Eastern Washington state--particularly Walla Walla-- has established itself as a stellar Syrah growing region in a very short time. Like many of Washington's best wines, this one is made from grapes purchased from veteran growers. The Syrah for this wine comes from two Walla Walla vineyards: Shane McKibben's sustainably farmed Les Collines vineyard and the Old Stones vineyard at Waters winery, which is planted on a former riverbed full of large cobblestones like those in the famed vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Wines of Substance and its periodic table of elements theme were the brainchild of Waters winemaker Jamie Brown, Waters founder Jason Huntley and Greg Harrington, proprietor of Gramercy Cellars. The three set out to produce stylish, sustainably grown single-variety wines. After their first release of Cabernet, Merlot and Chardonnay, they expanded their portfolio to include Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Viognier, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Counoise, a less well-known red Rhône variety.