Upcoming Regional Wine Events You Will Love

Harvest time is so romantic. All those rich smelling grapes, and warm fall air. I find that most people fall for the romance, and miss what is truly the best time of the year in the wine industry. That time is late winter and early spring.

One of the biggest reasons why February through April is so important in the wine industry is because many of the new vintages are being released. What was great last year might not be so good this year, and what wasn’t so fantastic last year is creating huge fervor now. Really, for the wine industry, spring time is the time that we get a “do over”.

With all of the vintages changing the industry also likes to take the opportunity to showcase their wines. Here are some of the big and small events hitting the Northwest soon:

Taste Washington: If you’ve never been to Taste Washington, you’ve never been to a real wine extravaganza. Held on March 31st and April 1st this year, Taste is host to over 200 wineries, winemakers, and famous chefs doing demonstrations on the Viking Chef’s stage. Tickets start at $75 per person for general admission, and up to $125 per person for the VIP experience. For more information go to www.tastewashington.org.

Spring Barrel Tastings: For those who wish to stay a little closer to home and make it a day trip there are several Spring Barrel Tasting events coming in the next few weeks. April 20-22 the Rattlesnake Hills AVA will be celebrating it’s Spring Barrel Event. The crowds are much smaller, and intimate time with the winery staff is almost a guarantee. Go to www.rattlesnakehills.org for more information.

The following week Spring Barrel Tasting happens throughout the Yakima Valley. I’ve written about this big event several times in the past. It is almost a guarantee that I’ll be out for at least one day of this event. You can find out more abut this at www.wineyakimavalley.org.

Right on the hills of Yakima is the famous Walla Walla Spring Release. This is truly one of the biggest parties in the Northwest when it comes to wine. I suggest going to www.wallawallawine.com and getting yourself set up for a great weekend in the Walla Walla AVA.

One thing that I do want to make sure people don’t miss is truly local opportunities. Graybeal Distributing in Pendleton is once again starting up their wine 101 class for this spring. This spring’s lineup is looking to be spectacular.

On April 12th, Denise Musick with Saviah Winery will be the host as she pours wines and talks about one of the all time favorite wineries from this region. The following Thursday the 19th there will be a rare treat as Samantha Krieg will be visiting and pouring wines from the huge E.J. Gallo Wine family. I know that many people scoff when I mention E.J. Gallo, but when you’ve tasted some of their high end portfolio you will be surprised.

Graybeal ends their Spring Wine 101 with Gordy Venneri from Walla Walla Vintners. Walla Walla Vintners is truly one of the iconic wineries of the Walla Walla region. Their wines have consistently won regional and national awards for many years. The cost of these events is $20 per person, and includes both the wine and food pairings. To find out more and to register call Deborah at 541-276-2264.

Enjoy!

Castillo de Feliciana Is A Trip To Spain In Walla Walla

This week I met my friend Rich Funk at Saviah and talked about some amazing plans that he has to share later this spring. I picked up some of his newest releases, and then, rather than heading straight home decided to take a different fork in the road.

Past Waters Winery and VaPiano, and after taking a right at the fork, I came to Castillo de Feliciana Vineyard and Winery. A cute little Spanish hacienda, located down a short gravel drive with views of the Blue Mountains, Seven Hills Vineyards, and most of the Walla Walla valley.

As I entered the winery I was met by the youthful and entrancingly blue eyed tasting room manager Katie Regnier. It was cold outside, but her excitement to open a few bottles for me, and the great wines had me thinking of warmer climates.

Castillo de Feliciana is one of Walla Walla’s newest wineries. Owned by Sam and Deborah Castillo, the winery is located on a 66 acre estate that is surrounded by fantastic vineyards of world renown. The tasting room itself offers a nice Spanish theme, with beautiful art that Deborah herself has hand-picked.

The Castillos opened their winery with the hopes of offering fine wines in the Spanish varietals. This being the northwest, there has been some issues with reaching those offerings, but the Sueno (dream) will become a reality with time and patience. They planted true Spanish Albarino vines this past year, and at this point they are looking good in the ground.

I caught Katie on a quiet day, where we could talk and taste through the wines. I highly recommend that you take the opportunity to visit wineries during this time of year when the tourist season is off. It is so much fun, and you feel like you own the whole region.

Anyway, Katie poured the 2008 Viognier for me to start. Mixed with 19% Roussanne, the wine has wonderful floral aromatics to start. Melon and baked bread open up to a nice mouthful of peach and other stone fruit, with a lightly acidic finish. I picked this one up to share with my wife before bed.

Katie then poured me the flagship 2008 Temperanillo. This wine is made from 100% Rosebud Vineyard Temperanillo grapes. The wine opens on the nose with a bouquet of violets and desert sage. The flavors are deep and rich, with red currants, and espresso. The finish is long, with soft acidity and supple tannins.

Next I tasted the 2008 Miercoles. This wine is made up of 55% Syrah, 27% Malbec, 9% Temperanillo, and 9% Merlot, with the juice being sourced from Pepper Bridge, Rosebud, Airport Ranch, and Les Collines. The flavors and nose are black cherry, plum, coffee, and cocoa. There are further layers of baking spices on the long finish.

Last, Katie poured me the 2008 Adentro. This wine is a Bordeaux blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Malbec, and 5% Cab Franc. It offers up a nose and flavors of herbs and spices on the front, with vanilla, tea, and tobacco on the mid palate. The wine finishes very nice with a distinct minerality from the perfectly blended Cab Franc. Very nice.

I hope you’ll take the time to venture to the southern reaches of Walla Walla. When you do, I suggest you stop in and taste the Spanish influence offered by Castillo de Feliciana.

Enjoy!

Barrel Tasting Weekends Are A Great Sign Of Spring

Ahhhhh…we’ve survived the winter. It really wasn’t bad this year, but as I grow older I appreciate winter less and less. There is something to be said about seeing those first daffodils and tulips of the year, followed by the fragrant lilac bushes in my yard exploding with blooms. Other than flowers in bloom, I also get excited this time of year because I know that Spring Release is coming soon.

As a wine-interested person, there are two times each year that the industry goes all abuzz. Spring Release is one of those times. The other comes at harvest during something we call “crush”.

Personally, I think that Spring Release is the best. All of the wines that my friends have been working on for months or years gets bottled and made available for people like you and me to drink. Not only that, but many of those winemaking friends have the time to spend with you explaining what they did to make their drinkable art so good.

I’ve gotten the skinny from a few of my winemaker friends over the past few days, and this year’s releases look to be the most exciting we’ve had in years. This is partially due to the great growing seasons the past few years, mixed with the down economy making vintners really dig deep to make great wines at economical prices. I guarantee that our local winemakers are going to make it very difficult not to buy local this year.

Here are some of the travels I will be making over the next few days to experience Spring Release this year. I hope to see you out there!

This weekend, April 23 through 25, is Spring Barrel Tasting weekend for the Yakima Valley, Prosser, Red Mountain, Rattlesnake Hills, and the Tri-Cities. Starting in Yakima, I suggest going online to www.wineyakimavalley.org to figure out the best route through the valley for you and your friends this weekend. There will be 50 different wineries participating in this year’s release. You can call for more information at (509) 965-5201.

The Rattlesnake Hills winemakers roll out the red carpet every year on this weekend. Many wineries of the Rattlesnake region, just over the river from Boardman, are usually open for appointment only. This is one of the few weekends that the public is invited to come for food, entertainment, art, and wines at many of these vintners facilities. Go to www.rattlesnakehills.com for more information.

The Tri-Cities and Red Mountain wineries also open their doors this weekend for special events. I’ve spoken with several this week who have plans to release very special wines including some very affordable, high quality labels, as well as new varietals never seen before in this region. I’m incredibly excited about what I’m hearing from winemakers in this region. For more information on events going on in the Tri-Cities I suggest going to www.visittricities.com .

Last, but certainly not least, April 30th through May 2nd is Spring Release Weekend in Walla Walla. There will be close to 75 wineries participating in next week’s release festival, with many providing special wines just for this weekend event. If you haven’t been to a Walla Walla Spring Release then you haven’t been to a wine party. Food, drinking, dancing, and all out fun awaits you. Go to www.wallawallawine.com for more information.

Please remember to have a designated driver of some type, eat regularly, drink plenty of water, and enjoy!