Celebrate the wine of the slope
Wahluke High School, just outside the northeast corner of Mattawa, is surrounded by acre after acre of wine grapes.
DESERT AIRE - The ever-growing Wahluke Slope wine industry will be celebrated here on Saturday, June 27, with the annual Taste the Wahluke Slope wine festival.
The Mattawa Area Chamber of Commerce event has been moved from the golf course clubhouse to the Sage Brush Senior Center. It will go from 5-9 p.m.
"It's a little roomier," festival organizer and Chamber Officer Jaime Cruz said.
New this year will be the participation of Legend Cellars in Manson. Legend will share its Legendary Red, an aged red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. It is sold in 1-liter growlers.
Seven Falls Cellars, inspired by a series of seven waterfalls that once flowed through the region, is another new participant. Seven Falls Cellars is sourced exclusively from the rolling hills of the Wahluke Slope.
Returning wineries include Milbrandt, Gilbert Cellars, Desert Wind and Ginkgo Forest Winery.
On hand to give a presentation about AVAs (American Viticultural Appellations) and other wine industry topics will be April Reddout, tasting room manager at the Walter Clore Center in Prosser.
"We're super excited that April will join us," Cruz said.
A ticket ($25) gets one person 10 taste tickets while $45 will cover two people. Tickets are available at Ginkgo Forest Winery, Columbia Bank or from Mattawa Area Chamber members.
Dinner ($10) will include tri-tip steak, twice-baked potatoes, and fruit salad.
"We realize not everyone likes or wants to drink wine, but everyone likes to eat. So come for dinner and a good time with friends and support our local Chamber," Cruz said.
For more information about Taste the Wahluke Slope, contact Jaime Cruz at 509-840-9765
Wine grapes appeared on the Wahluke Slope for the first time, planted by Doc Stewart of Gilbert Cellars. There were 31 acres of wine grapes on the Slope.
Acreage rose to 5,200 in 2006, the same year the Wahluke Slope Appellation was authorized. The last time acreage was recorded, it had risen to 6,645 in 2011.
The Wahluke Slope was named after a Native American word for "watering place." The Wahluke Slope AVA is one of the state's warmest growing regions. It produces about 20 percent of the entire Washington State harvest each year.
Wahluke Slope is the only appellation in the Pacific Northwest that is a single geological landform. The region is a giant alluvial fan created by repetitive flooding events.
The Wahluke Slope AVA is home to more than 20 vineyards and at least three wine-making facilities. Top grape varieties include Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Chardonnay, and Chenin Blanc.
Wahluke Slope has one of the driest, warmest climates in the state, allowing nearly complete control of vine vigor and ripening through irrigation.
The Wahluke Slope is known primarily for red grape varieties, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. Wahluke Slope wines tend to be ripe and full-bodied with pure varietal fruit flavors.
The major distinguishing feature of the Wahluke Slope is its uniformity in aspect, soil type, and climate. The entire appellation lies on a broad, south-facing slope with a constant, gentle grade of less than 8 percent. This, along with the proximity to the Columbia River, helps minimize the risk of frost, which can affect other areas of the state.
While most vineyards on the Wahluke Slope have been planted in the last 15 years, vineyards in this area have already created wines with high accolades. Of note, Wine Enthusiast awarded a 100-point rating to a wine from this region and Wine Spectator named a wine made from Wahluke Slope fruit its Wine of the Year in 2009.