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| Tip Top Bling Bling from Walla Walla | |
It seems that Oregon autumn weather is back with a vengeance. Who needs the sun anyway - sunshine is for babies.
I recently returned to the Walla Walla Valley and had the opportunity to explore the geographic area in depth and taste a wide assortment of wines from this quality driven appellation. I was impressed with the efforts that producers are making in the region.
Walla Walla rests within the Columbia Valley AVA in southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon. Just over 1,000 acres of vines are planted in the valleys, which were created by lava floods (basalt) in prehistoric times. The floods deposited loam and silt, and left tiny craters around the land which come in handy for catching water and forming small reservoirs that make irrigation relatively easy for the valley's wine producers.
Walla Walla is renowned for its cabernet sauvignon and merlot, but syrah is quickly taking hold as perhaps this region's new favorite grape.
No matter where you travel these days in the wine world, everyone always makes a big deal about terroir. Walla Walla is no exception and I was subjected to a series of sermons articulating the various attributes of the AVA. It was quite interesting, but I am no longer sure where I stand on the whole terroir issue anymore. When I taste Riesling from the Mosel or the Wachau, Pinot Noir from Burgundy, or Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley - I am a true believer. When I taste the same grapes from California, Oregon or Washington - let's just say - whatever - the terroir sermons seem more like another marketing story to me.
But that doesn't have anything to do with how much I like the wines. It was reassuring to find that the big names like Woodward Canyon, Pepper Bridge, Leonetti, Northstar, and Seven Hills are still all very much in top form. Wineries that are not quite as well known - but every bit as good, such as Abeja, Reininger, Buty, and Cougar Crest all are producing wines that are world class. And then there are wineries that I didn't have much experience with such as Waters, Beresan Winery, Bergevin Lane, and Nicholas Cole who are all producing wines that I want in my cellar and that I am very excited about.
Overall the wine quality is outstanding in Walla Walla. The wines seem more balanced than in the past. Many winemakers in the appellation seem to be taken with syrah and viognier. I am not convinced. But I am positive that the cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc coming out of Walla Walla is as good as it gets in the new world. Examples that I tasted on this trip rank with the best.
One last note before I go on to tell you about our wine selections for this newsletter. What stood out more than anything else about my trip to Walla Walla, even more than the great wine, the terrific food (26brix!!) and the beauty of the Walla Walla Valley was the warmth and generosity of the people in the wine community there. They make Walla Walla a very special place.
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