Yakima Valley, Washington Wine Country

If Washington State wines are not on your radar, they should be. It has a particularly ideal climate for winegrowing since it’s 46˚ North latitude, which is the same as France’s Burgundy and Rhône regions. It also gets 17 hours of sunlight and has cool nights that help maintain the acidity of the grapes.

Since the state’s wine region is on the other side of the Cascades from wet Seattle, it benefits from the rainshadow effect, which makes the land dry and perfect for grapes. Plus, 90% of the wineries in Washington produce fewer than 5,000 cases, which means they’re smaller, family-owned, boutique establishments.

Within that wine country is the Yakima Valley, which is the state’s oldest growing region and accounts for a third of Washington’s 60,000 acres of planted grapes. There are 120 wineries in the area.

While a visit to the Yakima Valley is still on my bucket list, I recently had occasion to join an informational webinar as a member of one of my travel writer organizations. As part of that, I was sent a complimentary bottle of Riesling from Two Mountain Winery run by brothers Patrick and Matthew Rawn.

The name “Two Mountain” was inspired by the views of Mt. Adams and Mt. Rainier, which serve as the backdrop of the vineyard. “We want to make wines that speak to a place, and that place is Yakima,” says Patrick Rahn.

I have very much enjoyed my bottle of Riesling from Two Mountain. It isn’t sweet like most Rieslings, but it’s enormously refreshing. So it’s perfect for summer. I tasted apple, lemon, and other fruit notes and have sampled it with chicken and Mexican cuisine. I’d also like to pair it with a mild fish such as sole, flounder, or white snapper. This Riesling is 12% alcohol with 0.5% residual sugar.

Two Mountain is devoted to sustainability and was the first winery in Washington to be certified by the prestigious LODI RULES Sustainable Winegrowing Program.

Some of the other wines offered by Two Mountain include classics that you would expect like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Rosé, and Merlot.

But their Hidden Horse Red Blend is an interesting blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. Expect dark fruits, tobacco, and white pepper with flavors of blackberry, dark cherry, and vanilla, framed in toasty oak. Their Lemberger, a dark red grape, is light-bodied with medium acid. It will bring you currant, blackberry, and white pepper to start and then plum, vanilla, and toasted almond.

Two Mountain offers tastings, and while you don’t have to make a reservation, it’s a good idea!

Dineen Vineyards is another LODI RULES-certified winery in the Yakima Valley that is also a family-run establishment. They focus on grapes traditionally found in the Bordeaux and Rhône Valley regions of France. These include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Viognier, and Semillon.

Viognier is particularly significant because that varietal became mostly extinct in the 1960s except for one small village in France’s Rhône Valley. Now, Dineen makes Condriesque, which is a white blend of the Viognier and Roussanne, the latter of which is a leaner grape. This wine is an homage to that village in France.

The Condriesque has aromas of cantaloupe, pear, dried apricots, and vanilla with flavors of lemongrass, green papaya, spring crocus, and some sweet agave. It’s fermented in barrels, which allows for a nice mouthfeel.

Dineen also offers tastings, but again, reservations are highly recommended.

Yakima Valley is an easy drive from Seattle, Spokane, and Portland, Oregon. You can book wine tasting tours, and there are numerous other activities in the region. Visit Yakima‘s website can give you ideas for things to do and places to stay in the area.