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The way things are going in Washington these days, the above headline needs a bit more information - because it seems like a Walla Walla winery is opening a second tasting room in Woodinville about every other week.
ROHNERT PARK, Calif. — Northwest wineries fared well at the 2010 Grand Harvest Awards, an international wine competition staged by Vineyard & Winery Management magazine.
The chief reason Chinook Winery of Prosser, Wash., has built up such an enthusiastic following over its 21-year history can be summed up by one word: consistency.
That fact was pleasurably drummed home to me when Wine Press Northwest Editor Andy Perdue and I were afforded a rare opportunity to taste some past vintages of Chinook wines with winemaker Kay Simon.
We started with a still-charming and sound 1985 Merlot and sampled six more up through the 1999 vintage. Then we turned to Cabernet Sauvignon and savored the 1991, 1994, 1997 and 1998.
The frosting on the cake was the 2002 Cabernet Franc Rosé, which has to be one of the fruitiest, smoothest bone-dry rosés on the market.
Chinook, the wife-and-husband team of Simon as winemaker and Clay Mackey as viticulturist, stresses the personal approach to hands-on making and marketing of wines. You generally don't get monster blockbuster wines at Chinook. What you get are straightforward, fruit-driven wines of the highest quality that are clean, extremely well balanced and consistent top quality.
Chinook's production is around 3,000 cases a year divided among eight wines, including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, a blended red, Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc rosé.
You also won't see the high prices of boutique wineries of similar size: The highest price of the eight wines made at the winery is $25 for the Cabernet Sauvignon. Six of the wines sell in the $15 to $17 range.
Consequently, during the past 20 year they have become the darling of a huge number of top Seattle area restaurants. When they celebrated their 20th anniversary last summer underneath stately shade trees at their pictureque country farm winery, Seattle restaurateur Tom Douglas was on the grill.
Chinook's wines are served in about 40 Seattle-area restaurants, including the Dahlia Lounge, The Georgian Room, The Herbfarm, Ray's Boathouse, Wild Ginger, Salish Lodge and a slew of Anthony Homeport establishments. Chinook also is popular with the chef at the governor's mansion in Olympia.
Simon said they prefer to sell their wines by sampling one on one with their customers at the tasting room, restaurants and a few upscale grocery stores and wine shops. They sell about a third of their production from their tasting room
Since their winery is in the heart of the Yakima Valley, Chinook features Yakima Valley fruit from a number of vineyards where they have long associations. These include Carter Family, Boushey and a couple on Red Mountain.
Kay is convinced Yakima Valley grapes can make wines every bit as good as the top vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley, Columbia Valley and Columbia Gorge, and this vertical tasting helped prove her point.
1985 Merlot: Shows classic bouquet of fine oak and nuances of spices and dried cherries with balanced acids.
1989 Merlot: Strawberry jam and moist earth aromas and again some spices. Classic and classy.
1992 Merlot: Begins soft and light with herbal components and a lot of complexities. Dried berries and interesting earthy notes.
1993 Merlot: Was a favorite at the 20th anniversary party. Rose blossom aromas and candied fruit come to mind with rich fresh berry finish punctuated by a hint of chocolate.
1995 Merlot: Almost Cab-like with robust and juicy berry aromas and flavors, complex and ever so smooth.
1997 Merlot: This is robust yet delicate, lush yet elegant. A lot is going on in the aromas and flavors with intense fruit characteristics.
1999 Merlot: Still a bit tight but should open up with time. Black pepper and vanilla extract aromas with smooth cherry fruit.
1991 Cabernet Sauvignon: Big oak and cocoa aromas along with perfumey vanilla beans. The flavors are of lush berries, and the finish is intense.
1994 Cabernet Sauvignon: A huge, powerful wine with intense black currants. Lots of muscle here, yet enjoys a certain amount of elegance.
1997 Cabernet Sauvignon: Shows aromas and flavors of concentrated ripe cherries and berries and balanced oak and vanilla undertones. Bright and delicious.
1998 Cabernet Sauvignon: Has some licorice touches, nice oak and good fruit. There is also a hint of mint.
Finally the 2002 Cabernet Franc Rosé: A perfect fit at the dinner table or in the picnic basket. Tasty light berries along with plums. Feels sweet, yet it's crisp and finishes dry.
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