In the 1980s, third-generation farmer Doug Fries and his wife Jo Ann planted their first vineyard, a small 13-acre plot that included Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. What began as a hobby soon spiraled into an entire family's passion; today Doug and his son Greg farm more than 500 acres of family-owned vineyards on Eastern Washington's Wahluke Slope. The dry, desert landscape challenges both the vines and those who tend them, resulting in wines with complex flavors and the distinct sense of place known as terroir. This Merlot is sultry and smooth, with flavors of dark chocolate, bay leaf, fig, plum and blackberry. Mark Chargin. Grown on Washington's Wahluke Slope in the Columbia Valley. www.desertwinery.com. 14.5% alcohol/volume. Bottled by Desert Wind, Dundee, Oregon.