AUTUMN BEAUTY of the PACIFIC NORTHWEST

By Seema Tikare
As cooler weather approaches, I find myself thinking of the Pacific Northwest. The colors in the Cascades must be an amazing, fall-inspired rainbow of gold, amber, orange, and brown. I imagine the ripe apples and pears being harvested from laden trees on the slopes of the mighty Mount Rainier and Mount Hood. The dramatic Columbia Gorge providing a stunning break in the landscape as the Columbia River rushes to cross from Washington State, through Oregon, and into the Pacific Ocean.

The soils in this region are extremely complex, as is the climate. Eastern Washington State is a desert, with areas that were carved into vast gorges by titanic floods at the end of the last ice age. A veritable small ocean was abruptly released several times when ice dams burst in what is known as the Missoula Floods, creating one of the largest cascades in earth’s history. This catastrophe created some of the conditions that churned up the complex mix of minerals and soils that allow the wines of this area to have such distinctive character. There are also igneous soils born of lava flows from the various volcanoes in the region. Furthermore, the Pacific tectonic plate’s subduction under the North American plate created the coastal ranges, which provide rain shadow to some of the beautiful valleys of Oregon and Washington, and shelter vineyards that thrive among these conditions.

The wines of Washington State and Oregon are oddly perfectly suited to both autumn colors and the cooler temperatures. Ranging from pale yellow Chenin Blanc to the slightly copper tinted Pinot Gris, from salmon-hued rosé wines, darkening into the pale ruby of Pinot Noir, and finally the more burgundy depths of Cabernet Sauvignon and almost purple-ish Petit Verdot, the wines of the Pacific Northwest are perfect for a cozy fall dinner.

2O21 ALEXANA TERROIR SERIES PINOT GRIS, WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON
Pinot Gris is a fascinating grape. It is genetically identical to Pinot Noir, but with a mutation that makes its skin a pink / gray rather than red. And it can be made in several different styles, including the French-inflected Pinot Gris (softer, riper, rounder) and Italianate Pinot Grigio (leaner, more structured). In the true tradition of Pinot Gris, this wine is medium-bodied and filled with citrus and tropical fruit aromas of pineapple and mango. It is softened by lees contact, including occasional batonnage (lees stirring) to increase the bready, biscuity flavors in the wine. Just thinking of this wine makes me want to grab some freshly baked bread, warm from the oven, and smother it in salted butter. Available from Horizon Beverage Company.

2O21 L’ECOLE 41 CHENIN BLANC, COLUMBIA VALLEY, WASHINGTON
L’Ecole 41 was established in 1983, only the third winery to open shop in Walla Walla, Washington. But already, the family has brought in its third generation to run this highly regarded operation. Their Chenin Blanc grapes are harvested from some of their oldest vines — some planted in 1979, before L’Ecole 41 was established. The result is a vivid and complex wine with beautiful notes of citrus, citrus blossoms, fresh garden herbs, and a characteristic minerally hint of wet stone. The roundness of the fruit is supported by a structure of acid, making this wine full-bodied with a very nice finish of lingering fruit. It is a perfect wine to have with the first roasted squashes and root vegetables of the season as well as with chicken and roasted pork. Available from Ruby Wines.

2O22 ARGYLE ROSÉ OF PINOT NOIR, EOLA-AMITY HILLS, OREGON
Oregon of course is best known for its Pinot Noir. And rosé of Pinot Noir is an absolute necessity with autumn menus. Founded 3O years ago, Argyle sits in between the rain shadow of the Oregon coastal range and the Cascade Range of Washington state. The Eola-Amity Hills include some of the coolest terroirs in the region, allowing the grapes grown here to have a long hangtime on the vines and to develop great complexity. This wine has a nose of red fruit – cherries, pomegranate, cranberries – with subtle hints of flowers and herbs along with a nice acid kick and a mineral finish. While many people think of rosé as essentially a summer wine, it is actually a wonderful pairing with fall’s mix of flavors – sweeter late summer fruits and vegetables along with savory, herbed meats and fish. Available from Carolina Wine & Spirits.

2O21 RESONANCE “RESONANCE VINEYARD” PINOT NOIR, YAMHILL CARLTON, OREGON
This wine is a rock star! It is grown on ungrafted vines of some the most storied French clones of Pinot Noir, which are organically dry-farmed in some of the most sought after soils of Oregon. Pinot Noir may have the prettiest aromas of any wine on earth – cherries, blackberries, roses, violets, strawberry, fresh herbs that can shade into charcuterie, wood smoke, and fresh-turned earth. If they made a perfume called “Pinot Noir,” I would buy it! Resonance Pinot Noir has all these aromas and is also rich and delicious on the palate. The bright acid and sophisticated tannins add bones to the flesh of the fruit and floral flavors, and all come together in a beautiful, long finish. I would drink this wine by itself just to savor the flavors, but it is both delicate enough to pair with fish and has enough presence to pair with grilled meats. Available from Horizon Beverage Company.

2O2O ANDREW WILL “TWO BLONDES” CABERNET SAUVIGNON,
YAKIMA VALLEY, WASHINGTON
The “Two Blondes” vineyard sits on an astoundingly complex mix of soils, a result of millennia of upheaval and wear on the terrain of Yakima Valley. The eponymous “two blondes” are the winemaker’s late wife and his partner’s wife, to whom this vineyard is dedicated, and the care taken in making the wine shines through. The Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown here create a plush wine with medium-to-full body, with the characteristics of firm tannins, ripe black fruit, and medium high acid one expects. It is a structured wine that benefits from the dry, warm days and cool nights in Yakima. It has a very nice complexity that brings notes of chocolate and coffee, a bit of baking spice, and a bit of leather to the core of black currant and black plum. This is a wine to drink on those last sunny days of fall that have a nip in air, as you stand in front of the grill and wait for the steaks and lamb chops to be done. Available from Classic Wine Imports.

2O21 B. LEIGHTON “OLSEN BROTHERS’ VINEYARD” PETIT VERDOT,
YAKIMA VALLEY, WASHINGTON
Petit Verdot used to be considered a blending grape because it is so inky dark and full-bodied. But modern viticulture and vinification have allowed it to become a star in its own right. It is a dark, brooding grape with lush notes of blackberry reduction and black cherries along with rich baking spices, licorice, black olives, and graphite. The tannins have been tamed by time in oak barrels and the flavors are beautifully integrated to bring out the true beauty of this wine. It is no surprise that the wines are so beautiful when Brennon Leighton manages both the vineyards and the winemaking teams to ensure that each stage in the growing, handling, and finishing of the wine is at the highest level of care. Again, this wine stands alone as a sipping wine but will also pair nicely with any meaty, spicy, bold dishes. Available from Ruby Wines.