The Wine Knows

Hey WineO!

I have heard that Latah Creek makes some great sweet wines. I am not a big fan of sweet whites, although I do enjoy a monstrous port once in awhile..... They do have a great facility, even with the funky freeway location, and I appreciate their price structure. I would LOVE to check out the Arbor Crest Petit Syrah!! We have some great ones from the Napa and Sonoma areas (Quivira makes a great one, and Robert Biale's is also killer). I haven't had their Wahluke Cab, although it sounds like I should! (moment of truth.... I am drinking an Arbor Crest 2003 syrah right now....) I love Fielding Hills, and all of their fruit is estate grown from the Wahluke Slope. Barrister's cab franc is made with quite a bit of Sagemoor's Weinbau Vineyard fruit, which is on the Wahluke Slope. Thanks for the head's up on those wines!

Tim

I've tasted the Arbor Crest Petite Sirah in recent months, and it was delicious. Of the half-dozen or so Northwest Petite Sirahs I've come across, it ranks up there with the Thurston Wolfe Petite Sirah from the Horse Heaven Hills.

I have a deep passion for Petite Sirah (my wife might call it an obsession), and the Northwest Petite Sirahs don't necessarily have the sturdiness of their California counterparts, but I think that has a lot to do with vine age. The Thurston Wolfe PS's have good structure but also have a certain jamminess to them that make them approachable in their youth.

That said, I made a sorbet from a Thurston Wolfe PS, and that was the most tannic sorbet I've ever had! A group of friends put on a Petite Sirah dinner, in which I supplied six PS's from six different California appellations (Napa, Mendocino, Lodi, Sierra Foothills, Alexander Valley and Stag's Leap), with the sorbet as a palate cleanser before the main course.

As you may know, Oregon wineries can now legally call their Petite Sirahs by that name, rather than the less-desirable Durif. The first to come out with a wine labeled "Petite Sirah" is Spangler Vineyards in the Umpqua Valley.

I could go on all day about Petite Sirah. ...

Amen WineO!

I have been to all of the Spokane area wineries. If you want any recommendations, in my humble opinion, the best "wines" will be found at Barrister, Robert Karl Cellars, Grande Ronde, Nodland Cellars, Townshend Cellars, Lone Canary, and Arbor Crest. Of course, those are in no particular order..... Barrister is famous for their Cab Franc, but the new Pepper Bridge Cab Sav is outstanding and all of their syrahs are great. Be sure to check out the Morrison Lane syrah, co-fermented with viognier. It is absolutely stunning. They also just released their popular Rough Justice blend, which is much more fruit forward than in years past. Robert Karl wines are built for the long haul. Their cab sav blows away most wines in the country at the $28 price point. The Inspiration Reserve (around $42) is one you can lay down for 5 to 10 years. It is simply amazing. Their syrah, if available, has multiple layers once it opens up. And if they have it ready to go, don't miss their Rose' of Cab Franc! Grande Ronde' is, for some reason, very overlooked. They also have a Pepper Bridge cab sav that has beautiful notes of black olive as well as plum/cassis fruit and extended barrel time. The 2005 release of Cellar Red is really tasty, after what I consider a "mediocre" 2004 release. Nodland Cellars, a new winery, does just two wines. A red blend, the Private Reserve, is a total Bordeaux blend that shows a very deft hand at the mixing table. The white, a riesling-based wine called BeBop, is equally good. Lone Canary does some very nice reserve wines, but for me, their daily drinkers ($13-$18) are worth the trip alone. Townshend Cellars makes about 20 (!) different wines, several of which are very good. You can also buy the T3, their famous restaurant blend, at the winery, and their new "Red Table Wine" is a very tasty wine at a killer $11 (often $8.99 in grocery stores.) Arbor Crest is the most stunning facility in the area, and they also make some pretty good wines. Their merlot is always good, and I really like their Cab Franc. The only challenge I have is that their wines are pretty expensive at their gorgeous facility. For example, their Cab Franc was $27 last time I was their, and I buy it for $14.68 (not on sale) at Yokes. For that price, I love it. For $27, I have plenty of other options..... Of course, their are a few other wineries in the area that are worth checking out, but hopefully this will whet your appetite for some fine "Spokane" wines!

Tim

I meant for my other post tonight to go here..sorry.
The Lone Canary wines are fabulous.