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One of Washington's newest wine regions is developing in the heart of an area already dear to our region's travelers: the alpine scenery of north-central Washington.

The area surrounding the triangle formed by Wenatchee, Leavenworth and Chelan has long been known for its winter and summer sports. Now, it is becoming a destination for wine lovers.

A group of 12 wineries, formed into the Columbia Cascade Winery Association, can offer both winter and summer visitors a chance to sip a tasty riesling along the Bavarian-themed streets of Leavenworth or to raise a glass of merlot while watching boats pass by on beautiful Lake Chelan.

Overall, the wines are good and a few excellent. And they're sure to improve as the wineries get a few vintages under their belts.

Almost all the wineries are family affairs owned by first-time winery people. The exception is White Heron Cellars owned by Cameron Fries, who received his training in Switzerland. He started with Worden Winery in Spokane in 1984, moved to Champs de Brionne Winery at the Gorge in 1986 and launched his own winery, White Heron, in the 1990.

The northcentral Washington wineries include:

Here are some of their wines that caught my fancy at a recent tasting:

Fielding Hills 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $26 - Rich and jammy with tasty berries, long on fruit and exceedingly smooth.

La Toscana NV Country Blend red, $14 - A very juicy quaffable red made from five grapes, lemberger, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, pinot noir and merlot.

Lake Chelan 2000 Syrah, Columbia Valley, $20 - Loaded with a variety of berries including blackberries and raspberries. Smooth, tasty and delicious.

Ryan Patrick 2001 Vin d'Ete (wine of summer) Columbia Valley, $20 - An intriguing blend of 81 percent sauvignon blanc and 19 percent semillon. Very approachable with pineapple overtones and lingering richness.

White Heron Cellars 2001 Roussanne, $15 - A Rhone white wine with a touch of mint, very flavorful crisp and dry.

Ten of these wineries will participate in the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center Winter Wine Gala on Saturday. The event, which features wine and food, will be at the museum, 127 S. Mission St., from 6 to 9 p.m. Cost is $45 at the door. For more details, call 509-664-3340.

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The Yakima Valley Winery Association's Red Wine and Chocolate Sweetheart's Rewards weekend is Feb. 15-17, which includes the Presidents Day holiday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Each participating winery will offer a match of scrumptious chocolate and newly released red wines. Bring your own glass or buy the 20th anniversary commemorative glass for $5.

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The Klickitat Wine Alliance in the Bingen-White Salmon area will hold its own Red, White and Romance weekend Feb. 14-17, each day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Like the Yakima Valley event, it will match newly released reds with chocolates.

New releases
These wines were tasted by a Wine Press Northwest magazine panel. The tasters do not know either the winery or the type of wine when reviewing. A wine must receive a unanimous vote to be rated outstanding.

Ste. Chapelle 2001 Dry Gewürztraminer Winemaker's Series, Idaho, $6 - Pleasing fruity aroma, nicely balanced. Essences of Rainier cherries and orange water. Long finish with a bite.

Chateau Ste. Michelle 2000 Chardonnay, Indian Wells, Columbia Valley, $21 - Oak and butterscotch with large hits of citrus and dried pineapple. An ideal cocktail wine.

Silver Lake 1998 Merlot Reserve, Columbia Valley, $25 - Herbal and smoke along with tar and sarsaparilla aromas and chewy plum fruit.

Hyatt Vineyards 1998 Merlot Reserve, Yakima Valley, $19 - Meaty and smoky aromas. Complex flavors ranging from jammy berries to mint and red currants.

Woodward Canyon 2000 Merlot, Columbia Valley, $38 - A big chewy red. Vanilla oak and coffee aromas. Appealing plum and marionberry flavors.

Eaton Hill Winery 2001 Gewürtzranelli, Yakima Valley, $10 - Outstanding! Combining two of the most fragrant grapes, this 56 percent Gewürztraminer and 44 percent Muscat Canelli is a delightful sweet wine. Lovely floral and fruit aromas with great acid-to-sugar balance. Charming honey orange and apricot flavors. The residual sugar is 4 percent. A nice cocktail or brunch wine.

L'Ecole No. 41 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla, $36 - Outstanding. It's old hat for L'Ecole to produce outstanding red wines. Black cherry and tobacco aromas with sophisticated ripe dark fruit and jammy flavors. Lingering finish.

Preston Premium Wines, 2000 Syrah, Gamache Vineyards, Columbia Valley, $25 - A big, smoky wine with charred oak and chocolate aromas. Piquant flavors of plums and chocolate.
 

Bob Woehler has been writing about grapes and wines of the Pacific Northwest since 1978. His columns appear twice monthly in the Tri-City Herald in Tri-Cities, Wash. and in Wine Press Northwest.

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