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By Christina Kelly
Avalon Editor/Writer
02/13/03
Grab your credit cards and start to order Washington
wines because in a very short time, the demand for premium Cabernet Sauvignon
from the country's most northwestern state will be high indeed.
Earlier this week, a group of New York wine industry
experts ranked Washington wines first in a blind tasting of Cabernet Sauvignon
at New York's Tribeca Grill Restaurant. More than 50 wine retailers, sommeliers
and media tasted eight 1999 vintage wines from the Napa Valley, Bordeaux
and Washington State.
The top four choices, out of eight, came from Washington
State. They are:
1. Columbia Crest 1999 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon,
Columbia Valley;
2. Kiona 1999 Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain;
3. L'Ecole No. 41 Apogee, Pepper Bridge Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley;
4. Chateau Ste. Michelle 1999 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley;
5. Caymus 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley;
6. Robert Mondavi 1999 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon;
7. Chateau Palmer 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon;
8. Chateau Mouton Rothchild 1999.
All the Washington wines are priced under $45. The
California wines run between $70 and $125 and the French wines between
$76 and $145.
"Clearly Washington wines are ranking higher
and costing consumers much less money," said one Oregon wine retailer.
"I don't think it takes a genius to notice the value of wines that
rate higher and cost less.
Ed McCarthy, wine columnist for Nation's Restaurant
News and co-author of the "Wine For Dummies" series, said he
was very impress with quality of wines coming from a state that was unheard
of less than 30 years ago.
"In just 20 short years, Washington state's
wines have gone from a small, local following to international renown,
especially for its red (wines)," McCarthy said. "Already Washington
is being recognized as the source for Syrah in the U.S. And the best is
yet to come. I personally believe that some of their Cabernet blends are
already world class wines."
The tasting, held on Tuesday, is part of a
series of events kicking off the 2003 Taste Washington tour. Blind tastings
will be held in Vancouver, B.C., Chicago, Seattle, New York and France.
 Growing
faster than the sluggish economy, the Washington state wine industry is
thriving, surpassing all expectations by generating $2.4 billion and creating
11,000 jobs, according to a research study released this week.
The Washington
Wine Commission helped to pay for the economic impact study. Executive
director Steve Burns said industry insiders thought the economic impact
on Washington was nearly $1 billion.
“This surprised
us,’ Burns said. “We exceeded our estimates by more than twice
the amount. It’s growing much faster than we assumed. We have a very
strong future.”
The Northwest wine
industry has more than doubled during the past decade, bringing in tourism
dollars, tax revenues and licensing fees. Twenty-nine thousand acres of
grapes grow in the state, producing 4.9 million cases at a retail value
of $576 million.
“The industry’s
solid growth curve validates its importance to the state economy, especially
during a time when other industry markets are weak,” said Vic Motto,
principal of Motto Kryla & Fisher, the company hired to conduct the
research. “Washington’s aggressive growth is moving at a faster
rate than the general economy.”
The good economic
news could spill over into Oregon, where the industry is currently in
a state of introspection and reorganization. The Oregon Wine Advisory
Board (OWAB) has been without a director since September of 2000, when
their director went on maternity leave then resigned in February after
a brief stint on the job.
The lack of an executive
director has concerned some Oregon wine producers, but the job is currently
being revamped to be more responsive to the industry, said Maria Ponzi,
spokeswoman for Oregon’s Ponzi Vineyards, and member of the OWAB.
She said industry leaders are getting together to hammer out expectations
and job responsibilities of the OWAB executive director.
“It’s
disappointing that we can’t move faster, but we have to be patient,”
Ponzi said. “We are taking the time to do it right. We have many
new players and personalities now. Hopefully we will come back strong
and take our unique place in the Northwest wine industry.”
Oregon wine sales
are by no means flat. According to recent statistics, wine sales in Oregon
stirs up more than $120 million for the economy. The state ranks second
in the nation for the number of wineries, behind California, but fourth
in production output, behind Washington and New York.
Burns said the two
states try to work together to increase wine sales in the Northwest, even
though the industry is very competitive.
“We’re
better friends than we are enemies,” Burns said. “We promote
cooperatively together. We wish them good luck in the search for a new
executive director.”
Both states have
strong agricultural programs. At a time when some agricultural products
are declining in sales, growing grapes turns out to be very profitable,
prompting some farmers to rip out apple orchards and plant grape vines.
The value of the wine grape crop in Washington increased by 62 percent
from 1995 to 1999, while the value of the apple crop declined by 14 percent,
according to recent statistics.
“Washington’s
focus on growing quality, 100-percent premium wine grapes is helping growers
achieve higher profitability margins,” said Motto, whose company
has studied the wine industry for the past 20 years. “Wine is the
highest-value agricultural crop in America today.”
What does it mean
for the consumer? Motto said the region has experienced four periods of
economic recession since 1974 and in each case, wine sales continued to
grow. People have a higher quality of lifestyle, and with that comes the
appreciation of better wines, he said.
“People may
put off buying or building a house when the economy slumps, but they continue
to purchase premium wine,” he added.
Burns said varietals
grown in Washington and Oregon mirror the consumer’s palate as taste
preferences change. Twenty years ago, consumers in the Northwest were
sipping more white wines. As Washington and Oregon produced more premium
red wines, the industry shifted. Washington produces a ratio of 52 percent
red to 48 percent white. Oregon is just the opposite 52 percent white
of 48 percent red wine.
The bottom line
is good news for Washington and Oregon wine producers, and the consumer.
“As we continue
to expand and focus on quality, we will help strengthen the overall agricultural
economy throughout the Pacific Northwest,” Burns said. “We’re
keeping a close eye on the consumer.”
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