Washington’s Wine World

Fifteen thousand years ago the cataclysmic Missoula Floods swept across eastern Washington, down the Columbia Gorge, into Oregon’s Willamette Valley, reaching the Pacific within forty-eight hours. The torrent waters brought varieties of soil deposits such as clay, silt, gravel, and sand. The terroir from these alluvial deposits and aeolian deposits of basalt, loess, and sandy loam made it the perfect place for growing grapes: today this region is home to the Columbia Valley.   

On my recent trip to Washington State, I’ve realized WA wineries are on a mission to prove themselves and for consumers it’s a win-win. This Cabernet Sauvignon State is producing wines with the customer in mind, offering value in pricing from environmentally farmed Estate grown fruit. These farming families are prioritizing wine quality by examining geographical changes in altitude, rainfall, wind, diurnal temperatures, sunshine, and soils. Working in collaboration with each other, alongside world-renown winemakers and enologists, lower alcohol wines, unique blends, and natural style wines are being made. New AVA’s such as Goose Gap, White Bluffs and The Burn of Columbia Valley are being recognized as research focuses on which locations work best for new vineyards. Most importantly, Washington wineries from all regions, Walla Walla to Red Mountain to Horse Heaven Hills, are dedicated to global climate and sustainability efforts. 

 “If done right, farming and ranching can help bring the natural world back into balance.” Civil Eats, We Are What We Eat. 

After meeting with family-owned wineries, it is evident they are committed to providing solutions to global problems in agricultural supply chains. They are working towards responsible farming, transparency, and being carbon neutral, making the land a better place for future generations to come. 

Cheers,

Nicole Djobadze
Collaboration Wine Exports LLC