OK you Riesling data geeks. Here is a new one for you, the top 10 Riesling producers in the universe. This is a table I compile for our Riesling Rules book:

Noteworthy: Washington is now #6 from #7 (YEAH), Alsace has dropped one place. Baden is the only region in the top ten to lose acreage. Note the growth of Washington State +23% - top growth in the top ten!

The 2009 National Agricultural Statistics Service report for grapes is out and it is full of interesting information for the data junkies that some of us are (disclaimer: all those numbers are preliminary and will be revised one more time in July 2010). 2009 saw a 14% hike in the total amount of grapes harvested vs 2008 and we have picked 165,000 tons in 2009. California harvested 3.4 million tons in 2009 (for comparison) - or 11 million cases for WA vs 221 million for CA (note Washington is the second largest wine producer after California). Whites were 55 percent of the harvest (growing 20% vs 2008) and reds 45 percent (growing 7% vs 2008). Riesling (yeah) was the number one varietal as expected, though only beating Chardonnay by 300 tons and representing 21% of the total harvest. Riesling has grown by 23% in 2009 (yeah twice). Grape prices seem to be softening accross the board, down 4% overall probably reflecting a large increase in supplies combined with a softening super premium wine market. Top white varietals: Riesling YEAH (2.275 million cases worth), Chardonnay (2.255 million cases worth), Pinot Gris (.429 million cases worth), Sauvignon Blanc (0.279 million cases worth), Gewurztraminer YEAH (0.266 million cases worth). Top red varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon (1.852 million cases worth), Merlot (1.735 million cases worth), syrah (0.715 million cases worth), Cabernet Franc (.175 million cases). Go Washington!

For those of you guys that really enjoy digging into German laws and regulation here is an excellent blog entry from Dr Christian Schiller about sugar levels, labeling laws and chaptalisation in Germany. A must read: http://schiller-wine.blogspot.com/2010/01/german-wine-basics-sugar-in-grape.html

We are releasing a new Riesling this month- we have now up to 10 different Rieslings in our lineup . This new release is a 2009 Riesling that we made in what I would call the “traditional” Johannisberg style (I know, I know, we are not supposed to use this term anymore). So, what is a “J” style? Well, it is usually a 2% residual sugar Riesling picked around 22.5 Brix (Auslese ripeness level) with about 12.5% of ethanol. It is the most proeminent style in Washington State. Ours is slightly different (of course) in the way that it is about 2.3% residual sugar and 11.5% ethanol therefore picked at 21.5 Brix (a ripe spatlese ripeness level). Like all of our Rieslings we like to pick grapes earlier than most folks in order to contribute a lot of natural acidity to balance the sugar and also to keep a lower alcohol content. The grapes come from the Yakima Valley, a cooler climate more appropriate for this style I believe. The wine is very fruity (think mango, guava, apricot with a hint of floral notes) and refreshing, a nice addition to the portfolio that does not replicate any other Riesling we make. When I was looking at the Riesling line up a few weeks ago it dawned on me that we have a geometric RS series in our portfolio: 0-2-4-8-16! 0% RS is our Dry Riesling, 2% RS is our new Riesling, 4% RS is our Riesling made from organic grapes, 8% is our sweet Riesling and 16% is our Riesling Vin De Glaciere Selenium Vineyard. Pretty fun, no?

Love the last paragraph of Jancis Robinson’s wishes for the year published in the financial times today:

“Meanwhile, my personal wish for 2010 is to drink more and more Riesling. It is relatively low in alcohol, high in flavour, develops beautifully in bottle, expresses terroir and goes very happily with so many of the foods we eat now. It doesn’t have to be sweet either.”

I say amen to that statement, less alcohol, more pleasure, light wine like the food we eat those days… We must be twins Jancis and I…

I was looking at the lastest Nielsen data and there was plenty of good news for Riesling lovers (and for our winery) in this report. First, overall white wines have been growing faster than reds over the past 13 weeks and 52 weeks (3.7% vs 2.4% and 4.0% vs 3.5% respectively) - good to see some love for the whites. Second, domestic wines are making a huge comeback (is this price driven due to a not so favorable exchange rate? is it a “buying domestic” trend that is often seen during recessions?); 4.9% growth for domestic wines (52 weeks) ve 0.1% growth for imports. Finally, among major varietal, Riesling is still the fastest growing varietal (+9.5% 13 weeks and +8.5% 52 weeks) ahead of Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. Now Riesling sales are about a third of Pinot gris/pinot grigio!

Yesterday I was sitting on a Riesling tasting panel in Walla Walla and we were comparing Riesling from some classic regions in the world versus Washington. It is clear in my mind that Washington has its own style and produces its own type of Riesling. Here are a few thoughts about the regions we have tasted yesterday that I have put down:

- Mosel: Great acid, large influence of Botrytis with great honey, waxy nose. Kabinett styles are the most distinctive from that region and they balance the acid very well. A very distinctive style.

- Australia (Clare Valley): Bone dry styles. Lots of lemon, some alcohol and often some petrol notes. Once again a very specific profile that one cannot miss.

- Alsace: Very mineral wines with some ripeness and body. Sometimes a hint of alcohol. Not always technically bone dry but tasting almost always dry .

- Washington: Rarely bone dry, often some sugar though always great acid to balance the sugar. More fruity than steely with Peach being a main component. Often in a wide range of sweetness.

Minimally Pruning has been successful for many years in Australia. Thisviticultural technique is achieved by not pruning the vines and rather form a sort of basket with the canes. This obviously leaves many buds on the vine and is conducive to a very vigorous grape vine. The theory goes that the vine will self regulate itself after a few years, the vigor slows down and the crop load settles down. The benefits of MP (for Minimal Pruning) is lower labor cost (read no need to prune!) but also more shading for the grapes (from a larger canopy), good airflow by the creation of a “dead zone” in the center of the canopy and smallclusters. I have seen several successful trials in Washington but I was not expecting seeing a MP vineyard in the Mosel (more on the not-so traditional Mosel viticulture in a later post). Guess what, I found one and the owner loved it and thought this might be the way to go for him (pictured above). This vineyard was only slightly converted since it was retrofitted on a wire system from the traditional post trellis system (note the vines were very low to the ground which I had not seen for MP vineyards). May be time for us to do our own trial in the Yakima Valley?

I know, you should never rush through the Rheingau…

Another stunning wine region with a beautiful south facing slope. My two visits there were Schloss Johannisberg (the mother of all Riesling wineries!) and Weingut Spreitzer. Two different businesses in their structure but both primarily Riesling and both 100% estate.

I went through a very interesting tasting at Schloss Johannisberg with a good technical conversation (picture of the great tasting below).

I focused on winemaking on that day (though I saw the vineyards at Schloss Johannisberg) and toured the beautiful wineries and focused on their winemaking techniques. The wines in the Rheingau are mostly “Trocken” so very different from the Mosel. Below is the new tank room at Schloss Johannisberg, a very nice set up to make great wines (plenty of small tanks to keep every parcel separated). A Riesling geek heaven of some sort…

Few pictures from my trip in Germany (Mosel today). What a beautiful place and great Rieslings to taste (not discounting the food either).

I went to see a few great estates such as Selbach Oster, Sankt Urban Hof and Schloss Lieser.

I like to learn about what they do (in the vineyard or at the winery) , why they do it and how this can make a difference in wine quality. I will have a few post in the next few days about what I saw, liked and did not get.

above is a view of the Mosel (Zeltingen in the distance). Below is a row of the Wehlener Sonnenhur from the lower road. Middle is a close up of the slaty soils.

Riesling aroma intensity is highly correlated with the terpenes concentration in the wine. A few other varities are also defined by the terpene concentration such as Muscat or Gewurztraminer (though Muscat and Gewurztraminer are much richer in terpenes). Terpenes are found mainly in the berry skin and tends to accumulate during the course of the ripening season. One major problems for winemakers is that the terpenes are principally chemically bound to grape sugars and are ordorless in that form. To reveal terpene aromas, the sugar-terpenes molecule as to be broken in some fashion and the terpene as to be release, free of some sort. In Riesling only one quarter of total terpenes are freed up during the winemaking process. Activities enhancing the amount of free terpene in a wine include fermentation, time on the lees and bottle aging (the choice of closure is also critical as natural cork and synthetic corks absorb terpenes). During fermentation, yeasts enzymes can release terpenes but unfortunately they do no work very well at low pH which is often the case with Riesling. Some companies sell commercial enzymes to supplement natural yeast activities but such enzymes are not always easy to use (nor very natural) and can lead to an overextracted, almost tacky wine. Lees aging can also promote free terpene content by the release of those enzymes in the wine. Finally, it has been proven that enzymatic activity is possible many years after bottling and generally a Riesling can have increases in free terpene content two or three years after bottling. Unfortunately most Rieslings are consumed well before that. The major terpenes found in Riesling are: Linalool (Rose aroma), Alpha-terpineol (lilac), Citronellol (citronella), Nerol (mandarin), Geraniol (grapefruit) and Hotrienol (Lime).

Summer is definitely here in the great Pacific Northwest and I find myself gravitating towards lighter, fresher and sweeter wines. I like the low alcohol/high acid/carbonation combo on a hot sunny day. My favorite Riesling for this time of the year are the Sweet Riesling (8.5% Alcohol - definitely sweet), the Organic Riesling (10.5% Alcohol - medium sweet) and I must say that I found two great friends in the Sparkling Riesling (10.5% Alcohol - almost dry) and our Single Vineyard Daunhauer (8.5% Alcohol - sweet). That’s four wines for a hot summer and with our great free shipping on 6 bottles it is easy to try them all!

Jim Trezise is the President of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation and when in London last week for the London wine fair, he posted a good little blog about Riesling that I wanted to post here. Jim is also the President of the International Riesling Foundation. We are an active member of the IRF.

Riesling Revival

By Jim Trezise, President, International Riesling Foundation

A famous New York comedian named Rodney Dangerfield rose to stardom with one classic line: “I don’t get no respect.”

Riesling is the Rodney Dangerfield of wine.  It is arguably the most noble white wine variety in the world, and yet it remains misunderstood, underappreciated, and under-consumed.

Why? Diversity.  This is Riesling’s strength, but also its weakness.  Riesling is one of the few grapes which can produce wines ranging from bone dry to intensely sweet and many taste sensations in between.  That’s a strength. 

The weakness is that consumers often can’t predict what taste sensation is in each bottle—dry, medium dry, sweet—and can be unpleasantly surprised if they guessed wrong and the wine doesn’t fit the meal they planned.

Happily much is changing in the world of Riesling, and the International Riesling Foundation (IRF) is trying to accelerate that change.  First, there is clearly a Riesling revival occurring, at least in the United States where Riesling has become the fastest growing white wine and only a tad behind Pinot Noir among all wines.  This renaissance began a few years ago, and the IRF was formed to catch the wave and turn a serendipitous blip into a long-term trend.

There are many strengths to promote.  Riesling provides a great reflection of “terroir” not only among countries or regions but individual vineyards, guaranteeing infinite variations around a common theme.  Riesling is the most versatile “food wine”, with the different styles acting as complement or counterpoint to an incredible range of cuisines as well as serving as a great, palate-enhancing aperitif.

Then there’s Riesling’s diversity.  We’re seeking to turn that into a consistent strength by letting consumers know what’s in each bottle.  The method: a Riesling Taste Profile developed by the IRF.

One of our first projects involved market research by Wine Opinions on consumer perceptions of Riesling.  Not surprisingly, the overwhelming majority think of it only as “a sweet white wine”.  More troubling, those who don’t drink it are not at all interested in trying it.

So we developed the Riesling Taste Profile, spearheaded by California wine journalist Dan Berger in conjunction with Riesling wine makers throughout the world.  The concept is to use the interplay of sugar, acid, and pH to predict the taste profile of a particular bottle—Dry, Medium Dry, Medium Sweet, or Sweet.

The IRF Riesling Taste Profile includes technical guidelines for wine makers, including a summary chart, but it is ultimately up to the wine maker where he or she places the arrow along a horizontal continuum.  That graphic, in turn, may be used on back labels, point of sale materials, and in other ways to help consumers.

Everything related to the Riesling Taste Profile is available on the IRF web site (www.drinkriesling.com), including examples of some wineries already using it, downloadable art for those who wish to, and sample “neck hangers” as a point-of-sale options. 

The largest U.S. Riesling producers, Chateau Ste. Michelle and Pacific Rim of Washington State, are both committed to using it, as are many smaller producers in the U.S., New Zealand, South Africa, and other countries. We expect that it will become an industry standard within a few years, helping consumers predict what they’re buying and helping producers sell more Riesling.

The IRF has focused on the U.S. market to date due to its great potential for Riesling growth, but is truly an international organization with a prestigious Board of Directors from Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States (California, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Washington).  The Board is listed in the “About Us” section of the web site.

Indeed, the web site is our window for consumers to discover the wonderful world of Riesling, with information about the grapes, the wines, the foods, the regions, the Riesling Taste Profile, and much else.  Another key trend in the U.S., and perhaps elsewhere, is the importance of the “millennial” generation (essentially in their 20’s) to the future of the wine market.  They love wine, like to experiment, want to be educated (not “sold”), and provide great opportunity for Riesling.  As a result, we’re now working on several web enhancements that will tie right in to the “social media” explosion.

Another promising trend is the increasingly broad coverage of Riesling by wine and food media throughout the world.  Long-time proponents like Stuart Pigott, Jancis Robinson, Howard Goldberg, and Dan Berger are now being joined by many others who in the past paid little heed to the greatness of Riesling.But we still have a long way to go.  At the London International Wine Fair, I asked a top wine shop representative how Riesling sells.  He said better, but it’s still more of a case filler than a first choice.  In other words, when consumers buy 8-10 bottles and have a couple slots left, they often choose a Riesling or two.

In other words, Riesling don’t get no respect.  We need to change that.

I don’t usually like to talk about m private life on a blog, but I am getting really excited about my July trip to Germany. It will be short (I will be on my way to a family event in southern France) and I am lining up two days of Riesling frenzy. Here is a glimpse of my trip so far:

• Dinner with the Selbach on the 8th;
• Visit of Selbach Oster, Sankt Urban Hof and Schloss Lieser on the 9th (Mosel)
• Visit of Schloss Johannisberg, Von Mumm and two other on the 10th (Rheingau) and fly out…

I have my Audi shift stick with GPS unit rented. feeling just like a little boy going to Disneyland…

Last week I gave a talk to a group of importers that were touring eastern Washington with the Washington Wine Commission. My topic was Riesling acreage and clonal selection in Washington State. I wanted to put some of the interesting facts I found out on this blog for reference.

Riesling acreage is about 145,000 acres worldwide. Most of the acreage is located in the old world (Germany and Alsace). In the new world, Australia has the largest acreage followed by Washington State. To put it in relationship with other regions, Washington has about 4,500 acres of Riesling which is about twice the acreage of California and about half the acreage of Alsace. 

Washington’s Riesling is either quite old (older than 25 years - representing 40% of total acreage) or quite young (less than 7 years - representing 40% of total acreage). This age distribution has probably to do with the early successes of Riesling in Washington followed by a low growth period (for Riesling in general) in the 90s and an accelerated growth since the beginning of the new millenium.

The acreage older than 25 year old is planted a bit everywhere throughout the State with about 25% in the Yakima Valley. Although there are no record of where the clonal material came from, one can guess about two probable sources. The first one is the stock that was brought in by Upland winery (closed in 1972) in the late 30’s on the eve of the repeal of prohibition. This selection was planted in Sunnyside and came from Germany (Upland’s winemaker was German). The second probable source is California. Before the 70’s, only clone 1 seemed to have been available in quantity. Clone 1 is also of German origin and came through Oregon State University. Those two sources are probably the origin of most of Washington’s Riesling.

The younger plantings are less scattered than the earlier ones and concentrated in the Yakima Valley (about 50% of all Riesling is grown in “the valley”) and in the Horse Heaven Hills (25% of all Riesling is grown there). The clonal selection available post 1970 was more varied since the Foundation Plant Service (FPS) in California had introduced several German clones in the 50’s. The probable materials that were brought in for newer planting (the American FPS clone number is the short number, I am including the “translation”  for reference) includes clone 9 and 24 (Geisenheim 110), Clone 12 (Neustadt 90), Clone 17 (Geisenheim 198), Clone 23 (Geisenheim 239). Other clones might have come up to Washington such as the “Martini clone” (FPS 10), the Conegliano 100 (FPS 19), the Clos Pepe clone (FPS 20), the Mendoza clone (FPS 22), ENTAV 49 (FPS 49). Of course, most new plantings might just have been propagated from the wood of older vineyards. No one know for sure, but I would guess that 80% of new plantings still come from the original selections.

At Pacific Rim, we are probably a mini sample of Washington’s Riesling. 30% of our vineyards are indeed older than 25 years. 40% of our Riesling comes from the Horse Heaven Hills (Wallula Vineyard) with the balance coming from the lower Yakima Valley (in a narrow strecth at the highest elevation available between Sunnyside and Prosser). Our newer planting are all clone 110, 239, 198 and 90 from Germany (representing about 65% of all our Riesling), who knows what the older vines are.

Thank you to the folks at Winery Exchange for their great review of our 2008 Riesling made from organic grapes. Below is a full transcript:

Linda Murphy has named our series of Single Vineyards as the wine of the year on Wine Review Online (Linda is also the corresponmdant for Jancis Robinson on the West Coast). Thank you so much Linda, a great honor.

Below are Linda’s comments on the wines:

Wines of the Year:  Pacific Rim Single-Vineyard Rieslings 2007 Columbia Valley, Washington

I’m cheating in picking not one but three new, single-vineyard Rieslings from Randall Grahm’s Pacific Rim winery in Washington state’s Columbia Valley, yet they are most impressive as a group, showing Grahm’s commitment (and that of his Pacific Rim general manager/winemaker, Nicolas Quillé), to producing outstanding Riesling in Washington.  Chateau Ste.  Michelle and Long Shadows’ Poet’s Leap wineries have been doing that for some time, though having another player is good for the neighborhood and for consumers. 

Pacific Rim’s ‘regular’ Rieslings come in dry and sweet versions and are fruity, quaffable blends from multiple Columbia Valley vineyards, selling for around $8.  The Solstice Vineyard in Yakima Valley and Wallula Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills sub-appellations are the sources for the new range of Pacific Rim Riesling — one from Solstice and two from Wallula, of which one is made from biodynamically grown grapes.  All are sealed with screw caps.

Pacific Rim, Yakima Valley (Washington) Solstice Vineyard Riesling 2007 ($30): This is the sweetest of the three wines, with 1.14 percent residual sugar, yet it remains dry on the palate.  Stony and nutty on the nose, the wine crackles in the mouth with lime and grapefruit, with some spicy baked apple and richness on the finish.  It’s crisp and refreshing, clocking in at 13.5% alcohol.  89
 
Pacific Rim, Columbia Valley (Washington) Wallula Vineyard Riesling 2007 ($18): This wine tastes bone-dry (the residual sugar percentage is 0.9) and has an inviting honeysuckle aroma with a flash of minerality.  It starts out rather austere, with earthy notes and racy citrus and white peach flavors.  There’s some creaminess and tropical fruit in the mid-palate, and the wine closes with mouthwatering acidity — tart and minerally.  This wine is delicious now, yet two or three more years in bottle should unleash some secondary complexity.  Another plus: it has just 12.3% alcohol by volume.  Note that Wallula Vineyard is in the Horse Heaven Hills American Viticultural Area, although the front label reads ‘Columbia Valley.’  91

Pacific Rim, Columbia Valley (Washington) Wallula Vineyard Biodynamic Riesling 2007 ($30): Produced from a young, 145-acre, certified biodynamic plot at Wallula Vineyard, this floral, flinty Riesling has pure, focused Meyer lemon, citrus pith and white-peach fruit notes.  It’s dry (.76% residual sugar) though slightly plumper than the non-biodynamic wine above, and layers of flavor continue to unfold through a long finish.  A pleasant leesiness adds complexity.  It, too, will benefit from cellaring, for up to five years for those who like more mature Riesling.  13% alcohol.  92

Thanks to Mr Asimov of the New York Times (read the article here) I was reminded how succulent is a fresh Riesling for Spring. Riesling is everything I look for this time of the year, the floral notes, the crisp acid, the sweetness of Spring. My favorites for this time of the year are the lighter sweeter Riesling like our Sweet Riesling or German kabinett. So don’t forget to open several Riesling to celebrate Spring!

Yesterday I read this story on the Decanter web site:

“Red wine increases the female sex drive

Red wine increases the female libido, research has found.
According to a study carried out by the Santa Maria Nuova Hospital in Florence, drinking one to two glasses of red wine a day increases female sexual desire. The study investigated 789 Italian women aged between 18 and 50.
Drinking red wine not only helps to release inhibitions, but also has a direct effect on sexual activity. Women who drink one to two glasses of wine a day were found to be more sexually active than those who abstain. Dark chocolate, which is rich in antioxidants, has a similarly positive effect on the female libido. ”

In one way I find the article funny but in another so tacky. The fact that the study was done in Italy adds to both of those feeling. May be this is why I like Riesling so much those days, it is quiet, delicate, complex and refined.

30% of our grapes are grown biodynamically and to my knowledge we have the only certified biodynamic vineyard in Washington State. We also are the only certified biodynamic producer in the State. We are not fanatical about biodynamie but it has taught us many things and has connected us better to our terroir.

Our understanding of Biodynamic agriculture

What we have learned from Rudolph Steiner’s biodynamic agriculture principles is that our goal should be to set the farm as a self contained entity focused on exporting goods without importing any from the outside world. The farm is in some way limited, just like our planet, and it has to become its own ecosystem to become a sustainable and perennial entity. Of course this preclude the use of any chemical at the farm unless they can be produced at the farm. For these reasons we use only natural products that could be produced at the farm that we call preparations (we actually do not make our own at this point but would like to). The preparations are numbered from 500 to 508:

This is all we use in the vineyard - no other chemical organic nor synthetic. The compost making is very important as it is the key to a healthy soil and in return to a healthy vine. Also we do use the moon cycles to do most operations in the vineyard.

Our understanding of Biodynamic winemaking

At the winery we do not correct any grape deficiencies (no acid, no sugar, no water). We do not use commercial yeasts, only the yeasts that came with the grapes. The only chemicals we use are bentonite (for protein stability, it is remove and does not stay in the wine) and we add sulfites below 100ppm.

Lesson learned

In the vineyard we understand that we do not need heavy chemicals to grow our grapes. Yes, it is more work but there are alternative ways to grow grapes in an economical way. It makes sense and it does not make us a bunch of hippies. Consequently we have pooled our growers together to find alternative ways to grow grapes in a more sustainable way and we are creating an Integrated Environmental Stewardship Charter to move our sustainability agenda forward.

At the winery we know understand that we do not need commercial yeasts and that we can also make wine with fewer chemicals. Yes, the wines might not always be “technologically” correct but we hope they taste better and are healthier for you, just like an organically grown fruit.

We hope that you care as much as we do.

Reproduced from the Wine Spectator Website

Thank you Mr Steiman for endorsing our great Riesling region!

Riesling and Washington

Posted: 01:20 PM ET, February 10, 2009

If anyone doubts the current Riesling renaissance, just look at the latest grape production report from Washington. For the first time, the state crushed more Riesling than any other grape variety—28,500 tons, to be exact, or about 38 percent of all the state’s white wine in 2008.

That’s more Riesling than Chardonnay, more than either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, the leading varieties on the red wine side.

This has been building for several years. While Chardonnay has been holding steady, Riesling has been coming on strong. From 16,500 tons in 2004 the numbers climbed to 18,800 in 2005 and to 23,800 in 2006 and 26,000 in 2007.

Why is this happening? Because Riesling has found a cadre of consumers who like it. Finally. Many of us who love the grape have wondered when it would happen. Right now, Rieslings are among the darlings of hip sommeliers, partly because they deliver plenty of class and charm at attractive prices, and these days who can resist that? I’ve always said, hand a glass of Riesling to anyone, say nothing about what it is, and you will get a smile of approval. People like the fruit flavors and the dance the wine does on their taste buds.

It just took a while to overcome that sweet-is-bad myth. Not all Rieslings are sweet, for one thing, and even the sweet ones often have class and charm.

Washington has done well with Riesling throughout its modern wine history. Ste. Michelle Wine Estates claims to produce more of it than any wine company in the U.S., distributed among its various labels. They include Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest, Snoqualmie and the most high profile of them all, the joint venture with Dr. Loosen of Germany that makes Eroica.

Hogue has been successful at hitting fine value marks with Riesling for years, especially with its Genesis bottlings. Kiona has consistently scored well with its moderately priced late harvest Rieslings. Riesling was the first wine from Mercer, the new project from some of the same folks who gave us Hogue, and it’s a good one.

Pacific Rim, the label started by Bonny Doon of California, moved its operations to Washington and now makes a range of Rieslings from inexpensive everyday dry and off-dry bottlings to single-vineyard charmers.

Poet’s Leap, the joint venture between German vintner Armin Diehl and Long Shadows, has toned down its originally sweet profile and is now making beautifully balanced wines in a soft spätlese style.

Charles Smith, who started K Vintners (for big-time Syrah) and the Magnificent Wine Co. (a value range), bottles Kung Fu Girl, a lovely dry-style Riesling for $12 a bottle.

A sweet Riesling got my highest rating from Washington in the past 12 months: Chateau Ste. Michelle White Riesling Columbia Valley Late Harvest Ethos 2006 (97, $40). These unctuous dessert wines can be stunning.

In its moderately cool climate, Washington does well with Chardonnay, too, but the Rieslings seem to represent better value. And I have a theory why: Many of Washington’s vineyards are on flat ground or gently rolling countryside in the dry climate of Columbia Valley. They need irrigation to keep vines alive; the vines grow pretty big and yields tend to be high. Few vineyards are close-spaced on challenging soils that naturally keep yields low. These make the best Chardonnays around the world, and in Washington those kinds of vineyards are more likely to grow Cabernet, Merlot or Syrah, which get higher prices to justify the extra work. Riesling gets higher yields than Chardonnay while still delivering good flavor and balance.

In that light, maybe the most intriguing new area for Riesling might be Lake Chelan, a chilly region on the eastern slope of the Cascades. The vineyards are young there, but already I’ve been impressed with Tsillan’s Riesling, which has a more Germanic range of vivid flavors and lively balance.

Riesling’s success will, I hope, boost Syrah. It is clearly Washington’s red-wine calling card, making some of the most distinctive and food-friendly reds I taste. It’s been holding steady at 15 percent of red wine production while Cabernet and Merlot both exceed 35 percent.

Sooner or later, the quality of the wines will win over American red wine drinkers, just as Riesling did on the white wine side. But that’s a story for another day. Let’s just pause to applaud the success of Riesling. At last.

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Today I saw our first order ever from Thailand for the American Embassy. They took a bit of Chenin, Gewurztraminer, Dry and Sweet Riesling. That made me wonder if there is a food and wine pairing event at the embassy in Bangkok. If anyone at the embassy reads this blog, could you please report?

I would bet that our Sweet Riesling will be a winner with spicy hot thai food, though Gewurz with a curry could be a very good combo as well.

It’s official, Riesling has now overcome Chardonnay as the number one varietal in Washington State. USDA reported that in 2008, 28,500 tons of Riesling were harvested in the Washington. This anchors Washington as the proeminent Riesling producer in the United States well ahead of California. This tonnage is enough to make about 1.8 million cases of Riesling. Thinking about who is making all that Riesling, I took my calculator and came up with 1.56 million cases:

• St Michelle wine group (St Michelle, Snoqualmie, Eroica, Columbia Crest): About 1 million cases
• Hogue Cellars (Constellation Wine group): About 160,000 cases
• Ascentia Wine Group (Columbia winery and Covey Run): About 140,000 cases
• Pacific Rim: 120,000 cases
• Precept Brands (Mainly with Washington Hills brand): 60,000 cases?
• Washington Wine Group (Silverlake): May be 40,000 cases?
• Badger Mountain Winery: May be 10,000 cases?
• Diageo Northwest (Sagelands and Canoe Ridge): About 25,000 cases

If you have any insight on the right number, please write a post!