Wild 4 Washington Wine

3 Winning Washington Wines at Value Prices

2012-01-26T14:47:00.000-08:00

Can you really find good Washington wines at reasonable prices?

Last week I was snowed in for three days. My little car had a tough time on the icy roads, so I figured it was safer for my son and I to stay home. On the weekend my wife took us out in her SUV to run errands. Powering through snow and slush, we headed for the local grocer to stock up on supplies. My priority on our outing was to bring home wine to prevent me from raiding our home cellar. I'm saving most of those bottles for special occasions. Of the wines we purchased, I found three reasonably priced, locally produced, red wines. Two of the wines were priced at $10.99 and one was priced at $8.99. The prices were reasonable, but how did they taste?

2007 Powers Merlot

2007 Merlot is just one of many excellent wines by Powers Winery.

The first wine I enjoyed was the Powers Winery 2007 Merlot. Powers is about a 10 minute drive from my home, so they are very local to me. Bill Powers and his family have been crafting Washington wine for many years. In 2010, Bill Powers was inducted into the Legend of Washington Wine at the Walter Clore Center.

Anytime I see a bottle of wine from a local winery, I pay attention, especially when it is priced on sale for $10.99. Last year I tasted the entire red wine lineup at the Powers/Badger Mountain winery, so I was expecting good things from the 2007 vintage.

The bottle was sealed with a screw cap so it was easy to open. Since this was a 2007 vintage, it was likely bottled in mid 2008. The reason I point out the date, is that bottles sealed for more than 5 years with a screw cap may, might, can possibly, begin to show some quality issues. This bottle of wine had no faults. On opening the bottle, I was greeted by a dusty nose with an aroma of prunes and a touch of cherry. The temperature of the wine was a bit warm for my taste, so I put the bottle in the fridge for about 30 minutes to achieve the proper temperature. Thirty minutes later I tried the wine again. The wine was a dark purple color, with currant and cherry on the broad nose and a touch of floral perfume, after a bit of swirling, the wine had a tasty cherry core, with gentle oak on the periphery, pleasantly dry and a medium body. This wine paired well with dinner, a grilled boneless rib steak. I marinated the steak in soy sauce, garlic, black pepper and a splash of rice wine vinegar.

ABV 13.5%

I enjoyed this wine and suggest drinking now. Found locally for $10.99. You can learn more about the winery and the wonderful wines they sell at: Badger Mountain Vineyard and Powers Winery
1106 North Jurupa St., Kennewick, WA 99338, 1-800-643-WINE
www.badgermtnvineyard.com

Vivacious Vicky! NV

Vicky looks like she's have a great time being vivacious on this label.

The second bottle of wine I enjoyed was the Non Vintage (NV) Vivacious Vicky! red wine. Vivacious Vicky! is made by Kiona Winery on Red Mountain. Red Mountain is a 13.5 minute drive from my home, so this wine is produced by another local winery. I've enjoyed Kiona wines for some 20+ years. This bottle did not disappoint.

Vivacious Vicky! is a NV blended red wine. The bottle does not indicate the blend, so I don't know which varietals are in the bottle. Since it's non-vintage, I don't even know how old this wine is. When Kiona winery originally released their Vivacious Vicky labeled wines, they did have a vintage. Two years ago I enjoyed a 2001 Vivacious Vicky at the winery – the 2001 was a real stunner.

This bottle of NV Vivacious Vicky! was sealed with a synthetic cork. I don't know how you feel about synthetic cork, but I'm no fan. Fortunately, I believe the industry is moving away from them and adopting screw caps as a replacement. Removing the cork, I swirled the wine in my glass. The first thing I noticed was the color, it appears I purchased an older bottling of Vivacious Vicky! because it showed signs of some bottle age (at a minimum, there was evidence of oxidation). The color was clear red with brick red edges and dark almost orange, glossy highlights. Moving on to the usual swirling motion, I put my nose in the glass and enjoyed aromas of cherry vanilla, a hint of cedar smoke, and some orange zest, tasting the wine, it was bright in the back of the palate, with gentle tannins, medium body, and finally, it was very easy to drink.

13% ABV

However old this wine is, at this point in its development it is more more European in style, it has a lovely grace. I purchased this bottle at the local grocer for $8.99. A great value. Learn more about Kiona winery at www.kionawine.com

H3 Merlot 2008

Steak is the main pairing with all of these excellent wines.

My third bottle of wine was the H3 Merlot, made by Columbia Crest Winery in Paterson, Washington. Paterson is located near the Columbia River, where the river borders Oregon. The Columbia Crest facility is about a 35 minute drive from my home. Yes, a local winery, but not as easy to visit as the previous two wineries. If you are not familiar with the H3 label, it was named for the American Viticultural Area in which Columbia Crest is located (Horse Heaven Hills AVA) and where they planted their estate vineyards more than two decades ago. All the grapes come from those vineyards. I first reviewed an H3 wine four years ago.

This bottle had a real cork. Yay. When I first opened the bottle, it was not that exciting for me, it had a
wine barrel nose, prominent cedar, dark fruit, with raspberries, it was a bit earthy, showing some caramel, molasses and boysenberry, in a medium body. It was just okay, but not very interesting. Hmm, don't judge a wine by how it tastes at first, an hour later I revised my opinion of this wine. An hour later, some chalk on nose with cherry cola, and coffee. The wine was more focused, with more flavor, with cherry, vanilla, coffee, medium tannins and acidity. After 2.5 hours the wine really began to open up and show off.

14.5% ABV

The H3 Merlot I found locally for $10.99, a very good wine at a very reasonable price. The only fault with this wine is youth. Which means you could cellar the 2008 H3 Merlot for a few years. If you want to drink now, for maximum enjoyment I would decant this wine and wait an hour before drinking. Not a problem if you enjoy cooking like I do. Columbia Crest is the largest producer of wine in Washington State, their H3 label is a class act, learn more at: www.columbiacrest.com

To answer my original question: Yes, you really can find good Washington wine at prices of $10.99 or less. Go find these wines and enjoy them at your home.

Cheers!

2008 Hellcat by Airfield Estates

2012-01-19T13:41:00.000-08:00

Snow yesterday, sleet today, which makes for very treacherous roads in the Columbia Valley. Trapped in our own home, what is a family to do? It's a perfect excuse to raid the wine cellar and enjoy comfort wine with comfort food.

Spaghetti with 2008 Airfield Estates Hellcat.

For lunch today my wife cooked spaghetti with a robust red meat sauce, garnished with flakes of Parmesan cheese and garlic bread on the side. She also selected the wine, an Airfield Estates 2008 Hellcat. We purchased this bottle at their family owned Prosser, Washington winery during Spring release weekend in April 2010.

Lunch was most enjoyable. The 2008 Hellcat complimented our comforting meal and left me glowing with contentment. I stuck my head out the front door to snap the photo below and quickly retreated to the warmth of home and another glass of wine.

Snowy Pagoda.

The 2008 Hellcat is a dark, clean garnet color. I love the nose on this wine: lively aromas of candied dark fruit, resin, tar, a whiff of Arabic incense specifically Ood Muattar and molasses. Round flavors fill the mouth, with cherry, raspberry and road tar. The balanced acidity and tannins compliment this medium/full bodied wine, it is dry, firm, with a lengthy finish. My inner lips are most content. This wine opens up beautifully, it is fully enjoyable when you remove the screw cap, but it gradually gains in character the longer it is open.

An aromatic red wine, with plenty of flavor and complexity to please most. It also pairs very well with spaghetti. I recommend drinking now or over the next couple of years if you have this vintage. Lovely.

A blend of 88% Tempranillo, 6% Grenache, 6% Syrah.

13.9% ABV

Learn more about Airfield Estates at: http://www.airfieldwines.com/

Cheers!

Do Not Miss Taste Washington Seattle 2012

2012-01-18T10:46:00.000-08:00

“TWO DAYS, 200 WINERIES, TOP RESTAURANTS ... ONE INCREDIBLE CITY”
Wine tasting has been expanded to two days, March 31st and April 1st. Bonus!
It's not too early to buy your tickets now.

If you have never attended Taste Washington Seattle, then you owe it to yourself not to miss it this year. Note, it's not just about the wine, some of the best Seattle restaurants will be serving delicacies to accompany all those amazing Washington wines. Here are links to my previous posts on this event.

The queue waiting to enter Taste Washington Seattle 2011.

Learn more or buy tickets at: http://tastewashington.org
Follow on twitter via #tastewa and @TasteWashington

Hope to see you there,

Cheers!

2006 Terra Blanca ONYX

2011-12-22T20:54:00.000-08:00

More than a memorable Red Mountain wine.

Terra Blanca 2006 Onyx.

Recently I had a significant wine moment with a bottle of wine from Terra Blanca, the 2006 ONYX, Terra Blanca Estate Vineyard. This wine was a gift from a friend. A gift I greatly appreciate.

There was no special occasion for opening this wine, it just happened to be the bottle I selected. Perhaps it is best that I was not anticipating anything out of this bottle, consequently, my experience was all the more noteworthy. On pulling the cork, the room was instantly enveloped in the aroma of black berries, fresh wild berries, ripe ready to eat berries, berry pie and berry cobbler. The moment hung suspended as I was transported back in time, memories of childhood, my grandmother and summers spent in Aberdeen, Washington cascaded over me.

As I poured from the bottle into my glass, I recalled my grandmothers white 1971 Monte Carlo, with blue vinyl top. You could tell she enjoyed driving that car; we drove all over Aberdeen, Grays Harbor and up the Olympic Peninsula. Our road trips took us to Lake Aberdeen, Quinault Lake, and Ocean Shores and then out into the rain forest in pursuit of wild black berries. Ah, those black berries. I lost myself in memory and wine. A reverie of rich Red Mountain fruit, balanced tannins and acidity complimenting flavors lengthening, glass emptied and refilled. The memories of my grandmother’s smile, shared laughter, stretching for berries just out of reach, pricked fingers wounded by thorns and the salty taste of blood.

The summers of my youth were spent with my grandmother, as were Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. This makes these memories especially poignant this time of year. A special woman, teacher, principal and councilor, I think of her as the Archetypal Grandmother. She is greatly missed. Now that I’ve wiped my eyes, I’d like to thank Keith Pilgrim for crafting such an exceptional wine and for the reminder of treasured memories.

This is a signature Red Mountain wine from winemaker Keith Pilgrim, the grapes were harvested from Red Mountain vineyards, 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Malbec at 13.5% alcohol. Label artwork by Odette A. Grassi. This wine is $48 from the winery.

Terra Blanca Winery
Tasting room open daily, 11 am – 6 pm
Phone: 509-588-6082
www.terrablanca.com

Cheers!

2010 Colombelle Blanc Sec and Rouge – Côtes de Gascogne - Review

2011-12-15T15:42:00.000-08:00

Two wines from South West France.

Last week I had the pleasure to participate in a virtual wine tasting of wines from the South West region of France. This was a live tasting with Master Sommelier Fred Dexheimer. He broadcasted video from a kitchen in Brooklyn, New York while I tweeted from Washington State. The twitter hashtag used for this virtual tasting was #SWFrance. Many who participated in this tasting received samples of wine. Wines were tasted and commented on via twitter, food pairings, information about the region and grape varietals were also discussed for each wine. My tasting was truly “virtual” because my samples did not arrive in time for the tasting. Now that my samples of wine have arrived, I will be reviewing them as time permits.

2010 Colombelle Blanc Sec.

Colombelle Blanc Sec 2010
This wine is a blend of 80% Colombard and 20% Sauvignon et Ugni Blanc at 11.5% alcohol. This is the first time I recall tasting these varietals. The wine was easy to access with a screw cap closure. On opening the bottle I was greeted by aromas of tropical fruit and citrus. The wine had a pale straw color and the tropical fruit and citrus followed through ending with a lingering mango note. On day one I paired the Colombelle Blanc Sec with fried Yakisoba noodles and chicken. While it was a good match, I think a Canadian bacon and pineapple pizza would work better, or a dish with mango chutney. I enjoyed this wine over three days. It held up well and remained crisp all three days. I should add that the wine developed a prominent lemon zest character by day two, which I thoroughly enjoyed. On day two and three I'd suggest pairing this wine with a Greek style lemon chicken and a feta salad. Priced at $10, this is a recommended buy.

2010 Colombelle Rouge.

Colombelle Rouge 2010
This red wine is a blend of Tanat 60%, Merlot 20%, and Cabernet Sauvignon 20% at 12.5% alcohol. This is the first wine I have tasted with Tanat and the experience was positive. According to the twitter discussion on Tanat, this is a much softer expression of the varietal. The Colombelle Rouge is a clear, light red wine. It too had easy access via the screw cap closure. I think of this wine as a table wine. It’s not heavy or complex, but friendly and fresh with red berry flavors. This was a tasty pairing. I made a hamburger with caramelized onions, added a slice of havarti cheese and brushed olive oil on the buns. My hamburger was tender and the onions sweetness complimented the wine. Making my way past the first glass, flavors of currant and coffee bean emerged along with a subtle aroma of orange blossom. Priced at $10, this is a recommended buy.

Côtes de Gascogne is a wine-growing district in Gascony producing principally white wine. It is mainly located in the département of the Gers in the French region Midi-Pyrénées, and it belongs to the wine region South West France. It is one of seven main appellations, which includes: Madiran, Saint-Mont, Fronton, Gaillac, Irouleguy, Côtes de Gascogne and Cahors. The South West region is France’s fourth largest in terms of volume and sales. There are close to 30 acknowledged varietals in this region, although 200 more are under consideration. After many years, the South West region is gaining recognition in the production of diverse, authentic wines. This region is still gaining in popularity, so expect to find affordable priced wines. I’ll share more about South West wines in future posts.

Here's a map of the region. An interesting site, especially if you read French.

Cheers!

Market Vineyards 2010 Liquidity

2011-12-12T18:14:00.000-08:00

A joyful white wine.

Market Vineyards 2010 Liquidity.

On November 1st, Market Vineyards opened their first tasting room in Queensgate Village in South Richland. My wife and I were surprised to encounter the new tasting room while on a weekend walk. What an excellent discovery.

A well appointed tasting room.

The tasting room is roomy and well furnished for comfortable wine tasting events. It’s conveniently located for us, and we liked the wines, so we’re planning several functions with friends at this new facility. We went through their entire lineup and enjoyed many of their wines. But the bottles we took home with us were bottles of the 2010 Liquidity. Liquidity is a blend of 50% Viognier and 50% Roussanne, sourced from Gamache Vineyards.

I’ve been on a white wine kick since summer and I thoroughly enjoyed the Liquidity. Liquidity is wonderfully focused, beautifully made, a lively wine with stunning acidity. What a pleasure to taste. This wine woke me up and put a smile on my face. It’s what I call a joyful wine, and it was instantly understandable. More please. Retail price: $20

The Syrah had a wonderful funky edge, must go back for more.

I was very impressed by the wines at Market Vineyards, besides the Liquidity, their Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon were also captivating. Like me, you may find their simple label elegant and appealing, perfect for gifting this season. Stop by their tasting room or order their wines online, you can thank me later.

Market Vineyards is a project between friends Steve Anderson and Daniel Schulte of Kansas City, and Matt Riesenweber and Bob Bertsch of Washington. Their vision? To create an “ultra premium boutique Washington winery.” Their winemaker is Charlie Hoppes. Yes, that Charlie Hoppes.

www.marketvineyards.com
Tasting Room Hours: Friday & Saturday 12-9, Sunday 12-5
1950 Keene Rd. Bldg S, Richland, WA
Phone: 509.396.4798

Cheers!

5 Years Blogging about Wine

2011-12-03T18:16:00.000-08:00

William Pollard Jr - writes for the Wild 4 Washington Wine blog.

This month marks the 5th anniversary of my wine blog.

In 2006, after much reflection, I decided to start blogging about wine. My decision was predicated on the experiences I had gleaned from my first year of working at Barnard Griffin winery. While I no longer work for a winery, I have made many friends within the Washington wine industry.

What’s changed in the last five years?

My position on screw caps has changed; I now like screw caps and find it satisfying to crack open a bottle with a screw cap. It’s so easy to open and gain access to the wine in the bottle. And most importantly, I know the wine will taste as intended. Every time I pull a real cork out of a bottle, I worry about the wine being corked. It may not happen often, but it happens often enough that I worry that cork is going to ruin my bottle of wine. It happened last night, the bottle was corked. My nose is just too demanding.

Last year I dropped the .blogspot.com domain and became, www.wild4washingtonwine.com.

I write more often about wine. I write more often about wine than I did five, four or even three years ago. And I believe the quality of my writing has improved. While I may not always compose gracefully, I am better at expressing myself.

Another change: last year I began paying more attention to wines not from Washington State.

It may seem odd for someone who lives in Washington and who wants to showcase Washington wines, to drink and write about non-Washington wines. However, I’ve realized that I must expand my palate and increase my exposure to wine, all kinds of wine, while keeping Washington wine as my baseline reference. This exposure is necessary for me to better engage with my audience and my friends in the wine industry. My change in perspective began when I became involved with the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference (WBC10).

Reno Walsh and Alan Wright of Zephyr Adventures, who are in charge of the Wine Bloggers Conferences, invited me to assist them at the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, Washington. WBC10 was a milestone for me. It was one of my most amazing weekends of wine. I met wine bloggers, winemakers and distributors from around the world. People very much like myself. And I had the opportunity to talk, share and taste many wines not from Washington. WBC10 was inspirational for me and as a result, I write more and take my writing more seriously.

This year WBC11 was held in Charlottesville, Virginia. Not only did I have the pleasure of learning about Virginia wines and tasting more wine from around the world, but I made many new friends. Wine blogging and social media have connected me to hundreds of like minded souls. There is a vibrant community of winemakers, distributors, restaurateurs, writers and individuals passionate about wine. I consider myself lucky to consider some of them friends. Props later.

So thank you all for encouraging me to keep plugging away. As always, I will strive to stay positive and to share with you my wine experiences and recommendations. I look forward to more years of blogging about wine.

William Pollard Jr.
I remain wild 4 Washington wine, cheers!

Hamilton Cellars 2009 Rosé of Malbec - The Perfect Holiday Wine?

2011-11-19T16:53:00.000-08:00

Don't wait too long to purchase this wine for your holiday celebrations.

My wife and I recently visited Hamilton Cellars tasting room in Richland, Washington. The first wine we sampled was the 2009 Rosé of Malbec. I originally tasted their Malbec in February. My wife had never sampled their Rosé, so I was interested in her reaction.

This Rosé is a bit darker and bigger than most, it is a lovely, clear, candy red. The color reminds me of the cherry suckers we used to get at the dentist office as kids - a perfect color for the holiday season. On the first taste of this crisp, dry, wine I had some instant free associations – I thought of cranberries, visualizing the cranberry dressing my wife made last year and I saw turkey at the dinner table with stuffing and sweet potatoes then I heard laughter, followed by the image of our fireplace, friends with glasses of wine, falling snow, and cranberries again. Whoa, a holiday wine indeed. This Rosé has some depth and is far more interesting to me than some of the one dimensional Rosés out there. I turned to my wife to see what she thought of the Rosé of Malbec… only to see that she already had two bottles next to her and had a big smile on her face.

Perhaps this is the perfect holiday wine for 2011.

Priced at $18 per bottle, this wine will be served at our table this holiday season. Recommended pairing: turkey, ham, roast beef, stuffing, cranberry dressing, mac and cheese, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie, to be shared with friends, family, and fireplaces. Hamilton Cellars wine club members receive a 15% discount on bottles.

This wine is made by renowned winemaker Charlie Hoppes.

Hamilton Cellars is owned by Stacie and Russ Hamilton. Stacie was our friendly hostess when we visited the tasting room and she remarked that every time Charlie stops by, he has a glass of the Rosé of Malbec. Charlie has spent the past 20 + years as a leading winemaker for several noted Washington wineries. He was Assistant Winemaker at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, then Head Red Winemaker at Chateau Ste. Michelle's facility at Paterson, where he helped create the premium label for Col Solare's first two vintages. In 1999 Charlie worked to help start Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla, and then began his own label for Fidelitas wines in 2000. Although Charlie serves as consulting winemaker for various wineries, he has the talent to meld his extensive winemaking skills with the palates of the owners, creating a unique reflection for each winery.

Hamilton Cellars is located in Queens Gate Village, on Keene Road in South Richland. Check their website for events and live music, www.hamiltoncellars.com. They have plenty of room for you and your friends - put them on your must visit list.

Hamilton Cellars
1950 Keene Rd, Bldg I, Richland, WA 99352
Phone: 509-628-8227, 509-628-2907 (fax)
Tasting room is open: Wednesday & Sunday 12:00 - 5:00 pm, Thursday 12:00 - 6:00pm, Friday - Sat 12:00 - 8:00 pm, or by appointment*
Closed Christmas and New Year's Day

Cheers!

#winechat Les Charmes Chardonnay 2009

2011-11-16T19:58:00.000-08:00

My setup for tonight's #winechat session.

Tonight was a #winechat evening on twitter. The wine was provided by @PasternakWine and it was a marvelous hour of tweeting about the Les Charmes white wine.

I originally reviewed this French wine on August 1st, see post here, but tonight was an opportunity to share tasting thoughts with a group of fellow wine tweeters and bloggers. We all had the same wine and we all shared our thoughts about the wine using twitter. Can you say fun? Or type while tasting?

Although I reviewed this wine in August, I must admit that it has improved since then and is even better today. It remains bright and clean, but a little more complexity has emerged and I thoroughly enjoyed this wine tonight with dinner. The chicken I cooked with fried onions, garlic, lemon juice, salt, a touch of Mesquite seasoning and then a reduction sauce from the drippings with a splash of the les Charmes. It was indeed a charming pairing. And I made many new friends tonight too.

Cheers!

Contact Pasternak Wine Imports for pricing and availability www.pasternakwine.com

Thinking of Summer and Wine

2011-11-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

Hedges CMS with grilled peppers, steak and mushrooms.

On this chilly November morning, I find myself thinking of summer. The too warm afternoons, fiery valley sunsets, wafting smoke from the grill and of course, all the delicious wines I enjoyed. Here's a picture from August which I "re-discovered" on my computer yesterday. Grilled steak with mushrooms and peppers and a bottle of 2009 Hedges CMS. This photo is at a much higher resolution than I typically share - click on it and enjoy a summer memory.

Cheers!

Links to Hedges CMS Red reviews

Buy this wine direct from Hedges

The Midwest Wine Guy Reviews Hedges CMS

Nickel and Dime Wine reviews Hedges CMS

Yelp reviews of Hedges Winery

The Random Oenophile Blog Tasting Notes Hedges CMS

The Puget Sound Blogs What Were Drinking Hedges CMS Red

I-1183 Liquor Privitization Resources

2011-10-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

Have you decided?
If you live in Washington State, and you are still sitting on the fence regarding Initiative 1183, as I was, then please follow the links below. You'll find the articles stimulating, especially the comments.

Sean Sullivan - Washington Wine Report
"Why I Am Voting No on Initiative 1183"
Paul Gregutt - Unfined and Unfiltered
"My Vote on Initiative 1183"
Gail Puryer - The Grumpy Winemaker
"No on 1183"
The Seattle Times - Local News
"Questions about liquor initiative focus on state revenue, availability"
The Yes on 1183 Coalition
NO on I-1183

Cheers!

Guest Post: 3 Washington Syrahs Reviewed on "The Wine'd Up"

2011-10-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

One of my posts is featured exclusively on "The Wine'd Up".

I just reviewed three excellent Washington State Syrah's - you can read my review on "The Wine'd Up" or go direct to the article here. Thanks to Matt for asking me to write for them.

It's freezing in the Columbia Valley this week, brrr.

Cheers!

2 Wines of the Week from Gordon Brothers

2011-10-14T17:14:00.000-07:00

Tim Henley of Gordon Brothers Winery Delivers the Goods.

Cooler weather and clouds have settled into the Columbia Valley. While Fall is shifting my preference in wine to red, this week I reveled in a bottle of white wine from Gordon Brothers.

Loved this wine and it was perfect with my slow cooked chicken.

Gordon Brothers 2010 Sauvignon Blanc
This Sauvignon Blanc is made from organically grown, Estate grapes from Gordon Brothers Katie’s Vineyard, Columbia Valley. A toasty nose with aromas and flavors of citrus, pear and mango, the mango is most prominent in the lingering finish. This is an honest wine with a beautiful golden color, crisp, and a delight to drink, 13.5% alcohol.

I truly enjoyed this wine with dinner and later by itself. It was a perfect match for my slow cooked chicken. It should also be good with grilled chicken, pasta with Alfredo sauce, Halibut and steamed clams – I’m now thinking it would be fantastic with turkey dinner. Go grab some bottles and some friends and enjoy this lovely Sauvignon Blanc. It was bottled on June 2011.

Recommended! Loved the color, loved the flavor, loved the finish. Priced around $14 a bottle.

Kamiak Red and an avocado burger.

2008 Kamiak Rock Lake Red
Gordon Brothers Winery has a second label called “Kamiak”. The Kamiak label is a way to sell wines that don’t fit with the Gordon Brothers Estate label. That’s to our benefit, because these quality wines are priced lower and intended for a different audience.

Looking for a tasty, reasonably priced Washington red wine? The Kamiak Rock Lake Red is the ticket. It has good dark fruit flavors, moderate tannins and just enough acidity to make it a pleasure to drink. It is a blend of 59% Merlot, 33% Syrah, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Malbec from Columbia Valley with 13.9% alcohol. I sampled this wine last year at release and I'm happy to say that it has filled out and is now quite tasty. I enjoyed this bottle with an avocado burger at home.

If you are looking for a reasonably priced red wine for dinner or company, you'll enjoy this wine before, during and after dinner. A real pleasure at $15 or less a bottle (it reminds me of some more expensive reds).

Look for them.

There's nothing fake about either of these wines. They are wonderful expressions of wine made from Columbia Valley, Washington State fruit. Tim Henley and the Gordon family have delivered on some truly enjoyable wines. I encourage you to go find these wines and discover the beauty that is Washington wine.

If you can’t find these wines locally, go to kamiakwines.com or gordonwines.com

Cheers!

Related Posts:

A Visit to Gordon Brothers in 2011

Review: 2007 Kamiak Rock Lake Red

Gordon Brothers Winery Visit Crush Weekend

2011-10-12T12:05:00.000-07:00

Sign as you enter the private winery.

Sunday I visited Gordon Brothers Winery during their “Crush Weekend”. The winery is located above the Snake River near Pasco, Washington. They are a family owned winery and produce Estate Grown and bottled wine. Their winemaker since 2007 is Tim Henley (he’s doing a great job too).

Sunday view of Snake River at left and organically grown Chardonnay vines.

For multiple reasons, Gordon Brothers no longer has a public tasting room on either side of the Cascades. Fortunately, they do open their winery to the public three times a year, Spring Release weekend, Crush weekend and this year, December 10th for a Washington State University themed winery event (yes, there will be Cougar Gold cheese).

Four new releases and three favorites tasted Sunday.

My hostess was daughter of owner Jeff Gordon, Katie Nelson. She was very friendly and poured for me some 2007 favorites, two 2009 new releases and two 2010 new release. Some of the new releases I tasted included:

The just released 2009 Block 3 Merlot, this is a limited production 100% Merlot, with only 75 cases produced you will only be able to purchase this wine direct from the winery. While it is a young wine, the finish was huge and compelling. You will want to buy this wine and stash it away for at least a year before drinking - recommended.

Another just released wine was their 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine too is drinking young and will benefit from another 6 months in the bottle. The finish was impressive and I had to ask for some water to cleanse my palate of all that Cabernet goodness, in order to appreciate the next wine - recommended.

Also recently released was the 2010 Reserve Chardonnay. My friends, this wine is just starting to show off, elegant, lovely with a mesmerizing finish. Produced from organically grown Estate grapes, this is another Gordon Brothers wine to stock your cellar with while you can get it. Serve it to your best friends and those you want to become your best friends - recommended.

Chardonnay grapes should be ready for harvest this week.

It has been a cool growing season in Eastern Washington – even my heirloom tomatoes never fully ripened – so harvest has been delayed for many in the region. Katie told me they hope to harvest their Chardonnay this week. Perhaps they are picking even as I’m writing this post.

More Estate grown grapes.

Let's not forget the red wine grapes.

I should have some specific reviews of several other Gordon Brothers wines I tasted Sunday, hopefully soon. Yes, I purchased some bottles to enjoy at home. Shouldn’t you?

Thank you to Katie Nelson for an enjoyable visit. The weather of last year and now this year have troubled many (sadly some vines were lost last year) but Katie was taking it all in stride and being positive. I'll post to my facebook page if I learn more about this years harvest. We're all praying for a warm October and a late frost.

Website: www.gordonwines.com

Related Posts:

Cheers!

6 Rieslings from the Finger Lakes

2011-10-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

Finger Lakes Official Riesling Launch

These are the six wines I received to review.

I was fortunate to participate in the official Riesling launch sponsored by the Finger Lakes Wine Alliance and Finger Lakes Wine Country (#FLXwine). As a participant, I received a selection of six bottles of Finger Lakes Riesling.
The Finger Lakes are located around eleven, slim, deep-water lakes. Finger Lakes Wine Country is centered near three of them; Keuka, Seneca and Cayuga lakes, in upstate New York. With almost 100 wineries in Finger Lakes Wine Country alone, New York is fourth in U.S. wine production, after Oregon, Washington and California. Of the several varietals grown in the cooler climate of the Finger Lakes region, Riesling is the most widely cultivated.

Often compared to the wine region of the Rhine in Germany, the area’s lakes create a microclimate, extending summer and limiting the effects of early frost. The lakes and sloping topography also create a macroclimate, which protects the grape vines from the regions frigid winters. The 2010 growing season was the warmest in almost 40 years and the wettest since 1973.

I’m listing these wines in the order in which I tasted them.

Lucas Vineyards 2010 Riesling

The Riesling from Lucas Vineyards was the first of six bottles I opened. It was pale, with a subdued nose of peach, petrol, and stone pit. It had proper acidity, and grew on me as I sipped it. I enjoyed this wine with Gouda and Cheddar cheeses. The creaminess of the Gouda was a good match for this wine, while the Cheddar emphasized the acidity and the wine seemed livelier. This is a cheese and fruit plate wine; I really need to buy some good crackers to go with my cheese. I liked it. This Riesling has 1% residual sugar. Lucas Vineyards is Cayuga Lake’s oldest winery and is celebrating their 31st anniversary. Lucas Vineyards most known wines are the Tug Boat wines. The nautical wines are named after one of the Founders occupation as a Tug Boat Captain in the New York Harbor. Wine production has risen to 17,000 cases, mostly from estate grown grapes. Today the business is owned and managed by Ruth Lucas. The two Lucas daughters, Ruthie and Stephanie, are employed full time by the winery as is Stephanie's husband, Jeff.
www.lucasvineyards.com

Sheldrake Point 2010 Riesling

A medium dry wine, it opened to aromas of petroleum jelly and apple. A little air and time and some spiciness emerged. The wine had a pleasant spicy edge with cinnamon in the finish. The Sheldrake Point Riesling was great with the spicy chicken I cooked for dinner. The almost sweetness of this wine and its’ balanced acidity and apple flavors worked very well with spicy food. At ‎12% alcohol this wine is very drinkable. I enjoyed the nose on this wine. Sheldrake Point Riesling was tasty, off-dry, with just enough fruit and almost sweetness, recommended. Sheldrake Point Winery and their Simply Red Bistro, are located on the shores of Cayuga Lake. You can arrive by boat, bike or car. They are also concerned about gas drilling in the Finger Lakes region, you can learn more about the gas drilling here.
www.sheldrakepoint.com

Casa Larga Riesling 2010

This wine also had an interesting nose. I found this wine crisp, tart, and a bit foxy. With some air, the nose began to change, that foxy/wet fur smell became more akin to ripe apple skin and apple sauce, with a granny smith apple finish, it was refreshingly bright. This wine held up well over several days in the fridge and is still drinking grand. After three days I began to notice tangerine skin on the nose and a honey component in the finish, yummy. With only 11.5% alcohol, I like this wine. For 35 years the Colaruotolo family has been producing award winning wines in the Finger Lakes Wine Region. The Colaruotolo family has carried on founder Andrew Colaruotolo's dream of building a quality vineyard, seeking to not only showcase the wines that can be produced in New York State, but also to remain dedicated to preserving the Italian heritage from which the vineyard has grown. Public winery tours are offered every day. This winery is located just outside of Rochester, NY.
www.casalarga.com

Hunt Country Vineyards Semi-Dry Riesling 2010

This is a semi-dry wine with 12.5% alcohol. It was spicy, crisp, balanced, with apple and fig. It puts me in mind of a classic Riesling. Tasty, very enjoyable with a good finish, making it a great companion with tonight’s chicken dinner (I made a wine reduction sauce for the chicken from the crispy bits in the pan). This wine would pair well with pork chops too, recommended. Hunt Country Vineyards is a family farm and winery. The farm’s 172 acres have been home to the Hunt family for six generations. With 50 acres of vineyards overlooking the Keuka valley, Hunt Country Vineyards is celebrating their 30th anniversary. When you stop by, don’t miss meeting their winery dogs: Hedy, Molly, Misty and Freddy.
www.huntwines.com

Glenora Wine Cellars Riesling 2010

With only 11% alcohol, this wine has a spicy nose with cinnamon, vanilla, and ginger, and a floral note. It was smooth, but tart at the back of the mouth with a subtle pear flavor. I love the nose on this wine, it reminds me of incense, except cool and wet. The flavors are subtle, so I feel this is more of a sipping wine. It would be great as an aperitif, food not required. This is an elegant wine and I seldom consider Riesling as elegant. Love that nose. Steve DiFrancesco is the Winemaker for Glenora Wine Cellars. Steve earned his degree in Biology from Stetson University and has since enjoyed 31 harvests in the Finger Lakes, plus one in Chile. Glenora Wine Cellars offers guided winery tours of vineyards, wine cellar and production facilities. On premise, they have an Inn with views of vineyards and Seneca Lake as well as a Restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
www.glenora.com

Seneca Shore Wine Cellars Riesling

The last Finger Lakes wine I enjoyed was dry, dry, and dry, with mineral, stone, and lemon in the finish. On the nose: vanilla, lemon and paraffin. I found this wine clean and fresh. At 12.5% alcohol, I love the way the acidity blankets the tongue and the flavors of lemon, mineral and wet stone work well together. This is a refreshing wine, which reminds me of a good Sauvignon Blanc. Did I mention that I like it? Recommended.
www.senecawine.com

This was my first tasting of Riesling from the Finger Lakes region of New York. Each of the wines I received was very good and will compliment meals with friends and family. The diversity of styles and flavors was interesting and impressive. Each wine was unique in its presentation in the glass. While I grew up with Washington State Riesling, it has been some time since I enjoyed so many Rieslings. These wines were a real treat and a great introduction to the wines of the Finger Lakes. I enjoyed these wines and hope to have the pleasure of visiting the Finger Lakes; I suggest you do too.

Cheers!

Learn More:

Cheers!

Rigamarole Red vin rouge 2009 Okanagan Valley, BC Canada

2011-09-30T11:54:00.000-07:00

Saturday, I was with my family in the beautiful city of Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC, Canada, where I purchased this bottle of wine. We were on a three day Holland America cruise out of Seattle, our first stop was at Victoria.

After three hours of walking around downtown Victoria, I finally saw a store I wanted to visit. The Artisan Wine Shop on Government Street. Faced with a wall of unfamiliar Canadian wines, I found this bottle of Rigamarole in the back corner of the Shop. It was one of three wines with tags stating that they were recommended by the staff. Not knowing any of the wines, I put my trust in the shops palate and took a chance with the Rigamarole Red (*there was an employee behind the wine bar, but he was uninterested in my attempts at engaging him in conversation, he would not even make eye contact - a shame).

On the wine label is posed the question – “Why is the elephant dining on hummingbird soup?” Okay... back in my room, I ignored the label and twisted off the cap and poured myself a glass. At first taste I would guess this to be a Pinot Noir, but no, it is a blend of Blend of Gamay, Pinot Noir and Merlot. One of the reasons I selected this wine is because it is a Canadian red wine and I'm intrigued by what they are doing in the Okanagan Valley. Yes, Canada is making red wine.

But how good was this Canadian red wine?

On the nose was pink carnation petals, chalk, cedar and wine barrel. It had moderate tannins backed by pleasing acidity, most noticeable down the middle of the tongue. The spicy flavor was enhanced by currant and leather, oak was present, but it was not over the top. The Rigamarole Red wrapped up with a pleasing finish and enough character to please many. At 13.5% alc. this is a food wine suitable for grilled meats, lamb kabobs, schwarma, Osso Buco and pasta with red sauce. This wine will not dominate your meal, it will compliment it and enhance it. A pretty good value for $15, recommended.

After several hours this clear ruby color wine darkens and becomes more intriguing, the nose more integrated with aromas of light anise and plum. At this point, the wine seems more suited to an antipasto plate of hard, aged cheeses, cured meats, almonds and olives. This Okanagan Valley wine should drink well over the next few years.

*note:
I've become far more sensitive to the quality of service I receive when shopping and dining out. Perhaps it's a function of age, but I respond best when people are polite and interested in engaging with me. My typical response to an indifferent wine steward/shop employee would be to walk out of the store. Saturday I chose to purchase instead of walking out, because I was only in Victoria for the day, and did not want to miss out on sampling at least one BC wine. It's a shame when employees and their employers do not value their customers enough to give them some attention. It might actually help sell more wine, eh?

Rigamarole Winery -
http://www.rigamarolewinery.com/

Artisan Wine Shop, Victoria, BC -
http://www.artisanwineshop.ca/locations/government-street-victoria/

Related Post -
"Social Media is Worthless if You Lose Your Customer"

Cheers!

Lunch with Christophe Hedges

2011-08-17T00:47:00.000-07:00

Christophe Hedges.

Part 1 of a series on the Context of Wine,
Inspired by an afternoon conversation with Christophe Hedges.

Last Friday I enjoyed lunch with Christophe Hedges and his lovely wife Maggie at their Red Mountain home. Christophe cooked while we talked about our favorite topic, wine. Christophe is responsible for Sales and Marketing for his family owned winery, Hedges Family Estate. A tall man, lean, with an introspective look, he struck me as friendly, focused, intelligent and a fervent individual, proud of his family heritage and his family winery.

A lover of authentic things, Christophe’s artistic nature is reflected not only by his designs for the Hedges labels, but by his passion for masonry work. He and his best friend, an Architect, designed and built his charming stone block home using high R-value recycled concrete blocks. The solid shutters on the south side of the house block out the summer sun, while the stone structure insulates the interior 2,000sf resulting in a monthly electric bill of only $50. It was obvious to me that the house was designed for family and friends to share food and wine. Christophe and Maggie greeted me warmly as we fell into the topic of wine. Their kitchen made for a comfortable setting.

Hedges 2010 House of Independent Producers Chardonnay - Delicious.

Starting with a bottle of Hedges 2010 HIP Chardonnay, we got to know each other. Over the next three house we discussed a variety of topics including: architecture, travel, family and wine. Yes, his family winery is the largest family owned winery in Washington State. And to be open, Hedges is the only wine club my wife and I ever belonged to. But, the reason I contacted Christophe, and the reason he invited me to his home, was to discuss the 100 point rating system used to score and sell wine.

Christophe Hedges is the man behind the “Score Revolution” a movement he started to educate people about how wine is scored and sold. He is against the 100 point scale used to rate and sell wine and would like to see it abolished.

He asks the question, “How can you apply a number to any art form?”

Hedges 2009 Descendants Liégeois Dupont Syrah - Homage to his mothers family.

Lunch was simple and tasty, grilled beef, sliced tomatoes in a delicious sauce (family secret), bread and a bottle of Red Mountain 2009 Descendants Liégeois Dupont Syrah. Grown on a 15 acre vineyard, named Les Gosses, this wine is the product of low yield farming. The wine was a great companion to the grilled meat, and a wonderful example of Red Mountain Syrah and I'm a huge fan of Hedges Syrah.

I’ve been following Christophe’s efforts to promote the “Score Revolution” on the sidelines for a couple of years. Social media makes it easy to sift through the reactions and comments he’s generated. And there’s been a lot of “feedback” from the wine industry – much of it emotional and reactive. He is challenging an institutionalized method of scoring/rating/judging wine. A lot of people in the wine industry don’t like what he's saying. And let’s be honest, it’s much easier to sell a bottle or a brand if it has a desirable score or number. But is the number real and what does it mean if anything?

One of the most memorable questions I was asked while working in a tasting room (hand selling every bottle) was asked by a gentleman from China on a trade tour of Washington State. He asked me, “What is wine?” Those three simple words shook me. What did he mean? How should I answer? What was wine to me? Truly a huge question, what is wine?

And now I wonder too, who is rating wine and why are they giving wine a number?

These are questions I want to explore over the next few posts on my wine blog. And I want to communicate with you the impact Christophe Hedges made on me. Because of our lunch conversation, I better understand his message and I recognize in my approach to wine blogging, a compatible perspective on wine - context is everything.

A few years ago, I shared with Jane Pearson of Tapteil Vineyards, the question asked by the gentleman from China, her response was immediate, “Wine is food, wine is life.” Those are words I can live by.

Cheers

Dreaming Of Virginia Wine

2011-08-04T22:57:00.000-07:00

It's time to share my impressions of Virginia Wine with you.

Plaque of Thomas Jefferson at Barboursville Vineyard.

Last night I dreamed about Virginia winemaker Kirsty Harmon. Before bed, I was editing a short video of Kirsty I recorded last month at Monticello; her words and others were tumbling in my mind. When I start dreaming about a subject, I know it's time to start writing about that subject. Kirsty is the winemaker at Blenheim Vineyards; she was among 30+ Virginia wineries sharing their wines last month in Virginia at the fourth annual Wine Bloggers Conference.

I had a magnificent time in Virginia, very little sleep, but many captivating conversations. My palate has been expanded. I've finally experienced Virginia wines. I’m excited about and for Virginia wineries and I discovered that there are some real gems, wines easily recognizable as world class.

Just what's going on in Virginia?

The original colonies were mandated by England to grow vinifera and to make wine. They failed miserably. Even Thomas Jefferson struggled for 30 years to grow vinifera, without success. Today Jefferson’s vision has been realized by the success of 193 Virginia wineries. Virginia is now the fifth largest wine producing state in the United States. While Virginia only produces 500,000 cases annually, it is well on its way to becoming a world class wine producing region.

Last month I was fortunate to spend three days in Charlottesville, Virginia wine tasting. Charlottesville is home to the University of Virginia, rolling hills, tree lined winding roads and is now a destination for wine lovers.

I enjoyed the vibrant life of Charlottesville, a city where I met a growing, thriving, focused, passionate and determined wine industry. Believe me, it takes passion and determination to grow wine grapes in Virginia. The hot, humid climate is conducive to rot, mildew, mold and vine pests. The vineyards have to be constantly tended, nurtured and maintained - walking the vines is often a daily routine. I heard from several Virginia Winemakers, "Vintage is everything."

The challenges faced by Virginia wineries exceed those faced by the wineries in my native Washington State. Even so, the obsession and dedication for wine was palpable, I was impressed by the Virginia winemakers I met. It may have taken a couple hundred years for Virginia to reach this point, but they are now making wines I like and wines which should be coveted and collected.

It is an exciting time to be a winery in Virginia.

Monticello.

On Friday, July 22nd I had the privilege of wine tasting at Monticello, yes that would be Thomas Jefferson’s estate. Monticello made for a beautiful outdoor setting, over 30 wineries were under an enormous white tent sharing the joy of their labors.

Being welcomed to Monticello.

Unfortunately, the weather was ugly; everyone suffered from the oppressive heat and humidity. Those conditions make for a brutal and unfair presentation of anyone’s wine. In other words, most of the red wines were too warm to appreciate; I was too hot, the winemakers were too hot, it was wicked outside. Fortunately, many of the white wines were on ice, accordingly they received the most attention. Even in these conditions, I was surprised and impressed by several winemakers and their wines.

Some Favorite Wines
The wineries pouring at Monticello which made the strongest impression on me include:

8 Chains North 2008 Sauvignon Blanc.

8 Chains North Winery and Vineyards
Waterford, Virginia, Loudoun County
www.8chainsnorth.com
Winemaker Ben Renshaw (link to video of Ben Renshaw)
Ben was the first Virginia winemaker I had the pleasure of meeting. His perspiration and fervor were obvious. Ben is having no trouble selling his wines, but sourcing an adequate supply of fruit is his next challenge. I enjoyed his 2008 Sauvignon Blanc and his 2008 Furnace Mountain Red Reserve.

Ankida Ridge Vineyard Wines.

Ankida Ridge Farm and Vineyard
Eastern slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains
www.ankidaridge.com
Winemaker Matthieu Finot (consulting winemaker) Their grapes are planted at an elevation of 1800 feet, in rocks and steep narrow rows of vines. They have no level ground. Their grapes were planted in 2008 and their first vintages were shown at this event at Monticello. I sampled their 2010 Chardonnay and 2010 Pinot Noir. I can tell you that their future is bright and their vintages will only continue to improve.

Stephan Ballard pouring for Annefield Vineyards.

Annefield Vineyards
Near the village of Saxe in Southern Virginia
www.annefieldvineyards.com
Winemaker Michael Shape (consulting winemaker). Stephan Ballard poured for me 2010 Viognier and 2010 Cabernet Franc. In the photo you may notice his shirt is soaking wet from perspiration.

Captivating winemaker Kirsty Harmon of Blenheim Vineyards.

Blenheim Vineyards
Albermarle County
www.blenheimvineyards.com
Winemaker Kirsty Harmon (link to video of Kirsty Harmon)
Kirsty impressed me with her intelligence, inner sparkle and passion for wine. She came right back at me after my little jibe, I said “So you make Pinot because you’re stubborn?” and she returned with, “No, I make Cabernet Sauvignon because I’m stubborn.” Bravo Kirsty. I enjoyed meeting this winemaker and look forward to sampling her wines in more gentle conditions. Kirsty was pouring 2010 Viognier and 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Chrysalis Vineyards Virginia Norton, one of the wines I knew about.

Chrysalis Vineyards
Located outside the village of Middleburg
www.chrysaliswine.com
Winemaker Alan Kinne works for Jennifer McCloud, Ms. McCloud was featured in the book, “The Wild Vine” A Forgotten Grape and the Untold Story of American Wine, by Todd Kliman. It was a pleasure meeting Alan and Jennifer both. They shared with me their 2010 Viognier and their 2008 Norton (their Norton is one of the reasons I wanted to go to Virginia). They also had a lovely, chilled Rose called Mariposa on hand too. These are wines I’d like to have on hand to share with friends.

Jefferson Vineyards 2010 Viognier.

Jefferson Vineyards
Located on site by Monticello
www.jeffersonvineyards.com
Winemaker Andy Reagan. Jefferson Vineyards was pouring 2010 Viognier and 2008 Meritage. While the vines are all newer planting, the vineyards are the realization of Jefferson’s dream for the native production of wine in Virginia.

Rebecca Stinson pouring for me.

Stinson Vineyards
Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains
www.stinsonvineyards.com
Winemaker Matthieu Finot (consulting winemaker). Rebecca Stinson poured for me their 2010 Sauvignon Blanc and 2010 Cabernet Franc. She and her father were very friendly and I enjoyed my visit with both of them. Her father even offered me a job pouring and selling wine for them. Hmmm, tempting, but have I mentioned the summer heat and humidity? Even in the heat I enjoyed their wines.

Tarara Winery Casa NoVA red wine.

Tarara Winery
Northeastern Loudon County
www.tarara.com
Winemaker Jordon Harris was not at Monticello Friday, but he did pour for me on Saturday at the speed blogging session. On Friday Sonya Farrell poured 2010 Viognier and 2008 Navaeh Red. *‎Note from the speed blogging session: The 2008 Casanova red wine is inky dark, a focused wine barrel nose, smooth, good grip, the nose must be a Virginia thing, which is growing on me. Food wine, Jordan Harris winemaker, $50, liking more, okay I'm starting to dig on this.

Thomas Jeffersons restored wine cellar at Monticello.

Jeffersons Wine Cellar (video interview with cellar curator)
Another highlight of my time spent at Monticello, was my conversation with Justin Sarafin, Curator at Monticello and involved with the restoration of Jefferson’s wine cellar – link to video.

*Following are some tasting notes on Virginia wines, sampled at the speed blogging session, these tastings only allow for five minutes to taste and tweet about the wines, so my notes are what they are.

Afton Mountain Vineyard Sparkling Wine.

Afton Mountain Vineyards, www.aftonmountainvineyards.com
2006 Tete De Cuvee, Brut, Virginia Sparkling wine $30 (just released), great bubbles (foam) that fill the mouth, light, crisp granny smith apples. I like it.

Barren Ridge Vineyards.

Barren Ridge Vineyards, www.barrenridgevineyardsva.com
2010 Vidal Blanc, smells like a Riesling, it’s tart, fruity, apple-pear, a little spritzy, $16 retail.

Chateau Morisette Rosé.

Chateau Morisette, www.thedogs.com
2010 Dry Rosé, more of what I expect in a Rosé, with strawberry, light, proper acidity, a summer wine, with a good finish, would pair well with turkey, cold cuts, and picnics. Could be a great base for a sorbet. Clean finish.

Lovingston Winery, 2006 Pinotage.

Lovingston Winery, www.lovingstonwinery.com
Winemaker Riaan Rossouw. I enjoyed their 2006 Pinotage, good weight, smooth, fruit, pleasantly dry, probably a good food wine, old school style, I like this wine, a good everyday drinker, a subtle wine. A Good expression of the varietal, grace and elegance. Balls on the floor South African winemaker, 12.5% alcohol, ripen slow. Did I mention I like this wine? Make it what it is, an authentic wine, retail price $24.

Williamsburg Winery 2007 Trianon.

Williamsburg Winery, www.williamsburgwinery.com
Trianon 2007 Cabernet Franc, 18 mo oak, some new and some neutral, medium light, smooth, tasty, good fruit, food wine, just right dry, elegant finish, raspberry compote, chocolate, lovely wine, impressive Cabernet Franc $32, I think priced right. Recommended.

Veritas Vineyard Winemaker Emily Pelton.

Veritas Vineyard and Winery, www.veritaswines.com
2010 Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, tropical nose, crispy, Emily Pelton is the winemaker. Passionate winemaker. Fermented in 100% stainless, neutral barrels, New Zealand style, de-stemmed, super-extracted $25 retail.

Saturday, Gone Virginia Wine Tasting

The heat and cacophony of Friday’s tasting at Monticello were replaced by a more leisurely paced Saturday wine tour. Loaded onto an air conditioned bus, we enjoyed more traditional tastings at two of Virginia’s oldest wineries, Horton Vineyards and Barboursville Vineyards.

First Stop Horton Vineyards ...

Horton Vineyards Winery.

Horton Vineyards
6399 Spotswood Trail
Gordonsville, VA 22942
Phone: 800-829-4633
www.hortonwine.com

In 1988 Dennis Horton and business partner Joan Bieda started Horton Vineyards. Their first small crop was harvested in 1991. Winemaker Mike Henny was our genial guide on Saturday. They have a unique vineyard utilizing the "open lyre" training system, which promotes ideal ripening. I was amazed by how the vines are trained. The vines are so tall, they look almost like trees.

We were dwarfed by the size of the vines at Horton Vineyard.

I have a short video of Mr. Horton and Mike Henny talking about their vineyards and trellace system (vineyard video).

The stone cellar at Horton Vineyard was cool and comfortable.

Our visit to their winery and a tour of their stone underground cellar made for a delightful retreat from the summer heat. They make a lot of different wines at Horton, their Sparkling Viognier, Petit Manseng and Horton Norton were some of my favorites.

Horton Vineyards 2008 Petit Manseng.

Horton Norton - not only was it good, it has a cool name too.

A small example of the many Horton Vineyards wines.

Second Stop Barboursville Vineyards ...

Barboursville Vineyards
17655 Winery Road
Barboursville, VA 22923
www.barboursvillewine.com

Our next stop was at Barboursville Vineyards, Virginias oldest winery. Barboursville was started by Gianni Zonin in 1977. Mr. Zonin and his lovely wife were our gracious hosts, while winemaker Luca Paschina was our amiable guide and translator. We were treated to a fantastic meal and some amazing wines. I felt honored that Mr. Zonin and Mr. Paschina shared vertical tastings of their best wines.

Owner Gianni Zonin speaks with wine critic Jancis Robinson, winemaker Luca Paschina at right.

I have two videos of our time at Barboursville Vineyards:
1. Video - Barboursville Vineyards History and Founding of the Estate.
2. Video - Owner Gianni Zonin Makes a Toast in Italian.

Lunch at Barboursville ...

Pasta course at Barboursville.

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin course.

Dessert at Barboursville, delicious.

Barboursville also has a restaurant called Palladio, with a James Beard awarded chef, which makes this a must visit destination and one of the compelling reasons I want to return.

Vertical Tasting ...

The staff at Barboursville is very professional; elegant settings, correct and courteous pours. We were not told which wines to drink, it was assumed we knew the proper order. I like that they showed us courtesy and respect (some wineries could learn a lot by a visit to Barboursville).

Vertical tasting of Viognier.

Viognier
My favorite Barboursville wines were from their library, the 2002 Viognier was sheerest elegance and grace, and a beautiful example of how age worthy Virginia Viognier can be. But, I have to admit that the 2010 Viognier was classic Viognier, bright, floral, and wonderful.

Library of lovely red wines to taste.

Cabernet Franc
My other favorite, out of many delicious red wines, was their 1998 Cabernet Franc, decadent, collectible and a showcase wine.

Assistant winemaker Daniele Tessaro pours.

Octogon
At the red wine speed blogging session, Daniele Tessaro Assistant Winemaker, poured the 2006 Octogon red blend. It is a dark wine made from the best fruit of year, no over extraction, balanced old world style, refined flavors, dry, still improving, age worthy, good finish...Virginia nose, very interesting wine, I suggest you track some down. Like. Like. Like.

Barboursville vertical of Malvaxia Passito.

Malvaxia Passito
I was also impressed by their Malvaxia Passito, an interesting limited production dessert wine, the grapes are hand selected, and air-dried in racks for 120 days before processing, then a slow cool fermentation of up to 6 months followed by aging in small barriques.

Vineyard rows at Barboursville.

The food at Barboursville was wonderful, the wines impressive and the staff professional, courteous and classy - bravo. It is quite evident that Barboursville Vineyards is the current gem of Virginia wineries. They are a beautiful example of what Virginia wine can be. I was very impressed and hope to return.

Growing Excitement

Saturday night the bells started to chime in my head. My enthusiasm for Virginia wine began to manifest itself by percolating out my mouth, “Did you try the Norton?” “Wasn’t that Viognier amazing?” “You’ll never believe where we had lunch.” “Wasn’t that fun?” I had slept little, perspired, tasted, spit, talked, and perspired some more, but the east coast heat wave and lack of rest could not diminish my growing excitement. I was starting to understand a little of what was going on with Virginia wine.

Yes Virginia, You Do Make World Class Wine.

Overall, my impression of the wines of Virginia is positive. Stylistically, Virginia wines are different from the wines I drink at home in Washington State. Their wines are more subtle, complimenting the cuisine and hospitality of Virginia. You’ll find a lot of Viognier and Cabernet Franc, because those grapes grow well there. But you’ll also see many other varietals too; like the Norton and Petit Manseng.

Saturday night on Charlottesville City Mall.

Charlottesville and Virginia wine country should be on every wine enthusiast must visit list. After only three days in Virginia, I have the beginning of an understanding of Virginia Wine. Its quality is obvious, its character diverse and changing. Several of the wines I tasted where made from young vines, being only the first or second harvest - their quality will continue to evolve – that’s exciting.

Thank You

I’d like to give my heartfelt thanks to the city of Charlottesville, the Common Wealth of Virginia, the Virginia Wine Association, the Omni hotel, the many Virginia wineries who poured for me, the fiercely proud and loyal Virginia Wine Bloggers, the many wonderful sponsors and wine distributors, Zephyr Adventures who planned, coordinated and executed this amazing wine experience, and of course thank you to the many staff, restaurateurs, and friendly citizens of Virginia. It was an honor to meet the people of the Virginia wine industry.

Saturday night posing with Daniele Tessaro.

Virginia wine blogger Todd Godbout, of www.virginiawinetv.com.

Steven Washuta and Josh Wade - Josh is from Spokane, WA of www.drinknectar.com.

Also a big shout-out to all of my new wine tweeps. It was great meeting you and sharing a mutual appreciation for wine. Let’s do this again.

My wife asked me if I would want to go back to Charlottesville and the Commonwealth of Virginia, my answer was a definite yes! But I will not return during the middle of summer. I'm told spring and fall are beautiful seasons in Virginia.

Cheers!

Review: Les Charmes Single Vineyard Chardonnay Macon-Lugny

2011-08-01T17:18:00.000-07:00

Charmed by Les Charmes.

It’s another hot day in the desert, which explains why I’m raiding my supply of white wines. Today I opened a bottle of 2009 Les Charmes single vineyard Chardonnay from Macon-Lugny, Lugny, France (Vine de Bourgogne) Estate grown and bottled.

Tonight the heat of the valley was replaced by the comfort of a delicious chilled white wine, a white wine from France. With flavors of grapefruit and melon, its’ creaminess soothes and cools, while aromas of baked bread and lemon bring together a lovely union. Not over the top, it is well balanced, with a rich medium finish; I found this wine very enjoyable alone or with food.

Tonight I paired this wine with salmon pasta. I had left-over grilled salmon, so I broke it up and sautéed it with olive oil, adding only salt. Then I cooked a box of elbow macaroni, perhaps a little too much macaroni, the box did not look big, but it cooked up an enormous quantity. Once the pasta was cooked and drained, I stirred in virgin olive oil, dill, heavy cream, butter and some Tzatziki (Greek yoghurt sauce with garlic and cucumber often used in Gyros). I then combined the salmon and pasta, made a simple salad of lettuce, tomato and cucumber, sprinkled grated parmesan over both and voila, dinner. Due to the large amount of pasta, none of the flavors overwhelmed and the Les Charmes Chardonnay matched well (I also have enough salmon pasta to last for the next couple of days). I enjoyed this wine, so it’s recommended.

Cave de Lugny is a cooperative of 250+ wine-growing estates and 1,500 hectares in Burgundy-Maconnais. The single vineyard soil is characterized as chalky/limestone, the vines average age is 40 years old. The majority of this vineyard is planted to “Musk Chardonnay” a sub-category of the Chardonnay varietal (a clone).

Contact Pasternak Wine Imports for pricing and availability www.pasternakwine.com

Cheers!

Review: 2010 La Côte Blanche Chardonnay Macon-Villages

2011-07-28T16:31:00.000-07:00

A refreshing white wine to combat your summer fatigue.

It’s finally hot this summer, and the heat has me craving chilled white wines. Last week I was at the fourth annual Wine Bloggers Conference and one of the distributors kindly gifted me a bottle of 2010 La Côte Blanche Chardonnay Macon-Villages, which is from the South of Burgundy (Bourgogne) France.

The wine has a consumer friendly varietal name of “Chardonnay” printed on the label. And yes, it tastes to me of un-oaked Chardonnay. The La Côte Blanche is bright, tart, with citrus, lemon, and some toast on the nose; I found this wine easy to drink and very refreshing, particularly on a sizzling summer afternoon. It was a pleasure to enjoy this wine with chicken fried rice and just picked garden peas. At first taste this wine appears quite light, it is that well balanced, you’d not guess it has 13% alcohol. The luminance of this white Burgundy complimented my meal wonderfully.

This is a very enjoyable summer wine which will flatter your meals and festivities. Recommended. This wine retails at $9.99 which is a great value.

Cheers!
(I told you I sometimes go outside my box)

Virginia Does It All!

2011-07-22T21:31:00.000-07:00

Todd Godbout of Virginia Wine TV @vawinetv
Opening Day of WBC11.

The 4th Annual Wine Blogger Conference (#WBC11) is proving to be an exceptional event. Nothing has disappointed and some new boundaries have been crossed. That's a good thing. It's 30 minutes past midnight in Virginia, I have not slept, since 4 AM PST on Thursday! But I'm still trucking along with a few grabbed winks.

Monticello was a true treat, even with the heat and humidity and all the sweating (I have some great video I'll share sometime soon). I'm feeling stretched and challenged. Always good in my book. Love meeting passionate winemakers - and Virginia has them.

It's such a rush embracing so many wines, and personalities. Everyone has an interesting story to tell. Photos, videos and text to follow when I can.

FYI: the OMNI Charlottesville Hotel has been a fantastic host! I love my room and the service - they are spoiling me.

More soon? Maybe, so much going on in 9 hours. Follow the tweets on twitter via #wbc11 there are more people than I tweeting.

Cheers!

Wine of the Week: 2006 L'Ecole No. 41 Syrah Columbia Valley

2011-07-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

L'Ecole 2006 Syrah a Lovely Treat.

A lovely, lovely Washington Syrah.

Last week I was camping in the mountains with my son and his Boy Scout troop. It may be summer in the Columbia Valley, but in the Cascades it's still spring - as in cold and wet. After a week of sleeping in a small tent, in the same warm, but increasingly aromatic sleeping bag, lacking the pleasure of wine, it was a joy to return home. My dear wife had a bottle of L'Ecole No. 41 Syrah waiting for me. She knows me so well.

This is an elegant Syrah with blueberry and black cherry, it has an inviting dark purple color, medium body and a lucious finish with pleasant spice. Well balanced tannin and acid.This wine is drinking extremely well now. I enjoyed this wine so much, I did not want to share it with food. Perfect for a special occasion or just because you love Syrah. Recommended.

Alcohol: 14.8%
Blend: Syrah 95% and Grenache 5%

Since I did not buy this wine, I do not know what my wife paid for it. Checking their website, the 2008 Syrah is $24 direct from the winery.

www.lecole.com
L'Ecole Nº 41
41 Lowden School Road
P.O. Box 111
Lowden, WA 99360

Tasting Room Hours:
Open daily 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Closed New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Closed 1 pm December 24th and 31st.

Phone (509)525.0940
Fax (509)525.2775

Cheers!

Conditioning for the Wine Blogger Conference

2011-07-19T22:47:00.000-07:00

Can’t you smell that smell, Ooooh that smell?

Runners’ preparing for a marathon must train, train, train; they must stay fit, a proper diet is important, appropriate equipment essential and an athlete must be focused on winning. I’m preparing for the Wine Blogger’s Conference in Charlottesville, Virginia. Do I have a preparation routine?

#1. Stop drinking coffee.
Coffee is acidic, when I start back with my coffee addiction, I become acid sensitive. About two years ago I noticed that I had difficulty drinking red wine, because it seemed overly acidic to me. I was concerned until I recognized the correlation of acidic wine + acidic coffee = red wine too acidic to enjoy. I had to give up my daily java to enjoy drinking red wine. It's worth it to me, I drink tea instead, because tea is tannic and does not affect my appreciation of wine.

#2. Stay healthy.
The last thing you want when tasting wine, is a head cold or sinus infection. A stuffy nose will prevent you from tasting and smelling wine and you will be wasting your time trying to. Allergies may still put a hit out on you, especially if you are visiting a new environment with pollens your body does not like. Bring your allergy medicine with you just in case. I once sat through a comparative Syrah tasting of French, California and Washington wines – with a sinus cold - I could not taste any fruit in those wines - all I could detect were the alcohol and the tannins, what a heartbreak, I love Syrah.

#3. Be rested, fed and hydrated.
All day sessions of wine tasting can take a toll on anyone. Start the day rested, eat at least three meals a day and drink water, drink water, drink water – and don’t forget to spit most of that lovely wine.

#4. Exercise your vocabulary via your senses.
Before large wine tasting events, when I have the potential to taste many dozens of wines, in a variety of styles, I prepare by exercising my vocabulary. Some wines are easier to describe than others, words naturally fall into place. But, other wines, wines outside my experience, can be more difficult to articulate. So I prepare by going smelling and tasting around the house, at the grocery and when I am out and about. It does not matter what I smell (it does matter what I put in my mouth), the point is to stretch my senses and my ability to describe what I smell and taste.

Hyper Sense Engaged!
Now that I’m packed and prepped for the Wine Blogger Conference, it seems that I may have over prepared (athletes have been known to fail due to over preparation). I seem to be a little hyper sensitive to smells. What would you call that, Acute Olfactory Sensitivity?

Yesterday, I was walking through the club gym, past rows of the customary sweating weight litters, stair steppers and a surprising number of pedal pushers, when I nearly gagged as an unseen layer of funk hit me in the face. The stench almost overwhelmed me. I'm no stranger to gyms, so I was surprised by the ferocity of the smells assailing me.

I couldn't stop myself from inhaling more deeply to better analyze the stink; it was a complex union of toxins, some off-gassing from all the synthetic materials, plus body odors venting from glossy pores, punctuated by notes of mildew from unwashed, sweat-soaked cotton towels, and just look at all those bodies squishing around on bacteria laden plastic seats and hand grips...ugh. I felt like the character from the TV series Monk. Where were my sanitary wipes? But then it got worse, because I noticed it, just under the common, everyday exercise generated funk, another component… I was struck by the primal bouquet from the region of the derrière - the bile in my throat began to rise...okay, I did gag.

The funk was heavy in the air, and I did not like it. Did anyone shower yesterday before heading to the gym? No one else seemed to notice how depraved the air was we were all breathing. This is not what I was preparing for and why did I have to inhale so deeply - reflex? When I returned home, an application of Arabic perfume helped exorcise my sensory memory. Be gone thou wicked stench.

This is the first time I've noticed such an extreme sensitivity to smell. Although, a three day old bottle of Chianti did seem especially tasty with dinner last night. I wonder, if when my smeller is hyper sensitive, would that be an especially good time to taste and review wine? Has anyone else had a similar experience?

I almost did not post this - you can thank me later. Cheers

Packing for Virginia

2011-07-17T16:49:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Wine Blogger Conference (WBC11) starts this week. A lot of wine information is going to be tweeted and blogged from Charlottesville, Virginia. I’m looking forward to contributing to that wealth of wine information. It’s exhilarating to attend an event like the Wine Blogger Conference. This year the conference sold out at 325 seats. What an amazing opportunity to learn and share with other wine bloggers from around the world.

WBC10 Meet the Sponsors - Foodista and Catavino.

Last year I attended the third annual Wine Blogger’s Conference (WBC10) in Walla Walla, Washington. It was an inspiring and educational event which motivated me to write more. Since then, I’ve made many new friends in the wine industry. WBC11 will be an unmatched occasion to learn about and discuss wine as it relates to the world of new media; blogging, twitter, social media, and video.

I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge of wine and building new relationships. Stay posted, I’ll be sharing with you my experiences at the 2011 Wine Blogger Conference on this blog and on twitter.

If you are unable to attend WBC11 follow the action on twitter, all of the conference attendees will be tweeting: A sample of Virginia Wine Tweeters to follow: @VAWine, @DrinkWhatULike, @VaWineTime, @SwirlSipSnark, @VCUSpoon, @Alleigh, @DMWine, @CellarBlog, @SuzieLin and don’t forget me… @wild4wawine.

Some of the hashtags which will be in use: #wbc11, #vawine.

Cheers!

Decoding My Spanish Wine Fixation

2011-07-08T12:32:00.000-07:00

Spanish wines shall always have a special meaning for me.

Author: William Pollard

Do you remember the last time you visited with your best friend? The meal you shared, the place, the wine? This is a self-indulgent post. But I’m sharing it because the sentiment and revelation are sincere. And I need to sleep at night.

I have an obsession with Spanish wines. I don’t speak of it, but I’ve wondered to myself, where does this attraction come from? Could there be an underlying impulse which draws me to the Iberian Peninsula? Some clarity emerged recently while reading.

“Twirled on a fork and lifted to the mouth, they whisper secrets. This, you tell yourself, is a flavor one shouldn’t speak of.”
-Anthony Bourdain,
Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook

One of my Father’s Day gifts was the book “Medium Raw” by Anthony Bourdain. I’m fond of how Mr. Bourdain puts words together. His style is, in a word, "picante". He tells gritty, honest stories about real people and the food he loves to eat. I appreciate his direct, from the soul story telling style. He survived his demons, had astounding success with his book “Kitchen Confidential” and become an international celebrity via his “No Reservations” TV gig. And his hair is gray like mine.

But why am I drawn to Spanish wines?

There are some understandable reasons why I'm attracted to Spanish wines, here’s my list:
1. My maternal great-grandmother was Spanish.
2. My mom’s first language is Spanish (she’s Mexican).
3. I minored in Spanish (I would have majored, but Contemporary Mexican Lit killed it).
4. Spanish Music: a. In 1983 I studied Spanish in Mexico, my host family introduced me to the famous Spanish singer Rocio Jurado, I’ve been a fan ever since. b. Twenty years ago I discovered the Gipsy Kings, I love their music (just check my iPad). c. Flamenco music/dance, is a powerful art form – I prefer Flamenco with guitar and singing, with the “Grita”.
5. Is there something else?

#5 My best friend John.

John and I met in Seattle, on the bus to high school. We remained friends for 32 years. John was funny, smart, off-center, not shy about his uniqueness, and he was a lot of fun to hang out with. John embraced family and friends; he’d rather focus on the good times and amusing friends by inventing funny songs. John valued honesty; he was the first to call someone out on their B.S.

William, Mark, John - Atlantic City, NJ 1986

After high school, John went to College in New Jersey, while I attended Western Washington University. Summers we spent in Seattle - I'm not Anthony Bourdain, so I'm not divulging any of those stories. John majored in Spanish, I minored in Spanish. He eventually settled down in New Jersey. In 2003 he finally met his dream woman, a Spanish speaker from Ecuador. I was best man at his wedding. He studied Spanish because of me he said (John had a long-time crush on my Mom, so I think it was really because of her).

Wedding Day and Cake October 2003

The door is opened, the light is on.

While I was in the middle of reading "Medium Raw", Chapter 8, I abruptly had some insight into my Spanish wine fixation. I unexpectedly recalled the last meal I shared with my best friend John. “Ahhh, that's it” escaped my lips at that moment.

In September 2007, John was in Seattle visiting his parents, for health reasons. He asked me to visit. Of course I went. Neither John nor I had lived in Seattle for decades, so it was an adventure re-discovering the city. Finding a good place to eat was always part of the fun.

On our last night together, we dined at Bilbao Spanish Restaurant and Tapas Bar in the University District. We delighted in several servings of perfectly prepared grilled lamb chops (Chuletas de Cordero). We ate so many lamb chops that night, the chef had to come out and see who kept ordering them. And the wine we drank that night? The wine was from Spain… of course! That’s the connection to Spanish wine I had forgotten! The recollection of good Spanish wine shared with my best friend was an unexpected revelation. That delicious dinner became our final meal together.

My best friend John died the first weekend of October 2009.

I won’t go into the details of his death; it was sudden, unexpected, at his apartment in New Jersey. Most of that year I had enjoyed living as an expat with my family in Abu Dhabi, but we had to return to the States in September. John told me I had to return home for a reason. I ended up writing his eulogy within two weeks of that conversation.

When you have a three decade friendship, your shared history is like a treasure, both rare and priceless – your conversations are not limited by days, months or years, they pause and re-start like time has no meaning. It was that way with us. I no longer recall which bottles of Spanish wine we enjoyed that last evening, but, Spanish wines shall always remind me of that priceless friendship. It was Spanish wine I last enjoyed with my best friend, it seems fitting.

Until our conversation starts again, I’ll drink Spanish wine and remember you.

Hasta Entonces

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