NAME ORIGIN
The names given to Spring Valley
Vineyard wines are a tribute to the family members who have
struggled and succeeded in farming the same land where the vineyard
and winery now flourish. Uriah Corkrum was the grandfather of Shari
Corkrum Derby. Born in Walla Walla on June 1, 1866, he began
successfully farming on his own during the 1880’s. Unusual summer
rain kept him from getting his harvested wheat to the warehouse so
he lost everything in the depression of 1893. He persevered and in
1897 acquired land in the area known as Spring Valley.
A FAMILY TRADITION
Following the tradition of
Uriah, Katherine, Frederick, and Nina Lee Corkrum, Shari Corkrum
Derby and her husband Dean Derby continue to operate the wheat
fields, vineyard, and winery. The hard work, traditional values,
and deep family ties that have kept the ranch going for over 100
years are mirrored in Spring Valley Vineyard’s signature
offerings.
THE VINEYARD
Spring Valley Vineyard lies12
miles northeast of Walla Walla, amid the picturesque wheat fields
of southeastern Washington with the Blue Mountains providing the
backdrop. The initial block of Merlot was planted in 1993 on a
south-southwest facing hillside. The vines follow the northsouth
slope of the hills in vertical rows, an orientation that, combined
with the declination of the slope, allows the vines to take optimal
advantage of air drainage, sunshine, and the reflective nature of
the surrounding wheat fields Great care is taken when caring for
the vineyard. Every grape is tended by hand, including crop
thinning, leaf pulling, and harvesting, as well as hand-burying
individual canes to protect them
during the winter in southeastern Washington.
VINTAGE
A cool spring and summer was followed
by a hot spell in late August and a warm September, which allowed
for a nice, slow ripening period and a mid-September start to
harvest. The first two weeks of October continued with warm days
and cool nights. Harvest at Spring Valley was finished the third
week of October. 2008 was a light crop year and the wines from this
vintage are very refined. These wines will gain flesh and
complexity with aging but can be enjoyed in the near future as
well.
WINEMAKING
Spring Valley Vineyard fruit is
hand-picked, hand-sorted, and gently de-stemmed by gravity. During
the 10-20 day fermentation, each tank is tasted daily until Serge
decides it is time to press using wooden cage basket presses. In
keeping with Spring Valley tradition, originally instituted by
founding winemaker Devin Corkrum Derby, hand punchdowns occur twice
a day until the end of alcoholic fermentation. The wine is
transferred by pump into barrel for secondary fermentation, and
then gets racked several times for clarity. Finally, the different
lots are blended to create our six distinctive labels.
TECHNICAL DATA
- Blend: 53% Merlot, 36% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot, 3%
Malbec
- Total Acidity: 0.62g/100ml
- pH: 3.69
- Alcohol : 14.9%