Barbera
These versatile grapes show up in a variety of blends, sometimes offering
a light and fruity flavor, and other times dark, serious, complexity gained
when aged in oak. The grape's high acidity makes it ideal for warmer climates,
and its low tannin and good color make it a fashionable flavor for blending.
With its fruity, sour-cherry twist, or plumy and more full-bodied tang with
a touch of spice, these grapes are largely used for everyday table wine.
Cabernet Franc
These grapes thrive in cooler soils. Cabernet Franc has a delightfully mouthwatering
perfume and a smooth, soothing texture that enhances its already appetizing
flavor of raspberries mixed with the refreshing tang of blackcurrant leaves.
These qualities make it a favorite seasoning component, as well as a lovely
red wine to drink alone. The grapes generally emphasize the raspberry and
in some areas can be even more successful than its offspring Cabernet Sauvignon.
Washington vineyard acreage devoted to Cabernet Franc has grown six-fold
in the past few years.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes flourish in the rich soil of Central Washington,
and offer the most consistent and recognizable flavor of all red vines;
they are grown in virtually every winemaking region warm enough for red
vines to ripen. Taking flavors from both its parents, Cabernet Franc and
Sauvignon Blanc, the delightful and classic flavors of blackcurrant fruit,
seasoned by the closely related scents of cedar wood, come together to create
a simple flavor that is highly marketable and sought after by producers
and consumers alike. This wine ages beautifully.
Grenache
Low in acidity, these grapes contribute a certain softness and fleshiness
to a blend. Low temperature fermentation is essential, and can produce a
fresh, dill-scented wine to drink very young. Because of its low acidity,
Grenache usually doesn't require aging, doesn't improve with maturity and
blends well with other reds.
Lemberger (Blaufrankisch)
A good quality grape, this variety is known by Lemberger in Germany and
Washington State, and Blaufrankisch elsewhere. This hearty vine flourishes
in warmer climates and produces tiny berries that are pale in color with
light, decent acidity. The best examples are intense and zesty, with flavors
of red cherries and red currants. Tannin and acidity are high, and while
some new oak aging can be a good thing, it's important not to over-oak this
delightful wine.
Malbec
These grapes are a rising star in the red wine world, originating in southwest
France, gaining popularity in Argentina and becoming increasingly popular
in the warm, dry vineyards of Central Washington State. Although seldom
grown in large quantities, this soft, juicy grape produces a lovely dark,
plum scented wine, making it an ideal blending component.
Merlot
Washington Merlot, with its berry flavor and cherry aroma, is a popular
grape as a stand-alone or blending wine. This full-bodied, moderately tannic
fruit is sought after for its soft, mild, discernible red taste that pleases
crowds around the world. Traditionally used in blends, Washington Merlot's
sweet flavors and complex aromas include: cherry, berry, mint, cigar box,
and sweet spices like nutmeg and cardamom.
Mourvèdre
Young Mourvèdre grapes, picked at low yields, have a wild mix of rasping
hillside herbs, a hint of farmyard along with a light blackberry and bilberry
flavor. Vines grow best in warm, south-facing sites, with cool, shallow,
clay soil to tame its vigor. These grapes are solid in style, and when picked
ripe, result in high alcohol and tannin. When blended, Mourvèdre grapes
add an herby roughness for a few years before developing flavors of leather,
gingerbread and game. Vines produce dark, rich, rustic fruit that ages well
and add grit and muscle to any red blend.
Nebbiolo
A largely varietal wine, Nebbiolo is extremely particular about its preferred
climate, and a change in its preferred climate can compromise the quality
of the harvest. However, these vines cope with a variety of soils, but produce
the highest quality fruit in a clay and limestone mix. When the conditions
are right, and it is aged appropriately, this black tannic wine can exhibit
a divine rose petal scent, the richness of black chocolate and prunes and
a tarry intensity.
Petit Verdot
A late ripening fruit, Petit Verdot is highly valued for its color, structure
and lovely violet scent from mature vines and a banana aroma when young.
This attractive fruit is often blended with lighter wines that need the
extra tannin and color.
Pinot Noir
As a member of one of the oldest families of cultivated vines in existence,
Pinot Noir is prone to mutation. This means that vines tend to adapt to
local conditions, which can work to the grower's advantage. Pinot Noir is
light and perfumed, and richly fruity with good structure without too much
complexity. It's just the variety to inspire winemakers who aim to produce
dark, voluptuous, rich wines from perfectly balanced, perfectly ripe grapes.
Sangiovese
These grapes offer up attractively bright fruit, with cherry aroma and a
hint of spice; its vines are sometimes rustic and other times thin and lean.
With Sangiovese, it's essential to extend the ripening period for as long
as possible so that the tannins fully ripen. Sangiovese presents rousing
possibilities as these grapes continue to have an increased presence in
Washington State.
Syrah
A spicy, rich complex varietal, Syrah grapes grow into big, dark, intensely
concentrated wines with aromas and flavors of blackberries, black currants,
roasted coffee and leather. Within the Yakima Valley, the hottest, earliest
ripening vineyards give blackberry, cassis and plum flavors; while cooler
vineyards offer more mulberry and black cherry with some bacon fat flavors.
This relative newcomer to Washington State is quickly becoming as important,
in terms of area, as Merlot.
Tempranillo
The hot summer days and cool crisp evenings of Central Washington work together
to bring out the very best in Tempranillo grapes - elegance and acidity,
along with high sugar levels, and thick, deep-colored skins. When fully
ripe, good color, relatively low acid, low tannin and an affinity with oak
barrels are just a few of the characteristics that make these grapes ideal
for blending with more acidic and stronger perfumed varieties.
Zinfandel
These grapes produce wine that ranges in color from pink to the deepest
black, very sweet from raisined grapes to earlier crops cultivated for a
dry variety. Zinfandel flourishes in warm climates with a long growing season.
Zinfandel can produce obligingly large crops on poor soils in dry conditions,
but when making a red wine, whole cluster fermentation gives a fruitier,
strawberry flavor, whereas a long maceration with the skins provides more
color and tannin to set the wine up for oak aging. Spicy flavors include
black pepper, clove, cinnamon and oregano; floral flavors are violets and
roses; fruit flavors range from cranberries, strawberries and raspberries
to blackcurrant, black cherry, plums and raisins of increasing ripeness.