The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

The Ciel du Cheval vineyard was among the first planted on Red Mountain. Today it's in the hands of second generation winegrower Richard Holmes, who has begun experimenting with these two non-traditional white varieties. Arneis is a northern Italian grape rarely seen in the U.S. Holmes thinks this is a first for Washington. It's tart, tight, sharp and strikingly good. There's a clear focus on citrus and apple fruit and rind, balanced throughout with generous acidity and a peppery finish. Albariño may be a bit more familiar, especially those versions imported from Spain. This Red Mountain examp...