2016 Walla Walla Vintners Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Walla Walla Vintners was one of Washington State’s early, artisanal wineries. It was founded in 1995 by Gordy Venneri and Myles Anderson, two friends who had been making wine together as a hobby since the early 1980s. Venneri and Anderson still own and operate Walla Walla Vintners, which is based in the city of Walla Walla, and they still source their grapes from vineyards throughout Washington State. The estate makes red wines, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Dolcetto and blends.

Washington State, with 59,000 vineyard acres, is the second largest producer of wine in the United States. Wine was made in the state as early as the mid-19th century, but Prohibition and, later, restrictive state laws killed the wine making business in the 20th century until the 1960s, when laws changed and large and small producers started making wines. An influential horticulturalist and agriculture professor name Walter J. Clore studied various grape clones in the 1960s to find the best ones for Washington, and by the 1970s Yakima Valley, Walla Walla and Columbia Valley had all become important grape growing areas. The best vineyards in the state are east of the Cascade Mountain range, where hot dry summers and cold winters are conducive to successful viticulture. Numerous grape varieties are grown, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc at the head of the list.

One of the most widely grown grape varieties, it can be found in nearly every wine growing region. A cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. It’s a hardy vine that produces a full-bodied wine with high tannins and great aging potential.