Meanwhile, back in the States…
California is not the only wine producing state south of the border. Bacchus is indeed present just a few hundred miles north in Washington's Columbia Valley and has been since the 1960's!
With a production of 450,000 cases of wine a year, Hogue is the largest family-owned vineyard in the entire area. The winery offers some 15 products found under the names Hogue Cellars Wine or Genesis Hogue Cellars Vineyards.
In the beginning, the Hogue family only produced apples, hops, Concord grapes, asparagus and mint over a 1,700-acre surface. In 1974, Mike Hogue planted six acres of Reisling, his first vines. Eight years later, in 1982, he produced his first harvest with 2,000 cases of Reisling Johannisberg.
One of the wines produced by the Hogues is the 2009 Gewurztraminer Hogue Cellars (#11334751, $15.55). This medium-dry straw yellow coloured wine features intense spicy, floral and fruity scents and offers a full-bodied texture. It goes quite well with foie gras au torchon or an Asian meal, such as sushi or a Vietnamese dish.
Another great wine is the 2009 Syrah Genesis Hogue Cellars (#11372889, 19.90$). This dry purplish red coloured wine features intense woody, spicy, fruity and vegetal scents and offers a broad texture as well as smooth tannins. It is the perfect complement to a terrine, a steak with pepper sauce or ribs.
All these products are available at the SAQ.
Philippe Linteau
