Adress: 1736 J B George Road Walla Walla, WA 99362
Country: United States
internet: http://www.northstarwinery.com
Wine district: East Coast of the United States
wines
Washington State is America’s second largest wine-producing region, with over 31,000 vine acres and 600 wineries, 90% of them east of the Cascade Mountain range in the Columbia Valley of Eastern Washington, a high-plains region in which the Snake, Yakima and Columbia rivers converge. The Columbia Valley encompasses eight American Viticultural Areas: Walla Walla Valley, Yakima Valley, Horse Heaven Hills, Red Mountain, Rattlesnake Hills, Wahluke Slope, Puget Sound and the Columbia Gorge. In this semi-arid climate, vines are planted on south-facing slopes to enhance sun exposure in the summer and air drainage in winter. The Cascades block the harsh storms coming in from the Pacific Ocean and so, Eastern Washington receives only 6 to 8 inches of rainfall annually. This creates an ideal environment for wine grapes to thrive year after year. The Columbia Valley’s warm, sunny days and extended sunlight hours (17.5 during the summer growing season) help develop intense flavors while its cool nights ensure high levels of acidity in the Merlot grapes.
As Merf explains: “The sparse rainfall we receive, coupled with our free-draining soils, allows us to control the size of the vines’ canopy, which in turn affects berry size. Smaller berries lead to more concentrated color and flavors in the grapes, and our cool nights ensure superb balance in our wines. We’re on the same latitude as the Bordeaux region of France but we have a larger ripening window, so our Merlots are full-bodied, fresh and more vividly varietal than those from other wine regions of the world.”
Washington’s Columbia Valley has long been recognized as one of the best places on Earth to grow and make Merlot. From our inaugural 1994 vintage, the Northstar winemaking team has sought to capture the pure fruit essence of Washington Merlot, making wines which showcase the fruit’s unique balance of power and finesse.
The Future: Big Dipper Project.
Northstar’s Walla Walla and Columbia Valley Merlots have earned recognition and acclaim the world over. In our continuing quest to produce Washington’s best Merlot, we are pleased to announce “The Big Dipper Project.” This special wine, currently known as “The Big Dipper,” will be produced beginning with the 2009 vintage using grapes from the very top vineyard sites in Washington and innovative techniques from our winemaking team. We hope this very limited production wine will become a favorite, sought-after collector’s item upon its estimated release in 2012.
We invite you to follow along behind the scenes during the making of the Big Dipper. In “The Big Dipper Chronicles,” award-winning writer Leslie Kelly leads readers through the life cycle of the 2009 Big Dipper, from vine to glass and everywhere in between, guided by Northstar winemaker David "Merf" Merfeld and his team in the vineyards, cellar, and tasting room. The Big Dipper Chronicles will give readers an exclusive inside look at the creation of this wine, and will be updated throughout the winemaking process on our website.
