Red Mountain AVA
Red Mountain AVA ( recognized since 2001) is a wine region in the south of the U.S. state of Washington. The area is part of the regional Columbia Valley AVA and is situated in the southern part of the Yakima Valley AVA. With just under 1600 hectares of vineyards certified Red Mountain AVA is the smallest wine -growing region with a protected designation of origin in the state of Washington. The area is located between the cities of Benton City and Richland. The previously applied Rebgärten used for the production of red wines of international caliber.
Despite the short history, some producers have already international attention.
Geography and climate
The soils of the American Viticultural Area ( AVA short ) Red Mountain were taken during the Missoula Floods. Geologists estimate that the flooding 13,000 and 15,000 years ago over two millennia, repeated about 40 times, each with about 55 years long intervals, where the Lake Missoula auffüllte again. The name Red Mountains was the area of the red flowering downy brome.
The alkaline soil is very gravelly and calciumcarbonathaltig. High temperature differences between day and night make for a strong acid backbone of wines.
The area has an arid climate in which the average daily maximum temperatures are during the growth period at 32 ° C and night temperatures of 10 ° C.
History
As a pioneer of winemaking in this region is John Williams of Kiona Vineyards to who established the first commercial vines in the 1970s. First national recognition since the early 1980s under the name of Yakima Valley wine encouraged the farmers to apply its own appellation. Lorne Jackson of the Hedges Cellars was the driving force in applying for this status. He was supported by the wineries Kiona Vineyards, Blackwood Canyon Vintners, Sandhill Winery, Seth Ryan Winery and Terra Blanca Winery.
In 2007, Chateau Ste Michelle invested and the Italian Piero Antinori 6.5 million U.S. dollars in the joint project Col Solare.
For the year vintages 2002 and 2003, the internationally known wine critic Robert Parker gave the Cabernet wines of Quilceda Creek 100 points.