2021 Walla Walla Vintners Ciel du Cheval Bello Rosso

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.

Yakima Valley AVA was the first AVA created in Washington State. The valley, a 600,000-acre area in south central Washington, was granted AVA status in 1983. In 1984 Columbia Valley was given AVA status, and Yakima Valley was enclosed within the Columbia Valley AVA. Nevertheless, Yakima Valley remains home to the largest concentration of vineyards and wineries in the state. There are more than 60 wineries and some 16,000 vineyard acres, and nearly 40% of Washington wines are made with Yakima Valley grapes. The most frequently planted grape is Chardonnay, followed by Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaking here dates to 1869, when a winemaker from Alsace planted grape vines. Vineyard planting and wine production plodded along slowly until the early 1980s when numerous modern pioneers started making well-reviewed Yakima Valley wines. Some of the state’s newest, most closely watched appellations, including Red Mountain AVA and Horse Heaven Hills AVA, are contained within Yakima Valley.