The Wine Knows

The federal government is taking comments (press release, PDF) on the establishment of a new American Viticultural Area in Washington's Yakima Valley.

The Snipes Mountain AVA would be the state's second-smallest appellation at 4,145. About 535 acres of vineyards already are planted in the proposed region, including some of the state's oldest. Included in the region is Harrison Hill.

Jeff Hellam is the owner of Hellams Vineyard, a wine shop in La Conner, Wash., that specializes in Northwest selections.

Wine Press Northwest correspondent Jon Bauer recently caught up with Jeff at his wine shop and asked him to talk about some of his favorite picks from Washington.

One item of note as we prep for our Riesling competition this weekend: The noble white wine grape of Germany and Alsace is produced throughout the Pacific Northwest. In fact, I'm a bit amazed at how many various appellations are represented on wine bottles.

Chateau Ste. Michelle not only makes the most Riesling in the world - but it also produces some of the finest. This was proven once again this afternoon in Southern California.

Ste. Michelle's 2007 Dry Riesling won the sweepstakes award for best white wine of the Riverside International Wine Competition, which concluded this afternoon.

Today has been blissfully sunny and warm, with temperatures in the mid-70s and nary a cloud in the sky over Washington's Columbia Valley.

In my humble but growing backyard vineyard, nine of my 10 Brunello clone Sangiovese vines are leafing out quite nicely. The 10th is just finally showing full bud break but is a good two weeks behind the others. Odd. Nine of the vines are entering their fifth leaf, and the 10th (though not the one slow in leafing out) is a cutting from late 2006 that I planted last spring.

It's Spring Release Weekend in the Walla Walla Valley, when thousands descend upon the valley in eastern Washington and Oregon to visit nearly 100 wineries now open to the public.

The genesis of this event lies with Leonetti Cellar, the valley's oldest winery. Since the early 1980s, Leonetti has enjoyed cult-like status, and early May has been when its customers have come to the winery for its annual open house.

How would you like to hang with celebrity chef Bobby Flay in New York City? Flay and Columbia Crest are teaming up with a contest called "Flayvors of Washington." All you have to do is come up with an original recipe that uses ingredients from Washington state and is inspired by a Columbia Crest Grand Estates wine.

Two years ago, Leonetti owner Gary Figgins judged the Northwest Wine Summit on Oregon's Mount Hood. I'd recently seen my first glass "cork" from Alcoa in a bottle of Sinnean. Over dinner, my buddy Hank Sauer and I showed the cork alternative to Gary. He was fascinated and wondered if he might be able to talk his son, winemaker Chris Figgins, into testing the closure.

For the second consecutive year, a wine from British Columbia has won best of show at the annual Northwest Wine Summit. This year, however, the victorious wine was more "traditional."

The winner was Mission Hill Family Estate for its 2006 Select Lot Collection Riesling Icewine.

Steve Lessard, winemaker for Whitman Cellars in Walla Walla, Wash., has released a wine under his own label, Corvus Cellars.