Discovering Washington Wines: An Introduction to One of the Most Exciting Premium Wine Regions - Softcover

Parker, Tom

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0971925852 ISBN 13: 9780971925854

Publisher: Raconteurs Pr Llc, 2002

Synopsis

Washington has become the epicenter of a major wine boom and is now the second largest producer of wine in the United States after California. In a relatively short period of time, the superb premium wines produced by the state’s award-winning wineries have attracted recognition from experts around the world. Many wine connoisseurs see the future of American wine in the Pacific Northwest, and specifically in Washington State.

DISCOVERING WASHINGTON WINES is the first consumer-friendly guide to Washington’s wine growing regions, profiling notable wineries and emerging "cult" vintners.

DISCOVERING WASHINGTON WINES is filled with useful information for the wine enthusiast, including history, maps, illustrations, a glossary of wine terms, and a complete list of all wineries in the state. This completely new book explains the essential facts about Washington wines in a compact, highly readable volume and makes an ideal introduction to the subject. It is a must for wine lovers, regional history and travel fans, and those who enjoy creating their own "wine country" tours.

About this title

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

Washington State, long known for its apples and rainy climate, is fast becoming famous for its world-class wines and vineyards. Second only to California in U.S. wine production, Washington produces a much higher percentage of its total volume as higher-quality, premium wines.

The relative speed at which this state has emerged as a major premium wine producer is remarkable. In 1981 there were only nineteen wineries in all of Washington. By 2002 there were more than 170 with new wineries being added at a rate of one every five weeks. The total acreage planted to wine grapes in the state doubles every four years.

Winemaking in this region dates back to the early nineteenth century with the arrival of the first European settlers. Washington’s transformation into a major premium wine producer didn’t begin in earnest until the 1960s. Much of this transformation, including a giant leap forward in quality, occurred only in the last ten years. The energy among winemakers here reminds many wine industry veterans of California’s rise to prominence in the wine world during the 1970s.

Washington wines have an entirely distinctive personality, and many offer great value compared to wines from California and elsewhere. Wine experts and knowledgeable consumers have elevated some to "cult" status. These include several limited-production Bordeaux-style wines offered for sale only to mailing-list customers and exclusive retailers.

The rapid growth of Washington’s wine industry has made it difficult to keep up with the number of new premium wine releases and other developments, let alone keep an accurate count of the growing number of wineries in operation. The state currently has five federally recognized wine-producing regions and several unofficial subregions. Wines produced from grapes in each of these areas have their own distinct characteristics and flavor based on unique local growing conditions.

Many winemakers see the future of American wine in the Pacific Northwest. Today Washington is recognized as a major international wine region, but it is still in its early stages of growth compared to other great wine regions around the world. The best is yet to come as future vintages from a growing number of talented winemakers are released.

Review

"Discovering Washington Wines" celebrates, and gives an overview of, the state's wine industry, from primary growing regions to grape varieties. -- Alaska Airlines Magazine, December, 2002

"Discovering Washington Wines" is a good introductory guide that provides the background on the past and present of the industry. -- Wine Press Northwest, Spring, 2003

Seattle author Tom Parker's "Discovering Washington Wines" is a handy primer for the budding oenophile. -- Seattle Magazine, December, 2002

Edition details

• Publisher: Raconteurs Pr Llc
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0971925852
• ISBN 13: 9780971925854
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 160