Red Mountain, Washington State – $15
Strolling the aisles of your local wine shop, you’ll pass the usual suspects: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Lemberger, Zinfandel….wait, what the hell is Lemberger?
Originally hailing from Central and Eastern Europe, Lemberger (lem-burger) is one of those wine grapes that never got much attention. However, the great state of Washington has become a hotbed of Lemberger production in the US.
Kiona Vineyards, at the base of the Red Mountain in southern Washington, first pioneered production of the grape in 1980. The abundant sunlight, cool nights, and sandy soils of the region make for a long growing season; a natural fit for the late-ripening Lemberger. And because the folks at Kiona had the foresight to purchase land on the mountain before it became crazy expensive, they can swing one of the best values coming out of the Northwest!
This medium-bodied wine is spicy with juicy blackberry fruit that makes for a genius BBQ pairing. And at $15 you can afford to be the baddest wino at your next party by bringing the one grape that no one else is sure to bring.
Sip on this wine at Wine Riot with some of the killer BBQ-ed offerings from Red Bones!
