Fidelitas Wines

Cheers, Charlie!

This week, we are celebrating Charlie as the Auction of Washington Wines’ 2018 Honorary Vintner.  And, in the midst of our excitement and party planning and wine coordination, Charlie is keeping on as his steady self, preparing for another harvest in Washington…his 31st to be exact.

I recently celebrated my 10-year anniversary with Charlie and Fidelitas.  It was so exciting for me.  It was the longest job I had ever held, and I know that there is limitless growth and opportunity working with Charlie.  However, I now realize that my decade is nothing in comparison to his three in Washington.  And if I feel so inspired by my 10 years, there have to be so many others out there who have been influenced and taught by Charlie over the years. 

Here is a bit of what Team Fidelitas had to say about Charlie:

I first met Charlie while working for Bob and Roger Gamache.  I had recently completed my degree at WSU, and was eager to start my winemaking career.  Charlie was always supportive and encouraging, and now 12 years later we are getting ready to start our 9th harvest together.  Along the way I have had an amazing opportunity to not only learn about wine and winemaking, but more importantly how to be a good husband, father, and member of the community.   I will always be thankful for all that he has shared with me.  - Mitch Venohr, Associate Winemaker

There is so much to say about Charlie as a person and not just his talent as a winemaker. Having the blessing of knowing and working for him for almost eight years has given me a perspective from behind the scene as to his character; who he is on the inside.  I have observed Charlie’s kindness to others, his friendly easy-going nature always respectful to a situation and people around him.  He is so very generous of his time and knowledge for others and he has a funny bone that comes out with wit and ease.  He also lives his life with integrity, true to his beliefs inside and out before family, friends, and coworkers. It is my honor to work for this compassionate man.  - Kathleen Batchelder, Team Fidelitas

I met Charlie in 2010, sitting across a picnic table at a little restaurant in Benton City, where I boldly convinced him that I could build a laboratory in his new winery. From that moment on, Charlie has supported all of my crazy mad scientist experimentation and winemaking ideas. He understands my passion for learning and lends me the platform to develop new techniques that drive our winemaking style. I often get an eye roll and a laugh when I tell him, "I have an idea" and lead him to the white board in my office. Then he says, "ok, lets try it...."  - Hillary Sjolund, Associate Winemaker

From hearing Charlie's drive to make 'the best wine yet', to traveling to various wine regions together for education, and learning how connected he is throughout the industry, or sharing beautiful bottles of wine over great meals, every experience with Charlie is awe-inspiring. I feel so honored to be a part of his Fidelitas family. Some of my favorite memories are from spending time with Charlie during harvest on Red Mountain last year, drinking our morning coffee, and listening to him talk about all of the careful and meticulous processes that he puts into each wine we make. Charlie's passion, paired with his overwhelming kindness and humbleness is inspirational for us all.  - Michelle Marsh, Fidelitas DTC Manager

It's been a pleasure working with Charlie over the years, he has showed me time and time again, how meaningful and supportive the wine industry can be. His kindness and generosity reflect in every aspect of his business. It's also eye opening to work for someone who constantly has nice things to say about his peers, he is always positive and shows us daily that we can't do our jobs without the support of everyone who works in the wine industry. It all starts from the ground up!  Charlie has also taught me how to enjoy wine and champagne (to never get a house palate) and to always stop and enjoy the simple things in life! His general passion for a nice bottle of wine, sharing a meal with family and friends over great conversation is what it's all about!  - Chelsea Larson, Fidelitas Red Mountain Tasting Room Manager

When I first met Charlie he had been named Winemaker of the Year by Seattle Magazine just one year prior. Now, 5 years later, he has been named Honorary Vintner by The Auction of Washington Wines. In these past few years working with him I have learned that there is no one more deserving of these amazing titles than Charlie himself. I'm lucky enough to witness his profound love for Washington wine, Fidelitas, and his family. It's been an honor to say I've learned from Charlie and because of him, there is no other industry I would rather work in.  - Skye Dissette, Fidelitas Club Concierge

I thank my dad, Charlie, for laying out the path for me and the many second generation Washington winemakers.  His work ethic, thousands of hours spent in the vineyard and winery, determination to never cut corners, commitment to making the best wines in the world, and relentless joy for wine-making are incredibly inspiring.  Here's to another 30 years of making wine in our home state!  - Will Hoppes, Fidelitas Woodinville Tasting Room Manager, Charlie’s kid, and second generation Fidelitas

My own personal story began more than 10 years ago, when my interview with him consisted of driving around Red Mountain vineyard sites in his dusty pickup.  Listening to him that afternoon, I saw his passion for making wine in Washington state and knew instantly that I had so much to learn.  Since then, he has become a part of my family, a baby-whisperer for my girls, a mentor, and someone I look forward to awesome new ventures with.  I used to dread when he called me during harvest or blending because I knew he was going to ask about making some crazy wine.  But now I see that it is all a part of the amazing experience of working with Charlie.  There is no recipe, no consistency…just something we call modern craft winemaking that promises to still produce ‘our best wine yet’.

 

 

Auction of Washington Wines: Win a Full Barrel Winemaking Experience

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Own a Piece of Red Mountain: A Vintner’s Experience

Full Barrel Winemaking Experience with Fidelitas and Quintessence Vineyard

This year’s Auction of Washington Wines’ Industry Honorees, Charlie Hoppes and Marshall Edwards have generously donated a full barrel of red wine from the acclaimed Quintessence Vineyard, but that is only a part of this amazing auction lot!

The winning bidder will become an honorary Vintner at Fidelitas. This unique experience will make their winery, your winery, not just for one year, but for years to come, as you harvest, blend, and bottle your own Red Mountain wine.

You will be invited to begin your journey during Harvest 2018. You and your guests will be involved in selecting grapes from Quintessence and Shaw Vineyards on Red Mountain, seeing them through the sorting process, and starting fermentation in the tanks. As the wines age in barrel, join us for your second trip to experience a hands-on blending trial with Fidelitas Winemaker, Charlie Hoppes. You will be able to taste barrel samples and blend with other varietals from the vineyards as the team comes up with their 2018 vintage wines.

The third and final trip will include bottling of your exclusive wines from your personal barrel. After your day on the bottling line, you will have ownership of 25 cases of wines that you can distribute as you see fit. Enjoy with friends, give to employees as gifts, or cellar to enjoy for years to come.

With each visit, two couples will enjoy hotel accommodations, meals, vineyard tours and library tastings to immerse yourself in the history of the winery and vineyard.

This lot includes:

• One barrel of your own custom created and blended wine (25 cases total!)
• Label design by an award-winning creative agency
• Three separate trips to Red Mountain; for harvest, blending, and bottling of your wine. Each trip will be for two couples and includes accommodations and special Red Mountain experiences.

One barrel contains approximately 300 bottles (25 cases) of wine. All Red Mountain experiences are based on a mutually agreed upon date. Transportation to Red Mountain not included.

Celebrating with Faithful, Loyal, and True

“We are gathered here today, celebrating Jess and Ben, at a winery who’s name not only translates to ‘faithful, loyal, true’, but at a winery who’s owner, and our host tonight, embodies these words.  And I cannot think of a better way to start a marriage.”  Those are words that my uncle spoke during a toast at my wedding.  And while I’ve pondered the meaning of the name ‘Fidelitas’ many, many times, the weight of it really struck me as I was sitting there, surrounded by the most special and important people in my life, marrying my husband.

That was 8 years ago this month, and while I seem to be attending more baby showers than weddings these days, wine is still my favorite gift for newlyweds.  Here are my favorite three ways to share Fidelitas:

A bottle for now and a bottle for later.

This one is super easy.  Grab a cute, reusable tote (I love my BUILT bag) and add a bottle of Red Mountain Malbec, which can be enjoyed this summer with BBQ, and a bottle of Quintessence Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, which could be opened on the lucky couple’s 5 or 10-year anniversary.

Large formats.

This is kind of similar, in that you’re encouraging people to hang on to the wine to open for a special anniversary down the road.  Even better, grab a couple big bottles and have friends and family sign well wishes right on the bottle with a metallic sharpie.  My brother and sister-in-law did a 750ml, 1.5L, and 3L, (for one year, five years, and ten years) used this as their guest book, and then have opened the bottles with friends in the years since. (pro note: contact us for current availability on large formats. we may be able to find something amazing!)

Club memberships.

A Wine Club Gift Membership is a great way to give a gift that will last a while.  We can give you a gift certificate to include with your card now, and then will send bottles to the couple throughout their first year of marriage.  If they live locally, they can come out to the winery to pick up or join us at our upcoming events!

 

Let our Club Concierge team help you put together a wedding gift that celebrates faithful, loyal, and true, and a happy wedding season to you all!

Charlie is Named as the 2018 Honorary Vintner for the Auction of Washington Wines

Fidelitas Owner + Winemaker, Charlie Hoppes, named

2018 Honorary Vintner

by the Auction of Washington Wines

 

As Charlie marks 30 years of making wine in Washington, we are thrilled to announce that he has been named the Honorary Vintner by his industry peers for the 2018 Auction of Washington Wines.

 

This recognition is reserved for people who have exemplified leadership in the industry, and for those who have made significant contributions to the Washington wine community. Charlie shares this honor with the Honorary Grower, Marshall Edwards, who manages Quintessence Vineyard, a favored site for Fidelitas on Red Mountain.

 

“Charlie and Marshall both reflect what makes the Washington wine community so special,” said Shelley Tomberg, Executive Director of AWW. “Their sincerity in building relationships is inspiring, and it results in top-notch, innovative, premium Washington wines that influence the industry on a global scale.”

 

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We look forward to celebrating Charlie, while supporting the mission of the Auction of Washington Wines, at events coming up this spring and summer on Red Mountain and in Woodinville: LEARN MORE

 

Read more about Charlie's history of Washington winemaking.

Red Mountain: How We Got Here

This upcoming harvest will be my 30th, and I can easily say that I’ve seen night and day differences in the Washington wine industry over the last three decades.

I was hired out of UC Davis in 1988 by Mike Januik to work at FW Langguth, just outside of Mattawa.  Our emphasis was definitely on white wines: Riesling, Chenin Blanc, and some Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.  We did a few reds (Cabernet, Merlot, and Lemberger) but they were somewhat of an afterthought, and 90% of our production at that facility was sweet, fruity whites that would be released by Thanksgiving of each vintage.

At FW Langguth with daughter Emily, who called the grapes "peas", in 1988.

At this point in time, the industry was still fairly small, and grapes were somewhat hard to come by.  Chateau Ste. Michelle was dominating the industry, with a few small others starting to emerge, like Preston and Hogue.  There were probably less than 35 wineries in the industry at that time.  There weren’t as many opportunities or money in the industry, employment wise, but it was a great start for initial perspective.

This probably puts me in the realm of someone who is a veteran in Washington.  There aren’t many of us who have been around that long who are still at it now.  Maybe David Forsyth, Mike Januik, Joy Andersen, Doug Gore, Gordy Hill, and Brian Carter to name just a few.  Not too many people!

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When I reflect on 30 years in the industry, and think of where it has been and where it is going, I feel optimistic for our future.  We’ve accomplished a lot in the time it has been going on, but I think we’re in a great place and poise to make an impact on the world of wine.  Today, it’s easier than ever to enter the business in Washington, and we’ve found a lot of great grape growing sites over the decades.  There are new opportunities, that even California wineries are taking advantage of by moving to the Northwest.  We still make a lot of white, but often those are lower price blends from larger companies.  At Fidelitas, 90% of our production is red wine.  We’ve been able to find some really nice white grapes on Red Mountain, but our focus is really on the reds, as evidenced by what is planted in our own vineyard.  This is really a trend for Red Mountain as a whole, and different from where I began, with 95% of its planted acres dedicated to red grapes.

Washington is differentiated from the old world, really by the market forces.  Unlike France, there is no one telling us what we can plant where, and that has opened us up to being able to adjust with the marketplace demand without having to ask permission first.  We can always plant, and pull, depending on what works in a vineyard site, and in the market.  On Red Mountain, we are seeing that the plantings are mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, and probably 90% of the red grapes Bordeaux varietals.  There are some other varietals planted as well, but in smaller quantities.  Right now, I think that shows us the demand and where that is leading us in the future.

I, and now Fidelitas, was drawn to Red Mountain based on the wines that we were making, and wanted to focus on more.  I always knew that I wanted to make Red Mountain wines, but the access to the fruit was so limited.  We had to look elsewhere for fruit when we first started, and before I could ever make the wines that we are making today, I was tasting wines from other wineries who were able to get Red Mountain fruit.  In the early 2000’s, that meant that grapes were sourced mainly from Klipsun, Kiona, Ciel du Cheval, Red Mountain Vineyard, and a bit of Hedges Estate.

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More than just Red Mountain has changed since 1989.

I’ll always remember my first visit to Red Mountain, and it’s a story I’ve told many times, because it was the day my daughter Allison was born.  I was at Lemberger Days at Kiona, on June 11, 1989, pouring Lemberger for Snoqualmie winery.  That day, we drove around with my wife, Terri, her mom, and my first daughter, Emily.  It was a warm day, with just a small crowd, maybe 50-60 people, and Don Mercer gave a long speech about the benefits of Lemberger and how great it’d be in the future.  Ali was born later that evening.

In 1988, Red Mountain had just a pothole infested gravel road that went up the mountain and was otherwise inhabited by just apple orchards, sagebrush, rattlesnakes, and just a few vineyards.  Still, I thought this could really be something someday.  Trying the wines from this region, I could see they were different, intense, and special.

I worked at Chateau Ste. Michelle beginning in 1990, and as head red winemaker starting in 1993, and by 1998, found myself at a crossroads in my career, ready to try my own style.  With a big winery like that, you can become a career winemaker and retire with the company, or decide to create something on your own. At that time, it wasn’t as common to have a label within the company, so I ventured out with the encouragement of family to start my own brand.

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I feel like the first 30 years of my career could be called a pioneering stage.  I made a lot of great wines from a lot of great vineyard sites, and growing regions, but now that we’ve been making Red Mountain wines since 2005, I’ve decided to completely focus our line up on Red Mountain.  When I look at Red Mountain, I know that this is a region that can stand the test of time, and that is evidenced by the wines made by those 40+ year old vines.  Everyone in the state gravitates to Red Mountain to make a really great, concentrated, tannic wine.  That’s the style I thought I wanted to make, and although I couldn’t access Red Mountain fruit for our first vintage in 2000, we did find some great vineyards like Weinbau, Windrow, and of course, Champoux Vineyard.  By 2005, we were able to add Red Mountain fruit to the line up and are now all in on this one region.

I still feel like we are just touching the tip of the iceberg on the potential of Red Mountain.  I say that with a biased Red Mountain or Washington palate, but have tasted wines from all over the world, with Bordeaux and California as our competitive framework, and really feel like what we can do on Red Mountain can be every bit as good as those wines.  Certainly, they are different, but I’m bullish on the future, and know that Red Mountain will be thought of in the same sense as all of those great growing regions of the world.

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Today, our product line up - outside of Ciel du Cheval, and some anomalies like the old vines of Blackwood Canyon Vineyard, and Kiona Vineyard – is sourced from vineyards that are fairly young, including Quintessence Vineyard (planted in 2008), the Fidelitas Estate Vineyard, and the Canyons Vineyard (both planted in 2009).  For the most part, we are just starting to see how these vineyards will show in the future, including our own Estate.  It’s an exciting time.  The winemaking style is constantly evolving, and I don’t feel like it’s ever totally figured out or dialed in, like you may see in California where blocks and barrels are determined without a ton of variation each vintage.  Our own style is still emerging somewhat, and at least until the Estate Vineyard is totally up and going, and we continue to move forward with other vineyard sites on the mountain.

On the winemaking side, we’re constantly evolving as well.  One of our newer focuses is fermentation in the presence of oak, which started in 2011 and 2012 vintage reds with oak uprights and roller fermenters.  This year, we’ll add a few closed top oak fermenters, that will be used in the 2017 vintage, and enable us to have at least 50% of our reds fermented in wood.  Over the years, our product line up that once included Chardonnay and Syrah, has been focused on Bordeaux varietals.  In 2007, our physical presence on Red Mountain, and then the planting of our Estate Vineyard in 2009, guided that focus.  It’s what I’m most comfortable and familiar with after my 30 years, and seems to be a natural fit for Fidelitas.

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I am really excited to see what the Fidelitas Estate Vineyard is going to give us.  The first few vintages have been great, and we’ll see more come on line beginning in the 2017 vintage.  We always felt that establishing ourselves, with a tasting room and vineyard, on Red Mountain would be sustainable for future generations to pass on.  This was a goal that we discussed when we first started to build Fidelitas, and are continuing to chat about as we look towards the future. 

Red Mountain Cabernet Summit

Earlier this month, the Red Mountain AVA Alliance hosted a group of trade personnel from around the country for a Cabernet Summit.  The purpose was to show these wine professionals what makes Red Mountain unique as a wine grape growing region.  I was lucky enough to tag along for most of the 3-day adventure, as I had the role of ‘van driver’ for much of the time, toting our guests of honor around the Mountain.

Fidelitas' Bagel Bar

The Summit was a blend of activities: a geology lecture, tastings led by a Master Sommelier (who I knew from my old ISG days!), vineyard tours, winery visits, and amazing meals with paired wines.  Through all of this, there were a few key points that stuck out to me.  Maybe they are different than what our visitors took home, but they are the ones I am choosing to share today.

1 – Red Mountain is our home.  And home to a lot of other great people.

I pulled up to dinner #1 – my favorite tacos on the patio of Kiona – after a grueling 6.5 hour drive from Seattle to Red Mountain (more than 2x the normal drive time).  Everyone was sitting in the evening sunshine, enjoying the most amazing tacos, drinking awesome Red Mountain Cabernet, catching up on wedding plans (congrats Kasee and Mitch!), kids’ activities, winery parties, and how to get Uber into the Tri-Cities.  Being just 4,040 acres, this is a tight knit community where everyone is excited to see one another and truly cares about each other’s lives and well-being.  That terrible drive was quickly forgotten.

2 – We may be young, but we have staying power, and bring a competitive edge to international brands.

We hosted two seated tastings during the Summit.  The first focused on the ageability of Red Mountain, while the second was a blind tasting where participants compared Red Mountain Cabernets to the same varietal from around the world. 

We determined that Red Mountain has the stuff to create a highly ageable wine.  Good tannin structure, bright acidity, and balanced fruit all come from the specific weather trends, soil types, and terroir that is specific to Red Mountain.  It’s up to the winemaker then to create a wine to last.  The Hedges 1993 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon was surely hanging on, and tasted great in a line-up of younger and much younger wines. 

When compared to the rest of the world, Red Mountain did have some unique characteristics that set our wines apart from those around the globe.  Tasting four Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignons blind, and mixed with Cabernet from Italy, Bordeaux, Australia, and Napa, we found that Red Mountain showed brighter and fuller fruit, depth balanced with acidity, and less of the pyrazines (green tones) than its cousins from other growing regions.

3 – Every vineyard has its own story, and winemakers love the variety within the AVA.

“Some of these vines are as big as a maple tree,” Scott Williams told us, as we stood in the Old Block of the Kiona Vineyard.  These are some of the most established vines on Red Mountain, and while maybe not quite the size of a maple tree, they are far larger and taller than anything else we toured.  Self-regulating and lovely, this block provides the fruit for Kiona’s OLD BLOCK, which Charlie pegged as one of his favorites in the Red Mountain vs. the World tasting.

Far on the other side of AVA, we stood in Quintessence Vineyard, which began planting in 2010, and continues to be developed today.  Managed by veteran Washington grower, Marshall Edwards, Quintessence is trying new clones, new planting styles, and producing some quality fruit for a number of Washington labels.  We tried 4 different winery’s Cabernet from Quintessence Vineyard and each was truly different from the others.

Charlie, Brian, and Marshall discuss the clones of Quintessence.

These are both vineyards that Fidelitas sources fruit from, in addition to 7 other vineyards around the Mountain.  That is a lot from such a small growing region, but Charlie would call it his spice box from which he pulls all the key components to making a strong line up of Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tasting wine and touring vineyards all day can really take it out of you.

Just this morning, I listened to feedback from those who visited us during the Cabernet Summit.  We had folks from Kansas, and Chicago, and California, who all said that this trip taught them that Red Mountain really is a great, unique growing region, and that they cannot wait to share it with those around them.

 

A Tour of Willamette

Ben and I celebrated our 5-year anniversary this past week.  Time flies.  Since we got hitched on the slopes of Red Mountain, it only seemed appropriated to do a wine themed trip to celebrate the date.  We headed to our neighbors to the south to explore the Willamette Valley.  Our three days of vacation took us to 6 wineries, a slew of restaurants, and one tiny little ferry.  Here is what I learned:

Dirt is a big deal

Willamette Valley is over 52,000 square miles, subdivided into 6 sub-avas.  Most vineyard sites lie between 200 and 1000 acres, but the AVA hosts mountains as tall as 1,600 feet and is protected by the 3,500’ elevation coastal range.  My point?  There is a lot of variability.  Some
vineyards cited sediment from the Missoula floods like we have on Red Mountain, others said they hosted marine sediment from when the Pacific Ocean covered the region.  Alexana Winery told us that they have 15 different soil types in their 80-acre property, with 8 of those on display as the front of their tasting bar.

Clones are key

When you are essentially working with just one varietal (pinot noir) and all of that variability in the landscape, it makes sense that growers and winemakers are going to get geeky about clones.  It was fun for me to see it in action since we are exploring the best clones for our own Estate Vineyard right now. (Remember, clones are genetically identical to their parent, reproduced via bud or shoot.  Using clones is a way of promoting grapes that are more disease resistant, provide more or less skin to juice ratio, produced a desired yield…overall picking the right plant for the right vineyard.  This is not genetically modified stuff…just natural selection with a little assistance via grafting.)

PS – I know that there is more than just pinot noir.  We tasted some lovely pinot blanc and chardonnay as well :)

Vintage really matters

Willamette Valley is much more temperate than Washington’s growing regions.  Higher rainfall, fewer growing degree days, cooling coastal breezes all contribute to being pinot friendly, but it also means that we can really taste the difference vintage to vintage.  Just a little more heat in 2012 showed a lot more ripeness in the wines (in some cases, to a point of being uncharacteristic of pinot noir).  Pretty much every winery mentioned that their overall tonnage and case production varied greatly based on the harvest year.  We’ve seen a bit of this in Washington (2004 in Walla Walla, 2010/2011 in the Horse Heaven Hills) but definitely not to the same extent.

They are a little different than us

Just like Seattle and Portland.  So close that to an outsider, you might not tell the difference, but there definitely is one.  The tasting rooms were GORGEOUS.  Most of the ones we visited were the ‘lifelong dream’ of a couple that had established their resources elsewhere then came to the Valley.  The overall feeling from a visitor is that everything was just a little more palatial and polished than us Washington folks.  More so than that, the stories were different.  Many wineries almost justified the fact that they sourced their fruit from other vineyards and every rose we had was introduced as being an ‘intentional’ part of their line up.  Biodynamic, organic, and sustainable certifications were a big part of the selling points as well.  All great stuff…just different.

Places we tasted and wines we loved (in the order of our visit, nothing else)

Winderlea: 2014 rose of pinot noir and 2014 meredith mitchel pinot blanc

Alexana: 2014 pinot gris and 2013 revana vineyard pinot noir

Soter: 2010 mineral springs brut rose and 2012 north valley pinot noir

Bergstrom: 2013 sigrid chardonnay and 2013 gregory ranch pinot noir

Brooks: 2014 pinot blanc and 2011 rastaban pinot noir

 

Our Week in Pictures, June 8 - 14

Yes - we work hard.  But part of the fun is getting out and exploring what's around us!

Erin 'accidentally' opened some Block One on Red Mountain while hosting 13 Bones and our wonderful visitors. (Missed 13 Bones this go around? They'll be back July 11th!)

Chelsea came across the pass to find terrible weather in Western Washington during UW Graduation and whiskey tasting.

Michelle found herself sipping Fidelitas during sunset at Golden Gardens.

And I apparently drank my weight in rose while touring Willamette Valley, celebrating my 5-year wedding anniversary. More to come on the Willamette wine region later this week!

 

Our Weekend in Pictures, May 30 - 31

The biggest news of the weekend? Our leading lady in Woodinville, Skye, got engaged to her longtime sweetie, Kris. Congrats to the happy couple!

Erin enjoyed the view on the Columbia River.

Chelsea made a move, and took the pups along too.

Michelle finished her patio, and took the time to enjoy a little white wine with dinner on it.

 

We hope your weekend was as great as ours!

Appellation Spotlight: Red Mountain

 

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to sit in on the Red Mountain Seminar that was a part of Taste Washington weekend.  We gathered in one of the conference rooms at the Seattle Four Seasons and were lucky enough to watch ferry boats come in and head back out while listening to the wise words of the panel before us.  Our moderator was Sean Sullivan, who has his own blog, Washington Wine Report, and is a contributor to the Wine Enthusiast, reviewing wines from Washington and Oregon.  I love Sean because has this never ending thirst for knowledge, meaning he asks real questions and honestly wants detailed answers.  In an industry that seems to be changing daily, that type of inquisitiveness is a perfect fit.

When I first sat down to write this article, it quickly turned in to an 8-page essay.  Knowing that will never be read in the world of small, winery blogs, I decided to revise and just add a few amazing (paraphrased) quotes that I heard that day.

Kevin Pogue, PhD at Whitman College, geologist extraordinaire

Only the upper 200 feet of Red Mountain was showing during the Missoula Floods, meaning that the portion underwater received some great rocks from all over.  In addition to the basalt, sand, silt, and gravel you find all over Red Mountain, there are some “weird rocks” like marble and granite mixed in.

What he looks forward to in the next 5 to 10 years?  Jumping in more pits as vineyards are developed.

Jim Holmes, Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Owner and Grower, and one of the founders of Red Mountain

So much good stuff.  The first people on Red Mountain were geeky and passionate about quality.  They embodied the culture of terroir.  Wines from Red Mountain can be picked out of a line up because they are richer/thicker/darker yet balanced/fresh/fun.  People looking for a good wine story get “I went out, smelled the air, stomped the ground.  That’s it.”

In 5 to 10 years?  Jim sees new adventures, which makes farming constantly exciting.  His definition of success is making what you’ve already done even better.

Charlie Hoppes, Fidelitas Owner and Winemaker

Fidelitas is currently sourcing from 11 Red Mountain vineyards and producing 17 different Red Mountain wines from a wide array of clones.  Charlie loves Red Mountain for the intense fruit, tannic structure (which is managed in the cellar), and great variety within such a small region.

Charlie sees that there is still a lot to learn in the next 5 to 10 years, with new plantings and new clones bringing new flavors to experiment with.

Bob Betz, MW, Betz Family Winery Founder and Winemaker

Red Mountain brings so much to a wine, which can been seen in the phenolic make up of that wine. The chemical compounds that add to the flavor, color, and mouthfeel of Red Mountain wines are almost exaggerated (my word, not Bob’s) in Red Mountain wines, making for some pretty intense stuff.  2012 is what could be considered a “Goldilocks Vintage” with 2011 being too cold, 2013 being too hot, and 2012 being just right in between.

Bob believes that in the next 5 to 10 years, the coming development will add to the dynamics and awareness of Red Mountain, but there are naturally acreage constraints in play as well.

Paul McBride, Force Majeure Owner

If Rhone can do it, why can’t Washington?  Paul took the vineyards on Red Mountain literally to new heights with the Force Majeure planting, where elevation and slope are drastically different from the rest of the AVA.  Additionally, he brought in more Rhone varietals (Syrah, Mourvedre) to otherwise Cabernet dominated region, and has been pleased with the results.

In the next 5 to 10?  An increased presence in the AVA, means more marketing, meaning national and international recognition.  The people will be the ones who balance quality and passion.

In addition to hearing these five experts speak about the region, we got to taste through six incredible wines and hear from these wineries as well.  The room was truly jam packed with people passionate about Red Mountain.  All sourced from the same 4,040 acres, these wines could not be more different from one another.  What a great way to start day 2 of Taste!

Kiona 2012 Old Block Cabernet Sauvignon

Soos Creek 2012 Ciel du Cheval Red Wine

(62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Cabernet Franc, 14% Merlot)

Fidelitas 2012 Quintessence Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

Col Solare 2012 Red Wine

(85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot, 4% Syrah)

Betz 2012 La Cote Rousse Syrah

Force Majeure 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon