Exploring Washington's Desert-Like Wine Regions
This issue was published on September 20, 2023.
Happy Wine Wednesday!
Today we’re heading to Washington State for some delicious riesling and Bordeaux blends before chatting with Sheree Thornsberry, co-founder and owner of Innumero Wines in Sonoma County.
So pour yourself a glass and let’s get our wine nerd on!
Columbia Valley
Look out, California
Rain, Starbucks, and mountains may be what springs to mind when you think of Washington state. Daily rainboots and umbrellas aren’t exactly a recipe for winemaking, but Washington is actually the 2nd largest producer of wines in the U.S. after California!
As always, let’s start with a quick history.
Even though Italian and German emigrants planted wine grapes in the 1860s and 1870s, the modern wine industry didn’t really begin for another hundred years. In fact, in 1960, there were less than 20 wineries in the state! Because Washington had almost nothing in common in climate or geography with its winemaking neighbors Oregon and California, winemakers learned and grew by trial and error for decades.
It wasn’t until the 90’s, when top tier cabernet sauvignon and merlot began being produced, that Washington started becoming known for its wine. Previously, winemakers focused more on white wines like chardonnay and gewürtztraminer, but the cabernets and merlots were really what found a happy home here. Over a decade later, fantastic rieslings and syrahs started being produced and today, the state has over 1,000 wineries and is known for having some of the best syrahs and rieslings in the country.
So what makes Washington so great for wine?
Most of the wine in Washington is made on the eastern side of the state, which is not at all rainy and gray but more desertlike with only 8 inches of rain per year. In comparison, the west side gets about 48 inches! The Cascade mountain range divides the east and west sides of the state, acting like a shield that stops all the rain from the Seattle side going over to our wonderful wine side in the east. This is where we’ll find Columbia Valley, which takes up about a third of the state, and can be as dry as the Gobi Desert!
The valley is actually similar in latitude to France’s prized Burgundy and Bordeaux wine regions (perhaps another reason why the cabernets and merlots do so well here…). And similar to Napa, the Columbia Valley AVA is split into smaller AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) with each having its own microclimate. In fact, only 2 AVAs in Washington – Columbia Gorge on the Oregon-Washington border and Puget Sound, the only one west of the Cascade mountains – are outside of the Columbia Valley AVA (note: wineries in the Puget Sound typically buy their grapes from the dry, eastern side of the state).
Columbia Valley is bordered on the north by Okanagan wilderness near Canada, on the east by the Snake River and Idaho, and on the south by Oregon. There are 11 AVAs in Columbia Valley, and almost all of the state’s wine production comes from here. Two of the most well known AVAs are Yakima Valley, considered the heart of wine country, and Walla Walla Valley. Yakima Valley also has three smaller AVAs within it: Rattlesnake Hills, Snipes Mountain, and Red Mountain. While small, Walla Walla has some of the most well known wineries, such as Leonetti Cellar, Woodward Canyon, and L’Ecole No 41, which are more historic, and the newer Cayuse, Gramercy Cellars, and K Vintners.
A map of Washington state's AVAs, courtesy of the Washington Wine Commission
In general, Columbia Valley is very dry save for a couple rivers (and plenty of irrigation), and the more northern latitude gives it a couple more hours of sunlight each day compared to Napa and Sonoma. It’s warm but not too hot, providing a wonderful environment of warmth and sunlight for the wine grapes to ripen evenly. They also have a longer growing season due to all of that sun, so the grapes are able to mature more without getting overly ripe, meaning more time to develop tannins.
Another similarity to California is the diurnal temperature fluctuation - the temperature change between day and night. Evenings that are 50 degrees cooler than the day are not uncommon, and these very cool evenings help the grapes preserve their acidity by getting a good night’s rest. However, winters can be brutal here, with subzero arctic winds and temperatures that can suddenly go well below zero.
The freeze and frost are a big threat to the vines, although the very cold winter combined with sandy soils means that Washington has never had to deal with phylloxera (a deadly insect) destroying vineyards. This means that Washington is one of the few places in the world where grape vines grow on their own roots, instead of being grafted onto phylloxera-tolerant rootstocks. Now, does this make a difference in taste? Some say yes, most say no. Perhaps it’s time to do some tastings – for research, of course…
While we already know about the amazing cabernet sauvignon, merlots, and rieslings that come out of Washington, there are also a few varietals that most people have never heard of! These include -
Madeleine Angevine: Usually grown in England, this white wine is very floral and easy to drink. It also has the most British grape name I've ever heard of.
Siegerrebe: Thought to be a cross between Madeleine Angevine and gewürtztraminer in 1929, this white grape is grown in the rainy Puget Sound wine region
Lemberger: Also known as blaufränkisch in Austria and Germany, this varietal makes rich, deep, spicy reds
So what can you expect the next time you grab a Washington wine, and what should you look out for?
Cabernet Sauvignon: With rich raspberry, black cherry, and cedar notes with a creaminess, look for cabs planted in hotter AVAs like Horse Heaven Hills, Red Mountain, and Walla Walla
Merlot: You’ll get notes of black cherry, spiced plum, violet, and even mint notes from these merlots that put Washington on the wine map!
Syrah: Smoky, rich, and tart, you’ll find amazing syrahs from Horse Heaven Hills, Walla Walla, and Yakima
Bordeaux Blends: You can’t have fantastic cabs, merlots, and syrah and not make a great Bordeaux blend! While many wineries produce single varietal wines, these are some of the state’s best red wines
Riesling: Most are dry styles similar to Alsace and are snappy and crisp. Try a bottle from cooler areas like Naches Heights, Ancient Lakes, and Yakima Valley
Sauvignon Blanc: Many wineries blend this with sémillon and oak-age the wine to produce a rich, creamy white with with notes of green melon, tarragon, and lemon balm
Time to go explore some Washington wines this weekend! (Or, you know, don’t wait until the weekend…)
Sheree Thonrsberry
Co-founder and Owner of Innumero Wines
This interview has been edited for clarity.
Merobebe
What's your favorite wine-themed movie or book?
Sheree Thornsberry
I have many, but the most recent is the series on Apple TV, Drops of God! The detailed description of this family's wine journey is so amazing. I learn something new every time that I watch it.
Merobebe
If you could only drink one type of wine for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Sheree Thornsberry
That's easy! While I drink many varietals, my 'go to' is Pinot Noir. There are so many different variations based upon the growing region that it's often like having a new experience every time that I open up a different brand. Plus, Pinot Noir pairs so well with most foods from seafood to steaks depending upon whether it's light or more full bodied.
Merobebe
You've had a very successful career in financial services, even winning multiple awards! What drew you not only to consume wine, but to actually make wine?
Sheree Thornsberry
My husband Brian and I began more seriously exploring wine and the Northern California area about 15 years ago and we fell in love with it. As most consumers do, we began our journey by exploring larger producers but soon found ourselves trying more boutique brands when we found specific winemakers that we liked and followed their journey. We also learned which growing regions or AVA's our palettes preferred (and not always did we agree!) and spent more time pursuing wine made from those areas.
Merobebe
Are there specific skills or experiences from your time in finance that you've found to be helpful at Innumero Wines?
Sheree Thornsberry
Looking back, I did alot of building of new things (some successful, others not so much) within corporate America that helped me develop a fearlessness (and perhaps naivety) about my ability to tackle new things. I tend to get very committed to projects, and that combined with a lot of grit and fear of failure helps me manage through my most challenging days.
I also learned the value of being able to multitask as a leader and recognize the things I do well and those I do not, which is why we have engaged so many partners to help support our wine business. I truly believe 'it takes a village'!
Merobebe
How was the transition from working in finance in Saint Louis, to working at wineries in Napa Valley? It must have been quite a chance to go straight to the heart of California wine country!
Sheree Thornsberry
Yes it was! This was a fairly long transition for us as our youngest was still in high school. We initially owned a vacation property in Calistoga that we visited several weeks a year but we lost that in the 2020 Glass fire. From there, we rented an apartment in Napa, and then finally landed permanently in Santa Rosa much to our surprise but it was a fateful event as all of our partners in the business are on the Sonoma side of the valley. Our friends and family were astounded that we would still consider moving to CA after having lost a home in a fire, but we could not see ourselves living anywhere else.
Merobebe
What were some of the most unexpected aspects of starting your own winery?
Sheree Thornsberry
People often romanticize being in the wine business and admittedly, we had some of that going on. You learn very quickly that this is a hard business and there are so many i's to dot and t's to cross. With no manual, it's easy to make mistakes (of which we have!). And, while you do your best to exert some level of control, at the end of the day, mother nature is ultimately in charge. She determines what happens in the vineyard every growing season and while growers and winemakers are magical in terms of what their roles are, they also only have so much control.
Which is why we named the brand Innumero - it's Latin for beyond the numbers. Because no matter what 'science' you apply to winemaking, it's all about what happened in that vineyard during that growing season that ultimately determines that vintage. I would say that the least fun part of my job is compliance management, and the most fun is building long-term relationships with our allocation list members.
Merobebe
What challenges have you faced as a woman who has worked in two different male-dominated industries - wine and finance?
Sheree Thornsberry
Finance can be a very tough place for women, particularly for those in elevated roles as it's traditionally been male dominated and at the C-level, there are still quite a bit of leaders from the baby boomer generation. They were simply raised in a more traditional environment than what the world looks like today. So, for female leaders, adding value and managing political landmines is an added complexity to our everyday lives.
However, I have found the wine business, at least in my limited experience, not to hold the same gender biases. So many women in the past 5-10 years have made amazing inroads in wine making that they are often deliberately sought out for wine making and related roles. Overall, I find the wine business to be much less competitive than financial services and am so grateful for all of the support we have been provided by the community to help us be successful.
Merobebe
What's next for Innumero Wines?
Sheree Thornsberry
Immediately, the release of our 2022 wines (three Pinot Noirs) to our allocation list members in early November. We are so excited for this! In addition, we will be growing to just under 500 cases with the 2023 vintage as we are adding a Chardonnay made from Bootlegger's Hill Vineyard farmed by Charlie Chenoweth. I suspect that we will exceed the 500 case count by 2025 as we are currently working to secure contracts with a few surprises for the 2024 harvest.
Other than that, we continue to share our wines with our growing allocation list members and also are attending quite a few charitable events to help build the brand and share what we believe to be some very special wines.
Merobebe
Anything else you'd like to share?
Sheree Thornsberry
When you have a dream, follow it, even if you have to take a leap of faith. Life is too short not to follow what you are really passionate about!
Get a wine-related movie or book pairing for your weekend.
Today’s pairing is the Apple TV+ series, Drops of God
Alexandre Léger, Frenchman and creator of the world famous Léger Wine Guide, passes away in Tokyo, leaving behind an estranged daughter, Camille, and the world’s largest wine collection – worth $148 million. In order to claim the inheritance, Camille is tasked with competing against Léger’s protege, the young Japanese oenologist, Issei Tomine. The problem? Camille knows nothing about wine and doesn’t drink alcohol. Based on the best selling manga of the same name, the trilingual series (English, Japanese, and French) follows the duel between the two as they take wine tasting tests to compete for ownership of Léger’s empire.
I may be biased because I’m a wine nerd that grew up in Tokyo…but this series was absolutely fantastic. You’ll get to explore the restaurant scene in Tokyo and beautiful wineries in France while learning about wine along the way. Grab a bottle of wine and get ready to binge it!
That’s all for today!
Don’t forget to share this with your fellow wine nerds and reply with any suggestions for wine topics, vinotainment, or women in wine! See you next Wednesday.
Cheers,
Megumi