Page 45 - GV2020 Portfolio Master

WASHINGTON
B Leighton
Betz Family
Canvasback
Casasmith
Duck Pond
WASHINGTON Golden West
Washington’s viticultural history dates back to 1825, when the Hudson’s Bay Company planted Greenwing
the first wine grapes, and by the start of the 20th century every corner of the state was planted K Vintners
with vines. Prohibition put a stop to it, and for decades following the protectionist policies of Kin & Cascadia
the state liquor control board ensured that only cheap, sweet wines, punched up to 18 or 19 Rascal
Popup
percent alcohol with bags of sugar were made. The laws changed in the late 1960s, but as recently Proper Wines
as the mid-1970s there were only a half dozen wineries in the state, and only two survive today. Sixto
Washington’s vineyards are almost entirely irrigated, as the state’s eastern half is mostly desert. Substance
Major rivers – the Yakima, the Columbia and the Snake – provide water and define most of the ViNO
AVA borders. The sandy soils and cold winters have proven resistant to the plague of
phylloxera, and Washington is unique in the country in that vines are not grafted onto different
rootstock. Though initially it was believed that Washington’s winters were too cold for most
vinifera grapes to survive, that has been proven wrong. Better clones, better vineyard
management, the judicious use of irrigation and the ongoing exploration of favorable vineyard
sites has opened the doors to world class grapes and wines of almost every conceivable variety.
Today, Washington has almost 550 wineries of all sizes, and 14 unique AVAs.
Washington is the nation’s second largest producer of wine. Among the state’s geographic
advantages are extra sunlight hours during the growing season (on average, two more hours a day
than in California), few if any problems with rain, mold, mildew or rot, and an extended autumn
that allows grapes to hang well into October and even November. The fruit attains optimal
ripening, while maintaining natural acidity. Washington, more than any other place in the U.S.,
bridges the gap between traditional Old World winemaking and the pumped-up, sweet and sappy
wines of much of the New World.

45