Exploring the Diversity of Northwest Wine

Idaho

Consumers may associate Idaho with spuds, but with over 50 wineries and approval for its third AVA in the pipeline, the state clearly has a rosy fine-wine future. The region’s high-desert climate is similar to that of Washington’s Columbia Valley, with an aptitude for everything from Riesling to Syrah.

“The elevation, the volcanic soil, the proximity to the Snake River and its warm, sunny days and cool nights provide us with some of the best conditions for growing premium wine grapes, as well as outstanding ice wines when conditions are just right in late fall,” says winemaker Maurine Johnson of Ste. Chapelle Winery, who also serves as matriarch of sorts to Idaho’s uncommonly female-skewing community of winemakers.

Idaho’s modern wine era was kickstarted in 1975 with the founding of Ste. Chapelle in what is now the Snake River Valley AVA. After being snapped up by a number of large players like Constellation and Ascentia, it was acquired by Precept Wines in 2011. As owners of the nearby Sawtooth Winery and extensive Idaho vineyard holdings, this move made Precept Idaho’s largest producer and the Northwest’s largest privately-held wine company.

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St. Chapel Winery.

 

British Columbia

Visiting British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley may require a passport, but this gorgeous locale is a natural northern extension of Washington’s wine country and a must-see destination for wine lovers. Bruce Schoenfeld nailed it in 2009 when he wrote in Travel & Leisure, “imagine Lake Tahoe as a backdrop for the Napa Valley.”

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Stylistically, British Columbia wines are split roughly 50/50 between whites and reds, but the region’s climate more reliably produces distinctive whites – particularly Chardonnay and Riesling. Pinot Noirs show promise in cooler northern zones, while red Bordeaux varieties perform better further south. The current currency imbalance has caused a surge in American visitors, introducing them to BC’s wines and creating demand back home. “Tourism from the US is up dramatically,” says Ingo Grady, director of wine education for Mission Hill Family Estate. “They’re not just skiing and shopping here, but snapping up real estate too.”

Macro-economic factors make it much easier for Canadian producers to sell their wines domestically. For example, Constellation Brands is Canada’s largest producer, with BC brands like Black Sage and Nk’Mip, but Constellation exports little wine to the U.S. However, a few quality leaders like Mission Hill recognize that the path to wine world legitimacy leads south of the border. “Exporting wine means sacrificing about a considerable portion our margin,” Grady says, “but we choose to do it anyway. Proving ourselves in the world’s largest wine market (right next door) is the right thing to do for our long term future.”

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Okanagan Valley near Kelowna.

Author and sommelier Marnie Old is one of the country’s leading wine experts. Formerly the director of wine studies for Manhattan’s esteemed French Culinary Institute, she is best known for her visually engaging books published by DK – the award-winning Wine: A Tasting Course and He Said Beer, She Said Wine.

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