Archive for April, 2009

 

Vineyards of the Yakima Valley

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

Many people think of wine as an uppity beverage. They think beer is for the common folk while wine is for high society. Oh, how I wish we could break down these stereotypes once and for all. What those people fail to realize (or remember) is that wine is an agricultural product. Wine grapes are […]

Filed under: American Wine, Vineyards, Washington State Wine |

 

Wine Tasting Dinner: Washington Merlot

Monday, April 13th, 2009

On Friday evening, we hosted our 70th wine tasting dinner. Once again we had a fabulous evening of good wines, the company of wonderful friends, and Mom’s excellent food. This month’s dinner featured Washington Merlot. Don’t be misled by what one idiot said in a Hollywood movie, Merlot is a wonderful varietal. And Washington State […]

Filed under: American Wine, Five-Bangs For Your Buck Wines, Merlot, Red Wine, Washington State Wine, Wine Tasting Dinners, Wines Over $25, Wines Under $10, Wines Under $15, Wines Under $20, Wines Under $25 |

 

Happy Easter from your Wine Peeps!

Sunday, April 12th, 2009

Filed under: Holiday |

 

Good Alternatives to America’s Most Popular Restaurant Wines

Friday, April 10th, 2009

A few months ago, I saw a list of America’s most popular restaurant wines that was published in a post on the popular wine blog, Vinography: Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay Beringer Vineyards White Zinfandel Cavit Pinot Grigio Italy Sutter Home White Zinfandel Inglenook Chablis Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio Italy Yellow Tail Chardonnay Australia Copperidge Chardonnay […]

Filed under: American Wine, Argentine Wine, Australian Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Wine, Chardonnay, Five-Bangs For Your Buck Wines, Gewurztraminer, Italian Wine, Malbec, Merlot, Moscato/Muscat, New Zealand Wine, Red Wine, Rose Wine, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz/Syrah, Washington State Wine, White Wine, Wines Under $10, Wines Under $15, Wines Under $20, Wines Under $25 |

 

Wine Word of the Week: Veraison

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is veraison. Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine: Veraison is the word used by English speakers for that intermediate stage of grape berry development which marks the beginning of ripening, when the grapes change from the hard, green state to their softened and coloured […]

Filed under: Wine Word of the Week |

 

Taste Washington 2009: The Complete Recap

Wednesday, April 8th, 2009

The tagline used by the Washington Wine Commission to describe Taste Washington is “the ultimate wine experience.” That phrase definitely sums up this past weekend. Taste Washington is a wine and food lover’s paradise. The festivities kicked off on Friday with the Washington Wine Restaurant Awards, picked up steam on Saturday with Education Day, and […]

Filed under: American Wine, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Dessert Wine, Five-Bangs For Your Buck Wines, Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Petite Sirah, Port, Red Wine, Rose Wine, Sangiovese, Shiraz/Syrah, Tempranillo, Viognier, Washington State Wine, White Wine, Wine Activities/Events, Wines NOT To Buy (1 & 2 Star), Wines Over $25, Wines Under $15, Wines Under $20, Wines Under $25, Zinfandel |

 

Taste Washington 2009: Restaurant Awards and Education Day

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

Taste Washington 2009 is now in the books. So now it’s time to reflect on what we learned and tasted and look forward to next year. We had the pleasure to attend all of the Taste Washington festivities this year including the Washington Wine Restaurant Awards on Friday, Education Day on Saturday, and the Grand […]

Filed under: American Wine, Vineyards, Washington State Wine, Wine Activities/Events |

 

Private Tasting: Syrah/Shiraz Showdown in Hawaii

Monday, April 6th, 2009

On our recent trip to Hawaii, we decided to give ourselves a reprieve from eating out and paying restaurant wine prices every night by taking some wines from home and cooking a few meals in the condo where we were staying. So we grabbed a couple pairs of sacked-up wines from our private tasting lineup […]

Filed under: American Wine, Australian Wine, Shiraz/Syrah, Washington State Wine, Wines Over $25 |

 

Why You Should Follow Washington State Wines

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

This weekend, April 4th and 5th, is Taste Washington in Seattle, featuring over 200 wineries, 60 restaurants, and a day of seminars for wine and food lovers. In fact, fellow wine blogger Alder Yarrow of Vinography is leading one of the seminar panels tomorrow. If you are located in the Seattle area and haven’t yet […]

Filed under: American Wine, General Wine Information, Washington State Wine, Wine Activities/Events |

 

Wine Word of the Week: Yeast

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is yeast. Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine: Yeast, microscopic, single-celled fungi, having round to oval cells which reproduce by forming buds, are vital to the alcoholic fermentation process, which, starved of oxygen, transforms grape juice into wine. Sugars are used as an energy […]

Filed under: Wine Word of the Week |