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Northwest wines shine in 1998 vintage

© Christina Kelly

I love good, dry, red wines with full body and lots of complexity.

A good wine can set my eyes at half-mask, causing a good hair toss. It changes my average voice into something husky and sultry, alerting my husband to the fact that I've just tasted a great wine.

Washington state is making those kinds of wines. With so many new wineries opening, it's nearly impossible to keep track.

In the early 1980s, there were 19 wineries in Washington. Today, there are about 160, placing Washington second in the nation in wine production. Last year the industry took in nearly $700 million.

Turns out, 1998 was a very good year for both Washington and Oregon wines. Some of the bottles are on the shelves, and some will be introduced in the next few months.

For outstanding red wines, Chateau Ste. Michelle has a great 1998 cabernet sauvignon and merlot, made from grapes picked in Eastern Washington. Columbia Crest and Columbia Winery are also producing fine cabs and merlots.

But some of the greatest wines are not coming from the Goliaths in Washington state, but from the "Davids" -- the small, mom and pop operations. The problem is, these wines are hard to get once the word spreads.

For example, Quilceda Creek, a small winery north of Seattle known for world-class cabernet sauvignons, just received a rating of 95 to 97 (out of 100 points) from The Wine Advocate, one of the Bibles of wine criticism. His wine is not even on the market yet, and he is sold out. The 1999 wine is still in the barrel and it is expected to be even better.

The same with Cadence Winery, a small Seattle winery that will release its first wine of the year in May and August. Winemaker Ben Smith makes a dry Bordeaux blend that's to die for. But his 900 cases will likely be gone by the end of the year.

Last week, a group of San Francisco wine experts ranked Washington state wines first place in a blind taste-off during a wine event competition. Eight cabernet or cabernet-based wines were tasted from the 1996, 1997 and 1998 vintages of Bordeaux, California and Washington.

Washington wines placed first, second, third and sixth.

"The blind taste-off is another indicator of the quality wines being produced in Washington state," said Steve Burns, Washington Wine Commission executive director.

Tasting is the best way to determine what wines to purchase and drink. The Washington Wine Institute (www.washingtonwine.org) has tour information and brochures on each winery.