This week’s Wine Word of the Week is estate bottled. Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine: Estate bottled is a term used on labels which has a very specific meaning in the United States, where an estate-bottled wine must come from the winery’s own vineyards or those on which the winery […]

Founded in 2007 by brothers Pinto and Billo Naravane, Rasa Vineyards is a bona fide Washington wine superstar. Their beautiful winery is located south of downtown Walla Walla near the Washington/Oregon state line. Billo serves as winemaker and Pinto as managing partner, but the brothers collaborate on every aspect of the business. They both have […]

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 2011 Nobilo Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region of […]

Summer is the time of year when we turn our attention to rosé wines. In fact, many wineries only make small quantities of rosé wines to be released during the summer months. Rosé is French for “pink” and is used to describe wines of that color. Rosés are generally made from red grapes; however, unlike […]

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is barrel aging. Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine: Barrel maturation [the term used in this book for aging a wine in a barrel] is the wine-making operation of storing a fermented wine in wooden barrels to create ideal conditions for the components of […]

With the passing of I-1183 and the state now out of the liquor business, beverage consumers in Washington State are finally in the driver’s seat. Now, we have a marketplace where competition will dictate selection and price. In addition to grocery stores and other established local wine retailers getting into the spirits business, two large […]

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 2011 Ecco Domani Moscato from Italy. Our selection criteria include: A […]

Being native Texans, the Wine Peeps love BBQ. Real BBQ, that is! There is a distinct difference between real BBQ and just anything cooked on a grill outside. Hamburgers and hot dogs are not BBQ; neither is roast beef with lots of BBQ sauce slathered on top. Real BBQ is smoked by slow-cooking the meat […]

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is aging. Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine: Aging of wine is an important aspect of wine connoisseurship, and one which distinguishes wine from almost every other drink. When a fine wine is allowed to age, spectacular changes can occur which increase both its […]

Ryan and Renee Crane own Kerloo Cellars, located in Walla Walla, Washington. The Cranes relocated from Seattle to Walla Walla to pursue their winemaking dream. Shortly after moving to Walla Walla, Ryan earned an AAAS in Enology and Viticulture from Walla Walla Community College. He gained experience working crush under Marie-Eve Gilla at Forgeron Cellars […]