The Matrix
Varietal Encyclopedia
Botanic studies of every major and secondary grape grown on the West Coast — from Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir to emerging varieties like Albariño and Grüner Veltliner. Each entry includes a flavor-structure radar for professional comparison.
Cabernet Sauvignon
The noble Bordeaux red — structured, tannic, and age-worthy; the signature of Napa and warm Washington sites.
Blackcurrant, cedar, graphite, dark cherry, and tobacco; with age, dried herbs, leather, and earth.
Pinot Noir
The delicate, cool-climate red of Burgundy — Oregon's signature, defined by bright acidity and forest-floor complexity.
Red cherry, raspberry, forest floor, mushroom, and baking spice; cool-climate examples show brighter fruit and earth.
Syrah
The Rhône's dark, peppery red — at home in Washington's Walla Walla and Oregon's Rogue Valley, with cool-climate tension on the coast.
Blackberry, black pepper, smoked meat, violet, and olive; cool-climate examples add bacon fat and blueberry.
Zinfandel
California's heritage grape — brambly, spicy, and high-octane, defined by Dry Creek Valley's century-old vines.
Brambly blackberry, black pepper, plum, and baking spice; often high in alcohol with a jammy, generous texture.
Chardonnay
The adaptable white of Burgundy — on the West Coast, from crisp cool-climate to rich, oak-driven Napa styles.
Apple, lemon, pear, and citrus in cool sites; with oak, butter, vanilla, and toast. Warm sites show tropical stone fruit.
Riesling
Germany's aromatic, high-acid white — a specialty of Washington's Yakima Valley and emerging Idaho sites.
Lime, green apple, white peach, and petrol (with age); high acidity, often made in off-dry to sweet styles.
Sauvignon Blanc
The crisp, herbaceous white of the Loire and Bordeaux — bright and food-friendly, a Dry Creek specialty.
Grapefruit, gooseberry, grass, and herbal notes; warmer sites show tropical passionfruit and melon.
Pinot Gris
A Pinot Noir mutation — Oregon's signature white, in a richer Alsatian style with pear and melon.
Pear, melon, citrus, and honeysuckle; Oregon styles range from crisp and dry to richer, slightly off-dry.
Albariño
Galicia's briny, citrus-driven coastal white — an emerging variety finding a home in cool West Coast sites.
Lemon, lime, white peach, saline minerality, and a distinctive briny, citrus-zest character.
Grüner Veltliner
Austria's white-pepper white — an emerging, food-friendly variety in experimental cool-climate West Coast sites.
Green apple, white pepper, citrus, lentil, and a distinctive white-pepper and vegetal note.