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Map courtesy of Washington Wine: www.washingtonwine.org/resource/washington-state-ava-map/
Washington State is currently home to 20 American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) and these grape growing regions vary drastically in climate, soil composition, acreage planted and wines produced. The southern region of Washington showcases 10 AVAs, with the following three crossing the border into Oregon: Columbia Valley, Columbia Gorge and Walla Walla Valley. The aforementioned three AVAs are detailed in a previous article “Columbia River Gorge AVAs” so this article will focus on the southern AVAs solely located in Washington State: Horse Heaven Hills, Red Mountain, Candy Mountain, Yakima Valley, Rattlesnake Hills, Snipes Mountain and Naches Heights (Regions & AVAs, Washington Wine).
The Horse Heaven Hills AVA was established in 2005 and has a total of 17,082 planted acres. This region is known to be warm and windy, which makes it ideal for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. The wind decreases the canopy size and also thickens the grape skins (Horse Heaven Hills AVA, Washington Wine). The elevation range is from 200 ft along the 50 mile stretch bordering the Columbia River and ascends to 1,800 ft at the northern border of the AVA (Discover Washington Wine).
The soil composition is deep silt-loam over basalt bedrock with gravel and the vines are planted south facing to acquire the most sunshine. It is worth noting the marine sediment in the soil from the ancient Missoula Flood is present here. Additionally the soil is well-draining; however, the region only receives around eight inches of rainfall per year and thus does require irrigation. The nearby Columbia River offers mediation with climate, reducing the temperature during summer months and reducing the risk of frost as the seasons change (Horse Heaven Hills AVA, Washington Wine).
The Horse Heaven Hills Washington AVA produces about 25 percent of the state's grapes (Discover Washington Wines). The top varieties of wine produced from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA are Chardonnay, Riesling, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon (Horse Heaven Hills AVA, Washington Wine).
The Red Mountain region was first planted in 1875, but did not receive AVA recognition until 2001. With 54 vineyards, the 2,300 acres are densely planted in the Red Mountain AVA (Red Mountain AVA Alliance).
The soil composition is a sandy loam and gravel, containing a high alkalinity (ph) and rich calcium carbonate element (Red Mountain AVA, Washington Wine). The vines here are able to grow deep, strong roots in the sedimentary soils deposited by the ancient Missoula Floods. Primary soil types are as follows: Warden, Hezel and Scooteney (Red Mountain AVA Alliance).
The Red Mountain AVA is sitting in a rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains, making the area more like a desert with an annual precipitation of about seven inches. The elevation range is 540 ft to 1,400 ft and causes drastic temperature fluctuations between day and night. The cooler evenings allow for the grapes to maintain their acidity. The region is windy and this causes the grapes to grow smaller which concentrates the fruit flavors (Red Mountain AVA Alliance).
The top varieties of wines produced from the region are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah (Red Mountain AVA, Washington Wine). Wines made from grapes of this region are balanced with notes of fruit, acidity and tannins, maintaining color, strength and richness (Red Mountain AVA Alliance).
The Candy Mountain AVA is part of a four mountain series of the area. Candy Mountain sits with Red Mountain, Badger Mountain and Little Badger Mountain; all of which are within the larger Rattlesnake Mountain Range. The Candy Mountain AVA is fully surrounded by the Yakima Valley appellation, which is also inside the Columbia Valley AVA. The climate for the AVA is similar to the Red Mountain area since the two are so close to each other. The weather is typically warm, windy and receives about 5 inches of rainfall annually (Candy Mountain AVA, Washington Wine).
This region is Washington state’s smallest viticulture area and also the youngest, being established in 2020. The soil composition for the area is windblown silt and sand loess that sits on top of ancient, ice-age flood sediment. Most of the vines are planted on the southwestern side of the mountain. The elevation range for the AVA is from 640 ft to 1,360 ft. The Candy Mountain AVA currently has 110 planted acres with the top variety being Cabernet Sauvignon. (Candy Mountain AVA, Washington Wine).
The Yakima Valley AVA was established in 1983, making it Washington’s oldest AVA. Located within the Columbia Valley and containing 10,000 planted acres which is approximately one-third of Washington’s states total output (Yakima Valley Wine Country).
The Yakima Valley has soil that is deep silt-loam over basalt bedrock and gravel, with influence from the ancient Missoula Floods. This soil composition is well-draining and the vines are irrigated. (Yakima Valley AVA, Washington Wine).
The climate of the Yakima Valley is generally sunny, with the region seeing about 300 days of sunshine annually. The yearly amount of precipitation is seven to eight inches. This AVA has a desert-like climate and irrigation from the Yakima River supplements the region. The diurnal temperature shifts enable the grapes to maintain their acidity, making the grapes ripe and crisp. (The Yakima Valley AVA, Discover Washington Wine). The dominant varietal planted is Chardonnay, followed by Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon (Yakima Valley Wine Country).
The Rattlesnake Hills AVA was established in 2008 but the earliest vines were planted in 1968 (The Rattlesnake Hills AVA, Discover Washington Wine). This region is located within the Yakima Valley and has 1,807 planted acres of vineyards. The soil mostly consists of silt-loam and loam, with the vines plated at higher elevations being above the ancient levels of the Missoula Flood. (Rattlesnake Hills AVA, Washington Wine).
Overall the region has a higher elevation with a range from 850 ft to 3,085 ft and the higher elevation of the vines helps reduce early and late frost. In addition, the Rattlesnake hills ridgeline also offers climate protection from the cold wind and rain traveling south from Canada (The Rattlesnake Hills AVA, Discover Washington Wine).
The most planted grape in the Rattlesnake Hills AVA is Riesling, which from this area showcase aroma and flavor notes of lime, lemon and green apple. Additionally, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon have high yields for the region. The Merlots embody flavors and aromas of red fruit like cherries, red currants and raspberries. The Cabernet Sauvignon will have notable characteristics of light, herbal notes with ripe fruit and spice (The Rattlesnake Hills AVA, Discover Washington Wine).
The Snipes Mountain AVA was established in 2009 and contains 859 planted acres. The high elevation of the region is one of the defining features, with the highest point reaching 1,300 ft. Most of the vineyards are planted along the Snipes Mountain ridgeline and therefore have the benefit of longer sun exposure, cool breezes during the summer months and shelter from frosts in early spring (Wine Searcher).
The climate for this region is primarily warm with an annual precipitation of seven inches. The Cascade Mountain range envelopes the area in a rain shadow. This abundance of sunlight ensures exceptional ripening for the red-grape varietals (Wine Searcher).
The soil composition for the region is loess over Missoula Flood sediment interspersed with gravel deposits from the ancient flow of the Columbia River (Snipes Mountain AVA, Washington Wine). The soil here is well draining but there is a lack of organic matter, therefore the stress causes the vines to grow smaller grapes with higher concentrations of flavor. The wines produced from these grapes are said to have more intensity and structure (Wine Searcher). The top wines produced for this AVA are Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (Snipes Mountain AVA, Washington Wine).
The Naches Heights AVA was established in 2012 and has just 41 planted acres (Naches Heights Wine, Wine Searcher). Compared to many of the other AVAs in southern Washington, this region is quite wet with annual rainfall of 10 to 13 inches (Naches Heighs AVA, Washington Wine).
The AVA region sits on a plateau where the slopes slowly increase from southeast to northwest, moving the elevation from 1,200 ft to 2,100 ft. The higher elevation and proximity to the Cascade Mountains make this region cooler than others in the area. The general terrain slope assists with moving the cool air in lower lying areas, which reduces overall frost damage to the vines (Naches Heighs AVA, Washington Wine).
The primary soil composition is windblown loess and clay, much different than the Missoula Flood sediment that dominates most of Washington’s AVAs. The clay component assists with retaining water (Naches Heighs AVA, Washington Wine). This combination of soil was curated by ancient lava flowing down the Cascade Mountains and breaking down over thousands of years from freezing and thawing cycles ((Naches Heighs AVA, Washington Wine).
This is the first AVA in Washington state to be fully sustainable, either biodynamic or LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology) certified, and is noted on most wine labels in the region. The predominant wines produced for this AVA are Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Syrah (Naches Heighs AVA, Washington Wine).
There is much history woven throughout the vines planted in Washington State and many different varietals thrive in the southern region due to dynamic climate pockets in each AVA and the unique soil compositions and elevation for each region. The state’s growing regions continue to evolve and excitement is climbing to see what wine pioneers may expand to next.
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Click to View References:
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