Olympic Peninsula Wineries

The life of wine is a long traveled road before it arrives at your table.  This post will take about two legs of the journed: Vineyard selection and Primary Fermentation.

Vineyard selection: The final taste of a wine starts in the vineyard, where the soil delivers nutrients and minerals to the vines, giving each vineyard a unique and distinguishable flavor from year to year.  During the spring to early fall growing season, the sun’s warmth and light allows grapes to go from a sour green state of high acid, low sugar to a very ripe state of lower acid and higher sugar.  Drier, sunnier climates (like Eastern Washington) and vineyard locations (ie: the South side of a hill) tend to produce sweeter fruit than fruit planted in cooler, more humid climates (ie: grapes planted on the North side of a hill).  The grape’s sugar and acid content is critical to both how much alcohol the wine will have after fermentation, and how dry the wine will be after fermentation.  Winemakers look for a subjective balance bertween sugar and acid when deciding when to pick.

Primary Fermentation:  Wine grapes are run through a machine that removes the stem and lightly crushes them.  The remaining juicy flesh, seeds and skins is call the “must”.  If a white wine or a rose’ is being made, the must is then pressed within the first 24 hours (depending on the winemaker’s style) to separate the juice from the skins and seeds.  The juice is then moved to tanks, vats, barrels, etc (again, winemaker’s style).  Yeast is added to begin fermentation, converting the sugar into alcohol.  Sulfites can be added (or not) to protect from any oxidation prior to fermentation…or after, but not during.  Red wine is made like white wine, except the jujice remains in contact with the skins and seeds during the fermentation process, thus picking up color, aromas, flavor and tannins.

((Next time Malolactic fermentation, racking, maturation, filtering (or not) and bottling

Most winery tasting rooms can accomodate looked after children.  Wineries in other areas have chosen to handle the situation by posting signs saying “must be 21″.   The seven wineries of the Olympic Peninsula Wineries are open to you bringing your children and here are a few things you can do to make it a more enjoyable experience them:

1.   Some wineries will provide some sort of beverage for underage folks and some will not.  For the wineries that do not,  they may be reluctant to let your toddler handle an expensive glass so she can be a “big girl”. 

2.  Keep them close to you while you are tasting-little people are out of the line of sight of adults whose attention is elsewhere and they can be bumped into and become overwhelmed in a sea of adult legs in a crowded tasting room. 

3. Be sure it’s okay to leave them outside to run and play– there may be machinery, traffic, etc that could be dangerous to them.

4.  If they have toys to keep them occupied, watch that they don’t set up a GI Joe camp in the middle of the floor where someone may trip on their toys or step on the children.

Children are almost always welcome and a little attention from their parents will make the experience more enjoyable for everyone.

Gorgeous scenery, warm temperatures and a jovial crowd made for a great Spring Barrel Tasting Weekend. The three day event brought out the best in everyone as they toured the scenic back roads, gazed at the snow covered Olympic Mountains, and tasted both wines in progress direct from the oak barrels and some spectacular current releases.

For more great fun in Olympic Wine Country you might want to put the Sequim Lavender Festival on your calendar. All the wineries will be open for the “Celebrate Lavender Wine Tour” July 12-20, 2008. Reserve your ticket and glass combination in advance on line or purchase at the door of any participating winery.

Most of the wineries are now on their summer schedules with expanded tasting room days and hours. Come for a visit … we are looking forward to seeing you!

Spring Barrel Tasting in North Olympic Wine Country

Public Invited to Experience Oak’s Significant Role in the Aging of Wine

May 12, 2008 – The Olympic Peninsula Wineries Association will offer a sneak peek at a number of upcoming releases during its annual Spring Barrel Tasting Tour, to take place Memorial Day Weekend, Saturday, May 24 through Monday, May 26. Seven member wineries located in Port Townsend, Sequim and Port Angeles will welcome visitors from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

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One of the advantages of visiting small wineries is that you almost always meet someone who has an operating interest in the winery. The woman pouring your wine probably just got done sweeping the floor, dusting the tasting room or stocking the shelves. After you leave, she might arrange for bottles and labels for the next bottling. And she has a story. Ask her how the winery got started or if there is any significance to the winery name or the design of their label. She’ll be happy to tell you and you will walk away with some great wines and some great stories.

The Olympic Peninsula is a show-off in spring. April and May produce a variety of flora not available in other parts of Washington. Just as nature starts its’ growing season, so do the wineries. While not all the Peninsula Wineries are fortunate enough to have acres of vineyards, almost all of them are involved in some sort of agricultural endeavor from flowers to vegetables. Come now and see the Peninsula leap into bloom.

Here are a few hints to help you get the most out of your tasting room experience:

1. As soon as you enter, head for the tasting bar where you will be greeted and receive information about the winery and the wines available for tasting.
2. Most wineries will be very aware of the amount of wine they are pouring and will give you enough to savor the flavors but not so much that you won’t be able to enjoy the rest of your day. Tasting pours are usually 1 to 1 ½ ounces.
3. Designated drivers are always recommended for serious wine tasting ventures.
Next time: What about the kids?