Washington State Wine Primer
WHERE WASHINGTON SITS
In The Global Scheme of Things The Big Picture The United States is the world s fourthlargest producer of wine, representing 8 percent of total global production. Washington is the second largest wineproducing state in the United States 3
Numbers, Numbers, Numbers The Local Picture 11 officially designated wine grape growing regions (called American Viticultural Areas or AVAs) in Washington State. 40,000 acres of vineyards, with approximately 350 growers. 690 licensed wineries Our leading wine varietals are Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot Washington State s total wine is sold in all 50 states as well as 40 countries 4
Don t Ask Us Recent praise for WA from top media authorities Wine Spectator magazine awarded the #1 spot on its annual Top 100 wines list to a Washington State Cabernet (2009) 370+ wines received 90+ points from Robert Parker s Wine Advocate (2010) up from 277 (2008) Wine Enthusiast magazine named Washington State wine industry leader Ted Baseler as Man of the Year (2009) Food & Wine magazine named Washington State winery Gramercy Cellars Best New Winery (2010) and winemaker Charles Smith (K Vintners) as Winemaker of the Year (2009) 5
You Can t Make This Stuff Up! Wine Spectator reviews across 2010 Washington State 48 percent of wines rated 90 points+ Oregon 42 percent of wines rated 90 points+ California 38 percent of wines rated 90 points+ France 38 percent of wines rated 90 points+ Average prices for these wines: Washington State $41 Oregon $50 California $112 France $122 WA State represents Quality & Value 6
What Was The Joke About Auto Parts? Percent by alternative for those consumers trading down from Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon priced from $50-$100 Source: Wine Opinions
Wine Is Fun! Wine Tourism Booming Washington State tourism is a $15 billion industry More than 2 million people visit Washington wineries annually WA is among the top 15 states for food related travel and the top 10 U.S. destinations for wine related travel WA has seen a 29% increase in overnight wine country visits during the past 4 years 8
Did We Take Your Spot In The Cellar? 9
WSWC Likes Tasting Rooms!!! Annual Touring Washington s Wine Regions guide 75,000 copies distributed 2010 Local Campaign: Right In Your Own Back Yard Website Named by the Wall Street Journal as the world s best wine tourism site Average 14,000 unique visitors every month, with 75,000 page views 10
THE WHY BEHIND THE WORD CLASS!
Who Cares? Wine drinking tourists can range from the know nothing to the know it all. You will get questions about what makes Washington different it starts in the vineyards! 12
What the Heck is a Varietal? Just a fancy schmancy name for grape. Chardonnay? That s a varietal. Cabernet Sauvignon? Yep, that too. Syrah? Ding ding ding! 13
Terroir of Washington State 14
What The Heck Is Terroir? Basically, the factors that make any wine region in the world distinct! Different regions have different weather, soils, sun exposure, grapes, wine grape growing practices, winemaking practices and more! Grapes and the wine they come from taste different because of this. 15
Above the Earth For the grapes we grow, we have one of the very best climates in the entire world. 16
Why We Are Dry 17
SUN!! Up to 17 Hours/Day during Growing Season 300 Days a Year = RIPE SUGARS 18
Warm Days/Cool Nights DIURNAL SHIFT Warm Day Time Temps + Chilly Night Time Temps (30 Degree Fahrenheit difference!) 19
Grapes Get Thirsty WATER IRRIGATION Columbia Valley Basin Snow Run off = Rivers + Underground Aquifers 20
Irrigation Is Key
Not Old Mature! Some of the Oldest vines in the New World! Own rooted Average age about 15 years Oldest up to 40 years! Complexity astounding 22
No Icky Pests/Diseases Winter Freeze kills many pests Arid temps and Wind help control development of fungal diseases Soils make it hard for the worst pest to live in 23
In The Winery Washington State has amazing winemakers! For such a young industry, we really know how to accentuate our terroir! 24
Mama Earth Soils are super key to quality wine, too. And, for soils anyway, we have a pretty cool story to tell! 25
Good (Bad) Dirt Volcanoes Started It Columbia Valley area lava seam cause one of fastest lava flows earth has seen (30 million years ago) sheer weight created the valley! Cascade Range volcanoes contributed 26
Good (Bad) Dirt Missoula Floods Ice Age floods caused second layer of flood silt Ice Dam gave way 30+ times, unleashing an up to 100 meter wall of water traveling 110 km an hour at its peak 27
Glacial Lake Missoula
Good (Bad) Dirt Missoula Floods Burlingame Canyon in Walla Walla: 32 Layers = 32 Floods 29
Good (Bad) Dirt The Answer, My Friend Winds coming in off the Pacific Ocean from West and from Canada from North 30
Long And Short Of It Well Draining Poor in Nutrients Deep in spots Relatively Warm No Phylloxera!!! 31
Washington State AVA s 32
What The Heck Is An AVA? Basically, a distinct grape growing region within a bigger region! Think of each as a mini Washington State that is slightly different 33
Columbia Valley AVA
Walla Walla AVA 35
Walla Walla Valley Appellation Loess Flood Silt Cobble Composite
Wind Deposited Silt (Loess) Seven Hills Vineyard
Ice age Flood Sediment Pepper Bridge Vineyard
Loess over Basalt Woodward Canyon Estate
Alluvial Gravel Yellowjacket Vineyard
Yakima Valley AVA
Yakima Valley AVA
Rattlesnake Hills AVA
Red Mountain AVA 45
Snipes Mountain AVA
Snipes Mountain AVA
Horse Heaven Hills AVA
Horse Heaven Hills AVA
Wahluke Slope AVA
Wahluke Slope AVA
Columbia Gorge AVA
Columbia Gorge AVA
Lake Chelan AVA
Lake Chelan AVA
Puget Sound AVA
Let s Taste!! 57
2008 Chinook Wines Semillon, YV 58
2008 Januik Winery Cold Creek Chardonnay, CV 59
2009 Poet s Leap Riesling, CV 60
2007 Milbrandt Estates Merlot, CV 61
2007 Dusted Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, WWV 62
2008 Hedges Limited Syrah, WWV 63
Talking About Wine Without Sounding Like a Snob or a Rube! Vocabulary is the beginning Know that chemicals/physical components in wine taste/feel like things we come in contact all of our lives! Everyone s palates are different ask the customer first, then give your impressions 64
How Do I Say Vee awg nee AY??? Pronunciation oy veh!!!! You have to either know (mostly) French or hear the words first Listen to words being said and practice! No one likes a Pepe Le Pew! Use websites like wineloverspage.com 65
Thank you!!!!