Wine Peeps

Three of Washington State’s largest and most opulent winery facilities are located in Woodinville, a suburb of Seattle. Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Winery, and Novelty Hill/Januik make excellent stops on anyone’s wine tasting adventure.

In addition to the “Big Three,” Woodinville is also home to a number of small, garagiste wineries. But instead of being located in someone’s garage, most of these mom-and-pop operations are located in local business parks or storage facilities. While over 30 wineries currently have production facilities or tasting rooms in Woodinville, almost all of them actually get their grapes from vineyards in eastern Washington.

One Saturday afternoon last month, the Wine Peeps made the 20 mile trek to Woodinville for a bit of wine tasting. Since we have been to the “Big Three” numerous times, we decided to check out a few of the smaller wineries that we had not previously visited.

Our first stop was at Chatter Creek. During our visit, we had the pleasure to meet Gordy Rawson, winemaker/owner, who founded Chatter Creek in 1996. Chatter Creek’s annual production is approximately 2000 cases and is focused on the Rhone and Bordeaux varietals. We tasted five of their wines and especially liked the 2005 Clifton Hill Syrah.

Just down the street from Chatter Creek is Stevens Winery. Tim and Paige Stevens opened Stevens Winery in 2002. Tim is also an artist and designs an original label for each Stevens wine. Their yearly production is about 2000 cases. Of the three wines we tasted, their 2007 Divio Viognier was our favorite.

Our next stop took us to Matthews Estate. Matt Loso founded Matthews Estate in 1993. His wines have received numerous accolades. However, earlier this summer, Matt sold his interest in the winery to his partners. We, unfortunately, did not have a very pleasant experience at Matthews Estate. The four wines we tasted were okay, but not great, and certainly not worth the money. And the tasting room staff was a bit snooty. The lady serving us even made a snide comment to me about the fact that I was spitting and taking notes. I wonder if Matthews Estate has always been this way or if things have changed since Matt left.

Darby Winery was our final visit of the afternoon. Darby Winery is a fairly new winery founded by Darby English, winemaker/owner. Even though they are located in a business park, Darby has done an excellent job creating a nice ambience in the tasting room. Of the three wines we tasted, we liked their latest release, the 2006 Chaos, the best.

For information and a listing of other wineries in the area, visit the Woodinville Wine Country website.

Here’s a breakdown of the wines that we tasted in Woodinville. Under each Quality heading, the wine name and region will be listed along with price and QPR rating.

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2005 Chatter Creek Syrah, Clifton Hill Vineyard (Wahluke Slope), $38, QPR: 4
2006 Darby Chaos Red Wine (Columbia Valley), $28, QPR: 4

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2005 Chatter Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Alder Ridge Vineyard (Horse Heaven Hills), $30, QPR: 4
2007 Chatter Creek Pinot Gris (Columbia Valley), $15, QPR: 3
2007 Stevens Divio Viognier (Yakima Valley), $22, QPR: 2
2001 Matthews Columbia Valley Red Wine (Columbia Valley), $70, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2006 Stevens YES Red Wine (Yakima Valley), $16, QPR: 4
2006 Chatter Creek Cabernet Franc, Alder Ridge Vineyard (Horse Heaven Hills), $24, QPR: 2
2006 Darby Syrah, Destiny Ridge Vineyard (Horse Heaven Hills), $30, QPR: 2
2004 Matthews Columbia Valley Claret (Columbia Valley), $30, QPR: 2
2007 Stevens A Second Thought Sauvignon Blanc (Yakima Valley), $19, QPR: 1
2007 Darby Le Deuce Viognier/Roussanne (Columbia Valley), $24, QPR: 1
2005 Matthews Red Mountain Syrah (Red Mountain), $55, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2006 Chatter Creek Grenache (Columbia Valley), $18, QPR: NR
2007 Matthews Columbia Valley Sauvignon Blanc (Columbia Valley), $30, QPR: NR

Even though Mom (LaGayle) and Dad (John) were recently in Walla Walla as a part of their two month cross-country road trip (see Dad’s previous Walla Walla posts: Day 1 and Day 2), all of us Wine Peeps recently spent a weekend in the Walla Walla Valley visiting some wineries that Mom and Dad missed and getting tours of a few as well.

In our three days there, we visited 14 wineries and tasted 70 different wines. We rated 17 wines as being 4-star quality or higher. Six wineries had two or more wines that received a 4-star or higher rating. Those top six wineries are, in alphabetical order: Cougar Crest, Dunham, Dusted Valley, Long Shadows, Saviah, and Watermill. You will find a complete list of all the wines we tasted at the end of this post.

We had the pleasure of touring three wineries on this visit—Long Shadows, Watermill, and Saviah.

Long Shadows does not have a retail tasting room and is not open to the public. Tours are handled on an appointment only basis. They have a state-of-the-art facility where some of the most highly acclaimed winemakers from around the world come to make world-class wines from Washington grapes that are comparable to the wines they make in their native wine regions.

When Mom and Dad were in Eastern Oregon on their road trip, they visited and absolutely loved Watermill Winery in Milton-Freewater which is located just across the Oregon border, only 10 miles from downtown Walla Walla, Washington. After their rave reviews about the Watermill wines and the people behind the wines, Colby and I were excited to visit. Watermill did not disappoint; they are making excellent wines and are truly wonderful people. We had a fabulous visit with Kelli and Nancy in the tasting room and then Nancy took us on a tour of their barrel room and production facility.

Our third tour was of Saviah Cellars. If you read Dad’s Day 1 post from their previous Walla Walla visit, you may remember that Mom and Dad’s first attempt to visit Saviah did not work out as they had hoped. However, Rich Funk (owner/winemaker) contacted us to apologize and ask if we would consider revisiting Saviah. Since we were already planning to be in the Walla Walla area soon, we agreed. And I am very thankful that we did. Rich is an extremely nice guy and that initial experience is definitely not indicative of how he runs his business. We had the pleasure of having Rich personally pour our tasting and share with us his winemaking philosophy. Incidentally, Rich is also the winemaker for Watermill Winery. After the standard tasting, Rich gave us a tour of Saviah’s facilities and treated us to numerous barrel samples. He is already making great wines and has some exciting projects in the works.

In coming weeks, we will be doing some “Spotlight On” posts to feature wineries that we believe are doing some exciting things.

Here’s a breakdown of the wines that we tasted. Under each Quality heading, the wine name and region will be listed along with price and QPR rating. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
2005 Watermill Reserve Syrah (Walla Walla Valley), $35, QPR: 5
2005 Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon XI (Columbia Valley), $45, QPR: 5
2004 Dunham Cellars Syrah (Columbia Valley), $45, QPR: 5
2005 Sequel Syrah [Long Shadows] (Columbia Valley), $55, QPR: 5
2005 Dunham Cellars Lewis Vineyard Merlot (Columbia Valley), $75, QPR: 2

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2006 Watermill Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley), $24, QPR: 5
2006 Dusted Valley Stained Tooth Syrah (Columbia Valley), $24, QPR: 5
2007 Cougar Crest Estate Grown Grenache Rose (Walla Walla Valley), $18, QPR: 4
2007 Poet’s Leap Riesling [Long Shadows] (Columbia Valley), $20, QPR: 4
2007 Amavi Semillon (Columbia Valley), $20, QPR: 4
2006 Seven Hills Malbec (Walla Walla Valley), $28, QPR: 4
2005 Watermill Syrah (Walla Walla Valley), $28, QPR: 4
2006 Saviah Malbec (Walla Walla Valley), $30, QPR: 4
2006 Saviah Une Vallee Red Wine (Walla Walla Valley), $32, QPR: 4
2006 Dusted Valley Reserve Syrah (Columbia Valley), $35, QPR: 4
2005 Cougar Crest Cabernet Franc (Walla Walla Valley), $36, QPR: 3
2005 Dunham Cellars Lewis Vineyard Syrah (Columbia Valley), $75, QPR: 1

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Seven Hills Riesling (Columbia Valley), $12, QPR: 5
2005 Three Rivers Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley), $21, QPR: 5
2005 Waterbrook Reserve Merlot (Columbia Valley), $22, QPR: 4
2006 Waterbrook Reserve Syrah (Columbia Valley), $22, QPR: 4
2006 Saviah Chardonnay, Stillwater Creek Vineyard (Columbia Valley), $25, QPR: 4
2005 Seven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, Seven Hills Vineyard (Walla Walla Valley), $30, QPR: 4
2007 Seven Hills Pinot Gris (Oregon), $16, QPR: 3
2006 Dusted Valley Walla Walla Syrah (Walla Walla Valley), $28, QPR: 3
2005 Beresan Syrah (Walla Walla Valley), $29, QPR: 3
2005 Watermill Estate Midnight Red (Walla Walla Valley), $30, QPR: 3
2005 Saviah Syrah (Red Mountain), $30, QPR: 3
2005 Waterbrook 1st and Main Petit Verdot (Columbia Valley), $30, QPR: 3
2005 Cougar Crest Syrah (Walla Walla Valley), $32, QPR: 3
2005 Pepper Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon (Walla Walla Valley), $55, QPR: 3
2007 Saviah Star Meadows White Wine (Columbia Valley), $20, QPR: 2
2007 Va Piano Semillon (Columbia Valley), $22, QPR: 2
2007 Dunham Cellars Lewis Vineyard Riesling (Columbia Valley), $26, QPR: 2
2005 Morrison Lane Cinsault (Walla Walla Valley), $27, QPR: 2
2006 Three Rivers Tempranillo (Columbia Valley), $29, QPR: 2
2005 Beresan Malbec (Walla Walla Valley), $29, QPR: 2
2005 Cougar Crest Anniversary Cuvee (Walla Walla Valley), $32, QPR: 2
2005 Beresan Stone River (Walla Walla Valley), $35, QPR: 2
2005 Saviah Big Sky Cuvee (Columbia Valley), $35, QPR: 2
2006 Va Piano Syrah (Columbia Valley), $38, QPR: 2
2007 Dusted Valley Viognier (Yakima Valley), $24, QPR: 1
2006 Dusted Valley Malbec (Walla Walla Valley), $32, QPR: 1
2004 Chester-Kidder [Long Shadows] (Columbia Valley), $50, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2005 Watermill Chances R (Columbia Valley), $18, QPR: 4
2006 Saviah The Jack Red Wine (Columbia Valley), $18, QPR: 4
2005 Waterbrook Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley), $22, QPR: 4
2006 Dusted Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley), $26, QPR: 4
2006 Amavi Cabernet Sauvignon (Walla Walla Valley), $28, QPR: 4
2005 Three Rivers Syrah (Columbia Valley), $24, QPR: 3
2005 Dunham Cellars Trutina (Columbia Valley), $26, QPR: 3
2006 Seven Hills Merlot, Seven Hills Vineyard (Walla Walla Valley), $28, QPR: 3
2006 Waterbrook Melange Blanc (Columbia Valley), $15, QPR: 2
2007 Seven Hills Viognier (Columbia Valley), $18, QPR: 2
2006 Beresan Semillon (Walla Walla Valley), $18, QPR: 2
2007 Poet’s Leap Carmina Burana Casked Riesling [Long Shadows] (Columbia Valley), $20, QPR: 2
2006 Dusted Valley Chardonnay (Columbia Valley), $22, QPR: 2
2005 Seven Hills Syrah (Walla Walla Valley), $28, QPR: 2
2006 Amavi Syrah (Walla Walla Valley), $28, QPR: 2
2006 Three Rivers Malbec (Columbia Valley), $29, QPR: 2
2004 Pepper Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley), $50, QPR: 2
2005 Morrison Lane Carmenere (Walla Walla Valley), $28, QPR: 1
2003 Morrison Lane Syrah (Walla Walla Valley), $32, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Three Rivers Estate Rose (Walla Walla Valley), $10, QPR: NR
2005 Waterbrook Melange (Columbia Valley), $15, QPR: NR
2006 Watermill Sauvignon Blanc (Columbia Valley), $16, QPR: NR
2005 Pepper Bridge Merlot (Walla Walla Valley), $50, QPR: NR
2006 Dusted Valley Cabernet Franc (Columbia Valley), $32, QPR: NR
2006 Morrison Lane Viognier (Walla Walla Valley), $23 QPR: NR
2006 Dunham Cellars Four Legged White (Columbia Valley), $16, QPR: NR

The wine industry around Chelan, Washington, is relatively new, with a mixture of what I call “foo-foo” wineries and serious winemakers. The tourist industry in the area will probably keep the former in business, while I’m interested to see how the serious winemakers progress as their vineyards mature and they see what works and doesn’t work.

Our first stop was at Chelan Estate Winery, a relatively new winery owned by Bob Broderick and Rich Nestor and their wives. Chelan Estate produces about 2,200 cases per year. Linda Nestor was our friendly and energetic hostess as we tasted five of their wines. Chelan Estate charges a $4 tasting fee, which is refundable with the purchase of wine. Our favorite Chelan Estate wine was the 2003 Chelan Estate Merlot, Stillwater Creek Vineyard.

Our next stop was at Karma Vineyards, a brand-new winery, tasting room, café, and real-estate development. There is obviously big-money behind this operation, but they have a ways to go in the wine department. We tasted a flight of three wines at Karma for a non-refundable tasting fee of $5. None of the three wines knocked my socks off but two were decent, the 2005 Karma Estate Pinot Noir and the 2005 Karma Estate BadKarma “oopsy Daisy” Syrah.

Our third stop at Nefarious Cellars brought a smile to our faces. These are the kind of folks we root for in the wine business. Heather, Dean, their son George, and their dog Lucy are the friendly crew at Nefarious. They have a gorgeous setting for their practical 2,000 case per year operation overlooking Lake Chelan. Dean is a third generation farmer who still owns an orchard operation. You can see how that agricultural experience is paying off in their winery. Nefarious does not charge a tasting fee. Of the four wines that we tasted, our favorite was the 2005 Nefarious Syrah Windy Ridge Vineyard.

Our final stop of the day was at the beautiful Tuscan-style winery, Tsillan Cellars. Tsillan has been in operation since 2000 on a slope overlooking Lake Chelan. Tsillan is owned by dentist/inventor Bob Jankelson and produces about 8,000 cases per year. Tsillan charges a non-refundable tasting fee of $5, although Shane the assistant winemaker waited on us and was kind enough to waive the tasting fee. Of the five wines we tasted, our favorite was the 2005 Tsillan Merlot.

As I said up front, we plan to keep in touch with the wine industry progress in the Chelan area over the next few years, as their vineyards mature and they figure out what grows best. I believe that there are at least several wineries here that will be doing some really good things.

Here’s a breakdown of the Chelan wines that we tasted. Under each Quality heading, the wine name will be listed along with price and QPR rating. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2003 Chelan Estate Merlot, Stillwater Creek Vineyard, $20, QPR: 5
2005 Tsillan Merlot, $28, QPR: 5
2005 Nefarious Syrah Windy Ridge Vineyard, $27, QPR: 4
2006 Nefarious Cabernet Franc, $28, QPR: 4

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2003 Chelan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Stillwater Creek Vineyard, $25, QPR: 5
2005 Tsillan Syrah, $29, QPR: 3
2004 Chelan Estate Reserve Red Wine, Stillwater Creek Vineyard, $35, QPR: 2
2007 Nefarious Viognier, Defiance Vineyard, $19, QPR: 2
2007 Tsillan Pinot Grigio, $23, QPR: 2

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2005 Karma Estate Pinot Noir, $25, QPR: 4
2005 Karma Estate BadKarma “oopsy Daisy” Syrah, $17, QPR: 4
2004 Chelan Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir, $30, QPR: 3
2007 Nefarious Consequence (White blend), $17, QPR: 3
2004 Tsillan Cabernet Sauvignon, $31, QPR: 3
2005 Chelan Estate Syrah, $30, QPR: 2

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2005 Karma Estate Syrah, $23, QPR: NR
2006 Tsillan Estate Dry Riesling, $20, QPR: NR

Have you ever been to Chelan? If so, did you visit any wineries while you were there? What was your favorite?

On our second day in Walla Walla, Washington, during our cross-country road trip, we visited five wineries. All of them were new to us, but they had come highly recommended and we were not disappointed. The tasting room personnel were very friendly and the wines were generally very good, although some were a bit pricey. [In case you missed it, you might want to check out my Walla Walla, Day 1 post from last Friday.]

In our first stop at the Spring Valley Vineyard tasting room in downtown Walla Walla, we may have tasted the best wine of the day, the 2005 Spring Valley Nina Lee Syrah. Thanks to Michelle, the hostess in the tasting room, for finding a few bottles for us. Spring Valley has wheat farming roots going back to the mid-1800s, was founded and nurtured by the Corkrum and Derby families, and is now owned by Ste. Michelle Estates and produces about 5,500 cases of premium wine per year.

Our next stop was Bergevin Lane Vineyards. Bergevin Lane is named after its co-owners Annette Bergevin and Amber Lane. Their first vintage was 2001 and they now produce about 8,000 cases per year. Of the eight wines we tasted, our favorite was the 2004 Bergevin Lane Alder Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon. A close second was the 2006 Bergevin Lane Princess Syrah.

After lunch, we visited Forgeron Cellars, a locally owned winery started in 2001 in a renovated turn-of-the-century blacksmith shop, thus the name, Forgeron. Under the talented stewardship of French-born winemaker Marie-Eve Gilla, Forgeron produces about 5,000 cases per year. Of the seven wines we tasted, our favorite and close second overall on Day 2 was the 2004 Forgeron Boushey Vineyard Syrah. Two other excellent wines were the 2003 Forgeron Merlot and the 2005 Forgeron Zinfandel.

Our next stop was at the Whitman Cellars, where Kathy Goodwin was a knowledgeable and gracious hostess and we tasted seven wines. Our favorite was the 2005 Whitman Cabernet Sauvignon.

Our final stop on Day 2 was at Stephenson Cellars, located in the old military area at the Walla Walla airport. Dave Stephenson’s first release was in 2001 and he now produces about 1,200 cases per year. We thought all of his offerings were above average and had good value. Of the four wines we tasted, our favorite was the 2005 Stephenson Syrah. Two other excellent wines were the 2005 Stephenson Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2005 Stephenson Merlot. The other wine we tasted was no slouch either, the NV Stephenson Red Wine.

Here’s a breakdown of the Walla Walla wines that we tasted on Day 2. Under each Quality heading, the wine name will be listed along with price and QPR rating. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
2005 Spring Valley Nina Lee Syrah, $50, QPR: 5
2004 Forgeron Boushey Vineyard Syrah, $46, QPR: 5

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2004 Bergevin Lane Alder Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, $30, QPR: 5
2003 Forgeron Merlot, $27, QPR: 5
2005 Whitman Cabernet Sauvignon, $36, QPR: 5
2005 Stephenson Cabernet Sauvignon, $32, QPR: 5
2005 Stephenson Merlot, $28, QPR: 5
2005 Forgeron Zinfandel, $30, QPR: 4
2005 Stephenson Syrah, $30, QPR: 4
2006 Bergevin Lane Princess Syrah, $46, QPR: 3
2005 Spring Valley Frederick (Bordeaux blend), $50, QPR: 2

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2005 Bergevin Lane Calico Red (Bordeaux blend), $19, QPR: 4
NV Forgeron Walldeaux Smithie (Bordeaux blend), $16, QPR: 4
2004 Whitman Cabernet Sauvignon, $36, QPR: 4
NV Stephenson Red Wine, $20, QPR: 4
2004 Bergevin Lane Syrah, $30, QPR: 3
2005 Forgeron Cabernet Franc, $30, QPR: 3
2004 Whitman Narcissa Red (Bordeaux blend), $24, QPR: 3
2002 Whitman Port (Cab) Red Mountain, $40, QPR: 3
2005 Spring Valley Uriah (Bordeaux blend), $50, QPR: 1
2005 Bergevin Lane Intuition (Bordeaux blend), $55, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2005 Bergevin Lane Cabernet Sauvignon, $25, QPR: 4
2005 Whitman Syrah, $30, QPR: 3
2005 Spring Valley Derby Cabernet Sauvignon, $50, QPR: 2
2005 Bergevin Lane Merlot, $25, QPR: 2
2006 Forgeron Chardonnay, $25, QPR: 2
2005 Spring Valley Mule Skinner Merlot, $35, QPR: 1
2007 Bergevin Lane Viognier, $25, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Forgeron Roussanne, $23, QPR: NR
2004 Whitman Merlot, $32, QPR: NR
2007 Whitman Viognier, $19, QPR: NR

As our road trip continued, we were excited to arrive back in our home state of Washington. We took two days to tour a select group of Walla Walla wineries. It was our first trip to Walla Walla in several years. Most Walla Walla wineries seem to be going to tasting fees that are refundable with a purchase. While I would prefer no tasting fees, I can understand and live with that system. Where I have a problem is with wineries where the tasting fee is not refundable and/or they offer to let you keep the tasting glass (which I don’t need and it doesn’t match any other glass that I have). On this trip, we tasted at several wineries we had visited on our last trip here and a couple of new ones. Interestingly, I was generally more impressed with the new ones than the ones we had previously visited.

Our first stop was at Woodward Canyon Winery, one of our repeat visits. Of the five wines we tasted, our favorite was the 2005 Woodward Canyon Columbia Valley Merlot, although I did not find any of their wines really special.

Our next stop was at L’Ecole No. 41, a longstanding winery here housed in old schoolhouse No. 41, a truly unique winery setting. Of the five wines we tasted, our favorite was the 2006 L’Ecole Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Syrah, although once again none of their wines really knocked my socks off as I had hoped they would.

Our third stop was at Reininger Winery, another one we had visited previously, but one that I believe has improved during the intervening years. At Reininger, we found three excellent wines out of the six we tasted, but our favorite was the 2005 Reininger Syrah Ash Hollow Vineyard. The best value wine we tasted was the 2003 Reininger Cabernet Sauvignon Ash Hollow Vineyard. The third excellent wine was the 2005 Reininger Malbec.

Next we visited the beautiful new Cougar Crest Estate Winery facility. The tasting room is outstanding in every way, and we found their wines to be generally very good. Dave and Debbie Hansen are another set of winery owners whose agricultural background is in fruit production, in their case apples. They grow all of their own grapes on their estate vineyards, currently producing about 10,000 cases per year. Out of the six wines we tasted, our favorite was their 2005 Cougar Crest Walla Walla Valley Syrah. Close behind was their 2005 Cougar Crest Walla Walla Cabernet Franc, a varietal I’ve rarely found attractive other than in a blend.

Our fifth visit of the day was supposed to be Saviah Cellars. We had tasted their 2005 Syrah at Taste Washington and didn’t really like it that much, but we wanted to give them another try because of the strong recommendation of the hostess at Watermill Winery. But despite the fact that their advertising said they would be open from 12-5pm, they were not. And the young man, who was left to inform us that they were closed as the boss ducked out a side door, was not apologetic nor did he care to tell us when they might be open if we wanted to come back. They might have decent wine, I’ll never know, but their business practices are certainly not impressive. [Editor's note: We had an opportunity to revisit Saviah Cellars and had a very positive experience. Please see Kori's July 28th post.]

Our final stop for Day 1 was at Basel Cellars, where we tasted what we thought was the best wine of the day, the 2005 Basel Cellars Syrah. Two other excellent wines were the 2005 Basel Cellars Estate Merlot and the 2005 Basel Cellars Inspired (Merlot/Cab Franc blend).

Here’s a breakdown of the Walla Walla wines that we tasted on Day 1. Under each Quality heading, the wine name will be listed along with price and QPR rating. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
2005 Basel Cellars Syrah, $28, QPR: 5

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2005 Basel Cellars Estate Merlot, $28, QPR: 5
2003 Reininger Cabernet Sauvignon Ash Hollow Vineyard, $32, QPR: 5
2005 Cougar Crest Walla Walla Valley Syrah, $32, QPR: 4
2005 Cougar Crest Walla Walla Cabernet Franc, $36, QPR: 3
2005 Basel Cellars Inspired (Merlot/Cab Franc blend), $40, QPR: 3
2005 Reininger Syrah Ash Hollow Vineyard, $41, QPR: 3
2005 Reininger Malbec, $45, QPR: 2

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2005 L’Ecole Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, $29, QPR: 5
NV Cougar Crest Dedication Two Red Table Wine, $20, QPR: 4
2005 Basel Cellars Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, $36, QPR: 4
2006 Cougar Crest Walla Walla Valley Viognier, $20, QPR: 3
2005 Cougar Crest Walla Walla Valley Merlot, $32, QPR: 3
2006 L’Ecole Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Syrah, $36, QPR: 3
2005 Reininger Syrah, $36, QPR: 3
2005 Woodward Canyon Columbia Valley Merlot, $39, QPR: 3
2005 Woodward Canyon Artist Series Cabernet, $44, QPR: 3
2007 Basel Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, $18, QPR: 2
2005 Basel Cellars Estate Merriment (Bordeaux blend), $48, QPR: 1
2005 L’Ecole Pepper Bridge Vineyard Apogee, $49, QPR: 1
2003 Woodward Canyon Estate Red, $59, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2006 L’Ecole Recess Red, $17, QPR: 4
2006 Nelms Road Merlot, $21, QPR: 3
2006 Basel Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, $18, QPR: 2
2003 Reininger Merlot, $30, QPR: 2
2005 Cougar Crest Walla Walla Anniversary Cuvee (Bordeaux blend), $32, QPR: 2
2007 Woodward Canyon Estate Sauvignon Blanc, $24, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2006 L’Ecole Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Merlot, $36, QPR: NR
2002 Reininger Cima blend, $45, QPR: NR

Come back next Friday for my recap of Day 2 in Walla Walla.

As we continued our cross-country road trip, we visited three Idaho wineries, one in Glenns Ferry and two in Caldwell, Idaho. They all produce their wines exclusively with Idaho grapes, and we found some pretty good wines at each stop. Our first stop was at Carmela Vineyards, in business since 1988. They produce about 10,000 cases a year, almost all sold in Idaho although they will ship out-of-state. Our favorite wine at Carmela was their 2004 Carmela Reserve Merlot.

Our next stop was at Ste. Chapelle Winery, Idaho’s oldest and largest winery, a part of the mammoth Constellation Group when we visited but was purchased last week by Ascentia Wine Estates. Out of the five wines we tasted at Ste. Chapelle, our favorites were the 2004 Ste. Chapelle Winemaker Syrah and the 2004 Ste. Chapelle Ice Wine Sauvignon Blanc.

Our third stop was at Williamson Vineyards, where a fourth generation Williamson, Beverly, was our knowledgeable tasting room hostess. The Williamsons have been in the fruit growing business for generations and remain a large producer today but have only been growing grapes, mainly as a diversification measure, since the 1990’s. They are contract growers for some of Idaho’s best known wineries as well as produce an increasing amount of grapes for their own winery operation. We also had the opportunity to meet and visit with Beverly’s father, Roger, who is the winemaker for Williamson Vineyards. While we would not hesitate to recommend any of the five wines we tasted at Williamson, our favorites were the 2005 Williamson Syrah and the NV Williamson Doce Dessert Wine (Ruby style Port). I believe that Williamson is an up-and-coming winery that merits watching. I’d like to come back in five years and see the progress that they have made.

Note: A few days after these visits, we also visited another Idaho winery, Camas Prairie Winery in Moscow, Idaho, but we did not taste any wines. When we entered the tasting room, the owner was serving some other folks so we didn’t expect instantaneous service. But when he finished their tasting, he said he was going to pass them off to the checkout clerks, implying that he would then serve us. However, instead he went over to the checkout with them and continued to visit, totally ignoring us. But the straw that broke the camel’s back for us was when another employee came in, and instead of spelling him at the checkout desk or serving us, she waited on another customer who had come in after us. When that happened, we left. There are too many other wineries with good wine and good service to put up with that. I could not recommend Camas Prairie Winery to anyone.

Here’s a breakdown of the Idaho wines that we tasted. Under each Quality heading, the wine name will be listed along with price and QPR rating. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2004 Carmela Reserve Merlot, $25, QPR: 5
2004 Ste. Chapelle Winemaker Syrah, $11, QPR: 5
2004 Ste. Chapelle Ice Wine Sauvignon Blanc, $20, QPR: 5
2005 Williamson Syrah, $18, QPR: 5
NV Williamson Doce Dessert Wine (Ruby style Port), $25, QPR: 5

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2004 Williamson Cabernet Sauvignon, $25, QPR: 5
2006 Williamson Late Harvest Viognier, $22, QPR: 5
2004 Carmela Red Meritage, $17, QPR: 4
2006 Williamson Viognier, $15, QPR: 3

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
NV Carmela Cabernet Merlot, $10, QPR: 5
2005 Ste. Chapelle Winemaker Cabernet Sauvignon, $11, QPR: 5
2001-02 Carmela Merlot, $17, QPR: 4
2000 Carmela Cabernet Franc, $17, QPR: 4

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2003 Carmela Cabernet Sauvignon, $17, QPR: NR
2006 Ste. Chapelle Winemaker Merlot, $11, QPR: NR

Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
2003 Carmela Pinot Noir, $17, QPR: NR
2006 Carmela Semillon, $13, QPR: NR
2006 Ste. Chapelle Sauvignon Blanc, $9, QPR: NR

Have you ever had Idaho wine? If so, how did you like it? What was your favorite?

As we traveled through Colorado, we made several stops at wineries near Palisade, Colorado. We were impressed that each of the wineries we visited sold only Colorado grown grapes, offered complimentary tastings, had nice professional tasting rooms, and their wines were pretty good.

Our first stop was at Grande River Vineyards, Colorado’s oldest winery. Their production is about 8,000 cases per year, almost all sold in Colorado, although they can ship to Washington State. We tasted seven different wines with our favorite being the 2005 Grande River Syrah.

Our next stop was at Plum Creek Winery, a winery started in 1983 with production of about 15,000 cases per year, all sold in Colorado. Plum Creek will no longer even ship outside of Colorado, a shame since they have some good wines. We tasted five Plum Creek wines, our favorites being their 2006 Plum Creek Sauvignon Blanc, the 2006 Plum Creek Sangiovese, and the 2006 Plum Creek Cabernet Sauvignon.

Our final stop was at Graystone Winery, a Port house where we tasted three different ports. Our favorite was their Graystone Port III (2003 Cab/Merlot Ruby Port), a port that we believe will be even better with more time in the bottle.

In my opinion, Colorado is an emerging wine area that has good potential. They seem to be able to grow the popular international varietals and have a tourist base that is generally wine savvy. I’d like to come back in five years and see the progress they have made.

Since we tasted fifteen different wines, I have broken down the list into Quality rating categories. Under each Quality heading, the wine name will be listed along with price and QPR rating. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2005 Grande River Syrah, $17, QPR: 5
2005 Grande River Late Harvest Viognier, $20, QPR: 5
2006 Plum Creek Sangiovese, $17, QPR: 5
2006 Plum Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, $17, QPR: 5
Graystone Port III (2003 Cab/Merlot Ruby Port), $23, QPR: 5
2006 Plum Creek Sauvignon Blanc, $11, QPR: 4

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
Graystone Port II (2002 Cab/Merlot Port), $23, QPR: 5
2003 Plum Creek Cabernet Franc, $12, QPR: 4
2001 Grande River Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, $35, QPR: 3
2005 Grande River Viognier, $17, QPR: 2

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2002 Grande River Merlot, $13, QPR: NR
2004 Grande River Cabernet Sauvignon, $15, QPR: NR
2006 Plum Creek Merlot, $12, QPR: NR
Graystone Lipizzan White Port (2002 Pinot Gris Port), $22, QPR: NR

Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
2006 Grande River Sauvignon Blanc, $10, QPR: NR

Have you ever had Colorado wine? If so, how did you like it? What was your favorite?

This past Sunday we spent most of the day in the Sedona area looking for Arizona wines made from Arizona grapes because we had learned last summer that many Arizona wineries use California grapes in their wines. And that’s not what we wanted to taste. Our first stop was at the Art of Wine tasting room in Sedona. We paid a $15 tasting fee to taste what the tasting room host said were almost all wines made with Arizona grapes. After examining the bottles though, we discovered that only two of the six wines represented to be Arizona’s best were actually made with Arizona grapes, and we thought those two were the weakest of the six we tasted. The two Arizona grape wines were the 2004 Echo Canyon Cabernet Franc and the NV Sedona Red Wine.

Further down the street, we found a much more forthright sales clerk, Waynette, at Made in Arizona Wine and Gifts. She not only gave us the straight scoop on which wines were made with Arizona grapes and which were not, she also shared with us a copy of the Sedona Monthly magazine from November 2007 which had a nice article on Arizona winemaking. Based on that article, we visited two winery tasting rooms that had wines made from Arizona grapes, Oak Creek Vineyards and Alcantara Vineyards.

Oak Creek Vineyards is a six year old winery with production of about 1,000 cases per year, all sold through their tasting room or ordered by phone out-of-state. We tasted five of their wines, finding only one that we could recommend: the 2005/2006 Oak Creek Desert Flower Syrah. The other wines we tasted were the 2005 Oak Creek Viognier, the 2005 Oak Creek Sauvignon Blanc, the 2006 Oak Creek Zinfandel, and the 2005 Oak Creek Arizona Port.

Next we visited Alcantara Vineyards, a new winery on 87 picturesque desert acres with only 12 acres currently in production. Three of the five wines we tasted were produced with Arizona grapes, and they were the best true Arizona wines that we tasted. It’s a shame that their production is so small and their wine is only available through their tasting room. In our opinion, this winery has serious potential. Our favorite of their Arizona wines was the 2006 Alcantara Meritage (a Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and a touch of Malbec). The other two we tasted were the 2006 Alcantara Mourvedre and the 2006 Alcantara Grand Rouge.

From our limited sampling of Arizona wines, we believe Arizona has considerable potential for red wines but not necessarily for whites. However, the sooner more of them start using Arizona grapes for their Arizona wines, the better off they will be. Today, their credibility suffers because many wineries and tasting rooms are not being completely upfront about what they are producing.

Here’s a recap of most of the wines we tasted in Arizona, in our order of preference. All prices given are winery/tasting room prices.

2006 Alcantara Meritage
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $30

2006 Alcantara Mourvedre
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $29

2006 Alcantara Grand Rouge
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $25

2005/2006 Oak Creek Desert Flower Syrah
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $24

2005 Oak Creek Arizona Port
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $20

2004 Echo Canyon Cabernet Franc
Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $35

NV Sedona Red Wine
Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $30

2005 Oak Creek Viognier
Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $24

2006 Oak Creek Zinfandel
Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $24

2005 Oak Creek Sauvignon Blanc
Quality: 1.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $22

Have you ever had Arizona wine actually made from Arizona grapes? If so, how did you like it? What was your favorite?

Wine country began again as we approached the Central Coast region around Paso Robles on Monday afternoon. We planned to visit a number of tasting rooms in the area on Tuesday, but we decided to go ahead and visit the Edward Sellers Vineyards & Wines tasting room since it is closed on Tuesdays. I’m really glad we made the stop because they had some good wines, and Kendall, the hostess, was very informative, not only about their wines but about other wineries in the area.

We tasted five Rhone reds at Edward Sellers, and as a group they were very good, especially for a new winery offering only their second vintage. Our favorite was the 2005 Edward Sellers Le Thief, a Rhone blend of 59% Syrah, 23% Grenache, 13% Mourvedre, and 5% Cinsault. We were also very impressed with the 2005 Edward Sellers Syrah Selectionne. The 2005 Edward Sellers Cuvee des Cinq, a traditional Rhone blend may ultimately be their best wine, but it needs more time to mature. Right now, it comes up a little short of the first two for us. The other two wines we tasted were the 2004 Edward Sellers Grenache and the 2005 Edward Sellers Vertigo, a 70% Grenache blend. Edward Sellers looks like an up and coming winery with a bright future. Right now, their distribution is on the East Coast as well as direct through their tasting room, wine club, and online store.

After leaving Paso Robles, it was on to San Luis Obispo and the ostentatious Madonna Inn, an over-the-top inn that we last stayed in over twenty years ago. Amazingly, it is still in excellent repair and still as gaudy as ever—in a good way. Every room is different with its own theme and décor. This trip we stayed in the Matterhorn Room with a balcony overlooking the mountains.

Monday evening we ate another take-out platter in the room and had a private tasting with two wines in the same price range, the 2005 Novy Christensen Family Vineyard Syrah we bought last Friday at our tasting at Siduri/Novy in Sonoma and the 2006 Mollydooker The Boxer Shiraz from Australia that we brought from home. Once again, the Aussie was the clear winner for us, although both were good wines.

Tuesday morning we drove miles and miles west of Highway 101 in the Paso Robles area through hills and down winding roads before we saw any vineyards. We saw quite a few trees, lots of working cattle ranches, walnut orchards, and olive trees. I kept asking myself, “Where are the vineyards?” Finally we found some but not the grand expanse of vineyards I was expecting. Rather, we found a vineyard here and a vineyard there interspersed among the trees. It was different than just about any wine area I’ve ever visited anywhere in the world.

Our first stop was Justin Vineyards & Winery, where we tasted five wines. The tasting room was nice, albeit remote. Unfortunately, the host was not very knowledgeable and yet quite cocky. Their best wine was the 2005 Justin Isosceles red blend, but we didn’t think it was worth the price at $62. The other four were the 2005 Justin Sauvignon Blanc, the 2007 Justin Chardonnay, the 2006 Justin Orphan red blend, and the 2004 Justin Obtuse, a port-style dessert wine. Justin sells primarily through its wine club and claims production of 80,000 cases per year.

Our next stop was Tablas Creek Vineyard. We were looking forward to this visit because they have a good winery blog, but they weren’t pouring any Syrahs, only percentage Mourvedre blends, so we moved on. A tasting room in the middle of nowhere that’s hard to find, and when you do find it wants to charge a $10 tasting fee yet you can’t taste what you came to taste, does not hold my attention, no matter how good their blog.

Not too far from Tablas Creek was our next stop at Adelaida Cellars. The tasting room had a nice hostess, and they had a couple of decent wines. Our two favorites at Adelaida were the 2005 Adelaida Syrah and the 2005 Adelaida Reserve Zinfandel. The other wines we tasted were the 2005 Adelaida Roussanne/Grenache Blanc, the 2005 Adelaida SLO Pinot Noir, the 2005 Adelaida Version Glenrose Vineyard (Rhone blend), and the 2005 Adelaida Cabernet Sauvignon. Adelaida has about 15,000 cases annual production, mostly sold through their wine club and online.

Next we went to Linne Calodo, a relatively new winery with wines we thought were too pricey for the most part. We tasted four wines, all red blends: the 2006 Linne Calodo Sticks & Stones, the 2006 Linne Calodo Cherry Red, the 2006 Linne Calodo Leona’s, and the 2006 Linne Calodo Outsider.

After stopping for a picnic platter lunch, we visited Four Vines, a winery whose Zinfandels were already fairly familiar to us. We were blessed with a very knowledgeable host and tasted two of the best wines of the day, the 2006 Four Vines NAKED (no oak) Chardonnay and the 2004 Four Vines Phoenix (red blend), although we could only justify purchasing the Chardonnay. The other three wines we tasted at Four Vines were the 2006 Four Vines “Heretic” Petite Sirah, the 2006 Four Vines “Loco” Tempranillo, and the 2006 Four Vines “Anarchy” (Rhone Blend). Four Vines produces about 50,000 cases per year (30,000 cases of the NAKED Chardonnay and about 12,000 cases of their Old Vines Zinfandel). The rest of their production is small lot specialty wines like some of those we tasted at the tasting room. It’s obviously been a very successful business model for them.

Our last winery stop of the day was at Cass Vineyards and Winery. Carly, the hostess, was the highlight of the day’s tasting room visits. Friendly, knowledgeable and helpful with directions and suggestions, she is destined for marketing stardom in this business in our opinion. We tasted seven wines at Cass and one was one of our favorites of the day, the 2005 Cass Rockin’ One, a GSM blend. Other Cass wines that we tasted: 2006 Cass Viognier, 2005 Cass Grenache, 2007 Cass Mourvedre, 2005 Cass Syrah, 2005 Cass Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005 Cass Cabernet Franc.

After our last winery visit of the day, we set out to see if we could find an old friend from our registered cattle business days in Texas, Bill Twist. Sure enough, we found the old Twist Ranch and had a great visit with Bill Twist and Walt Nielsen, his son-in-law. Bill is one of the sharpest 91 year old guys you’ll ever meet. We caught him mowing his yard as we drove up. We also found out that Bill and Walt are now growing grapes on about 30 acres of their ranch, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

Wednesday may have been our best day in wine country so far on this road trip. The beautiful hillside vineyards along the Central Coast coupled with many good wines made for a great day. We started off in Santa Maria with a visit to the scenic Cambria Winery & Vineyards. There we tasted four reds and one white wine. Our favorites were the 2005 Cambria Syrah-Tepusquet and the 2004 Cambria Estrella Syrah. We also tasted the 2006 Cambria Julia’s Pinot Noir, the 2006 Cambria Bench Breaks Pinot Noir, and the 2005 Cambria Late Harvest Viognier. Cambria produces about 250,000 cases a year, mostly oaky, buttery Chardonnay in which we had no interest; however, their Pinot Noir has enough production to also be available at retail stores. All the other wines are available through their online store.

Our next stop was Foxen Winery & Vineyard. There we tasted five wines, our favorite being the 2005 Foxen Williamson-Dore Vineyard Syrah. The others we tasted were the 2005 Foxen Chenin Blanc, the 2006 Foxen Chardonnay, the 2005 Foxen Sangiovese Volpino, and the 2005 Foxen Merlot. Foxen produces about 10,000 cases annually, mostly Pinot Noir, with the other offerings in small lots sold at the tasting room or online.

Next we visited the Andrew Murray Vineyards tasting room in Los Olivos. Andrew Murray specializes in Rhone reds and does an excellent job if the wines we tasted are any indication. Our favorite was the 2005 Andrew Murray Syrah Santa Ynez Valley. A close second in our estimation was the 2005 Andrew Murray Syrah South Slope. Other wines we tasted were the 2005 Andrew Murray Syrah Brave Oak Vineyard, the 2005 Andrew Murray Syrah Roasted Slope Vineyard, the 2005 Andrew Murray Syrah Zee Clones, the 2006 Andrew Murray Syrah Tours les Tours, the 2005 Andrew Murray Esperance (GSM), the 2004 Andrew Murray Enchante (Roussanne/Marsanne), and the 2006 Andrew Murray Viognier. Andrew Murray produces about 9,000 cases per year, the vast majority of which are Syrahs and Syrah blends. They sell primarily through their wine club and online. I would suggest that any serious red wine lover consider their wine club.

Down the street from Andrew Murray was Consilience Wines. They were probably the weakest lineup we tasted. The two best offerings at Consilience were the 2005 Consilience Syrah “Rodney Shull Vineyard” and the 2005 Consilience Petite Sirah. The other wines we tasted were the 2006 Consilience Viognier, the 2006 Consilience Grenache Blanc, the 2006 Consilience Pinot Noir, and the 2005 Consilience Grenache.

Further down Grand Avenue in Los Olivos was the Daniel Gehrs Wines tasting room. We tasted seven mostly undistinguished wines. Their best offering was a Daniel Gehrs 10yr Tawny Port. The others we tasted were the 2005 Daniel Gehrs Fireside (Ruby) Port, the 2005 Daniel Gehrs Syrah, the 2005 Daniel Gehrs Zinfandel, the 2006 Daniel Gehrs Vixen Vivant Dry Syrah Rose, the 2006 Daniel Gehrs Riesling, and the 2005 Daniel Gehrs Unoaked Chardonnay.

While we were in downtown Los Olivos, we stumbled upon the filming of a made-for-TV movie, Generation Gap, taking place at the Country Market where we were buying lunch. We were told it is a Hallmark movie. So if you’re watching TV this fall and your eyes do a double-take, yes, it’s us.

Moving on to the Solvang area, we visited Blackjack Ranch Vineyards and Winery which gained notoriety in the Sideways movie. We tasted seven wines at Blackjack with our undisputed favorite being the 2004 Blackjack Maximus Syrah. The others we tasted were the 2003 Blackjack Billy Goat Hill Merlot, the 2004 Blackjack Harmonie (Bordeaux blend), the 2005 Blackjack Double-Down Syrah, the 2005 Blackjack Allusion Cabernet Franc, the 2004 Blackjack Pinot Noir Alix de Vergy, the 2005 Blackjack Chardonnay Wilkening Vineyard, and the 2005 Blackjack Chardonnay Blackjack Ranch Vineyard Reserve. Blackjack produces 6,000 cases per year, mostly sold through their tasting room and also available online.

Our final stop of the day was one of the best, Lincourt Vineyards. They may have had the best combination of red and white wines of any winery we’ve visited so far on our road trip. Our favorite of their wines was the 2005 Lincourt Syrah Santa Barbara County. The other wines we tasted were the 2005 Lincourt Pinot Noir, maybe the best Pinot we’ve had on the trip; the 2006 Lincourt Sauvignon Blanc which according to LaGayle, who prefers New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, is the best domestic Sauvignon Blanc she has tasted; the 2006 Lincourt Chardonnay, pretty good for an oaky Chard; and the 2007 Foley & Phillips Dry Rose.

Wednesday evening we had another take-out meal in our room and had a private tasting between the 2004 Ravenswood Southeastern Australia Shiraz that we bought in Sonoma and one of our all-time favorites, the 2002 Peter Lehmann Shiraz. While the Ravenswood was pretty decent, especially for the price, the Peter Lehmann was still our pick of the evening.

Wednesday concluded our California wine tour. While we always enjoy visiting Sonoma and Napa, our Central Coast tour was a special treat because it was our first visit to the area to taste wine, it is so beautiful in its vineyard settings and quaint small towns not yet overrun by tourists, and the high overall quality of its wines, especially the Syrahs and Syrah blends. If you haven’t been to the Central Coast, you ought to do it before the thundering herds arrive.

In coming weeks, we’ll report again as our road trip continues and we taste wines from other regions of the country. Stay tuned!

In order to keep these notes manageable as we tasted 80 different wines, I have broken down the list into Quality rating categories. Under each Quality heading, the wine name will be listed along with price and QPR rating. All prices given are winery/tasting room prices. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2005 Andrew Murray Syrah Santa Ynez Valley, $25, QPR: 5
2005 Lincourt Syrah Santa Barbara County, $20, QPR: 5
2006 Four Vines NAKED (no oak) Chardonnay, $14, QPR: 5
2005 Andrew Murray Syrah South Slope, $30, QPR: 4
2005 Edward Sellers Le Thief, $30, QPR: 4
2005 Edward Sellers Syrah Selectionne, $32, QPR: 4
2004 Blackjack Maximus Syrah, $48, QPR: 3
2005 Cass Rockin’ One, $42, QPR: 3
2005 Foxen Williamson-Dore Vineyard Syrah, $44, QPR: 3
2004 Four Vines Phoenix, $64, QPR: 1

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2004 Ravenswood Southeastern Australia Shiraz, $10, QPR: 5
2005 Adelaida Syrah, $26, QPR: 4
2005 Cambria Syrah-Tepusquet, $19, QPR: 4
2005 Lincourt Pinot Noir, $30, QPR: 4
2005 Andrew Murray Syrah Brave Oak Vineyard, $28, QPR: 3
2005 Andrew Murray Syrah Roasted Slope Vineyard, $34, QPR: 3
2005 Andrew Murray Syrah Zee Clones, $34, QPR: 3
2005 Adelaida Reserve Zinfandel, $35, QPR: 3
2005 Cass Syrah, $36, QPR: 3
Daniel Gehrs 10yr Tawny Port, $44, QPR: 3
2003 Blackjack Billy Goat Hill Merlot, $40, QPR: 3
2006 Lincourt Sauvignon Blanc, $16, QPR: 3
2004 Edward Sellers Grenache, $25, QPR: 2
2006 Four Vines “Heretic” Petite Sirah, $40, QPR: 2
2004 Blackjack Harmonie, $35, QPR: 2
2005 Edward Sellers Cuvee des Cinq, $42, QPR: 1
2005 Justin Isosceles, $62, QPR: 1
2006 Linne Calodo Sticks & Stones, $65, QPR: 1
2005 Cass Cabernet Franc, $42, QPR: 1
2004 Cambria Estrella Syrah, $48, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2005 Cambria Late Harvest Viognier, $16 (375 ml), QPR: 5
2006 Andrew Murray Syrah Tours les Tours, $16, QPR: 4
2006 Cambria Julia’s Pinot Noir, $20, QPR: 4
2006 Justin Orphan, $18.50, QPR: 4
2004 Justin Obtuse, $26, QPR: 4
2005 Daniel Gehrs Fireside (Ruby) Port, $36, QPR: 4
2005 Adelaida Version Glenrose Vineyard, $26, QPR: 3
2005 Consilience Petite Sirah, $24, QPR: 3
2005 Daniel Gehrs Syrah, $20, QPR: 3
2006 Lincourt Chardonnay, $18, QPR: 3
2006 Cass Viognier, $15, QPR: 2
2005 Cass Cabernet Sauvignon, $42, QPR: 2
2005 Consilience Syrah “Rodney Shull Vineyard”, $26, QPR: 2
2005 Daniel Gehrs Zinfandel, $24, QPR: 2
2005 Blackjack Double-Down Syrah, $26, QPR: 2
2005 Edward Sellers Vertigo, $30, QPR: 1
2006 Linne Calodo Cherry Red, $55, QPR: 1
2006 Four Vines “Loco” Tempranillo, $40, QPR: 1
2005 Foxen Chenin Blanc, $20, QPR: 1
2005 Foxen Merlot, $32, QPR: 1
2006 Consilience Viognier, $22, QPR: 1
2005 Blackjack Allusion Cabernet Franc, $30, QPR: 1
2004 Blackjack Pinot Noir Alix de Vergy, $48, QPR: 1
2007 Foley & Phillips Dry Rose, $20, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Justin Chardonnay, $19.75, QPR: NR
2005 Adelaida SLO Pinot Noir, $18, QPR: NR
2005 Adelaida Cabernet Sauvignon, $30, QPR: NR
2006 Linne Calodo Leona’s, $48, QPR: NR
2006 Four Vines “Anarchy”, $40, QPR: NR
2007 Cass Mourvedre, $28, QPR: NR
2006 Cambria Bench Breaks Pinot Noir, $48, QPR: NR
2005 Foxen Sangiovese Volpino, $30, QPR: NR
2005 Andrew Murray Esperance, $22, QPR: NR
2004 Andrew Murray Enchante, $22, QPR: NR
2006 Consilience Grenache Blanc, $24, QPR: NR
2006 Consilience Pinot Noir, $30, QPR: NR
2005 Consilience Grenache, $28, QPR: NR
2006 Daniel Gehrs Riesling, $19, QPR: NR
2005 Blackjack Chardonnay Blackjack Ranch Vineyard Reserve, $35, QPR: NR

Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
2005 Justin Sauvignon Blanc, $15, QPR: NR
2005 Adelaida Roussanne/Grenache Blanc, $27, QPR: NR
2006 Linne Calodo Outsider, $45, QPR: NR
2005 Cass Grenache, $28, QPR: NR
2006 Foxen Chardonnay, $32, QPR: NR
2006 Andrew Murray Viognier, $25, QPR: NR
2005 Daniel Gehrs Unoaked Chardonnay, $18, QPR: NR
2005 Blackjack Chardonnay Wilkening Vineyard, $38, QPR: NR

Quality: 1.5 stars (out of 5)
2006 Daniel Gehrs Vixen Vivant Dry Syrah Rose, $20, QPR: NR

Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV is our host for this month’s edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday. For those that are not familiar with WBW, it is the monthly event in which wine bloggers come together to all post on the same theme on the same day. Gary selected French Cabernet Franc as our theme for April.

If you are inspired to go to your local wine shop to try some French Cabernet Franc as well, remember that you will not find a bottle of wine that specifically says “French Cabernet Franc.” France, and most countries in Europe, generally does not put the varietal name on their wine bottle labels as we do here in the United States. Therefore, you have to know something about their wine regions to know what varietals you will find there. This can make “Old World” wine buying difficult for those that are just beginning their journey in the world of wine.

French wines made predominately with Cabernet Franc can be found in a number of different regions. However, the most well-known are Chinon and Bourgueil in the Loire Valley. We decided to have one of our private tasting dinners and blind taste a Chinon and a Bourgueil against each other. To be honest, we did not particularly care for either one. The Bourgueil was decent and probably would merit another try sometime down the road, but this particular Chinon was quite disappointing. We were probably drinking both of these wines too early as they should open up and show more complexity with some age.

Cabernet Franc is most often used as a blending grape along with other red grapes, usually Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. I personally think it is at its best when used to add another dimension in these blends rather than as a stand-alone varietal. But if you are a fan of earthy, vegetal wines, this could be a varietal for you to explore.

2006 Catherine & Pierre Breton “Trinch!” Bourgueil: Deep ruby with vegetal aromas along with hints of earth, licorice, and a faint note of turpentine. Strawberries mixed with a little earth dominate the palate. Well-balanced with a medium finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Esquin (Seattle), $17.99; DrinkUpNY.com (New York), $17.99

2005 Charles Joguet Chinon Les Petites Roches: Dark, dense purple but slightly hazy. Radishes, earth, smoke, and mint are present on the nose. Predominately vegetal flavors, especially olives. Dull and boring. A mercifully short finish since it has a horrible aftertaste.
Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Where to Buy: Esquin (Seattle), $21.99; WineChateau.com (New Jersey), $17.59