This week’s Wine Word of the Week is breathing. Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine: Breathing is an operation believed beneficial by some consumers, involving pulling the cork and letting the open bottle stand for a few hours before it is poured. In fact, in such circumstances, the wine can take […]

Paul Gregutt has done it again! If you have any interest in Washington State wines, you need to get a copy of his latest book, Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide, Second Edition. When you travel around Washington wine country as much as we do, you very quickly see the respect and admiration that […]

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 2008 Columbia Crest H3 Merlot from the Horse Heaven Hills of […]

Well, it seems that fall has already arrived here in Seattle. Even though the official end of summer has not passed, the overcast skies and cooler temperatures tell us that summer is indeed over. Nevertheless, we wanted to have another tasting dinner featuring refreshing white wines before we turn the page on the summer of […]

Arbor Crest Wine Cellars, located in Spokane, Washington, was founded in 1982 and produces about 20,000 cases per year. It is one of the largest family-owned wineries in Washington State. Owned by the Mielke family, Arbor Crest boasts a beautiful setting with a scenic overlook of Spokane and the surrounding area. Brothers David and Harold […]

We spent Labor Day Weekend visiting the Walla Walla Valley AVA. The Walla Walla Valley AVA was established in 1984 as Washington State’s third AVA. It encompasses areas in both Washington and Oregon. When you are visiting wineries and vineyards in the valley, it is easy to forget which state you are in. The lines […]

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is photosynthesis. Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine: Photosynthesis is a biochemical reaction which combines water and atmospheric carbon dioxide using the energy of the sun to form sugars in plants, including vines. Important in this process are the green chlorophyll pigments in leaves […]

After more than fifty years since my first sip of wine, I have a pretty good idea of what I like in a wine and what I don’t like…and what’s good and what is not really good. And I’m not easily fooled by a wine whose proponents call it a product of unique terroir when, […]

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 2009 Turning Leaf Pinot Grigio from California. Our selection criteria include: […]

Periodically, we feature wine gadgets that we have personally found to be helpful to have in our wine toolkit. As you browse the aisles of your local wine shop or thumb through a wine store catalog, you will see hundreds of wine accessories or gadgets. For the first time, we are featuring a “wine gadget” […]