The Wine Knows

There's a couple of non-degree study programs for winemaking. One is the WSU Extension program in Prosser (which has a 2-3 wait list). Another is at UC Davis. It begins with a DVD/Online course called "Introduction to Winemaking".

Sunday night provided me with another example of what living in wine country means.

My wife, Traci, and I drove from the Tri-Cities to Prosser for a remarkable winemaker dinner.

It’s impossible to determine which was more impressive — the wines produced by Kay Simon and Clay Mackey at nearby Chinook or the culinary expressions of Frank Magaña.

I am heading to Mendocino on a short wine tour of the area. My soon to be wife is heading there for a business trip. I thought I'd check out their wines. While doing some research on the Inet, I found the following: There are 56 wineries and over 250 growers harvesting approximately 56,000 winegrape tons, representing about two percent of the state’s wine tonnage.

In the past week, we have been on a merlot "binge", and have had some surprising revelations! It started with a favorite dish of ours, a grilled chicken caprese' dish that is perfect with a fruit forward merlot or a chilled rose. Last week, we had it with a "simple" Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot, and it was a very nice pairing. A few days later, we decided to open something from the cellar - a 2003 Stags Leap Wine Cellars SLV Block 2C Napa Valley Merlot (about $50). This was a wine club only wine, a vineyard designate from Stags Leap's own vineyards, and one we hadn't tried before. Upon decanting, the first thing we noticed was the amber color at the rim. Of course, that surprised us since the wine is only 5 years old. The first taste was a total let-down. The fruit had already faded, although there were ample tannins, and it had fairly strong acids. It came across as a little bitter, yet weak. Our first thought? The Columbia Crest, at $8.99, totally blew it away! We were very disappointed, to say the least. Two nights later.... a little concerned that these wines were already over-the-hill, we opened one of our Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 2004 Napa Valley Merlot's ($40) to pair with some grilled ribeyes. While it wasn't over the hill, it seemed strangely diluted, even though the color was a very deep purple with no signs of oxidation. It was beter than the rare 2003 a few nights earlier, but it was another "bust", in my opinion, from a legendary winery - and from different vintages. It was a total buzz kill with some killer steaks. Frustrated, and not wanting to waste a fabulous steak on such a mediocre wine, I grabbed a Tagaris 2002 Arete' Vineyard merlot from the cellar, purchased at the winery for around $25, if memory serves me correctly. It totally killed! Brilliant cherry and plum fruit, with a hint of enjoyable "greenness" to it - almost like basil or mint or something. The acids were perfect for food and the structure was there for another 2 to 4 years of aging. I was almost sorry I opened it so soon. The Columbia Valley really is a sweet spot for merlot, which truly is a food friendly, versatile wine.

I like to unwind at the end of my day with a glass of merlot and listen to some light music, such as jazz. Something about great wine and great music relaxes me. The other day I popped in one of my favorite artists, David Sanborn. If you aren’t familiar with him, he is a great saxophonist/jazz musician. He’s actually coming out with a new album called “Here and Gone” August 12th which is really great news! Anyway, his music really relaxes me, and paired with a great glass of wine makes for a perfect evening. Try it out – check his Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/davidsanbornband for some of his best music and pour yourself a glass of your favorite wine. You won’t regret it ;)

This is something I have been thinking about lately as I am sure many of you have as well, and really don't have a good answer. What makes Northwest wine country to you? We all have a romantic notion of wine country with sheep on the roads, vineyards and small farm houses making up the horizon, much like in France or Spain.

Results are now posted for the 2008 NW Wine Summit!
http://www.vinochallenge.com/nwsummit/2008/2008results.htm

The Pacific NW seems to have an abundance of wines that focus on French varieties. We have also been seeing several Rhone styles popping up more and more. I am curious to see if others are finding Italian varieties out there as well. There seems to be an abundance of Sangiovese out there, some good, some bad as can be expected. One Italian variety that Washington seems to grow extremely well is Barbara. So far I have had Barnard Griffin's, Cascade cliff's and Lone Canaries Barbara and liked them in different ways. But what about the other common Italian varietals? Dolcetto? Negromaro? Nebbiolo? Can anyone here suggest wineries that are making these decently?

Greetings,

I thought I would start a post to get anyones juices flowing about whether they care that I bottled 11 cases of wine by myself this month. I actually calculated 10 cases, but had some leftovers ( exactly 2.5 gal ). I just bottled it as a 63% Syrah/33% Merlot.

Hey Everybody!

Just a quick note - this weekend, Friday through Sunday, May 9-11, is the Spokane Winery Association's Spring Barrel Tasting and Release Weekend!! There are 12 participating wineries, including Arbor Crest, Barrister (I will be pouring the new award winning Cab Franc on Friday - stop by and say hi!), Caterina, Grande Ronde Cellars, Knipprath Cellars, Latah Creek, Lone Canary, Mountain Dome (sparkling wine house - rarely open to the public), Nodland Cellars (new winery that is doing great with their custom house blends), Robert Karl Cellars, Townshend Cellars, and Vintage Hill Cellars (another new winery - I think they mainly have whites ready to go - not sure about any reds yet).