an average of two hours more sunlight! Grapes can mature and ripen nicely with the extra light. Since the region also enjoys warm daytime and cool nighttime temperatures, the wine grapes remain high in acidity, which creates rich, high-quality wines.
Since Washington experiences several different microclimates throughout the largest growing region, many varieties of wine grapes flourish within the state. With more than 15 varieties, enthusiasts have a choice of 57% red and 43% white Washington wine. You can find Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillion as Washingtons leading varieties.
Pairing Food with Washington Wine
With rich, full-bodied Merlots and Cabernet Sauvignon, diners can enjoy robust foods with intense flavors. The complex reds are great company to grilled meats and aged cheeses. Dry, buttery Chardonnays and many other white wines are excellent with seafood dishes like lobster, shrimp, seafood salad, and also pasta dishes made with creamy sauces.
Six Oregon wine growing regions house over 200 wineries harvesting wine grapes from more than 11,000 acres of vineyards. Most of these wineries are family-owned operations, born first in the 1840s, but really flourished years after prohibition in the 1970s. These days, Oregon wine receives excellent recognition as high-quality wines in the United States and internationally.
The largest wine-producing region is the Willamette Valley, with close proximity to Portland and an excellent cool, but temperate climate perfect for growing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Riesling. The slightly cooler growing temperatures create excellent crisp, fruity wines of varying acidity levels. Enthusiasts have excellent choices for choosing Oregon wine that can age a few years, or can enjoy some young and fresh.
In the Columbia Valley and Walla Walla Valley, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon thrive in a warmer, drier climate. Rogue Valley, Applegate Valley, and Umpqua Valley experience a range of climates, resulting in various Bordeaux and Burgundy varieties. With warm daytime sun and cooler night air allow these grapes to mature beautifully and retain excellent levels of tannins, making complex, rich red wines that can age well.
Dining with Oregon Wine
With so many types of fine wine from Oregon, you can surely find the right accompaniment to any dish. The buttery, creamy flavors of many white variations make it a great partner to seafood dishes such as lobster or a seafood salad. Red wine variations tend to have a full, rich flavor, making it great for foods with similar intensity, such as grilled steak or aged cheeses.
Searching for rare old wines can be very challenging as well as a strain on your pocket. When wines are released, the most elegant and high-quality ones often sell out immediately. In some instances, with the most prestigious Estates and Chateau, rare old wines sell out before even being released in the open market. When this happens, youre unlikely to find it for the release price every again.
After a wine sells out from the winery, collectors everywhere scour the auction market for those rare wines. In the auction market, some wines experience such high demand that they command prices more than ten times their original price. Especially with rare old wines that collectors purchased years ago, auction appearances shoot through the roof!
Some wines become hot commodities because of stellar wine critic reviews. Robert Parker wine reviews are a fine example of one persons opinion selling out a wine. For example, Robert Parker tried an Australian first vintage called Torbreck Run Rig and published commentaries raving about this wine. The wine immediately became a cult best seller, making the proprietor a newly rich man!
Anticipating Rare Old Wines
With the right research and understanding, you could try predicting which wines become highly demanded as they age. Wine futures are one way you can purchase wines before they release in the open market. If you are very knowledgeable on wines, wineries, and vineyards, the right research could show you which wine to purchase through wine future selections and after some aging, they can become rare old wines.
The premier red wine grape is the Cabernet Sauvignon. This grape variety is small, dark, thick skinned, and requires a warm climate to reach maturity. Many red Bordeaux wines use the Cabernet Sauvignon, making this variety one of the dominant grapes grown in the Bordeaux region of France. Bordeaux is the largest producer of classified fine wines, and has the ideal climate and rich soil for growing these wine grapes.
The Cabernet Sauvignon produces wines rich in tannin, which allow a long aging potential. These wines may take 5 to 10 years to achieve peak flavor–some of these flavors associated with dark cherry, tobacco, cedar, black currant, and even olive and green pepper. This varietal is also frequently blended with other varieties for increased complexity.
Through DNA testing, experts discovered that Cabernet Sauvignon descends from the Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. Also used in many Bordeaux blends, the Cabernet Franc is lighter and fruitier than the Cabernet Sauvignon, and usually only used as a minor component in the blends. Cabernets generally age for 18 months in oak barrels before they are bottled, a process that achieves more complexity in flavor.
Choosing Bordeaux Cabernet Blends
Many Bordeaux wines command expensive prices because of their well-deserved classification. However, wine enthusiasts can also enjoy an endless number of choices that fall within any price range. So many wines are produced out of Bordeaux that you can find full-bodied, light-bodied, red, or white wines to fit any budget!
The Merlot grape compares closely to the Cabernet Sauvignon, although it contains less tannins. Lower tannins make a wine that matures faster, and feels softer in texture. For this reason, many wines blend Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon for a softer wine, and the many famous red Bordeaux wines are a prime example of these blends.
In fact, the Bordeaux region in France primarily uses both the Merlot and Cabernet blended with a smaller amount of other grape varietals for the red wines. The ideal climate in Bordeaux makes it one of the largest producers of wine. Compared to the Cabernet, Merlot grapes can mature in cooler climates, but are susceptible to fungus and mold diseases, making it a little harder to grow.
The Cabernet Sauvignon grape is the most widely used red wine grape in the world, and though it dominates in the Bordeaux region, it is also grown in all other major regions. These grapes produce wines that are high in Tannin, which gives them a long aging potential–from 5-10 years to reach peak flavor. Cabernets usually age for up to 18 months in oak barrels before bottling.
The Taste Characteristics of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot wines are softer, fruitier, and smooth in texture, with flavors of ripe berries. Since Merlots can grow in a slightly cooler climate, they tend to taste like the Cabernet, but with stronger flavors of olive and green pepper. The Cabernet is associated with flavors of dark cherry, black currant, cedar, and tobacco! Both wines are similar in many ways, and are often blended together.