Columbia Winery Pinot Gris 750ml

Winery: Columbia Winery

Varietal: Pinot Gris

The grayish blue fruits of the Pinot Grigio grape varietal are used in the production of a very wide, and seemingly ever widening, range of quality white wines. These grapes pick up much of the features of their terroir, and as such, it isn't unusual to find find Pinot Grigio wines which have something of an alpine character, or hold slightly ashen, smoky flavors soaked up from various soils. They have a naturally high sugar content, which, depending on how they are handled and processed either leads to them producing semi-sweet wines, or drier, more fermented wines, or even wines with a relatively high alcohol content. These grapes prefer cooler climates, and as such are grown in several countries around the world which have strong oceanic breezes or shady valley regions.

Region: Washington State

The popularity of fine red wines, made with classic Old World grape varietals, has continued to increase in the United States over the past few decades. Washington state has consistently impressed with their red wine grape varietals, and many of the most popular American red wines of the past twenty years have come from this unique and interesting state with its two distinct regions. The vast majority of Washington's wines come from the arid eastern half of the state, a semi-desert irrigated by the rivers which run through the area, with considerably fewer wineries found in the wetter western side. Washington is renowned for the production of strong, fruit-forward wines made with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and other varietals, with many fine white wines being produced there also.

Country: United States

Of all the New World wine countries, perhaps the one which has demonstrated the most flair for producing high quality wines - using a combination of traditional and forward-thinking contemporary methods - has been the United States of America. For the past couple of centuries, the United States has set about transforming much of its suitable land into vast vineyards, capable of supporting a wide variety of world-class grape varietals which thrive on both the Atlantic and the Pacific coastlines. Of course, we immediately think of sun-drenched California in regards to American wines, with its enormous vineyards responsible for the New World's finest examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot based wines, but many other states have taken to viticulture in a big way, with impressive results. Oregon, Washington State and New York have all developed sophisticated and technologically advanced wine cultures of their own, and the output of U.S wineries is increasing each year as more and more people are converted to their produce.

Appellation: Yakima Valley

When it comes to United States' wines, the state of Washington is widely regarded as being home to many of the country's finest examples of elegant, high quality and characterful produce. Within Washington State, we find the beautiful wine region of Yakima Valley, home to an impressive number of wineries which produce over forty percent of the state's wines. Despite such figures, Yakima Valley is very much a region dedicated to quality above quantity, and the wineries which operate there take great care to ensure that their wines help uphold the high reputation of the region. The dry and temperate climate of Yakima Valley makes it ideal for the cultivation of many different fine grape varietals, helping keep Washington State a region associated with variety, innovation, quality and excellence.