This time on the calendar is often reserved for year-end pontifications and speculations on what the trends might be for the next 12 months.
I'm not usually one to write such columns, but 2003 was an extraordinary year that gave me the opportunity to see the Northwest wine industry from a unique angle. Each year, I judge a number of wine competitions, some put on by our publication and some run by other organizations.
In 2003, I judged 11 competitions, all but two of which focused on Northwest wine. And three of the competitions were the major judgings for each region: the Washington State Wine Competition, the Oregon State Fair Professional Wine Competition and the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival Competition. A fourth, the Northwest Wine Summit, is the largest and most comprehensive judging of Pacific Northwest wine. The only area missing for me was Idaho because there is no statewide judging.
All told, I had the opportunity to evaluate more than 2,500 wines — 2,000 of which were from the Northwest. From this, I came away with a number of perspectives.
Syrah could be perfect for the Northwest
It is safe to say the noble wine of the Northern Rhône does quite well in our corner of the world. And it could be that Syrah is one of the best-suited grapes for the hot climates of the Columbia, Rogue and Okanagan valleys.
It's almost frightening when we consider how good Northwest Syrahs are across the board because the first grapes weren't planted here until 1986 — and the vast majority have gone into the ground since 1998. Once Northwest grape growers and winemakers begin to really understand Syrah, and when the vines gain maturity, the already-outrageous quality should become mind-boggling.
Chardonnay is losing its verve
Our year-end Platinum Judging provided many plotlines. To me, one of the most telling was that out of the 212 gold medal-winning wines submitted, just 12 were Chardonnay. And our judges didn't have much enthusiasm for them, except for one bright, crisp version from British Columbia.
This indicates two trends: America's favorite wine is beginning to drop in interest, and the days of big, buttery, oak-driven Chardonnays are thankfully declining.
I don't know that over-oaked Chardonnays were ever as prevalent in the Northwest as they were in California. Perhaps our winemakers were less inclined to cover up the grapes' naturally strong flavors and acidity. Regardless, I'm talking to a lot more winemakers who prefer to make their Chardonnays in steel rather than in wood, and when oak is used, it's more often in moderation.
Pinot Noir is maddening
I already knew that Pinot Noir is a wine that can exude great joy one moment and deep frustration the next.
This dichotomy was never so evident to me than during a February judging in Sonoma County. Our panel of five judges was getting along famously until we came upon Pinot Noir. Then it got ugly. On nearly every wine, we were far apart on our scores, with each judge having an opinion on what Pinot Noir should be and nobody wanting to give ground. At one point, we nearly had to separate two judges who started yelling and swearing at each other.
Then we moved on to Central Coast Merlot, which we were all able to agree was some of the most boring wine of the competition. We weren't happy, but at least we weren't fighting.
I see this happen every single time I judge Pinot Noir. The fact is that this grape creates more passion — positive and negative — than any other.
Full speed ahead
As the United States comes out of its economic slump, Washington is poised for greatness. Sales have remained strong the past two years despite the doldrums that have dragged down the global wine industry. Washington wine is on everyone's lips, and the overpriced wineries of Napa and Sonoma should be worried.
And suddenly, British Columbia is being discovered. It's not just the famous sweet ice wines, either. Dry whites and reds are gaining attention, and more are even making it into the states. B.C.'s high quality and low prices will inject a lot of enthusiasm into consumers.
Idaho is well positioned to make great wine. It's a young industry with younger vineyards, but the quality potential is stunning. Eventually, the marketplace will realize there's more to the Gem State than famous potatoes.
We have a lot of reasons to be thankful as we finish 2003 and begin 2004. I can't wait to taste my way through another calendar.
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