Made in the U.S.A.
 
Great Grapes from Across Our Fruited Plain

By Warren Rojas

For many foreigners, the phrase “American wine” still conjures a single image: California.

While the monumental “Judgment of Paris” helped thrust West Coast vintners onto the global stage just over 30 years ago, domestic wineries have since cropped up in just about every state. Granted, California continues to produce its share of award-winning wines, but several other localities are thriving in their own right.

Dr. Konstantin Frank
Dry riesling 2006, $20

In the greater Northwest, Suzanne McGrath likes the “intense, yet elegant” flavor of the 2005 Domaine Drouhin Chardonnay Arthur ($35), a full-flavored white brought to bear by fourth-generation winemaker, Veronique Drouhin.

Closer to home, McGrath prescribes New York’s 2006 Dr. Konstantin Frank Dry Riesling ($20) as a panacea for heat-ravaged locals staying in town. “This is textbook riesling—with plenty of citrus, lime and stone fruit flavors and a jazzy, refreshing texture—that helps beat D.C.’s summer heat,” she counsels.

Kathy Morgan likes the good doctor, too. But she says she prefers to cool off with the 2006 Dr. Konstantin Frank Rkatsiteli ($27), “a naturally spicy white grape, with bright tropical and wild strawberry flavors”—particularly since the prodigious varietal remains a virtual secret outside its native home within the former Soviet Union.

K Vineyards
Syrah 2005, $30

“Dr. Frank’s descendants may be tending the only rkatsiteli plantings in this part of the world,” she notes.

Looking west, Morgan remains enthralled with Oregon’s “supple, balanced pinots.” For her money, you can’t go wrong with the 2005 Bethel Heights Estate Grown Pinot Noir ($30), “a seductively silky wine, with black cherry and raspberry flavors and a hint of spice.”

Likewise, Morgan lists Washington as a “very exciting growing area” for syrah, pointing to the 2005 K Syrah Milbrandt-Wahluke Slope ($30) as a prime example of American ingenuity. She credits the Columbia Valley’s cool, dry climate with helping to foster K’s cornucopia of “juicy berry flavors, smoke, cured olives and black pepper.”

Paul Yohai is equally enthused about Washington’s burgeoning syrah holdings, though he prefers the “luxuriously textured” tastes of the 2003 Apex Syrah ($26). “Seeing plenty of toasty French oak balanced with loads of ripe, spicy blackberry and cassis fruit flavors, this elegant and complex wine is the perfect match for grilled lamb, pork or steak,” he maintains.

Sobon Estate
Zinfandel
Old Vines 2005, $15

For a shot of local flavor, Yohai recommends putting yourself in the capable hands of pioneering Virginia winemaker, Dennis Horton. Yohai touts the 2006 Horton Tower Series Viognier ($13) as proof Virginia wines deserve broader attention, heralding the “rich exotic honeysuckle and orange spice bouquet this grape is famous for” and the “rich, dry finish” as a welcome accompaniment to any seafood meal.

Of course, if you are not quite ready to break with tradition, our wine pros claim there is plenty to love from our friends in sunny central California.

Yohai urges everyone to embrace the all-American zinfandel, citing the organically farmed 2005 Sobon Estate Zinfandel Old Vines ($15) as a personal favorite brimming with “brambly blackberry and black cherry fruit” and “nuanced cedar and vanilla notes.”

Meanwhile, McGrath sees a bright future for Paso Robles winemaker James Judd, trumpeting the “suave, silky textures” and “surprising depth and concentration” of the 2004 James Judd Malbec-Petite Verdot ($29) as strong indicators of this boutique winery’s rising cachet.

“While the malbec and petite verdot was originally grown to sell off to neighboring winemakers to blend into cabernet, James decided that it was good enough to bottle on his own—and was he right,” McGrath duly surmises.

(August 2007)