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!

SunRiver Vintners Features Fantastic Angelica and More

My friends Sean McGrath and Frazier Brown contacted me a few weeks ago to tell me about a new wine centered development that they were working on here in the Tri Cities area. The development, which will be near Badger Canyon will house boutique wineries, fine eateries, and bed and breakfasts. It will be both a destination, and a jumping off place for winofiles of all types. Set in a Tuscan Village theme, it will be an oasis out here in the desert of Eastern Washington.

One of the first wineries to jump on board with this concept locally is SunRiver Vintners. SunRiver is the first official winery located in Kennewick. Several Wineries have set up tasting rooms in Kennewick over the years, but SunRiver is the town’s first bonded winery located in the city limits.

I was invited to visit and taste through SunRiver’s wines this week. How can a guy turn down a personal invitation to taste good wine and meet new people? We were excited to go and give the a try.

Currently located at the corner of 10th and Clodfelter road, the winery shares a parking lot, and is located directly between Sun River Electric and Quality Signs. As I arrived, they had one of the winery’s big bay doors open. Just past the tasting table there was an extremely unusual sight. Some super HUGE oak barrels!

These huge barrels are called Port Pipes. Unlike the usual 60 gallon barrel that we see in most wineries in this region, the Port Pipe is much larger, containing as much as 171 gallons of juice depending on the maker and exact style.

Port Pipes are generally used for making, you guessed it, Port. Daniel Washam, one of the owners, explained how he and Glenn Washam, the other owner, and Greg Vogtritter, the winemaker were able to pick up an exclusive use of these Port Pipes here in the U.S.. Their concept was to make wines using these pipes.

The larger the barrel, the less that the ether phenols from the oak will infuse into the wine. The concept is that the wine will have the benefits of oak without the headaches associated with oaked wine. Whether that hypothesis holds true or not, it is pretty cool to see wine being stored in these gargantuan barrels.

We tasted through a few of the winery’s wines. I found them all to be quite enjoyable, but here are a few of my favorite outtakes from our adventure:

The winery’s Gewurztraminer is available either in the bottle or on tap. The establishment purchases two cases of the wine and the winery places it in a stainless steel keg. It can be served right on the tap line this way, making it affordable to sell by the glass. The Gewurztraminer has 2.8 residual sugar so it is both spicy, as well as a little sweet. A great wine to serve with hot and spicy foods or on a hot day.

Next we enjoyed the 2008 Long Shadows Vineyard Merlot. This wine has a huge nose of cherries an cassis. On the palate the tannins are long and velvety.

The 2007 Phinny Hill Petit Verdot is a 100% Petit Verdot that offers a nose and flavors of blackberry, smoke, leather, and cassis. This wine would be great with a grilled ribeye or by itself. Fantastic!

After enjoying those wines we went around with Greg, the winemaker, as he theifed various Angelicas (Ports) from the big barrels. The Malbec, Sauzo, and Cabernet Franc Angelicas were all fabulous, with each featuring their own awesome flavor profiles. They will be going to bottle from the barrel in the next few weeks.

I suggest visiting the winery and giving their wines a try. Their website is www.sunrivervintners.com and they have a great Facebook page as well.

Enjoy!

Red White and Wine Gala March 10th

This week is all about shameless promotion and a chance to party with the stars! I want you to come to an event with me next Saturday night, March 10th for the 2nd Annual Red White and Wine Gala. This year’s event will be held at Terra Blanca Winery on Red Mountain, just outside Benton City Washington. Consider this my personal invitation!

So, what is the event all about? It is an event that was created two years ago by my friends Chef Jesse and Susanne Ayala at Tuscany Grill in Prosser. They have been working very hard to help the poor and needy in the region, and have taken on the monumental task of feeding many of the poor during holidays, not to mention many regular days of the year.

The Ayalas have built a wonderful annual event to help fund this program. The Red White and Wine Gala is an all out “Red Carpet” event featuring a six course dinner prepared by Chef Jess, and paired with wines from Terra Blanca, Martinez and Martinez, Mercer, Desert Wind, Airfield Estates, Coyote Canyon, and Gamache Winery. There will also be beer by Horse Heaven Hills Brewery.

The menu for the event includes Dungeness Crab and Artichoke Cockail, Baked Brie with Washington Fruit, Antipasto Skewers. And that’s all before you sit down to dinner!

The seated portion of the meal will offer butter lettuce, squash shooters, Swai with Laguistino, and Tenderloins with mushrooms and Gorgonzola. Desert will feature a Dark Chocolate Creme Brule with cherries.

As a very special course there will be three more wines and pairings for people who wish to purchase VIP tickets to the event. These will offer a chance to meet and visit with Keith Pilgrim, the owner and winemaker of Terra Blanca. Keith is a fantastic guy, and if you haven’t had a chance to spend time with him I recommend it.

The cost of this event is fantastically low! Seats are available for $75 each. VIP tickets are $100. For a table of eight, the cost is $525, with VIP eight tops for $700. I know that we are taking an entourage to the event ourselves. I recommend that you bring your buddies too.

Music by the amazing Eddie Manzanares and Cafe Blanco will keep you dancing into the night, and a silent auction with several bottles of wine, including some pretty nice magnums will occur during the event as well.

Oh, and did I mention red carpet? Part of my contribution to this great event this year is that I will be taking pictures of everyone as they enter the event on the red carpet Oscars style! That’s worth the price of admission alone! Just imagine having your picture taken by the amazing Onerichwineguy. Pictures will be available for no additional cost for download from my business website after the event, or you can purchase prints and the proceeds will go to support the event.

Let me ask you this. When was the last time you got really dressed up, went out for a fantastic dinner and dancing, and just had an absolute blast? If it has been a while I really do want to see you at the Red White and Wine Gala! Call Susanne at 509-205-9466 to get your tickets to this great annual event.

See you there!

Don't Overlook This Chardonnay




Landmark Overlook Chardonnay

  A few weeks ago when I was out of town I received a familiar looking package. This particular bottle came from a winery located at the Northern tip of Sonoma’s Highway 12.

Landmark Vineyards, in operation since 1974 has been one of the bright stars in the Sonoma wine culture. The winery initially started in Windsor, California, and was relocated in 1989 to a state-of-the-art facility at the base of Sugar Loaf Mountain to get away from the urban sprawl. The facility is built in a beautiful Spanish style, and offers gorgeous grounds to its visitors.

In 1993 world renowned enologist Helen Turley came to work with then winemaker Eric Stern. The winery quickly gained world acclaim and has seen the Wine Spectator top 100 many times since. Their flagship wine, the Overlook Chardonnay has graced the list seven times since 1997.

The current winemaker, Greg Statch, works closely with Eric Stern as the winemaker emeritus. Statch, who was originally a journalist went back to school to become a winemaker, graduating from Fresno state in 2001. His specialty is clearly Pinot Noir, and he has brought a great amount of acclaim to the winery for his skill with this tough grape. He also works as Pinot Master at nearby Kanzler Vineyards.

Together, the winemakers crush, ferment, and bottle approximately 20,000 cases of wine each year at the winery. The secret to their success is careful shopping for grapes throughout the California Coast. Their mantra is “Your wine is only as good as your vineyards”. Their vineyard sources include names like Heintz, Rodgers Creek, Flocchini, Sangiacomo, and Bien Nacido.

The grapes are harvested early in the morning and delivered to the crush pad for a process of whole cluster pressing. They then rack the juice into French Oak and allow indiginous yeasts to ferment the juice. The wine spends 8-10 months in oak. A second, malolactic, fermentation softens the wine afterwards. The wine is then blended from the various lots and a special portion is set aside to sit in barrels for an additional time of up to 13 months. This is the juice that is used to create their Overlook label Chardonnay.

I received the 2010 Overlook label wine in its burgundy style brown glass bottle. It has a look and heft of a quality bottle of wine. The wine poured from the glass with a beautiful fresh straw color. Soft fresh bread notes, lemon, vanilla, and peach fill the nose. The flavors are creamy with peaches and warm toast mixed with baking spices. The finish was very balanced. Clean and yet softly lingering.

I served this wine with a baked chicken dish that I make with cream, bread crumbs, and pickled cherries. The wine paired perfectly. I would serve it with any poultry dish.

The question people always have from this region when I write up a Californian wine is “where can I get it?”. My answer is that it is full distribution in many areas around the northwest. If all goes well it should be available in our area. You can also get the wine direct through the winery. Contact them at www.landmarkwine.com.

Enjoy!

Grocery Outlet Ticks Me Off

Chateau Larkan 2010 with a steaming dish of Cioppino

I have this strong policy about writing anything bad about anyone.  But today I'm feeling like I need to bend my rule a little bit. 

Grocery Outlet, a company that I have written several columns on over the past 3 years is giving me the cold shoulder.  Apparently they don't think that I have the pull.  My readership stats are quite substantial, and by and large my readers like it when I write about Grocery Outlet wines.  There have been over 1000 reads on my various past GO writeups in the last month alone. 

They reached out to me initially and asked me to write for them.  The only compensation was that they would supply the bottles for the tasting.  I could say anything that I wanted.  With my policy in place, if I tasted a crappy wine there I just didn't write about it.  It was a good relationship, or so I thought.  There have been some ownership changes at my local store, and the company representatives claim that they are looking at their "blogger relationships". 

This is where you come in.  I need you to do a couple of things for me to prove my worth.  If you don't do these things then it will simply prove me wrong and that's ok too. 

First, I tasted a bottle of 2010 Chateau Larkan Bordeaux that I purchased from there last week.  Initially it opened in the bottle with a little sulfite and oxydation, but once I gave it some air and swirrled it in the glass a little the wine opened up beautifully.  This French Bordeaux from Gironde is a beautiful soft red.  It offers up soft cherry and chantrelle notes on the nose, with a fruit forward mid palate and a very nicely balanced finish.  At $5.99 this bottle was a steal of a deal so I went back and bought a case for myself.  The Kennewick store has five or six more cases available as of yesterday.  I suggest getting down there and buying as much as you can.  Go ahead and empty the shelves. 

Along with that, the owners of the Kennewick store, Aaron and Lisseth, are holding a wine tasting on February 16th from 5p.m.-7p.m..  The tasting is free and offers four whites and four reds.  My ask is that you attend, drink their wines, and buy some while it is an additional 10% off.  While you're there make sure you tell them that I sent you and that you want them to put my notes back in their store.  You can also email them at kennewick@groceryoutlet.com and let them know that you enjoyed my wine notes in their store.  

Thanks, and Enjoy!!  

What Is It About Red Wine And Chocolate?



Bittersweet and SemiSweet Chocolate
with yummy Jack Syrah from Saviah



I was looking back on my old articles and noticed that over the years I have written three articles on “Red Wine & Chocolate”. The funny thing was that when I wrote those articles, each time I was talking about events and not about the actual reason behind why we eat chocolate with red wines.

Actually, I hadn’t really thought about it quite frankly. Everyone always just eats chocolate with red wine. There are always the big events that happen around Valentines season. But, those are just a marketing gimmick to get you into a tasting room somewhere and buy some wine from a starving winemaker.

My question goes a lot deeper. What makes red wine and chocolate so tasty? Why do we even go so far as to manufacture and drink wines that are chocolate? (Personally, I think the whole chocolate wine thing is nasty, but there are people who buy and drink a lot of the stuff.) Also, for those of us who have failed at this, what is a good pairing verses a bad pairing.

Part of understanding of paring wine with chocolate has to do with the astringency and strength of both the wine and the food. Some dark chocolates can be very bitter and astringent to taste. On the other hand, some chocolates can be creamy and smooth, such as Swiss milk chocolate. Some chocolate is sweet, and other is relatively bitter. Some is fatty, and other types can be quite dry.

Likewise, there are wines that are also astringent, sweet, bitter, acidic, and fruity depending on the varietal and blend. In doing my research for this article, (no cocoa beans were killed in the making of this column), I found several charts that explained this methodology in detail. The best chart that I found online was written by Karen Hochman in an article on thenibble.com .

Hochman carefully explains different kinds of chocolate and the esters found in that particular kind. She then explains how that pairs with different wines based on their own makeup. For example, Hochman explains that bittersweet chocolate has features of roasted, ashy, woodsy, and nutty notes. This is chocolate that is in the 70% to 100% cacao range. Because of the strong flavors found in this type of chocolate there is a demand for stronger red wines. Dark red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Zinfandel, and Merlot tend to pair better with this type of chocolate.

Semisweet Chocolate has a tendency to pair very well with the same dark red wines as the bittersweet types. Ports and Zinfandels bring out the spices of the chocolate. Bordeaux varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot tend to bring out the nutty and fruit notes of chocolate.

Milk Chocolate is a much sweeter, and higher sugar content type of chocolate. Because of the milk content you will taste more vanilla, brown sugar, and other creamy-caramel flavors. This type of chocolate does not pair with dark wines. Try pairing these with Muscats and Ice Wines. You can also pair milk chocolate with very mature Tawny Ports.

For more in depth pairings I suggest going to Karen’s article at thenibble.com . It is very well written, and a great resource.

Enjoy!

Add Market Vineyards To Your Portfolio



Market Vineyards Merlot



Back in 2008 three executives from Wadell and Reed financial were sitting in the dining room of Hotel Beijing overlooking the forbidden city. They were beyond talking about their day jobs, and were ready to talk about something that they all loved dearly. Wine. Not just any wine, but really really good Bordeaux styles wines.

Matt Reisenweber, Daniel Schulte, and Steve Anderson formed Market Vineyards in their minds that night, and soon added Bob Bertsch to their dream. With two of the partners being right here in the Tri-Cities region they were sold on making sure that the wine was sourced and made here. They looked high and low for just the right winemaker, and decided that the only man for the job was Charlie Hoppes from Richland, Washington.

If you haven’t heard about Charlie Hoppes, and his fantastic wines you are obviously not into wine. Charlie either currently makes, or has made wines for just about every top winery in this region. He is quite possibly the Godfather of Washington wine. His reputation and accolades are miles long.

This week I had the opportunity to visit my friend, and Market Vineyards salesperson Erin Sagadin at the Richland tasting room. I’ve known and worked with Erin and her husband Christopher for many years and it was great getting to taste through the wines and get to catch up with her.

Market Vineyards wines are all given financial names in accord with the partner’s background. The first that I tasted was their 2010 Liquidity. The wine is a 50/50 blend of Viognier and Roussanne that was sourced from Gamache Vineyards. Liquidity offers a light gardenia and pear on the nose and palate with a long acidic finish. Serve with anything creamy or buttery.

The 2007 Benchmark is the winery’s first Merlot. It is 100% Merlot sourced from Stillwater, Weinbau, and Conner-Lee. This wine has fantastic dark stone fruit, and a wonderful velvet texture that finished for me like buttermilk.



Erin Sagadin serving customers in the tasting room.



Market Vineyards 2008 Benchmark is sourced at Stillwater Creek and Conner-Lee. This wine is extra large with tons of deep complexity. I loved the baking spices mixed with the dark berries that make this wine go boom.

Basis Points is the name of the winery’s blend. The 2008 is 58% Cab Sauv, 17% Merlot, 17% Cab Franc, and 8% Malbec. Once again sourced from some of Washington’s greatest vineyards. This wine shows a nose of black pepper and mineral, opening to black cherry and currant, moving on to spice box, and finishing with berry pie notes. Very long and complex with soft tannins.

The 2008 Arbitrage is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is sourced from Gamache, Stillwater Creek, and Red Mountain. This wine hits all of my flavor profile and is one that I could drink all night. Full of fruit, spices, and delicate tannin.

Last, I tasted the 2008 Acquisition. This is Market Vineyard’s member’s only wine. Sourced of 100% Red Mountain fruit, this wine offers tons of dark fruit, earthy notes, and spicy complexity. Absolutely fabulous!

Located in Queensgate Villiage in Richland, the winery is open late on weekends and nights when they offer music, so make this one your last stop. You can also pick it up where fine wines are sold throughout the region.

Enjoy!