While Columbia Crest, Washington State’s largest winery, has recently received national attention for its 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon which was rated as the #1 wine of 2009 by Wine Spectator, they are best known for their everyday value lines, Two Vines and Grand Estates, which are widely available nationwide. Rounding out their portfolio is the […]

Recently, we had what turned out to be a California Pinot Noir showdown in one of our private tasting dinners pitting the 2007 Lionheart Wines Pinot Noir against the 2006 Cambria Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir. We liked both of these wines, but all four of us preferred the Lionheart. In fact, we thought it was […]

For years, I’ve had friends tell me that they can’t find the great Washington State wines that I tell them about where they live. So with the help of Wine-Searcher.com and a lot of legwork, I’ve set out on a mission to prove them wrong. This is the fifth in a series of posts to […]

After visiting more wineries than I can count, tasting almost 900 Washington wines from 235 Washington wineries, meeting winemakers, and walking the rows in many of the best known vineyards in the state, these are the Wine Peeps team’s picks as the best of 2009. BEST WINE: 2006 O*S Winery Dineen Vineyard Syrah (featured Dec […]

When you are winding down and relaxing after dinner on a cold, winter evening, there’s nothing better than a small glass of port wine. Add in a piece of chocolate with your port around the holidays and you have a treat that’s hard to beat. Port is a fortified wine, meaning that grape spirit (almost […]

Today’s post is part of a series featuring the Women of Washington Wine. In an industry once dominated by men, more and more women are joining the ranks as winery owners, vineyard owners, and winemakers. Being a woman myself, I am fascinated by these women and what they have done and continue to do. Through […]

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 2006 Snoqualmie Syrah from the Columbia Valley of Washington State. Our […]

Chicken Fried Steak is a southern dish that is believed to have been adapted by Texans through the influence of German immigrants and their wiener schnitzel. An inexpensive cut of meat such as cube steak or tenderized round steak is dipped in an egg and milk mixture and dredged through flour before being cooked in […]

The majority of Washington State wineries are small, “Mom and Pop” operations, many operating out of garages, office parks, or other small facilities. Basel Cellars, located on the Old Milton Highway just south of downtown Walla Walla, Washington, is not one of those operations. In fact, Basel Cellars is one of the first wineries that […]

During this time of year when everyone is shopping and getting excited about the new “things” they’ll be getting for Christmas, I think that it is also important to spend time thinking about traditions and some of our favorite things from times past. When it comes to wine, two of our old favorites are the […]