What you'll find coming now from Kitsap's range of wineries

In our backyard, the Puget Sound American Viticultural Area (AVA) is unique as a Washington grape growing region. It has a rather temperate, maritime climate that contrasts with Washington’s arid growing regions east of the Cascades.

Summers here are typically fairly warm and dry. The average rainfall around 37 inches means that most vineyards in this area can dry farm. By contrast, irrigation is essential and well-regulated in Eastern Washington where to the desert climate.

Because these grape growing conditions are so different, grapes that do well in one area may not shine in the other area. Or the wines produced may present acid content, aromas and flavors in a different way.

In the Puget Sound AVA, cool climate grapes dominate. Many of these vinifera and hybrid grapes have ties to Germany - Riesling, Madeleine Angevine, Müller-Thurgau, Regent, Siegerrebe and Zweigelt.

Others include Golubok (Croatian), Pinot Noir, Marquette (hybrid) and Melon de Bourgogne (Muscadet) are also planted here.

But the main source of grapes for most Kitsap wineries is the eastern part of the state where the arid climate makes for some very tasty Cabernet, Cab Franc, Chardonnay, Malbec, Merlot, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Tempranillo and Viognier.

However, there are a few Kitsap Peninsula wineries that source grapes from their estate vineyards in addition to Eastern Washington. Those vineyards are found largely on Bainbridge Island with other small vineyards in Belfair, Hansville, Kingston and Olalla.

The oldest vineyard on the Kitsap Peninsula was planted to Müller-Thurgau in 1977. Bainbridge Island Vineyards and Winery owners Gerard and JoAnn Bentryn and farmer Akio Suyematsu planted these vines almost 50 years ago! Between 1987 and 1990, Madeleine Angevine, Siegerrebe, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir vines were planted.

In 2014, Bainbridge Island Vineyards and Winery re-emerged as Bainbridge Vineyards, a Certified Organic cooperative, with Betsey Wittick at the helm. Wittick spent years working with the Bentryns learning about growing and wine making.

This 15-acre farm on Bainbridge Island has other rare varietals suited to this climate include Agria, Dunkelfelder, Garanoir, Regent (a cross of Silvaner x Müller-Thurgau with the hybrid Chambourcin), and Zweigelt (another hybrid cross that does well in damper vineyards).

In the early 2000s, Perennial Vineyards bloomed. The first and only Melon de Bourgogne vines planted in Washington State (Muscadet, the ultimate oyster wine) and then Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Siegerrebe and Zweigelt.

Perennial Vintners Roseus 2021 is a dry rosé made from Fruhburgunder grapes grown at a small farm in Kingston. Frühburgunder is a mutation of Pinot Noir (Pinot Precoce). It’s grown almost exclusively in Germany and ripens two to three weeks before Pinot Noir.

Around the same time Perennial Vineyards started planting, another vineyard sprouted along the Hansville Highway. Planted in 2004, abandoned in 2009 and revived by the Garrett family in 2013. The original planting of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir survived. Over the past 7 years additional vines were planted including more Chardonnay, more Pinot Noir, Marquette, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Siegerrebe.

After purchasing and reviving this vineyard, Darrin Garrett’s new adventure is his gravity fed winery Telve di Sopra with the mission to produce wines that have no additions other than SO2 when bottling.

The tasting room is still waiting for approval hopefully, later this year. You can purchase his Willamette Valley Chard, Chehalem Mountain Pinot Noir, Estate Pinot Noir and Yakima Grenache online or at Town and Country in Poulsbo. Free delivery within 40 miles!

First planted in 2007, Sunlit Canyon Cellars vineyard sits high up on a ridge overlooking Hood Canal. Unique to the area, they produce wines from their own cool, climate grapes, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. The vineyards are planted to several clones of Pinot Noir, 115, 667, 777 and Precose. Sunlit Canyon Cellars is not open to the public but the wines are available from their website.

The impetus for this column was a press release I received from the Winery Alliance of Bainbridge Island, a group of seven wineries on Bainbridge Island that is famous for their award-winning wines and the occasional “Wine on the Rock” events.

This sent me down the rabbit hole of Kitsap vineyards and grapes grown and the Puget Sound AVA.

Essentially, the press release announced an expansion of theWinery Alliance of Bainbridge Island now includes other Kitsap Peninsula wineries. They’re renaming the group Kitsap Winery Alliance.

The original seven includes Amelia Wynn Winery founded in 2008 with the goal of creating wines that are a blend of old and new world styles. Paul Bianchi has been making stunning wines since 1998.  Small lots of Bordeaux, Rhone, Italian, and Spanish varietals are sourced from prestigious vineyards in Eastern Washington.

Try the Phil Church Vineyard Yakima Chenin Blanc, The Rocks Syrah, Wahluke Slope Tempranillo, Ranch at the End of the Road Tempranillo, or the Wahluke Slope Petite Sirah for wines that will make you smile.

Eagle Harbor Wine Co. was founded in 2005. In 2009, Emily Parsons began working alongside Hugh Remash as an assistant while furthering her education, studying wine and winemaking at UC Davis in California. In 2012, Parsons invested in the winery and purchased it in 2014.

Parsons also produces wines from grapes grown mainly in Dwelley Vineyards in Walla Walla Valley and from Dionysus Vineyard in White Bluffs AVA, Kiona Vineyards in Red Mountain AVA.

Eleven Winery began when the first grapes were crushed in 2003. They also source their Sauvignon Blanc from Artz Vineyard and Lemberger grapes from   Kiona Vineyard both on Red Mountain.

Fletcher Bay Winery founded in 2008 primarily uses the Crawford Vineyard in Yakima for their grapes. Located in a relatively cooler area just north of Prosser, this 160-acre vineyard was planted in 2004. Other notable vineyards include Blue Mountain Vineyard and Dwelley Vineyard, and Les Collines Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA.

Rolling Bay Winery emerged in 2007. Many of our varietals come from the Upland Vineyard on Snipes Mountain planted in 1979, which are some of the oldest grapes in Washington State. And I have preached many times, old vine wines have more structure and complexity.

I just recently had a bottle of the 2018 Cuvee’ Aldaro, a blend of 78% Old Vine Cabernet with the remainder Cab Franc and Merlot. I would also urge you to try the Graciano, a Spanish grape from Rioja commonly used to blend with Tempranillo.

Joining the new alliance are Hard Hat Winery in Poulsbo, Olalla Valley Vineyard & Winery in Olalla, State 42 Wines in Poulsbo, and two new to me wineries, Telve di Sopra in Hansville and Finial Cellars.

But wait! There are more wines on the Kitsap Peninsula to be explored. Most of these are only available online or at farmers markets.  Carl’s Pond available in Gig Harbor, Long Road Winery in Belfair,  Mosquito Fleet winescan be tasted and purchased at the winery in Belfair, Seabeck Cellars in Seabeck and Shared Dream Cellars in Kingston.

Mary Earl has been educating Kitsap wine lovers for a couple of decades, is a longtime member of the West Sound Brew Club and can pair a beer or wine dinner in a flash. She volunteers for the Clear Creek Trail and is a longtime supporter of Silverdale. Contact her at cheerstoyoukitsap@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Kitsap's winery scene, and what makes Puget Sound grapes unique