Wine Touring Around the Pacific Northwest
October is one of the most beautiful months in the Pacific Northwest. While the leaves are busy turning delicious shades of gold, copper, and crimson, the cool air turns crisp with a nice bracing nip.
What better time, then, to consider wine touring around the region?
And there's no better book to have in hand than "Essential Wines and Wineries of the Pacific Northwest: A Guide to the Wine Countries of Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, and Idaho."
This beautiful new tome was released in August and written by Cole Danehower, a James Beard Foundation Journalism Award winner, copublisher of Northwest Palate magazine, and frequent judge at regional wine competitions.
Even though he's Portland-based and I'm in Seattle, we often see each other at media events, culinary conferences, and winemaker dinners. He cuts quite a dapper figure with his neatly trimmed, snow-white hair; English country-gentleman garb; studious demeanor; and quietly inquisitive nature.
His book reflects his vast knowledge of the subject matter, while Andrea Johnson's photographs help bring home the vastness, diversity, and sheer beauty of the Pacific Northwest. There are instructive and often amusing sidebars with evocative titles ("It's Will-am-it, Damn It!") and even maps to make plotting a journey to the Northwest wine regions that much easier.
The book begins with the region's climates and geology, and Danehower is brave enough to tackle the elusive topic of Northwest "terroir."
You'll appreciate the winery profiles--160 of them ranging from the old-time legacy wineries to prestige wineries to under-the-radar artisan options to promising newcomers--as you decide which ones merit a visit. Profiles list the winery's signature, premium, value, and estate wines as applicable--helpful when you head to the winery tasting room or local wine shop.
Danehower concludes the book's preface by saying, "If I've done my job properly, in these pages you'll find Northwest wine places you're inspired to visit and wines you can't wait to taste. And I hope this book will start you on a lifelong love affair with the wine countries of the Pacific Northwest."
As I read about winemakers I know and vineyards I've visited while peering at photos of many of my favorite places in the great Northwest, I can only say, "Bravo, and mission accomplished."
Photo of the tasting room at Januik Winery in Woodinville, Washington, by Andrea Johnson
Marietta Remodeling on October 05, 2010 at 01:57 AM
This is a very good place and I must say has been engineered to perfect. The pleasant ambiance is what I notice about the place at the first instance. I think that it would be a very good thing to spend sometime here along with some friends would just something that you could call an evening.
Electric guitar on January 25, 2011 at 08:34 PM
Oregon is the end destination of the famous Oregon Trail,a state with deep roots in the gold mining and farming industry.A great place to start is the Carlton Wine Makers Studio.You can taste several small producers in one place.