Seattle Wine Blog

How To Ruin a Good Bordeaux

2012-01-19T09:52:00.000-08:00

IMHO, lamb is the only thing to have with a good Bordeaux, preferably a St. Julien or Margaux. The best match, of course, is with the difficult to find Agneau de Pauilliac, pairing local food with local wine. Since this is not possible in most of the world you must bring the Bordeaux to the lamb. Local American lamb can be quite tender and delicious. The best American lamb we ever had was in Douglas, Wyoming. Sonoma produces beautiful stuff and the Tovey's lamb from Oregon has always pleased. But, alas, the local stuff is not always available, either, so more often than not, we have had to resort to lamb from Costco or Trader Joe's. Since the Great Recession. however we have had at least two bad experiences with lamb from Australia at Trader Joe's and Costco. Generally speaking New Zealand lamb seems younger and more tender and we have had no trouble with it. Australain lamb can be bigger, tougher and older, a little closer to mutton which we also love.

So what's the problem. Well, it appears that since the crash of 2008, the Australians have been using more and more Hydrogen Sulfide as a preservative. So not only is the meat vacuum packed, but the bag is imjected with Hydrogen Sufide to keep the oxygen out and thus add extra shelf life to the product. The problem is the product stinks! H2S smells like rotten eggs. If the right amount is used it usually dissipates and the meat smells reasonably fresh in a few minutes. On the other hand, if too much is used, the lamb continues to smell like rottens eggs right through cooking and onto the palate, Ugg! Yuck!!! Perhaps the only appropriate pairing at this poin twould be with a corked wine. Just think of the smell of rotten eggs paired with the smell of wet dog, sweat socks or wet cardboard. Let's give the TCA cheer - 2,4,6 trichloroanisole, rah, rah , rah! Nah, nah, nah! Take it back. Stick it in their face if necessary.

We once had lamb paired with 1995 Chateau Labegorce Zede, a Cru Bourgeois Margaux, a real treat.. Get yourself a real treat. Look for domestic or New Zealand lamb and pair it with Bordeaux, perhaps a 2009 Haut Sorillon from Trader Joe's (about $10) or a 2009 Bois Redon from Total Wines (about $9). Avoid that hydrogen sulfide and enjoy!

2011 Unofficial Cassification Of Washington Wineries

2012-01-12T12:55:00.000-08:00

This is the sixth annual Unofficial Classification of Washington State Wineries. The 2011 Unofficial Classification Of Washington State Wineries represents my personal, perhaps idiosyncratic or eccentric, opinions of the quality of Washington State wineries. Out of more than 700 wineries, there are well over a hundred producing great wine. About half of the wine produced in Washington comes from wineries owned by Chateau Ste. Michelle. The other wineries are mostly small artesanal family enterprises typically producing 2000-3000 cases, in some cases up to 20,000 cases or more. In contrast to other classifications of wine such as the 1855 classification of Bordeaux, the Unofficial Classification of Washington Wineries can change every year. It is not set in stone. Since it is retrospective, it does not necessarily predict future rankings. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.Wines at the top of the list tend to be special wines for special occasions, whereas wines in the "Cinqieme" group tend to be outstanding values. Exclusion from this classification, in no way represents a commentary on the quality of a winery. In many cases, it may simply mean that I am not familiar enough with the wines or winemaker to form an opinion. On the other hand, not all Washington wines and wineries are great, so only the best that I am familiar with are listed here. Wineries are listed in alphabetical order and not ranked within each category. Wineries are listed as "deferred," if I have reason to believe they are worthy, but haven't tasted enough of their wines recently to form an opinion. There are well over 100 classified growths in Washington State. I would be happy to drink wine from any of these wineries and you will be, too.

Premier Grand Cru ( Extraordinary)

Cayuse

Leonetti

Quilceda Creek

Deuxieme Grand Cru (Outstanding)

Andrew Will

Betz

Cadence

DeLille

Januik

Long Shadow

Pepper Bridge

Spring Valley

Troisieme Grand Cru ( Exceptional)

Abeja

Adams Bench

Amaurice

Boudreaux

Brian Carter

Buty

Caderetta

Canon De Sol

Cougar Crest

Doyanne

Elsom

Fall Line

Five Star

Glencorrie

Gorman

Hestia

Hightower

Irlandes

Isenhower

Mark Ryan

Note Bene

O-S

Palouse

Pomum

Pondera

Robert Ramsey

Ross Andrew

Saviah

Sleight Of Hand

Sparkman

Syncline

Trio

Willis Hall

Quatrieme Grand Cru ( Excellent)

426

Adamant

Amavi

Baer

Barrage

Basel Cellars

Beresen

Bergevin Lane

Canoe Ridge

Chatter Creek

Covington

Darby

Davonport

Des Voignes

Desert Wind

Domaine Pouillon

Dusted Valley

Efeste

Flying Trout

Forgeron

Gifford Hirlinger

Guardian

Hedges

Kestrel

Kiona

L'Ecole

Mountain Dome

Nicolas Cole

Northstar

Novelty Hill

Pattterson

Red Sky

Reininger

Seven Hills

Sheridan

Syzygy

Terra Blanca

Tertulia

Three Rivers

Thurston Wolfe

Trust

Tyrus Evan

Vin Du Lac

Walla Walla Vineyards

Walter Dacon

Whitman

William Church

Cinqieme Cru (Best Buys)

14 Hands

Airfield Estates

Apex

Balboa

Bergevin Lane

Boomtown

Barnard Griffin

Chinook

Columbia Crest "Two Vines"

Covington

Dama

Eliseo Silva

Goose Ridge

Gordon Bros

Hogue

Martinez & Martinez

Maryhill

Nelms Road

NXNW

Pavin & Riley

Pine & Post

Red Diamond

Revelry

Ryan Patrick

Sagelands

Saint Laurent

Two Vintners

Waterbrook

Willow Crest

Wines of Substance

Deferred

Agate Field

Andrake

Animale

Cameraderie

Columbia Crest Reserve

Doubleback

Dunham

Ensemble

Glacial Lake Missoula

Gramercy

Grand Reve

Latitude 46 N

Local Wine Company

Massett

McKinley Springs

McCrea

Pacific Rim

Parejas

Rulo

Sandidge

Sandhill

Soos Creek

Terra Blanca - Onyx

Two Mountains

Woodward Canyon

Zefina

The Best And Worst Wines Of 2011

2012-01-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

With over 600,000 wines in the world ,obviously, these are not The Best and The Worst in the whole world.They are just some of my faves, and disfaves(?), unfives(?), anti-fave(s)? that I've tasted in the past year.They appear in no particular order, just stream of consciousness, you know.

:Worst:

Roederer Brut - WhaT a disappointment!Neither fresh and elegant like Crystal, nor creamy like Napa Roederer Estate, I really wanted to send this one back. It tasted metallic, old or cooked, no pizzaz. Was it spoiled or poorly made? Fortunately we had a backup for New Year's Eve. The next day we tatsed it again. This time it was softer, less obnoxious. Still didn't like it Give it a 65
2009 Quivera Zinfandel This one reallywasn't that bad, only by comparison with the glorious 2007. Too much herbaceousness, eucalyotus, vegetative taste for me. Give it an 80
2006 Domaine Du Moulie -I was so excited to find a Madiran from the southwest of France Another disappointment! Lacking real Madiran quality, it was so acidic as to be undrinkable. We finally managed to use for cooking. Give it a 70.

Best:

NV Chandon Brut - Fresh, lively, a lazer beam when really cold, fuller, softer, but still pleasingly dry when warmer. When it's on sale for $12 at Safeway, it's a great bargain .Give it an 88.
1998 Nelm's Road Merlot -This would have been one for Ryan's cellar. I purchased a case roughly ten years ago, and it has been getting better and better. The first bottline was, great, though high in tannin. The last bottle was beautifully complex with a panoply of dark fruit flavorsIn the old days Parker might have given it an 80, not it definitely rates a 90-good stuff at a reasonable price.
NV Quail Oak Merlot - well, not quite the same as the Nelms Road, but we prefered it to Two Buck Chuck. and Southern from Walgreen's. Good basic Merlot, not too sweet or sappy - great for cooking. Call it Four Buck Chuck.
1991 Togni Cabernet Sauvignon - We first met Phillip in the 1970s when he was winemaker at Cuvaison up the Silverado Trail near Calistoga. We had done a tasting of three French White Burgundies and three Napa Chardonnays totally blind. Phillip"s Cuvaison won by far. When he read the results in the Northwest Consumer's Wine Guide, he invited us to visit. When he started his own "Togni" winery on Spring Mountain we continued to follow him..Tthe twenty year old 1991 Cab, not surprisingly, tastes like a well aged Bordeaux with a little more "stuffing as the English say. Let's give it a "91".
1975 Chateau Latour - The first Chateau Latour I tasted was a 1963 for which I paid $3. As a poor student that represeted approximately .001% of my yearly income, but it was worth it. Okay, you 1%ers, don't turn up your noses at a 1963. Yes it was a lousy year, but the Latour taste was there. Even though Robert Parker has always kind of panned 1975 it was mindblowing good - flowers, dark fruit, peonies, roses and tar = complex, holds your attention, soft and velvety, but with plenty of substance. Definitely better than Parker's "93+".
-2009 Chateau Greteau - It's a good thing we didn't taste this after the Ch. Latour, but on it's own it is a delicious 2009 Bordeaux at Costco for about $10. A best buy and still, I think, available.
2004 Andrew Will- An outstanding wine from Chris Carmada. This Washington State beauty is mad from Champoux vineyard grapes. I keep debating with myself about which is better - Champoux or Ciel Du Cheval. I'll take either one. Fabulously rich, fruity and complex. A delight to drink. Give it a 94.
2003 Peppe Bridge Walla Walla Pepper Bridge Vineyard Reserve - Another fabulous wine from Washington State. Jean Francois Pellet has fashioned a big rich velvety red an outstanding flaor profile. If you want to debate more terroir, compare Jean Francois' wines from Peper Bridge Vineyard with those from neighbor Seven Hills Vineyard. Give it a 91
2005 Cayuse Syrah En Cerise - You will feel like you've been hit by a bowling ball that splits open to reveala spicy fruitbomb. Give it a 92
1997 Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon - With this one a baseball bat will hit it out of the park. A BIG, linear, powerful gamma knife that that will cut your steak for you. Belive it or not, it is only 13% alcohol. It's a style! Give it a 90.
1997 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Fay Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - Winner of the 1976 Spurrier tasting in Paris, Warren Winiarski launched Napa and California on a journay to the top of the wine world with his 1973 "Cask 23" Cab. Robert Parker has bee poohpoohing the winery since to 90s saying the winery is living on it's reputation. Rollover Robert, this is possibly the best California wine I've tasted. At 14.5% alcohol it is a velvet tapistry or soft textures and complex flavors. No jammy in-your-face here. Reminiscent of a really big but soft St. Julien from Bordeaux Diane and I decided to give it a "110".
2009 Chateau Bois Redon - This Bordeaux Superior is a Right Bank style red with 75% Merlot. It is an amazing value at $10 from Total Wines. Give it an 85.
2009 Ch Haut Sorillon - Perhaps the best value I've tasted this year at $9 from Trader Joe's. Delicious Bordeaux at a great price (85)

Happy New Year Champagne

2011-12-28T11:49:00.000-08:00

The new year is almost here. Let us hope it will be better than 2011. Do you have your Champagne, yet, to celebrate the arrival of 2012? If no , here's a list of suggestions.

For the 1%

Crystal

For the rest of us

Over $30:

Roederer
Piper Heidsick

Over $10

Chandon Napa
Mumm's Napa
Roederer Estate
Gruet
Mountain Dome

Under $10

Freixenet
Ch Ste. Michelle

Happy New Year!

Thanksgiving Wine

2011-11-11T13:14:00.000-08:00

Where've you been? You could say I've been pre-Occupied with Wall Street. You could say I've been sick. You could say I've been travelling. You could say all of the above, but I haven't been neglecting wine, just writing about it. So we've visited our favorite wineries in the Willamette Valley, Oregon and
Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma, California which I'll tell you about soon, but first the low down on the annual showdown with all those turkeys out there (no, not the politicans, the birds).

Food pairings can be overdone. Basically you can drink any wine you like with any food. Red wine with fish, white wine with red meat. Bordeaux with salmon, Chardonnay with steak. It does happen that some pairings are exquisite together such as foie gras and Sauternes, blue cheese, walnuts and Port, rack of lamb and Bordeaux, T-bone steak with big Napa Cab, Salmon and Pinot Noir, Barolo and Osso Buco to name a few examples. So even though you can drink anything with Turkey there are some pairings that work better than others

You can always drink Champagne or other sparklers with anything including Turkey. Even though I don't generally like sweeter Champagnes, they do go well with Turkey. Try Prosecco or Sparkling Vouvray. Vouvray, a Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley might just be the perfect wine with Turkey. Sparkling Vouvray has the added advantage of being festive and generally less expensive than Champagne. Vouvray, both sparkling and plain come in varying degrees of sweetness, so it might be best to ask someone in the store. Semillon is another great match. Of course, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris would work well, too. Gnerally speaking, whites go better than reds, but if you prefer reds try Beaujolais Nouveau, Beaujolais, or Pinot Noir. If Turkey's not you thing, try Rose with Ham and Burgundy or Pinot Noir with Roast Beef.

Here are ten specific suggestions:

1) Chandon Napa Sparkling Wine
2) Mumm's Napa Sparkling Wine
3) Gruet New Mexico Sparkling Wine
4) Mountain Dome Washington Sparkling Wine
5) Zardetto Prosecco - Italy
6) Vouvray - Loire Valley, France
7) Sparkling Vouvray, Loire, France
8) L'Ecole Semillon, Washington State
9) L'Ecole Walla Voila(Chenin Blanc) - Washington State
10) Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau - France

Enjoy! Have a Happy Holiday!

One Of The Best Kept Wine Secrets In America

2011-08-22T05:40:00.000-07:00

OK, OK, so the sky isn't falling. Or maybe it's better to just enjoy your wine and not worry about the world One way to forget the world crisis is a visit to the source of some of the best bottles in the U.S, dare I say in the world? Buried in a Seattle suburb, half an hour from downtown you can find some of the best wine in the U.S. Napa move over. There are well over 100 excellent wineries and tasting rooms in Woodinville, Washington. So many wineries from east of the,Cascades, where the grapes grow, have dicided to "bring the mountain to Mohammed", so to speak, o,r as Willy Sutton supposedly said, go where the money is. Dusted Valley and Isenhower are just two Walla Walla wineries that have recentlyset up shop in Woodinville.

So many great wines, so little time. Yesterday we took our friends, Alan & Judy, on a brief tour of some of our faves. Alas, we didn't get to Novelty Hill, Januik, Brian Carter or Adam's Bench to name a few, but we did manage to stop in at Hestia's new digs where Shannon et al were busily hammering away in their new winery. Shannon was kind enough to take some time out from construction to taste us on his two flagship wines. The 2008 Syrah was spectacular and full flavored. The2008 Cab more linear. Judy couldn't resist the Syrah.

Pondera just across the allet was open for business so we mosied over there. We first tasted Pondera wines at one of David Le Cl;aire's Discoveries and Debuts a few years ago and even then they really stood out. All the wine were good, but the 2008 Cuvee and 2008 Sericus really stood out for us The Cuvee so flavorful, so balancd, so appealing, for only twenty bucks and the Sericus, more serious, bigger, full flavored. To heck with school, to heck with Davis, the heck with Boing, these guys know what they are doing. And the artistry entends beyond winemaking, to painting. Judy couldn't resist a fabulous print of a wild horse for only twenty bucks.

South a few miles to DeLille's new tasting room. DeLille is one of those wineries that is not only totally reliable, but spectacular at the same time. After a little chat with Jay Soloff, we tasted through three of their Rhone style wines and three of their Bordeaux style wines. Of the wines poured, our favorites this time around were the 2008 Harrison Hill and the 2010 Doyenne Rousanne. The 2008 Harrison Hill comes from one of the oldest vineyards in Washington. The Cabernet Sauvignon was softened up and balanced out by 25% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot - supple, silky and pure. Yum! The 2008 Rousanne was mindblowingly magnificent. Probably the best Rousanne I 've ever had. Truly spectacular - a virtual mountain water fall flowing down my gullet with all the flavor of the stones in a Cascade stream -Wow!

So now the secret is out! Where else can you find so many great wineries concentrated in just a a few square miles? Well there is one other place - the South Park area just south of Seattle. There you can taste amazing wines from the likes of Cadence, Fall Line, Note Bene, Falling Rain, Smasne and others.

Don't want to spend a bundle on a wine vacation? Seattle wineries and tasting rooms are still the best kept secret treasure in the wine world.Save on airfare and spend on wine.

Tales From My Father By Charlie

2011-08-11T06:06:00.000-07:00

Oh, hell, so it's not about wine, it's about the economy, stupid! So I met Charlie in the hot tub. He's got arthritic aches and pains like so many retired people. Somehow it didn't take very long to get from physical pains to psychological, emotional, and fiscal pains.. Like most of us, his 401k is down 20%. It didn't take much to get us into a joint rant. Let's see, where to start? Neither one of us belongs to a party - not Democrat, Republican, Independent or Tea Party. Charlie is angry! About Wall Street, about Washington, about political dysfunction, about the fact that low (no) interest rates devastate retirees, about Congress people who have fat health plans and retirements that we don't have, about waste, about deficit spending and the debt which in the long run lead to the downfall of empires, about the fact that, after retiring from a major drug company, he may have to go back to work, about the dilemma that spending cuts destroy jobs. What the hell happened? What happened to his father's prudence.

Complexity is too much for the human brain, even though consequences are multi-determined to borrow a phrase from Freud. Although there is no single cause, we tend to look for a simple explanation and a simple solution. So if we want to play the blame game, we could finger Greenspan, Barney Frank, greedy mortgage brokers, sub-prime mortgages, Fannie & Freddie, the big banks, CDOs and SIVs, greedy speculators, Washington and Wall Street. Anyway here we are in this mess "Round Two.". Governments bailed out the banks, will the banks bail out the governments?

So here we are, and Charlie is angry. Do you think he is the only one? Do you think the Tea Partiers are the only ones? What did his Dad have to say? Here are the laws of the father. Here are the ten commandments

Don't borrow
Don't get into debt
Never a lender nor a borrower be
Don't overspend
Pay off your debts every month
Work hard
Be innovative
Take care of yourself, your family, your community
Cut back
Get a job

There's the rub! How can you get a job when everybody is cutting back? Corporations have discovered that they can have the biggest profits ever by simply not hiring (and firing). Look at Bank of America, where Ken Lewis fired 35,000 of his most competent employees and bought disaster areas such as Countrywide and Merril Lynch retaining the least expensive and most incompetent employees, only to take home one of those "$165 million bonuses" found only on Wall Street and in the executive suites of big banks. Most of us have been cutting back - Cash is King. And now the government is cutting back. We were on a spending spree encouraged by economists such as Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan. Atlas shrugged and the world collapsed. " I see a flaw" - you're kidding me!!!

Since WWII, thery've called it demand pull. A house for every American and three SUV's in every garage. Greenspan thought it was fine to take out a second "home equity loan" when Charlie's father was saying, if you must borrow to buy a house to live in, pay it off asap. What happened to integrity, waht happened to civility, what happened to bipartisanship, what happened to our country, what happened to the world. Turn over any rock and you find money. Turn over any financial transaction and you find greed. "Greed is good?" Up to a point! Aren't rapacious capitalism and extreme socialism ( i.e., communism) two sides of the same coin?

Doe Charlie drink wine? I never asked him, but I wouldn't be surprised. In fact, I'll bet he he's drinking more and paying less just like in 2008-2009. Over 50 restaurants closed in Tucson in the fall of 2008. How many wineries will close this time around. Cheers!

Summer Wines

2011-07-21T18:12:00.000-07:00

Summer? What's that? It the sun ever comes out here in Seattle you may want to have a picnic or maybe you live on the shvitz on the East Coast or in the inferno in the Midwest on in caliente Arizona. Once again, 2009 provided a way to cool off. How about some oysters (not the Rocky Mountain kind) with 2009 Chateau Des Cleons Muscadet from Trader Joe's for about $9 - crisp, fresh dry, tart - everthing a Muscadet should be, with just a hint of fruit to soften it up. Too hot to turn on the oven, too tired to fire up the BBQ? How about sauteeing some scallops for a simple salad compose? I have the perfect match - 2009 Domaine de Niales Macon-Villages. This amazingly rich Chardonnay is made from old vines and resembles white Burgundies at twice the price or more - perfect balance of fruit and acid with wonderful minerality at about $12 from K&L Wines in San Francisco. In Seattle, you can pick up some 2009 Borgogne Blanc from Lambdin at McCarthy & Schiering for thirteen bucks. Lambdin was recommended to me by son-in-law Laurent who found it at Andronico's in San FRancisco. A little drier feel than the Macon it would be fabulous with any seafood, fish or chicken. BTW, 2009 Drouhin and Louis Jadot Macon-Villages are widely distributed and quite good in the $10-$15 price range.

About that picnic, shift to 2010 for one of the best Roses I've ever tasted. My friend Carol doesn't like Rose I think because she associates it with sweet white Zinfandel. Personally, I don't like sweet Roses either whether from France or the U.S. I have never had a Rose from the Loire Valley of France that I found enjoyable. Similarly, most American Roses are too sweet for my taste. A number of years ago I visited the Enotheque in Les Arcs - more than 50 Cotes de Provence wines to taste almost all Roses. I wished I could take them all home with me. So when I opened Carol & Stevens fridge in Morro Bay and saw a 2010 Cotes de Provence Rose, I couldn't resist a little sip. WOW! The perfect Provencale Rose! It is hard to describe the essence of this bliss producing wine. Of course, the salmon color is pleasing, flavors superb and the dryness of the wine just right. Perhaps it is the restraint and incredible lightness that is so magical - the essence of the sun and sea of Provence in a glass. You might think you would pay over $20 for a wine made so close to the famous Bandol, but Luc & Serine Sorin have kept the price amazingly reasonable. I got my bottles at McCarthy & Schiering for $12 a bottle. Where else can you buy such wine in Seattle? Tune in ...

Bordeaux With Pizza?

2011-06-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

You know I'm on a 2009 kick, drinking my way through the bottom of the barrel searching for values. Trader Joe's is a frequent haunt in the hunt for values, though the results vary tremendously. Two more Bordeaux raised an interesting question. Can you really drink Bordeaux with pizza, pasta, burgers The answer is a definite yes. Chateau Moulinde Beausejour 2009 proves it, Like most 2009 Bordeaux, Moulin Beausejour has fruit, but more acid than I would like in a Bordeaux, so I re-imagined it as a Chianti. Now it tasted like a classic Chianti with lots of good berry fruit and the tangy acid finish needed to pair with pizza and pasta. Amazing! French Merlot in the style of Italian Sangiovese. The second wine, an old Trader Joe's standby was more of a hamburger wine. The 2009 L'Estey Reserve is a negociant's blend from Calvert, better than Mouton Cadet and, IMHO, Two Buck Chuck. It had good fruit and balance but seemed a little dull, unidimensional - a good everyday wine

What Am I Drinking?

2011-06-23T17:52:00.000-07:00

What am I drinking these days? 2009 Bordeaux! Am I a Chinese billionaire? Am I a wine killer? Committing infanticide? No way! While 2009 First Growth Futures sold for around $1000 (a bottle!), the other end of the barbell is coming into it's own. For years now the the prices of fancy classsified wines have skyrocketed while the rest of Bordeaux wine was virtually unsaleable. Finally, some French vignerons are figuring out how to sop up the " lake of wine." Of course the weather helped. The 2009 vintage is so balanced and fruit forward it was a bit easier to produce delicious wines even at the low end. If you've always been curious about Bordeaux, but figured you couldn't afford it, think again. There are so many excellent Bordeaux coming ashore from the big appellations like Bordeaux, Entre-Deux-Mers, Bordeaux Superior, Cotes de Fronsac, etc.,. So far all the wines I've tasted have had good fruit with gentle tannins and acid. Some are very fruity, almost American in style, lots of Merlot here, but others have complex flavors and some balancing tannin and acid. These wines are all drinkable now, and some will improve with a few years of ageing. It is unlikely that they will last more than 6 to 10 years. And the coup de grace? An average price of $10 to $12 a bottle.

Here are some Bordeaux I've tasted:

2009 Chateau Grand Pierre, Bordeaux Superior, about $10 at K&L - This wine grabbed us - medium bodied, delicious black fruit some soft tannins and good backbone this will probably get even better over the next year or two. Drink now to 2015 - definitely our favorite.

2009 Grand Bateau, Bordeaux about$10 at K&L. This seems to be a negociants blend kind of like Mouton Cadet only infinitely superior. Mainly Merlot, this is pure simple fruit. A good quaff, but not too interesting

2009 Chateau de Riberbon, Bordeaux Superior, about $15 from WTSO online. Good fruit with enough tannin so that it really needs at least two years before it wil come around to easy drinkability

2009 Chateau Haut Sorillon, Bordeaux Superior, about $9 at Trader Joe's. That's not a typo! Eight bucks for a delicious, balanced, fruity red with a nose of violets and lavander. Ready to drink, good for at least four more years. A best buy!

Next on my list to check out are 2009 Reserve de L'Estay and 2009 Moulin de Beausejour both from Trader Joe's.

Seattle Makes The New York Times

2011-06-14T05:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, friends, we are on the first page of this past Sunday's New York Times Travel Section with a big blowup of a handsome server with a platter of Northwest Fruits de Mers.from the Walrus and Carpenter. Despite occasional condescension, Frank Bruni did a pretty good job of covering some of the newest venues in Puget Sound - Walrus and Carpenter, Seatown, Revel, Madison Park Conservatory, and the Willows Inn. For booze, he discovered Knee High Stocking Company and Tavern Law. Having resided in Seattle for 40 some odd years it has been a long time since I stayed in a hotel. I must admit I found $300 a night for a standard double at the Edgewater (not exactly the epitome of luxury) a little shocking. Willows Lodge in Woodinville for a little over $300 I found a little more comprehensible. Frankly, I'd rather stay at my cabin on the Hood Canal.

Where Bruni missed the ferry, or the boat, was in the wine department. He did have the good sense to recommend DeLille Chaleur Blanc and give a nod to the Buty Sauvignon blend, but where are the Chards from Buty, Amaurice, and Cougar Crest. Somehow Bruni managed to find his way to Willows Lodge, but avoided the excellent Herbfarm and Barking Frog. What about Betz and Brian Carter and Hestia and Adam's Bench, Novelty Hill, Januik, Gorman, Sparkman, Mark Ryan to name just a few. Apparently, Frank stayed downtown just a hop skip and a jump from Cadence, Fall Line, O-S, and Note Bene. The man seems to prefer Vodka and speakeasies to the garagistes of Seattle. Tant pis pour lui, too bad for him. Maybe he only stayed a weekend and fled the rain. Still, not bad for a New Yorker!

2009 Vintage

2011-06-13T09:59:00.000-07:00

You thought I might be talking about the 2009 Bordeaux vintage. That will be the next post. Today I want to remind you that 2009 was a great year in many places, but if you like Zinfandel, you had better run, not walk to the Dry Creek Valley. Why? Because 2010 was a wet, miserable year in Dry Creek Valley, and "09 was great.
I can't wait to taste the "09 Zins. I would definitely start with Mazocco and Quivera, I.m hoping that the '09 Quivera Zin will be as good as the '07

The End of the Road Less Traveled

2011-05-30T05:43:00.000-07:00

I have traveled this road less traveled many times, but I have never gotten to the end of it. That's because I always get distracted at the tasting rooms in Los Olivos and then only get part way up Foxen Canyon Road. Canyon is sometimes abbreviated to Cyn in California which always makes me think of the Welsh word "cyn", so then I am hoping to get there "soon." Unfortunately, some canyon roads are too long to get you anywhere soon. This time I left early and drove almost straight through with a brief stop at Foxen winery. They now have two tasting rooms - the original "Sideways" one and a brand new modern building. This time I stopped at the modern one where they were serving up mostly cooler climate grapes such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The 2009 Bien Nacido Chard was light, fresh, and tart. The 2009 Tinaquaic Vineyard was round, balanced and medium bodied - two very distinct styles. The 2010 Rose of Mourvedre had a very fruity nose and sweet strawberry flavors. The 2009 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir tasted of sour cherry, while the 2009 Tinaquaic Syrah was spectacular with great color and fabulous fruit.

On to Riverbench winery, no longer really in Foxen Canyon, but sitting on the south river bench of the Santa Maria river, home to the best commercial strawberries grown in the U.S. First out of the shoot was a nice 2010 Pinot Noir Rose that was fresh and fruity and tasted of... strawberries. Next up the crisp and citrusy, stainless fermented 2009 Bedrock Chardonnay followed by the oaked 2007 Estate Chardonnay which had a very nice nose and was balanced and round with a nice touch of vanilla.The 2008 Estate Pinot Noir had a nose of smoke, tobacco, and leather followed by rhubarb flavors. The 2008 Reserve Pinot was light in color with cherry flavors and leather accents. The 2008 Mesa was the standout, again with light color, and round full fruit flavors - here is an Oregon style Pinot to go with your locally caught salmon.

Several years ago, I tasted a Kenneth Volk Chardonnay that made me want to taste more from the former owner of Wild Horse winery. Now, out on his own, Ken seems to be brewing up a storm. I counted approximately twenty different wines on the list. Ken seems to love to experiment with different varietals, Verdelho, Negrette, Touriga, and Aglianca for example, The wonderful 2008 Verdelho reminded me of figs, the 2009 Viognier was round and fruity, the 2009 Rose of Grenache, very fruity and sweet, the 2008 regular Grenache light and pleasant, a good patio or hamburger wine. The 2008 Negrette had a sweet mouthfeel like a perfect French Aperitif. The 2008 Touriga had the feel and flavor of Port , but without the sweetness - a perfect Port for diabetics? The 2006 Tempranillo also had the same sweet mouthfeel. Ken appears to have a distinctive signature of full roundness and fruit with some "sweet" mouthfeel. He certainly leaves his mark on the wine. Among my faves were 2008 Mourvedre, Enz Vineyard which had a fabulous nose and the 2006 Sierra Madre Chardonnay which really expressed and benefited from Ken's stylistic preferences with its full creamy mouthfeel. The highlight, though, was a comparison tasting of two very different 2007 Pinot Noirs - same vintage, same winemaker, but different clones, different styles. The "Old School" Pinot made from Pommard clones was light, elegant and silky on the palate with complex fruit flavors - very Oregon in style, perfect with salmon. The "New School" Pinot made from Dijon clones was big, spicy and full, - very California in style, perfect with buffalo steaks. The New School" reminds me of a good Nuits St. Georges, while the "Old School" is reminiscent of a Savigny Les Beaune. Kenneth Volk's prices in the 20s and 30s are very reasonable these days for what you get. It was definitely worth it to finally get to the end of the road. BTW, Kenneth Volk is very close to Cambria winery whose excellent Chardonnay is widely available, frequently at Costco for a very reasonable price. On to Paso Robles!

Los Olivos

2011-05-18T17:56:00.000-07:00

Back to my old stompin' grounds! First stop? Stolpman! First taste? 2009 Rose -salmon-colored, dry, tart with citrus accents, very Provencal. Next in the flight, 2009 L'Avion, a very round, full Roussanne with an interesting hint of nutmeg. The vineyard crew made the next wine in the tasting room lineup, the 2009 La Cuadrilla from Syrah and Grenache co-fermented with a little Viognier thrown in, next up 2007 Sangiovese - soft, mellow and creamy -a dreamy Sangio you can even drink on its own. The 2008 Originals had a meat and rhubarb nose and fruit and pepper flavors, the 2008 Hilltop Syrah was much nicer, more elegant and pleasing. The '08 Grenache was medium bodied round, fruity and pleasing. All in all a lot of stars for Stolpman this time around.

Fortunately, the tasting room person at Stolpman recommended the new kid on the block. Just across the street we found Steve Dragonette of Dragonette Cellars. Famous opera singer Aunt Jessica changed the name from Dragonetti. No matter the name, a bunch of winners here. Dragonette specializes in Sauvignon Blanc making three different bottlings. The three star 2009 Santa Ynez Sauvignon Blanc was beautiful, round, and fruity with none of that in your face grapefruit so common in Sauv Blancs. The 2009 SB from Vogelzang Vineyard was balanced and carefully crafted, too. A good 2009 Pinot Noir was followed the 2008 Syrah with hint of eucalyptus and mint in the nose. The bombshell, 2008 MJM, named after the owners' wives was big and beautiful with a fabulous nose. This is definitely a winery to watch..

Every year I seem to have missed Tensley winery, but not this year. The wines were all good, but a little light for my taste. The most interesting wine was Detente a combined effort of Joey Tensley and Cecile Dussurre. The wine is a blend of 50% Domaine de Montavac Gigondas and 50% 2008 Tensley Colson Canyon Syrah.We first tasted Gigondas in a small Rhone style restaurant in the Maubert Mutualite area of Paris in 1970. The 1962 Gigondas was unforgettable. Gigondas could be called the poor man's Chateauneuf Du Papes, but in my book, anyone who gets to drink Gigondas is rich. BTW, Gigondas is another one of those reliable, not well known wines that you should jump at on a restaurant wist list.

Qupe has become one of my favorite wineries in Los Olivos. This is truly a family winery. Every family member makes wine - Bob, the father, Louisa, the wife, and Ethan the son. Louisa's Spanish style wines are bottled under the Verdad label. 2010 Verdad Rose was a little sweet for my taste, but the 2009 Albarino was wonderfully dry with good fruit that gave it a fuller mouthfeel, almost like a Galacian Albarino, but with riper California fruit.The 2008 Qupe Roussanne "Bien Nacido Hillside Estate" had a nose of pear and fruit, and a fruity big bodied mouthfeel. The widely available Qupe Los Olivos Cuvee was excellent as usual and the even more widely distributed 2008 Qupe Syrah "Bien Nacido Vineyard" was even better Virtually all of the Qupe wines were excellent, esepcially the 2009 Sawyer Lindquist - "amazing", "fantastic", leather, tobacco, panoply of spice, garam masala.

I got to Los Olivos early so I had a cup of coffee and an egg croissant at Corner House Coffee.
Los Olivos is a lovely place with great tasting rooms, but the city, which only offers portable restrooms to tourists and wine tasters really had better clean up its act. As Jimmy Durante used to say only the nose knows!

Real Food

2011-05-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my friends Carole and Steve, I found the real thing in Morro Bay. Real eggs from Los Osos Ranch, real strawberries from Santa Maria, real fish from the Dockside Market. How convenient to pick up a dozen burst of flavor eggs at Spencer's Market, the Real Food MarketI dreamed of in my last post. Santa Maria strawberries are by far the best commercially grown strawberries from California. What a problem to have, choosing fresh off the boat fish at the Dockside - three kinds of rockfish, halibut, locally caught Salmon, cod, ling cod. We chose Vermillion Rockfish which we sauteed in olive oil, butter, white wine and a touch of Anisette paired with a light, tart 2009 L'Aventure Viognier. What a pleasure to taste some locally harvested real food.

The Next New "Other" White Meat

2011-04-28T14:42:00.000-07:00

Apparently, breeders have come up with the second "Other" white meat - goat! Seriously, I'm not kidding or just trying to get your goat. Really! Most Americans have never eaten goat and might even be turned off by the idea, but, trust me, many people around the world eat goat - all over South America, Mexico, Somalia, Eritrea, the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Spain and our very own Southwest to name a few. Goat is good, but I recently tasted some that was truly denuded, neutered, no goat flavor at all. Apparently Turkey was the first white meat and pork was promoted as the "other" white meat after being "deflavored", now goat joins the list as the second "other" white meat. It was tender, but flavorless like lamb without any lambness, or veal without any vealness. After a long hard search, I found some goat online from a company in Colorado, but was the search worth it? It reminded me of pasteurized, homogenized, corporate American eggs. The last time I had a really flavorful egg was in the South of Italy where I was served eggs the color of the orange southern sun and bursting with flavor. Then there are the simulacra passing for strawberries, and tomatoes that look perfect and have no flavor. I mean, where's the beef? How about some locally grown, sustainable, non-genetically modified real food. The name of my next supermarket will be Real Foods. How about you?

Crush pARTy In The Desert

2011-04-20T12:28:00.000-07:00

Please sir, can I have some Chard, actually anything chilled? A red on ice? Iced Tea? Some cold beer? Okay, okay, don't have a Twit in the desert! My wife found the first cold quaff. Nimbus ale, locally brewed, a cool draft at last. It seemed we had to hunt and peck for some chilled wine - La Chasse de Chardonnay! Finally, we scored. I had been hoping to score some Nichols and Nichols Chard but it was nowhere to be found. At this point Hess Chardonnay seemed like a good alternative.This was followed by fuller versions of Chard such as Decoy, ZD, and Stag's Leap. After cooling down we were able to summon some appetite and found the perfect Chardonnay pairings - tuna sashimi and marlin shashimi.- both were exquisite with any of the Chards. The marlin sashimi was incredible. In fact, the food in general was fabulous.

Tucson restaurants really put their best feet forward. Pulled pork sliders were the thing. At least half a dozen versions were presented - all good. Fabulous scallops prepared perfectly by the Grille at Hacienda del Sol greeted you just after the entrance. Scallops in the desert, tuna sashimi in the desert, marlin in the desert - a throwback to geologic times in Arizona? Nah, just fresh ingredients from some of Tucson's top restaurants.
So many restaurants, so little wine, but some of the wine was exceptional. We'll get to that in a minute. First, a list of restaurants to check out in Tucson: El Charro - a local chain of Mexican restaurants, Downtown - a bistro avatar of Janos , one of the top restauranteurs in the city, Harvest & Zona 78 new avatars of the Grille at Haciendo del Sol.

Survivors of the Depression II, excuse me, the Great Recession ( 45 Tucson restaurants closed in the fall of 2008): Vivace - old Italian standby, Acacia - moved North, Flemings - corporate steak house, Armitage - uptight apparently cool wine bar in the Foothills, Lodge On The Desert - remodeled and retrofitted just in time for the "recovery", Feast - still there, Azul - en el norte de Tucson a La Encantada. Pastiche - restaurant, wine bar and wine shop offered a unique and very useful feature - business cards with the wine name on the back and a brief description of the wine. The descriptions weren't that accurate, but then how many tasting notes are? Just to have the name of a wine that you like on a card is a tremendous help and reminder, clever marketing, too. How many times have you tasted a wine that you loved and you couldn't remember the name. What a great innovation which should be imitated at every wine event. Bravo, T.M.A. and Pastiche!

These little cards helped me to easily note the remarkable wines of the evening, Between all the food booths some interesting wines could be found. Although many of the wines seemed like the usual commercial fare, some wines stood out.In addition to the Chards already mentioned, The Henriot Champagne was a cooling fresh beverage that was a perfect match with the tuna shashimi. The reds that most stand out in my mindare from Niner, especially the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. While the 2005 Heitz Cabernet wasn't exactly on a par with the famous 1974, it was quite good, a significant improvement from recent decades of mediocre wine. The 2008 Robert Craig Affinity was delicious as usual, but surpassed UMHO by the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. If you are looking for a monster Cabernet, look no farther than The Sledgehammer - big with explosive flavors. Doube T Red from Napa had a more modest profile, but full of black fruit flavors - a little friendlier, not such a brute.If fruit bombs are your thing, the 2009 Manifesto from Lodi will be your friend..If you are looking for something lighter still, become a fan of 2008 Dutton Goldfield Pinot Noir.

If you don't follow California wines, poke around the wide selection of Italian wines from Zonin.The Prosecco was light and fruity - a perfect wine to start the evening on the patio. Seeing a Vermentino brought back wonderful memories of the Cinque Terra, but alas, this version from the Maremma was so fruity it tasted American, at least wasn't defective like so many Vermentinos from Sardinia. The big event was the Zonin Amarone, a beautiful, big rich version of this wine made from the unusual Corvino grape partially dried on bamboo racks in Valpollicella -rich, velvety, smooth, flavorful -perfect.

If you didn't make it to Crush this year, put it on your Facebook page next year. If you were there, we had a great time, didn't we? I even copped a few bottles of white Burgundy in the silent auction, maybe you will next year.

Crush : A Moveable Feast @ Tucson Museum of Art

2011-04-05T15:07:00.000-07:00

Come and get it! Hot wine available for tasting. Hot food, too! April 1st, April Fools Day! To paraphrase a little, they say that only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the desert sun. The sun was setting, but the thermometer was not. The plaza of The Tucson Museum of Art was in the 90s at the start and cooled down to 85 or so as the evening wore on. Last time I attended Crush, the temps were perfect, in the low 80s. Once when we were in Britsh Columbia, we commented on the rain to the first native we saw. "Well, it would be British Columbia, if it weren't raining." Commenting to a Tucsonian about the heat, "After all, it's Arizona." I guess I'm still a Northerner at heart. Though I usually do well in the low humidity of the desert with temps up to 93 or so, the red wines did not. They all tasted "hot" with lots of acidity and tannin standing out. In old "English Houses" the room temperature could be 55 Farenheit. Somehow I think the right temporature for reds in 63 degrees. I once tasted Kent Callaghan's Arizona Reds during a January windstorm that brought the winery to about 45 degrees. Kent had a remarkably simple system for bringing the temperature up. Pour the wine in the glass, place the glass in a pitcher of hot water, place the thermometer in the glass, remove the glass from the hot water when the temperature reachs 63 degrees, taste It took me a little while to get the hang of it. My first glass of ultra cold red tasted like liquid sandpaper. No flavor, no nothing, except tannin - purple/black liquid. The next glass at 63 degrees was full of complex black fruit flavors, balanced with gentle velvety tannins giving some backbone. I've learned so much about what a difference temperature makes to the taste of wine in Arizona. Once in a while, I get a glass pour of a perfect Chardonnay at a perfect 55 degrees.. A fresh stream of "stony", "mineral" liquid flows down my gullet and I feel as if I am by a cool stony brook. The heat led us to seek out cool Chardonnay. We found some excellent ones among the multiple food stations scattered around the T.A.M. plaza. In fact, this year, Crush seemed more like a food tasting rather than a wine tasting event. Tucson restaurants were strutting their stuff. Wine shops were strutting their stuff. The food was excellent, the whites refreshing and many of the reds delicious. Look for more about the wine and food at the Crush pARTy in the coming days and weeks.

2010 Unofficial Classification of Washington Wineries

2011-02-14T05:27:00.000-08:00

This is the fifth annual Unofficial Classification of Washington State Wineries. The 2010 Unofficial Classification Of Washington State Wineries represents my personal, perhaps idiosyncratic or eccentric, opinions of the quality of Washington State wineries. Out of more than 700 wineries, there are well over a hundred producing great wine. About half of the wine produced in Washington comes from wineries owned by Chateau Ste. Michelle. The other wineries are mostly small artesanal family enterprises typically producing 2000-3000 cases, in some cases up to 20,000 cases or more. In contrast to other classifications of wine such as the 1855 classification of Bordeaux, the Unofficial Classification of Washington Wineries is not set in stone and changes every year. Since it is retrospective, it does not necessarily predict future rankings, past performance is no guarantee of future results.Wines at the top of the list tend to be special wines for special occasions, whereas wines in the "Cinqieme" group tend to be outstanding values. Exclusion from this classification, in no way represents a commentary on the quality of a winery. In many cases, it may simply mean that I am not familiar enough with the wines or winemaker to form an opinion. On the other hand, not all Washington wines and wineries are great, so only the best that I am familiar with are listed here. Wineries are listed in alphabetical order and not ranked within each category. Wineries are listed as "deferred," if I have reason to believe they are worthy, but haven't tasted enough of their wines recently to form an opinion. There are exciting new wineries added to the classification this year. Pomum, Elsom , and Caderetta to name just a few. Be sure to check through the classification for new additions many of which were suggested by you in your comments last year. This year there are well over 100 classified growths in Washington State. I would be happy to drink wine from any of these wineries and you will be, too.

Premier Grand Cru ( Extraordinary)

Cayuse

Leonetti

Quilceda Creek

Deuxieme Grand Cru (Outstanding)

Andrew Will

Betz

Cadence

DeLille

Januik

Long Shadow

Pepper Bridge

Spring Valley

Troisieme Grand Cru ( Exceptional)

Abeja

Adams Bench

Amaurice

Boudreaux

Brian Carter

Buty

Caderetta

Canon De Sol

Cougar Crest

Doyanne

Elsom

Fall Line

Five Star

Glencorrie

Gorman

Hestia

Hightower

Irlandes

Isenhower

Mark Ryan

Note Bene

O-S

Palouse

Pomum

Pondera

Robert Ramsey

Ross Andrew

Saviah

Sleight Of Hand

Sparkman

Syncline

Trio

Willis Hall

Quatrieme Grand Cru ( Excellent)

426

Adamant

Amavi

Baer

Barrage

Basel Cellars

Beresen

Bergevin Lane

Canoe Ridge

Chatter Creek

Covington

Darby

Davonport

Des Voignes

Desert Wind

Domaine Pouillon

Dusted Valley

Efeste

Flying Trout

Forgeron

Gifford Hirlinger

Guardian

Hedges

Kestrel

Kiona

L'Ecole

Mountain Dome

Nicolas Cole

Northstar

Novelty Hill

Pattterson

Red Sky

Reininger

Seven Hills

Sheridan

Syzygy

Terra Blanca

Tertulia

Three Rivers

Thurston Wolfe

Trust

Tyrus Evan

Vin Du Lac

Walla Walla Vineyards

Walter Dacon

Whitman

William Church

Cinqieme Cru (Best Buys)

14 Hands

Airfield Estates

Apex

Balboa

Boomtown

Barnard Griffin

Chinook

Columbia Crest "Two Vines"

Covington

Dama

Goose Ridge

Gordon Bros

Hogue

Martinez & Martinez

Maryhill

Nelms Road

NXNW

Pavin & Riley

Pine & Post

Red Diamond

Revelry

Ryan Patrick

Sagelands

Saint Laurent

Two Vintners

Waterbrook

Willow Crest

Wines of Substance

Deferred

Agate Field

Andrake

Animale

Cameraderie

Columbia Crest Reserve

Doubleback

Dunham

Ensemble

Glacial Lake Missoula

Gramercy

Grand Reve

Latitude 46 N

Local wine Company

Massett

McKinley Springs

McCrea

Pacific Rim

Parejas

Rulo

Sandidge

Sandhill

Soos Creek

Terra Blanca - Onyx

Two Mountains

Woodward Canyon

Zefina

American Sketches of Spain -Tempranillo

2011-01-28T09:43:00.000-08:00

While Spain may not have successfully transformed its economy, it has radically transformed its wine. Back in the 1970s there was a lot of bad wine in Spain. Of course, there were some wonderful traditional wines with that distinctive smokiness, just perfectly matched to traditional foods such Roast Suckling Pig and Cabrito, Roasted Goat. More than any other European country, Spain has successfully created New World style wines in the Old World. Both Spanish food and wine have lightened up. The wine is younger, fresher, fruitier, and friendlier than those big old towers of smoke.

Tempranillo is the flagship grape of Spain. Originally the main grape in the Rioja region, it has spread throughout the counrtry and around the world. As a result of globalization, Spain adopted American technology such as stainless steel fermentation tanks, and America adopted Tempranillo. We wanted to see the result so we had a comparison tasting of Tempranillo from Spain, Washington, Oregon and California. Five of the wines were tasted single blind with our friends, Hans and Trude, and three were tasted stark naked with our friends Norm and Verni. The results were eye-opening.

Here are the results of the blind tasting ( 1=highest)

Score

1.75    2006 Lan Rioja, Rioja, Spain - about $15 in supermarkets

2.13    2007 Pomum Tinto, Columbia Valley, Wa.- about $30 at the winery

2.37    2007 Opolo Tempranillo, Paso Robles, Ca. - about $30 at the winery

3.13    2009 Temenal, Yecla, Spain - about $4 at Trader Joe's

3.50    2006 Dominio IV "Sketches of Spain", Columbia Gorge, Or.- about $25

So, one could simplistically say that the Rioja was the winner and the Sketches of Spain the loser, but this is not so. There was so much variability among ratings that these are probably not meaningful differences. One of our number was a winemaker who was rating to his prototype of Tempranillo rather than simple hedonistic pleasure. All of the wines were good, but made in different styles. The blow away wine was the "Tinto" from Washington. So Spanish in style, yet fresher, fruitier and rounder than the Lan. Perhaps this should be no surprise as it was made by a winemaker from Spain, Javier Alfonso, a Boeing engineer who lives in Seattle.The Opolo was big, round and fruity, very American, very California. The Dominio had more tannin and seemed to need some more age, though it would be fine now with a roast or stew. The "Joker" or "Ringer", the "Four Buck Tempranillo" from Trader Joe did quite well. It was much rougher with too much tannin and acid, but it, too would go well with food. Don't try this one as a cocktail alone!

Is Tempranillo the next new thing? It may be a little early to tell ( tempranillo means a little early in Spanish), but it definitely is a candidate, especially in Washington. Since the overall quality in this tasting was so high, we thought we would check out a few more wines. We tasted two different vintages of Montobuena Rioja (about $10 at Total Wines), the 07 and 09. The 09 was lighter brighter and more acidic than the 07 which was more structured, more balanced and fuller flavored. We had the the 09 with the salad, the 07 with the Chicken Tagine, and the 06 Abecela Tempranillo, from Rio Vineyard in Southern Oregon, with the appetizer. Abecela was a Northwest pioneer with Tempranillo, but I've always found it to be kind of flat and dry. It did have enough fruit in it for one taster to describe it as being like Merlot. More good Tempranillo!

It looks like Spain has joined its former colonies in the New World, Argentina and Chile, in making high quality wine at reasonable prices. And North America, seems to have taken Tempranillo to a new level of fullness and fruitiness. Is Tempranillo the next new thing? It's a lttle early to tell.

The Caviar Indicator

2011-01-19T13:54:00.000-08:00

Finding decent caviar this past New Year's was quite a trick. Years ago, in the last century, I ruined my palate for caviar by eating several large helpings of Beluga in Turkey and elsewhere at very resonable prices. Let's see, I think it was $7 for two ounces, or was it four, plus a water glass full of ice cold Vodka. I never should have acquired the habit as it has become progressively more costly to the point of being totally beyond reach. As my deceased friend Bill B. used to say, well, at least I had my share.

Still, this doesn't stop me from searching every year. In the current century, the sweet spot for me has been American Sturgeon and Paddlefish caviar, farmed or wild. Of course, I never object to Ikura, or red salmon caviar. This year turned up very little in this middle range. The Romanoff on the supermarket shelf hardly qualifies as caviar. The other available option - Osetra for $100 an ounce and up is equally unworkable! Luckily I coped a jar of wild American Paddlefish for $20 an ounce at trader Joe's early, just before it disappeared for the season.

What's this got to do with wine? First, it appears that people are buying caviar, but not the ultra expensive varieties. So it's like they don't want to spend an arm and a leg, but are willing to spend for good value.
No two buck chuck, but no Opus one either. To put it another way, no Cold Duck, but no Crystal either.
So it appears that under $20 or $30 at the most is the new normal. Sure I saw lots of folks walking off with cases of $45 Mauritson Zin at the barrel tasting in December, but how many wineries can sell at $30 or $45 price points? How many have the magic of Mauritson?

I recently read an interview with the CEO of the company that produces Ugg boots. He figured he was right in the sweet spot between Family Dollar and Tiffany. Similarly Coach offers value luxury that appeals to the new consumer. It seems there are too many wineries trying to sell $45 bottles of wine. I'm sure most of them are conviced that their wine is worth it and in most cases the wines are probably quite good, but why should I fork over $45 for your Merlot, when it is so similar to Joe's and Tom's and Dick's and Harry's.

My advice for the New Year to my winemaking friends? You need an under $20 bottle, good value and some character in your wine that distinguishes it from the rest of the shelf. Happy New Year everyone.Look for the Unofficial Classification of Washington Wines coming soon.

Vintage Matters

2011-01-10T05:54:00.000-08:00

In the matter of vintages, A. Brock complained in a recent comment on "Holiday Gifts I Oregon" that an online company sent him a vintage other than the one advertised on the website. Does this matter? If it were a Bordeaux, it would certainly matter as there is so much variation in the weather of Bordeaux from year to year, although it does appear that Bordeaux is getting warmer. A 2004 St. Estephe is not the same as a 2005. Mother nature is possibly even more fickle in Oregon than in Bordeaux or Burgundy. My son-in-law recently had a 2006 Monte Antico from Italy and loved it. Without thinking I bought him a bottle of 2007 Monte Antico and it wasn't half as good. After tasting the 2007 Quivera Zinfandel, I was so enthralled that I went back to the winery to get some more. Sold out! So I tasted the 2008. It was okay, but nothing compared to the '07. I used an old trick and stopped at the local grocery where I was able to cop three bottles of the 2007. Phwew! So even in sunny California vintage makes a difference. Indeed, vintage matters!.

Dry Creek - The Sequal

2011-01-06T05:41:00.000-08:00

Just out of the chute, off highway 101 on Dry Creek Road the first winery you come to is Wilson winery. Wilson owns a whole stable of wineries, including Mazocco. Our favorites at Wilson are the spectacular 2008 Wilson Family Red, a blend of 43% Zinfandel, 29% Petite Sirah,14% Cabernet Sauvignon,and 14% more back Syrah, and the 2008 Tori Zin grown at 2500 feet, a wine with significant backbone, needing perhaps a few more years of age. Just up the road is Nalle, a family owned winery. Next up, Mauritson,where a Holiday celebration and barrel tasting was in full swing. When I arrived I knew I was about to crash a party as the parking lot was overflowing. The Barrel tasting attracted a large crowd of club memebers and the tasting room was full, too. No wonder! It was obvious that the six generation plus family of grape growers had a winner on their hands. Somebody in the cellar had the magic touch with the family's high qualiity fruit. A long list of winners were going for around $45 a throw. Unfortunately, 2010 was a rough year for Dry Creek Valley, but this is truly one of the wine roads less traveled, truly a find.

OMG The Season Is Upon Us

2010-12-15T05:10:00.000-08:00

Only two weeks to go! What to do? If you live to the Seattle area, you can head down to the South Seattle Artesianal Wineries in the South Park area. You can get oudstanding wines at Cadence, Fall Line, O-S, and Note Bene. At a bit of a distance you can go to Falling Rain ( how apporopriate for Seattle) or Smasne. Across the pond, Lake Washington, that is, head for Woodinville where you can even buy wines all the way from Walla Walla at such tasting rooms as Isenhower, Alder Ridge, Canon De Sol, and Dusted Valley. As I've said before, I've never had a bad wine from Novelty Hill where winemaker Mike Januik also bottles his own outstanding wines under his own label. If you want to go with the big boys, check out the gang of three - Gorman, Sparkman, and Mark Ryan. Across the street check out Efeste. In the same neighborhood you won't be disappointed by Barrage wines. For some peak experiences check out Pomum, Adam's Bench, and Hestia. Finally, at the high end, you can get some great stuff, previously available only to mailing list members, at the DeLille tasting room.

Last minute rush? Can't make it to the wineries? Try Trader Joe's or Costco. I recently picked up a fabulous bottle of 2008 William Fevre Chablis for only twenty bucks at Costco. If you "need" a bottle of Dom Perignon, Costco is the place to buy it for only $120 or so, some odd dollars. At TJ's, try the 2009 Chablis from Jean or was it Jacques, Bourguignon ( a made up name, but good stuff for $8). The 2009 Chateauneuf Du Papes "Valle De La Pierre" is a little rough, more like a Cotes du Rhones, but it will work well with a rich stew and is appropirately priced at $10. For the same price you can pick up a decent Pinot Noir which is as good as Pinots costing $15 -$20 - 2009 Sebastopol Hills. Finally the ultimate Holiday wine, Taylor Fladgate Late Bottled Port, at about $20, is perfect with fruitcake, walnuts, blue cheese and and dessert. Cigar anyone? Happy Holidays.

Holiday Gifts - II Dry Creek Valley

2010-11-30T22:45:00.000-08:00

If you are so lucky as to live in the San Francisco Bay area, in less than two hours you can get to Healdsberg, jumping off point for the Dry Creek Valley, home to some of Sonoma 's best Zinfandel. This would make a fine day trip and a great opportunity to pick up some some outstanding Holiday gifts. Alternatively you can fly into Santa Rosa on Alaska Airlines and check a case of wine for free!

Here are three wineries where you can't lose - Mazzocco, Quivera, and Gustafson. Mazzocco offers Zins from more than half a dozen different vineyards at about $30, each one a little different from the others and all excellent. This is a great opportunity to get a sense of terroir. A selection of Zins from each of six vineyards would make a sensational gift for your wine loving friend or family member and, of course, they will have to invite you to the comparison tasting.

At Quivira there was not a bad one in the bunch. They all got a "swallow", like one star. Of the '07 Zinfandel, '08 Grenache, '07 Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre, '07 Syrah Hommage a Ampuis, and '07 Mourvedre, we liked the Zin the best. It is the quintessential Zin, full of fruit, but not forward and in you face and very drinakable now, even though it has enough soft tannins to age a few years. At $20, it could be your gift for every adult on your list.

Far above Lake Sonoma is almost unmarked Gustafson winery, home to many remarkable wines. The 2008 Estate Mountain Cuvee Zinfandel is a smooth, easy, friendly wine at only $18. The 2006 Mountain Cuvee is the big brother to the '08 but still smooth and balanced. The 2007 Estate Petite Sirah is an amazingly rich "Two Swallow" wine full of spice and dark fruit. The 2007 Estate Zinfandel was our favorite with its big briary flavors and backbone of soft tannin. Delicious now, it will definitely improve with several years of ageing.

Okay, so you don't like Zin, then go to Michel Schlumberger where you will sit down to an elegant tasting of the whole range of varietals. We particularly liked some of the Cabs and thought the fabulously cherry flavored 2007 Mobius Malbec was a steal at $22. Unfortunately, only 25 cases were made.

Lucky you, you get to travel one of the wine roads less traveled and come up with great gifts that will wow your friends at reasonable prices for you.

Holiday Gifts - I Oregon

2010-11-22T05:59:00.000-08:00

If you start now you can order some of the most interesting and delicious wine gifts online. If you wait, you can still get good stuff at your local wine shop, Trader Joe's, Costco, etc, but these are exceptional.. Here are some specific recommendations of some of the best wines I've tasted this year. Some are hard to get, some are expensive, but they are all worth the effort. Some are easier to order and relatively inexpensive, too. Sometimes you can order over the phone or go to the winery directly, but, however you order these wines, do it soon. Just think with a case or two of fabulous wine at good prices your can take care of all your Holiday shopping - no crowds, no Black Friday! In most cases, you can go to the winery website for ordering information.These gift ideas are in no particular order - just a stream of consciousness like a stream of wine flowing into your glass.

Here are the Gene Stein Recommendations from Oregon:

Reds

2006 Anthony Dell Pinot Noir - under $20
2008 Crowley Pinot Noir - about $20
2007 Stevenson-Barrie Pinot Noirs - $30
2008 Libra Pinot Noirs -$20-$35
2007 Dominio Pinot Noir - $28
NV 1789 Pinot Noir - about $35
2007 Panther Creek Winemaker's Cuvee ($25), Verde Vineyards ($25), Freedom Hill ($35), Shea ($35)
2007 Montebruno Pinot Noir - $33
2007 Lazy River Pinot Noir - $33
2007 Wahle Pinot Noir - $45
2007 Brittan Pinot Noir $45
2008 Ken Wright Pimot Noir - Canary Hill & Carter Vineyard - about $60
2008 Ayoub Pinot Noir - $65-$85?
2007 Retour Pinot Noir - $65?

Whites

2009 De Ponte "Melon" -about $20
2008 Westrey Chardonnay - about $20
2009 Bethel Heights Unoaked Chardonnay - $18
2009 Dominio IV Viognier - $22
2009 St Innocent "Vitae Springs" Pinot Gris - $20
2009 Lazy River Pinot Gris

Thanksgiving Wine

2010-11-19T11:40:00.000-08:00

This is really not that complicated. Essentially you can serve any wine you like. However, lighter, whiter, fruitier, even slightly sweeter (semi-dry?) wines go best with Turkey. Among reds, Beaujolais Nouveau, Beaujolais-Villages, and light Pinot Noirs will work better than, say, a big Syrah or Mourvedre. Whites are easier. Any white works - Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, but fruitier wines work best. Avoid really dry whites like Muscadet. Interestingly, though, Isabelle Dutartre, at De Ponte Cellars in the Dundee Hills of the Willamette Valley, makes an amazing American version from the Melon grape (the main grape in Muscadet) that just might be the perfect match with Turkey! Want to try something new? How about Roussanne, Marsanne, Viognier - the three white Rhone Rangers? Riesling and Gewurztraminer are old standbys that are great with Turkey. The all-time classic is Chenin Blanc especially wines from the Loire Valley of France such as Vouvray, Jasnieres, Savannieres. Sparkling Vouvray is festive and relatively inexpensive. Champagne and other sparklers go with everything and are a really good match with Turkey.

Seattle Wine Blog In Top Ten

2010-11-19T11:08:00.000-08:00

Despite the infrequency of posts on this blog, we are ranked in the Top Ten Wine Blogs by Enobytes using Google's rigorous technology. Quality over quantity, folks!

Here are the top ten out of the top one hundred:

1) Vinography
2) Wine Library TV
3) Dr. Vino
4) The Pour
5) Fermentation
6) Sharon's Wine Blog
7) Winecast
8) Seattle Wine Blog
9) The Oregon Wine Blog
10) REthink Wine

Good company, eh?

Oregon Pinot Underground

2010-10-18T05:17:00.000-07:00

This year, it is not only Oregon that is waiting for sunshine, but the Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma, as well. Fortunately, in Dry Creek the grape growers can wait for more sunshine. So far, though, one vintner described it as not only the worst vintage of the decade, but of many decades past. In the Willamette, where we met up with the Toveys on our way home to Seattle, the chances of catching up seemed grim. We will return to Dry Creek, but first I want to tell you about the The Pinot Underground.

If you have the bread it is easy to buy the big names in Oregon, but almost all of us are spending half of what we used to on a bottle of wine. Oregon has a reputation as a place where you can hardly get a bottle of Pinot for under twenty-five dollars and very little else for less than that price, too. But if you hunt and peck, you can find some great wine below that price point. Not everything in the underground is that inexpensive, but it is almost uniformly excellent wine.

Let's start with Panther Creek which is definitely above ground for everyone to see with a tasting room that is open virtually every day. Ken Wright, maker of Oregon's only "cult" wine, started here, but he has since moved on to God -like status at his two wineries in Carlton. His wines can be heavenly and it used to be that you could only obtain them by getting on the mailing list for which there was a long wait. Now for about $360 you can buy the minimum six pack of Pinot at the Tyrus Evan winery where he sells his non-Pinots from other Oregon wine areas such as Walla Walla. When I tasted four of the 2008 Pinots, I most liked the Canary Hill and Carter wines. These wines are not just above ground, they are in the Au Dela, in outer space, sometimes in terms of quality and definitely in terms of price. I you get on the mailing list you will be required to buy two six packs. I think the current mailing list price comes to $55 a bottle. You had better be a nasty banker or stockbroker to afford this one. BTW, Ken's Celilo Chardonnay is a fabulous wine with great minerality for about $30 a bottle and your don't have to fork over for a six pack

Panther Creek, on the other hand, offers vineyard designate wines at $30 to $50 a bottle and you don't have to buy a six pack. Not only that but they are on sale! Winemaker Mike Stevenson and Assistant Winemaker Bill Hanson make a half dozen vineyard designate wines and virtually all of them are superb. The 2007 Winemaker's Cuvee* is medium bodied and quite fruity - an excellent buy at $25 on sale. The 2007 Verde Vineyards* is also on sale at $25, while the Vista Hills*, Freedom Hill*, and Shea Vineyard* are all on sale at $35 and all are one swallow or one star wines, a score of 90 in Parker parlance. These wines have great fruit, bigger than medium body and are sure to please you.

Now, if you really want to go underground ask the very able Kendra if you can cop a few bottles of Stevenson-Barrie Pinot. Winemaker Mike makes this wine under his own label. While you can't taste it in the tasting room, trust me, it's great stuff. The 2007 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir** initially seemed well balanced with a nose of tobacco and leather. Over the course of four days it just kept getting better annd better - round softer, cherry smooth and cool. Initial note - OMG, WOW! The 2007 Freedom Hill** was bigger with an initial nose of smoke and leather. Over four days, the nose evolved into mint, herbs, cedar, and black fruit. This one could age for ten years, while the Shea will probably get better over another four years at the least.

In the same underground den, the other wine making denizen of Panther Creek Cellars, Bill Hanson, offers up four more beauties.The '09 Libra Pinot Gris is very crisp and fresh with a citrus nose and lemon/vanilla flavors. In the Italian Pinot Grigio style, it is the perfect oyster wine for under $20. The 2008 Willamette Pinot Noir** comes from the Eola Amity Hillls AVA and was fermented with the native yeast of the grapes. You might expect a wild thing, but in fact the wine is light and easy with fabulous black cherry fruit. The beautiful color is seductive and leads you right into nose of black cherry, forest and mushrooms. WOW! Definitely a couple of swallows and two stars and only twenty bucks. The 2008 Mystic Vineyard* is also in the Eola Hills. The brilliant garnet color is satisfying in itself. While there is little or no nose, this fairly big wine tastes of cherry, blueberry and plum. It was an amazing match with pate. Another swallow for this one - a great bargain at $25. Finally, 2008 Momtazi Vineyard* - fruit and licorice in the nose, spices, cinnamom, strawberries and cream in the mouth with lots of structure and backbone. This is a keeper if you want one for the cellar though it tastes great right now. Only $35 for such a big wine. BTW, it's biodynamique and sustainable, too.

These are all fabulous wines. Impress your friends with your impeccable taste and ability to cop rare wines at reasonable prices. Screaming Eagle move over. To order Panther Creek, Stevenson-Barrie or Libra wines, call or email, Kendra, Mike or Bill at 503-550-1963 or email Kendra@panthercreekcellars.com. Twitter @panther_creek or Kendra @winesentry.

More Knives, Forks & Stars

2010-10-14T05:09:00.000-07:00

Baci reminded me of other great bistros in wine towns. Artisan in Paso Robles, also saved the day for us after a long hard day. We arrived late and were treated to outstanding food, service, and wine. Our underground winemaker friend, Jacob Toft touted us onto Artisan as one of the few places to taste his excellent Rhone style blends. Artisan is a good place to taste Paso wines including other underground wines. In McMinnville, Oregon, we so miss the old Nick's - a place where you could get fabulous Pinot Noir with only an $8 markup above retail to bring it to the table. We still fondly remember the 2006 Panther Creek wine from Bednarick vineyard - the nuance, the complexity! The new Nick's not bad, but the price list ( oops, slip, I meant wine list) is pricey.The new kid on the block is Thistle. First trip to this funky, sustainable, organic, holistic, biodynamique hole in the wall was fabulous. There, we tasted the amazing Westrey Chardonnay. Second time around, a New York Times review seems to have gone to their heads. While most French chefs can be very accommodating, at a middle level a certain Gallic stubbornness is exhibited - "How would you like your lamb, Messieur? Saignant, merci! Bien, rose, donc. Medium rare! Fine, medium, then! So the Thistle in The Crown or is it The Crown in The Thistle decided that the Hanger Steak should be " bien cuit, that is to say, "well done," perhaps thinking that this version was more like a stew, which it was. Everybody else enjoyed their dinner. Walla Walla - home of wheat, onions, wine, banks, and two great bistros. Although Saffron tends to be crowded and noisy, the small plates are great. Brasserie Four has a simple bistro menu and a great wine selection. Last time around we had a great 2008 Premier Cru Chablis from William Fevre at a very reasonable price. All four venues get one knife and fork and one star.

One Knife & Fork,Three Stars

2010-10-05T06:03:00.000-07:00

This is not a riddle. It was a dream of mine for many years and still is. Back in the days when we were poor students, we used to go to Three Star restaurants in France and look at the lunch menu (the lunch menu was usually much less expensive than dinner). My father once told me that during the potato famine in Ireland, the children got "point," that is, they got to point at the food, but the breadwinner got to eat it. I guess the point is, we got to "look" at the menu. That didn't stop us from deciding what we would have for entree, plat, et dessert or maybe we settled on the "prix fixe" menu. We made note of the cost and proceeded to a One Star restaurant, or as close to that as we could afford, and had lunch at "one-third" the cost. That was back in the days of "France On $5 & $10 A Day" by Frommer who actually went to the restaurants in those days before he got rich. Anyway, we had many wonderful meals and many wonderful house wines that way and figured we saved the difference in cost between three stars and one star which amounted to hundreds of non-inflation adjusted dollars.

This culinary tripping led to the fantasy of the restaurant with the ultimate Michelin rating of one Knife & Fork and Three Stars. To this day, I still prefer the informality of a Bistro, Relais des Routiers, Brasserie or Cafe to the starchiness of white table clothes and waiters dressed up as penguins, though I must admit to having enjoyed some fabulous meals and wine in such settings. I never have realized the fantasy of 1KF&***, though I have found some fabulous 1K&F*, and even a few 1K&F** in France, almost always in the countryside in small towns.

Having dinner at Baci in Healdsberg made me realize that I have found several 1KFs with at least one star in the U.S. With Baci I may actually have scored my first and possibly only 1KF***. After a long hard day in the vineyards, we landed at Baci which initially appeared to be a traditional wood-paneled Italian restaurant behind a very plain exterior. Just reading the wine list was almost enough to revive us. A glass of 2007 Ramazzoti Dry Creek Chardonnay did the trick! The wine is unoaked and fresh with the perfect balance of fruit and stone. My wife was kind enough to share her glass of 2007 Gustafson Estate Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel - big, charming and old-fashioned in a style that is becoming increasingly rare. We loved it!

The Baci wine list is clever and in my experience unique. Baci offers "featured wines by the glass." Baci finds relatively new, small or obscure wineries and features their wines as glass pours and the prices are amazingly reasonable. This benefits everybody - Baci has a great list, the wineries get exposure, and we get to drink great wine at a reasonable price. In addition to Ramazzoti and Gustafson, Ardente from Napa and Mueller from the Russian River were featured wineries. The rest of the extensive wine list covers the waterfront.

The food - OMG! Perfectly prepared Carpaccio - thin, flavorful, melt in your mouth raw beef, shaved Parmigiano, Capers, Lemon, Extra Virgin Olive Oil - to die from, err, I mean "for." Insalate Baci - a perfect and creative chopped salad featuring Romaine, Carrots, Celery, Peppers, Cucumbers, Mushrooms, Italian Parsley, Lemon Balsalmic Vinaigrette. Segundo Piatti - Agnolletti D'Aragosta - Round, Homemade Pasta filled with Lobster,Prosciutto, and Ricotta in a Lobster Cream Sauce - truly to die from - fabulous - truly Michelin three star, Gault- Millau three toques (19), exquisite. Vitello Piccata - The best Veal Piccata I've ever had - for once the veal was not pounded to death and overcooked - actually pink and juicy in the the middle. I wish Shara was my personal chef - dream on...

You must get here before it is "discovered." The locals have already discovered it, now you must (don't forget you can fly directly into Santa Rosa from Seattle on Alaska Air) Check out their website: http://www.bacicafeandwinebar.com where you will find out the secret of this international style restaurant in a little town in Sonoma. How did Gustafson from Minnesota get on the list? Owner Lsibeth Holmesford is from Norway. Chef Shari's family originally hails from Persia and he is a world traveller. Michael, our waiter,originally hails from the Czech Republic, but after 32 years in the U.S. he has not forgotten the European tradition of service - quiet, smooth, attentive, accomodating, impeccable - thank you, Michael! Let's see! Baci! Kisses! The motto? "Vorrei Coprir La Tua Bocca Di Baci, Per Dirti Quanto Mi Piaci" My rough translation - "I would like to cover your mouth with kisses, to tell you how much you please me" Baci's translation - May I cover your lips with kisse to tell you how much I like you" Well, I certainly like you! I think I love you!You guys must have been kissed on the forehead by God. OK, OK, so maybe it's not one knife and fork, maybe it's two. Per que, no!

My Two Days in Healdsberg

2010-09-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

Where the heck is Healdsberg? In Sonoma! OK, I couldn't resist. Around a half dozen wine trails so close to San Francisco. So close, so tempting! Been there, done that, but never to the Dry Creek AVA, just northwest of Healdsberg. I usually find it really easy to get a handle on a new wine area with the help of a wine map published by the local winery or grape growers association. Walla Walla and Paso Robles are two example of associations that publish excellent wine maps. I needed more than a map to track down a decent wine map when we arrived in Healdsberg on Tuesday afternoon. In fact, we didn't get a hold of a decent map until we finally managed to pick one up the next day. I suppose we could have just left the Best Western, gone under the highway, and headed out Dry Creek Road, which is sort of what we did. On Wednesday we got really far out past Lake Sonoma to Gustafson Winery. They weren't even on the map, so we used our other trick for getting a quick read, or is it bead, on a wine region. Ask the winery people. Tasting room staff are almost always knowledgeable about wine, other wineries, and restaurant, and more than willing to help. Johanna at Avore recommended Baci in downtown Healdsberg, so we checked it out. BTW, our third technique? If we see a new winery or one that's not on the map,we check it out.That's how we found Johanna. Baci reminded us of other wonderful restaurants in small wine towns such as the old Nick's in Mc Minnville, Thistle in McMinnville, Artisan in Paso Robles and Brasserie Four and Saffron in Walla Walla. Look for the next post on best restaurants with best wine lists.

A Week In San Francisco

2010-09-13T21:45:00.000-07:00

You might have thought that I would have gone to the French Laundry or Rubicon or Masa or even Boulevard. You might have thought that a trip to the Napa Valley or Sonoma was in order. But this week we stayed chez nous and drank well for so much less.

Carole brought a bottle of 2002 Jacob Toft Elizabeth's Cuvee from Paso Robles - smooth, very California, soft, medium-bodied, fruity, very friendly, a Rhone Blend (55% Syrah, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Zinfandel) that has mellowed into seemlessness. It was great with dishes as light as salmon or as big as roast leg of lamb with lentils. This was purchased from Jacob's mailing list. You probably can still get on this list. This is one of those insider underground wine secrets. Toft works with Stephan Asseo at L'Aventure and has quietly set off on an adventure of his own The wines are priced at about $30 and worth every penny. No need to be on the Screaming Eagle list when you can join Jacob's list. You can also sample Toft's wines at the excellent Artisan restaurant in Paso Robles.

Having recently had a bottle of 2008 William Fevre Chablis in Walla Walla at Brasserie Four which was superb with perfect minerality and flintiness balanced by good fruit and body, I couldn't resist a bottle of 2008 Chablis from "Jacques Bourguignon" at Trader Joe's on Masonic for only eight bucks. I must admit that "Jacques Bourguignon" sounds like a made up name to me, but the label claims he is a negociant in Chablis. The wine is not estate bottled, but so what? For $8, it is a phenomenal bargain with good fruit, body, and balance with just the right hint of citrus in the finish. The style, the shape of the wine, is similar to the Fevre, though no where near as classy. This is almost cheap enough to be an everyday, well almost everyday, wine. It is definitely worth four times the price of Two Buck Chuck Chardonnay and a good sniff of the real thing. Great on it's own, great with grilled halibut or salmon.

My son-in-law discovered 2008 Feudo Franco Stammari Pinot Noir from Sicily. This is one of the many Pinots from worldwide vineyards in such places as Italy, Chile, and France. A number of these are marketed as coming from such well known American names as Fetzer and Beringer, but if you look carefully at the label you will see that they are not actually from Napa or Mendocino. The Stammari had the guts to present itself as what it is - Sicilian Pinot Noir. It must come from a hilly part of Sicily as it is so hot there. Pinot has a reputation as a finicky cool climate grape. The Stammari is big and a little rustic, but actually has real Pinot flavors. At about $10, it is a great "everyday" wine that goes with everything red - pizza, ragu, burgers, stew, steak, you name it!

Pascual Toso Malbec from Argentina scored a "90" from the Wine Spectator a few years ago.The 2008 is super-fruity, super-jammy and totally delicious. We had it before dinner, but, again, this one would go with almost any red dish. Another amazing bargain available at Bevmo, K & L, and Costco for about $10.

I brought a bottle of Willamette Valley 2008 Ken Wright "Canary Hill" Pinot Noir with me from Seattle. It's pricey at about $45 a bottle, but worth every penny. Round, soft and fairly light-bodied with classic sour cherry flavors, it was perfection with BBQed salmon.

What is Madiran? We were first introduced to Madiran by Chef Daguin at his fabulous restaurant in Auch in the heart of Gascony in the 1970s. In those days, these wines were veritable monsters. Made from the black Tannat grape they aged forever and needed a dish such Joues de Toro, or Bull's Cheeks cooked in a rich wine-drenched sauce or daube. Other amazing French wines from the Tannat grape are Cahors and Irouleguy from the Basque country north of Gascony. All of these wines were huge inky monsters to age for twenty or thirty years. Now they have been domesticated and tamed. They are still big, and brawny, but they have less hair on their chests. For most Americans, they are still probably an acquired taste. A good place to start would be the Tannat from Tablas Creek. This American version from Paso Robles is fruitier and friendlier than its French cousins. The 2004 was a big, spectacularly luscious example. The 2006 was lighter, that is medium bodied, but still quite delicious. Oh, yes, the 2000 Chateau Lafitte-Ceston we had with leg of lamb and lentils- truly a perfect wine food pairing. Medium bodied with big rustic flavors, tasting a little old, this was truly a treat. I can't wait to open my bottle of 1990 Chateau Montus. Like Dolcetto from the Piedmont in Italy and Chinon from the Loire Valley in France, these Tannat-based wines are consistently good and very reasonably priced since they are relatively unknown. You ll have to hunt and peck or go to Tablas Creek (you can probably order online) to sample these amazing wines. If you like Syrah and Mourvedre, you'll love Tannat

Thank You Mary

2010-09-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

Thank you Mary for a great evening of food, wine and company - Jim , Judy, Bill and Merry. You are definitely a Rhone Ranger and what a range of Rhone style wines we had. What a great chance to taste Syrah, Mourvedre and blends of other Rhone grapes from Washington and France. The Cairanne and Arbois reds you served from France were definitely food wines. The 2005 Denner Syrah from Paso Robles was bigger and softer, just as you might expect from a California wine. The Reininger Syrah from Washington seemed more subdued, balanced, and refined. Your 2005 Cayuse "Les Cailloux" Syrah that Jim shared with us was a typically big Cayuse red, though a little too cold to be able to taste all the nuances. The 1995 Cornas that Jim shared was the perfect contrast to the Cayuse illustrating the difference between French and American wines. A perfect evening - thanks Mary and thanks Jim for sharing your wine.

Big Bash for the Arts

2010-08-26T22:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, so if you go in for this sort of thing, I hope you didn't spend all your money at The Auction of Washington Wines. I just got my invite to the Big Bash by Poncho scheduled for October 2nd at the Sheraton. Frankly, like most of you, I can't afford the fees, let alone the wines at these big bashs. I stopped attending the Poncho wine auctions several years ago, when the cheapest silent auction item was more than $500. At one time, I used to donate to the Poncho Wine Auction. Don't get me wrong, if you can afford it, these "black tie" events can be a lot of fun and raise money for worthy causes. Frankly, though, I think the best auction and most worthy cause is the wine auction for Farestart which raises money to train the homeless in culinary arts. Not only do they provide training in culinary skills, they offer training in crucial life skills. Eighty and eighty means that 80% graduate and 80% have retained their job one year later. Of course, with these hard times, these figures may have changed. For years, I was on the procurement committee for the Farestart wine auction and donated wine to the cause.

Poncho supports some forty plus arts organizations in the Puget Sound Area - Seattle Opera, Seattle Symphony, Intiman, Seattle Rep - the list goes on all the way to the most important part of the arts at the Fringe. It seems to me that the Arts and the down and out are suffering much more in this economy than those in the health care system and wine education, so while Children's Hospital is a worthy beneficiary of the Auction of Washington Wine, the hospital has had the support of its well organized guilds for years and wine education gets funding one way or another. Frankly these are all just excuses for a big party for rich people anyway. As I said, if you can afford it , it is fun, but in this day of 9% + official unemployment and 17% real unemployment it seems a little obscene. So if you must, I would say, support the Arts which are suffering the most in this economy. Layoffs, furloughs, take backs and unemployment plague our most developed citizens who bring us spiritual elevation, inspiration, and beauty in a world run by heartless politicians and corporations. One hundred sixty-five million dollar bonuses for CEOs who brought this country to its knees, and nothing for creative people who represent the apotheosis of society? Where are our values?

Much as I love all of my winemaking friends around the state, if you've got the bread and the inclination, devote your wealth and energy to the Arts and the homeless, rather than fat cats like Children's Orthopedic and wine education

Love Potion #9

2010-08-09T05:47:00.000-07:00

So I'm sitting there on my favorite bench (quick get away, good breeze and all that) at the Olympic Music Festival and I see these two middle-aged couples smooching away. Then I spy the ostensible cause of all this lovey dovey behavior - a bottle of red hooch, so I says to myself, I gotta find out what dat is. So I goes up to the couple, tells them I'm a wine writer, and ask them what they drinkin' . From the bottle shape I woulda guessed some kinda Napa Cabernet. Got the Cab part right, but one of the guys, Patrick Coleman by name, tells me he made the wine himself and been doing so for some thirty odd years. So he offers me a taste, and it's really good stuff. So is the Syrah. Name of the 200 case unbonded winery is Desperation Ridge. Not sure if that is quiet desperation or the noisy kind. In any event, hey, man why you keeping it to yourself. I know why. Same reason, my expert winemaker friends in Sebastapol, King & Bim don't go public either. They don't want to ruin it! Try to commercialize your passion and you acquire a whole bunch of headaches. Who needs it, especially when you own "homemade" wine doesn't give you a headache.

I'll let you in on a secret. the Olympic Music Festival @ Quilcene is a major wine event, each of eight weekends in July and August. Picnics to the right of us, picnics to the left of us. all the way from a blanket on the lawn to an elaborate over the top baroque/ rococco groaning board elaborately tricked out with damask and colorful wine glasses. I'm tellin' ya, these retirees and retiree wannabes, know how to do it.
Ahh, wine and music, somebody once said, "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture." Well writing about wine is like writing about music - like a Beethoven Symphony, like a Mozart Quintet, like a Chopin Polanaise, like you should get yourself to the Olympic Music Festival. Support the arts, enjoy the arts, drink wine, enjoy wine!

La Grand Tour De Walla Walla

2010-07-21T05:38:00.000-07:00

We started out West on HY 12 at Waterbrook where we tasted a whole bunch of good quality inexpensive wine. We had to double back to Cougar Crest, where all the wines are good, we particularly liked the **2006 Estate Cabernet Franc. We smelled violets, pepper and spice and swallowed twice. We swallowed the *2006 Estate Anniversary Cuvee after getting a whiff of it's mind-blowing nose. The 20% Petit Verdot in the cuvee was to our taste. Both the 2006 Estate Cab with it's real cassis character and the 2005 Estate Syrah with it's blackcurrant merited a swallow each. The highlight for me was the Petit Verdot which is an acquired taste I acquired from the Mike Januik's 2004 Petit Verdot. At Glencorrie, we "swallowed all of the wines, but had trouble swallowing the prices. Charlie Hoppes of Fidelitas fame made the wines at Victor Cruz's Conon de Sol facility, but the wines were much more reserved than Fidelitas, more in the style of Jean Francois's Pepper Bridge wines. Good stuff, but where's the buzz.

To the North at the airport - we visited the "Five Incubators" only to find the WBC bus got there about the same time. No matter, all of the Trio wines were excellent including the Sangio, Zin and I believe a Tempranillo. Diane Slattery and spouse are moving out of the incubator early. They are graduating to a new downtown venue near Forgeron. At Adament, Devin continues to adamantly turn out adamentine gems. About the 2007 Nalin Bordeaux style blend, my notes only say,"WOW - that's awesome." We also "swallowed" the 2006 Red Blend, a great buy at about $20. Devin reminds us of some of the outstanding Boing wine club graduates making wine in the South Park area of Seattle such as Tim Narby at Note Bene. We skipped Buty because we had tasted their excellent reds and whites at Taste Washington

Down south, we tasted Pepper Bridge wines all of which were excellent and very European in style:

**2006 Walla Walla Merlot - black cherry, beautiful and smooth
**2007 Walla Walla Merlot - dirt, earth, big, concentrated, tannic, needs age - delish!
*2006 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon - sooo much black cherry!
2007 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon - "Oh, Man!", smooth but with some tanin,needs a little age
2007 Pepper Bridge Vineyard Blend - Merlot, Cab, Malbec, Petit Verdot - BIG, this is a mouthful
**2007 Seven Hills Blend - Merlot, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc - soft and spicey - Yum!

Totally awesome wines. Don't forget swallows are an immediate response to the taste in the mouth of yours truly, so some of the bigger wines don't have swallows but will be fabulous with time, eventuallythere will be six swallows or would it be twelve or more? We didn't visit so many other worthy wineries in this neck of the woods because of time constraints. However, we were able to taste Isenhower and and Dusted Valley at their Woodinville tasting rooms and you can. too. Lots of "swallows" there, too.

Out East, a few blocks east of Rose on 2nd, that is, we found the two girls from Portland occupying their new digs in a storefront close to Forgeron. Their SuLei wines were even better this year - the 2009 WW Rousanne was light and bright, the 2007 Beet Red was more substantial and bigger, the 2008 WW Roller Girl Red, a Bordeaux style blend of equal parts Cab Franc, Cab Sauv, and and 11% Merlot was a delicious big swallow and a phenomenal bargain at $17. Definitely the the best value in Walla Walla. Roll on girls! Sadly, next door we found Yellow Hawk going out of business, selling their very good wines for a pittance. The Barbera was outstanding as it has been for a long time. At Forgeron, Jesse served up a long list of excellent wines. The *2007 Chardonnay was round soft and light with just a hint of European citrus crispness - definitely one swallow. The 2009 Marsanne was so typique - full, fruity and spicy. Among the reds, the 2005 Merlot was perfectly mellow and easy, the *2006 Cabernet Sauvignon - "a real wine"- lots of pepper, *2005 Syrah -m" I love the nose, a real meat wine, needs two years, 2006 Zinfandel - Kathy says, "My mother would even drink this wine", *NV Walldeaux Smithie - "That's good stuff!" Walldeaux? A hybrid of Walla Walla & Bordeaux and a great value @ $16.

Look for our comments on wines from non-Walla Walla wine regions and our spectacular night on the town.

Walla Walla Dreamin'

2010-07-05T18:30:00.000-07:00

Walla Walla dreamin' - sleep walking down Second or was it Rose or Main Street in the middle of the night, tasting the delicious 2008 WWV Roller Girl Red from SuLei, eating fabulous Burrito Lengue, the tongue Burrito from the Taco Truck, strawberries from Klicker's, possibly the best in Washington - so sweet. Walla Walla, a small banking center for an off-the-beaten-path farm community devoted to raising sweet onions and wheat, was transformed into a wine and food Mecca in less than 20 years by pioneers such as Norm McKibbin who took the chance of converting his apple orchards into two of the best vineyards in the state - Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills. Speaking of sweet, we had a nice chat with Norm at Pepper Bridge winery. He is such an easygoing unassuming guy, just down home and obviously intelligent. He told the story of how he recruited and retained his outstanding winemaker, Jean Francois Pellet. Pellet has really settled in in Walla Walla, building himself a rather large vaguely Swiss looking home right in the middle of the vineyards. It turns out Jean Francois is no conservative Swiis banker type though, but a really cool adventurer who, if I remember correctly, has spent time in the Amazon and the Sahara. Lisa, the wine club manager is no slouch either. She has done her rounds on the race track! So the principals at Pepper Bridge show the same balance of excitement and order found at Cayuse, only on a much lower key. Speaking of low key, Debbie Hanson comes to mind. She and her husband come from long standing Walla Walla farm families and now own vineyards in the "Cailloux" right near Cayuse. In contrast to Christophe at Cayuse, she is an outstanding winemaker, but modest about her accomplishments. Cristophe, on the other hand, is a great winemaker and his own flamboyant self. The Norms and Deborahs and Christophes are the personalities that made Walla Walla what it is today. There are a huge number of excellent winemakers in Walla Walla today. There must be a hundred excellent wineries in Walla Walla. What a great venue for the third annual winebloggers conference #WBC10. For me, the highlights were the wine tasting events - wines from Lake Chelan, Yakima Valley, Red Mountain, Australia, and Spain, even though I really would have preferred a Grand Tasting of Walla Walla wines. Fortunately we drove from Seattle so we were able to create our own Grand Tour of excellent wineries not represented at the conference. To be continued...

Glencorrie - Washington DOT Crime

2010-06-25T23:17:00.000-07:00

Glencorrie produces only 700 cases of wine, but they are some of the best wines in WallaWalla. This has been a well kept secret. Even Walla Wallans don't really know about it. This is great stuff made under the supervision of Charlie Hoppes of Fedelitas fame. What is the crime? The new Hy 12 bypass, totally bypasses Glencorrie and a bunch of other outstanding Walla Walla wineries including Three Rivers, Reininger, and Cougar Crest. So your driving along Hwy. 12 from the Tri-Cities, you stop at Woodward Canyon and L'Ecole and then expect to see the other wonderful wineries west of Walla Walla. Instead you end up on the rnew improved Hwy 12 which by-passes all of the wineries on the old road. The road is blocked at the west end. There are side roads that could lead to the wineries, but no blue Hwy winery signs from the DOT indicating wineries. It is not clear whether the wineries are allowed to put out their own signs on the highway. This is criminal - a taking of private property rights from businesses that contribute to the Walla Walla and Washington State economies. These are some of the best wineries in Walla Walla and the DOT doesn't seem to want you to visit them. What a crime? YOU should make your way to them anyway despite the Department of Transportation. From downtown Walla Walla head toward highway 12 ,but before you get ther turn left onto W. Pine St which is the old highway 12 and just follow it out maybe 5 miles. You won't regret it.

Rare Walla Walla Value Wines

2010-06-24T22:55:00.000-07:00

Well, 78,000 cases isn't exactly rare in Walla Walla, but wines priced at $12 and $15 are. Waterbrook winery produces some of the best values in Walla Walla. The 2008 PInot Gris has a round soft easy style with tropical fruit flavors - a great patio wine @ $12. The 2007 is a good dry quaff with hints of citrus, again for only $12. The reserve 2007 Chardonnay has a great stony, minerality at only $15. The 2009 Sangiovese Rose ($12) has a hint of orange zest in the nose followed by an amazingly dry wine in the mouth. Truly an amazing feat for an American Rose - competes with the best from Provence. The 2007 Riesling($12) at 1.4% sugar has an interesting sweet and sour character and the 2007 Reserve Cab has great black cherry flavors for only $22. Frankly the more expensive wines had little to offer at any price, but Waterbrook is a source of possibly the best values in Walla Walla

Saffron's Top Secret

2010-06-24T22:31:00.000-07:00

No, not the ultra expensive spice, the restaurant in Walla Walla. For our pre-Wine Bloggers' Conference we went to Saffron the hole in the wall vaguely Spanish bistro with raciones and bigger plates beautifully prepared and a very interesting wine list which they apparently consider to be "top secret." When we asked for a copy so we could write about it we were informed that it is against their policy. Vinoterrorism, foodiesocialism, green communism, industrial spying?How to promote a really great wine list? Whatever! Excellent lamb tartare, baby octopus with ganbanzos, excellent roasted bluefish accompanied by 2009 Bleue Maison "Au Contraire" Chardonnay which despite the great name was good enough, but not great. NV Prosecco Brut Ca'Vittoria was good , but not dry enough, like the 2008 Verdejo El Quintanal. 2008Rotie Cellars Syrah/Mourvedre, a good rich fairly big red. Good food, good wine, great service and a weirdly guarded wine list.

Best of Woodinville

2010-06-21T05:12:00.000-07:00

Here is the grand finale of my Woodinville reporting. These are my "bests"
from the wines tasted. Of course, some of my favorite wineries would have turned
in many "bests," too - Hestia, Adam's Bench, Brian Carter, Januik, Novelty Hill, Baer,
DeLille, Gorman, Mark Ryan. Here are "the Bests":

Best Rieslings

Efeste
Pomom

Best White Blend

Isenhower "Snapdragon

Best Grenache

Chatter Creek

Best Sangiovese

Zefina

Best Barbera

Covington

Best Zinfandel

Two Vintners

Best Tempranillo

Pomum "Tinto"

Best Petite Verdot

Gifford Hinrlinger

Best Mourvedre

Robert Ramsay

Best Syrah

Two Vintners
Barrage
Pomum

Best Rhone Style Blend

Airfield "Mustang"

Best Malbec

Elsom

Best Petit Verdot

Gifford Hirlinger

Best Cabernet Franc

Barrage

Best Merlot

Gifford Hirlinger Estate

Best Cabernet Sauvignon

Dusted Valley "Walla Walla"
William Church "Bad Habit"

Best Bordeaux Style Blend

Pondera "Cuvee"
Airfield "Spitfire"
Des Voignes "The Groove"

Best Value Blend

Patterson "Big Daddy"

Best Value

William Church "Bad Habit"

Best Buy

Airfield "Bombshell"

Best Wine Names

Darby "Chaos"
William Church "Bad Habit"

Best Winery

Gifford Hirlinger

Best New Winery

Robert Ramsay

Best Winemaker

Javiar Alfonso

Best of Show

Pomum "Tinto"

Woodinville Passport IV- A Moveable Feast

2010-06-07T05:03:00.000-07:00

Woodinville Passport was a moveable feast. So many outstanding wines, so many great winemakers, so much fun and pleasure. When I "have to" taste a hundred wines or more I always spit, well, almost always. Every once in a while I involuntarily swallow. Really, I can't help it, the wine makes me do it. Sometimes it is just so good that I swallow it. One swallow does not a summmer make, but one swallow tells me how much I love the wine and think it is fabulous. When I write notes I use a three star, or three swallow system. One star wines are wines I swallow, two star wines are wines I wish I could keep swallowing, three star wines are wines where I wish I could swallow the whole thing - slowly. So for me:

*     - Excellent - Gold
**   - Outstanding - Double Gold
*** - Extraordinary - Platinum
+    -   Best Buy + Good Value

There were an amazing number of swallows at Passport this year. Here are my faves organized by rating, but in no particular order within each category.

RED WINES

Under $30

Blends
* 2007 Sparkman "Widerness" ($28)
* 2006 Gifford Hirlinger "Vireo" ($23)
* 2008 Des Voignes "The Groove" ($20)
* 2005 Mathews Red (?)
* 2008 Airfield "Bombshell" ($16) +
* Darby "Chaos" ($28)
* 2007 Davenport " R.H.D." ($24)
* 2007 Davenport "Continuity" ($24)
* NV Woodslake Due Ani ($17)+
* 2007 Robert Ramsay "Mason's Red" ($19)+
* 2007 Two Vintners "Lola" ($25)
** 2007 Elsom "Red" (?)
** 2008 Airfield "Mustang" - Rhone blend ($25)
** 2008 Airfield "Spitfire" ($25)
*** Patterson "Big Daddy" ($18) +

Other Reds
* 2007 Dusted Valley Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon ($28                               * 2007 Elsom Cabernet Sauvignon (?)                         * 2008 William Church "Bad Habit" Cabernet Sauvignon ($17)+
* 2007 Two Vintners Syrah ($21)
* 2007 William Church Syrah ($28)
* 2006 Gifford Hirlinger Estate Merlot ($22)
* 2008 Covington Barbera ($29)
* 2005 Zefina Sangiovese($25)
* 2007 Gifford Hirlinger Petit Verdot ($26)
* 2007 Elsom Malbec (?)
* 2008 Chatter Creek Grenache ($18)+
* 2007 Chatter Creek Malbec ($24)
* 2007 Barrage Cabernet Franc (?)
* 2007 Barrage "Secret Weapon" Syrah (?)
* 2008 Two Vintners Zinfandel ($20)
*** 2007 Pomum "Tinto" Tempranillo ($25)+

Over $30
* 2005 Canon De Sol Meritage (?)
* 2007 Pondera Salon II (?)
* 2007 Des Voignes "Solea" ($30)
* 2007 Irlandes Reserve Syrah ($34)
* 2007 Covington Cabernet Sauvignon ($35)
* 2007 Irlandes Reserve "Karma" ($44)
* 2007 Sparkman "Kingpin" ($56)
** 2007 Pondera "Cuvee" (?)
** 2007 Robert Ramsay Mourvedre ($42)
***2007 Pomum Syrah ($36)
***2007 Robert Ramsay Cabernet Sauvignon ($38)

WHITE WINES

* 2007 Red Sky Semillon ($18)
* 2009 Efeste Riesling ($10)+
* 2008 William Church Viognier ($21)
* 2006 Pomum Riesling ($18)
** 2008 Isenhower "Snapdragon" Roussanne blend ($19)+

ROSE WINES

* 2009 Covington "Josie" Rose ($15)+
* 2009 Patterson Rose ($18)

DESSERT/SWEET WINES

* 2008 Chatter Creek "Dry" Orange Muscat ($18)+
* 2009 Patterson Late Harvest Roussanne ($22)

Truly a movable feast! How sweet it is! These days we need some sweet endings. BTW, Northwest Totem's Late Harvest Viognier is consistently good and another sweet thing. Almost all of the wines that Hestia, Adam's Bench, Novelty Hill and Januik offer up almost always make me want to swallow. You will, too! Almost never a bad wine from these outstanding wineries. You can pretty much count on quality from them and the other wines rated here. The 2007 vintage is profound. You must stock up on these wines. The 2007 vintage was one of the best in Washington and many of these wineries have reduced their prices by about 15%. This year for the first time in a while, I could have used $20 or $25 as a cutting point rather than $30. Twenty dollars is a lot closer to the $14-$15 price point that most consumers use. Why were there so many swallows? Because 2007 was an almost perfect year in a "Perfect Climate," Here you have over 50 recommendations not counting at least another 25 from my top faves - Hestia, Adam's Bench, Novelty Hill and Januik (see Tour Des Favorites - 9/9/09 in the archives). There must be at least another 25 from wineries I didn't get to - DeLille, Betz, Brian Carter, NW Totem, Gorman, Mark Ryan, Darby, Baer, Edmonds, etc,. - so over 100 top wines from over 100 wineries. That's why the annual Wine Bloggers Conference should come to Seattle/Woodinville next year! Here is proof that you don't have to pay an arm and a leg for truly excellent wine. These are special wines. Vintages like this don't come along that often and the wines are affordable. So much pleasure, for relatively little expense. Okay, so maybe it's a little more than twice as much as you usually spend for wine, buy half as much and double your pleasure. I wish the Washington wine commission would pay this shill a commission :) Enjoy!

Woodinville Passport III - Something Old And Something New

2010-05-24T05:34:00.000-07:00

As we mentioned, we skipped a lot of oldies but goodies to make room for some newcomers, but you should not skip them. They are fabulous, reliable and sometimes hard to get - Adam's Bench, Andrew Ross, Betz, Brian Carter, DeLille, Doyenne, Gorman, Mark Ryan, Novelty Hill, and Januik. These wines are so good and so reliable that if you see a bottle grab it or better yet visit these wineries and taste. You will not be disappointed..
Newbies to check out include Elsom, Portrait Cellars, Swede Hill, Tempest Sol, Davenport, Robert Ramsey and Two Vintners made by the winemaker at Covington Cellars under his own label.All of these "new" wineries are producing excellent wine. Elsom, Two Vintners and Robert Ramsey are standouts! Did I leave anybody out?

Woodinville Passport II

2010-05-03T05:20:00.000-07:00

How many cities have over 100 wineries and tasting rooms within their metropolitan areas? Paris? New York? San Francisco? Try Seattle! Seattleites are so used to being able to taste wine at the Tasting Room downtown or heading south a few miles to the South Park industrial zone that they sometimes rebel at the idea of a trip to Woodinville "out in the sticks". Of course, MIcrosofties who work right next door, would tell you it's worth it to drive a mere half an hour to reach some of the best wineries in the world.

This year there were a disproportionate number of outstanding wines to taste and purchase. Is that because 2007 may have been the greatest vintage ever in Washington State or because the wine makers have been honing their skills? Wine in Seattle? Where do they grow the grapes? Not in rainy Seattle? Grapes are trucked over the Cascade Mountains in small lugs for the Puget Sound artisans to make their wine. Recently, the grapes have been followed by Eastern Washington wineries from the AVAs such as the Yakima Valley and Walla Walla. Save three to five hours of driving time by going to Woodinville. As Willie Sutton said, you go where the money is, and as Vladimer Putin said, you do what you have to do. So it was a pleasant surprise to find Brett Isenhower setting up his tasting room for the weekend. Brett's wines are excellent. Some other wonderful interlopers from Eastern Washington include Goose Ridge, Airfield, Alder Ridge, Canon De Sol, Irlandes, and Dusted Valley.

You really should organize your trip to Woodinville geographically, otherwise you will drive yourself crazy driving all over Woodinville and getting lost. Fortunately the vast majority of wineires and tasting rooms are pretty much concentrated in a few areas. In the northern end of town are two warehouse districts full of wineries. North of North Woodinville Way you will find dozens of wineries tucked away in a commercial zone. Enter the zone and you will be barraged with cool wineries such as Barrage, Sparkman, Gorman, and Patterson to name jsut a few. Efeste is an outlier just up the street on the opposite side. BelowWoodinville Way is another "warehouse" district buried in the midst of newly built housing. "Would you run down to the winery, dear, and pick up a bottle of wine for lunch." Here you will find giants such as Hestia, Covington, Pomum, and Chatter Creek. If you not exhausted and anesthetized by now head down to the intersection of 140th Pl NE and NE 144th St. Here you will find most of the refugees from Eastern Washington.

Further south on HY 202 you will find such bright stars as DeLIlle and Betz wineries. Although(they were closed and didn't participate in Passport, they are must taste wineries, as are Januik, Novelty Hill, Brian Carter and Adams Bench which is "out in the stick" less than a mile down NE 146th Pl. Tune in next time (whenever that is!) for some new wineries, some tasting notes, and the Best of Woodinville using my new "three swallow" system.

BTW, you don't have to wait 'til Passport weekend to taste Woodinville wines. Most of the wineries are open weekends and some everyday.

2008 Coteaux Du Languedoc, Picpoul De Pinet, Hugues De Beauvignac

2010-04-25T23:20:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when a friend brought this white from the Languedoc. It is so difficult to find wines from the Southwest of France and they almost always are great values. Langue D'Oc, language of the Occitan, probably antedates the Roman occupation of Gaul. This Picpoul speaks the language of the South of France. Fresh, dry, and fruity with hints of peaches, pears and a hint of lemon. Although frequently recommended as a pairing with oysters, IMHO the Hugues De Beauvignac is not dry enough for such a match. With a profile somewhat similar to a dry Riesling, this is a perfect patio wine or aperatif for those who say "dry", but prefer a little hint of sweetness or at least some fruit ($11-$14)

Woodinville Passport - I

2010-04-17T16:28:00.000-07:00

A Woodinville Passport will transport you for a few hours of paradise whether yours is a rockin' time, a sexy date, or a dreamy smooth red. Don't let your Evil Twin, Bully you into joining the Riff Raff in the Wilderness. Be an Outlaw for a few hours, get in touch with your Dark side, step into the Chaos with your Big Daddy and Barrage your friends with fine wines. Duke it out with your best friend over who is really in the Groove. Enjoy the Continuity and Serendipity of the Final Final wines next week @seattlewineblog.

New Wineries At Taste Washington 2010

2010-04-12T05:30:00.000-07:00

Every year Taste Washington produces a new crop of wineries. Some of these wineries may not be brand new, but they are new to me and of recent vintage. They are listed in alphabetical order:

8 Bit Vintners
Cartel Wine Group
Castillo de Feliciana
CaterinaWinery
El Corazon Winery
Esther Bricques Winery
Fielding Hills Winery
Fontaine Estates Winery
Glencorrie
Jones of Washington
Maison Bleue Winery
Masquerade Winery
Memaloose
Merry Cellars
Naches Hieghts Vineyard
Nodland Cellars
Obelesco Estate
Olson Cellars
Plaza Winery
Portrait Cellars
Rock Meadow Cellars
Severino Cellars
Simply
Sojen Cellars
Southard Winery
Stemelt Creek
Steppe Cellars
Stomani Cellars
Swede Hill Cellars
Stillwater Cellars
TL Cellars
Tranche Cellars
Walla Faces
Whitestone Winery

If I left anyone out, please let me know.

Taste Washingon 2010 - Almost Verbatim & Amost Real-Time

2010-04-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

As usual Taste Washington was a great experience. Over 800 wines from over 200 wineries, just scratch the surface of the Washington wine field. Washington State winemakers have established a tradition of not following tradition and thinking outside the box. They are willing to experiment with anything that works. Washington grapegrowers grow all kinds of varietals including such Rhone varietals as Mourvedre, Counoise, Cinsault.Looking for Tempranillo, Zin or Pinot Noir, look no further. Want an inexpensive everyday wine? How about Boomtown, Revelry, Dama, Balboa, Barnard Griffin, Columbia Crest or Red Diamond. Looking for an "affordable" cult wine ( I know, it's an oxymoron), try Quilceda Creek, Leonetti, Cayuse or Delille's Grand Cru. Or even more affordable and more available - Andrew Will, Pepper Bridge, or CadenceThere are so many outstanding Washington wines, it's a crime to only be able to taste a hundred or so, but given the time available I would have only 10 seconds to taste each wine and travel to the next booth. This time, even though I was tempted into tasting from the first part of the alphabet by such beauties as Buty, Cadence and Caderetta, I did manage to get to the the other end with such wonders as Willis Hall. Unfortunately, there is a big hole in the middle. Again, the section featuring vineyards was fascinating. I tasted DeLille's excellent Harrison Hill and several bottles made by the family that owns Upland vineyard. Since I will be reporting on Woodinville Passport this April and the Third Annual Wine Bloggers conference in Walla Walla this June, I tried to avoid Woodinville and Walla Walla wineries this time around. Although it seemed that attendance was down, quality was up. The 2007 vintage produced many outstanding wines and may well be the best Washington State vintage yet.

This year, I am trying a new approach to my Tasting notes. I recorded my impressions and winemakers' discussions of their wines we will see how it comes out. Of course, later we will have the usual lists of bests and faves and new wineries. This kind of reminds me of the "live" blogging we did at the first wine blogger's conference in Santa Rosa in 2008.

For reasons unknown, Pine and Post came up first.. As usual, the Chardonnay from 2007 is a good quaff at a reasonable price. Ben Smith is so excited about his new vineyard and the amount of control he can exercise over the fruit. This year he had an opportunity to to make a blend with 30-40% Petit Verdot. The 2007 Taptiel was deep and linear, needed some age as usual. The Bel Canto was indeed Belle. - "almost a fruitbomb, but not in your face - beautiful!" 2007 Camerata - 85% Cab S, 15% cab, Fr., 15% merlot.Cadence winemakers Gaye and Ben have exceeded their usual high standards. Great stuff. Buy the 2007s. Speaking of which, right next store, the lovely Virginie Bougue from the Luberon in France, was explicating on her 2007s.. She makes wine in an expansive style which still retains the character of the Northwest - the perfect balance of American fruit and French charcter and backbone. The 2007 Syrah has some Sangio and other things in it - "that is fabulous, it even has a little bit of chocolate in the back, this Syrah is a standout wine.. "Virginie, you are very outgoing." Yes I have a different personality." "Hey, Jeff, how are you?" "All of these wines are spectacular." Premier wines - rhone style blend, like Chateauneuf Du Papes-lots of tannin, Buty- tasted wines made for restaurants such as the Herbfarm and Canlis - outstanding "house" wines....

Recession Reds

2010-02-16T06:59:00.000-08:00

Even though Washington and Wall Street have declared the recession over, the rest of us know that we are still up to our eyeballs in it. As early as the beginning of 2008, Patterson Wine Co. in Woodinville, Washington offered a 2006 Recession Red. Made from Cab grapes sourced from such classy vineyards as Klipsun Vineyards on Red Mountain, they hadn't quite gotten it, pricing it in the $20 vicinity. Along came Recession Wine Company making decent plonk for about $4 according to http://www.splashfood.com/. Most consumers have cut their price point, but not their consumption. If you were paying $10 you've moved down to $5, $7 you're down to $3. one world wide web wag sent around a "hoax" alleging a consumer survey showing that Chateau Traileur Parc was the winning name for Walmart's branded wine, Oak Leaf We recently offered a tasting class of Recession Reds. The rule was no bottle over $5, but wines could be purchased on sale. For under $75, I was able to purchase 14 bottles of wine. The tasters were average consumers who like wine.

The most interesting result was that, for the most part, the wines were not bad, similar in quality, and quality didn't correlate with price. We started with NV Barefoot Pinot Noir from California and there was universal agreement that the wine was unpleasantly acidic.Next we tasted seven low priced Merlots blind.They were:

1) NV Southern Point - Walgreen's - $3
2) NV Charles Shaw - Trader Joe's - $3
3) NV Double Dog Dare - Total - $3
4) NV Oak Creek - CVS - $3.50
5) 2008 Searidge - Safeway - $4
6) 2008 Turning Leaf - CVS - $5
7) 2004 Columbia Crest "Two Vines" - Safeway, $5

There were no statistically significant differences among the wines. There were no really bad wines and no real standouts - just good enough wine for great prices. It was just a matter of personal preference. I preferred the Columbia Crest and the Charles Shaw, but then you might call me a wine snob. Most of the tasters preferred the least expensive wines without knowing the prices.

The same procedure was followed for a tasting of six Cabernet Sauvignons:

1) NV Pacific Peak - Total - $2
2) NV Inglenook, Chile - CVS 1.5 L - $5
3) NV Quail Oak - Safeway -$3
4) NV Double Dog Dare - Total - $3
5) 2009 Charles Shaw - Trader Joe's - $3
6) 2008 Searidge - Safeway - $4

Again, there were no meaningful differences among the average scores. I had a slight preference for the Inglenook.

So, guess what folks, you can get a pretty decent everyday quaff for just a few bucks. So kick back and enjoy while you wait a few more years for the recession to be over. BTW, what do you think Greenspan, Paulson, Geithner, and Ken Lewis are drinking?

2009 Unofficial Classification Of Washington State Wineries

2010-01-25T05:29:00.000-08:00

This is the fourth annual Unofficial Classification of Washington State Wineries. The 2009 Unofficial Classification Of Washington State Wineries represents my personal, perhaps, idiosyncratic or eccentric, opinions of the quality of Washington State wineries. Out of more than 650 wineries, there are at least a hundred producing great wine. About half of the wine produced in Washington comes from wineries owned by Chateau Ste. Michelle. The other 600 some odd wineries are mostly small artisanal family enterprises typically producing 2000-3000 cases, in some cases up to 20,000 cases or more. The AP reports that Washington wineries are increasing their production.The emphasis has been on quality rather than quantity. Let us hope it remains so. In contrast to other classifications of wine such as the 1855 classification of Bordeaux, the Unofficial Classification of Washington Wineries is not set in stone and changes every year. Since it is retrospective, it does not necessarily predict future rankings, past performance is no guarantee of future results.This has been a difficult year with so many people unemployed, retirement funds cut in half, and a housing market that is limping along at best. In general, it appears that most people have lowered the price they are willing to pay for a bottle of wine, but have not cut consumption.Wines at the top of the list be special wines for special occasions, whereas wine in the "Cinqieme" group tend to be outstanding values. Exclusion from this classification, in no way represents a commentary on the quality of a winery. In many cases, it may simply mean that I am not familiar enough with the wines or winemaker to form an opinion. On the other hand , not all Washington wines and wineries are great, so only the best that I am familiar with are listed here. Wineries are listed in alphabetical order and not ranked within each category. Wineries are listed as "deferred", if I have reason to believe they are worthy, but haven't tasted enough of their wines recently.

Premier Grand Cru ( Extraordinary)

Cayuse

Leonetti

Quilceda Creek

Deuxieme Grand Cru (Outstanding)

Andrew Will

Betz

Cadence

DeLille

Januik

Long Shadow

Pepper Bridge

Spring Valley

Troisieme Grand Cru ( Exceptional)

Abeja

Adams Bench

Amaurice

Boudreaux

Brian Carter

Buty

Cougar Crest

Doyanne

Fall Line

Five Star

Gorman

Hestia

Hightower

Isenhower

Mark Ryan

Note Bene

O-S

Palouse

Ross Andrew

Saviah

Sleight Of Hand

Sparkman

Syncline

Trio

Quatrieme Grand Cru ( Excellent)

426

Adamant

Amavi

Baer

Barrage

Basel Cellars

Beresen

Bergevin Lane

Canoe Ridge

Darby

Desert Wind

Dusted Valley

Flying Trout

Forgeron

Gifford Hirlinger

Hedges

Kestrel

Kiona

L'Ecole

Mountain Dome

Nicolas Cole

Northstar

Novelty Hill

Ponum

Red Sky

Reininger

Seven Hills

Sheridan

Syzygy

Terra Blanca

Tertulia

Thurston Wolfe

Three Rivers

Trust

Vin Du Lac

Walla Walla Vineyards

Walter Dacon

Whitman

Willis Hall

Cinqieme Cru ( Very Good)

14 Hands

Airfield Estates

Apex

Balboa

Boomtown

Barnard Griffin

Chinook

Columbia Crest "Two Vines"

Dama

Goose Ridge

Gordon Bros

Hogue

Martinez & Martinez

Maryhill

Nelms Road

Pavin & Riley

Pine & Post

Red Diamond

Revelry

Ryan Patrick

Sagelands

Saint Laurent

Willow Crest

Deferred

Agate Field

Andrake

Animale

Cameraderie

Canon De Sol

Chatter Creek

Columbia Crest Reserve

Dunham

Ensemble

Glacial Lake Missoula

Hedges

Latitude 46 N

Massett

McKinley Springs

McCrea

Parejas

Rulo

Sandidge

Sandhill

Soos Creek

Terra Blanca - Onyx

Two Mountains

Woodwark Canyon

Yellow Hawk

Zefina

Totally Deceptive?

2010-01-19T21:08:00.000-08:00

Totally deceptive? Well, maybe not totally, but seemingly so. Some of us may consider ourselves lucky to have a Total Wines in the neighborhood, though certainly not your local wine shop. Total wines claims the lowest prices, though there is no case discount and prices for many wines such as Bordeaux at $75 and up or Champagne at $30 plus are really not such great bargains. Like Bevmo, Total pushes "direct" purchases which appear to be sweetheart deals of some sort. They certainly don't offer wineries, wholesalers, or consumers any deals when it comes to the real deal like boutique wines from Washington or Oregon.

Total has achieved a certain amount of infamy with a line of wines priced at $1.97 - Two Buck Pacific Peak, if you will. After driving almost an hour to check out Two Buck Peak, I was only able to find a Chard and a Cab buried among other bargain/value wines at $4.99 and $7.99. Prices were not obvious and placed so low that only a miniature poodle could have read them. Why? The boss told us to do it that way.

It was a real treat to find wine from Uruguay. Desaffortunadamente, two different blends in the same space with apparently the same price, but not at checkout. Competitors Costco and Trader Joe's would never display such carelessness or sloppiness or is it deception? Great to have a source of interesting wines and beer, but please, just because you are a big box, don't compete with "too big to fail" banks in apparently deceptive practices.

Best Holiday Wine Gifts For Under Twenty Bucks

2009-12-07T15:17:00.000-08:00

I recently gave a class on Holiday Wine Gifts. We tasted a baker's dozen and I threw in one more for a total of fourteen. I also gave the students a list of Best Holiday Wine Gifts. A gift should be different and special, not some run of the mill everyday wine.A holiday wine should be festive, celebratory, and pair well with holiday fare. Giving can be out of love, caring, obligation, showing off, status, or prestige among other motives. Giving is a social transaction and on certain occasions, such as births, weddings, holidays, takes on an obligatory tone. There is the obligation to give, to receive, and to reciprocate. How many orphan gifts make the rounds of recycling. Is it an insult to give a recycled gift. Gift wine is not just primarily about what is in the bottle. It is about esteem, status and prestige. A gift indebts the receiver, obligating him or her to reciprocate (quick, honey get out another homemade fruitcake) Most of the wines we recommend are widely distributed in the United States.

The most celebratory wine is Champagne or Sparkling wine. Fortunately, Champagne quality is consistently pretty good across the board, so you can almost buy any bubbly and get a decent wine. Remember, Brut is dry, and Extra Dry is sweet. Go Figure! We recommend the
following sparklers at decent prices (with one exception):

CHAMPAGNE

NV Ch. Ste. Michelle Brut - a little softer and sweeter bubbly from Washington - about $10 @ Safeway
NV Freixinet - don't even try to pronounce it (Fresh -ee- ney) - a good dry sparkler from Spain at an excellent price - about $8 @ Safeway
NV Gruet Brut - fabulous sparkler from New Mexico about $15
NV Mtn Dome - another fabulous buy for about $15
Sparkling Dry Vouvray from the Loire Valley - great value, produced in large quantities, but hard to find outside of the Loire Valley - about $5 - $10 @ French supermarches
NV Mumm Brut - Slightly softer, yeasty top notch sparkler from a great French Champagne house made in California about $15 @ Safeway
NV Chandon Brut - a really dry French style sparkling wine made in California by another great French Champagne house - about $12 @ Safeway on sale
Vintage Dom Perignon - Okay, so it isn't under $20, but if you really want to impress the boss, it's only about $120 @ Costco - do not pass go, do not collect $200, go directly to jail or the poor house.

Why pay $30 or more for a Merlot or Bordeaux style blend , when you can find very interesting reds for ten dollars or less. It is difficult to find good Boreadaux in this price range, but since the 2005 vitange is available this makes it easier. Then, of course, you can get off the beaten path with Malbec from Argentina, Carmenere fom Chile and wines fom such unusual grapes as Tannat and PetitVerdot.

UNUSUAL REDS

Red Bordeaux - for whatever reason (value?) Costco has shifted away from Argentinian Malbec to Bordeaux - 2005 Chateau Bois Chantant, 2006 Chateau Bailloux, 2005 Chateau Bel Air, for example, all under $10
Red Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, Columbia Crest Merlot - about $8 @ supermarkets and convenience stores
2008 Maipe Malbec, 2008 Cruz Alta Malbec under $10 @ Total wines
2006 Chapillon "Harmonie", Cataluyud, Aragon, Spain - an interesting blend of Petit Verdot and Tannat by Frenchman Cristophe Chapillon - about$9 @ Costco all under $10

Sweet dessert wines are perfect for the holidays. They complement the desserts, fruitcake, chocolate and nuts so typical during the holidays. Even if you think you don't like sweet wine, you wil enjoy these holiday food pairings and , of course, if you have a sweet tooth, you will be in heaven.

SWEET DESERT WINES

Sherry - Real Tesoro Sherry @ Trader Joe's for $5.50. La Ina orTio Pepe about $15 @ supermarkets
Port - 2006 Evenus Zinfandel Port, Paso Robles, about $10 for 375ml @ Trader Joe's, 2003 Taylor Fladgate Late Bottled Vintage Porto, Portugal -about $20 @ Total
2007 Villa Palatina TBA Ortega, Pfalz, Germany - about $19 @ Trader Joe's
2007 Jackson-Triggs Vidal Icewine, Niagara Peninsula, Canada - about $19 @ Total

These are outstanding gifts at excellent prices You don't need a $165m bonus to share the holiday spirits with family and friends. You're more knowledgeable friends will enjoy cellaring the Bordeaux for a year or two. Everyone will love the Champagne. And everyone will enjoy the sweet wines with dessert, chocolate or nuts. Have a Happy Holiday!

Go For The Gold - I

2009-11-23T05:18:00.000-08:00

After a stay in the hospital with bad food and no wine, I'm Back and Okay. Does a Gold medal equal a 100 point rating? 95 points? 90 points? Does a Gold medal mean anything? Does a 100 point rating mean anything? Does a wine blogger's opinion mean anything? Okay! Enough! Basta! Bob Tovey recently sent along a piece in the L.A.Times by Jerry Hirsch about Robert Hodgson, winemaker and economist who did "An Analysis of the Concordance Among 13 U.S. Wine Competitions," published in the Journal of Wine Economics.

"An analysis of over 4000 wines entered in 13 Wine Competitions shows little concordance among venues in awarding Gold Medals. Of the 2440 wines entered in more than three competitions, 47% received Gold medals, but 84% of these same wines also received no award in another competition. Thus, many wines that are viewed as extraordinarily good in some competitions are viewed as below average at others. An analysis of the number of Gold Medals received in multiple competitions indicates that the probability of winning a Gold Medal at one competition is stochastically independent of the probability of winning a Gold Medal at another competition, indicating that winning a Gold Medal is greatly influenced by chance. (J. Wine Econ., Vol4. Issue 1. Spring 2009, p. 1)"

What does this mean? There is no correlation among scores at different competitions? A Gold Medal winner at one competition doesn't mean much and and is unlikely to win another Gold. Is this a case of " garbage in, garbage out"? Winemakers and wineries seem to believe in and invest in Gold Medals, but apparently wine consumers don't ( Thach, Wine Business Monthly, 2008) . It is understandable that winemakers would seek validation for their efforts. Everybody seeks recognition, but it appears that the consumer may be smarter than the CEOs and marketing types at wineries and wine conglomerates. Of course, most consumers choose a wine based on a pretty label or maybe a wine rating. I used to hope that a medal at least meant that the wine was not bad, because at least a small group of wine tasters liked it but now I wonder.

How does a wine get a Gold Medal and what does it mean? The methodology varies tremendously among wine competitions? At least most competitions are single blind, that is, the tasters are told the varietal they are tasting or the region. Sometimes the name of the specific wine is revealed before the final rating. Usual a flight is tasted by a group of tasters, and while the identity of the wine is unknown they discuss the wine and a certain consensus among a certain number of tasters is required to give an award. Thus, the process becomes politicized and pressure can be brought to bear to award a medal. In fact, it is rumored that judges, who don't award enough medals don't get asked back. Now, it is difficult to taste dozens or hundreds of wines in a day and there is a lot of palate fatigue. So typically, tasters are encouraged to refresh their palates with red meat, olives, cheese and bread. This is all very well, except that most of these victuals enhance the taste of wine. The French have a saying, "Buy on bread, sell on cheese." Why do you think so many wineries offer cheese, salami, etc., in their tasting rooms? Altruism? State law?

Then, there is the question of statistics? Ratings are what mathematicians call ordinal numbers which are not really amenable to the usual calculations done with normal or nominal numbers. Are the ratings reliable? Do raters rate the wines the same way or are they all over the place? How are tasters chosen? By qualifications? By reputation? By who's available? I doubt that most tasters are reliable in the statistical sense. That is, are their rating reproducible and is there any relationship among their ratings? Then there is validity. Even if the tasters are consistent among themselves and each and everyone of them, do their ratings validly relate to anything else like whether you like the wine?

So much for competitions. What about ratings and points? Is 90 better than 89? Is Parker reliable and valid, that is consistent and accurate? Wine Spectator? Others? Tune in!

Wine Spectator Discovers Washington State Values

2009-10-29T17:18:00.000-07:00

It appears that the Wine Spectator (Oct. 15, 2009) has discovered a couple of dozen value wines from the Northwest. Out of 500 wines they recommend only 5% from the Northwest. That's because they missed some of the best ones I mentioned in my 10/14 post "Half Price Wines." They start off with 2007 Substance Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.The 2006 Boomtown Cab Sauv from Dusted Valley gets the accursed "89". Actually you should look for wines with the "89" mark on their heads as there is no statistically meaningful difference between a wine scored "89 and one scored "90" except the price. Eyrie Pinot Gris gets a 90. This is a fairly big Pinot Gris that combines fruity body with some crisp acidity. Pacific Rim Riesling scores an 88, while Hogue Merlot scores an 86. Waterbrook Chardonnay gets an 88. Some of the other wines they recommend, I wouldn't. Seems they missed a wealth of value wines from the Northwest.

The House That Jacob Built

2009-10-29T16:15:00.000-07:00

Jacob Toft is one of those outstanding stealth winemakers who quietly develop their craft under the wings of a great winery or winemaker. Jacob apprenticed himself to Stephan Asseo, the great French winemaker who founded L'Aventure in Paso Robles to pursue his dream of blending Bordeaux grapes and Rhone grapes unfettered by French bureaucracy. Stephan's wines tend to be seemlesly smooth in a dreamy way. Jacob's wines are primarily Rhone style, slightly more rustic and down to earth - two different, but equally delicious styles. I think of the house on the label as representing Jacob's family.of wines.My fave is the 2005 Jacob Toft "Sarah's Cuvee" - deep rich red with a purple edge. The intensely fruity nose leads to a round, soft entry into the mouth followed by a major massive Rhone attack of big fruit, followed by a hint of vanilla and some soft tannin.

The Salacious Dirt in Oregon

2009-10-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

Geologists get together to talk dirt in Portland, Oregon. Once again we are informed that minerals don't go directly from the soil to the wine and that you can't taste the minerals in wine, hence no "minerality." Despite many attempts to make wine tasting seem objective, it remains, and always will remain , a subjective experience and despite Ann Noble's best attempts at a "Tasting Wheel" we are reduced to metaphor when describing taste - no color spectrum here. So what is "minerality" or "stoniness" in a wine? It is a poor attempt to describe a quality with no name. Perhaps it is aniconic, an absence, an absence of fruit?

Then there is the question of "Terroir." Last night I had the good fortune to consume some Foie Gras with a 2001 Chateau Angludet from the village of Margaux. Although terroir usually refers to micro-climate, even on the scale of an entire Appellation or AVA there are differences associated with place. At the simplest level, it appears, for example, that St. Estephe is a little colder and rainier than Margaux, but what gives Margaux it's "elegance." Is it a group delusion? A hallucination? A belief? Cultural? A winemaker's prototype? Does the soil contribute? In any event, wines from different places usually taste different, although I'm sure there are many winemaker's who could, and have, obliterated these differences.

So different places can produce different wines, but do different places produce different Foie Gras? The little tag attached to the "pot" of Foie Gras claimed "terroir." What is terroir in this case? Place? don't think so. Feed? Maybe. Hype? French marketing? Bingo!

Judgement Day?

2009-10-19T05:50:00.000-07:00

Oooooow! Who will be judged? At least Matt Kramer's piece in the Wine Spectator admits that there are wine bloggers in contrast to several years ago when Alder Yarrow in his eminent Vinography blog bemoaned the fact that we were not acknowledged at all in the mainstream media, but it is a back-handed compliment, if it can be called a compliment at all. Essentially, Kramer bemoans the democratization of wine information. He describes "one of the peculiarities of wine discussion on the internet...[as] simultaneously deflating and inflating." He goes on to define the "deflation part...[as] a welcome demolishment of barriers to self-expression....The inflating part is a 'wisdom of crowds' preening about how we know best....The real issue is who gets to be believed." He goes on to describe a tasting group he leads where "over time our individual tasting strengths and weaknesses became unmistakable." That's good ! That's called reliability. "Above all, we knew whose judgment to respect and whose to discount." Again, reliability. "The challenge today for those who wish to acquire credibility is to demonstrate a foundation of knowledge." How does Kramer demonstrate his credibility? By tasting lots of free samples? By going on junkets? By getting paid ads from wineries reviewed? By WSETs, MWs or Master Sommelier credentials? Has he reported his activities to the Federal Trade Commisssion? "Have you published a nice little monogragh on the subject, having visited the zone, talked to the producers, tasted multiple examples from multiple vintages?" Have YOU, Matt, published 'a nice little monograph on the subject."? I remember when you were a fairly decent wine writer for a local Oregon newspaper. You were kind of like a proto-blogger. You had some cred. Now you claim cred because writing for one of the major wine media seems to have gone to your head . "Give us some reason to credit [YOUR] judgement." What's the bottom line? Will print media go the way of the buggy whip?Who will be left standing on judgement day?

Cigar Porn

2009-10-14T05:53:00.000-07:00

The most recent issue of Cigar Aficionado arrived at my doorstep unsolicited. While it wasn't in a plain brown wrapper, it didn't take long to find some soft porn like food porn and I'm not referring to the model on the cover.

"The color is rich amber. The texture is almost viscous as its liquid coats the side of the glass and ever so slowly gives up its legs to gravity.... You flirt with the aroma a bit, prolonging the sweet anticipation and then put spirit to tongue. First comes the mellifluous sweetness...followed by nips of spic[iness]. Then you sense the slightest bite...before the sweetness returns as a hard candy, but much deeper than that...." p. 37, Cigar Aficionado, October 2009

No, we are not talking about Eliott Spitzer's whore, although the prices are almost the same. This is in the " Good Life Guide" to Cognac. This sexy hussy is L'Or de Jean Martell available for only $3600. Some high priced tastes are available for as little as $130. Others can be had for $300 or $400, and you can even take a peek at Remy Martin Louis XIII in a 100 ml bottle for only $200.

You can have your Cognac and eat it, too, or rather smoke with it, too. You could accompany your high-priced libation with a Corona described as "such (a) little cigar", but wouldn't you rather have a Corona Gordas "thought of by some as the perfect size - not too big and not too small." For the more macho man we have the Robusto. You can take your "big smoke" to the Las Vegas weekend at the Venetian the weekend of November 13th. Isn't this a little obscene with millions of people unemployed. Please, sir, can I have another sip? Can you spare a dime? What would Freud say? A cigar is a cigar is a cigar? Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar? How about some Price Albert and E. & J. Gallo Brandy?

Half Price Wines

2009-10-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

Eddie Murphy once had a routine where he kept repeating the word "half" and the audience kept cracking up. When he uttered some more obscene words the audience laughed even louder. While "the worst recession since the depression" is obscene, it is no laughing matter. Restaurants have closed, wine bars have closed, upscale eateries are trying to work off their excessive wine cellars, Deageo sales are down 6%, and wineries are having trouble selling wine over $30. While few have stopped drinking wine (some probably are just getting started), virtually everyone has moved down to half the price of what they paid before. Wines under $15 are doing great. Washington wines are too pricey is a frequent complaint, but it ain't so. It may be true that many of the "boutique" wineries offer most of their wine at over $30, but in fact roughly half the wine in the state is priced under $20.

Under $10

There are a number of wines from Chateau Ste. Michelle which are widely distributed throughout the states. The Riesling, Gewurz, and Pinot Grigio are representative of type and reasonably priced. Here is a list of reliable value wineries in addition to Ste Michelle with fairly wide distribution:

1) Columbia Crest Two Vines - The Merlot and Chardonnay can be had at any gas station in Washington and are usually "on sale" for about $8 at many supermarkets - amazing value.

2) Columbia Crest Grand Estates - these wines see some oak and are good food wines

3) Red Diamond -Another member of the Ste. Michelle portfolio - Outstanding Merlot, Cab, Syrah and Chard for less than $10 at supermarkets

4) Hogue - Excellent dry Chard and pretty good Rieslings of varying sweetness levels - good value at supermarkets

5) Sagelands - less widely distributed, but available in some supermarkets. good stuff

6) Barnard Griffin - excellent Syrah. all good values at State Liquor stores in Washington and some supermarkets

6) Pine and Post - frequently posted off to about $5. Excellent value, especially the Chardonnay

Under $20

These may be a little difficult to find but they are worth it. Check high-end supermarkets and wine shops.

1) Dusted Valley - all "Boomtown" wines

2) Balboa - all regular bottlings - Merlot, Cab Sauv, Syrah

3) Parejas - all of Mark's wines are excellent, especially the Gewurztraminer which is a great value

4) Vin Du Lac - Larry purposely keeps prices down and quality up, especially the whites

5) Eliseo Silva - This is a whole line of outstanding varietals at around $15 - Merlot, Cab Sauv, Syrah, Chardonnay

6) Randall Harris - a very acceptable Merlot at a very good price.

7) Northwest - Bob Deff offers good wines at good prices and you can have them personalized for special events such as a wedding or you can have your own label
( for a fee, of course)

8) Bergevin Lane - Who says Danes can't make wine. Look for Calico Red, Calico White, and Fruitbomb

9) Martinez & Martinez - Make really good, inexpensive wine on purpose. Some winemakers get it that we are not all billionaires.

10) Revelry - Another winery that gets it!

11) Ryan Patrick - Rock Island Red is usually rock solid.

12) Waterbrook - A variety of very good wines at very reasonable prices.

13) Goose Ridge - A whole line of delicious wines at reasonable prices made under the supervision of winemaker Charlie Hoppes.

14) Dunham - Not only is Eric an outstanding artist, but he is very fond of dogs, hence his Three Legged Red and his Four Legged White

15) Hightower - Speaking of dogs, try Murray Cuvee from Hightower way up on Red Mountain. Hint - a dog on the label often suggests a value wine from a good winery.

16) Apex - I've always been fond of Apex Chardonnay when it was made by Brian Carter. Now that the brand is owned by Precept Brands it may not be quite the same.

17) Kiona - Another Red Mountain winery. This one makes a huge variety of wines , almost all excellent, many of which are in our price range.

18) Terra Blanca - Ken Pilgrim's wines are almost always excellent. If you can't afford the flagship Onyx, you can usually find a Terra Blanca Merlot or Cab discounted to around $12 at some supermarkets and Costco.

19) St. Laurent - some lucky dog's gonna get some Lucky White or Lucky Red.

20) Gordon Bros - Jeff Gordon makes a variety of well priced wines that are outstanding values. The Merlot has garnered "90 plus" points and is frequently available at Costco for less than $20.

21) Brian Carter - Brian is a superstar winemaker, yet his Abracadabra blend can be had for about $18 at the winery.

22 Sleight of Hand - Superstar Trey Busch makes two very reasonably priced wines - the Magician Gewurztraminer and the Spellbinder Red - Trey is one of the few to put everyday wines in screwcaps and special wines that need cellaring have corks. Wish other wineries would follow his example.

22) Novelty Hill - Their motto should be "never a bad wine." Superstar Mike Janiuk makes their wines several of which can be had for less than $20. You can even get one or two Januik wines for around twenty at the winery - Januik Red?

23) Saviah - pricey but worth it. The Jack will give a whiff of this quality for under $20.

24) Cayuse - Christophe Baron is a Rock Star winemaker. Try the Rock Star Red for only $19.99. Sorry, just kidding.

25) Mountain Dome - This Spokane winery only makes bubbly. It is dry and yeasty and competes in quality with California and French sparklers in the same price range.
26) Wine of Substance - We end with a science lesson. Have you ever used the periodic table you were forced to study in high school chemistry. Here's your chance
except this time you can taste your chemicals or rather your varietals. Substance wines have names like RE, ME, CH, CS, SY meaning Riesling, Merlot, Chardonnay, etc.,. They are only twenty bucks each and they are excellent. What a great painless way to learn about varietal characteristics.

Not "half" bad - over 30 wineries offering over 100 quality value wines for under twenty bucks. Maybe I should have called this "100 Best Washington Values Under Twenty Dollars.

The Wine Market

2009-10-06T21:48:00.000-07:00

Speaking of investment and billionaires got me to thinking of the wine market as similar to the stock market in some respects. If LFIT, TOUR, MARG, MTON, HAUT, LMHB, & PETR are equivalent to big caps such as GOOG, AAPL, AMZN, FSLR, ISRG, GE, MSFT, then perhaps we should seek out the equivalent of small caps and micro-caps such HEST, ADAM, FALL, CDNC, NOTE, OS, PALU, CAYU, & QUIL. Personally, I would settle for any of them.

2005 Bordeaux For Billionaires

2009-10-06T21:05:00.000-07:00

The 2005 Bordeaux vintage was hyped to the extreme and new billionaires forked over as much as $750 a bottle for a typical First Growth. Back in the good/bad old days when everything was going up and people were spending like crazy, people would pay any price. After all, like real estate, the price of wine could only go higher, so buy it and flip it or hold it as an investment, but for heavens sake don't drink it. Now that people are jobless, afraid of being jobless, underwater, and trying to be retired on 201ks, the market for "investment" wine is in a slump and virtually everyone across the spectrum is paying half or less per bottle than they used to. Last year, I picked up a bottle of 2005 Chateau Segonzac, a Cru Bourgeois from the Premieres Cotes de Blaye at Trader Joe's for around ten bucks. When I opened it a few days ago, I was so pleased by the deep red color and the bouquet overflowing the bottle. In my glass, it had the smell and look of a very good wine. Ah, a real Bordeaux, I thought as I put my lips to the glass. Beautiful black berry fruit hung from a big dark structured wine with lots of tannic backbone. While clearly a case of infanticide (this one needs at least another 3 years of ageing in the bottle to shed its tannins), the wine was delightfully European in style. I thought of some of my friends who are so used to tasting user- friendly, "gout americain", fruit forward wine who would have turned up their nose at so much structure, so much tannin and acid, but for a moment I felt like a billionaire, somebody who had made a rich discovery.

FLASH: 2009 ANOTHER GREAT VINTAGE IN WASHINGTON?

2009-10-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

Another great vintage after the 2007? According to the Washington Wine Commision great weather resulted in an early start to harvest in Washington. Dick Boushay of Boushay Vineyards, one of the oldest in the state, says, "We're probably a week ahead of last year. It looks outstanding. The weather has given us both plenty of sugar and good acidity. Also, the color in the reds is great..." Jim McFerran of Milbrandt Vineyards says, "I look for Cabernet to be the star of the vintage." I'm tellin' ya, It's going to be a feast!

The Gorge II

2009-09-28T06:02:00.000-07:00

We actually visited the Washington side of the Gorge first and we started from the east. Maryhill was the first stop. Perhaps more infamous for rock concerts, Maryhill winery is a destination tourist site. Spectacular views, delicious BBQ and a wide selection of wines invite a picnic. We tasted through almost the entire selection of bottles. The 2007 Gewurz was another classic with tastes of pears & peaches, again, perfectly balanced. The 2005 Sangiovese Classic is indeed a classic Chianti-like version with a smokey, leathery nose and tangy fruit. Close your eyes and you are in Tuscany.The 2006 Syrah Classic was medium to light bodied with the taste of marionberries. The '07 Winemakers Red is light round and fruity with a smokey leathery nose, too. At $14 a bottle it is a great wine for your picnic. The 2006 Zinfandel Reserve with 1.5% residual sugar taste like a light Port. Interesting, but hard to pair with food - blue cheese, maybe. The 2007 Muscat Canelli is sweet and flavorful, but not too sweet - an excellent dessert wine. Overall Maryhill offers something for everybody, even though the average profile is fairly light bodied and fruity. Be sure not to miss the Maryhill Museum nearby. We stopped at Cascade Cliffs where Barbera is the thing - soft fruity and friendly - maybe the best Barbera we've tasted. We also got a sip of Naked Chardonnay from across the river in Hood River. I guess they have a bottle exchange program or something.

On to Syncline winery in Lyle. Following various back roads with the navigational help of Kathy we ended up in sort of a hollow with a house, barn-like structure, various outbuildings and vines growing outback. James & Poppie Mantone were on hand along with two very able pourers and the winery dog. Although most of the grapes are sourced from Horse Heaven Hills and the Columbia Valley, this was a nice setting in which to taste wine. As usual the excellent Mouvedre was sold out. All of the wines were excellent , though the 2007 Syrah was a little disappointing after the 2006. The 2008 Subduction White is a blend of 42% Chardonnay, 30% Roussanne, and 28% Viognier. The 2008 Viognier was pleasingly dry, round, and fruity with a hint of citrus in the finish. The '08 Roussanne had a wonderful hint of walnut in the nose and excellent acid balance. The 2007 Cuvee Elena was the Tovey's fave - a complex, but smooth blend of 70% Grenache, 17% Mourvedre, 9% Carignane, 2% Cinsault, and 2% Syrah leaves only eight varietals to go for the mythical thirteen of Chateauneuf- du- Papes. This time around I preferred the McKinley vineyard designate Syrah over the regular Syrah, but the mindblower was the 2007 Steep Creek blend of 61% Syrah, 24% Grenache & 5% Mourvedre. Steep Creek is big and complex with tastes of cranberry, spice, pepper and nutmeg on an earthy base. Of all the Rhone Rangers, James may be the Lone Ranger himself. Whoa!

James recommended Cor winery, but the tasting room guy was a wiseguy and the wines weren't very good. Turn left onto Canyon Road, right on Lyle Snowdon Road to Domaine Pouillon. Where we tasted a number of excellent wines. We liked the 2007 Blanc du Moulin, a Roussanne/ Viognier Blend, the 2007 Black Dot, a Rhone style red blend and the medium bodied Cab/Syrah blend, but 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Barrel Select 100% Cab knocked our socks off - big spectacular and complex everything you could hope for in a Cab. The proud owners hope it spotlights Columbia Gorge Cab, but in fact the grapes were sourced from the Columbia Valley. Is it Mistral Ranch or McCormick Family or Memeloose? Apparently, Mistral Ranch is owned by the McCormick family who produce Memeloose wine. Did I get it right? No matter! We finally found the winery on its spectacular perch above the Gorge. We talked with the father, but apparently the son makes the wine. The vineyards are on both sides of the river. The wines were good but a little lighter than we like. We particularly liked the Idiot's Grace Cab Franc and the Pinot Noir. To us, this winery represents the current state of the Columbia Gorge and its future - lots of potential. Phelps Creek in Oregon and Syncline in Washington show what can be done.

The Gorge

2009-09-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

Worried about the economy? Don't gorge out, visit the Gorge and relax! The Columbia Gorge AVA is one of several bi-state wine regions on the Oregon/Washington border. Just as there is a tendency to think of the Walla Walla AVA as being in Washington even though some of the best vineyards are in Oregon, there is a similar tendency with the Columbia Gorge except for its proximity to Portland, Oregon. The Gorge is AVA number nine in Washington (followed by numbers ten - Snipes, and eleven - Chelan). The Columbia Gorge AVA stretches some forty miles along the windy Columbia River From White Salmon to Biggs. The wineries are mostly concentrated around Lyle in Washington and around Hood River in Oregon. Driving along I-84 from Portland, you might not even guess that this is a wine region except for an occasional winery sign. The vineyards are most hidden away with the exception of the well established, pioneering Celilo Vineyard. Frankly, the Gorge reminds me of the Yakima Valley in the 1970s. A few wineries clustered in small towns, hidden vineyards, lots of orchids. Orchids are a good sign. Since grapes are fruit, if you can grow other fruit, you usually can grow grapes and you know there is enough water. Bob Morus at Phelps Creek winery tells me that for every mile that you go east through the gorge the rainfall diminishes by one inch. The gorge is an amazing transitional zone from the moist climate of the Cascade Mountains to the dry heat of the desert. You can grow Pinot Noir in Hood River and Zinfandel in the Dalles

The quickest and easiest tour would be from Portland to Hood River. There we visited Cathedral Ridge, Pheasant Valley and Phelps. Naked winery's claim to fame is hot, sexy, fun names like Virgin and Sugar Daddy. Their Chardonnay is pretty good. At Cathedral Ridge Jessica did a great job of serving up the wines. We found most of the wines to be too light in style for our taste. The 2007 Riesling however was classic with just the right balance of acidity and sweetness and a wonderful nose of peaches and flowers. The 2007 Huber Pinot Noir tasted of cherry vanilla pudding but was too tart for my taste. The 2007 Necessity Red is an interesting experiment - a blend of Pinot Noir and Zin. The '06 Syrah was worthy and but the flagship 2006 Rock Star Red was the standout with a great nose and smooth fruit muddled with spices. Pheasant Valley Winery was next in line. We liked the McDuffee Chardonnay and the 2006 Syrah. We found the Tempranillo to be a bit rough and the 2007 Estate Organic Pinot Noir too acidic. Of the three Pinot offerings, we preferred the 2008 Estate Organic Pinot Noir which was fairly light with good cherry flavors. It would be fun to taste this with Pheasant Montmorency.

When we got to Phelps Creek I didn't recognize Bob Morus because he wasn't wearing his hat. I met Bob at Debuts and Discoveries in Seattle last year and asked him how come an Oregon winery was debuting in Seattle. He said he wanted to familiarize Seattle wine drinkers with his wine. Unfortunately for me he had only brought his second line which is quite good, but I didn't get to taste the Phelps Creek. Now finally I got to taste Phelps Creek. Bob took us on a tour of his vineyards which are hidden away up the hill from the tasting room. Talk about "slopes" - rolling hills with near southern exposure and a view of Mount Hood. The truck picked up an arrow shaped piece of gravel and we limped back to the tasting room where we tasted an amazing array of wines. Tom had tasted us on the 2008 "Unoaked" Columbia Gorge Chardonnay - whistle clean, fresh and light, truly a delight from Celilo and Jewitt Creek vineyards. The 2007 Estate Reserve Chardonnay was equally beautiful in a yeasty way. If the Unoaked was a pale blond , then the Reserve was a light brunette. As many of you know, I am not too fond of Riesling and Gewurz, but the 2008 Gewurz was perfect - "OMG, WOW, typical with just the right balance of sugar and acid." The 2007 Celilo Dry Rose was made from Merlot, but dry enough to almost pass as a European model. But wait, there's more!

Move over Willamette Valley! Pinot Noir from the East side of the Cascades! Once you've tasted "Le Petit" Pinot Noir Columbia Gorge 2008, you will never want to drink French Beaujolais again. This baby is made from Pinot rather than the Gamay that is traditional in Beaujolais. The traditional carbonic maceration of 69% of the Pinot grapes produced the most beautiful wine to have with salmon. "Ey, va-va-va-voom" - Light pie cherry, cranberry and strawberry - very fruity light, round and soft - a great quaff! Now on to the bigger guys and gals. "Becky's Cuvee" 2007 is still fairly light with a walnut or Hazel nose. A well known psychoanalyst once sagely said, " A man is a man and 'v'oman is a 'v'oman." Winemaker Peter Rosback made Judith's Cuvee Pinot and Cuvee Alexandrine was made by French winemaker Alexandrine Roy. Boy, are these wines different! The difference between a man and a "v"'v'oman? Not at all! The difference between France and the U.S. Using Oregon grapes Alexandrine managed to make a Pinot that tastes more like a Bourgogne than an Oregon Pinot Noir. With the exception of Richebourg and a few other Burgundies, I almost always prefer Oregon Pinot Noir. My winner? Judith's Cuvee. Altogether an interesting experiment. Phelp is the standout winery on the Oregon side of the river - proof that outstanding wine can be made in the Gorge. Tune in next week for the Washington side of the Gorge.

La Tour Des Favorites En Woodinville

2009-09-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I took some friends on a tour of some my favorite wineries in Woodinville - La Tour des Favorites in total Franglais. They had originally wanted to go to Walla Walla, but not in August, so we saved 250 miles and five hours of driving by visiting Woodinville only half an hour to an hour from anywhere in the greater Seattle area (nothing against Walla Walla which I love). On my list were ten wineries including Ponum, Sparkman, Gorman, Darby, Mark Ryan, Brian Carter, Novelty Hill/Januik, Hestia, Adam's Bench, and Barrage. Unfortunately, we had to limit ourselves to only five wineries and even this was too much. We went to the wineries that responded quickly, offered discounts and waived fees.

We started off at Novelty Hill/Januik where we tasted at least a half a dozen wines including two Chardonnays, Viognier, Syrah, Sangiovese, and Mike Januik's big Red. All the wines were fabulous. "Never a bad one in the bunch." We shared six delicious thin-crust pizzas on the patio with the Sangio. One member of the group said he didn't want to go to the other wineries - he just wanted to stay there on the patio of Novelty Hill. All of the staff were wonderful to us. Special thanks to Diane.

Off to Adam's Bench where winemaker Erica Blue tasted us on two vintages of Reckoning, a bottle of Myth, and the very successful Sangiovese. Fabulous dark, rich wines of substance. Erica is a physician, chemist and wine "alchemist." One of the top new wineries to watch. Get on their mailing list or join their wine club while you still can.

On to Shannon at Hestia where he has expanded his offerings to include a Rose and a Chenin/Viognier blend among other. The Cab and the Syrah were faves of the group. This is another new winery to watch. Sign up, don't wait.

Kevin at Barrage had a groaning board of food that the group fairly lunged at. We were a few hours late and felt we had to move on. The Trifecta is a winner and you can expect a barrage of good wines from this newcomer.

We wrapped at Brian Carter winery. We arrived ten minutes before closing but the good ladies of the tasting room accommodated us pouring Brian's outstanding magical kitchen sink blend called Abracadabra - Poof! Great "everyday" wine followed by L'Etalon Brian's excellent Bordeaux style blend.

The group was amazed at the collection of outstanding wineries hidden away in a warehouse district just slightly north of downtown Woodinville. There are so many other fabulous wineries to visit you could spend days checking them out. BTW, those of you Wine Bloggers coming to Walla Walla next June should plan to arrive in Seattle early and stay a few days. I would be happy to take you around to Seattle's fabulous wineries. As most of you know the grapes are grown in Eastern Washington with the "perfect climate." The grapes are shipped to Seattle in small lugs where Boeing Wine Club grads and former Ch. Ste. Michelle winemakers make some of the best wine in the U.S. Why fly to France or even California, when you can get the best of both right here in Washington (no, The Washington State Wine Commission did not pay me to say that). If any of you would like to tour the wineries of Woodinville, South Seattle Artisans, Vashon wineries, Yakima wineries, the Columbia Gorge, Red Mountain, Walla Walla leave a comment with your email address and I'll get back to you.

Get Zapped!

2009-08-24T05:16:00.000-07:00

Late last month, a posse of Zapatistas rode into town following the Rhone Rangers. Since Zin requires heat, it seems they brought some heat with them. Since many are from places like Paso Robles, they seemed unfazed by the 90s temps that could make Zin grapes appear to grow out of the bottle before your very eyes and the wine bubble, bubble. The posse was only a small cadre of the 300 some odd Zinfandel Advocates and Producers almost all from California. Zin is grown all over California. My favorite region is the Sierra Foothills including the Amador and El Dorado AVAs. Paso Robles produces some excellent Zins and the Russian River area of Sonoma produces the most elegant Zins. If you really want to get down and sin, try Seven Deadly Zins from Lodi.

It really was too hot to enjoy red wine, but it was great to get to taste so many wines in one room. In fact, for a change, it was the right amount of wine in the right amount of time in the right amount of space thanks to the event planning skills of wine impresario David Le Claire. There were many small wineries and most of the biggies you can find on the supermarket shelf. Bogle was there as were Rancho Zabaco, Peachy Canyon, Four Vines and Ravenswood. At the higher end Rosenblum and Ridge were represented as well as Opolo, Renwood and Sobon. Among smaller wineries were Hendry, Proulx, and Quivera.

Virtually all of the wines were good - not a bad one in the bunch, but there were very few standout wines. The good thing is, with that kind of consistency, you can almost buy any Zin and have a good quaff. The bad thing is the really exciting wines are reserve and vineyard designate wines that are pricey. Some of the best wines were made in small quantities by big wineries and mostly available only at the winery. I keep telling you the best way to to buy wine is to taste it at the winery and bring it home with you in your air-conditioned car. Happily, very few wines were big and jammy and in-your-face. Almost all the wines had a consumer friendly profile of good fruit with a hint of "sweet" feel in a light to medium bodied style. My bias is toward big brambly Zin with "garrigue" and enough tannin to stand up to any roast, stew, or steak. Many of the wines I tasted seemed more suitable for Pizza, burgers or a picnic. Not too long ago, Sobon Reserve or Renwood Grandpere fit the bill. Now they seem like big brothers to their more common sibs.

Something was missing? My favorite Zin profile, yes, but also, where was the Washington State Zin? Yes, Washington State Zin! Washington winemakers and grapegrowers are adventuresome, on the edge, experimenters. You can get almost any grape you want in Washington, even Pinot Noir. Among others, Paul Portteus grows Zin, makes Zin, and sells Zin to others. From California Turley Zins were absent, although I must admit that I prefer her Petit Sirah. Maybe I'm just a crotchety old Grandpere, but I expect more character from 90 year old vines. On the other hand, if you are having pizza, burgers or a picnic, you can pretty much grab a Zin off the shelf and count on a good quaff.

Picnic In The Rain

2009-08-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

What better way to launch the 2009 Auction of Washington Wine than in a partly cloudy partly rainy field outside Chateau Ste Michelle. Eric Dunham's beautiful Starry Starry Night painting didn't quite capture the scene. Falling Rain Cellars did. But Northwesterners have webbed feet and the staff were prepared so most of the event got moved under the at-the-ready big white tent. The evening seemed subdued between the weather and the economy, but the wine and food were great. I ran into lots of friends - Mary McWilliams and Bill Getz to name just two and lots of winemakers, Trey Busch, Chris Sparkman, Marty Clubb, Brian Carter, and Kevin Correll of Barrage Cellars.

There were all the usual fun events - ring toss, etc and you could bid on a barrel of wine. The winemakers who had donated barrels offered tastes of the wines in the barrel. There was a silent auction and best of all the opportunity to taste lots of wine. The wines were organized by varietal. The varietal tables were fun because you could compare and contrast, say, all the Rieslings.

I arrived early, so they wouldn't let me in. I hadn't tasted Ste. Michelle wines in a while so I went into the tasting room where I was lucky enough to meet the very fair and able Bridgette who provided me with a private tasting of Cold Creek Vineyard designate wines all of which were excellent. The 2007 Cold Creek Vineyard Chardonnay was just as good as usual with that wonderfully European minerality that I love so much. The 2006 Cold Creek Vineyard Merlot was smooth and soft with great berry fruit. Friendly and easy, but still interesting. The 2006 Cold Creek Cabernet Sauvignon was soft round and fruity, too, with good cherry vanilla flavors.The 2005 Col Solare was like a pillowtop mattress, soft on the top with a firm underpinning. The 2006 Ice Wine Chenin Blanc smelled of honeysuckle and was intensely sweet, but not cloying and annoying. And Lagniappe was the current bottling of the Eroica Riesling which was open because the good Doctor Loosen was in the house and Bridget copped me a taste. Thanks, Bridget. What a great way to get off the ground.

I checked out the food tents and immediately realized there would be lots of good fare that I could eat. A good part of the Washington wine industry donated wine, so there were dozens of each varietal to taste. After tasting through virtually all of the Rieslings the Gilbert stood out as just right for - full of flavor, but dry and crisp - perfect. Riesling is soooo much a matter of taste, of sugar really, it's all about how sweet you like your wine. Among straight Merlots, Barrage Trifecta was the winner. Among whites in general, the Roussanne /Viognier blend from new winey Tranche was a winner. As usual, all of the Syncline wines were wonderful. Mark Ryan's Deadhorse was a killer wine.Elsom Red was , good and Falling Rain winemaker, Judith Papeesh was full of Mischief blending a brew of Merlot Cab Sauv and Malbec. Here come the bests:

Best Reisling - Gilbert

Best White - Tranche Roussanne/Viognier

Best Syrah - Syncline

Best Merlot - Barrage Trifecta

Best Rhone Style Blend - Syncline Cuvee Elena

Best Bordeaux Style Blend - Falling Rain Mischief

Best Winery Name - Falling Rain

Best New Winery Name - Tranche

Best New Winery - Elsom

Best Of Show - Nicolas Cole Dauphine

Slouching Toward Intiman

2009-08-12T09:11:00.000-07:00

Joan Didion, Goddess of the Santa Ana winds, describes her agony of grief at the sudden loss of her significant other in The Year Of Magical Thinking. Ease the pain, in the true tradition of an Irish wake, a little of the old whiskey, well, in this case wine at the Wine Wednesday wake for Didion's spouse on Wednesday, September the 9th at 6:30 p.m.. Okay, so you are already bummed out enough. Think about it, that's where we are all going. Slouching toward the grave. "Et Satan conduit le bal, conduit le bal." Get out of denial, face reality or try some "Magical Thinking" with Didion and wash it down with some wine from Maryhill Vineyard. That's where I'm gong on the ninth. See you there!

Go South Young Women!

2009-08-12T09:06:00.000-07:00

Now, y'all listen here. These two girls from Portland actually went east to be where the boys go. The good ol'boys have known for some time now that some of the best vineyards are down south Oregon way. That's why the Walla Walla AVA is a bi-state grape growing region, that's "bi" as in bi-state. Anyway, winemaker Tanya Woodley and manager Elaine Jomwe founded SuLei Cellars just off state line road. They are truly garagistes, having converted a garage into a winery. We tasted three of their wines. The fine rose is sold old. The 2008 Roussanne was a little too leesy for us but tasty never the less. The 2007 Beet Red blend will make you turn red with pleasure - a good buy at $20.

Farther south down in Oregon, you will find Zerba Cellars as you approach Milton Freewater from the stateline. Though they grow their own grapes, most of the wine is made from grapes sourced from Washington.The Wild Z Red Table wine is still a wild thing. A fabulous red for the price 9$20), it is a curious melange of Merlot, Cab Sauv, Syrah and Petit Verdot.The 2006 Sangio was our favorite - round soft fruity and friendly, rounded out with a little Syrah. We also loved the Merlot and the Malbec. All the dry whites were good buys at less than $20 per bottle. The NV Wild White is a blend of Chardonnay, Viognier, Semillon, and Roussanne a little to fruity for my taste but a wine that you might love if you are a Riesling drinker. And if you like really sweet dessert wines , you are in luck. The 2008 Semillon Ice Wine is bronze in color (like a well aged Sauternes) with fabulous nose and taste of peaches and hazelnuts. Zerba has pretty much figured it out. Virtually all of their wines are very good and many of them are priced under $20.

Tune in for more Walla Walla South II...

Go East Young Woman - II

2009-07-20T06:39:00.000-07:00

Winemaker Anna Schafer and her family migrated east from the Seattle area to found aMaurice winery out on Mill Creek Road near the excellent Abeja winery. We ran into her father Tom who was pouring the libations in the tasting room. Tom told us what an emotional experience it was to finally make wine from their very own estate grown grapes. The 2006 Chardonnay was round, fruity and balanced, but lacked that incredible stoniness and minerality of the first Chardonnay bottling. The 2006 Syrah is somewhat schizophrenic in style. Perhaps this is because of its parentage with grapes coming from Lewis and Boushay vineyards. It appears there is a step-father involved, too, 15% Grenache from Minnick Vineyard. This androgenous combination is smooth on the one hand and a little rough on the other. It will be interesting to see how it evolves. The 2006 Malbec is a beauty with a deep rich color and and great fruit. The 2006 Red Blend, named after artist Tsutakawa is a masterpiece - a totally awesome blend of the cinq cepages of Bordeaux - Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Frnac, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

Just up the hill is Walla Walla Vintners a consistent producer of reliable wines. The wines seem to be a little more tame than in the past. The Cab Franc used to be my fave, but this time around the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard Select took the prize. The '07 Sangio blended with 14% Syrah and 9% Malbec was not bad either.

Even farther east is Spring Valley Vineyard, but they apparently have decided that they are too far out, so they have opened a tasting room right in downtown next to Trey Busch's Sleight of Hand winery. Spring Valley manages to turn out more than 5,000 cases of wine and still maintain consistently excellent quality. Uriah is usually my favorite from this winery, but this time it was surpassed by the deep dark, purple 2006 Frederick, a blend of the Bordeaux five. The 2006 Muleskinner, 100% Merlot, had a slightly too acid finish for my taste and the 2006 Nina Lee left me unmoved as it usually does.The 2006 Derby, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon,had a wonderful nose with round berry fruit flavors - delish. Winemaker Serge Laville makes fabulous wines, but one wonders how Spring Valley will sell five thousand cases at a $50 price point.

Back at the airport, we visited a French Chateau. Le Chateau Winery has a very impressive "Trompe d'Oeil", faux facade spread over a particularly long wall of an airport building. What fun! Unforunately, the winemaker seems to have achieved the same effect with his wines. With chateau level prices, they just don't seem worth it. The 2007 Castle White, a Sauvignon Blanc /Semillon blend was not bad. The 06 Sangiovese had a green quality I found unappealing. The 2005 Castle Red was not really fit for a king with it's hot finish. One questions the provenance of the 2006 Red Masterpiece. Was it really a Titian or just a copy. The giveaway? A hot finish. I don't believe these are remediable defects that will go away with ageing - too much acid and astringent tannins. The whole facade is enough to make you believe that the Emperor is wearing clothes, but is he? Well, yes, in one instance. The 2006 Cabernet Franc was well balanced with good fruit. This time Cab Franc was King instead of Cab Sauv.

We ended our trip East with a stop at Sygygy where Zack, a fellow New Yorker, still has all his astray bodies lined up in a straight line even though he no longer sell the thongs to put on those bodies. The three reds we tasted were all excellent with good fruit and lively interesting flavor profiles. The 2006 Columbia Valley Red, a blend of 56% Syrah, 20% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Malbec was very smooth , friendly, interesting and a good value at $24.

Next up we go south to visit some old friends and two girls from Portland.

Wine Wednesdays At Intiman

2009-07-19T16:17:00.000-07:00

I got an invite from fellow blogger, Lisa Halpern inviting me to experience Wine Wednesdays at Intiman this Wednesday the 22nd. I couldn't go, but you can! I get to go to the next one on September 9th - The Year Of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. You can beat me to it! Don't miss the held over New York-acclaimed production of Othello and for a mere fifteen bucks extra you get to taste four wines from Washington winery Maryhill and hors d'oeuvres from Center House Bistro. You can probably make a pre-theatre meal of it. I 've always said that wine and the arts go together. Taste the art of the playwright and the winemaker in the same evening. To get tickets call 206-269-1900. Plan to arrive at 6:30. Let me know what you think.

Go East Young Man - I

2009-07-15T05:22:00.000-07:00

Where did all those wineries west of Walla Walla come from. They came from the incubator, No, I'm not saying they are chickens. I'm saying some of them came from the "incubator" at the Walla Walla airport. The Port of Walla Walla has been offering space to new wineries for quite some time. Just east of where commercial flights actually land, most of the Quonset huts have been occupied by pioneering new winemakers. This is very convenient as you can get off a Horizon flight from Seattle in the morning head over to the wineries and fly back the same evening, but why wouldn't you want to linger to check out the more than one hundred wineries in Walla Walla. Recently, the Port decided to build a special new incubator putting up five new attractive wineries facing an open field at the end of the Quonset huts. Who are the special five? Cavu, Adamantine, Lodmell, Trio, and Kontos clockwise in the semicircle. The quality varies, but the spirit doesn't.

Cavu Cellars, as distinguished from Cavu Winery, a start up in California, appears to be a father/son operation. The '08 SB is balanced and well made, the '06 Horizon a blend of Cab Sauv juiced up with 7% Petite Verdot is fairly big and dynamic. The Barbera will not be released until August 2009. It is deep and dark, definitely a food wine, nowhere near as rough as some of the Italian versions can be - very appealing. The Cab Sauv will be released in 2010. The fruit comes from the Les Collines Vineyard in the Blue Mountain foothills. It's a real winner.

Adamant has lost its baby fat and is now a healthy two year old. It has become even more shapely and Adamant wines are selling out like hotcakes. I seem to have lost my notes on the wines, but trust me, you can't go wrong with one of Devin's wines. Devin's wife Deborah is a very talented artist. It appears they are both artists. Last year I said this was a winery to watch. You had better get on their mailing list.

Lodmell Cellars offered three wines - a balanced 2006 Sauv Blanc, a round strawberry-rhubarb flavored Rose, and a deep dark squid's ink 2006 Syrah with fruity, round ripe flavors and hints of spice, everything a Syrah should be.

Trio Vintners was founded by three winemakers who somehow seem to cooperate. This the best new kid on the block. We were introduced to Trio by our friend Mary who brought us a bottle of the 2006 Mourvedre - an authentic wine that reminded us of the Rhone and the south of France. All the other wines we tasted were of high quality. The 2007 Riesling was classic with striking peach flavors. The 2007 Rose was sweet tasting and pretty.The 2006 Sangiovese was round soft and very appealing. The 2006 Zinfandel was round and fruity. Altogether a winery to watch.

Kontos at two o'clock on the semi-circle offered four wines. Our favorite was the 2006 Boushay Syrah. Boushay Syrah is almost always more elegant and refined than most other Washington Syrah.

There are many more wineries at the airport. Eric Dunham, for example, has just not not been able to tear himself away. Next time we will visit other airport wineries including a chateau and then drive out east to aMaurice and a few others.

The World Is My Oyster

2009-07-10T06:50:00.000-07:00

Living in Washington state, we are so fortunate to have such an abundance of fresh seafood, especially oysters. Once again the Taylor Shellfish Company announced the results of its annual Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Awards and, guess what, five out of ten wines were from Washington
and roughly two thirds of the judges were from California, San Francisco and L. A. to be specific. One hundred thirty-two wines were submitted, so one out of thirteen winners is not a bad ratio. The Taylor Shellfish Company itself is a winner with it's Totten Oysters and Kumomotos. The poor judges had to suffer only having Kumomotos to taste with the wine. Here are the 2009 Washington State winners.

2008 Airfield Estates Thunderbolt Sauvignon Blanc

2007 Cedargreen Sauvignon Blanc

2008 Ch. Ste. Michelle Pinot Gris

2007 Covey Run Pinot Grigio

2008 Hogue Pinot Grigio

What is an oyster wine? It seems that dry crisp, tart whites go best with the briny little bundles of flavor. That's probably why even California judges preferred the Washington State wines. With longer days, and less sunshine, it is easier to produce dry, crisp wines in Washington than in the sunshine state. We are talking here about raw oysters, an acquired taste for many of us, but worth acquiring. I think that a wider variety of white wines go with cooked oysters such as Oysters Rockefeller. Red wines with oysters seem to yield an unpleasant metallic taste. The good thing is both the Ch. Ste. Michelle and the Hogue wines are widely distributed around the U.S. and may even be available overseas. The bad thing is that they are not dry enough for my taste. Just to show that I am not a chauvinist, my favorite oyster wines come from France, Italy and Spain. Muscadet and Entre-Deux-Mers are my faves from from France. They are Sauvignon based and generally of good quality. Wines made from the Albarino grape in northwest Spain are also perfect with oysters, and the "real" original Pinot Griglio from Italy works well, too. The widely distributed Bella Serra Pinot Grigio is searingly dry for those who want something to rough up that oyster. BTW, as most of you know, Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio are that same grape, although I think I've noticed that wines named Pinot Gris are less dry. As always you can drink anything you like with oysters. Buty or Amaurice Chardonnay are not bad with Kumomotos, for example. My favorite oysters, apart from Kumomotos, are our local Quilcenes, pleasure in a shell.

Jasnieres On Vashon

2009-07-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

July 4th we had a great time with Maxine and Al. We started by visiting one of our favorite wineries - Palouse. Linda tasted us down the entire list starting with the '07 Viognier, an appealing wine with a hint of butterscotch added to the profile. Great with summer fare, fish and seafood. The '07 Riesling is classic off dry with a little more body than typical and the usual suspects in the flavor profile. The "Dynamique" name for the Cab Franc is clever pun combining the names of the two vineyards, Dineen & Meek from which the grapes were sourced.
Unfortunately, this bottle had a hint of that "prune" quality in the nose - a tip-off that the bottle has been open too long, but in the mouth there was good fruit accompanied by a hint of tobacco and chili pepper. The '05 Eclipse was it's usual good self, full of beautiful fruit. The '06 Solitaire was a little too bright for my taste, but good nevertheless. The "06 Ahh Syrah is sourced from three Yakima Valley vineyards - Portteus, Dineen, and Meek. One sip of this deep dark beauty will evoke oohs and ahhs. Although deep in color and big in the mouth, this is no monster, having that certain smoothness associated with Yakima Syrah. The 06' Cab Sauv is Linda's fave. She sure got it right! It's our fave, too! Sourced from Dineen Vineyard it another deep dark beauty full of exciting black fruit. With these two, George more than achieved his goal of "smooth, round and voluptuous." The '06 and '05 "Black Pearl" Petite Sirah are excellent, too, George's favorites, but they suffer by comparison with the outstanding 2004 Black Pearl. I guess Linda wins this round. The 100% Cabernet Sauvignon seems to be this year's winner.

What about Jasnieres, you say? What is Jasnieres? What's Jasnieres got to do with Vashon? What's the rolling hills of the Palouse got to do with Vashon, for that matter? Instead of checking out other wineries, we went to Vashon Thriftway which has a spectacular wine selection. This destination supermarket is worth a trip to the island, just to check out the wine. Of course, you might want to take your bike, too. Then you will save almost enough on the ferry fare to buy a bottle of Jasnieres at Thriftway. Since the 2006 Jasnieres from Pascal Janvier is a Kermit Lynch Selection distrubuted in the Seattle area, you can probably find it without the ferry trip. How fortunate, though to find it on Vashon. It was perfect with the beautiful salmon dinner Maxine prepared.

Ever since tasting Jasnieres at the font, at the Hermetagerie, near Grand Luce, in the Loire Valley, I have been searching despairingly for it in the states, and while the Jasnieres by Janviers isn't exactly Jasnieres by Gigou, the best IMHO, it is still quite wonderful. Made from the Chenin Blanc grape, it is so much drier than its more famous and flabbier cousin, Vouvray. The unusual combination of fruitiness and dryness is fascinating by itself and perfect with salmon. The Janviers finishes with just a hint of citrus which picks it up and will pick you up on a summer afternoon.

What ever happened to the rest of Walla Walla? Look for posts on the airport, the stateline area and others. Look for Back To The Future - Paso Robles, Foxen Road etc., in coming posts.

My Dinner With Catie

2009-07-01T06:05:00.000-07:00

Dear Catie,

Thank you so much for a wonderful dinner at Brasserie Four. It was so good to see you. As usual, the conversation was great, the food was delish, and the wine interesting. Better to be at a simple bistro, than a pretentious wannabe like 26 Brix. You seemed to love your Croque Madame and although I craved the Duck pizza, it was not to be. The salad Nicoise was excellent although with my carb fears, there were too many potatoes. The Spanish Barbadillo was such an excellent dry white, and so inexpensive. At first I thought I was hallucinating, back at the old Nick's in McMinnville where wines were marked up only $8. Imagine - an $8 corkage fee. Well, Bistro Four actually seems to have reasonable prices and if you purchase to take home, you get ten per cent off, so , in effect, a ten percent corkage or markup in the restaurant - very reasonable! The service by Nathaniel was great, and while the menu is somewhat limited, this is a great place to eat at reasonable prices, don't you think? Christophe tells me that the owner is a single mom. She bought the place from the owner of Grapefields which was the previous incarnation of this venue where she had been chef. Great to see such entrepreneurship and guts, yes?

So, despite the good wine and food, the most interesting thing was our discussion of the next venue for the third annual Wine Bloggers Conference. This year is a repeat of Sonoma. Much as I would like to see my wine blogger friends, a return to the same old venue seems boring and why would I want to leave Seattle at the end of July which is the perfect time to be here. So you told me that there seems to be some sort of contest between Walla Walla and Woodinville for next years conference. I have to say, that, while there are excellent wineries in Woodinville , this would be a very limited sampling of Washington State wines and I don't actually know of a venue that can support a conference of 200 some odd participants in Woodinville, other than the Willows Lodge, but I don't believe they have the accommodations for 200 participants. Limiting the tastings to Woodinville would be a shame since that would exclude Quilceda, the South Seattle Artisan group, Yakima, Red Mountain and Walla Walla to say nothing of Snipes, Horse Heaven Hills, the Gorge, and Lake Chelan.

My first intro to Walla Walla was a Society of Wine Educators conference held at the Hilton in Bellevue, but there was a pre-conference trip to Tri-Cities and Walla Walla that was great. I think the best plan would be similar. A Bellevue or Seattle conference venue, but with extensive pre-conference side trips to SSAW, Yakima, Red Mountain, and Walla Walla. The Marcus Whitman in Walla Walla would be a great venue for a conference and there are more than enough motels for overflow. Maybe Christophe would volunteer to knock their socks off! There are so many great Walla Walla wineries, and besides, no one would get to see our fabulous Eastern Washington vineyards. After all, while there are close to a hundred excellent wineries in the Puget Sound area, all the the grapes come from eastern Washington. Holding the event in Woodinville would be like holding an event in Paris or a Bordeaux suburb without visiting the Medoc, St. Emilion, or Pomerol, for example. I look forward to a Wine Bloggers conference in Washington, but I do hope it won't be limited to one narrow corner of the state. Have fun at the second annual Wine Bloggers Conference in Sonoma and say hi to Joel for me.

Cheers,

Gene

The King Of The Stones

2009-06-29T05:41:00.000-07:00

The king of pop may be dead, but the king of the stones lives. In fact, Christophe Baron rules both in his domain at Cayuse and in the surrounding cailloux ( French for stones). I must admit to a certain amount of skepticism about all the apparent hype and spin around Cayuse. Commenters on the Seattle Wine Blog argued that Les Cailloux and other Cayuse vineyards should be included in The Top Ten Washington State Vineyards at the same time complaining that Seven Hills is in Oregon. As Bob Tovey would say, common folks, which is it? All the Cayuse vineyards and the studio/atelier/winery are in Oregon even though Cayuse maintains a downtown Walla Walla presence and Christophe lives in Walla Walla, Washington.

Christophe very graciously received us at the studio, and finished regaling us with the official story already started by his able assistant, Trevor. Christophe comes from an old winemaking family in Champagne. Unfortunately, this Champagne is not available in the States. Christophe earned his stripes in Burgundy and came to the U.S. planning to make Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley. He visited a friend in Walla Walla and "on his way" to the Willamette Valley, " just happened upon" the stony soil in the southwest quadrant of the Walla Walla AVA.

"Cailloux!", he exclaimed excitedly upon seeing the stony soil of the apple orchids along Sunneyside Road (Actually there were already plantings of grapes in the stones when Christophe arrived. The old Seven Hills vineyard, now called Wildrow was there along with some others). That was the beginning of the end for Christophe - no more Willamette Pinot for him. Roughly thirteen years ago he set down roots among the stones of Walla Walla AVA and has never looked back. I asked him if regretted not going on to the Willamette. His answer - not at all. I would have been just one of many Frenchmen making Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley and here I am unique." Kathy Tovey remembered Christophe as a somewhat scrawny young man peddling his wine at a country fair in Oregon in the mid-90s. Christophe has come a long way since then.

Now, Christophe has a domain consisting of many vineyards, and has recently discovered "biodynamique." This suits him perfectly, since in its purest form, biodynamique is about an ecological microcosm, a self-sufficient domain. Christophe took us on a tour of his home base,
Armida Vineyard. He told us that he has 25 full-time permanent employees to maintain the vineyards and in the winery. Most of them probably work in the vineyards and in keeping with the sustainability ethos of Oregon they have health insurance. My guess is that, as usual, they are Hispanic , and to produce my own stereotype, hard-working. conscientious and productive. Walking on "cobblestones" trodden by others, one still has a wondrous sense of something "sauvage" and yet "pastorale." As we walked among the stones, Christophe regaled us with tales of his conquests in Walla Walla. Christophe told us that others had said he would break his machinery on such rocks, but the "Bionic Frog" persevered. Finally, we arrived at a plot of Grenache planted 3ft.X3ft. Rows with spaces not wide enough for most overweight Americans, let alone a motorized cultivator. Horses! Christophe will cultivate this plot with the help of several Belgian horses. Beyond this plot, piles of manure, excuse me, organic fertilizer.
And then, the producers of this fertile pile - les vaches (the cows). To the south, an organic cherry orchid rejected by commercial buyers because the cherries didn't conform to grade. Perhaps this is the best description of Christophe. He doesn't conform to grade. This non-conformist thinks and lives outside the box.

Back to the studio/atelier/winery. As we entered the "studio" we had a lively discussion of order and disorder. This was triggered by the incredible flying pig hanging from the ceiling of the winery. Starting with a pinata purchased by Christophe, his artist friend painted it over, adding two jet engines and other paraphernalia. Christophe insists they are Boeing engines and not Airbus. My guess is that Airbus represents the uptight, buttoned up, stultifying cadre of France with their inhibiting rule-bound society as opposed to the fresh air of America for a French person. Disorder is "necessaire" for creativity, originality and limnality. On the other hand, order is a necessary foil for disorder and it is necessary to define "a thing." So we enter the inner sanctum - a frigid place of order! Rows of barrels, "eggs," cement fermenters, neatly laid out. But many of the barrels are turned with their provenance and stats unavailable to the naked eye. Christophe is both ebullient and charismatic, on the one hand, and private and secretive, on the other.

As he explained early on, "terroir" is everything. He described himself as primarily a "vigneron," a grapegrower, but the implication was of an artist united with the soil (see my D.H. Lawrence quote on the masthead). Christophe, the artist, reminded me of Picasso and Gauguin. I asked him if he was a guardian of the vineyards. "Not at all! Maybe in a hundred years, in a thousand years." Now he is a pioneer, a discoverer, an explorer, an experimenter, an adventurer. Christophe has the personality of Lewis Hyde's "Trickster." Hermes, he is! Egoist, narcissist, yes, but his charisma is real, not some put-on persona. I once heard a French teacher describe her job as "seduire." To seduce, is to teach. Christophe is very seductive, very charismatic. A seller of Gentiane at a market in southwest France, once told us that his product would make anyone "drop his pants" or was it "her pants." That's Christophe!

You were wondering about the wine? Exceptional! These wines are giants. Bigger than most California wines, yet not jammy. Bigger than most Australian wines, yet not linear. Bigger than most French wine, yet not classic. Bigger than most Washington wines, yet not soft. These are big wines in big bottles, but really they are amazingly over the top, really nothing like them in intensity. Huge expansive wines, just like Christophe! How does Christophe do it? Apparently he has many secrets, but the most obvious trick is in the vineyard - keeping the yields low, dropping clusters down to five or six per vine, or in the case of the 3x3 Grenache maybe three per vine resulting in yields of significantly less than two tons per acre, like 1.2 or 1.5 tons per acre. This is amazing when you consider that three tons per acre is considered low by the mere mortals growing grapes in other vineyards.

From the cask - '06 Grenache - Armida, '06 Syrah -Armida, '06 Syrah -Cailloux, '08 Bionic Frog. The 2006 Armida Grenache is big, dark and inky, smelling of spices and tar, tasting of rhubarb and strawberry. A huge, smooth, seamless wine -plus d' agreable. 2008 Armida Syrah - incredibly dark, perfection in a bottle, deepest, darkest Walla Walla. The flagship Cailloux vineyard was founded in 1997 - super-intense, liquid tar, somewhat like the tar and roses of a traditional Barolo, but so much more intense. This is not your average aperatif, maybe an acquired taste. For me, incredible! The 2008 Bionic Frog blend is from the Coccinelle vineyard and has a pretty nose - complex, spicy and herbal, in the mouth - round, soft, seductive and approachable - closest to the gout Americain, thus very popular. BTW, Coccinelle means ladybug in French, but also is the name of a pioneering transsexual and a line of handbags.

From the bottle - 2007 Widowmaker, 2007 Bionic Frog, 2007 Impulsivo. The 2007 Widowmaker is a killer Cabernet Sauvignon from the En Chambertin vineyard. Once your man drinks this liquid cassis and blueberry pie that tastes like a spice rack, it won't be long 'til you get to finih the bottle in peace and quiet by yourself. The 2007 Bionic Frog is big, spicy and complex. The 2007 Impulsivo is 100% Tempranillo from the En Chambertin vineyard. Deep, black, incredibly intense, without being jammy. The beautiful image on the label says it all - the last tango, to die for, or from! Truly a tour de force.

Are the wines representative of the terroir. Without a doubt! They are so different from each other.. This was especially illustrated by four different Syrahs from four different vineyards. Are they only terroir? I don't think so. As usual, the winemaker has left his stamp, his signature, on the wine. Christophe is both a terroiriste and an artiste - a "vigneron!" Christophe's wines are gigantic like Christophe who is un geant de la terre. I was forced to read Giants In The Earth in high school and hated it. Now the name has served me well in describing this amazing French winemaker who has spread his seed in the fertile soil of Walla Walla. The "Rock" Star exceeded my expectations and his reputation. Stones R Us, or rather, Stones R Him.

Christophe tells me he has 4500 people on the waiting list, but I have a feeling people are dropping off the mailing list like flies due to the horrendous economy. Sign up, you never know, you might get to the head of the list faster than you think, and by that time maybe your finances may have recovered enough to be able to pay the price for a bottle paradise (or is it hell?) in a bottle. Trust me, it's worth it. Spend your last red cent on an impulse and die happy. Despite my reticence I was totally seduced by Christophe and his incredible wines. Cayuse rocks!

Go West - II

2009-06-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this isn't so real-time, but it's still the latest poop on Walla Walla West. Graduates from the Walla Walla Airport incubator, tend to end up on Highway 12. Reininger and Cougar Crest are classic examples. In fact, it has seemed to me that Reininger went downhill when they moved, but recent evidence suggests a recovery. Cougar Crest seems to have made the move without ill effects. Waterbrook was never in the incubator and came up with some wonderful surprises - great values.

In the recent past, Reininger seemed to me to have lost its way. Apparently, highway 12 is disorienting. You can get wound up and twisted into a double helix. The Helix wines used to be great values, but at $30 a throw, that is no longer an accurate description. Nevertheless, many of Chuck's regular bottlings are quite interesting and delicious. The 2003 Cima, tasting a little old (or had it been open too long), was quite beautiful. The 2005 Merlot, despite the grapes from Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills vineyards, was light - enough to confirm "Miles" opinion of Merlot. The 2005 Cab Sauv had great fruit and tasted a little like what a Merlot should taste like. The 2008 Ash Hollow Syrah had nice tobacco and pepper notes. The 2006 Carmenere was probably the most interesting wine. As I read over this paragraph, it appears that I had a negative impression of Reininger wines. This is not true. Most of these wines had character and interest. Reininger survived the jinx of route 12 and Codi ably poured all these wines with a great running commentary on each. It was obvious that she is really into wine. She is a student at the enology program at the community college and I predict she will become a great winemaker in her own right in just a few years.

Deborah and Dave Hansen survived for the longest time in a "Quonset Hut" at the airport. So far, their move to route 12 seems to be liberating. Sooo much more space! Both have deep roots in Walla Walla and, in fact own several vineyards. They tore up apple orchids and own vineyards in the stones just over the border in Oregon to the west of highway 125. They sold a vineyard to finance their beautiful new winery on highway 12. Dave is a farmer, a vineyardist who is happiest on a tractor or a forklift. Deborah is an outstanding winemaker. Cougar Crest is one of the most consistent labels around. This is a great help in a restaurant when you are unsure what to order from the wine list. The 2006 Walla Walla Viognier is an outrageously good wine. Viognier at its best - dry, stony, with good subdued fruit - to my gout. The Grenache Rose is pleasant, a cut above most American Roses. Dedication is a delicious wine dedicated to the hospital that saved the life of Dave and Deborah's daughter after near fatal injuries. The 2006 Walla Walla Valley Anniversary Cuvee is fairly light , but totally great for chocoloholics. The 2006 Walla Walla Valley Cab Sauv is a delicious blend and the 2005 Walla Walla Syrah is an outstanding wine. Virtually all Cougar Crest wines are made from estate grown grapes. Since moving into their new digs on highway 12, Dave and Deborah couldn't quite let go of their original hut at the airport, so they've started producing a new line to sell there - Walla Walla River Winery. This is their opportunity to explore various varietals from grapes sourced from all around the Columbia Valley. I didn't get to taste these wines, but I'll bet they are good.

Waterbrook just opened a new winery on highway 12. This high tech building is spectacular and is home to Precept Brands in all of its manifestations. I must admit to not expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised by the Melange Noir and White, to say nothing of the Sangiovese Rose and a perfectly typical, classic Riesling all at very reasonable prices. I found the higher priced wines to be somewhat disappointing for the price, but Waterbrook is producing some fabulous value with great price points.

So the western entrance to Walla Walla is a good introduction to Walla Walla wines, but the best is yet to come south of town and at the airport.

Go West Young Man!

2009-06-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

Amazing! This is almost real time blogging from Walla Walla. Today we checked out wineries West of Walla Walla on Highway 12 as you come into town from Seattle. One could imagine a game of hopscotch among wineries trying to be the first to greet wine tourists on the road into Walla Walla. Such a game of musical chairs would be so 1990s, so California, but I can hardly imagine the down-to-earth folks of Walla Walla playing such a game. As it turns out Woodward Canyon is first and they have been there for quite a while, founded in 1981 by Rick Small.

Next up is L'Ecole #41, founded in 1983 by Marty Clubb. I got to talk with Marty about his newest interest - Ferguson vineyard, 18 acres above Pepper Bridge or was it Seven Hills. Like so many other winemakers he has been bitten by the "sustainability" bug.
As I tasted through L'Ecole wines, they all seemed lighter and friendlier(too friendly?) than they used to be, but it seems to me they used to have more character. The Semillons are less intense, the reds less deep. The Fries Vineyard Semillon goes with tuna. The 2008 "Walla Voila" Chenin Blanc shows lots of interest with a floral spicy nose, round and fruity body, and a hint of spice and citrus in the finish. Much more enjoyable than 99% of Chenin Blanc based Vouvray from the Loire Valley. The 2006 Walla Walla Cab has great fruit in the nose an is an altogether satisfying wine. The 2006 "Apogee" is the apogee of the the L'Ecole line up. Fortunately, the Perigee is not the perigee but not as wonderful as the Apogee. The 2006 Columbia Valley Syrah was pretty good, too.

Moving right along, we come to the new kid on the block - Glencorrie, owned by Ronn Coldiron and ably managed by Heidi Harrison. Wow! Awesome! Ronn is a geologist who runs a consulting firn in California. With the help of Charlie Hoppes, Glencorrie has fashioned it's first wines from Stillwater and Gamache grapes. The 2006 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a medium bodied wine with very appealing fruit and lots of character. It gets your attention. It stands out from so many ever so pleasant wines. As usual the Walla Walla version of Cab ( Widrow & Dwelley) is more upright, more serious - a good food wine. The 2006 Cuvee Marquis is the gem in the show - round, soft, but exciting! Sourced from multiple vineyards around the Columbia Valley. This is an up-and-comer. A winery to watch! The next new thing! Get on their mailing list. BTW, they are having an Open house June 29th in the evening. Call 509-525-2585.

Retailers Wake Up!

2009-06-17T22:45:00.001-07:00

Retailers of the world, more specifically, of Washington and Arizona, wake up, you have nothing to lose but your sales. We have heard many reports of wineries increasing sales out of their tasting rooms, consumers ordering direct from the winery, because you are not carrying Washington state "boutique" wines that consumers want. It is time to think outside the box instead of hunkering down and folding up the tent. Follow in the footsteps of Kent Jeppesen at "the wine station." You are the bottleneck between eager consumers and eager wineries. Where are those Washington wine end displays? Right out in front of Australia? If you don't lower your prices and offer the wines that consumers want, you may be cut out of the loop. Cheers!

The Wine Station

2009-06-16T09:28:00.000-07:00

Move over Trader Joe's, Costco, Total and Bevmo. Here comes the Wedgewood Shell Station! The what? Yeah, it's a gas station in northeast Seattle. What's a gas station got to do with wine? I told you you could find one of the best buys in the world, Columbia Crest "Two Vines" Chardonnay and Merlot, at gas stations all over Washington state, but Kent Jeppesen, owner of the Wedgewood Shell station (9501 NE 75th Street, phone 206-384-48440), has taken gas station wine sales to the next level. He had the business acumen to realize that wine has an excellent markup and that people want wine for under $10. When it comes to wine, you can get get anything you want, almost, at the Shell Station. Washington, Australia, France, Chile, you name it and chances are they have it. You may not be able to find the pepperoni or the chips, but you can find a decent quaff for the night at less than ten bucks. Kent keeps his prices right. He buys closeouts from distributors and sometime has a lower than normal markup to give you a good value. Soon, or maybe already, wine may contribute more to gross revenue and profit than that other necessity, gasoline, at the "Wine Station."

Best Strawberries

2009-06-12T08:27:00.000-07:00

Living in Washington state, you can't help but become a strawberry lover. Of course, the best strawberries are local ones from places like Spooner Farm and Sakama farm. The season for these is a few scant weeks in June, but good strawberries can be had at other times of the year. When I am desperate for a strawberry, the overly firm, last forever, simulacrum from Watsonville will do, but if you want something with real flavor look to Mexico and other California venues. IMO, Santa Maria produces the most flavorful commercially grown fruit, followed by Santa Ynez, Oxnard and Salinas.

Strawberries are great by themselves and, of course, dipped in chocolate. Try strawberries with prosciutto or cold smoked salmon. Strawberries and semi-soft cheese are the perfect accompaniment to wine. Semisweet wines such as Riesling and Gewurztraminer work well, as do almost any dessert wines. I've never had a bad match with red or white wine, but a real Northwest eyeopener is Washington Strawberries and Oregon Pinot Noir, though I wouldn't object to a California Pinot or a Red Burgundy.

Best Airplane Wine?

2009-06-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

Thunderbird or MD20/20? Well, not quite that bad. How many times have you ordered wine on a flight only to be disappointed? Even in First Class? The last wine I had in First Class was a not so first class Viognier from California. I vaguely recall having some good wine in Business Class many years ago. At least in steerage you can buy those little six ounce bottles. Water is probably a better choice and sometimes offered free on some airlines. Anyway, I decided to see which of those 187ml bottles offered the best chance of a decent quaff on a plane, not that you really have a choice on a given flight. We only tasted Chardonnay. Sutter Home was sweet and flabby. Gallo was acceptable. Delicato anything but delicate, but workable, Stone Cellar from Beringer was not bad at all, well balanced with a (oh, no!) slightly stony quality, and good fruit. BTW, This is available at Trader Joe's for only $3.99 ( four buck chuck ?) and it is a lot better than Charles Shaw Chardonnay. Too bad you can't BYOB. I am so far behind on my posts that I thought I would send this little post along just to remind you that I'm still in the game:)

FWC To Bailout Wine Industry

2009-06-05T18:20:00.000-07:00

BULLETIN: FWC (Federal Wine Commission) to bailout wine industry. The FWC is a little known division of the Federal Reserve. Fiat will take control of Deageo and the Federal Government will own 60% of Constellation Brands. Deageo and Constellation will let go of over 50% of retailers and restaurants. Constellation will sell a significant portion of it's portfolio of wineries to buyers in China and Japan. Congressmen have complained of a lack of oversight, arbitrariness, unregulated rule by fiat, lack of clear and sound guidelines and criteria, and the impact on local communities. Some may have to drive more than 100 miles to get some wine. This will be beneficial to state budgets as the number of DWIs will increase. Goldman Sacks has indicated an interest in securitizing these debts (DWIs & DUIs), even under the regulation of the Federal Reserve (too bad Hank ain't around no more). A certain amount of wine in large formats with be held in Reserve for the Feds' own use. Already there has been a populist outcry over these outrageously oversized last minute bonuses.

On Wall Street there has been a huge rally in the stocks of American bucket manufacturers. In pre-market trading American Bucket(ABC), Kick The Bucket(KICK), and Bucket List(LIST), have risen 24%, 39%, and 103%, respectively. A little known earmark in fine print specifies that only American buckets from Arkansas and Kansas are to be used to drain the lake of wine in the U.S. resulting from excess inventories of cult wines and and wines priced at $14 and up. Like housing, there has recently been noted a slight increase in consumption by entry level buyers and those who have had to scale down during the "worst Recession since the Depression of the 1930s". Wines priced at the high end have suffered the greatest drop in sales and anyone who has a few bucks left can get on virtually any "list". "Allocated" wines can now be allocated to YOU, if you want them. Overseas, Asian and European bucket makers fell on the news. Several Asian CEOs and one French CEO kicked the bucket on the news. Interestingly, very few top level bucket makers had the decency to kick the bucket. Instead they seem to have taken out their bucket lists and are flying around the world checking off items at a rapid rate.

President Obama made it perfectly clear that he had no intention of nationalizing the wine industry or the bucket industry. He stated that it was necessary to bailout the wine industry because the country is drowning in a lake of high-priced wine. At his speech in Napa, he noted that roughly half of the countries in the world, including many Muslim countries, produce wine. He stated, unequivocally, that countries must abide by the Non-Proliferation Treaty and that, while no country could or should dictate the wine-growing behavior of another country, non-producing countries must sign the treaty and abide by its provisions. He also pointed out the absurd maze of state regulation and the intra-state attempts to coerce the behavior of individuals living in particular regions. He called for an end to the checkerboard of dry and wet counties found in some regions. Conservative Senators accused Obama of being unduly influenced by what they called a special interest group - Free The Grapes. Former Vice President Cheney virtually accused Free The Grapes of socialism and terrorism

Returning to the international arena, he said that the peaceful use of wine for domestic consumption enhances the GHP (Gross Happiness Product) of individuals and countries, but that threats of overproduction from rogue terroiristes are unacceptable and will be met with firm opposition by the international community. Terroiristes who turn in their plows will be welcomed into the community of nations. He expressed optimism that in the long run, the American wine industry could recapture it's lead by cutting prices and increasing innovation. He said that he understood the long suffering of the followers of Bacchus and Dionysus and history of hostility between them. He acknowledged how difficult it will be to overcome decades of cultism, but said that we must, and will, be guided by our moral obligations to do the right thing. While acknowledging the rights of teetotalers, he asked the world to unite in celebrating diversity, and asked us all, within the bounds of our various values and religious beliefs, to eat, drink, and be merry which is a universal human desire and a human right!

Conserve Water, Drink Wine

2009-05-14T05:47:00.000-07:00

We were back to the old stompin' ground in Santa Barbara County, Los Olivos. We wanted to leave some time for the Foxen Santa Maria area, so we skipped Santa Ynez, Lompac/Buellton, and Solvang. We couldn't resist Los Olivos, but we really wanted to get to Foxen Road. No toilets, no water, just wine - that's Los Olivos. We skipped some old friends such as Consilience and Andrew Murray(rude reception). We always have fond memories of Andrew Murray Esperence, but wonder what it is like these days.

We started at Arthur Earl where the 2006 Viognier tasted like a peach tree with a little bark thrown in. Altogether a fruity, friendly wine, but, like most of its Olivos cousins, too fruity for my taste. I need some minerality and stoniness. The Rhone blend of Grenache, Counoise, Cinsaut and Syrah had a great nose with nice hints of vanilla in the flavor, but ultimately the lean mean taste of Counoise came through. The 2006 Tempranillo was a winner with a nose of cherry and Havana cigar.

Next a stop at Stolpman to pick up a wine club allocation for a friend. How agreeable the little red house just off the main street of Los Olivos . What a relief from the claustrophobic feel of the tasting room in Solvang surrounded by Scandinavian bric-a-brac stores - a Danish mortuary for great wine. The 2006 L'Avion has a deep golden color, almost russet, reminiscent of a big white Burgundy in style, structure and color, although, of course, the flavor profile is different since this is no Chardonnay, but a Rousanne with a touch of Viognier. The 2006 Grenache is beautiful, light and elegant - a good example of this style. We tasted two Syrahs, but the most interesting wine was the 2006 "La Croce" a cross between Syrah and Sangiovese. This seems to be a new trend in Los Olivos, the first of three such crosses.

Across the street at Carina Cellars we tasted wines created by winemaker Joe Tensley who also has his own line of wines. The 2007 Viognier had a subtle nose, followed by a round fruity peachy wine. Another fruity Viognier from Los Olivos. It's a style! We tasted several Syrahs - our favorites were the 2006 Terra Alta and the co-fermented 2006 "7 Percent" Syrah, that is, 7% Viognier, 93% Syrah.

At Coquelicot (kok - li -ko) Kerry very ably served up the offerings. The 2006 Estate Chardonnay was very light and perfumed - a good patio wine. The 2006 Estate Chardonnay was more classic, but still very fruity - flowers in a glass. The 2006 Estate Syrah tasted of roasted coffee. The very good 2006 Black Oak Vineyard Syrah was round balanced and flavorful. The 2006 "Mon Amour" Estate Bordeaux Blend was very lovable, round, fruity and perfumed - a come hither wine. The 2006 Estate Cabernet Franc was an odd C. F. with spice that might lead one to think of Syrah. The winemaker's notes say it tastes of roasted pasilla pepper, still an unusual , if not unpleasant, taste profile for a Cab Franc.

Qupe recently opened a new tasting room at the entrance to Los Olivos from the north. Stealthily manned by Ethan, one of owner Bob Lindquist's able winemaker sons, Ethan, quietly poured wines from Qupe, his father's wines, from Verdad, his step-mother's wines, and "Ethan" his own wines. He quietly recommended his brother Luke's wines at Tres Hermanas. The 2006 Verdad Rose was, good, but truly, the 2007 Verdad Albarino was even better. Fruitier than a Spanish Albarino, but still recognizable. The Qupe Roussanne was round and fruity, the Qupe Los Olivos Cuvee, a Syrah/Mourvedre blend, was light to medium-bodied, round, with good fruit. I have spent years searching for this wine in San Francisco ever since my son-in- law had a bottle and loved it. Ethan's 2006 Sangiovese was round, medium-bodied, and spicy - no lean mean Chianti, this one. Ethan's Cuvee Los Alamos Syrah was excellent, too. His father's Qupe 2006 Syrah from the Stolpman vineyard was really good, too, with a nose of black fruit and toast. In truth, this is a family of very talented winemakers. Es verdad! Truth telling even extends to the tasting notes offered. Just the facts, ma'am! Vineyards, grapes and ageing. That's it. No hype about "lead pencil and cassis." Just the data. They're not going to tell you what you "should" taste or try to influence you. You decide how it tastes to you and whether you like it or not. This is truly rare.

Since Longoria was just next door, I couldn't resist the opportunity to revisit an old friend. The 2007 Pinot Grigio was pleasantly balanced, the 2007 Cuvee June Rose was pleasingly dry. The nose of the 2006 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido, put me off, the nose of of the 2006 Clover Creek Syrah was toasty and appealing. The "06 Blues Cuvee was complex and jazzy. The 2006 Clover Creek Tempranillo was round, balanced and delish, but all of this was just a prelude to a mind-blowing wine - the 2006 Fe Ciega Vineyard Pinot Noir. This is from Rick Longoria' only estate vineyard. I had only one thing to say about this wine - "Fantasic!" Like Miles in "Sideways," I have spent years searching for truly great Pinot and have only found a few bottles in Burgundy and a few more in Oregon that satisfy me. This one is spectacular and worth every penny of its $54 price point. Well, it looks like we only left a few hours for the Foxen Santa Maria area but that's better than last time.

Best of Taste Washingon

2009-05-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

It's really unfair to name "Bests" of Taste Washington without tasting all of the wines, but who can taste through 800 some odd wines in four hours. Wines from many of the following outstanding wineries surely would have made the list: Amavi, Andrew Will, Baer, Barrage, Betz, Brian Carter, Buty, Cadence, Camaraderie, Darby, DeLille, Fall Line, Gorman, Hightower, Isenhower, L'Ecole, Nicolas Cole, Note Bene, O-S, Pepper Bridge, Reininger, Sheridan, Soos Creek, Spring Valley Vineyards, Syzygy, Willis Hall among others. So as usual these are really my faves among wines tasted:

Best Of Show - Saviah "Une Vallee"
Best Winemaker - James and Poppie Mantone
Best Winery - Quilceda Creek
Best New Winery - Barrage, Martinez & Martinez,
Best Winery Name - Falling Rain
Best Winery Architecture - Tertulia
Best Wine Name - Recession Red
Best Overall Quality - Januik, Novelty Hill
Best Value - Gordon Bros.
Best Puget Sound Winery - Palouse
Best Woodinville Winery - Hestia
Best Yakima Winery - Airfield
Best Walla Walla Winery - aMaurice
Best Cascade Winery - Vin Du Lac
Best Riesling - Palouse
Best Gewurztraminer - Sleight of Hand
Best Chardonnay - Amaurice, Sparkman
Best Viognier - Cougar Crest, Amaurice
Best Red Blend - Adam's Bench, Balboa, Quilceda Creek
Best Rhone Blend - Rotie Cellars
Best Malbec - Amaurice, Beresan, Gifford Hirlinger
Best Syrah - Hestia, Palouse, Saviah, Syncline, Walter Dacon
Best Mourvedre - Syncline, Trio
Best Cabernet Sauvignon - Dusted Valley, Hestia

Taste Washington Seattle

2009-05-04T05:20:00.000-07:00

Back to Taste Washington. Let's try doing this in alphabetical order. Airfield Estates has been growing grapes for a while. Recently Marcus Miller has started making wines that are appealing and reasonably priced. Anna Schafer, continues to make outstanding wine at aMaurice Cellars. Both the 2006 Viognier and Chardonnay have a stony European quality. The Malbec is fabulous. Balboa wines have been friendly "value" wines, but now they are going upscale with "Mith" the outstanding Sayulta from Walla Walla grapes, but is this the time to start offering $40 bottles. I guess we will see. It seems to me that Beresen wines fell off a little this year, but not the 2006 Malbec. Everyone seems to be hitting home runs with Malbec. Caderetta had a nice Merlot. Chad at Dusted Valley ventured into the high end with an outstanding '06 Reserve Cab for $45. The 2007 Stained Tooth Syrah is always good at $24. Gifford Hirlinger came up with another really good Malbec. All of the wines from newcomer Gilstrap were excellent.

The 2007 Riesling from Palouse was light and balanced. The 2006 "Ahh" Syrah brought "oohs and aahs" as did the Cab Franc and the Cab Sauv. All of the Ponum and Ponder wines were excellent. Quilceda Creek 2006 Red Wine - "That's really good!" The Saviah 2006 Reserve Syrah was excellent, but the 2006 "Une Vallee" Red Wine was outstanding - velvety and smooth! Once again, Trey Busch worked his magic with the 2007 "The Magician" Gewurz and the "Spellbinder" Red Blend. Chris Sparkman's 2007 "Lumiere" Chardonnay will light up your life and lighten your burdens. The 2007 Syncline Mourvedre from Horse Heaven Hills is heavenly and since Syncline is biodynamique should help you get centered in your life. The trio of winemakers at Trio Vintners made an outstanding Rhone Style Mourvedre that is delightfully rustique and reminiscent of southern French wine. It appears that virtually all of Larry Lehmbecker's wines have won awards for their friendly unoaked style. Newcomer Ward Johnson's Cab Blend was worthy and of course, Lloyd Andersen's Walter Dacon Syrahs were all big fruity, jammy and delish as always. I alway seem to prefer to prefer the C'est Syrah Belle.

Four hours is just not enough time to do justice to so many outstanding winemakers, wineries, and vineyards, but Taste Washington is a great way to discover new wineries and find out which wines you really like. I've often said that the only way to buy wine is to taste it yourself at the winery. At Taste Washington the wineries bring the wine to you all in the same place making it easy to choose your faves for the year.

Woodinville Passport

2009-04-27T05:52:00.000-07:00

This year we did Passport in a day. To do this, we had to skip some good ol'boys, some old new wineries and lots of good friends. Brian Carter was mobbed as were Red Sky and Edmonds. DeLille, Betz and Gorman were closed. We tasted Sparkman and Efeste at Taste Washington Phoenix. We tasted Ponum and Pondera at Taste Washington Seattle. So we sandwiched everything else between two truly outstanding new wineries. We started early at Adam's Bench and finished late at Hestia. In between we checked out wineries with great wines, great wine names, and great marketing.

We also got greater clarity about some complicated relationships among winery names and product lines. Smasne, for example, also produces Alma Terra, Gard and Farmer Boy wines. Alexandria Nicole has a second line called Altered States Of Wine. Their unoaked Girl Next Door Chardonnay was quite good. The John Pattersons, father and son, seem to be shifting their winery name from Washington Wine Company to Patterson Cellars. They had cool music ( lots of people dancing), cool names like Big F'n Syrah and Recession Red. The Syrah was F'n Amazing and so is the price. In addition to Recession Red they are offering a "stimulus package". They have yet to offer "Crash", "Crisis", "Flaw", "Bailout", "Bonus", "Made-Off", "Greenspan Grenache", "Geithner's Unpaid Tax ", or "Bernacke Bordeaux Blend", but they are off to a good start.

Guardian Cellars offered their 2006 Syrah with pleasing soft cherry flavors. Darby English offered Chaos and Purple Haze. I was particularly fond of the Purple Haze. I sorely missed the Deuce Viognier/ Chard which will be released in a couple of months. Steve Snyder is having trouble with his plantings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but made fine light, tart, Roussanne from Horse Heaven Hills grapes. XSV wines were better this year. The 2003 Chardonnay seemed overoaked, but very French. the '03 Syrah from Horse Heaven Hills was unusually spicy and interesting. the '03 Cab was balanced, soft with good fruit.

The only new winery for me was Barrage a cross between barn and garage. Kevin Correll started making wine in a garage, thus earning his "Diplome Garagiste." He also has a certificate from U.C. Davis. In keeping with the style set by the gang in the hood, Kevin has a barrage of quirky, explosive names such as Nuclear Blonde, Trifecta, Secret Weapon and Alias. The wines are excellent with lots of character. Kevin figures with so many excellent winemakers around, he needs to do something a little bit different.

Adam's Bench, last year's next new thing, is still going strong thanks to the winemaking skills of owners Tim and Erica Blue. You had better get on their list before they are discovered. It is no myth that the 2007 Myth is an excellent wine. The barrel sample of this 50/50 Cab Franc & Merlot that we tasted was loaded with fruit, but had a slightly hot finish that should go away with bottling and a little age. I preferred the 2007 Reckoning, a blend of 48% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc, in other words, a Bordeaux style blend. Beautiful black berry fruit. The 2006, being a year older is rounder and softer. Love them both! The 2006 Reserve Cab, aka, "The V", is another beautifully balanced Bordeaux style blend predominantly Cab Sauv(75%) with 23% Merlot and 2% Cab Franc blended in, more in the style of a left bank Paulliac. There also are a 2007 100% Red Willow Cab and an '07 "V" still in barrel. The '07 "V" has an incredible pedigree with fruit from Stillwater Vineyard and Discovery Vineyard. Discovery provides fruit to some of the best wineries in the state - Quilceda Creek and Andrew Will. Did you miss the Leonetti and Quilceda mailing lists? Here's an opportunity to get great wine at reasonable prices. You would pay twice as much for comparable Napa wine and moreyhan three times as much for Bordeaux.

We closed our session with an after hours visit to Hestia Cellars. Hestia is the Greek Goddess of home and hearth, but, trust me, there is nothing homely about winemaker Shannon Jones's wines. Shannon has acheived that magical trick of creating a wine both smooth and seemless, but big and full. Most of his wines are marked by deep purple colors followed by big rich fruit. Perhaps the winery should have been named after Hermes, the trickster, rather than placid Hestia. In any event this is definitely a "go to" winery, My faves are the Cab and the Syrah which would have getten scores of 91 and 93, if I were into scores

The boys and girls in the hood are doing a fine job. The whole hood is just F'n amazing. And so close to Seattle. Just think, you can save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars by just driving a few miles to Woodinville, instead of the Napa Valley. Then you can use your savings to buy wine instead :)

Woodinville Passport: Novelty Hill and Mike Januik

2009-04-20T05:23:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentleman, we interrupt this broadcast to bring you a Bulletin: We interrupt our posts about Taste Washington to bring you almost real-time reports from Woodinville Passport.

On my return to Columbia Winery to get a replacement copy of my "Woodinville Passport"which apparently fell out of my pocket early on, I thought I would taste some Columbia Winery wines. You may have noticed that for the most part I have never been particularly fond of Columbia wines, but I thought I would at least try the Red Willow Sangiovese. No Passport, no wine! Such rigidity! As recompense, I immediately headed to Novelty Hill where I hoped for a better reception and where I knew there would be so many good wines. I once said that I've never had a bad wine from Novelty Hill. This time I tasted through so many good wines made by Mike Januik. The tasting room staff led by Diane were extremely helpful and accommodating. Destiny poured so many excellent wines, that I quickly developed palate fatigue as they all started to blend together in my mind. One reason for this is that winemaker Mike Januik has a very distinct winemaker signature. Virtually all of his wines are made in a smooth seemless style, well balanced, medium bodied with lots of fruit. Almost all of Mike wines are delicious. There are very few winemakers who are so consistent, just as there very few wine regions that are consistent. Chinon, Dolcetto, Champagne, Port and Sherry are the consistent regions. Mike and Tim Narby at Note Bene winery are among the few truly consistent winemakers. In Mike's case perhaps this comes from his years of experience at Chateau Ste. Michelle. This consistency makes it easy to choose wine from a wine list or a retail shelf. The truly amazing thing is consistency at such a high level. Tasting Mike's wines is like tasting flight of Bordeaux First Growths and then trying to pick the best one. Each wine would be outstanding on it's own and tasting them together tends to diminish them all. They become average , except that the average is extremely high. So forgive me if these notes seem somewhat similar. Rather than give numeric ratings I will give you the asterisk system that I actually use when tasting wines. Only really good wines, wines that I really like, get stars - three stars = outstanding, two stars = extraordinary, one star = excellent. These notes are pretty much in the order presented from light and white to big and red.

1) *2005 Novelty Hill Semillon - GRASS, a pleasing grassy nose leads to a smooth, balanced wine with good minerality - great! Gives L'Ecole Semillon a run for the money.

2) 2006 - Novelty Hill Sauvignon Blanc - As most of you know I'm not too fond of S.B., This one was like a cool fresh stream without that annoyingly tart grapefruit flavor. The anti-New Zealand Sauv.

3) **2005 Viognier - Minerality, hint of citrus, lively, not big and heavy like so many Viogniers, definitely a food wine. If I were using numbers I would have given in a 90.
4) ** 2006 Januik Cold Creek Chardonnay - Minerality, citrus, food wine. The Cold Creek was the first Januik wine we tasted and we fell in love with it's cool French style reminding us of a French Meursault. This vintage is lighter and less full bodied than our first Cold Creek Chard from Mike.

5) ** 2007 Januik Elerding Chardonnay - Bigger, fuller oakier than the Cold Creek. Reminiscent of a French Chassagne Montrachet white Burgundy.

6) * 2006 Novelty Hill Stillwater Creek Chardonnay - OAK, oak nose, big mineral apple, fruit, citrus. Somewhat like a French Puligny Montrachet.

7) 2005 Novelty Hill Stillwater Creek Sangiovese - light color, cherry nose, light cherry flavors, need a year or two to diminish the tannins.

8) ** 2005 Januik Columbia Valley Merlot - This blend of 91%, 7% Cab Sauv, 2% Cab Franc is soft and smooth with cherry vanilla flavors - the quintessential Januik wine. Blended from Klipsun, Ciel Du Cheval, Conner Lee and Weinbau grapes, it has a heck of a pedigree.

9) 2006 Januik Klipsun Merlot - Blended with 4% Cab Sauv, this one has a complex nose with notes of toast.

10) * 2004 Novelty Hill Stillwater Merlot - Amazing berry nose with hints of blueberry. Round & soft - friut, fruit, fruit.

11) ** 2006 Januik Ciel Du Cheval Petit Verdot - Strawberry/rhubarb nose, yum, so soft, like a Merlot - not as big and structured as the 2004.

12) *2004 Novelty Hill Columbia Valley Syrah - Soft, toasty nose, Light fruity, refreshing, delightful Syrah.

13) *** 2006 Januik Lewis Vineyard Syrah - WOW! Toast and fruit - speechless.

14) * 2006 Januik Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - round soft fruit.

15) * 2006 Januik Ciel Du Cheval Cabernet Sauvignon - Wow! great fruit.

16) 2006 Januik Champoux Cabernet Sauvignon - blueberry - palate fatigue.

17) 2006 Januik Reserve - 88% Cab. Sauv., 7% Cab Franc, 3% Malbec, 2% Merlot - Champoux and Weinbau

Well, that's more than a baker's dozen. Across all price ranges, delicious wines. One of the tasting room staff recommended the Januik Red Wine which was not available for tasting so I bought a bottle. It couldn't be bad. I also tasted the newly released 2006 Novelty Hill Stillwater Malbec which was excellent, same style but bigger and fuller. I finished with the Rose, a great palate cleanser. What a tour de force!

Taste Washington - Uncommon Ground

2009-04-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

For the first time, this year, Taste Washington had a special section for Washington State Vineyards called Common Ground. IMO, it should have been called uncommon ground since these special vineyards produce uncommonly good grapes for dozens of talented Washington State winemakers who make uncommonly good wines from them. Not everybody was there, but the vineyards present all have fabulous and distinct terroirs.

Boushay Vineyards - 1970s - Elegant Syrah
Chandler Reach Vineyard
Copeland Vineyard
Dineen Vineyard
DuBrul Vineyard
Elephant Mountain - Amazing Sangiovese
Grand Ciel Vineyard - DeLille's entry in the "Cult" wine competition - excellent
Klipson Vineyard - Big Red Mountain
Sagemore Vineyard - one of the oldest in the state
Stillwater Creek - excellent source of perfectly friendly grapes
Upland Vineyard

Lots of other fabulous vineyards missing in action, especially Ciel Du Cheval and Champoux. A great opportunity to check out terroir or micro-climate by tasting wines by different winemakers from the same vineyard. Also an opportunity to notice winemaker "signatures" or style. A great Idea! Hope it will continue in the future.

Taste Washingon 2009

2009-04-06T16:47:00.000-07:00

For some reason it seemed like there was more food and less wine. No problem, though. The food was all excellent. Once again, Elliott Bay Oyster House served fabulous, Totten Inlet Oysters ( very similar to Quilcenes) and Kumomotos - pleasure on the half shell. In addition there were copious amounts of Moules and Seafood Ceviche The crowd seemed smaller which made it easier to get around and taste wine. This time let's start with the new wineries. These, of course, were new to me, even if they may have been around for a while:

360s Cellars Estate Winery

Baron V

Barrage Cellars

Caderetta

Canyon's Edge

Chateau Walla Walla

Christopher Cellars

Coyote Canyon

Esther Bricques Winery

Foundry Vineyards

Gard Cellars

Gilbert Cellars

Gilstrap Bros.

Griffins Crossing

Guardian Cellars

Heaven's Cave

Holmes Harbor Cellars

Knipprath Cellars

Marshal's Winery

Martinez & Martinez

Memaloose/ McCormick Vineyards

Merry Cellars

Olsen Estates

Patterson Cellars

Revelry Vintners

Rock Meadow Cellars

Rotie Cellars

Shady Grove Winery

Tasawick Vineyards

The Buried Cane

Ward Johnson Winery

Whisper Ridge Winery

White Cellars Winery

Perhaps the most interesting new winery is Rotie Cellars. Sean Boyd, who worked at Waters Winery in Walla Walla, is obviously a fanatic winemaker. He exudes integrity and passion for Rhone style wine. He produced two 2007 Rhone style blends - one Northern: a Syrah/Viognier blend in the Cotes Rotie(get it) style, the other a Southern: Syrah, Mourved, Grenache(?). Both are exquisitely seemless, smooth beauties, sort of more elegant versions of Cotes du Rhone Villages wines from Sablet or Seguret. Though the wines are a little pricey ($35) in this environment, this is definitely a winery to watch. At the other end of the price spectrum we have Revelry Vintners. Joe made his wines to price out at $15 or less. They are delicious, fun wines. Kontos winery is so new that they didn't even make it into the event program. Sergio and Monica Martinez, Martinez & Martinez, are producing interesting wines in Horse Heaven Hills. Warren Gilstrap of Gilstrap Brothers snuck across the border from Cove, Oregon to bring us some fine wines. Speaking of Oregon, my friend Isabelle Dutartre, winemaker at Del Ponte winery has started her own winery - 1789. Vive La Revolution! Ward Johnson, an urban winery on Elliott Ave in Seattle produced some nice Syrah and Merlot from Red Mountain grapes. Good to see so many new names. Alas, so many wines, so little time.

It's My Birthday!

2009-04-01T21:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, today is my birthday. Sigmund Freud's, too. And Karl Marx and Darwin, too. Isn't it amazing that so many great people , including Albert Einstein, were born on April first! Must be a spring thing or something. Checking the history books, I see that Darius, Alexander and Tutmose II were also born on April 1.

The Best Of Taste Washington Phoenix

2009-03-29T22:43:00.000-07:00

Well, this is a slightly different approach to "Bests." These are the wines that I really liked at Taste Washington Phoenix:

Outstanding

Gordon Bros. - 2006 Kamiak Cellar Select Red
Saviah - 2006 Une Vallee
Syncline - 2006 Syrah

Excellent

Abeja - 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
Abeja - 2007 Chardonnay
Badger Mtn- 2007 Organic Riesling
Cougar Crest - 2006 Viognier
Gilbert Cellars -2007 Unoaked Chardonnay
Guardian - 2006 Chalk Line
Hestia - 2006 Syrah
Isenhower -Paintbrush
Nicolas Cole - 2006 Graeagle
Note Bene - 2005 Abbinare
Seven Hills - 2006 Merlot, Walla Walla
Sparkman - 2007 Lumiere Chardonnay
Sparkman - 2006 Wilderness
Syncline - Subduction Red
Zefina - 2006 Serience White
Zefina - 2004 Serience Red

Very Good

Airfield Estates - 2007 Bombshell Red
Airfield Estates - 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
Airfield Estates - 2007 Lightning
Airfield Estates - 2007 Mustang
Airfield Estates - 2007 Riesling
Alder Ridge - 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon/ Syrah
Balboa - 2007 Merlot
Balboa - 2007 Syrah
Balboa 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Barnard Griffin - All
Basel Cellars - 2006 Claret
Bergevin Lane - 2007 Fruitbomb
Bergevin Lane - All
Boudreaux - 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Boudreaux - 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Brian Carter -2005 L'Etalon
DeLille - 2006 "D2"
Domaine Pouillon - 2007 Deux
Dunham - 2006 Trutina
Dusted Valley - 2006 Boomtown Cabernet Sauvignon
Dusted Valley - 2007 Boomtown Pinot Gris
Elegante - 2006 Merlot
Five Star - Sangiovese
Gifford Hirlinger - 2005 Merlot
Gordon Bros. - 2007 Kamiak Cellar Select White
Gordon Bros. - 2007 Tradition
Hyatt - 2006 Riesling
Hyatt - 2004 Merlot
Powers - 2007 Merlot
Powers -2006 Syrah
Six Prong - 2005 Red Wine

Answer IV: Who Was Hafiz And Why Did He Write About Wine?

2009-03-27T05:22:00.000-07:00

Hafiz might not have been able to cross the road because he may have been drunk much of the time. Writing about a hundred years after the better known Persian poet, Rumi, Hafiz ( 1320-1389), also known as Shams, born in the Persian city of Shiraz, is said to have produced over 5000 poems in his lifetime of which only about 500 survive. Many of his poems, appear to be about wine, though historically, these references are taken to be metaphors for God and god's love. In the introduction to his book, "Drunk On The Wine of The Beloved," Thomas Rain Crowe describes allusions to the Winebringer, Winemaker, and Wineseller as metaphors for God. So did all you distributors, grapegrowers, winemakers, and retailers know that you have been compared to God by a great poet? In this metaphorical view, wine is love, the wineglass, the heart, and the Beloved, God. The Beloved can be represented by the rose, the sun, the falcon, the friend, the painter, the architect, the gardener. Much of the action in these poems takes place in the Winehouse or Wine Seller's Street. Raines says this is not a simple tavern or bar, a wine bar perhaps, or more likely something like a cafe in Latin America where poetry is recited along with music and other performance art to the accompaniment of good conversation, coffee, wine and who knows what other substances. According to my friend Walter Andrews, in his book, "The Beloved," around the reign of the great Ottoman Sultan Suleiman, poets reached the pinnacle of influence at the Ottoman court. Even though the Sultan had absolute power of life and death, it appears there was a culture of cafe life in which poets were for the most part allowed the latitude of a King's fool. Andrews also says that more often than not, The Beloved was not only metaphorically God, but also another man with "rosebud" lips.

Sufis, especially poets, seem to have been striving to achieve the highest high, spiritually and otherwise. To this order, they apparently whirled and spun like dervishes, smoked hash, had sex, and drank lots of wine. So is wine a metaphor? Of course, it is. After all, isn't metaphor the essence of poetry? Doesn't poetry pack so many meanings into a few words? So is wine only a metaphor? I don't think so. These poets were wild men and mystics. Ralph Waldo Emerson said of Hafiz, "He fears nothing. He sees too far..." Goethe said, " In his poetry Hafiz has inscribed undeniable truth indelibly...." As with everything, nothing is what it appears to be, so it is my guess that Hafiz drank like a fish, made love to both sexes, did drugs and thought and lived outside the box. A veritable genius who could see and speak the truth. So wine is love and truth.
In vino veritas!

Taste Washington In Phoenix- V

2009-03-26T07:31:00.000-07:00

Well this will almost wrap it up for Taste Washington in Phoenix since I seem to have skipped more wineries than I thought. "So many wines, so little time." Look for one last post - Best of Taste Washington Phoenix.

O-S Winery - Part of the original gang of four in the SSAW, Bill Owen makes outstanding wine.
Usually not a bad one in the bunch.

Precept Brands - A marketing group. Pine & Post Chardonnay and Merlot are outstanding values in the same category with Columbia Crest Two Vines and Red Diamond.

Reininger - Since Reininger moved into their new digs right on the way into Walla Walla from the west, the wines have not been quite as exciting as Chuck's earlier efforts. Nevertheless, the Helix wines represent good value, and many of regular bottling are still delicious.

Ryan Patrick - The Rock Island Red is always a good value as is the Naked Chardonnay.

Saint Laurent - Well made wines at reasonable prices. I have a special affinity for Saint Laurent as that is my son-in-law's name.

Seven Hills - I now have enough data to include Seven Hills in the Unofficial Classification of Washington State Wineries - it will be a third growth. The Pinot Gris was pure, fresh and fruity. The Riesling at 1.5% residual sugar "dry" enough in mouthfeel. My fave was the 2006 Walla Walla Merlot.

Sheridan Vineyard - Recently, Scott Greer somehow managed to create one of best vineyards in Washington. The L'Orage (french for "perfect storm") and Syrah are excellent, if a little on the jammy side.

Sleight of Hand - Trey Busch is an outstanding winemaker. He works his magic with virtually every wine he makes. Check out the "Magician" (Gewurz) and the "Spellbinder" (Red Blend).

Sparkman Cellars - Chris Sparkman has lots of experience in the hospitality industry. He got his start in winemaking with his buddy at Mark Ryan. I somehow think of these two plus Chris Gorman as a trio of pirates, aye! The 2007 "Lumiere" Chard and 2006 "Wilderness" were outstanding.

Spring Valley Vineyard - Who can resist Uriah and Frederick made by French winemaker Serge Laville.

Syncline - Winemaker, James Mantone may be the best educated winemaker in the world. Knowledgeable about microbiology, geology, and many other sciences, he bring a philosophical perspective to his biodynamique approach to grape growing and winemaking, but most importantly, his wines are outstandingly good. His Syrah is my favorite. Sommelier Christophe Huser, of Hacienda del Sol, also loved this wine. The Subduction Red, a Rhone-style blend is also an outstanding red at a reasonable price.

Somehow missed Tagaris, Tamarack, and Townshend.

Vin Du Lac Winery - Winemaker Larry Lehmbecker makes fresh wines that see no wood. Virtually all of his wines are quite good. The Ice wine is a special effort. Larry took away many awards from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition this year.

Missed Waters Winery, Woodhouse Cellars and Woodward Canyon. Woodward Canyon wines are always interesting and sometimes outstanding.

Wines of Substance - Waters winemaker, Jamie Brown, takes a negociant approach using overages from other wineries and vineyards. Thus, he produces a virtual Table of Wine Elements such as CS, SY, CF, ME, CH, RE etc. A very clever scheme allowing the opportunity to taste different varietals made by the same winemaker - a great chance to check out the varietal character of each grape. BTW, once open, these wines keep a long time (five days?) without even being gassed making then great glass pours for restaurants.

Qiuz IV:

2009-03-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

Who was Hafiz and why did he write about wine?

Answer III: Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?

2009-03-19T21:59:00.000-07:00

The chicken crossed the road to avoid the farmer who wanted to make that totally ancient retro dish, "Coq Au Vin. " Coq au Vin is a great way to use almost a whole bottle of wine that's not quite right. If there is no such wine, Charles Shaw, aka Two Buck Chuck will do. Whatever happened to all those great "cooking with wine" dishes such as Sole au Chambertin, Civet de Lievre ( does the Hare have to cross the road, too?) - are they just gathering dust in old copies of Julia Child? Are there any new "cooking with wine" recipes? An infusion of chicken and red wine pate coiled around a vertical Vietnamese shrimp and sugar cane stick on a base of ginger and pickled cucumber jello, for example? Anyway, chickens are smarter than you might think!

Quiz III: Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?

2009-03-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

Why did the chicken cross the road? Why do you think? My answer next Tuesday.

Answer II: Why Did The Farmer Go To The Winery?

2009-03-10T05:33:00.000-07:00

Answer: The farmer went to the winery to make wine! A visit to a typical winery in France makes this obvious. During a visit to Chateau Prieure Lichine in the 1980s, I was first greeted in the courtyard by hens and roosters running about. There was no obvious Chateau or tasting room, just a group of outbuildings clustered around the courtyard with all kinds of farm equipment scattered about. Talking with winemaker, Frank Roth, confirms this. Frank works for orchidist, Mike Tagaris, one of the biggest exporter of Fuji Apples to Korea. All grapegrowers are farmers, and any winery that has estate grown grapes is by definition a farm, unless it is a factory detached from the vineyards. Even the fanciest Chateau in France, while showing a great facade, behind it all, is a farm. It is unfortunate, that some wineries now resemble a retail boutique in a mall rather than a farm. It is even more unfortunate, that so many wines are homogenized in their flavors. The flavor has been removed from so many foods such as pork and eggs, and more and more so from wine. We should be thankful to the devoted farmers who bring us grapes with character and wines with character. Of course, especially in Washington, there are farmers who only grow grapes, and winemakers who only make wine.

Taste Washington In Phoenix- IV

2009-03-09T05:09:00.000-07:00

Here's another dozen wineries to consider:

Isenhower - Winemaker Brett Isenhower is an artist. My favorite is the 2006 Red Paintbrush.*

J. Bookwalter - somehow missed this one.

K- Vintners - Charles Smith is a talented winemaker and marketeer. Great names like Eve Chardonnay, the Velvet Devil Merlot, and Boom Boom Syrah.

Kestrel - You don't have to be a bird to appreciate these. Usually excellent wines, though quality varies somewhat. Lady in Red is available all over the place, but isn't quite as good as the earlier editions.

Kiona - Venerable Red Mountain winery. Winemaker Scott Williams makes a huge variety of wines of good quality.

L'Ecole No. 41 - Marty Clubb usually makes excellent wines. Semillon is a specialty and a special treat.

Lone Canary - Good wines at good prices.*

Long Shadows - Alan Shoup casts a very long shadow around the globe. Outstanding wines for the most part. Pedestal, Pirouette and Sequel are my favorites.

I must have missed a whole section - Maryhill, Mercer Estates, Milbrandt, Morrison Lane.

Nicolas Cole - Amazing wines at amazing prices. My favorite, once again, is the least expensive, but absolutely delicious Graeagle.*

Northstar - Started out with a bang, but seems to have lost some of it's luster. Still, good stuff.

Northwest Cellars - The fun thing about Rebert Delf's wines? You can get your own customized label. My fave is the Merlot.*

Note Bene - Note well, Note Bene! Tim Narby, another Boeing Wine Club graduate, makes delicious, interesting wines with hard to pronounce names. My favorite right now is the 2005 Abbinare.*

Novelty Hill - As I wrote last year, I've never had a bad wine from Novelty Hill. Mike Januik is an outstanding winemaker, and Novelty Hill wines are priced right.