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Capping off a year of vivid Washington wine imagery, resident photographer Richard Duval captured a blanket of snow on Pepper Bridge vineyard and winery in Walla Walla - a perfect way to end 2017. Cheers and best wishes for the New Year!

As plantings increase in the Columbia Valley, growers and winemakers are looking to add to the specificity of their wines. It is therefore no surprise that four new appellations, or American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), have been proposed this year for Washington. The proposed appellations are, in order submitted, Candy Mountain, Royal Slope, The Burn of Columbia Valley, and White Bluffs.

With harvest’s end comes the canopy color change. After six weeks of capturing the joy and madness of harvest and crush, resident photographer Richard Duval ended the season at Doubleback’s McQueen Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley.

Below is a look at what was picked, when, and where in Washington during October. Many growers and winemakers wrapped up harvest this year between the middle and end of October, although some did pick into November.

The hallmark of this harvest season was certainly the cool down that took place in September and October, where heat accumulation more or less flatlined. This is well shown in the chart of Growing Degree Days (GDD), a measure of heat accumulation, from Washington State University. This allowed picking to occur at a measured pace.

The wine world was shocked on October 25^thwhen Walla Walla Valley’s Cayuse Vineyards announced that it would not be releasing many of its 2015 vintage wines due to problems associated with the cork closures. The problem described by the winery was "the presence of paraffin and an oily film in the wines." Both of these issues were presumably the result of treatment processes used to produce the cork closures.

In looking at the recent Washington acreage data, I noted that Riesling (6%) and Chardonnay (2%) grew at small rates between the 2011 and 2017 surveys. Meanwhile, Pinot Gris (35%) and Sauvignon Blanc (24%) showed the strongest growth. Let’s take a look at appellation level data to see what’s happening where for these varieties.

Looking deeper into the Washington wine grape acreage study that was released yesterday, here are six additional thoughts.

1. White grape plantings have slowed down sharply

Numbers released today in a 2017 Washington State grape acreage study showed a dramatic increase in Cabernet Sauvignon plantings.

In 2011, the last year this study was conducted, Washington had 10,293 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon. This year the state has 18,608 acres – an increase of 81%. Red grape varieties in general showed 43% growth, from 24,998 acres in 2011 up to 35,852 acres in 2017, with Cabernet Sauvignon driving most of that change. White grape varieties increased at a more modest 4%. Overall acreage in the state was up 26% since 2011. Again, Cabernet Sauvignon was the major player. To wit, the state increased its acreage by 11,596 acres from 2011 to 2017. Cabernet Sauvignon accounted for 8,315 (72%) of those acres (note that some varieties decreased in acreage while others increased).

Christophe Baron of Cayuse Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley announced on Wednesday that he would not be releasing many of the 2015 Cayuse wines due to faulty corks. The text of the message to Cayuse customers was as follows:

Since 1997, we at Cayuse Vineyards have been dedicated to creating world-class wines. We are committed to biodynamic farming and our mission is to produce wine that is the best possible representation of our unique terroir. We simply will not release a wine that doesn't meet our rigorous standards.

Earlier this year, in preparation for the May bottling of many of our 2015 wines, we purchased the highest quality corks from our long time supplier. Despite taking every possible step to ensure that we are crafting the best wines possible, during bottling we discovered paraffin particulates caused by faulty corks.

We’re approaching the six week mark on harvest in Washington. Harvest began on August 23^rd with picks of Tempranillo for rosé in the Walla Walla Valley and picks of Pinot Noir for sparkling wine in the Yakima Valley. Most winemakers I’ve spoken with have reported that they have brought in 30-40% of their fruit at present. Hillary Sjolund, consulting winemaker at Wine Boss in Richland, provided the following summary of recent vintages at Wine Boss:

Tons received by Oct. 2nd in each vintage:
2015 - 540 (82% complete)
2016 - 419 (67% complete)
2017 - 211 (~40% complete)

Welcome to the controlled chaos that is crush! All around Washington, all around the clock, some 900+ wineries are delivering bins, picking grapes, sifting stems and crushing the good stuff to make the 2017 vintages. Resident photographer Richard Duval lives for this season, relentlessly roaming 14 appellations to photograph Washington winemakers at their best, if not their most tired.

Buckle your seat belts. A round-up of stories on Northwest wine from August 22^nd to September 7^th 2017. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the country…

Wines and Vines writes that Oregon wineries welcome eclipse viewers. They also write about the start of harvest.

Decanter writes about Oregon Gamay.

Shanken Daily News writes that Ste Michelle Wine Estates sees innovation pay off. They also write that Oregon wines are on the rise.

Seattle Metropolitan's 2017 Top 100 Washington wines list has been released in the October issue. This is the eighth year that I have written this list for the magazine. This year, the lists are as follows:

Cabernet Sauvignon
Syrah
Best wines under $30
Bordeaux-style blends
White wines
Other reds

With Washington now home to over 900 wineries, it seems almost unimaginable to think of just how small the state’s wine industry was when Ste. Michelle Vintners was founded in 1967. “At the time there were only 12 wineries in the state, and 88% of the wine was fruit wine or fortified dessert wine,” said Ted Baseler, President and CEO of Ste Michelle Wine Estates, Chateau Ste. Michelle’s parent company. “There was only a small amount of varietal wine.”

In the western most point of the Yakima Valley appellation stands the much praised Red Willow Vineyard. Planted and farmed by the multi-generational Sauer family, Red Willow’s iconic landmark is the Monsignor Chapel, built by the family as an homage to the many chapel vineyards in France. A favorite site of resident photographer Richard Duval, the chapel is as distinctive as the grapes.

Aiming to capture a truly spiritual image that reflected Red Willow’s beauty and reverence, Duval and associate Chris Rider, an experienced night sky photographer, enlisted a clear summer night and the vineyard’s 1,300 foot elevation to capture the Milky Way. Starting at 11 pm and shooting till nearly 3:00 am, they captured nearly two dozen striking images.

I had the opportunity to talk with Allen Shoup for a Wine Enthusiast podcast about the early days of the Washington wine industry, how the industry has evolved over the years, and his work at Long Shadows Vintners. You can listen to the podcast here.

Enjoy!

A round-up of stories on Northwest wine from August 15^th to 21^st. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the country…

Wine Spectator writes about donating $1M to WSU’s viticulture and enology program.

The New York Times writes about Yakima Valley.

Wine Enthusiast says Oregon Riesling is the best in the west.

Harvest has begun in the Northwest. Ryan Driver, vineyard manager at Tertulia Cellars, reported harvesting Tempranillo (21.2 Brix) today for rosé at the winery's Rivière Galets Vineyard in the Rocks District on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla Valley. In the Yakima Valley, David Minick reported harvesting Pinot Noir for sparkling wine at Precept's Canyon Vineyard Ranch. Winemaker Aryn Morell (Matthews, Tenor, Alleromb, Gård) said that he will begin harvesting Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on Thursday August 24th for a sparkling wine project. The fruit will come from Solaksen Vineyard, a Lawrence property in the Columbia Valley.

Most growers and winemakers I've spoken with have said that they expect to start bringing in white wine grapes either at the end of August or beginning of September. Red wine grape harvesting is expected to begin in the second week of September, considerably later than recent (warm) vintages.

Let harvest begin!

Picture courtesy of Ryan Driver, Tertulia Cellars. This post has been updated to include the harvest at Canyon Vineyard Ranch.

A round-up of stories on Northwest wine from August 8^th to 14^th 2017. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the world…

Shanghai Daily writes about Washington wine.

From around the country...

Wine Enthusiast writes about the diversity of Washington State wines (article by yours truly).

Below are my Wine Enthusiast reviews for September 2017. Wines are listed alphabetically by winery. Read additional information on how I review wines here. All of these reviews are freely available on-line at the Wine Enthusiast Buying Guide. There is also a freely available Wine Enthusiast Tasting Guide app. See previous Wine Enthusiast reviews re-published in this space here. Search Wine Enthusiast's on-line database here.

283 wines reviewed in the September 2017 issue of Wine Enthusiast. Lots of top quality wines in this issue. I’ll highlight a selection of them here.

Newcomer Ardor Cellars continues to impress with its Syrahs (Ardor 2015 Quaternarium Reserve Syrah Columbia Valley $70, 93 points; Ardor 2015 Stoney Vine Vineyard Syrah Walla Walla Valley $50, 91 points).

A round-up of stories on Northwest wine from August 1^st to 7^th 2017. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the country…

Wine Enthusiast writes about relying on animals for sustainable winemaking, with mentions of several Northwest producers. They also write about old vines of Oregon.

Food and Wine writes about where to eat and drink in Willamette Valley.

Winston-Salem Journal writes about recently tasted wines, with a callout to the Stoller Pinot Noir Rosé and Left Coast Cellars Pinot Noir.

Below are my Wine Enthusiast reviews for August 2017. Wines are listed alphabetically by winery. Read additional information on how I review wines here. All of these reviews are freely available on-line at the Wine Enthusiast Buying Guide. There is also a freely available Wine Enthusiast Tasting Guide app. See previous Wine Enthusiast reviews re-published in this space here. Search Wine Enthusiast's on-line database here.

153 wines reviewed in the August issue of Wine Enthusiast. Avennia continues to make some of the best wines in the state (Avennia 2014 Valery Columbia Valley $50, 92 points; Avennia 2014 Sestina Columbia Valley $65, 91 points).

Below are my Wine Enthusiast reviews for July 2017. Wines are listed alphabetically by winery. Read additional information on how I review wines here. All of these reviews are freely available on-line at the Wine Enthusiast Buying Guide. There is also a freely available Wine Enthusiast Tasting Guide app. See previous Wine Enthusiast reviews re-published in this space here. Search Wine Enthusiast's on-line database here.

125 wines reviewed in the July issue of Wine Enthusiast. They include a great Syrah from Eight Bells (Eight Bells 2014 Eight Clones Red Willow Vineyard Syrah Yakima Valley $35, 92 points).

A round-up of stories on Northwest wine from July 22^nd to 31^st 2017. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the country…

Wine Spectator writes about an ownership transition at Adelsheim.

Boise Weekly says to think pink, with a recommendation of the 2016 Dunham rosé.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune makes the Cooper Hill Pinot Gris its wine of the week.

With the growing season hitting its stride, resident photographer Richard Duval is roaming the Washington wine community capturing the colors of summer.

“Wandering around the south section of Walla Walla, I visited one of my most dependable photos spots - Northstar winery and vineyard,” said Duval. “Meticulously maintained, Northstar always delivers a colorful scenario. Sure enough, that morning the lavender framing the rows was in full bloom, adding a splash of vivid color to this vineyard vista.”

Veraison - the changing of color of the grapes - has begun in eastern Washington's vineyards. This picture of Sangiovese comes courtesy of Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley. The folks at Seven Hills report that they saw veraison in Sangiovese on this same date in 2013, a warm vintage.

Meanwhile Hillary Sjolund of Wine Boss and Sonoris Wines reported seeing veraison in Merlot at Quintessence Vineyard on Red Mountain on July 18th. Ryan Driver of Tertulia Cellars also reported seeing veraison in Tempranillo in the Walla Walla Valley on July 20th.

The start of veraison can only mean one thing - that harvest is not far off!

Today marks the 10 year anniversary of the founding of Washington Wine Report as an on-line site (it existed as an email list two years prior that). I sincerely appreciate everyone following along over the past decade, and I thank you for your support. It's been amazing to watch the industry grow these past 10 years. Here's to the next decade of Washington wine!

Below are my Wine Enthusiast reviews for June 2017. Wines are listed alphabetically by winery. Read additional information on how I review wines here. All of these reviews are freely available on-line at the Wine Enthusiast Buying Guide. There is also a freely available Wine Enthusiast Tasting Guide app. See previous Wine Enthusiast reviews re-published in this space here. Search Wine Enthusiast's on-line database here.

188 wines reviewed in the June issue of Wine Enthusiast. They include two high quality wines from Avennia (Avennia 2014 Gravura Red Blend Columbia Valley $35, 91 points; Avennia 2014 Justine Red Blend Columbia Valley $40, 92 points).

The 2014 Bordeaux-style releases from Betz Family Winery do not disappoint, including the Betz Family 2014 Clos de Betz Red Blend Columbia Valley ($60, 92 points); Betz Family 2014 Père de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley ($75, 93 points); and Betz Family 2014 Heart of the Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain ($110, 93 points).

Signs of a glorious spring in Washington wine country abound. Buds have broken throughout the state; al fresco sipping sites increase daily; and resident photographer Richard Duval is on the road.

“While shadowing the recent Masters of Wine tour through the heart of the heart Washington wine community, I caught this spring activity at Canyon Vineyard Ranch owned by Precept Wine,” he said. “Tractors amongst the rows and hills of this great vineyard made for near perfect photos of the bustle of spring.”

Bloom is beginning in eastern Washington's vineyards. Sagemoor Vineyards reports bloom in their Chardonnay, pictured at left, on May 27th. This same block had bloom on May 5th in 2016 (which had an extremely warm start); May 14th in 2015 (a warm year); May 20th in 2013 (also a warm year); and June 7th in 2012 (a year that tracked to 20 year averages for heat accumulation). See a graph of current Growing Degree Days, a measure of heat accumulation, from Washington State University here.

Click on the picture, which is provided courtesy of Sagemoor Vineyards, to see a larger image.

The following is excerpted from an on-line article at Wine Enthusiast. Follow the link below to the complete article.

From the state’s first Syrah plantings to the creation of some of its finest wines, Red Willow has made a name for itself in Washington.

One of Washington State’s most influential sites, Red Willow Vineyard, sprung up from humble beginnings.

“I was a new kid on the farm, 22–23 years old,” says grower Mike Sauer. “Just came to the farm looking for my place.” Sauer would decide that his place was to grow wine grapes, a relatively novel idea back in the early 1970s.

Below are my Wine Enthusiast reviews for May 2017. Wines are listed alphabetically by winery. Read additional information on how I review wines here. All of these reviews are freely available on-line at the Wine Enthusiast Buying Guide. There is also a freely available Wine Enthusiast Tasting Guide app. See previous Wine Enthusiast reviews re-published in this space here. Search Wine Enthusiast's on-line database here.

60 wines reviewed in the May issue of Wine Enthusiast. They include a strong set of wines from Cairdeas, including the Cairdeas 2014 Caislén an Papa Red Wine Blend Meek Vineyard Washington ($45, 91 points); Cairdeas 2014 Trí Red Blend Yakima Valley ($39, 91 points); and Cairdeas 2014 Consonance Red Blend Yakima Valley ($42, 91 points).

Bud break is occurring in eastern Washington. This picture is Phelps Clone Syrah on April 10th at the Ziggy Stardust block of Elevation Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley and comes courtesy of Trey Busch at Sleight of Hand Cellars. Busch reports that bud break took place at the same location last year on April 1st.

Bud break has also been reported in Grenache by Ryan Driver of Tertulia Cellars at the winery's Rivière Galets Vineyard in The Rocks District; by Hillary Sjolund in Chardonnay at Gordon Estate Winery in the Columbia Valley; and at Watermill Vineyard in The Rocks by Brian Roy.

Let the 2017 growing season begin!

Celebrating its 50th year, Chateau Ste. Michelle is the flagship of the Washington wine industry. When the spring season finally arrives, the French-styled chateau, surrounded by 105 wooded acres, draws hundreds of visitors a day, including resident photographer Richard Duval.

“Spring skies prompt colorful flora and happy wine aficionados to Woodinville, and particularly to Ste. Michelle,” he noted. “Aiming to record the color of the day, I traversed the grand walkway and captured the chateau on a brilliant spring morning.”

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

The following is an excerpt of an article I co-wrote with Paul Gregutt in the April 2017 issue of Wine Enthusiast magazine. Paul wrote the first section on Washington winemakers making Oregon wine. I wrote the second section on Oregon winemakers making Washington wine.

A number of Oregon and Washington wineries are heading across state lines to find the best grapes, proving borders don't matter when it comes to good wine.

No single place grows every grape variety equally well. Moreover, grapes know nothing about imaginary lines like state borders. In the Pacific Northwest, enterprising winemakers reach into neighboring states to tap great vineyard sources and craft compelling wines.

South to Oregon

The 2017 Washington State Wine Tour Guide is now available. You can read the tour guide online here. Order hard copies of the guide here.

Of note, in this year's guide I wrote the sections Washington Wine Primer, Meet the AVAs, and Walla Walla Valley.

Enjoy!

Below are my Wine Enthusiast reviews for March 2017. Wines are listed alphabetically by winery. Read additional information on how I review wines here. All of these reviews are freely available on-line at the Wine Enthusiast Buying Guide. There is also a freely available Wine Enthusiast Tasting Guide app. See previous Wine Enthusiast reviews re-published in this space here. Search Wine Enthusiast's on-line database here.

86 wines reviewed in March for Wine Enthusiast (Note: Monthly totals will now be lower than they were previously as reviews are being published every month as opposed to every other).

The reviews include a strong set of wines from Dusted Valley (Dusted Valley 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley $42 , 91 points; Dusted Valley 2013 Wallywood Red Blend Columbia Valley $42, 92 points; Dusted Valley 2014 Tall Tales Stoney Vine Vineyard Syrah Walla Walla Valley $60, 92 points).

A round-up of stories on Northwest wine from March 1^st to 7^th 2017. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the country…

Wine Enthusiast magazine writes about Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen of W.T. Vintners (article by yours truly).

Boston.com reports that Robert Kraft and Tom Brady celebrated with Drew Bledsoe’s wine.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes about red blends from Washington.

As expected, 2016 shattered the state’s record for grape production according to numbers released on Wednesday by the Washington Wine Commission. Washington produced 270,000 tons of wine grapes in 2016, easily surpassing the previous record of 227,000 tons set in 2014.

The most shocking growth was in Cabernet Sauvignon, which increased from 47,400 tons in 2015 to a whopping 71,100 tons in 2016. Overall, Cabernet Sauvignon accounted for 26% of the state’s production, an indication that the variety is increasingly seen as a calling card for the state.

Winter's hand on Washington vineyards is still prevalent. Resident photographer Richard Duval captured this vista of snow and vines at the magnificent Wallula Vineyard, high above the Columbia River just south of Kennewick. Also known as The Benches, this expansive vineyard sources grapes to some of Washington's finest wineries, including Long Shadows and Den Hoed Wine Estates.

The following is an excerpt from an article in the March 2017 edition of Wine Enthusiast.

A pioneering French winemaker's discovery of a cobblestone corner of the Walla Walla Valley has yielded wines unlike anywhere else in the world.

Rocks region pioneer Christophe Baron didn’t set out to discover a new wine-growing territory when he first moved to the Walla Walla Valley from his native France in 1993. In fact, he didn’t really look to live in the Walla Walla Valley, which straddles the Oregon-Washington border, at all.

A round-up of stories on Northwest wine from February 1st to 14th 2017. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the country…

The San Diego Entertainer writes about Washington wine.

Wine Spectator writes about Oregon values. They also write about Tenet Wines. Meanwhile Tim Fish writes about new adventures in Washington and Oregon and the magazine announces that Tim Fish will cover Washington and Oregon.

Buffalo News writes about a wine trip to Walla Walla.

Below are my Wine Enthusiast reviews for February 2017. Wines are listed alphabetically by winery. Read additional information on how I review wines here. All of these reviews are freely available on-line at the Wine Enthusiast Buying Guide. There is also a freely available Wine Enthusiast Tasting Guide app. See previous Wine Enthusiast reviews re-published in this space here. Search Wine Enthusiast's on-line database here.

189 wines reviewed in the February issue of Wine Enthusiast. They start off with a strong series of 2013 vintage wines from Andrew Will (Andrew Will 2013 Sorella Champoux Vineyard Red Blend Horse Heaven Hills $83, 92 points; Andrew Will 2013 Esploso Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley $60, 92 points; Andrew Will 2013 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Red Blend Red Mountain $64, 92 points; Andrew Will 2013 Champoux Vineyard Red Blend Horse Heaven Hills $74, 92 points).

The January/February issue of Vineyard and Winery Management Magazine contains two articles I wrote, one a 2016 harvest report for Washington and the other a 2016 harvest report for Oregon. You can read both of these articles here.

Enjoy!

A round-up of stories on Northwest wine from January 22nd to 31st 2017. Read previous round-ups here.

From the blogosphere…

Great Northwest Wine writes that wine will be bigger than wheat. They also write about the state of Riesling and a bill that would ease laws on alcohol at movies.

Washington Wine Blog writes about the Rocks District website.

Write for Wine wishes a happy 50^th anniversary to Chateau Ste Michelle. Margot also writes about Taste Washington celebrating its 20^th anniversary.

A tale of two seasons: harvest, a blur of frenzied near non-stop team activity in late summer sun. And winter, a meticulous and somewhat solitary time of vineyard care amidst the blanket of snow that covers Washington vineyards.

Resident photographer Richard Duval matched two scenes – harvest and winter prep – from Lake Chelan’s Hard Row to Hoe with the hard-working Don Phelps who maintains the vineyards for winemaker Judy Phelps.

Click on the picture to see a larger image.

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Editor

Sean P. Sullivan is the editor of Washington Wine Report and a contributing editor at Wine Enthusiast magazine, covering Washington and Idaho. He has been writing about and reviewing Washington wine since 2005.

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Editor - Sean P. Sullivan

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Washington Wine Report is an independent publication focused on bringing Washington wine to you and bringing you to Washington wine. My goal is: to help you select Pacific Northwest wines at a variety of price levels; to keep you up-to-date about the Northwest’s wineries, vineyards, and individuals; to help you plan trips to wine country; and to connect you to the larger wine community.

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