You can call Chris Upchurch a lot of things: chief winemaker at Washington State’s DeLille Cellars, proprietor of Upchurch Vineyard, avid Seattle Seahawks fan. But I call him the Sage of Red Mountain. As the VP of the Red Mountain AVA Alliance (AVA stands for American Viticulture Area, a federal designation that describes a specific wine grape-growing region), he can gin up a story that will make you want to drop everything and go find a bottle of wine from Red Mountain.
Big Red and I recently visited with Chris, his stunning wife Thea and their dog, Paco. They have a gorgeous tasting room that overlooks their vineyard on Red Mountain. They poured us a glass of wine, then helped unlock its secrets.
Small but Mighty
If you are red wine drinker, the Red Mountain AVA is worth knowing about. Small at only 4,040 acres, it’s nonetheless mighty, producing powerful red grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.
Chris’s favorite line is, “Red Mountain is the high plains desert with soil.” This is important because deserts have lots of great things that grapes love—sun, heat, not too much rain and a good diurnal shift, which is a fancy way of saying that there is a dramatic swing from day to nighttime temperatures. All of the world’s best wine growing regions have pronounced diurnal shifts. But Red Mountain is unique because of its soil—unlike most deserts, it has some. As Chris explains, “We imported it from Canada, Montana and all of these other great places courtesy of the Missoula Floods.”
The Upside of Inundation
Not familiar with the Missoula Floods? I wasn’t either, but they are a big deal. During the last ice age, 12,000 to 15,000 years ago, cataclysmic floods covered much of eastern Washington. There were slow-moving flood streams and fast-moving flood streams, and Red Mountain sat in the middle. All of the swirling water deposited soil and sediment in a unique way that turns out to be perfect for vineyards.
On top of that, it has southwest facing slopes. That means more sunlight and warmer temperatures for grapes to bask in. There’s also nearly constant wind, which keeps the grapes from overheating while at the same time preventing frost damage. And it’s soil has high levels of calcium carbonate, which helps it retain moisture.
Recommendations for Your Palate
All of this makes Red Mountain unique for grape growing. If you are in the Developed or Complex tribe, I would recommend red wines from producers such as Upchurch Vineyard (obviously), Col Solare, Hedges Family Estate and Kiona. If you’re in the Accessible or Balanced tribe, the Red Mountain’s reds might be too powerful for your palate. Consider a white wine, such as a Semillon or a Gewürztraminer. Not sure what tribe you are in? Take our nifty quiz to identify your palate and then check out the Wine Picks By Tribe section to find customized wine recommendations.
Cheers!
P.S. Here is an inside tip from Chris; “Washington’s 2015 vintage could be one for the ages. There is a low yield of grapes due to the heat, but they are spectacular.” So peeps, once these wines hit the shelf I would encourage you to buy big.