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Winery
Amavi Cellars
Vintage: 2012
2012 has, so far been a positive year for wineries around the world. While it may be a little too early to speak of the wines being made in the northern hemisphere, European and North American wineries have already begun reporting that their harvesting season has been generally very good, and are predicting to continue with the kind of successes they saw in 2011. However, 2012 has been something of a late year for France, due to unpredictable weather throughout the summer, and the grapes were ripening considerably later than they did in 2011 (which was, admittedly, an exceptionally early year). French wineries are claiming, though, that this could well turn out to be advantageous, as the slow ripening will allow the resulting wines to express more flavour and features of the terroir they are grown in.
The southern hemisphere has seen ideal climatic conditions in most of the key wine producing countries, and Australia and New Zealand particularly had a superb year, in particular with the Bordeaux varietal grapes that grow there and which love the humidity these countries received plenty of. Also enjoying a fantastic year for weather were wineries across Argentina and Chile, with the Mendoza region claiming that 2012 will be one of their best vintages of the past decade. Similar claims are being made across the Chilean wine regions, where Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon had an especially good year. These two grape varietals also produced characterful wines on the coastal regions of South Africa this year.
Varietal: Semillon
Semillon grapes have been grown in the Old and New Worlds for several centuries, and were at one point probably the most widely grown grape in the world. Indeed, in the 19th century, over 90% of South Africa's vineyards were used for growing Semillon grapes, most probably due to the fact that Semillon vines are hardy and produce high yields of reliable quality, as well as being highly resistant to disease. The golden skinned grapes of Semillon vines are used to produce a wide range of wines, from dry, crisp and citrus flavored bottles, to sweeter, softer and more rounded examples, all of which are highly popular across the globe. They thrive in a wide range of climates, and their flavor often depends on how much sunshine and heat they are exposed to, given wineries a great opportunity to experiment with the flavors and aromas they get from the Semillon grapes they grow.
Region: Washington State
Washington state is a fascinating region when it comes to American wine production, with the majority of their produce coming out of the desert-like eastern half of the state. This expansive region has a unique climate produced by the rain shadow of the Cascade mountain range, and here we find over ninety-nine percent of the state's vineyards which hold a wide range of classic grape varietals including Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and others. Today, there are over forty thousand acres in Washington under vine, and the industry of the state is going from strength to strength due to the increasing popularity of the wines which are produced here. Over six hundred wineries in the state take advantage of the well irrigated vineyards which flourish there, and these numbers are expected to grow quickly over the next decade.
Country: United States
For three hundred years now, the United States has been leading the New World in wine production, both in regards to quantity and quality. Wine is actually produced in all fifty states across the country, with California leading the way by an enormous margin. Indeed, as much as eighty-nine percent of all wines to come out of the United States are produced in California, where the fertile soils and sloping mountain sides, coupled with the long, hot summers provide ideal conditions for producing high quality, European style red, white and rosé wines. With over a million acres of the country under vine, the United States sits comfortably as the fourth largest wine producer in the world, where imported grape varietals from all over the Old World are processed using a successful blend of traditional and contemporary techniques.
Appellation: Walla Walla
Washington State's Columbia Valley is one of the United States' largest and most productive wine regions, and within the Valley itself we find the beautiful sub-region of Walla Walla, home to many of the country's finest red wines. The sub-region is a relatively small one, and a relatively young one, having only been producing wines for a century or so. However, the quality of the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines to come out of Walla Walla has caught the attention of the global wine drinking community in recent years, and this has prompted expansion and overall improvement within Walla Walla, resulting in some truly spectacular wines which are the very essence of the region. Walla Walla benefits hugely from the hot weather and arid soils which typify the region, and which help the fine grape varietals which thrive there reach full ripeness each year.