Yakima Valley is the industry's backbone

摘要

Washington's oldest appellation deserves more attention, says a Northwest wine writer. Andy Perdue has thought a lot about why the wine spotlight seems to shine brighter on areas other than the Yakima Valley appellation, Washington State's oldest and biggest producing wine grape region. He doesn't have a good answer for why the region is sometimes forgotten, but says it's not because of the quality of grapes or wines produced there. Perdue, veteran journalist and wine judge from Richland, Washington, moderated a panel discussion held earlier this spring to toast the thirtieth anniversary of the Yakima Valley American Viticultural Area. The session was part of Taste Washington, an annual consumer wine tasting and educational event held in Seattle. The panel featured growers, winemakers, and wine critics and examined why the Yakima Valley is the backbone of the state's wine industry.