"Red Mountain's oldest vines are only about 30 years old, but established growers are able to demand two to three times more per ton for their grapes than those grown elsewhere in Eastern Washington.

"And Red Mountain has drawn attention from wine giants like Piero Antinori of Florence, Italy, who broke ground on Red Mountain for his new Col Solare winery in partnership with Ste. Michelle Wine Estates this summer.

"'It's the crown jewel of Washington viticulture,' Griffin said. 'At the end of the line, the wine doesn't lie.'"

"Red wines made from Red Mountain grapes are intense and structured, larger than life. They can have an almost withering intensity, similar to Terra Blanca syrah, or be relatively gracious, such as Kiona's fine-grained cabernet sauvignon, but their signature — exemplified by Hedges Cellars Red Mountain Reserve, a cabernet-merlot blend — is monumental depth and structure with almost uncannily precise definition on the palate."

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"In fact, some say Red Mountain Appellation has it all: slope, exposure, weather conditions, good air drainage, large swings between day and night temperatures, six wineries within a few miles, plenty of undeveloped land, gravelly soil with high calcium carbonate content and high pH (high alkalinity), both contributing flavor to grapes grown here."

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"Go north, young man. At least that seems to be the advice that some vintners already out west are following these days."

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There are 10 million people who live within a four-hour drive of the Red Mountain area ... and it is a natural magnet for tourism and sustained economic development.