The Evergreen State produces a wide range of reds to satisfy any oenophile’s cravings
By Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen
Washington can trace its earliest winemaking roots to 1860, when German and Italian immigrants first planted grapes. Today, it is the second-largest wine-producing state in North America. Unlike other regions that have a reputation for one style of wine, Washington offers a wide range of varieties to satisfy any oenophile’s cravings, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, and Riesling.
The Columbia Valley AVA is the state’s largest region and crosses the border into northern Oregon. It contains almost all its other AVAs, including Walla Walla Valley, Ancient Lakes, Horse Heaven Hills, Wahluke Slope, Naches Heights, and Yakima Valley. Hot sunny summer days, cool nights, and the Columbia, Snake, Walla Walla, and Yakima rivers provide an ideal environment for ripening grapes to perfection.
Although the entire state makes excellent wines, the Walla Walla Valley is probably its best-known subregion for quality wines. It is divided into four distinct districts: the Westside Wine District, the Airport District, the far Eastside District (including the Mill Creek growing area), and the Southside District, where most of the wineries are located. Downtown Walla Walla is a great destination, too, because there are over 30 wine tasting rooms within walking distance of each other, and you can stop for a snack or meal, or, better yet, buy a few bottles to ship home.
Dunham Cellars 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley
As a young man, Eric Dunham enjoyed drinking fine wine from his parents’ cellar, and he declared his desire to be a winemaker in the 1980s. He worked at Hogue Cellars and L’Ecole 41 before launching his eponymous winery in an old World War II airplane hangar in Walla Walla. A few years later, he was joined by David and Cheryll Blair, who had a passion for pairing hospitality with great wine. Dunham Cellars 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is inky purple in the glass and has aromas of cassis, black cherry, and a touch of rolled tobacco leaf that transition seamlessly to the palate with flavors of vanilla, black raspberry, and red currant.
Pursued by Bear 2022 Columbia Valley
Actor Kyle Maclachlan returned home to Washington to make wine and named his winery Pursued by Bear because Shakespeare’s stage direction in A Winter’s Tale calls for a bear to appear on stage and for the subsequent line “I am gone for ever. (sic) Exit, pursued by a bear.” His winemaker is Daniel Wampfler, and together with the winemaking team, they are producing some amazing wines. Their 2022 is a blend of 92 percent Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance comprised of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. It has enticing aromas of cherry, violet, blueberry, and red plum with a sturdy tannic backbone and flavors of black cherry, cassis, and black plum.
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