Portteus Vineyards: 20+ Years of Winemaking

Paul Portteus has to be considered one of the pioneers of Washington winemaking. His first vineyards were established in 1981, when there were literally just a handful of wineries in the state. Portteus is rare in that he bottles wine under his own label and supplies grapes for other wineries. His reputation is so well established that some of these wineries display the Portteus vineyard as the source of the grapes on their own label – Chuckanut Ridge Wine Company’s Cabernet Sauvignon is just one example.

On a recent visit, I sampled a number of current releases. Red wines are the Portteus specialty, and the 2003 Petite Sirah (about $24) was among my favorites. The wine is dense, chewy and packed with dark fruit and chocolate flavors. The wine received a silver medal at this year’s Central Washington State Fair.

Also worth noting are the newly released 2004 Malbec (about $20) and the 2004 Zinfandel (about $26).

If you’re unable to find Portteus Vineyards wines locally they can be ordered by phoning the winery at (509) 829-6970 or online at www.portteus.com.