2020 Bridge Trail Vineyards Columbia Valley Riesling

Across the country in the “other” Washington (D.C.), Lyndon Johnson was President. And while he was dealing with a plethora of problems — war, riots and politics — a handful of forward-thinking farmers were planting the first commercial Riesling vineyards in the Yakima Valley. Yakima is a wine-country stronghold today, and plantings of Riesling throughout the state have swollen to more than 5,300 acres.

That makes it the largest Riesling region in America. And it’s all because of the climate. The Columbia Valley’s high summer temperatures, combined with mean temperatures only slightly higher than Alsace or Germany — the global capitals of Riesling — create full-flavored yet elegant wines. And the cool evenings preserve the crisp acids essential to quality Riesling.

The ”Northwest style” of Riesling is fresh, floral and flavorful — a style embraced and expertly executed by the winemaker at Bridge Trail Vineyards.