The Wine Knows

Have you ever considered trying to earn a Master of Wine degree?

The "MW" is the most prestigious two letters that can follow a wine lover's name - and it's really difficult to achieve.

For the past half-decade, a group known as the Washington Wine Ambassadors has worked diligently to promote Washington wine by volunteering at events. It has been a wonderful program and has operated under the umbrella of the Washington Wine Commission.

Saturday afternoon, I traveled to Walla Walla, Wash., where the good folks from Ste. Michelle Wine Estates put on an event that was, shall we say, rather interesting.

It also was the hardest ticket to get in town.

One of the questions I'm asked most often is how I manage to come up with the various descriptors in wine. In other words, how do I realize a wine smells like raspberries and tastes like Flathead Lake black caps?

Part of that comes from sheer numbers of wines. In any given year, depending on how many competitions I am invited to, I will smell and taste 3,000 to 6,000 wines. Going through that many trains your palate to look for specifics to set various wines apart.

Two upcoming workshops in Western Washington will help those interested in learning how to make wine. Both are offered by Washington State University.

The Yakima Valley Community College's teaching winery will be open this weekend during Spring Barrel Tasting. The first vintage by this new winemaking program bottled its first vintage last week and is excited to share it.

Over on The Seattle Times Web site, Paul Gregutt's first column of the year gives several great tips on starting a wine-tasting group.

Wine-tasting groups can be fun and educational, and they don't necessarily need to be formal. Having a wine-tasting party can serve a similar purpose. Here's how I would suggest putting one together.

In case you haven't heard, the U.S. government is considering a change to wine labeling laws that would require wineries to put information on each bottle similar to the nutrition facts you see on grocery items. This change would have a deep impact on the industry. Thus, if you are or plan to be involved in the wine business, you should learn more about this.

Today, I chatted with Angelo Tavernaro, a fellow judge at the Tri-Cities Wine Festival competition. The Master Sommelier and certified wine educator will begin teaching a certification course early next year at Columbia Basin College in Pasco, Wash., on how to work in a tasting room.