Summarizing a year is a fool’s errand, but it’s also a good way to structure one’s final column of 2015, so here we go. As the wine industry continues to grow throughout the Pacific Northwest, it’s only natural that many of the themes of 2015 were rooted in that expansion.
Hot is the new black. If there was one overriding theme to the 2015 harvest, it’s that the Pacific Northwest is definitely getting hotter. Record highs were set across the region, leading to the earliest harvest in memory for many vineyards. Couple this with concerns about drought conditions that, if not to the level of California, are still worrying, and this felt like a year when almost every winemaker and grape grower I talked to expressed concern about the future. Changing conditions can create challenges, of course, but they can also allow for innovation and ingenuity to spring forth, and the hope is that the local industry can adapt.
Single-vineyard labeling explodes. While there have always been plenty of well-known vineyard sites throughout the PNW, more and more I’m seeing wineries take the plunge and put fairly obscure sites on their label. As we discover more and more about the unique geographies and micro-climates of the region, and how they translate into the glass, we’ll see even more of this going forward. Teasing out which vineyard sites continually deliver high-quality wines will be a challenge for all of us, but hey, that’s what the job is.
The Rocks AVA divides…and conquers? The newly-established The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater American Viticulture Appellation (AVA) has rabid supporters and detractors, seemingly in equal number. Proponents tout the virtues of an AVA tied directly to a unique geological formation as opposed to broader geographic delineation. Yet because current U.S. law requires that any wines bearing the Rocks AVA label must be finished in Oregon, many of the prominent (and Washington-based) producers from within the sub-AVA will stick with the broader Walla Walla AVA, at least for now.
The reviews are in. 2014 was a bit of a down year for the area, at least in terms of attention and acclaim. As an example, just three wines from the PNW were featured in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list. Well, 2015 reversed that one-year downturn with a vengeance, as nine wines from Washington and Oregon were featured this year, including two of the top three. Critical acclaim comes and goes of course, especially on a national and international level, but it was still nice to see a return to form after a one-year dip.
As for 2016, it’s of course too early to know exactly what to look forward to, but I expect to see more growth, as winemakers explore new growing regions and less-familiar grapes. Increased availability of British Columbia wine in the States will help expand the understanding of what Pacific Northwest wine can be, as will more wine from Idaho. No matter what, it promises to be another dynamic and delicious year.
