Top Twenty Wine Brands Under $18

The June 1998 issue of "Wine & Spirits" focused upon the top twenty best value wine brands under $8. One of the twenty, and no surprise, was The Hogue Cellars. "The winery is phenomenal with both its value whites and its higher-end whites and reds," proclaimed this primarily industry focused magazine, "...Hogue is the highest rated winery we've seen this year." The Hogue family has been successfully farming in the Columbia Valley, based in Prosser, Washington. They began their introduction to wine by planting a few riesling vines in the mid-seventies, were producing wine in the eighties, and now have reached production of 200,000 cases. All this while remaining one of the largest hop growers in Washington State. You may have been sampling Hogue in your beer unknowingly! Hogue's vineyards are situated in high-desert country, with hot days and very cool nights. Visiting this part of the state is comepletely different from how we usually visualize the western part of the state. "Hogue's Chenin Blanc is ripe and balanced, with melon and citrus notes." says writer Burke Owens, "Their Riesling is all lilac, peach and lime flavors."

Owens, formerly one of the top sommeliers in San Francisco, summarizes the Hogue whites as showing supple texture, unique to the grapes' normal development when grown in the U.S. "Hogue's white wines are all about balance," says Owens, "in your glass and in your wallet." Some of the recommended wines at their suggested retail cost are; 1997 Columbia Valley Riesling ($7.99), 1997 Columbia Valley Late Harvest Riesling ($6.50), 1997 Columbia Valley Chennin Blanc ($6.50), 1996 Washington Riesling ($6.50). When you taste these wines, don't let some sweetness distress you. The grapes are fully mature in all three important components of balance; sugars, acids, and ripeness of flavors. It is a shame that too many wine drinkers, especially the new arrivals, are brain-washed to believe that they should only embrace bone-dry wines. On a little more expensive note, consider trying the Hogue Merlot. It is rich and full flavored. Consider this merlot as a textbook example of the best expression on the grape within Washington State.

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