Chardonnay
With its soft, dryish, definitely fruity flavors, often with a whiff of
vanilla, Chardonnay is the most well-known name in white wine. Chardonnay's
utterly pleasant, sometimes creamy, sometimes spicy flavor, has led a remarkable
wine revolution over the past 30 years, creating an entire market of consumers
who will buy anything with Chardonnay on the label. Unlike other regions,
Washington Chardonnays are often distinctly crisp and delicate, lightly
oaked, to bring out its softer nuances that make it a favorite of many.
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Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer combines a most irresistible scent of lychees and tea rose
pedals with the lushness of tropical fruit, and a bite of black pepper in
its finest form. Never a timid grape, Gewürztraminer withstands cold Washington
winters, enhancing its appeal to winemakers who seek it for its hearty,
dry, rich aromatics.
Muscat Canelli
This marvelously adaptable grape, with its gorgeous hothouse scent and peachy
richness, makes Muscat Canelli a versatile grape to blend for outstanding
wine -- sweet, medium or dry, sparkling or fortified.
Muscat Ottonel
Slightly less powerful and paler in color than Muscat Canelli, the even
more versatile Muscat Ottonel is sought after for a variety of uses, from
grape concentrate to table grapes. Young Muscat Ottonel tastes of rose pedals
spiked with orange blossom and sometimes elderflower. Slowly gaining in
popularity throughout Central Washington, these grapes, with their light
citrus tang help balance the wine's low acidity.
Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris grown in the Pacific Northwest is known for fruit flavors of
pear, apple, mango and spring flowers with a light honeysuckle scent. This
highly regarded, pleasant grape is sought after and picked more for its
acidity than for the plump richness of its traditionally light, crisp grapes.
Riesling
A celebrated favorite among winemakers, the acquired taste of Riesling has
slowly increased in popularity among wine enthusiasts over the past 15 years.
One of the original grape varieties grown in Washington, Riesling grapes
flourish in the cool climate conditions indicative of Central Washington's
crisp fall nights. In its finest form, Riesling produces magnificently austere
dry wines, delightfully delicate off-dry wines and thrilling super sweet
wines that drench the palate and invigorate the mind.
Roussanne
Rich with style and class, Roussanne possesses an almost herbal minerally
perfume and surprisingly elegant texture for a warm climate wine. This late-ripening
grape, when picked at its peak, manages to be both low in acidity and long-lived.
Its intense, elusive and intriguing flavors are reminiscent of pears or
aromatic herbal tea, floral in youth and nutty with age. Washington Roussanne
is often blended with Viognier and is characterized by its fruit salad profile
of notes that range from apple, lime, peach and citrus to cream and honey.
Sauvignon Blanc
Offering a painter's palate of flavors, the refreshing aromas and tasteful
nuances of Sauvignon Blanc are linked to a myriad of fruit and vegetables,
but none more so than gooseberries. Bare and unoaked, this brilliant, pungent,
and aggressively green, yet exotically ripe style of wine is unlike anything
else available. Like its counterpart in Bordeaux, Washington's Sauvignon
Blancs often are expertly blended with Semillon, giving them tremendous
complexity and character.
Semillon
A good grape to blend, Semillon's racy flavor with its decided bite, ages
beautifully into rich, honeyed, nutty wines. Though hearty enough to endure
Eastern Washington's hot summers and cold winters; Semillon's sensitivity
to temperature produces flavors distinctive to the area in which it is planted.
Grapes from the coolest spots (Prosser, Grandview and the Yakima Valley)
produce flavors in the realm of leaves and stalks more than fruits. Warmer
zones (near Pasco where the Yakima River joins the Columbia) produce flavors
closer to honeyed citrus.
Viognier
Viognier grapes offer a distinguished alternative to white wine lovers seeking
a reprieve from the soft, creamy, oaky Chardonnay and the high acid style
of Riesling or Sauvignon. Sometimes difficult to cultivate, but certainly
worth the effort to encourage, Viognier delivers a serious, swooning wine,
with texture as soft and thick as apricot juice, perfume as uplifting as
mayblossom, and a sour, creamy richness that glistens with sensuality, charm
and depth.