Palate
Gewürz’ means spice in German and P.I.G. is our three-letter code for Pinot Gris. So, our winemaking team lovingly refers to this wine as Spicy Pig! But seriously, Pinot Gris fermented in tank adds notes of fresh apples and pears, while barrel fermented Gewürtraminer adds musky aromatics and a supple texture
Growing Conditions
The 2017 growing season was cooler and crop yields were significantly lower in comparison to the past two vintages.
The lower temperatures delayed ripening and helped to retain fresh fruit aromatics and mouthwatering acidity.
Despite cold winter conditions, 2017 gave us concentrated wines with classic Washington state character.
Columbia Valley vineyards lie in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains and receive just 6-8 inches of rainfall annually.
Warm, sunny days and cool evenings create ideal conditions for aroma and flavor development in the ripening grapes.
A northerly latitude gives the Columbia Valley roughly two more hours of sunlight daily during the peak-growing season than California, increasing the region’s ability to ripen fruit.
Winemaking
The juice was fermented for three weeks in stainless steel.
Ripe grapes were destemmed and inoculated with various strains of yeast to maximize complexity.
A cool fermentation with fruit forward yeasts helped to preserve the ripe fruit characteristics of these aromatic grape varieties.
