L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY I n the early 1980s , Wine & Spirits magazine named a Washington state Caber- net Sauvignon the best in the nation. It was a surpris- ing announcement, since Wash- ington wines at the time were under-the-radar in terms of quali- ty and sophistication. "Buyers looked upon Wash- ington as a winemaking oddity with absolutely no hope whatso- ever of delivering wine of the caliber of California, Europe, Australia or other well-estab- lis hed w ine regions of the world," said Lorne Jacobson, writing in the Puget Sound Busi- ness Journal. "Potential distribu- tors often met presentations with downright skepticism or a per- functory 'no.'" Fast-forward to 2019: Wash- ington has become a leading wine producing region, home to more than 900 w ineries and more than 350 grape growers. In 2007, Washington vineyards occupied about 31,000 acres. By 2017, that figure had grown to 50,000 acres, the approximate s ize of California's N apa Valley. The award-winning Cabernet was bottled in 1978 by Walla Walla vintner Gary Figgins who almost did not enter the competi- tion because he did not want to give up two bottles of his wine. The announcement catapulted the nascent Washington wine industry from infancy to adult- hood in a single season. Figgins had started Leonetti Cellar in 1977 and it was Walla Walla's first commercial winery. He named it for his grandparents Francesco and Rosa Leonetti, who had emigrated from Cal- abria in 1902. Along with grow- ing fruits and vegetables in their new home, the Leonetti's also had a small vineyard. In fact, Figgins' first Cabernet Sauvi- gnon grapes were grown on an acre of hillside behind the origi- nal Leonetti homestead. Today, Leonetti Cellar is managed by Gary's son Chris, who enjoys growing Sangiovese in tribute to his Italian roots. Although commercial-scale planting of wine grapes did not begin until the mid-20 th century, Italians and wine in Washington state go back decades. In 1825, members of the Hudson's Bay Company planted grape vines at Fort Vancouver in the southern part of the state. As immigrants from Italy, France and Germany moved into the territory, they added their own plantings. One of those immigrants was RITA CIPALLA Cuneo. Cuneo started out mak- ing Pinot Noir but his Italian heritage nudged him toward grapes such as Nebbiolo and Sangiovese. In 2001, he went in with some partners and built a winery in Carlton, Ore. The partnership suffered problems, though, and in 2008, Cuneo went his own way and opened Cuneo Cellars. In 2011, he moved his opera- tion to Walla Walla, and a few years later, opened a tasting room across the street from the city's historic Marcus Whitman Hotel. Today Cuneo Cellars is one of the few wineries in the Northwest that is entirely devot- ed to Italian varietals and the Italian style of winegrowing and winemaking. Some Washington vintners chose to form partnerships with wineries from the Old World, bringing authentic Italian wine- making philosophies and knowl- edge to the Pacific Northwest. That's the s tory behind Col Solare, a winery located in Ben- ton City, about 70 miles from Yakima. In 1992, M arches e P iero Antinori, whose family has been making wine in Italy since the 1300s, visited Washington's Columbia Valley to see first- hand what was going on with the state's wine industry. During his time in the Northwest, Antinori became intrigued with the idea of merging two distinct grape- growing and winemaking cul- tures. He formed a partnership with Washington's oldest winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle, and in 1995, the team introduced Col S olare, Italian for "s hining hill." Located on Red Mountain high above the Yakima River, Col Solare winery occupies 40 acres with commanding views of its fan-shaped vineyards. A t the s outhern edge of Washington in the Columbia Gorge, along the Oregon border, sits a small winery with the unforgettable name of Idiot's G race. O pened in 2002, the owners plant about 26 wine grape varieties. One-quarter of those are Italian native species, and from those, Idiot's Grace produces a Dolcetto, Barbera and Primitivo. Throughout Was hington state, the contributions that the early immigrants made to the wine industry are huge and their impact will be felt for genera- tions to come. Whatever grapes they chose to plant, whether from Tus cany, P iemonte or southern Italy, these pioneers helped ensure that Italian grapes are a vital contributor to the state's successful wine industry. Frank Orselli, a Lucca native who arrived in Washington Ter- ritory in 1857. Orselli is general- ly credited as the first Italian to arrive in the Walla Walla valley. He eventually saved up enough money to buy 180 acres on which he planted vegetables, fruit trees and grapes. The wine that Orselli pro- duced was very popular, particu- larly with the soldiers stationed at Fort Walla Walla. In 1875, the local new s paper, The Walla Walla S tates man, reported that Orselli had the largest win- ery in the area and had crushed 6,000 pounds of grapes that year. Orselli would later open one of Walla Walla's first tast- ing rooms. Why is eastern Washington such a good home for Italian wine grapes? For one reason, much of the wine-growing area of Was hington is jus t a few miles north of its counterpart in northern Italy. So, even though Walla Walla, for example, is half a w orld aw ay from the Piemonte region geographically, not to mention culturally, it sits at 46 degrees north of the equa- tor, about 70 miles north of where Piemonte lies. In addition, both regions have benefited from unique soil struc- tures. Much of Washington was covered by the great Missoula floods at the end of the last ice age. When the ice withdrew, tons of sediment were deposited, creating the fertile soil that is home to the state's outstanding vineyards. The most prominent grapes grown statewide are Syrah, Mer- lot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling, but many winemakers still prefer grapes native to Italy. That was the case with Gino Washington's wines nurture strong ties to Italy At Leonetti Cellar, the harvest crew sorts through the grapes as part of a stringent quality-control process. (Leonetti Cellar) Grapes from Eastern Washington are harvested for Col Solare wines, a collaboration between Washington's oldest winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle, and Italy's famous winemaker Piero Antinori. (Andrea Johnson Photography)

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