Not much you’d want to consume grows in Western Washington. If you can eat, drink, or smoke it, chances are it was grown in a greenhouse or the rain shadow east of the Cascades. Seattle apologists will tell you it rains more in New York, while neglecting to mention that several epic storms just ain’t the same as one dreary, year-long drizzle. Temperate rainforest plants love these endless rainy days. Crops typically don’t.
Fortunately for the local wine lover, there’s another mountain range west of the Cascades, and some of Puget Sound is within its rain shadow. As warm, wet Pacific air rises over the Olympics, it cools and condenses into clouds, leaving much of Whidbey Island, and most importantly—Whidbey Island Winery—in the dry. We’re still north of the 48th parallel—no one’s growing meaty Malbecs up here—but early-ripening varietals like Madeleine Angevine and Siegerrebe thrive.
Siegerrebe, a German-bred hybrid of Italian Gewürztraminer and French Madeleine Angevine, is a pink-skinned, white-fleshed grape which grows in loose clusters on fat-leaved vines. Whidbey Island Winery’s Siegerrebe is the color of Goldenrod honey, with a floral nose and tastes of pome and stone fruits. Because it finishes slightly sweet and isn’t too high in acid, I’d more likely pair it with shellfish than with fish. Think pan-seared scallops, seafood paella, or lobster rolls. Or, if you want to tease out that sweetness, try it with pain aux amandes.
Visit Whidbey Island Winery, and check out their Siegerrebe, Madeleine Angevine, and meaty Malbec (whose grapes they source from the Upland Vineyard in Snipes Mountain) here: https://whidbeyislandwinery.com/
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