“There is no basalt bedrock inside the boundaries of the AVA,” says VinTerra Consulting’s Kevin Pogue, who was contracted to put in writing the appellation utility by space growers. As an alternative, Rocky Attain is generally granitic gneisses, or what geologists consult with as metamorphic crystalline bedrock.
Traditionally, like the remainder of the Columbia Valley, Rocky Attain was lined by basalt from lava flows that occurred 15M years in the past. Nonetheless, over time the Columbia River lower via the basalt to disclose the underlying basement rock. In consequence, Rocky Attain has bedrock distinctive from most different areas of the Columbia Valley.
“It has a really completely different chemical composition from basalt,” Pogue says of Rocky Attain’s bedrock.
Basalt is wealthy in minerals like iron, magnesium, and feldspar. In distinction, Rocky Attain’s bedrock is silica-rich and dominated by minerals like quartz and mica. Vines within the appellation that attain bedrock will subsequently encounter a unique suite of minerals. Lake Chelan is the one different appellation in Columbia Valley that shares this bedrock.
Rocky Attain’s soils additionally differ from these discovered elsewhere in Columbia Valley. They’re composed of cobblestones and gravels overlaid by wind-deposited sand and silt.
Rocky Attain itself was by no means glaciated, however the space was closely impacted by glacial outwash. The northern boundary of the appellation is the southern extent of the Okanogan Lobe of the Cordilleran ice sheet that channeled glacial ice down Okanagan Valley over the past ice age.
“There was meltwater gushing out of [the glacier], and it principally crammed the valley of the Columbia River with gravels,” explains Pogue.
Because the glacier retreated, the Columbia River reestablished its unique course, reducing into the gravels. The final of the Missoula Floods, a sequence of cataclysmic floods that inundated the Columbia Valley over 15,000 years in the past, additional sculpted and eroded the valley. The outcomes are soils and terrain which are fairly completely different from different areas in Columbia Valley.
“There’s simply an obscene quantity of outwash or redeposited gravels and sands and cobble,” says Shane Collins, director of viticulture at Rocky Pond Vineyard.
Rocky Pond has its manufacturing facility – the one vineyard inside Rocky Attain’s boundaries – and two vineyards within the appellation. Notably, the cobblestone and gravel soils are sometimes on flat-topped terraces positioned close to the canyon flooring.
Rocky Attain’s soils have a number of impacts on viticulture. As in The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater which can be identified for its cobblestones, the stones take in warmth and radiate it within the infrared to grapevines and clusters, selling sooner ripening. Nonetheless, the cobbles in The Rocks District are primarily product of basalt; cobbles in Rocky Attain are primarily granitic. Moreover, the soils are extraordinarily well-drained, encouraging vines to root into deeper soil horizons.
“Water strikes via actually, actually shortly,” says Collins. “I’ve needed to be taught lots about completely different water administration methods.” Rocky Pond has one other winery, Rocky Attain, positioned subsequent to the Columbia River that has a unique soil profile.
“There’s three to 6 ft of seashore sand that’s all blown in to this space,” says Collins. “It’s like a totally completely different world.”
Extra warmth accumulation than surrounding areas
The ultimate defining function of the appellation is its warmth accumulation. Elevations inside Rocky Attain vary from roughly 70 ft above sea stage to simply beneath 1,600 ft, significantly decrease than surrounding areas. Because of this, Rocky Attain is markedly hotter.
“It is the most well liked place in that space,” says Pogue. This makes it well-suited to many crimson wine varieties. Areas proper by the river could be extraordinarily heat.
“Our Rising Diploma Days on the river are about the identical as Purple Mountain imagine it or not,” says David Dufenhorst, who owns Rocky Pond Vineyard along with his spouse Michelle. “So we get warmth right here.”
By way of varieties, Pogue sees some pure suits. “The rocky soils and the nice and cozy temperatures, to me, screams Rhône.” Whereas there are Rhône varieties planted in Rocky Attain, at current, Cabernet Sauvignon is essentially the most planted selection, although there are greater than 15 varieties planted.
Variations from Lake Chelan appellation
Whereas Lake Chelan and Rocky Attain share the identical bedrock, these two appellations have vital variations. First, Lake Chelan was glaciated; Rocky Attain was not. Chelan additionally has vital quantities of volcanic ash and pumice from eruptions of close by Glacier Peak. All of that materials was washed out of Rocky Attain by the Missoula Floods and Columbia River.
Rocky Attain additionally has the next proportion of cobblestones and gravel. Soils within the Lake Chelan appellation in the meantime are deeper, have extra glacial until, and should not on flood terraces.
“The soils should not as loamy [as Chelan] and are significantly better drained,” Collins says evaluating Rocky Attain to the Lake Chelan appellation. The 2 appellations even have variations in warmth accumulation.
“It is hotter than Chelan, really considerably hotter,” says Alex Kelly, who manages Pierre Winery within the appellation. The warmth impacts what could be grown in Rocky Attain and likewise leads to vital variations within the wines in comparison with Chelan.
“I style issues which are comparable when it comes to the phenolics to hotter areas to the south that I do not assume I acquired in any respect from the Chelan AVA,” says Collins.
A younger rising area
Whereas Rocky Attain has lengthy been identified for its orchards, the world’s first winery plantings have been in 2015 when the Dufenhorst household started planting Double D Winery. The title is a callout to his household’s lengthy historical past of individuals with two Ds of their title. At 65 acres, it’s by far the most important winery inside the appellation and greater than half of the at the moment planted acreage.
“The primary 30 acres we planted was fallow land,” says Dufenhorst. “It had by no means been planted with fruit bushes as a result of it was so rocky. I used to be holding my breath that something would develop.” The preliminary vines did properly, and the winery has now been expanded, with extra acreage deliberate.
Dufenhorst, who moved to the world to retire after a profession in actual property, bought the land from the Pierre household. The Pierre household additionally has a house, a 14 acre winery, and different acreage within the appellation. Jamie Pierre, who handed away in January of 2021, was one of many driving forces for the world turning into its personal appellation.
“As usually occurred with Jamie, he completely lucked into the very best wine floor that you could possibly think about,” chuckles Kelly, his son-in-law. “He had a knack of doing that.”
Grand plans for Rocky Attain’s future
General, although viticulture in Rocky Attain is simply over seven years outdated, the world is making fast strides. The appellation at the moment has eight vineyards along with quite a few orchards. The wines from Rocky Pond Vineyard have been spectacular and distinctive. Rocky Pond’s hiring of Elizabeth Keyser of HALL Household Wines earlier this yr ought to solely additional elevate the wines.
In the meantime the Pierre household is at the moment rising grapes for glowing wine, a part of Jamie’s promise to his spouse Barbara. They’re additionally rising head-trained Grenache on the terraces. Very similar to in Walla Walla Valley’s Rocks District, Kelly says farming in Rocky Attain isn’t any simple enterprise.
“It is tough on individuals,” Kelly says. “It’s all cobbles on prime. Farming these terraces is just about [with] backpacks and huffing and puffing forwards and backwards, however what we’re getting from it’s fairly wonderful.” Ray Sandidge (C.R. Sandidge) is at the moment making the wines, although there aren’t any quick plans to launch them.
“We need to make the very best product that you could put into the market,” Kelly says. “And if it takes just a little time to get there, that is what we’re doing.”
In the meantime together with their present winery acreage, the Dufenhorsts personal 90 extra acres, with plans to construct a resort, spa, and restaurant. The undertaking is at the moment within the starting stage.
“I feel we actually have one thing particular right here, however it took loads of work to get it to the place it’s now,” says Dufenhorst. “However being in enterprise 30 years, something good that you simply need to do usually takes loads of time, loads of effort.” Collins agrees and notes that, even with the appellation’s approval, there’s rather more work to be performed at Rocky Attain.
“I feel there’s loads of potential for this area for individuals to return right here and plant grapes. However we’re nonetheless on the very starting.”
