Regular readers of this blog know that while I’ve lived in Washington state for the last decade, I grew up in Vancouver, B.C. It’s not unusual to read about Washington state wines in Vancouver newspapers. But in Montreal? Tres extraordinaire!

So I was delighted to discover a feature-length article about Washington state wines in the Montreal Gazette on April 27.

“You might know it as the home of Microsoft, the birthplace of Starbucks or where Kurt Cobain redefined rock ‘n’ roll. But Washington State also makes wine, and lots of it. With more than 500 wineries and 12,000 hectares of vines, after California it is the second-largest wine producer in North America. Here in Quebec, it is largely unknown. … A friend who knows his wine toured the state last year and told me there is something “very special” going on there. So when the Washington Wine Commission invited me to go check things out, I did.”

In the informative article, author Bill Zacharkiw describes the terroir, the climate of long, hot days and cool nights, and the structure of Washington state wine with a “distinctly European feel as opposed to the chewier, low-acidity New World style.” He lists Washington’s most-planted grapes as cabernet sauvignon, merlot, chardonnay and riesling, while noting that in more recent years, syrah and other varietals ranging from mourvèdre to tempranillo have become popular.

You can read the entire five-page article on the Gazette‘s Web site. I can guarantee it will leave you feeling proud of our wine industry.

Salut!