2011 Betz Family Winery La Cote Patriarche

Betz Family Winery was founded in Woodinville, Washington, in 1997, by Bob and Cathy Betz. In the early 1970s the then young couple traveled through Europe’s great wine regions working in wineries and vineyards. In 1975 Bob started working at Chateau St. Michelle, where he eventually became Vice President of Winemaking Research. But he and his wife wanted their own winery, so they began sourcing grapes from Washington’s best appellations. Betz Family Winery specializes in Syrah and Rhone style wines, though it also produces Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends. Robert M. Parker Jr. has written that Bob Betz “makes some of Washington’s best Syrah…”

Yakima Valley AVA was the first AVA created in Washington State. The valley, a 600,000-acre area in south central Washington, was granted AVA status in 1983. In 1984 Columbia Valley was given AVA status, and Yakima Valley was enclosed within the Columbia Valley AVA. Nevertheless, Yakima Valley remains home to the largest concentration of vineyards and wineries in the state. There are more than 60 wineries and some 16,000 vineyard acres, and nearly 40% of Washington wines are made with Yakima Valley grapes. The most frequently planted grape is Chardonnay, followed by Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaking here dates to 1869, when a winemaker from Alsace planted grape vines. Vineyard planting and wine production plodded along slowly until the early 1980s when numerous modern pioneers started making well-reviewed Yakima Valley wines. Some of the state’s newest, most closely watched appellations, including Red Mountain AVA and Horse Heaven Hills AVA, are contained within Yakima Valley.

This grape is grown in milder climates and produces a medium-to full-bodied wine. It is also known as Shiraz, but should not be confused with Petit Sirah, which was developed by crossing Syrah with Peloursin.