Newcomers Get Their Due
Someone recently told me she was impressed with how much Knipprath Cellars had improved since its debut a couple of years ago.
A backhanded compliment, to be sure, but it convinced me it was time to check in with Spokane’s newer wineries.
The three venerable producers - Worden’s, Latah Creek and Arbor Crest - continue churning out quality stuff, selling it in far-flung markets and getting favorable notices in national wine publications.
But the three newcomers are proving to be rising stars.
At Caterina, they’re positively tickled about picking up one of only two gold medals awarded to merlot at the recent Dallas Morning News National Wine Competition.
Winemaker Mike Scott is even more excited about his expanded role in the vineyard.
“I’m having a lot of fun trying to understand how land can influence the taste of the wine,” Scott said. “This is an area where I was once blind and now I see, kind of an amazing grace thing.”
Eventually, Scott would like to make more wines from specific vineyards to reveal the subtle differences in taste. And to create the perfect blend.
“You can take fruit from a hot region like the Wahluke slope (north of the Hanford Reservation, between Othello and Mattawa) and it produces a big, intense, deeply flavored wine,” he said. “Combine that with fruit grown in a cooler area like vineyards near Prosser and it brings a prettiness and elegance to the strong backbone.”
Scott is convinced that learning more about the growing process has improved his wine.
As evidence, he suggests watching for the ‘94 chardonnay and the ‘93 merlot, which are due to be released this summer.
“I’m surprised how well the ‘93 turned out. It was a difficult year, very cool, but the wine has lovely cherry fruit,” Scott said.
Henning Knipprath doesn’t mind people noticing a turnaround in the quality of his wine. “In this business, you take whatever compliments you get,” he said.
He said his approach has indeed become more traditional, with experimentation taking a backseat.
“We’re trying to concentrate on wines that sell,” he said.
These days, that means chardonnay and cabernet. But Knipprath still manages to make some offbeat wine.
Take his port, for instance. The mostly lemberger wine was aged two years and is similar to a tawny port with hints of vanilla and chocolate. It’s available only at the winery (located in downtown Spokane) for $12 a bottle.
Knipprath also plans to release a dry-style gewurztraminer and muscat at a party April 1. (Call the winery, 624-9132, for details.)
Also making its debut at the spring release party is a rose made from pinot noir, which he calls Steelhead Rose. A portion of the profits from the sale of this wine will benefit salmon conservation efforts.
Mountain Dome isn’t exactly a newcomer. The small family operation completed its first crush in 1984, but it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that winemaker Michael Manz was happy enough with his bubbly to release it.
Since then, the family has built a state-of-the-art facility. A piece of equipment that automatically removes a plug of spent yeast is their latest acquisition.
That helps, since Mountain Dome recently boosted its production to 2,000 cases - a significant increase from that first year, when it made just 365 bottles.
The wine is available throughout the Northwest and is also being marketed in New Jersey, Delaware and in Boston. Mountain Dome plans to expand its availability on the East Coast over the next year.
If it keeps winning prestigious awards, finding new customers should be a snap. At the International Wine Competition in San Francisco, Mountain Dome was awarded one of only two silver medals presented.
What’s astonishing are the impressive names that ended up with bronze medals, including Mumm champagne from France and California, Deutz French champagne and Jordan sparkling wine from California’s Sonoma Valley.
“People are slowly but surely discovering us,” said Manz.
Look for Mountain Dome’s impressive rose sparkler on the market sometime this spring.
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