Write for Wine

I recently read an interesting article in The Vancouver Sun, which used to be my hometown newspaper. The report was called Fishing for White, and states that red is the new white — much like fashionistas declare which wardrobe color is “the new black” each season. Here is the opening paragraph from the Sun article:

“You may have heard the new red is white, but making the switch has been anything but easy for most red wine drinkers in North America. Yet while many are still clinging to their acidified shiraz, and alcoholic zinfandels, British Columbian wine drinkers appear more willing than most North American tipplers to live at the edge of wine fashion and that means reaching for white wine this summer.”

Now perhaps it’s my British Columbian roots that bring me to “the edge of wine fashion” by drinking white wines and even rosé on my deck as the weather finally turns warmer in the northwest. But I don’t think so.

No, I think it’s natural for anyone–even hard-core red wine drinkers like me–to reach for something light and refreshing in the heat of summer … particularly if you’re nibbling on prawns or other light snacks that make up summer fare.

So here’s to summer!
Cheers!

July 1st is Canada Day! What Canadian wine do you recommend? A white from British Columbia? A red from Ontario? Please share your favorites with us!

Cheers!

Woodhouse Family Cellars did it again. The just-released 2004 Kennedy Shah Reserve Syrah is a slice of heaven.

This rich and textured Syrah has a touch (1%) of Viognier that brings a unique aroma and flavor to this luscious wine. It’s not as peppery as some Syrahs, and it’s extremely smooth.

But, just like the Kennedy Shah Cab Franc, the 2004 Kennedy Shah Reserve Syrah is only available to wine club members. No wonder why Woodhouse Family Cellars’ wine club is growing by leaps and bounds.

Think about joining!

Cheers!

As a follow-up to my previous post about how everyone is writing about Washington wines these days, I found these two recent articles interesting — one was in the San Jose Mercury News and the other in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Both pretty much said, ”Look out California, Washington state is making some fabulous wine!” 

Walla Walla wineries producing top-notch cabernet, merlot …
San Jose Mercury News - CA, USA
One of the Walla Walla wineries pouring Columbia Valley appellation wines was Long Shadows Vintners, a project started by Washington wine pioneer Allen Shoup.

WINE OF THE WEEK: Washington wine savvy choice for those who love …
Las Vegas Review - Journal - Las Vegas,NV,USA
Serious wines are being produced in Washington state these days, challenging the position of California as a leader in the domestic wine market.

Cheers!

I have a Google Alert set for Washington wine, and the information is coming in fast and furious. Rather than writing about each of them individually, here are some links for some further reading about the fine wines of our state.

• Summer Wine Touring in Lake Chelan Valley
  Washington State is becoming well-known for its wines all over the world, especially those from the Walla Walla Valley and the Columbia Valley. One area that you may not be familiar with if you live outside of Washington is Lake Chelan.
• Move over, California; other states are producing their own fine wines
  Yet many of the other wine regions are now making some spectacular wines. Two states, Washington and Oregon, have long been credited as successes, but in my view, not for the right reasons.
• 2005 Sequel Syrah
  Hey, this Columbia Valley (that’s in Washington) wine is pretty damned good! Beats the pants off of just about any Aussie Shiraz I’ve had, that is 4 sure. Why? Well grab a drink, pay attention and I’ll tell ya!

Happy reading! Cheers!

We had the opportunity to taste wines from Dusted Valley Vintners at Washington Wine Highway, and chat with one of the owners, Chad Johnson, too. This Walla Walla winery offers good wine and fun people. And their wine club is called Stained Tooth Society. Say no more!

Actually I will! We really enjoyed Dusted Valley’s Walla Walla Syrah 2006. The tasting notes on their Web site explains: “This is Walla Walla Valley Syrah.  The Walla Walla Syrah is earthy, gamey without the big rustic tannins.  It is a absolute favorite of ours.  The rustic nose of the outdoors meets the sexy elegance of the tango dancer.”

Rustic yet sexy. I couldn’t phrase it better myself.

Dusted Valley also is proud of their new entry wine called Boomtown. The name reflects Washington State’s booming wine industry. And the Boomtown releases include a chard, pinot gris, cab, merlot and a syrah.

We tasted the 2006 Syrah at Washington Wine Highway, and agree with the designation by Wine & Spirits Magazine which gave the 2006 Boomtown Syrah 90 points and named it in the top 100 value wines of 2008.

We will definitely stop by to see Chad and the gang at Dusted Valley Vintners the next time we visit Walla Walla!

Cheers!

Life has gotten in the way of blogging this week! I have so much wine to write about, but time is limited. Please continue to check back for my upcoming blog posts on:

• Dusted Valley Vintners
• Gilbert Cellars
• Sleight of Hand Cellars
• William Church
• JM Cellars
• Page Cellars

And thanks for coming back!

Cheers!

We recently attended David LeClaire’s “Debuts & Discoveries” at MOHAI — the Museum of History and Industry — and had a wonderful time. The place was packed with wine enthusiasts who enjoyed pours from more than 40 new northwest wineries.

We enjoyed wine from William Church Winery, Sleight of Hand Cellars and quite a few others, which I will describe in more detail in the near future.

The event was even more fun than usual because friends Kathie and Bob from Ottawa joined us, and their palates are different than ours. So we heard firsthand about varietals that we don’t usually try. Come back to read more about this great evening in the next couple of weeks.

Cheers!

Here is a list of some of our favorite wineries in Woodinville — in alphabetical order. Are your faves included? If not, what are your favorites? We’d love to hear from you!

Alexandria Nicole
Arlington Roads
Baer Winery
Brian Carter Cellars
Columbia Winery
DeLille Cellars
Di Stefano
JM Cellars
Mark Ryan
Matthews Cellars
Page Cellars
Red Sky Winery
Washington Wine Company
William Church
Woodhouse Family Cellars

Cheers to all of you!

We’ve been so busy lately with new releases, big wine events and with life in general that we hadn’t been able to visit our favorite wine bar, Vino Bello, in awhile. So it was great to see owner Michele Smith again last weekend.

As usual, Michele had some special surprises in store for us in her frequently changing wine menu that always has something for everyone. We also had a taste of a unique wine called The Chocolate Block 2006 made by Boekenhoutskloof from Western Cape, South Africa.

As Michele aptly described it, “The Chocolate Block has a lot going on.” Its name comes from the spicy dark chocolate profile that the wine displays. There are also strong dark berry flavors in this unique blend of Syrah (55%), Grenache Noir (17%), Cinsault (15%), Cab Sauv (9%) and Viognier (4%).

The Chocolate Block is rich and robust with balanced, smooth tanins. It’s unlike anything we’ve ever tasted. And it reminded us of yet another reason why we will be going back to Vino Bello again soon. Hope to see you there!

Cheers!