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itä wines winemaker Kelsey Itämeri sticks to her guns

In recent years, a number of producers in Washington have explored a different style for the state, one that involves picking significantly earlier than the norm and focusing more intently on acidity. One example is a new winery in Walla Walla Valley called itä wines.

“My palate tends more toward a lighter, more acid driven style of wine,” explains owner and winemaker Kelsey Albro Itämeri. This style is driven by both when she picks fruit and how she decides to do so.

“When I make picking decisions, I'm looking honestly for a balance between finished alcohol and acidity,” Itämeri says. “I haven't become too wrapped up in tasting for phenolics. Perhaps people think that I'm a wild child.”

Founded in 2019, itä is located in one of the winery incubator buildings in the airport region of Walla Walla, opening its doors is 2020. The winery name has multiple meanings. It’s a shortened version of Itämeri’s name, translates to “east” in Finnish, and is a reference to a diminutive modifier in Spanish.

In addition to picking decisions, itä’s wine style is also driven by its fruit sources, which currently come from two sites, Les Collines Vineyard and Breezy Slope. Both are nestled in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, near where Itämeri’s parents own property. Itämeri currently has test plantings on that property, with the goal of eventually having the wines be from estate fruit.

“I just really wanted to explore the terroir, the conditions, and the varieties that can really thrive in this little, tiny section of the Walla Walla Valley,” Itämeri says. She believes Les Collines is well-suited to her style.

“You don't have to be scared to pick so early because you're going to have a really beautiful expression of phenolics, even on the early side,” Itämeri says. In addition to the itä wines being markedly lower in alcohol and having brighter acidity than most currently coming out of Washington, they also see next to no new oak.

“I can't afford new oak!” Itämeri says laughing. “I don't like the way it tastes. Why would I make that wine?”

Thus far the itä offerings have included two different styles of Semillon, a Syrah, a Merlot, a promising Pinot Noir, and a rosé of Primitivo. The Merlot in particular is a revelation, distinct from anything I have seen come out of Washington to date.

“When I'm thinking about what I want the finished wine to be, I think about when are people going to drink it and where are they going to be and how will it make them feel?” Itämeri says. “When I think about the [Merlot] that I want to make, I think about coming home after a bad day, and this is the one you want – the wine that’s going to love you back.”

Though Washington remains largely dominated by fuller bodied red wines, Itämeri and others have shown lighter bodied styles can be made in Washington and made at high quality. They’ve also shown there is more than enough room for stylistic variation in the state.

“You kind of have to just stick to your guns a little bit and be like, ‘This is how I want to win’ and play the game appropriately,” Itämeri says.

Wine Enthusiast reviews below  

itä 2019 Les Collines Vineyard Merlot Walla Walla Valley $45 93 points
This vineyard in the foothills of the Blue Mountains has largely established its reputation on Syrah, but this wine is an announcement that, in the right hands, it can make stellar Merlot in a distinctive style. The aromas pop, with notes of dark raspberry, plum and generous amounts of fresh herbs. There’s a freshness and vitality to the flavors that completely captivate, with vibrant acidity behind it all. It has extended hang time on the finish. Put it on the dinner table to see it at its best. It’s a swoonworthy statement wine for this producer and vineyard. Editor’s Choice

itä 2019 Les Collines Syrah Walla Walla Valley $45 91 points
Les Collines is situated in the foothills of the Blue Mountains and has proven itself to be a special spot for Syrah. Here, this young producer gives a compelling interpretation of this site. The aromas offer achingly pure notes of boysenberry, violet and herbs. The palate shows a lovely sense of elegance and freshness to the bountiful fruit flavors that are light on their feet. A long, lingering finish caps it off. For those looking for pure, unadorned, restrained expression of Les Collines, look no further. This wine flat out delivers. Editor’s Choice

itä 2019 1 of 2 Les Collines Vineyard Sémillon Walla Walla Valley $25 90 points
Fermented and aged in stainless steel, aromas of fig, talc and lemon are followed by focused, sleek flavors and tart, lemony acidity. It’s a wonderfully acid driven offering of this variety. Editor’s Choice

itä 2019 2 of 2 Les Collines Vineyard Sémillon Walla Walla Valley $25 90 points
Fermented and aged in neutral oak, the aromas are light initially, with notes of wet rock, fig and spice. The palate brings a sense of creamy texture yet remains sleek, with lemony acidity stitching it together. It’s as much about feel as flavor, with acid in the driver’s seat. Editor’s Choice

itä 2019 Breezy Slope Vineyard Pinot Noir Walla Walla Valley $45 88 points
Pinot Noir is a relative rarity in the Columbia Valley, with most of what’s planted used for sparkling wines; Pinots from Walla Walla are that much more unusual. It’s light in color and cloudy, offering aromas bursting with notes of strawberry, forest floor, rhubarb and whole tangerine, with the variety immediately identifiable. The palate is light and juicy. It doesn’t entirely stand up on its own but will do well at the dinner table. Pair it with salmon salad with fresh berries and a basil vinaigrette.

Image by Richard Duval. 

Six myths about Washington wine

Washington is the nation’s second-largest wine-producing state, with more than 1,000 wineries and 60,000 acres of grape vines. Despite its standing and influence, many misconceptions persist. Here are the top six. 

Myth #1: You’ve got the wrong Washington 

When we talk about “Washington wine,” we’re talking about Washington State, not Washington, D.C. While some might assume this to be broadly understood, most every producer in the state would confirm how common this misunderstanding is, particularly as one gets further away from the West Coast. 

Master of Wine Bob Betz has spent decades promoting Washington wines and viticultural regions. He tells the story of giving a presentation on the state’s wines years back, where upon finishing someone in attendance asked, “Which side of the Potomac are the vineyards on?” This misunderstanding still exists today. 

Read the full article at Wine Enthusiast.

Image by Richard Duval

Elizabeth Bourcier appointed resident vigneronne at Bionic Wines

On Friday Christophe Baron, founder and vigneron at Bionic Wines, announced the promotion of Elizabeth Bourcier from assistant vigneron to resident vigneron for all of the estate’s Walla Walla Valley brands. Bourcier will now have primary responsibility for crafting some the world’s most sought after and highly acclaimed wines, including those from Cayuse VineyardsHorsepower VineyardsHors Catégorie Vineyards, and No Girls.

“Elizabeth is an incredible talent and since our 2017 vintage, Elizabeth has been in charge of creating Bionic Wines’ full production,” Baron said in an email to his customers. “To recognize her accomplishment, I’m thrilled to formally announce Elizabeth as Resident Vigneronne of Bionic Wines.”

Baron will remain involved in Bionic Wines but will now give more time to Champagne Christophe Baron. This is a Pinot Meunier-dedicated project that Baron began in the 2014 vintage, using grapes from his family’s vineyards in France’s Marne Valley.

The announcement also referenced Baron’s involvement in “other exciting upcoming projects.” This will come as no surprise to anyone who has met the Frenchman once dubbed the Bionic Frog due to his always-active motor.

In 1997, Baron pioneered planting in the region of Walla Walla Valley now known as the Rocks District. Since then, he has continuously expanded plantings and also pushed viticultural and qualitative boundaries in the valley, focusing on biodynamic farming and crafting wines that express the terroir of each vineyard.

Bourcier is a Kirkland, Washington native who moved to Walla Walla Valley in 2001 at age 18 to study at the Institute for Enology and Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College. She was in the Institute’s first graduating class. (Full disclosure: I am an adjunct instructor at Walla Walla Community College.) Bourcier subsequently completed a bachelor’s degree in viticulture at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.

After working in the tasting room at Bonny Doon Vineyard in California, Bourcier spent time at Finca Koch in the Mendoza region of Argentina before returning to Walla Walla. She began working as a laboratory technician at Cayuse Vineyards in 2008. In 2010, Baron promoted her to assistant vigneronne.

At that time, Bourcier also took primary responsibility as vigneronne for Bionic Wines’ No Girls brand, which she had co-produced since its first vintage in 2008. The name comes from a sign painted on the wall of a bordello in Walla Walla when it closed in the mid-20th century, an indication of changing times for women in the valley. Over the last decade, the No Girls wines have consistently earned top scores. In 2012, Bourcier also founded her own brand, La Rata, crafting a Priorat-inspired blend of Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. The wine quickly established a well-deserved cult following.

In the 13 years since she joined the winery, Bourcier has brought to Bionic Wines an incisive palate and also an unerring commitment to low-intervention winegrowing and making that matches Baron’s. While Baron’s accomplishments are nearly unrivalled since he founded Cayuse in 1997 – Bionic Wines has over 85 wines rated 95 points or above at Wine Enthusiast magazine where I serve as a contributing editor – the wines have only continued to become more refined as Bourcier has taken an increasingly prominent role.

Now Bourcier will have primary responsibility for Bionic Wines’ entire Walla Walla Valley portfolio. This includes wines from its vineyards in the Rocks District – which Baron and Bourcier refer to as ‘the stones’ – as well its vineyard by the north fork of the Walla Walla Valley River, used for the Hors Catégorie Syrah.

“Christophe has trusted my gut and palate with every vintage. The stones [in Walla Walla Valley] are unlike anything else in the world, and my goal has always been to let that carry through into the wine,” Bourcier said in the customer email.

In addition to a significant change for Walla Walla Valley, Bourcier’s appointment also seems to mark a turning point for the Washington wine industry more generally. (NB: Bionic Wines is located on the Oregon side of Walla Walla Valley.) While women remain underrepresented as winemakers and vigneronnes in the Columbia Valley, they now occupy two of the most prominent and influential positions in the appellation. Last year, Katie Nelson was named winemaker at Chateau Ste Michelle, Washington’s largest winery and most recognizable brand. Now Bourcier will oversee one of the Northwest’s most highly regarded estates.

“Women have come a long way, although I think you still have to work harder as a female to prove yourself – in the winemaking world you have to put yourself out there and be more quietly confident because the only way to the top is through hard work,” Bourcier said in the email. “My vision is to never let that quality diminish. It’s an exciting time for women in wine, especially in the Walla Walla Valley.”

Picture courtesy of Bionic Wines. © Andréa Johnson Photography.

Woodinville gets a new tasting hub

Already home to over 130 wineries and tasting rooms, Woodinville is about to get a new destination. Four wineries announced they will be opening tasting rooms in 2022 in a newly constructed building by the old Red Hook Brewery. These wineries are Mark RyanLong ShadowsFidélitas, and Latta.

“We've done really good things in existing buildings with a kind of down and dirty, garage feel,” says Mark Ryan founder Mark McNeilly. “I don't think it's going to feel much different than that, but we're going to try to elevate the kind of ‘Mark Ryan 2.0’ experience.”

McNeilly says this will involve focusing more on education as well as the winery’s history. Mark Ryan’s current space in Woodinville’s nearby Hollywood District will subsequently become a tasting room for its Board Track Racer wines.

“We have a strong commitment to that Hollywood Schoolhouse area, so we're going to keep our existing space,” McNeilly says. “But we just needed more physical space for the Mark Ryan label, and we needed more parking.”

Indeed, as the Hollywood District has flourished since its redevelopment over a decade ago, parking at many of the tasting rooms has become increasingly hard to come by. Long Shadows also currently has a tasting room in this area, which it will give up when it moves. Dane Narbaitz, president and partner at Long Shadows, agrees the new facility’s abundant parking was part of the appeal.

“We've got club members that show up and want to pick up wines, but of course they want to come in and taste the new releases as well,” Narbaitz says. “They’ll call and say ‘I can't find parking within half a mile of here. Can you just bring my wines out and put them in my trunk?’ That’s really sad to miss out on those opportunities.”

The new building was originally designed for Teatro Zinzanni, a long-running dinner circus theater. However, when Teatro abandoned plans to occupy the space last year due to the pandemic, the facility owners decided to turn it into tasting rooms. The building will use the original structural plans, but the space will now be divided between four wineries.

“The structure itself is really cool,” says Narbaitz. “It’s kind of got a modern industrial feel to it. Very upscale, but it's got steel beams and exposed concrete and wood finishes.”

Each winery is designing its own space, which will include outdoor patios and upstairs decks. The Long Shadows tasting room will also have private rooms as well as club rooms that can be combined for larger groups.

“We’ll have the ability to offer something a little more special, a little more memorable,” Narbaitz says. In addition to bountiful parking, for wineries already in the Hollywood Schoolhouse area, the new site will offer considerably more space.

“We’d kind of outgrown our [current] space a few years ago honestly,” says Fidélitas managing director Will Hoppes. He says the winery’s new tasting room will have at least five times more seating than its existing Hollywood space, making for a more relaxed visitor experience.

“People will be able to sit down and get a little more comfortable instead of a ‘churn and burn’ scene,” Hoppes says. The winery also anticipates doing club events at the location.

In addition to more parking and space, the exceptionally high quality of the other producers in the area only adds to the appeal, for the wineries and consumers alike. DeLille Cellars opened a stunning facility in this area in late 2019. Sparkman Cellars followed suit in 2020. It will be a formidable half dozen tasting rooms.

“It’s a great mix,” Hoppes says. “We’re all similar in a way but also different, so that's going to bring in a lot of people.” These are also very well-established Washington brands, with Latta – founded in 2011 – the most junior member.

“We're just getting on people's radar, so this is a tremendous opportunity for us,” says owner and winemaker Andrew Latta. Latta will keep its current production facility and tasting room in Seattle’s SoDo Urbanworks.

“Our current space is very utilitarian and was designed as such to be multi-purpose,” Latta says. “[Woodinville] is going to be a dedicated tasting space, so we can do things that are a little more refined.”

Construction on the new building is already underway, with completion slated for summer 2022. However, in addition to possible construction and permitting delays, supply chain issues might also have their say.

“We still have to order furniture, so that's going to take a good eight months to get here,” McNeilly says wryly.

In addition to the four new tasting rooms, DeLille, and Sparkman, the area also offers top notch food. The Lounge at DeLille Cellars is on-site, and Barking Frog restaurant is within a (very) short walk, with Willows Lodge providing a place to stay. Altogether, it guarantees an experience few in the area can match.

“We’re hoping to keep people once they come visit,” says Hoppes. “There’ll be no reason to leave.”

Illustration courtesy of Long Shadows. 

Pic of the Vine - November 2021

As always, contributing photographer Richard Duval roamed the wine regions of Washington during the past several months, capturing scenes from harvest. Among the thousands of images he took are two Syrah picks on the same day, though miles and hours apart.

The first, from a brisk early morning pick, was at Dineen Vineyard in Zillah, with the fruit headed for Orenda Winery in Carnation. This was followed by an early afternoon pick from the Discovery Vineyard, nestled along the Columbia River in the Horse Heaven Hills. Here vineyard Manager Oliver May ties down the bins headed to Darby Winery in Woodinville.

“Every year, I’m reminded yet again not only of the sheer size of the Columbia Valley grape growing region but its diverse terroir as well,” notes Duval. “From Wapato to the Horse Heaven Hills, the appellation grows an astounding range of superb wine grapes. Harvest is when they all get to shine.”



Pic of the Vine - October 2021

Contributing photographer Richard Duval is on the harvest trail around Washington.

"I always make it a point to start my harvest shoots at Quintessence Vineyard on Red Mountain and Sagemoor Vineyard in the new White Bluffs AVA," he notes. "This 'reflection-in-the-morning light' capture of Quintessence certainly started the season on a strong note."

The Walls Purchases Yakima Valley’s French Creek Vineyard

Walla Walla based winery The Walls has purchased French Creek Vineyard in Yakima Valley. The purchase was made in partnership with James Utz, a Tri-Cities-based wealth manager.


“I wanted The Walls to have its own estate story,” says owner and founder Mike Martin. “This helps do that.”

Located in Prosser, French Creek Vineyard is 40 acres, 33 of which are currently planted to Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and white and red Rhône varieties. The vineyard is perhaps best known for its Chardonnay, with the first vines planted in 1981. This makes them among the oldest Chardonnay plantings in the state. The vineyard also has Cabernet Sauvignon plantings that date to 1991.

Since its founding in 2014, The Walls has used French Creek Vineyard for its Martin’s Gold Chardonnay. French Creek is also the source of winery’s Lip Stinger Grenache Blanc and Cruel Summer Rosé. Martin says the purchase will help the winery grow parts of its portfolio.

“It gives us a chance in the years ahead to grow some varieties that we're familiar with and hopefully supplement some wines and maybe make some new wines as well. It’s going to take time.”

Fruit from French Creek also goes to a number of other top flight Washington wineries, including Sleight of HandValdemar EstatesGrosgrain VineyardsDevium, and Forgeron Cellars, all of which have made French Creek designated bottles in the past.

“They’ve been working with the vineyard for a while, some probably longer than us, and my intention and expectation is they'll continue to in the years ahead,” Martin says.

Grower Damon Lalonde, who has managed the site since 2011, will continue to farm French Creek. Over time, Martin expects to plant additional white Rhône varieties, as well as some Portuguese varieties that would be new to the state.

“It gives us a bit of a canvas to play with,” Martin says of the purchase.

French Creek was first planted in 1981 by Shad E. Hope, whose in-laws homesteaded at the site. The vineyard was subsequently purchased by Rajan Parashar, who later sold it to Jon Meuret, the founder of Maison Bleue. Meuret’s Au Contraire Chardonnay helped bring the vineyard to greater prominence. In 2013, Meuret sold the vineyard to Tom O’Brien, the most recent owner.

The purchase of French Creek gives The Walls its third estate vineyard, with the winery purchasing Rockgarden in the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater from Buty Winery in 2020. The Walls is also currently planting another 20-acre site in the Rocks District that it purchased in 2015. Both Rocks District vineyards are expected to largely be used for the Pášxa brand, which was launched in 2020.

“The brand and the model for The Walls is never really going to be 100% estate winery,” Martin says. “We enjoy making different kinds of wines, and we have some great partners. But given the lay of the land and working with [winemaker] Todd [Alexander], I certainly appreciate the value of vertical control.”

Image of French Creek Vineyard Chardonnay by Richard Duval. 

Harvest begins in Washington

Harvest got underway this week under hazy skies in Columbia Valley. Treveri Cellars, a sparkling producer in Yakima Valley, kicked things off, picking 20 tons of Chardonnay from Hilltop Vineyard on the evening of August 11th. The fruit was picked at 19.5 Brix and 3.11pH. Winemaker Christian Grieb reported cluster size was down approximately 15% from historical averages. Treveri also picked 14 tons of estate Chardonnay on August 12th at 17.1 Brix and 3.01pH. 

White wine harvest has also begun, with Precept Wine picking Sauvignon Blanc at its Willow Crest Vineyard in Yakima Valley on August 12th. This same fruit was picked on September 3rd in 2020, 5th in 2019, 12th in 2018, 27th in 2017, 6th in 2016, and August 31st in 2015 (see table). This year is the earliest that this fruit has ever been picked.

Picture courtesy of Treveri Cellars.

Avennia purchases Red Mountain vineyard

Woodinville’s Avennia has purchased Tapteil Vineyard on Red Mountain, one of Washington’s premier appellations. The sale includes 45 acres, a small winery and tasting room, and a residential property.

“We've been working with Red Mountain fruit since we started,” says Marty Taucher, co-owner of Avennia. “This fit our profile – old vines from a unique site.”

In addition to now having its first estate vineyard, Avennia plans to open a tasting room at the former Tapteil Winery in spring of 2022.

“It creates an opportunity for us to really be part of the Red Mountain community and participate in the excitement of that,” Taucher says. Plans for the small production facility at the winery have not yet been determined.

Tapteil is among the oldest vineyards on Red Mountain. It was established by Larry Pearson, who purchased the property in 1984.

“I was looking for the perfect site for Cabernet Sauvignon,” Pearson says. Grower Scott Williams of Kiona Winery & Vineyards tipped Pearson off to a piece of land for sale down the road from Kiona.

“I called the number on the board and asked if I could camp out that night on the property,” Pearson recalls. “The next day I signed the papers.”

Pearson planted the first 3.5 acres of grape vines in 1985, staying in his tent as he did so. He subsequently bought adjacent land, expanding the property to 45 acres, approximately 21 of which are currently planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. In 1999, Pearson founded Tapteil Winery, with ‘Tapteilmin’ the Native American word for people who lived along the nearby, narrow portion of the Yakima River.

Over the decades, Tapteil fruit has gone into some of Washington’s best wines, including multiple 100-point vintages of Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon (all fruit for this wine now comes from Horse Heaven Hills). CadenceTamarackLong Shadows, and others have also purchased Tapteil fruit, with Cadence long making a vineyard designated bottle.

With harvest fast approaching, Pearson will continue to manage the site for the time being. Taucher notes there will be no changes this year for wineries that source fruit from Tapteil.

“We are fully committed to honoring all the agreements, both oral and written, for this year's harvest.”

Going forward, Avennia will continue to sell some fruit and use the rest for its Avennia and Lydian wines. The winery currently sources Red Mountain fruit from Klipsun and Heart of the Hill Vineyards for its Gravura and Justine wines respectively. It also receives fruit from nearby WeatherEye Vineyard for Liminal Wine, a project launched in 2020 that was the Washington Wine Report Winery of the Year. Taucher says Tapteil fruit will not be used for Liminal.

“We remain fully committed to only using WeatherEye fruit in the Liminal Wine project.” Starting in 2022, grower Dick Boushey will manage Avennia’s new estate vineyard.

“There's no doubt that it's a unique terroir on that mountain,” says Avennia co-owner and winemaker Chris Peterson. “I can't wait to work with Dick and really kind of dial in the vineyard.”

More than three and a half decades since he planted his first vines, Pearson is proud of what the vineyard has accomplished. He is also “thrilled” that the site will be in good hands.

“It's been a good ride,” Pearson says. “We found the perfect people to buy it.” METIS, a merger and acquisitions advisory firm that focuses on the adult beverage and hospitality industries, was the sole transaction advisor.

Pearson and his wife Jane will continue to own the Tapteil name. They plan to continue making a small amount of wine using fruit from a separate property.

“We're not leaving wine country by any means,” Pearson says. “This is what we call home.”

Photo of Tapteil Vineyard by Richard Duval.

Pic of the Vine - July 2021

When Seattle and eastern Washington reached record, triple digit temperatures at the end of June, Woodinville's Barrage Cellars rolled out their own version of a soaking tub complete with poolside service. Captured here by contributing photographer (and bin bather) Richard Duval. 

Stay cool everyone!

Veraison begins in eastern Washington

Veraison – the changing of color of the grapes – has begun in Columbia Valley. Brittany Komm, vineyard manager at Precept Wine, noted veraison in Dolcetto at Skyfall Vineyard in Yakima Valley on July 14th. Veraison occurred in this same variety and vineyard on July 21st in 2020, July 12th in 2019, July 18th in 2018, and July 13 in 2017. 

Veraison always means one thing: Harvest is not far off!

Picture here courtesy of Brittany Komm (@grape_lady_ on Instagram).

NB: This post was updated after publication to include the 2018 veraison date. 

Why Ste Michelle was sold and what it means for Washington wine

 This article appeared in Beverage Industry Enthusiast on Monday July 12, 2021.

On Friday, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates (SMWE), the largest winery in the Pacific Northwest and third-largest premium winery in the country, was sold to Sycamore Partners, a New York-based private equity firm. Sycamore, which specializes in retail and consumer investments, will purchase the company in the second half of this year from the current owner, tobacco giant Altria, for a cool $1.3 billion in cash. 

“The scale of this investment is significant,” says Ryan Pennington, senior director of communications and corporate affairs at SMWE. “And we see that not only as a significant vote of confidence for our team, and our estates and brands, but really for the entire Washington wine industry.”


Image courtesy of Ste Michelle Wine Estates.

Woodinville’s Matthews Winery announces new winemaking team

Today Matthews Winery in Woodinville announced a new winemaking team, headed by Alex Stewart. Stewart was previously winemaker at Quilceda Creek, one of Washington’s oldest and most highly regarded wineries.


“I've been a big fan of the wines that's he's produced,” says Bryan Otis, proprietor of Matthews. “Alex and I have been friends for a long time, and the stars aligned right now. We’re very excited to have him on board.”

A native of Snohomish, Washington, Stewart started out as an intern at Quilceda Creek in 2004 before subsequently being hired as enologist in 2006. In 2014, Stewart, who has an enology degree from California State University, Fresno, was named production winemaker. In 2018, he was promoted to winemaker.

“First and foremost, it was just the opportunity to work with friends,” Stewart says of joining Matthews. “It's not every day that a longtime friend approaches you and says ‘Hey, I’ve got this opportunity for you guys.’”

The “you guys” Stewart refers to includes two other members of the Quilceda Creek winemaking team, Jesse Schmidt and Hal Iverson. Schmidt, who will serve as winemaker at Matthews, was hired as a cellar hand at Quilceda in 2009 before being promoted to assistant winemaker in 2014. Hal Iverson will also have the title of winemaker at Matthews. Iverson became assistant winemaker at Quilceda in 2017.

“It’s really clear, getting to know them all, how they function as a unit,” Otis says. “I buy the wines and love the wines that this team has produced. The fact that they're coming over and working on wines that we feel passionate about is really, really special.”

Stewart says the opportunity to continue working with Schmidt and Iverson was an important part of joining Matthews.

“We’ve always considered ourselves dynamic, like a sports team,” Stewart says. “We can anticipate each other's moods and finish each other's…”

“Sentences!” Schmidt calls out from another room.

At Quilceda Creek, the three were largely focused on Cabernet Sauvignon. At Matthews, in addition to Cabernet, they will also have the opportunity to make varietally labeled bottles of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Sauvignon Blanc, in addition to the winery’s Cuvée, Claret, and Blackboard wines.

“Washington produces some of the best Bordeaux varietals in the world,” Stewart says. “I’m excited to try to elevate the quality level of the rest of them along with Cabernet.”

Founded in 1992, Matthews is one of Woodinville’s oldest wineries. The Otis family, which had previously been investors in Matthews, purchased the winery in 2008. Over the ensuing years, the family has slowly grown production, honed the portfolio, and made major investments in the vineyards that they work with and in the winery. This is a continuation of those investments.

“For us, the idea of taking the craftsmanship that you have with this team and bringing it to the wines we make is really exciting,” says Otis.

Matthews makes 15,000-17,500 cases of wine annually. Aryn Morell, who also makes his own wines at AllerombThe Royal Bull, and Morell-Peña, had been winemaker at Matthews since 2007.

Image left to right: Jesse Schmidt, Alex Stewart, and Hal Iverson. Picture courtesy of Matthews Winery.

Meet Washington’s newest AVAs Part 3: The Burn of Columbia Valley

This is the third in a three-part series on newly approved appellations in Washington. Read part one on White Bluffs and part two on Goose Gap.

Washington is the wild west, with growers and vintners constantly exploring new varieties and new regions. The Burn of Columbia Valley, one of the state’s recently approved grapegrowing areas, is one such place.

While Dr. Walter Clore, the father of Washington wine, is said to have planted a test plot in The Burn decades ago, the appellation did not have its first commercial plantings until 2002, a scant few acres. Rather, almost all of its existing vineyard acreage has been planted in the last six years. This makes The Burn Washington’s youngest grapegrowing region. Despite its youth, Kevin Corliss, vice president of vineyards at Ste Michelle Wine Estates, says the area’s physical characteristics immediately differentiated it.

“Even before planting it, we knew that we were going to get different grapes from [The Burn],” he says. “As we've harvested from it for the last few years, they're very, very different.”

Four primary factors differentiate The Burn as a growing region: soils, precipitation, heat accumulation, and wind.

In terms of soils, 80% of the plantable area is comprised of nine soil series, with the dominant one Walla Walla silt loam (30%). This is a slightly heavier soil type than much of the surrounding region.

“The soils are very different from what we would expect to see in that area,” says Joan Davenport, a professor of soil sciences at Washington State University who was contracted to write the appellation petition. “They’re higher in organic matter, which means they have more nutrient capacity, but they also have more water-holding capacity than so many of the soils we typically find in the majority of the Columbia Valley.” This second aspect factors into the area’s next defining feature: its above average precipitation.

The Burn receives an average of 8.76 inches of precipitation annually (range 6.65-10.44 inches). While this still makes it desert-dry, it’s above the mammoth Columbia Valley’s average of 6 to 8 inches per year (The Burn being a sub-appellation of Columbia Valley). In fact, it’s higher than the averages for other Columbia Valley sub-appellations with three exceptions: Columbia Gorge (10.4 inches with considerably more in the western sections), Lake Chelan (10.7), and Walla Walla Valley (18.4). The combination of heavier soils and increased rainfall impacts irrigation usage during the growing season.

“In The Burn, we’re usually a couple of weeks behind the [Horse Heaven Hills] starting water,” says Rob Mercer, owner of Mercer Wine Estates. “We also probably use two or three inches less water per year.”

The heavier soils also affect irrigation kinetics. “The soil actually holds the water instead of having it just flow right through,” says Corliss. “It's a more gradual up and gradual down.”

The area’s heat accumulation is another defining factor. The Burn is warm, averaging 3306 Growing Degree Days annually over the last 10 years. This number has been exceeded only by Snipes Mountain and Wahluke Slope during that time. While one might think this would bring an opulent fruit profile, this is where the area’s final key factor – its persistent winds – play a strong role.

Horse Heaven Hills and its extension into Walla Walla Valley, Vansycle Ridge, are known for near-constant winds, so much so that the largest windfarm in the Pacific Northwest is located on the eastern section of this anticline. These winds help make Hood River, located in Columbia Gorge west of The Burn, a world-class wind surfing destination. The Burn, which lies between Horse Heaven Hills and Columbia Gorge, is no different in this respect, and a windfarm is located across the river from the appellation.

“The wind is just relentless,” Juan Muñoz-Oca, chief winemaker at Ste Michelle Wine Estates, says of The Burn.

As in other nearby appellations, the wind has an impact, slowing maturation and contributing to smaller canopy sizes and somewhat smaller berries. Taken together, all these aspects create The Burn’s unifying feature.

“It's a warm site that acts more like a cool site,” says Corliss. “It's a region that has a lot of heat units, but we pick it last.” This is particularly intriguing given the number of heat units and the fact that bud break begins early in the appellation.

“We have this long ripening period,” says Mercer. “We also have late frost, so we're able to hang [fruit] longer.”

The vast majority of plantings in The Burn are red varieties (90%), with Cabernet Sauvignon far and away the most planted. Muñoz-Oca says the Cabernet Sauvignon from The Burn is distinctive.

“What we get is this Cabernet that is not afraid to show its herbaceousness, with a fantastic textural experience because the tannins are completely resolved. The Cabernets are nice, light on their feet, Old World style with the suppleness of the New World.”

Almost all of the fruit from The Burn currently goes to Ste Michelle Wine Estates for its Borne of Fire label, which was launched in 2017. Mercer Ranches, which farms the plantings in The Burn, uses some of the fruit for its wines as well.

The Burn is 16,870 total acres in size, with approximately 1,500 currently planted to grape vines – an astonishing number in just six years’ time. The appellation is comprised of four south-southeast facing benches with an average slope of seven percent. There are four commercial vineyards within the appellation, three of which are farmed by Mercer Ranches as well as a small site owned by Aanpama/Peggy Hoag.

Trail Blazer Vineyard is located on the first bench, closest to the Columbia River. Chapman Creek Vineyard is on the third bench. Old Highway 8 Vineyard is on the fourth and highest bench. The second bench has not yet been planted.

“Being a series of benches makes it interesting,” Davenport says of The Burn. “That's very different from the other parts of the Columbia Valley.” Elevations in the appellation range from 270 to 1,780 feet above sea level.

Bounded by the Columbia River to the south, the area between Rock Creek and Chapman Creek has been referred to as The Burn since at least the early 1900s. The origins of the name are not known.

While Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant variety, there are also plantings of Chardonnay, Malbec, Syrah, and a small amount of Sangiovese (three acres at Aanpama/Peggy Hoag planted in 2002 and 2013). Much of the Chardonnay is planted at Old Highway 8 Vineyard, the upper bench.

“It’s not as tropical as your typical [Washington] Chardonnay, even from the Horse Heaven Hills,” Muñoz-Oca says. “It's a lot more citrusy.”

Though Ste Michelle Wine Estates currently receives almost all the fruit from The Burn, Muñoz-Oca hopes that changes.

“It's kind of that idea of ‘If you build it they will come,” he says. “Hopefully [the approval of the appellation] will bring more people to the place, and we will start having a more diverse view of what the appellation has to offer. I truly believe that there is some uniqueness to The Burn.”

Image 1: Trailblazer Vineyard, Columbia River, and Mount Hood courtesy of Rob Mercer. 
Image 2: Chapman Creek Vineyard courtesy of Rob Mercer. Note the wind farm across the river. 
Image 3: Old Highway 8 Vineyard courtesy of Rob Mercer. 
Image 4: Washington appellation map courtesy of the Washington Wine Commission. 
Image 5: Illustration of the main vineyards in The Burn courtesy of Rob Mercer.

Meet Washington’s newest AVAs Part 2: Goose Gap

 This is the second in a three-part series on newly approved appellations in Washington. Read part one on White Bluffs here.

Tomorrow the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) will officially recognize Goose Gap as a federally approved grape growing region. This comes two weeks after the approvals of White Bluffs and The Burn of Columbia Valley, giving Washington a total of 19 appellations.

“It's a good mix between the Yakima Valley and Red Mountain,” Juan Muñoz-Oca, chief winemaker at Ste Michelle Wine Estates, says of Goose Gap. “It has the freshness of the Yakima Valley. It has the ability to hold on to acidity yet has a punch of fruit from the heat that they get.”

Goose Gap’s combination of Red Mountain and Yakima Valley profiles is not by accident. Goose Hill, a 1,339-foot prominence within the appellation, lies approximately three miles almost due south of the summit of Red Mountain. That sub-appellation of Yakima Valley also defines Goose Gap's northern boundary. The Candy Mountain appellation forms part of the northeast border.

As a growing region, Goose Gap has two key distinguishing features. The first is the orientation of the crest of Goose Hill. Like many other Columbia Valley appellations, Goose Hill is a Yakima Fold Belt structure, a series of wrinkles in the landscape. Other prominences in this area, such as Red Mountain, Candy Mountain, and Badger Mountain, have crests that lie northwest to southeast. In contrast, Goose Hill’s crest lies east-west.

Red Mountain and Candy Mountain have more gentle slopes on their south-southwestern sides. For this reason, as well as these slope’s angle to the sun, most vineyard plantings are on these aspects. In contrast, due to its different orientation, Goose Hill has a gentle north-facing slope and a steeper south-facing side. The majority of Goose Gap’s vines are therefore planted on north-northeast facing slopes. This differences in aspect decreases the solar radiation the grapes receive during the growing season.

“Goose, the way that it sits, it’s so different from all of the other mountains around it,” says Sydney Anderson, viticulturalist at Goose Ridge Estate Vineyard and Winery, which lies within the appellation. She notes that the Yakima River, which flows to the west and north of Goose Gap, also influences the weather in the appellation.

“We get this dividing of clouds and fog and weather that’s almost like a rain shadow effect. We’ll be in the fog and you drive to Benton City, and all of a sudden it just clears up or vice versa.” This difference in orientation and weather lead to grapes in Goose Gap ripening as much as a week or more later than nearby sites on Red Mountain and Candy Mountain.

“We will be watching our neighbors harvest different varieties that we won’t start harvesting for a while,” Anderson says. Though like Red Mountain and Candy Mountain, Goose Gap is a warm growing region – averaging approximately 3350 Growing Degree Days – this difference in aspect gives it a unique combination of traditional Yakima Valley and Red Mountain profiles.

“The wines that we've made from Goose in the past have a common thread, and you can identify those as you're tasting them,” says Muñoz-Oca.

The appellation’s other key distinguishing feature is its soils. Five soil series – Warden, Shano, Kiona, Hezel, and Prosser – make up almost 95% of the area. However, nearly two-thirds of the soils are Warden series, a greater percentage than the surrounding appellations.

“I remember Wade Wolfe [of Thurston Wolfe Winery] saying a long time ago ‘Cabernet Sauvignon loves the Warden soils,’” says geologist Alan Busacca, whose company Vinitas Consultants was hired to write the appellation petition. “Perhaps it's the high water holding capacity of the loess cap that helps make it very resilient to drought stress.”

Warden soils have on average 20 inches of loess – windblown silt and sand – overlying stratified slackwater sediment from the Missoula Floods, a series of cataclysmic events that define most of Columbia Valley’s soils. This makes the soils ideal for irrigated viticulture. Together Warden and Shano series soils make up 85% of the area currently planted to vineyards.

Goose Gap is a sub-appellation of Yakima Valley, which itself is wholly contained within the larger Columbia Valley. Both Goose Hill and Goose Gap receive their name from the area being a common flight path for waterfowl. Goose Gap itself is a saddle between Goose Hill to the west and Badger and Candy Mountains to the east.

Elevations range from 577 feet to 1,339 feet above sea level, with the top of Goose Hill above the Missoula Floods, which had a maximum elevation of 1,200 feet. The area receives approximately seven inches of precipitation annually.

Goose Gap is 8,129 total acres in size, with 1,810 acres planted to grapevines across two commercial vineyards. These vineyards are Goose Ridge Estate Vineyard, which contains the vast majority of plantings, and an Aquilini Brands property. Interstate 82 bisects the northern portion of the appellation. Goose Ridge is the sole winery within the appellation’s boundaries, with all of the fruit coming from its estate site. There are also hundreds of acres of tree fruit within Goose Gap.

In addition to Goose Ridge, more than 20 other wineries source fruit from Goose Gap, with other major producers including Ste Michelle Wine Estates, Precept Wine, and House of Smith. Cabernet Sauvignon makes up almost 40% of plantings, followed by Chardonnay (25%), Merlot (14%), and Syrah (14%). However, due to its varied elevations, aspects, and soils, there are 16 grape varieties planted within Goose Gap’s borders.

“There is so much diversity in such a small area,” says Andrew Wilson, winemaker at Goose Ridge. “It makes it an exciting place to make wine.”

Arvid Monson, whose family had already been growing crops in Yakima Valley for decades, established the first plantings at Goose Gap. As is often the case in Washington, the influence of Dr. Walter Clore, the father of Washington wine, can be felt in the appellation.

“Dr. Clore spent many, many, many hours here in the vineyard before it was developed with my dad, going through the sagebrush,” says Molly Monson-Stutesman, co-owner and vice president at Goose Ridge. “He helped lay out the vineyard.” The first vines in Goose Gap were planted in 1998, and Goose Ridge made its first wines the following year.

With the approval of Goose Gap, Yakima Valley now has five sub-appellations: Rattlesnake Hills, Snipes Mountain, Red Mountain, Goose Gap, and Candy Mountain. Altogether, the Columbia Valley has 15 sub-appellations, with major implications for how Washington wine is perceived. There are two other proposed appellations in Washington that have been submitted for approval to the TTB, Rocky Reach and Wanapum Village.

Image of Goose Gap looking at Badger Mountain by Richard Duval. 
Topographic cross-sections of Goose Gap and nearby AVAs from appellation petition. 
Soil map from appellation petition.
Map of all Washington appellations courtesy of the Washington Wine Commission.

Divide and conquer: What carving up the Columbia Valley means for Washington wine

Winemakers hope new growing regions ultimately lead to greater recognition for the state
   
Washington State suddenly finds itself with a surfeit of new grape growing appellations, with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) announcing the approval of two new American Viticultural Areas (AVAs). This comes on the heels of two approvals last year, as growers and winemakers increasingly subdivide the Columbia Valley, Washington’s largest growing region. 

 “I love the specificity,” says Bob Betz, MW, founder of Betz Family Winery, of carving up the Columbia Valley. “I love the precision and detail that it brings to the consumer.”


Image of Bacchus and Dionysus vineyards in White Bluffs by Richard Duval. 

Meet Washington’s newest AVAs Part 1: White Bluffs

Of the four appellations Washington has gained in the last nine months, White Bluffs – which was approved today by the Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) along with The Burn of Columbia Valley – is the biggest slam dunk.


“It’s long been known but not named,” Kent Waliser, director of vineyard operations at Sagemoor Vineyardssaid recently of the appellation.

Indeed, some of the state’s oldest producing vineyards are in the area. Nearly one in every 10 Washington wineries source fruit from White Bluffs. Additionally, the quality of the resulting wines has proven itself over decades.

Wholly contained within the larger Columbia Valley and spanning 93,738 total acres, White Bluffs has 1,127 acres planted to grape vines. The appellation has nine commercial vineyards and one winery, Claar Cellars. The most planted varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc.

Grape vines were first planted in the region starting in 1972 at Bacchus and Dionysus vineyards. These sites are part of Sagemoor Vineyards, which also farms Sagemoor and Gamache in White Bluffs. Together these vineyards comprise the majority of plantings in the appellation. Other vineyards include High River, Mirage, Reed, Wooded Island, and White Bluffs – an estate site for Claar Cellars.

White Bluffs has two main distinguishing features. First, the appellation lies on a plateau approximately 200 feet above the surrounding area. The Columbia River flows south by the appellation’s western boundary, with White Bluffs beginning on the escarpment above the river.

“All the significant acres are on bluffs,” notes Waliser. “The area is kind of like an island.”

The analogy is apt, as this plateau did not rise up from the surrounding area but rather remained after the surrounding land was inundated with water and eroded by the Missoula Floods, a series of cataclysmic, ice age events.

This modest additional elevation, which brings the area from 800 feet above sea level up to about 1,000, allows cool air to drain and helps protect against frosts and freezes. Along with airflow from the Columbia River, this extends the growing season by an average of 45 days relative to lower lying regions. Given that frost and freeze events are the Columbia Valley’s Achilles heel, this gives White Bluffs an advantage.

“Anything that can get you up off the floor of the valley is good,” says Kevin Pogue, a geologist at Whitman College and principal at VinTerra Consulting who was hired to write the appellation application. “Anything that extends your growing season and makes you a little warmer is good.” Waliser says the effects are readily apparent. 

“There are vines planted in those vineyards that never froze to the ground since, in our case, ’72.”

The White Bluffs’ second major distinguishing feature is the appellation’s subsoil, which is referred to as Ringold Formation. This is a thick deposit of ancient river and lakebed sediment. On top of the Ringold Formation is a hard layer of caliche (calcium carbonate). Above that are Missoula Flood deposits along with windblown silt and sand.

The thick Ringold Formation and hard caliche layer mean that, unlike almost all other areas of the Columbia Valley, vines planted in White Bluffs will never reach bedrock. “I purposely drew the boundary so that any vine planted in the in the AVA can't possibly get its roots into basalt bedrock,” Pogue notes.

Vines will therefore interact with a different suite of minerals. Basalt is rich in iron and magnesium. In contrast, Ringold Formation is higher in sodium, potassium, and calcium Pogue says. Additionally, these sediments have a higher clay content. This increases water holding capacity, an important factor in a grapegrowing region where irrigation is vital.

The Ringold Formation runs approximately 30 miles, the length of the appellation. It is exposed in the escarpment above the Columbia River. The white striations in the Ringold Formation, caused by volcanic ash and caliche deposits, give White Bluffs its name.

John Bookwalter, president of J. Bookwalter in Richland, is intimately familiar with the area. His father Jerry moved to Washington in 1975 to manage Sagemoor Vineyards, and John grew up in a home above Bacchus and Dionysus vineyards. These vineyards are the winery's second largest fruit source.

Bookwalter says the added elevation and proximity to the Columbia River make the area special.

“It's all about the drainage of the air due to the Columbia River,” Bookwalter says. “It’s not as hot as some areas or as cool as others. There’s power and then the tannin profile still tends to be pretty approachable.”

Mike Januik, owner and winemaker at Januik Winery and winemaker at Novelty Hill, has similarly been using White Bluffs fruit for decades. He says the history of grapegrowing also separates the area.

“They’ve been doing this for a long time,” Januik says. “They've got those vineyards figured out.”

Beginning July 19th, wineries can submit labels with White Bluffs on them to the TTB for approval. Given the large number of producers sourcing fruit from the region – a number of whom have already been making vineyard designated bottles for years – Washington wine lovers can expect to see White Bluffs on bottles shortly thereafter.

However, Claar Cellars’ owner Robert Whitelatch, whose family has long advocated for the area to gain appellation status, says the approval is just the beginning of achieving consumer awareness.

“The job’s not over, Whitelatch says. “The job is just starting.”

✝ Candy MountainRoyal Slope, White Bluffs, and The Burn of Columbia Valley have been approved in the last nine months.

Picture courtesy of Kent Waliser, Sagemoor Vineyards. 

Graphic from White Bluffs appellation application, courtesy of Kevin Pogue. 

See a map of all Washington appellations here. The two newly approved appellations bring Washington's total number to 18.

Jeremy Santo named winemaker at J. Bookwalter

J. Bookwalter in Richland, Washington has named Jeremy Santo as head winemaker. The hiring comes as the winery prepares to move into a new facility.

“I'm excited about having Jeremy on board,” says John Bookwalter, president of the 50,000 case per year winery. “We continue to grow, modestly, and I needed a winemaker that could accommodate the growth. Jeremy has had a lot of success working at [our] scale.”

Santo joined the Washington wine industry in 2003, first working as a lab technician at Snoqualmie Winery. In 2006, he joined Ste Michelle Wine Estate's Canoe Estate Ridge Winery, where he eventually became assistant winemaker. In 2012, Santo joined Wahluke Wine Company, where he was responsible for the Ryan Patrick wines. Most recently, he was winemaker at Mercer Estates, overseeing production at the 60,000 case per year winery.

“Having grown up in Prosser, the interest for me [in Bookwalter], it's been there forever,” Santo says. “The winery has such a great heritage, the grape sourcing is amazing, and the Bookwalter quality is through the roof. It’s a great thing to walk into.”

Santo will also soon be walking into a brand new winery. Bookwalter is in the midst of completing a 20,000-square foot building that will include a production space, a new tasting room, and indoor and outdoor event spaces. The winery will start moving into the new building next month.

“I've always said qualitatively we can move the needle a few points just by changing the way we handle our wines,” Bookwalter says. “We've always been a bit challenged because of the diverse use of our building and storage areas. This is going to make a big difference for us.”

In addition to its winery, J. Bookwalter also has an attached restaurant, Fiction. As the winery and tasting room move to the new building, the restaurant will gain space.

“It adds about 4,000 square feet,” Bookwalter says. “Ultimately we’ll be able to move the kitchen around so we have more space for the kitchen and that area becomes a banquet area. We’ll be doing it in phases.”

J. Bookwalter was founded by Jerry Bookwalter in 1982. Bookwalter had overseen plantings at some of Washington’s oldest vineyards and also managed Connor Lee Vineyard. His son John subsequently joined the winery in 1997 and has since grown it to be one of Washington’s most successful producers.

Santo follows Caleb Foster, who left the winery earlier this spring after seven years as winemaker.

Image of Jeremy Santo by Richard Duval.

Betz Family will not release 2020 vintage Washington, Oregon wines

Concerns of smoke impact leads winery to discard vintage

Today Woodinville’s Betz Family Winery, one of Washington’s most highly regarded producers, announced that it will not release its 2020 vintage wines from Washington and Oregon. The decision, which was announced to customers via email, comes amid concerns about the effect of wildfire smoke on wine quality.

“It’s a brutal decision, but it’s an easy one,” says owner Steve Griessel. “We couldn’t release the wines.”

Founded in 1997, Betz Family sources fruit from throughout Washington’s Columbia Valley for its Betz wines and from areas of Oregon’s Willamette Valley for its SuNu wines. Wildfire smoke blanketed the entire west coast of the US in September of 2020, with large fires in areas of California and Oregon.

Due to the widespread nature of the smoke, many commercial laboratories were unable to test for smoke influence in grapes prior to harvest. Subsequently, many wineries, such as Betz Family, were in the difficult position of determining whether to proceed with picking fruit.

“We decided at that point in time there was no way we could say to growers, ‘Look. We’re just not picking,’” says Griessel, who purchased the winery with his wife Bridgit in 2011. “We thought that would be incredibly unfair because how do you know whether you’ve got [smoke impact] or not?”

Griessel says after the wines went through primary and secondary fermentations, the smoke influence became apparent from a sensory perspective.

“Some had let’s call it a low impact, where there was just a muting of the fruit, but still, there was an impact, then all the way up to very high,” Griessel says.

Laboratory analyses subsequently confirmed the presence of smoke marker compounds at varying levels. This, along with sensory analyses, cemented the winery’s decision not to move forward with the wines.

“We determined that there's absolutely no way we would ever produce a [2020] vintage of Betz or our new [Willamette Valley] project that we started in 2017, SuNu,” Griessel says. “Even if someone couldn't taste it, we know it's there.”

The 2020 Betz Rhône-style wines and SuNu Pinot Noirs were scheduled to be released in the fall of 2022, with the Bordeaux-style wines released the following spring. None of this will happen. The winery is now planning for the consequences.

“In simple terms, you've got to find a way to release two years’ worth of wine over three years, so you aren’t suddenly faced with the fact that you have no inventory,” Griessel says. “You’ve just got to get through that, and we can. It’s not pretty I can tell you, but it’s doable.”

For a winery that produces 6,000 to 7,000 cases annually at prices ranging from $35 to $120, the financial impact of a lost vintage is enormous. Additionally, Griessel says, to his knowledge, no insurance exists for wineries with smoke impacted wines. This stands in contrast to growers, who can purchase crop insurance. However, that insurance only applies to non-harvested fruit.

“Our growers have been very sympathetic to the smoke taint issues we faced in 2020, and many have borne the pain with us,” Griessel says. “This is a very big structural issue I think for wineries in general in terms of how we survive [as an industry] going forward.” 

Smoke influence in wine is complex, with factors such as proximity, intensity, duration, variety, and timing contributing to any potential impact on the resulting wines. Smoke in the air doesn’t mean there will be smoke taint in the wines. Similarly smoke impact at one winery doesn’t mean there will be the same impact at another, with vineyard sourcing, picking dates, winemaking decisions, and other factors all having an influence. For this reason, some wineries might emerge from 2020 unscathed; others might not.

“People are going to have to make their own choices,” Griessel says. “It's a brutal, brutal thing because this might be the end of some wineries. Then there are going to be wineries that completely escaped this, and then others that have maybe small amounts, and no one will ever notice. We had to make the best decision for ourselves and for our customers.”

Seven Hills Winery founder retires, assistant named winemaker

Seven Hills Winery, one of Walla Walla Valley’s founding wineries, announced this week the retirement of co-founder Casey McClellan. Bobby Richards, who has worked at the winery since 2013, has been named winemaker.

“It’s been a fun run,” says McClellan, who founded Seven Hills with his wife Vicky in 1988 as the valley’s fifth winery. “It’s been constant growth, constant hard work.”

Seven Hills Winery and the McClellan family have played integral roles in establishing Walla Walla Valley as a premier wine region. In addition to the winery’s success, Casey worked with his father, James, and Herb Hendricks to establish the valley’s first commercial vineyard in 1982.

“A lot has changed,” McClellan says. “We've gone from five wineries to over 100 [wineries] and 3,000 acres of vineyards now. It does not look like the same place.”

Seven Hills Winery has made its mark over the years crafting classically styled wines known for their restraint and aging potential. Even as the wine industry more broadly moved toward riper (and riper) styles, Seven Hills did not.

“I think if we would have been willing to bend the style more dramatically, it would have been a more market-friendly approach, but we really wanted to stand for something in wine, and we did. We stayed the course,” McClellan says.

New winemaker Bobby Richards is a Northwest native who became interested in fermentation science in college. After graduating with a degree in forest management from Oregon State University, he spent two harvests at Benton-Lane Winery in Monroe, Oregon and went on to become a cellar hand at Tranche Cellars in Walla Walla. Richards subsequently worked a harvest at Seven Hills Winery in 2013. He was eventually hired on full-time and worked his way up to associate winemaker.

“I’ve got big shoes to fill,” Richards says. “I want to stay true to what Seven Hills is, showcasing the unique terroir that we have here in Walla Walla. I want to keep crafting wines that are food friendly [and] ageable, with nice balance, without oak overshadowing the fruit.”

This week’s change was not unexpected. The McClellans sold Seven Hills Winery to Crimson Wine Group in 2016, with Vicky McClellan retiring at that time. Several other long-time valley wineries, such as 
Tamarack Cellars and Walla Walla Vintners, have also been sold to new owners in recent years.


“There’s a changing of the guard here in Walla Walla,” says Richards. “We have these pioneers that are now retiring, and that have raised a family here, created this community such that there's opportunity for people like me to continue in this family-oriented business and community that Walla Walla has.”

While stepping aside from full-time work, McClellan will continue to consult for Seven Hills.

“I’ll be there for Bobby when he has a question about how things historically worked and try to be helpful in the way of maintaining continuity stylistically,” says McClellan. “But I have every confidence in Bobby.”

Images courtesy of Crimson Wine Group. 

Southwind Vineyard purchased by Sagemoor, private equity firm

Sagemoor Vineyards announced today that it had partnered with a private equity firm to purchase Southwind Vineyard in Walla Walla Valley.

“We’ve been looking for properties that fit our business model and are known to raise exceptional grapes. Southwind certainly fits that and already has pedigree, which was a big attraction,” says Kent Waliser, director of wine and grape sales at Sagemoor.

Southwind is the largest property within SeVein, a 2,700 acre project located on the south side of Walla Walla Valley. The vineyard was established in 2007 and currently has approximately 70 acres planted to grape vines. Walla Walla’s Dusted Valley receives fruit from approximately 30 acres on a long-term agreement.

“For us, if we imagined 100 outcomes, Sagemoor purchasing [Southwind] is about the best we could have come up with,” says Chad Johnson, owner and winegrower at Dusted Valley. “We’ve worked with Sagemoor for years, and for custom farming, they are great.”

Southwind is notable for having sections that reach high up to SeVein’s ridgeline. The area has near constant winds, so much so that a wind farm is nearby.

“That whole hillside is pretty unique,” Johnson says. “Wind is a big part of the terroir. [Southwind] has the thickest skins of any of the sites I’ve worked with, and with that comes everything: flavor, tannin, acid, and a little bit more concentration.”

Other wineries using Southwind fruit include Devison and Oregon’s Domaine Serene. The property includes a "Glass House" used for industry events.

Sagemoor’s holdings have previously included Bacchus and Dionysus vineyards in the proposed White Bluffs appellation and Weinbau Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope. Gamache Vineyard in Columbia Valley was added in 2016. This is Sagemoor’s first investment in Walla Walla Valley.

“It broadens our reach and our diversity of what we can plant and grow,” says Waliser, who notes Sagemoor already has 30 clients in the valley sourcing fruit from its other vineyards.

Chris Banek of Banek Winegrower Management currently farms Southwind and will continue to through at least the 2021 vintage, with Sagemoor planning additional plantings in 2022.

To purchase Southwind, Sagemoor partnered with Resource Land Holdings, a private equity firm based in Denver, Colorado. Metis, a Northwest-based mergers and acquisitions advisory firm, worked with both parties on the sale.

Image by Richard Duval.