Artistic Inspiration

...with a touch of comic relief.

 

 

 

 

 



This one is dedicated to Matt...

 

 

Yak-deaux

If you’re a Yakima Valley wine enthusiast, you probably already know that our valley is located on the same latitudinal line as Bordeaux—a wine region known for its profoundly complex and age worthy wines—in France. This is part of why so many Bordeaux varietals can thrive here: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot for reds, and, most popularly, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon for whites. (At least, of the Bordeaux varietals.)

The Wine Bible on Bordeaux:

-      Bordeaux is a red wine region. 80% of the wines produced are red.

-      Although the very top Bordeaux wines are renowned worldwide, these constitute but a small percentage of the region’s total output. Most Bordeaux are neither famous nor expensive but instead, are good, every-night dinner wines.

-      Bordeaux wines are about elegance and intensity of flavor; they are rarely massive or powerful.

-      For the Bordealais winemaker blending is crucial; it is one of the methods by which complexity in wine is achieved.

From this alone we see a lot of similarities. In the red heavy Yakima Valley, Bordeaux blends are everywhere! Elegance and intensity of flavor are crucial in this state: yes we have bold reds—striking and tannic—but for the most part, Washington’s winemaking style is less about the alcohol and the obvious. Its wines are nuanced, dimensional, with full flavors. This is what wine is about: slowing down, savoring, the moment.

Another very cool concept is that the majority of valley wines, as in Bordeaux, are not massively produced viti-celebrities. There are over 800 wineries in this state and most of them produce under 5000 cases annually—with only a few labels producing over 90% of the wine. (Tasting room visitors from Abu Dhabi said last weekend that Chateau Ste. Michelle is the only Washington wine they can find there—practically across the world, CSM would be one example.) Some of our favorites in Zillah produce less than 1000 cases—Cultura at around 750 and Dineen at around 250, for example. (Both with outstanding, award winning wines that can only be found inside their tasting rooms.) Our case production at Two Mountain is around 2500, and although we have a few distributors, we’re only available in a few markets around the US.

An old article by the Wine Enthusiast took concept this a step further (in Could Washington Redefine Cult Wine?): “Keep the requirements for rarity, high scores and buzz, but lose the absurd prices, drop the alcohol levels a bit and substitute genuine terroir for 100% new French oak barrels… Start with the world-class boutique wineries of Washington. Washington’s Bordeaux-style wines and blends have the structure and balance to age for decades.”

Yes, we’re proud to be making wine in Washington, and no we wouldn’t be doing it anywhere else. There are innumerable reasons why we believe in this place—and for us, drinking locally is about quality, less so convenience. Oh, how do we love thee, let us count the ways…

Copeland Vineyard, you so pretty...

Cricket, Cricket..

Has it been quiet around here? Blog activity might be misleading… because in the tasting room, on the vineyard, and quietly (but furiously) in the wine lab, we’ve been humming. As mountain-like as these brothers can be (towering over, say, a petite tasting room manager), Two Machines might be the more operative phrase here.

So what’s happening?

Wet gray day on the vineyard today

Patrick is finishing up the planting project that has taken the majority of the last few months. What was once just a flat brown lot of tilled dirt and trellis is now lush and green, with vines sprouting over grow tube (the white plant protector that serves to fend off rodents, and encourage healthy growth). And, fighting the unusual intermittent rain we’ve had over the last month, putting in the irrigation that will sustain it through the rest of its life.

Braden graduated last week and is finally done with his dual degrees (Vineyard and Winery Technology, with honors!). He's off to Alaska for a 48 hour celebratory break before getting back on the grind. He and Matt have been racking and topping, and preparing to bottle later this week. After that, Matt goes to Montana—a new market for us—to lead a wine tasting leisure adventure of some sort. Oh, the things we must do to spread the good Two Mountain word…

Who knows... projects!

The tasting room continues to pick up, with people coming from just up the road or as far as foreign countries. (No, Seattle is not technically a foreign country…) We’ve had people passing through and others who made Yakima their destination—the latter being the adventurous, exploratory, wine enthusiast type, and the former usually the leisure lovers. (Zillah being a meeting ground for both.)

Zillah—and Yakima more broadly—continue to grow and change. In the last few months, more wineries have opened, restaurants are catering to the people who travel here, and activities either in town or at wineries are keeping visitors here for longer. (Multiple farmers markets, horses, outdoor concerts, galleries, theater, the symphony, a new brewery…)

While we prepare to release our Wine Club Sauvignon Blanc on Saturday at our Low Country Boil party, we’re enjoying the sunshine and the people who stop by to share it with us… and as usual, having a darn good time.

Now, back to the fun stuff… like this.

Red & White & Everything In Between

Pretty sweet infographic from Wine Folly for us newbies out there... although in all fairness, the color on the 2009 Syrah is even darker and inkier than anything on this sheet. Should that, then, be filed under absolutely delicious?