Hogue Terroir, the newest label from The Hogue Cellars,  is worth a trip to Prosser in the Columbia Valley. We had a wonderful time visiting Hogue for its 25th anniversary celebration, thanks to the Washington Cellar Club. We were given an insider’s look at the winery, special library tastings and a delicious barbeque.

My favorite moment came when I tasted a pairing of Hogue Terroir 2004 Malbec with goat cheese and raspberry chipotle. It was a taste of heaven! We also loved the Hogue Terroir 2004 Cabernet. Both wines come from grapes grown at Andrews Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills. Both were bottled with a screw cap “to ensure perfect aging and preservation of flavors as intended by the winemaker.”

Hogue Cellars was the first winery to scientifically analyze the effects of various bottle closures. In 2004, the winery released the results of its Screw Cap Study, which found that screw cap closures hold fruit and maintain freshness more effectively than natural and synthetic corks. The results of the extensive study were presented at the 55th annual American Society of Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) Conference.

If you have questions about screw caps and Hogue’s study, check out the FAQ page on the winery’s Web site. You can also read a series of articles about the increasing popularity of screw caps in The Seattle Times .

Cheers!