Wine Peeps is an independent wine blog dedicated to helping you get the most bang for your buck in wine. We do this through blind tastings of wine from around the world and calculations of 
A Wine for Tonight: 2005 Columbia Winery Syrah
By Kori ~ May 20th, 2010.
Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2005 Columbia Winery Syrah from the Columbia Valley of Washington State.
Our selection criteria include:
- A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
- A price tag of <=$15
- Must be widely available
Columbia Winery, located in Woodinville, Washington, was founded in 1962 by ten friends, six of who were University of Washington professors. Originally known as Associated Vintners, it was the first premium winery in Washington State. The late Master of Wine David Lake was the founding winemaker; Kerry Norton, who now serves as Director of Winemaking, succeeded him. In 2008, Ascentia Wine Estates acquired Columbia Winery.
“Bright red plums, dark berries and earth fill the nose. The palate is filled with dark ripe fruits, smoke and black pepper followed by a rich and lengthy finish.†–Director of Winemaking Kerry Norton
2005 Columbia Winery Syrah (Columbia Valley, Washington): Deep, purplish red. Aromatic with cinnamon and black fruits on the nose; black plums, blackberries, and mocha on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $10
Filed under: A Wine for Tonight, American Wine, Five-Bangs For Your Buck Wines, Red Wine, Shiraz/Syrah, Washington State Wine, Wines Under $15, Wines Under $20, Wines Under $25
Sounds very drinkable, I’ve tried their Riesling before, but none of their reds!
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The 05’is satisfactory but the 02’will never be beat!
cork & foil,
You should try it. I’d love to hear what you think.
T.T.,
Glad to hear the ’02 is one of your favs. But the ’05 is the one people can find in stores now.
Cheers!
Hi Kori, I will endeavour to find somewhere in the UK which imports it and I’ll let you know, I just saw that you have a twitter account – will have to check it out!