Washington

Washington’s wine making history began in 1825 in Fort Vancouver, by the early 1900s there were grapes being grown all over the state. Immigrants from France, Italy, and Germany pioneered the very first vineyards. The interest in the region grew despite Prohibition, and by 1938 there were 42 wineries located throughout the state. Recently the growth and fame of Washington State has been expanding rapidly. There are now over 650 wineries in the state, and the wine business in Washington generates more than $3 billion to the state economy. Washington State wine is now available in all the US states and is exported to almost 50 countries worldwide.

There are currently 11 AVAs in Washington: Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley, Yakima Valley, Puget Sound, Red Mountain, Horse Heaven Hills, Wahluke Slope, Columbia Gorge, Rattlesnake Hills, Snipes Mountain, and Lake Chelan. Three of these have boundaries which overlap into Oregon.

The regions planted have the ideal landscape and weather conditions for growing quality wine grapes. Phylloxera has not managed a foot hold in the state, and therefore most of the vines are planted on their own rootstocks; this leads to healthier plants and more consistent quality. The grapes themselves are also an ever expanding paint-box of flavors, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Chardonnay, and Merlot make up the standard assortment of popular varieties; but Washington is home to innovative growers who successfully produce Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Barbera, and Nebbiolo among others.

▶ Columbia Valley

▶ Walla Walla

▶ Yakima Valley

Washington Wine Producers

Washington Area	Producer	Label	About the producer
Columbia Valley	37 Cellars		’37 Cellars is a small boutique winery based out of Leavenworth Washington that has been around since 2005. Winemakers Frank Dechaine and Chuck Egner produce 500 – 700 cases per year depending on the yield of the vineyards. They source fruit from some of the best vineyards in the state and then give the wine the extra bit of TLC to ensure that they come up with some very special wine year after year. Both Chuck and Frank enjoy playing guitar and both are fortunate in owning old Martin vintage guitars. 1937 was one of the four years that the C. F. Martin Guitar Company produced instruments that have been known since as the “Holy Grails” of acoustic flat top guitars, the finest ever made. In naming their winery ’37 Cellars, they pay homage to the Golden Era of guitar making. As the name suggests, both are very fortunate as they both have 1937 Martin guitars. It is their intention to handcraft the best possible wine by adhering to the same level of detail and excellence as the master guitar makers of the past.
Columbia Valley	Brian Carter Cellars		Brian Carter Cellars is the first Washington winery to focus on European-style blended wines. Veteran winemaker Brian Carter has been crafting wines in Washington state for over 30 years, and started making wines under his own label in 1997. “A passion for the art of blending” is Brian’s motto, and his collection of artisan wines pay homage to various wine regions in Europe (Bordeaux, Tuscany, etc.) while showcasing Washington’s unique terroir. For more information about the wines, including tasting notes, please see www.briancartercellars.com
Columbia Valley	Chatter Creek Winery		Chatter Creek winery was founded in 1996 by Gordon Rawson whose vision was to make world-class wines that showcase the unique and varied terroir of Washington State. Gordon started making wine as a hobbyist over twenty years ago while he was working for a fine wine distributor in the Seattle area. In 1987, he parlayed his enthusiasm for winemaking into a job at Columbia Winery where he had the opportunity to work with Master of Wine, David Lake. David’s style of management was to have his staff involved in all aspects of the winemaking process that allowed Gordon to both observe and participate in the artistic side of winemaking. After working for Columbia Winery as Cellarmaster for nearly a decade, Gordon opened Chatter Creek to produce top-quality sparkling wines. In 1998, he broadened the focus of Chatter Creek to include still wines. Early in 2000, he departed Columbia Winery to focus solely on Chatter Creek. Chatter Creek specializes in hand-crafted varietal wines that emphasize the diverse terroir of Washington State. Production is styled after class European wines, focused on the Rhone and Bordeaux varietals. Along with being a winemaker, Gordon also is extremely aware and involved in vineyard terrior. Washington has many unique viticultural areas, including well-known appellations such as Yakima Valley, Walla Walla, and Columbia Valley, as well as many emerging areas. Rawson carefully selects fruit from different areas in order to take advantage of the terroir differences that are reflected in the grapes and the finished product. Chatter Creek red wines are small lot products from vineyards where Gordon works hand-in-hand with the growers to obtain the best possible fruit. The fruit is gently handled, and fermented in small one-ton fermenters. Chatter Creek wines are aged in seasoned barrels so as to not overwhelm the subtle nuances of the terroir. Gentle technique in the cellar produces elegant wines that are balanced, with classic old world style, and containing new world fruit and finesse. For more information, plus tasting & technical notes and accolades, please see: www.chattercreek.com
Columbia Valley	COR Cellars		COR Cellars is the next generation of Washington wine. Their philosophy is to blend old school traditions with new school style. COR Cellars produces approachable wines of great character and distinction from Washington State’s finest vineyards. COR cellars was started in 2005 by Luke Bradford. After working in the Val D’Orcia in southern Tuscany for Tenuta di Trinoro and then on Mt Etna in Sicily for Passopisciaro from 2000-2002, Luke returned to Washington and went to work as assistant winemaker for Wind River Cellars and then Syncline Wine Cellars in the Columbia River Gorge. Seeing the enormous potential in Washington fruit, Luke embarked on his own and planted vineyards (Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec/Petit Verdot) in the Horse Heaven Hills, and the Columbia Gorge (Riesling) while setting up contracts to buy fruit from growers who he had worked with for these years at Syncline (Cabernet Sauvignon/ Merlot/ Malbec from Horse Heaven Hills, Sauvignon Blanc from the Wahluke Slope, and Pinot Gris/Gewurztraminer/Riesling from the Columbia Gorge.) Moving into a renovated facility in Lyle, WA in 2006, COR Cellars now makes five wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Momentum (Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Cabernet Franc/Malbec), Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Alba Cor (Pinot Gris/Gewurztraminer.) For more information, plus tasting & technical notes and accolades, please see: www.corcellars.com
Columbia Valley	Corvidae		Corvidae is David O'Reilly's newest creation. Mirth is a light, crisp chardonnay that is value priced with uncompromised taste. David O'Reilly is known for making beautiful wines, overseeing everything from picking the grapes to bottling the wine. Corvidae Mirth is sure to be a new favorite!
Columbia Valley	Efeste		Efeste, pronounced “F-S-T”, represents owners Daniel & Helen Ferrelli, Patrick Smith and Kevin & Angela Taylor. Efeste’s roots start literally in some of the best vineyards in the world. Together with winemaker Brennon Leighton and consultants Chris Upchurch & Jay Soloff of DeLille Cellars, they embrace the idea of marrying old world techniques with new world fruit; producing earthy yet elegant wines highlighted with robust fruit. SOLD BY VINUM IN OREGON & WASHINGTON STATE EXCEPT KING COUNTY For winery and vineyard information, plus tasting notes and accolades for specific bottlings, please see:www.efeste.com
Columbia Valley	For A Song		For a Song wines are brought to you by people who are deeply committed to bringing you the best everyday wine from the heart of the Pacific NW. Our fruit is selected from sites throughout Washington and Oregon by folks who truly understand and appreciate the terroir of the region. This careful consideration resonates through every glass you'll enjoy of these delicious wines. Along with our passion for great wine, we're also people who love to slow down and listen to the music, and we hope these wine inspire you to do the same. Winemaker Kyle Johnson has 10 years of viticulture and winemaking experience in Washington State.Upon Completion of his degree in Viticulture at Washington State University, Kyle joined the viticulture team at Chateau Ste. Michelle in 2000. Continuing extensive training and winemaking courses at UC Davis qualified Kyle to become a winemaker for Chateau Ste. Michelle at their Canoe Ridge Winery in 2002. In 2006, he was hired by Olsen Estates to create their first vintage, and he received critical acclaim for the wines from the beginning, starting with the 2006 vintage. As Winemaker with the For A Song Wines “grower” project, Kyle’s varietal blends are grown from some of Washington State's finest appellations including Wahluke Slope, Columbia Valley and Snipes Mountain. With grapes handpicked at their optimal flavor profile and juice fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods, the wines exhibit softer tannins and retain more varietal character. Following his passion, Kyle also produces wine for his own new venture, Purple Star Wines, which he owns with his wife, Amy. For winery, tasting & technical notes, vineyard and award information please see: For A Song
Columbia Valley	Hestia Cellars		Hestia Cellars Hestia is a family owned and operated winery on a small private estate nestled atop the Snoqualmie River Valley. A small family winery allows Hestia to be more intimate with each and every barrel of wine in the cellar; all of the red wines are gently moved by gravity flow, and are bottled unfined and unfiltered. Hestia utilizes grapes carefully selected from prestigious vineyards within the Columbia Valley. Two vineyards from famous grower Dick Boushey are used: Ambassador Vineyard in the Red Mountain AVA, and Boushey vineyard in the Yakima Valley. Fruit is also sourced from Andrews Ranch vineyard on the northern slope of the Horse Heaven Hills, and Stone Tree vineyard located in the Wahluke Slope. Hestia is the prototypical Washington wine carefully crafted and full of delicious fruit. Their new tasting room is now open in Woodinville. &nbs; For winery, tasting & technical notes, vineyard and award information please see: www.hestiacellars.com
Columbia Valley	McKinley Springs Winery		Over 60 years ago Louise and Bob Andrews began farming the land her parents had acquired after World War II. They planted grapes in 1980, and soon after developed an award-winning reputation for the vineyard’s wines. In 1986, three of their children, Rob, Sandy and Scott, and their spouses, founded Andrews and Rowell with the mission of continuing the family farming tradition. They established McKinley Springs Winery in 2002 with a goal of producing balanced, flavorful wines offering excellent value. Today, four members of the fourth generation are also involved in the family business. McKinley Springs grows over 20 varietals on its 2000 acre estate vineyard in the southern part of Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills. The region’s arid climate, high winds and low density vineyards provide ideal growing conditions. The family’s dedication to quality remains, evidenced by investment in vineyard technology. For example, shoot length indicators and water monitoring sites are implanted in all 200 blocks to help determine ideal watering times. Rob Andrews, Grower, tends to the vineyards and Doug Rowell, Winemaker, oversees production. Together they make 10 wines, focusing on Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chenin Blanc. McKinley Springs also supplies 25 noted area wineries with grapes, including Andrew Rich, Northstar, Syncline, Hogue and Columbia Crest. Visitors to the winery may walk its pristine vineyards and sample wines in the tasting room, located in a two-story post and beam building. McKinley Springs Winery is committed to crafting wines of exceptional balance, flavor and value. The estate wines come from the 2000 acre vineyard in Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills, an area acclaimed for its fine wines and unique location. The Horse Heaven Hills is bordered in the north by the Yakima hill, to the south by the Columbia River, and surrounded by the larger Columbia Valley appellation. The winds from the Columbia River protect against vine diseases and provide a cooling effect that concentrates fruit flavors, while the south facing slopes provide optimum growing conditions. Since McKinley Springs Winery owns the vineyards, it gives them more quality control over the growing and production aspects of the business. They have over 200 different blocks of vineyards, the majority of which are on south-facing slopes ranging from 800 to 1200 feet. The soils are silt loam with a deep layer of broken basalt which controls water by absorbing excess moisture. There is granite rock throughout due to the Missoula glacial floods, which washed in rock from Montana during the last ice age. For more information, plus tasting & technical notes and accolades, please see: www.mckinleysprings.com
Columbia Valley	Patterson Cellars		Patterson Cellars is a family owned winery located in Woodinville. Winemaker John Patterson has over 22 years in the wine industry and carefully crafts each Patterson Cellars wine as well as the Woodslake label wines. John worked with his father Jack Patterson on their first vintages. Jack started in wine production as a cellar hand for a local winery in 1984. John joined his father in this endeavor working part time straight out of high school, this worked into a full time job 6 months out of the year and continued into 1999. John and Jack started their first production in 2000 in Monroe under the name Washington Wine Company, their first release was in 2003. Stephanie joined the family in June 2007 when the winery was relocated from Monroe to Woodinville. Stephanie assisted in opening the tasting room and the winery changed the name to Patterson Cellars. Woodslake Winery label is an extension of the Patterson Cellars brand that is produced as a tribute to John's family and is the road the family lived on. Patterson Cellars uses grapes from Columbia Valley, Red Mountain, Chelan and Horse Heaven AVA's to provide a consistent, approachable, new world style wine Both the Woodslake Winery label and Patterson Cellars wines are created and bottled by Patterson Cellars in Woodinville. Visit the tasting room and winery in the warehouse district in Woodinville or taste the wines at their urban tasting room near the Pike Street Hill Climb, on Western Avenue. For winery & vineyard information, plus tasting & technical notes and accolades please see:www.pattersoncellars.com
Columbia Valley	Purple Star Winery		Purple Star winery was founded in 2008 by winemaker Kyle Johnson and his wife Amy with the philosophy that wine should be accessible, approachable, and affordable. But most of all, a belief that a wine's purpose is to bring together family and friends! With 10 years of viticulture and winemaking experience in Washington State, Kyle knows a thing or two about making wine. For starters, Purple Star's varietal blends are grown from some of Washington State's finest appellations including Wahluke Slope, Yakima Valley and Red Mountain. With grapes handpicked at their optimal flavor profile and juice fermented at cooler temperatures for longer periods, the wines exhibit softer tannins and retain more varietal character. Kyle and Amy donate 15% of Purple Star Wines' proceeds to Seattle Children's Hospital to benefit uncompensated care - a gesture they hope will lighten the financial burden of families overwhelmed by the expenses associated with critical medical care. The current release is the 2008 Columbia Valley Syrah. This wine is a robust expression of black raspberry, cherry, white pepper and fine grained tannins. Making this wine a perfect companion to grilled pork, lamb, or chicken. The 2008 Syrah is a blend of: 50% Wahluke Slope Syrah 50% Yakima Valley Syrah. Barrel Aged for 14 months in 40% new French and American barrels For winery & vineyard information, plus tasting & technical notes and accolades, please see: www.purplestarwines.com
Columbia Valley	Owen Roe		Owen Roe winery is named after Owen Roe O'Neill, a 17th century Irish Patriot from County Cavan, where winemaker David O'Reilly was raised. Since the first vintage in 1999, Owen Roe winery has been working to produce exceptional wines from Oregon and Washington. In a relatively short time these spectacular wines have built an excellent reputation among the restaurants and shops of not only Washington State, but also New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. David O'Reilly is a firm believer in the principle that great wine comes from great grapes. Time and careful attention are spent in the vineyards to make sure that the soil, weather and vineyard conditions result in excellent ripeness and great balance in the grapes. Once in the winery, only minimal and traditional handling practices are employed to gently coax the most authentic expressions of each varietal. For winery information, plus tasting & technical notes and accolades, please see: owenroe.com
Columbia Valley	Sparkman Cellars		Chris Sparkman is the GM of the Waterfront Seafood Grill in Seattle. It was a dinner with K Vintners founder Charles Smith which turned his interest to running a winery. Founded in 2004 by the Sparkman Family, Sparkman Cellars has leapt onto the wine scene and is honored to be partnered with some of the best vineyards in Washington State including Hedges, Klipsun, Boushey and DuBrul. Recent accolades have been excellent the April 2008 Wine Enthusiast gave the 2006 Lumière Chardonnay 91 points and the 2005 Ruby Leigh Red Wine 90 points. This national recognition for such a young winery is a remarkable beginning for this prodigious winery. For winery information, plus tasting & technical notes and accolades, please see: www.sparkmancellars.com
Walla Walla	Mannina Cellars		Mannina Cellars is a small, family run winery specializing in producing small lots of premium wine. Mannina Cellars is situated in the heart of the spectacular Walla Walla Valley where we can take advantage of one of Washington’s best “terroirs” Mannina Cellars was named after the maternal grandmother of the winemaker, who emigrated from Italy. SOLD BY VINUM IN WESTERN WASHINGTON ONLY For winery information, plus tasting notes, please see: www.manninacellars.com
Walla Walla	Foundry Vineyards		Mark Anderson and Squire Broel each grew up in Walla Walla. Anderson was a ceramic major at Whitman College and is the founder of Walla Walla Foundry. Broel majored in studio art with an emphasis on painting at Seattle Pacific University and has been exhibiting his work nationally and internationally since 1994. Foundry Vineyards began in 1998 as somewhat of a hobby for Mark Anderson. He planted 3.5 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes on his residential property. At first most of the grapes were sourced out to other Walla Walla wineries. In 2003 he decided to hold back some of the fruit and create a small amount of wine that would commemorate the work of his clients at the Walla Walla Foundry. The inaugural vintage, a blend of Cabernet and Merlot grapes from Stonemarker Vineyard, featured label artwork by renowned artist Jim Dine. This combination of art and wine is the foundation upon which Foundry Vineyards is built. Mark Anderson and Squire Broel have focused their energies towards formulating a unique experience, which expands the dialog about the creative processes that underlie the making of art and wine. With this creative and intentional blending of the two practices Foundry Vineyards has created a place that opens the possibility for greater exposure to create experiences. There is a distinctive aesthetic to each aspect of the winery from the art-driven Artisan Blend labels and the gallery-like tasting room to the spare, urban feel of the adjacent contemporary sculpture garden. At the beginning of 2011 Anderson and Broel made an additional step towards realizing their vision by hiring winemaker Ali Mayfield. Her education, work experiences, and determination made her a perfect fit for Foundry Vineyards. As Mayfield puts her individual mark on the wines they will be identified by their nuanced blending of tradition and innovation. For winery & vineyard information, plus tasting & technical notes and accolades, please see:www.foundryvineyards.com
Walla Walla	Sweet Valley Wines		Sweet Valley Wines became Washington State's 500th winery in 2004. It is located in the beautiful Walla Walla Valley on the eastern part of the state. Winemaker Josh McDaniel is an up and coming wine world wunderkind; working at Leonetti Cellars, wine-making at Sweet Valley Wines, and finishing his studies at the Institute of Enology and Viticulture in Walla Walla. He focuses on producing wines with a rich, bold and balanced style that help to showcase their Walla Walla origins. For winery information, plus tasting & technical notes and accolades, please see: www.sweetvalleywines.com