Gravel Bar Winery, Columbia Valley (Washington) 2015

  Rich and pulsing with red fruit flavors, this bold red wine from the Pacific Northwest is a blend of Shiraz (31%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%), Merlot (21%) and other Bordeaux varieties.  Sitting in the southeastern corner of the state, Columbia Valley is one of the country’s largest wine regions, with 11 million acres (4.5 million hectares), of which 40,000 acres (16,000ha) are under vine.  The family-owned Bronco Wine Company was founded in 1973 and is now the fourth largest wine producer in the United States.