Description
Basalt-derived soils at varied elevations underpin the 2020 Kind Stranger Columbia Valley Red Wine Alter, a project structured around grower collaborations intended to show the versatility of the Columbia Valley’s warm, continental climate. Contributing vineyards span areas that combine gravelly silt loams with wind-influenced slopes, and farming emphasizes balanced canopies, moderated crop loads, and soil practices suited to arid conditions. After hand harvesting, lots are fermented separately to document the structural contribution of each component variety before blending according to the project’s interpretive approach. Aging follows under a restrained oak regimen designed to preserve clarity. Within the Kind Stranger lineup, Alter functions as a platform for assessing how site diversity and cooperative grower relationships shape a flexible, vintage-responsive red-wine program in Washington.