NV Smockshop Band Floreal Cider

Full Pull

• By Paul Zitarelli
  Full Pull The Gorge, 5/30/2019

  (NV Hiyu Wine Farm Floreal Cider) Hello friends. Today, we’re talking about the Columbia Gorge—one of Washington’s smallest AVAs—a truly magical locale that looks more like the banks of the Mosel than a 45-minute drive from Portland International Airport. In mid-April, Paul, Pat, and I spent three days exploring the Gorge’s burgeoning wine scene, sampling a few local brews, taking in breathtaking vistas, and getting the scoop on the best restaurant in town, which is only open one day a week. The Gorge may just be the most interesting place in the PacNW to make wine at the moment. The AVA’s mountainside vineyards grow over 30 different grape varieties along the Columbia River’s path to the Pacific Ocean. Its steep, lush landscape reminds me more of my time in the Loire Valley last year than the desert sagebrush that sprinkles the majority of Eastern Washington’s vineyards. (I’ll include pictures from our trip below, but they barely do the landscape justice.) One of the more fascinating things about the Gorge is the figurative precipice it’s on. (Yes, the literal one is impressive too.) The amount of wineries pales in comparison to neighboring regions, which means you can get an educational, holistic view of what this region is all about in just a long weekend. There is no one grape in vogue; there is no total agreement on best farming practices. What we have here are pioneers—winemakers with distinct views and opinions—trying to figure out if one of them is correct, or if in fact, they all are. In 50 years, we will reflect on this time as the ushering in of the era of the Gorge; the true turning point for a region figuring out what it needs to become. I’m not sure I can think of a more exciting time to be drinking wine from this place. Below we have five wines from our trip, just a snapshot of what’s going on along the Washington and Oregon border. Hiyu is a unique experience—even in the Gorge, which is chock full of individuality. First and foremost, it’s a 30-acre farm on the Oregon side of the Columbia River. Dogs, chickens, cows, goats, and pigs live freely next to each other; some choose to sleep the day away while others will take you on a tour of the property in exchange for a head scratch or belly rub. Newly planted vinifera vines sit a stone’s throw away from steadily growing spring greens, which Nate Ready and China Tresemer’s team will feed you—perfectly dressed with a homemade vinaigrette—while you taste through the Hiyu line up. This hybrid restaurant-winery-farm seems to be leading the way for a new wave of experiential tasting rooms. Quite deliciously, I might add. The Hiyu lineup features wines ranging from a deeply hued Zinfandel rosé to a five vintage solera project of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. It’s an intriguing lineup, one that I’d recommend visiting the Gorge location to taste through. (Seeing the farm and tasting its vegetables along with the wine is an deeply enjoyable and intellectual experience.) When it came down to picking one bottle to offer—we opted for Hiyu’s Floreal Cider. This project is a collaboration with a biodynamic orchard in Mt. Hood that sits 2000 feet above sea level 11 miles from the mountain. The soil is a mixture of volcanic glass and sand, and the apples used for this cider are over a dozen types of heirloom tables apples. The fruit is aged for a month after picking, milled and macerated for a week, and pressed in a basket press. The cider ferments and ages in old barrels for a year; it’s then bottled with fermenting juice from the next vintage to initiate the secondary fermentation in the bottle. It’s 100% apples and nothing else. It clocks in with 8% alcohol and opens with a nose full of apple blossoms. It’s springy and aromatically beautiful. The palate is a touch more savory, finishing with subtle sage and rosemary. It comes in a 750ml wine bottle—that looks like this—and with such low alcohol, it’s a near perfect aperitif. We feasted on paper thin slices of ham and salty cheeses when tasting this cider, which was exactly the right choice.