Washington Red Grape Varieitals | Washington Wine Club

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Washington creates to a higher degree 20 wine grape assortments - a ratio of 44 percentage red to 56 percent white. As the industry grows and tries out, it finds a lot of grape varieties that flourish throughout Washington’s micro-climates. There are to a higher degree 17,000 vineyard acres of red wine assortments statewide. Those most more common in Washington are:

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
5,959 acres
2,411.5 hectares
The king of the red grapes originates magnificently in Washington. The intoxicating, fruity character of these complex grape builds up slowly. In its early days, the wine comes out more pernicious and bounded than Washington Merlots. Its persona can come forth as black currants, cherry, berry, chocolate, leather, mint, herbs, bell pepper or any combining of these. These wine ages attractively. Often, several years of bottle maturing are required for the wine to show at its fullest. Many of the state’s vintners apply traditional blending practises, adding Merlot or Cabernet Franc to the wine.

MERLOT
5,853 acres
2,369 hectares
Washington Merlot, with its cherry spirits and aroma, is given to be more full-bodied, middling tannic and somewhat more eminent in alcohol than its Bordeaux cousins, and higher in acidulousness than those from California.

Traditionally used in blendings, Merlot gained fame bottled upon its own in the former 1970s. It appropriated center stage as Washington’s star varietal almost 15 years after its first commercial departure in 1976. Washington Merlot is known for its sweet cherry and berry tones and complex fragrances that include mint, cigar box, and sweet spices like nutmeg and cardamom. (more…)