The Pride of the Pacific Northwest

A couple of months ago I attended a wine dinner at The HoDo featuring the incredible wines of Sokol Blosser Winery out of Dundee Hills, Oregon. Not only were the wines amazing, but the story behind the winery itself, and the people who run it, added to my enjoyment. This got me thinking. More often than not, my experiences with wines that originate from the Pacific Northwest — which includes Oregon, Washington and Idaho — are not only pleasant but also seem to end up carving a spot on my mental list of favorite wines.

The Pacific Northwest is the northernmost viticultural region of the United States. The dominant geological features of this region include the Coast Mountains, the Cascade Mountains and the Columbia River — all of which contribute to the uniqueness and diversity of wines coming out of this part of the country. It is one of the most rapidly developing economic areas in the United States. The viticultural history of the Pacific Northwest began with the Pacific Railroad being built in the 1800s. With the railroad came European settlers who brought vine cuttings from their various cultures.

The Willamette Valley is the main wine growing region in Oregon and the primary grape varietals are pinot noir and pinot gris. At the Sokol Blosser dinner we had the pleasure of meeting Alex Sokol Blosser, the second generation co-owner (with his sister Alison) and a knowledgeable individual who really made you want to drink the wines his family lovingly and responsibly creates. This family owned and run winery practices certified organic farming, uses biodiesel in its vehicles, uses recyclable materials whenever possible including on the labels and shipping boxes, and even puts out a yearly sustainability report on its website!

To top it all off, the wines are unbelievable. Although this winery produces flawless examples of both pinots, these grapes in general get plenty of attention without being mentioned by me. I would rather bring up two remarkable blends being created here. The first one, Meditrina, is a blend of pinot noir, syrah and zinfandel and is named after the Roman goddess of wine and wealth. The first time I had this exceptionally smooth, luscious wine I was in love. Often times my personal preference in red wine leans a little to the heavier side, but this was an exception.

As with any good pinot noir, the lighter style allows you to pair it with a wide range of foods, especially anything grilled, including red meat, fish or chicken. Evolution #9 is a pinot gris based white blend consisting of nine varietals. It is an off dry, refreshing “patio pounder” that pairs well with some of the bold flavors of Asian and Mexican food, which can often be hard to do. Both the Meditrina and the Evolution retail around $17-19. Not the cheapest of wines, as you will often find with Oregon pinots, but worth the money if you are looking to spend a bit more.

There are also a ton of wonderful wines coming out of Washington, which is the second largest wine producer in the United States after California. Most of the vineyards are concentrated on the Eastern side with latitudes somewhere between those of Bordeaux and Burgundy. The combination of the rich volcanic soil, the desert-like climate and access to irrigation water make these ideal grape growing conditions. Here the three most widely grown grapes are cabernet, merlot and chardonnay.

The Columbia Valley produces the majority of these wines with one of the newer AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) being Horse Heaven Hills. The unique basalt and bedrock terroir of this region and the interesting variances in temperature make for some intense and earthy (in a good way) examples of wine.

A couple of years ago, Columbia Crest launched a new brand of wines called H3 (stands for Horse Heaven Hills) and the reception was spectacular. I was working for a wine distributor at the time, and I remember tasting the wines at a meeting and being blown away by the quality and then the price at around $11-12. We each received a sample bottle to taste with our customers, but before that could happen were promptly told to stop. Once the big wine magazines got a hold of them (“Wine Spectator,” “Wine Enthusiast”) and rated them (nothing below 89 points) they were snatched up until the next vintage with none to be had in Colorado and probably most other places besides California. So imagine how happy I was when these wines came to Fargo a couple of weeks ago! The ratings for the new vintages haven’t come out yet, but I can tell you they are tasting fabulous, and this time there is plenty to be had so drink up!

I have to admit, like many people, I don’t have nearly as much experience with the Idaho wines as with Oregon or Washington, but with more wineries popping up there, this may change in the future. One winery out of Idaho that makes a great riesling, and also an interesting sweet red, is the Ste Chapelle Winery, situated in the southwestern part of Idaho in the Snake River Valley where most of the grape growing in this state happens. Growing riesling is ideal for the high altitude climate of this region, making for lower alcohol, sweeter wines.

The Special Harvest Riesling is one of Ste Chapelle’s signature wines with flavors of apricot and peaches, pairing ideally with fresh fruits and desserts. This wines runs around $11 — not too shabby for a good quality riesling. The Ste Chapelle Soft Red is another popular wine from this winery, using premium red grapes and fermenting them in such a way as to achieve a lower alcohol level with balanced residual sweetness. This red wine is to be served chilled with fruit, cheese or light desserts and retails for a very reasonable $8-9 per bottle.

Many people associate the Pacific Northwest mainly with pinot noir and pinot gris. Don’t limit yourself; expand your horizons by sampling some of the other great wines that this part of the country has to offer.

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