Liquid Assets: The Great Northwest lives up to its moniker

This month we look at emerging wine regions. Next week: South Africa.

Among West Coast wine states, Washington is the classic middle child. California, the "firstborn" grape-wise, gets most of the attention, and relative newbie Oregon garners a lot of ardor from wine geeks for its earthy pinot noirs. That leaves the Lower 48's most northwesterly state with ... a heckuva lot of great juice, even if it is largely under the radar.

Washington is well represented, in quality and quantity, at the lower price points by the likes of Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest and Hogue. The Hogue fumé blanc has been a weeknight summer staple in our home for the better part of a decade, but all three wineries make wines that compare favorably to most anything out of California.

At the higher end, though, Washington has been woefully underrepresented in this market. Blessedly, that's starting to change. After spotty to no visibility in Minnesota, L'Ecole No 41 and K Vintners are brightening local shelves with uniformly wonderful wines.

That's one of the hallmarks of Washington wineries: consistency across the board, both varietally and economically. Among them are Seven Hills, which makes lovely reds at several price points, and Dusted Valley, where Wisconsin native Chad Johnson is co-owner and winemaker.

Johnson is a Cheesehead, even to the point of using Wisconsin oak barrels. All of his wines are tasty, but his viogniers and syrahs are things of beauty. "I love syrah," he said on a recent Twin Cities visit. "I think we can do a lot with it in Washington."

They already are. L'Ecole No. 41, Owen Roe "Ex Umbris," Gordon Brothers and Natalie's Elephant Mountain syrahs, all in the $20-$40 range, are fantabulous.

Many of them are brutes, requiring decanting and pointing up a problem for Washington winemakers: Longer days and more sun can make the wines powerful and tannic. Taming the tannins "is like harnessing a thoroughbred to run the race," Chateau Ste. Michelle winemaker Bob Bertheau told me last month.

That's particularly true of the syrahs and merlots (try the Tamarack), often "bigger" than the cabs and served after them at tastings. We see a lot of delicious blends from Washington, ranging from the $75 Col Solare red to the $13 CMS Hedges white.

There are lesser-known varietals at friendly price points, such as food-friendly Kiona Lemberger and the lush Desert Wind "Naked" Viognier.

On many fronts, Washington has it going on. Now if we could only get more of its wines in this market.

Bill Ward • bill.ward@startribune.com Read Ward on Wine at startribune.com/blogs/wine.