From Sawbucks to Spring Barrel Tasting In Store This Tax Weekend

The other day I received an interesting package just in time for tax day. In the box was a bottle of wine and a little marketing piece on the sawbuck.

Sawbucks are an invention of the 1700s, where you laid a log or length of timber on when you were sawing it. Two pieces of wood lashed together with leather to form an X. It became over the decades what we now call the modern sawhorse.

When the $10 bill was first crafted in the U.S., the bill was called a “sawbuck” because the Roman numeral for 10 is “X”. So when you needed $10 for something, you asked for a “sawbuck”.

When John and Lane Giguiere started in the wine business back in 1983 they had huge dreams and lots of enthusiasm. By the time their brands R.H. Phillips and Toasted Head became a success they were down to their last sawbucks and hoping for a miracle.

Well, the miracle did happen and now those are two of the biggest brands in the California wine world. Their brand Matchbook is quickly catching speed in the market, and their everyday label Sawbuck is now out for full distribution.

I received a bottle of the 2008 Sawbuck Malbec. Someone must have been tipped off that I’m a huge sucker for a glass of that red goddess.

The label on the bottle is fun and attractive, looking like an old gold-standard $10 bill. I pulled the composite cork and was pleased to find a bright red color pouring into my glass. Many Malbecs are inky black, so I knew things would be a little different.

As I looked down the winemaker’s notes I noted that the wine is 76% Malbec, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Syrah. The Malbec and Syrah grapes are from the famed Dunnigan Hills, whereas the Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Lodi and Chalk Hill.

The nose on the wine jumps out of the glass with red apples, raspberry, and dark cherry. There is ample fruit on the front of the palate, with flavors of cocoa, black cherry, and soft tannins on the back. A pretty tasty wine for the suggested retail of $10 when it hits local stores soon.

For those of you who followed my suggestion and did the Gorge Passport Weekend a few weeks ago I know that you will appreciate this weekend in the Columbia Valley. This is the region’s Spring Barrel Tasting weekend!

I have been receiving dozens of emails this week inviting me to scads of events throughout the region for one of the area’s most celebrated wine events of the year. April 15th through the 17th wineries located all the way from the Tri Cities to Yakima will be participating in the event, with entertainment, food, and plenty of new wines to showcase.

If you have the desire to get out of the house and away from the yard work this weekend I suggest checking this event out at www.wineyakimavalley.org or by checking out the website of your favorite winery in the area. As always there are passports available online, or you can pick them up at any participating winery. Remember to bring your own glass!!

Enjoy!

Tenacity Pays Off For Region’s Newest Winery

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try, and try again! That is the lesson taught by the region’s newest winery, Hamilton Cellars. Their Grand Opening, held this week at their new tasting room in Richland, Washington is proof that pushing through obstacles will bring you to a win.

Last fall I met owner Stacy Hamilton while I was teaching a wine tasting class at the Savor the Flavor event in the Tri Cities. When I asked if anyone in the room was in the industry she quietly held up her hand. Later, after class we introduced ourselves and I found out that she and her husband Russ were planning on opening their tasting room soon.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when my wife and I attended a birthday party for one of my wine industry friends. We all brought a bottle or two of our favorite vintages while we feasted on the most amazing Tennessee ribs I’ve ever eaten. One of the other guests that evening works in the tasting room of Hamilton Cellars and brought a few bottles of their wine.

I’ll just say that I was impressed. I knew that the wine was too good to be made by an inexperienced winemaker. That’s when I found out that the guy producing the juice is none other than winemaking superman Charlie Hoppes.

Now that I’ve teased you, I need to tell you the rest of the story. Russ and Stacy began work on their dream of owning a successful winery in 2006. They knew that they liked good wine and that is what they wanted to produce. The Hamiltons knew also that they wanted Hoppes to be the winemaker, and that they wanted their wines to be from good vineyards and made from sound processes.

Now for the tough part. There have been planning and zoning issues with owning a winery in this region. They are being cleared up quickly, but back when the Hamiltons were starting out it wasn’t so easy.

The Hamiltons purchased a piece of land in West Richland with the intent of building a winery. Little did they know that there was a huge dispute over the land with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The title company, the attorneys, and the City of West Richland all failed to realize that the land wasn’t legal to sell because the U.S. Government owned it. The Hamiltons were sent an eviction notice.

Luckily planning and zoning issues have lifted a little, and the Hamiltons were able to convert a cute little office cottage In the Queensgate Village around the corner from Barnard Griffin and Bookwalter in Richland.

As for those promised notes on wines, I thought you might like to hear about a few I tasted. I am certainly looking forward to tasting through the rest of the portfolio soon.

2007 Bona Vita Red Blend - Dark purple in the glass, this wine has a blend of 51% Malbec, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 12% Cab Franc. The nose and flavors are rich with layers upon layers. Blueberries, blackberries, smoke, peppercorn, and soft tannins on the finish.

2007 Malbec –This Malbec is beautiful, bold, dark, and scrumptious. Blueberries, black cherry, dark chocolate, black pepper, and a velvety finish. This wine, and the Bona Vita both paired wonderfully with my friend Patrick’s ribs and his homemade sauce. Yummmm!

Enjoy!

Argentinan Wine Continues To Gain Popularity

Did you remember the Nielson family? I remember back in the 80s the whole notoriety about the Nielsons and how the marketers tracked their spending and purchasing habits. It was this kind of bizarre tracking of them to get a better understanding of all of us. Little did I know that years later when I’m working in the wine industry, that the Nielson data would remain the best way to track wine purchases in the U.S.

As of last month, the Nielson report shows that this year has been a big – big year for Argentinian wines. As you probably do remember, I’ve written about the growth of the Mendoza region multiple times in the past few years.

I guess that all my soothsaying has come true. This year has seen explosive growth for those Nielson people drinking wines from that country. They are now only second to New Zealand in U.S. market share growth. What does that mean? Well. It means that you are about to get a bunch more Argentine wines on your market shelves.

What is making Argeninian wines so popular? It is the fact that they can make really good wine, bottle it, export it, and have it delivered to store shelves for a lot cheaper than local wineries.

One such winery sent me a sample bottle this past week. Bodega Septima is a winery located in the heart of Mendoza Argentina. At the base of the Andes mountains, the building and the vines are in prime location for making some of the best Malbec in the world.

Bodega Septima is owned by the Spanish Codorniu Group. A very large family-owned conglomerate that offers wines from both Spain and Argentina. The family has wine making history going all the way back to the 1500s. They offer a full range of varietals from sparklings to Pinot Noir on both continents.

Just getting into the U.S. market, Bodega Septima relies on a marketing and PR firm to develop distribution here. Their local contact, Donna White asked if I would like to try their wine, in hopes that I would talk with all of you about it.

I received the 2009 Malbec, along with a bunch of data and tasting notes for the winery’s 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon. I’m thinking that they might have messed up and sent me the wrong bottle, but I’m glad I received the Malbec over the Cab.

The bottle is quite attractive, with the label design being from the ancestral method that the winery was built by stacking natural stones. Pouring the wine into the glass, the first thing that becomes very notable is the wine’s dark, almost bluish color.

The 2009 Malbec is very soft on the nose. Its gentle subtleties of anise and dark berries mix very well with the earthiness from the oaking process. The flavors are quite gentle as well, as opposed to the almost bombarding approach by Malbecs in this region. Dark, rich berries, mix with anise, plum, and soft tanned leather. The finish is silky and smooth.

If this wine prices in at the same as the Cabernet Sauvignon, which lists at $12.99, I can see why the Nielsons are grabbing the stuff up. Hopefully, you’ll have a chance to taste this wine soon as the distribution channels become available in this region.

Enjoy!

Terra Blanca Is The Place Where Everybody Knows Your Name

You know the sitcom Cheers, with Norm and all the gang. I don’t know about you, but I’m one of those people who have a total appreciation for being welcomed when I walk through the door. There just is something to be said for a place, where you might not be a daily or even monthly regular, but when you walk through the door you are met with a warm greeting and a glass of something good to drink.

I hear people all of the time telling me that they visited this or that winery and were snubbed or treated poorly. The tasting room staff were rude and unknowledgeable, or the glasses were dirty. Inevitably, not a week goes by that I don’t hear some horror story coming from either Washington or Oregon.

But, Terra Blanca is one winery I have never heard that about. Quite the contrary, there is a good chance that during your visit you will be approached by a very nice dark haired man, dressed in jeans and a button-down shirt, who will make sure and go out of his way to welcome you. Don’t be fooled…this is no other than Keith Pilgrim, the owner. His beautiful wife Rene is just as quick to jump to serve you if your glass runs dry for too long.

Keith and Rene have created this experience all of the way through their entire staff. From sales and marketing, to the tasting room, down to the people who work in the cellar. There is an air of “welcoming” about the entire place.

Further, I’ve come to the solid conclusion that this “hearth-like” experience makes the wine just that much better. For the average person, not knowing the Pilgrims or their staff, the average wine consumer would say that the wine is good, but not absolutely mind blowing. On the other hand, when you experience the winery and its staff you fall deeply and completely in love. So much so, that I know people who travel to Red Mountain from all over the world for the winery’s famed annual Onyx release.

All of Terra Blanca’s wines are very food friendly. The balance of acid, sugar, and tannin make the wines almost cry for a meal. Some of my favorite wines from Terra Blanca are the Sauvignon Blanc, the Viognier, and several of Keith’s sweet white varietals. Of the reds, I love his new Arch Terrace label Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and his Onyx Bordeaux Blend.

My all-time favorite wine produced by Terra Blanca is Keith’s Malbec. The 2005, which I had today, is dark, rich and fruity on the nose, with spices and dark blueberry notes jumping out of the glass. The flavors are rich with blueberry and rich baking spices. A nice velvety mouthfeel leaves you craving more. It is like having a glass of the richest blueberry cobbler you’ve ever had.

I asked Keith what he has up his sleeve for this year and he became almost giddy with excitement. The winery is going to be producing several rare varietals this year in limited production. Some of them sound so good, I actually did get giddy myself as he was talking about them.

Along with the new flavors, the winery is producing a whole new label design. The new look is very elegant, clean, and attractive.

I do hope that the next time you are near Red Mountain that you stop in Terra Blanca for a visit at the friendliest winery on the planet. Tell them that I sent you!

Enjoy!

Some Of My Best Friends Are Thirsty Pagans

There are some times in life where you just have to put your religion aside and enjoy life for what it is. One of those times is when it comes to drinking wine.

Being the good Catholic boy that I am, I’m always careful to keep myself away from associating with or getting messed up with the occasion of sin. I say my prayers before meals and at bed time every evening like I was taught. And, I enjoy a good glass of libation, as long as it’s in moderation.

So, what’s a good boy like me to do when I’m met by a stunningly beautiful woman offering me a glass of ruby red wine. I drink it. I smile. I ask for the whole bottle!

Such was the case last week when I ran into my friend Jeannie Inglis-Chowaneitz. She and her winemaker husband Rob Chowaneitz have released their first bottling from their new winery called…(parents cover your children’s eyes)…”Thirsty Pagans”.

The Chowaneitzs, with good friend Crandall Kyle, started Thirsty Pagans in the harvest of the 2005 vintage. Using their combined skills and love of wines, they have created a fantastic micro-winery that they intend will create no more than 250 cases of wine each year. Their location at Alder Ridge, the heart of the Horse Heaven Hills puts them in a prime location to source the regions best grapes year after year.

Rob Chawaneitz is one of the rising stars in the winemaking business. Working as a cellar rat under John Abbott during the Canoe Ridge days, followed by a stint as the cellar master at Woodward Canyon, Rob now is the head winemaker for Corus Estates where he has worked since 2004. His specialties are bone-dry whites and deeply complex reds.

Jeannie Inglis-Chowaneitz is an equally talented wine marketer. She began her career working as Waterbrook’s club manager, and went on to be the PR and Marketing Director for Cayuse. In 2004 Jeannie started her own wine marketing firm, of which she has several very noteworthy Northwest wineries under her watch.

The first vintage created by Thirsty Pagans is their 2005 “Communion” red wine. A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Malbec, and 5% Petit Verdot is thick and rich with the flavors indicative of the Alder Ridge Vineyard that the grapes are sourced from. In 100% French oak for 22 months, and an additional 12 months of bottle aging tells you that they are in it for quality and not quantity. As extra insurance from cork taint, the Thirsty Pagans chose screw-caps to preserve their wine.

Communion features a nose of cassis, sage, blueberries, and plum. It is dark and rich in the glass. Layered flavors of dark cherry, blueberry, pepper, and baking spices fill your mouth. The tannins are long and silky, leaving you wanting more. At $26 at the winery this is a very good price for an excellent wine.

If you want to try Communion I suggest going to http://www.thirstypagans.com/, or by friends requesting them on Facebook. There are several outlets for the wine in the greater region. If you don’t see it, ask for it.

Enjoy!

Good People & Good Wine At McKinley Springs

In general, what I like most about the wine business is the people. It is inevitable that when you are out tasting you will run into old friends, and make a few new ones along the way. Last night I met a couple of new friends in Doug and Sandy Rowell, the owners of McKinley Springs Winery.

Doug and Sandy have been in the wine business for many years, beginning as grape growers for some of the most prestigious wineries in the region since 1980. Their considerable 1800 acres of vineyards, located south of Prosser in the Alder Ridge area, supplies juice for Bookwalter, Northstar, Columbia Crest, Waving Tree, and many others.

In 2002, like many other growers, Doug decided to take the difficult trail toward starting his own winery. With Sandy by his side, Doug started producing Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. They have since branched off into producing Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and are working on many other varietals and blends.

The 2006 Viognier opens up with a nose of honeysuckle and spring flowers. It features flavors of peaches, pears, and a wonderful dry minerality which gives it a slight sparkle. The finish is quite acidic, which paired with the mineral clears the palate but leaves a nice lingering finish. My immediate thoughts were to pair this with grilled Tilapia and a nice spicy mango salsa.

I next tasted the 2005 Syrah. Doug produces his Syrah in the traditional Cote Rotie style by blending in a little more than three percent of whole Viognier grapes during the initial fermentation. This method produces a famously meaty, dark, rich Syrah that you can really sink your teeth into, while providing a beautiful elegant nose. A wonderfully balanced wine with a long tannic finish.

After the Syrah we went on to try the 2005 Malbec. As you already know, I’m a pretty ardent Malbec fan, and drink a considerable amount of the stuff. So, let’s say I wasn’t expecting anything out of the ordinary. Right away I was impressed with the dark, rich nose of blueberry pie and the nearly black colors in the glass. This wine opens up with dark cherries, blueberries, vanilla, and finishes with the lingering rainforest flavor that I love. I’ll tell you now, that this is among the best being produced in this region.

Last, we tasted the 2006 Petit Verdot. Usually used as a mixing grape with other varietals, I am usually hesitant to just reach out and grab a bottle at my favorite wine shop. Doug has, however, done a nice job of tackling this very difficult grape. The Petit Verdot opens with dark colors and flavors of stone fruit. It fills the mouth with espresso, cinnamon, and fresh black pepper. Serve this with a smoked ribeye and you’ll be in love.

In closing, I want to mention that you can’t get these wines in Eastern Oregon at this time. However, if you want a reason to visit the winery they are planning several Barbeque events when things warm up this year. The one to not miss is their BBQ Showdown & Benefit on June 13th. The cost is $25 per person over 19. 18 and under are free. This includes wine for those over 21, soft drinks, food, and a lot of fun. The proceeds go to feed returning troops at Ft. Lewis. To find out more about McKinley Springs go to www.mckinleysprings.com . Enjoy!