Our 59th wine tasting dinner on Friday evening was one of our best ever. We enjoyed the evening with wonderful friends, Mom’s (LaGayle) delicious meal, and a fabulous set of wines. Not only were all the wines good to excellent but they are all outstanding values. Never before have all six wines from one of […]

“A clue that you’re buying wine at the wrong store: The proprietor gives samples in a Big Gulp cup.” –Malcolm Kushner First, look for a wine shop, not a supermarket or liquor store that sells primarily beer and hard liquor. Notice the temperature when you walk in the door. Make sure it almost feels a […]

Dad (John) and I ventured into Esquin Wine Merchants on Saturday looking to pick up a bottle or two of French Cabernet Franc for the upcoming Wine Blogging Wednesday. While we were there, we were able to taste some more Washington wines and have another excellent Washington wine book signed by the author. Like last […]

It seems that many people really place importance on what foods that they have with their wines. I agree that a wine changes in taste with foods that are served with it; however, I personally do not think that one has to go overboard with a lot of fancy gourmet meals to enjoy a good […]

“Though the Wine Advocate has been bellowing it for years, it is worth repeating: Columbia Crest is the source of some of the finest values in the world. I am awestruck that winemaker Ray Einberger and his team can produce such quality in industrial-size quantities.” –Pierre Rovani, Wine Advocate, April 2006 If you want to […]

I thoroughly enjoyed the Comfort Wines theme of the 43rd edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday. It forced me to take a break, relax, and enjoy one of my favorite wines. Joel of Wine Life Today has posted the roundup summarizing all those who participated. Unfortunately, the Wine Peeps didn’t get much love from Joel. While […]

On Saturday, we spent part of our afternoon at Esquin Wine Merchants here in Seattle for a book signing and wine tasting. Paul Gregutt was there signing his book, Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide. This book is an excellent resource for anyone wishing to learn more about Washington wine or planning a trip […]

Our good friends, Ross of Decanted and his wife Alison, recently hosted the Zinfandel Olympics. Over the course of six weeks, a group of us gathered weekly to taste a number of Zinfandels. The rough format (with a few exceptions) was that in each of the preliminary five rounds, we tasted six Zins, each from […]

“We can compete very favorably in producing top table and varietal wines with any other region in the United States.” –Walter Clore, Father of the Washington Wine Industry, 1969 After traveling over much of the world of wine, I truly believe that Washington State produces great wine and is one of the most exciting wine […]

Over the years, I have tried a number of Chardonnays. Truth be known, it might have been the first wine that I ever tasted. Since it is generally the white wine offered at banquets, weddings, and the like, there is a good chance that it was the first white wine that you tasted too. Even […]