Canoe Ridge Vineyard

Merlot is such an elegant wine, great by itself or paired with food. Rich and velvety, with flavors of chocolate, cherry, and raspberry—what’s not to like? Merlot loves to grow in eastern Washington, particularly in the Horse Heaven Hills American Viticultural Area (AVA), which also happens to be the home of Canoe Ridge Vineyard. (WineTrail note: Canoe Ridge was named by explorers Lewis and Clark on their historic journey west. From the Columbia River, the massive ridge looks like an upside-down canoe.) Here, the proximity to the weather-moderating Columbia River, hot summers, cool nights and dry conditions all conspire to create the perfect growing conditions for merlot, cabernet sauvignon and other European varieties.

A visit to the Canoe Ridge winery, on the outskirts of downtown Walla Walla, offers a study in merlot. True, Canoe Ridge Vineyard does produce a full line-up of elegant, easy-to-quaff red wines, but at the winery, you have the opportunity to sample merlot of different vintages and qualities. And while the winery focuses on red wines, it does make a limited quantity of whites, including chardonnay, gewürztraminer and riesling.

Canoe Ridge is owned by the Diageo Corp. (perhaps you’ve heard of Tanqueray, Smirnoff, J&B, Guinness, and Sagelands, to name a few Diageo properties), but the corporate giant gives Canoe Ridge winemaker Ned Morris the independence he requires to craft premium wines. Incidentally, this winemaker happens to be one of the nicest individuals you’ll find in the business. Not that you have to be a nice guy to make great wine; that’s not a requirement for graduating from any enology program. But it’s ironic that Ned was the assistant winemaker for another genuinely friendly winemaker, John Abbott of Abeja Winery. Both happen to have attended Oregon State University and, interestingly, John Abbott’s résumé includes a stint at Canoe Ridge Vineyard as the chief winemaker. Coincidence? We think not.

Canoe Ridge’s winemaking philosophy begins in the vineyard, where the level and quality of ripeness become the foundation of every new vintage. Each winemaking effort aims to honor the uniqueness of the Canoe Ridge vineyard site, reflecting its individuality through the depth, nuance, concentration, and balance of Canoe Ridge wines. It’s a winning formula that brings together a big corporation, exceptional fruit and local talent to create wonderfully approachable wines.