As a judge for the WBC-or-BUST contest, I was invited to join the group of winners for a few of their pre-conference stops: a Woodinville Grand Tasting at Willows Lodge, Brunch and Unique AVA Wine Tasting at Cave B in Quincy, and the Walla Walla Vintners Pizza & Wine Social. These stops allowed me to visit with many winemakers and taste numerous wines before the conference was officially underway.

Things really kicked into high gear on Friday with the official start of the conference. We enjoyed a taco truck tasting for lunch followed by a keynote address by wine writer Steve Heimoff of Wine Enthusiast and SteveHeimoff.com on the future of wine writing. He made several points that really resonated with me: 1) Know who you are, find your voice, and then stretch it. 2) Transparency is key. Bloggers are forcing print critics to be more transparent. 3) To develop and expand your palate, it is important to read a lot, taste a lot, and write a lot. Alan Kropf of Mutineer Magazine then presented the 2010 Wine Blog Awards. Congratulations to all of the winners!

A portion of each day was devoted to breakout sessions on a variety of topics. I won’t bore you with the details, but we found most of the sessions very interesting and informative. We hope to incorporate some of the suggestions and ideas we formulated during these sessions to make Wine Peeps even better. The thread that ran through all of the sessions was the importance of remembering that we are all wine writers, no matter whether our platform is a blog, a newspaper, a magazine, or a book. And once again, there was an emphasis on social networking and interacting with our readers. (So if you aren’t already, please follow/like us on Twitter and Facebook.)

This year, we had two Live Wine Blogging segments (White Wines on Friday and Red Wines on Saturday) which featured wines poured for us by the winemakers themselves in a fast and furious “speed dating”-like format.

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates hosted dinner on Friday evening. Doug Gore, Senior Vice President of Winemaking and Vineyard Operations, introduced a number of their winemakers who were on hand pouring their wines. The highlight of the evening was when Domaine Ste. Michelle sparkling winemaker, Rick Casqueiro, demonstrated how to open a bottle of sparking wine with a saber. After dinner, we visited a number of tasting rooms in downtown Walla Walla who opened for an after-hours walkabout.

We got up bright and early the next morning for a fascinating presentation on the terroirs of the Walla Walla Valley by geologist Kevin Pogue. His talk was a perfect start to a day spent visiting vineyards and wineries in the Walla Walla Valley. We divided into groups of 15 and boarded buses, not knowing where we were headed until we got there. Our bus enjoyed visits to Cougar Hills Vineyard, a Syrah tasting and panel presentation at Skylite Cellars that also featured wines by Smasne Cellars and Riverhaven Cellars, and lunch at Pepper Bridge Winery.

The Washington Wine Commission hosted a grand tasting of Washington wines followed by a family-style dinner on Saturday evening with a Washington winemaker sitting at each table. Lettie Teague, wine columnist for The Wall Street Journal and author of Educating Peter, gave the keynote address on finding your voice.

One of my favorite sessions of the weekend was also the last, a Food and Wine Pairing seminar and lunch with chef Jeffrey Saad, the runner up on season 5 of The Next Food Network Star. The conference officially ended just after lunch on Sunday.

While I enjoyed all of the keynotes, sessions, events, and tastings, the best part of the conference was getting to meet so many of our fellow wine bloggers in person and see some friends we had made at previous conferences.

Many thanks to Allan Wright of Zephyr Wine Adventures and Joel Vincent of the OpenWine Consortium for organizing this wonderful conference and to all of the sponsors for your support in making it a reality.

We stayed in Walla Walla for a couple of extra days in order to visit a few more wineries. In the coming weeks, I will be posting in more detail about some of the conference topics and wineries we visited.

Here’s a breakdown of the wines that we tasted before, during, and after the Wine Bloggers Conference, except those that we already rated during the Live Wine Blogging segments (White Wines on Friday and Red Wines on Saturday). 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)
2007 Fielding Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, Wahluke Slope, $38, QPR: 5
2007 Betz Père de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $60, QPR: 5
2006 Boudreaux Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State, $100, QPR: 5
2008 Betz La Côte Patriarche Syrah, Red Willow Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $55, QPR: 4

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2008 Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen Eroica Riesling, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: 5
2006 Rulo Syrah, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 5
2008 Walla Walla Vintners Sangiovese, Columbia Valley, $24, QPR: 5
2009 Hollywood Hill Vineyards Chardonnay, Puget Sound, $24, QPR: 5
2007 Gilbert Cellars Estate Syrah, Wahluke Slope, $24, QPR: 5
2007 Glencorrie Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 5
2007 Rulo Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, $40, QPR: 5
2009 Sparkman Cellars Pearl Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley, $19, QPR: 4
2009 Syncline Grüner Veltliner, Underwood Mountain Vineyard, Columbia Gorge, $20, QPR: 4
2009 Dowsett Family Winery Gewurztraminer, Celilo Vineyard, Columbia Gorge, $20, QPR: 4
2007 Camaraderie Tempranillo, Yakima Valley, $25, QPR: 4
2008 Nefarious Rx-4 Red Wine (Rhone-style blend), Columbia Valley, $27, QPR: 4
2007 Barrister Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley, $27, QPR: 4
2005 Skylite Cellars Syrah, Columbia Valley, $32, QPR: 4
2008 Dusted Valley Big Bad MOFO! Petite Sirah, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 4
2006 Rulo Silo Reserve Syrah, Wahluke Slope, $35, QPR: 4
2006 Columbia Crest Walter Clore Private Reserve Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $36, QPR: 4
2005 Otis Kenyon Reserve Merlot, Seven Hills Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, $40, QPR: 4
2007 Pepper Bridge Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $55, QPR: 4
2008 William Church Malbec, Gamache Vineyards, Columbia Valley, $32, QPR: 3
2008 Hollywood Hill Vineyards Malbec, Wahluke Slope, $34, QPR: 3
2006 Cave B Cuvée de Soleil (Bordeaux-style red blend), Columbia Valley, $40, QPR: 3
2008 Buty Merlot and Cabernet Franc, Conner Lee & Champoux Vineyards, Columbia Valley, $40, QPR: 3
2007 Sparkman Cellars Ruby Leigh (Merlot-based blend), Columbia Valley, $42, QPR: 3
2007 Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Red Bordeaux Blend, Red Mountain, $45, QPR: 3
2006 Glencorrie Cuvée Marquis (Bordeaux-style blend), Columbia Valley, $45, QPR: 3
2007 Skylite Reserve (Malbec-based blend), Columbia Valley, $47, QPR: 3
2006 Alma Terra Syrah, Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, Red Mountain, $54, QPR: 2
2007 Buty Rediviva of the Stones (Syrah/Cab), Walla Walla Valley, $55, QPR: 2
2007 Pepper Bridge Winery Pepper Bridge Vineyard Red Wine, Walla Walla Valley, $55, QPR: 2
2006 Col Solare (Cabernet-based blend), Columbia Valley, $75, QPR: 1

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2009 Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling, Columbia Valley, $9, QPR: 5
NV Domaine Ste. Michelle Blanc de Noirs, Columbia Valley, $12, QPR: 5
2006 Kiona Estate Lemberger, Red Mountain, $12, QPR: 5
2009 Nefarious Riesling, Stone’s Throw Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: 4
NV Barrister Rough Justice (Red blend), Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 4
2008 Rulo Sundance Chardonnay, Wahluke Slope, $20, QPR: 4
NV Hard Row to Hoe Pinot Noir, Lake Chelan, $25, QPR: 4
2007 Walla Walla Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $35, QPR: 4
2006 Glencorrie Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 4
2006 Glencorrie Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $40, QPR: 4
2007 Glencorrie Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $40, QPR: 4
2006 Rulo Cabernet Sauvignon, Klipsun Vineyard, Red Mountain, $40, QPR: 4
2008 Cedergreen Old Vine Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley, $17, QPR: 3
2009 Cedergreen Old Vine Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley, $17, QPR: 3
2009 Tildio Viognier, Lake Chelan, $18, QPR: 3
2008 Cougar Crest Grenache Rosé, Walla Walla Valley, $18, QPR: 3
2008 Rulo Viognier, Walla Walla Valley, $18, QPR: 3
2008 Walla Walla Vintners Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 3
2007 Dowsett Family Winery Devotion (Rhone-style red blend), Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 3
2006 Skylite Cellars Syrah, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 3
2007 Skylite Cellars Syrah, Minnick Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $28, QPR: 3
2007 Hollywood Hill Vineyards Syrah, Red Mountain, $32, QPR: 3
2007 SYZYGY Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $33, QPR: 3
2007 Sinclair Estate Syrah, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 3
2008 Buty Conner Lee Vineyard Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 3
2007 Woodward Canyon “Artist Series” Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State, $49, QPR: 3
2007 Cooper Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $50, QPR: 3
2009 Amavi Semillon, Walla Walla Valley, $20, QPR: 2
2009 William Church Viognier, Conner Lee Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $21, QPR: 2
2009 Doyenne Rosé (Rhone-style blend), Yakima Valley, $23, QPR: 2
2009 Hollywood Hill Vineyards Roussanne, Horse Heaven Hills, $24, QPR: 2
2007 Camaraderie Malbec, Crawford Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $25, QPR: 2
2008 CAVU Malbec, Columbia Winery, $30, QPR: 2
2007 Cougar Crest Cabernet Franc, Walla Walla Valley, $36, QPR: 2
2007 Doyenne Syrah, Yakima Valley, $39, QPR: 2
2007 Pepper Bridge Winery Merlot, Walla Walla Valley, $50, QPR: 2
2007 Sparkman Cellars Stella Mae (Cabernet-based blend), Columbia Valley, $42, QPR: 1
2007 Sinclair Estate Vixen (Rhone-style red blend), Columbia Valley, $45, QPR: 1
2005 SYZYGY Saros (Tempranillo/Malbec/Cab), Columbia Valley, $45, QPR: 1
2007 Glencorrie Cuvée Marquis (Bordeaux-style blend), Columbia Valley, $45, QPR: 1
2007 Spring Valley Vineyard Frederick Cabernet Blend, Walla Walla Valley, $50, QPR: 1
2006 Alma Terra Syrah, Minnick Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $54, QPR: 1
2006 Pepper Bridge Winery Pepper Bridge Vineyard Red Wine, Walla Walla Valley, $55, QPR: 1
2007 Pepper Bridge Winery Seven Hills Vineyard Red Wine, Walla Walla Valley, $55, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2007 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot, Columbia Valley, $13, QPR: 5
2007 DaMa Cowgirl Cab, Columbia Valley, $21, QPR: 5
2007 Rulo Syrca Red Wine (Syrah/Cab), Columbia Valley, $15, QPR: 4
2009 DaMa Rosé (Mourvedre/Syrah), Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: 4
2008 DaMa Syrah, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: 4
2007 Gilbert Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Wahluke Slope, $28, QPR: 4
2007 Riverhaven Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, River Rock Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, $34, QPR: 3
2006 SYZYGY Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $36, QPR: 3
2009 Shameless Hussy [Hard Row to Hoe] Sangiovese Dry Rosé, Lake Chelan, $15, QPR: 2
2009 Rulo Combine (Sauvignon Blanc/Muscat Ottonel), Evergreen Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $15, QPR: 2
2009 Rulo Rosé (Syrah/Cab), Walla Walla Valley, $15, QPR: 2
2007 Cedergreen Old Vine Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley, $17, QPR: 2
2009 Cave B Saignée Rosé, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: 2
2007 Tildio Merlot, Columbia Valley, $27, QPR: 2
2007 Des Voigne Cellars The Duke Red Wine (Zinfandel blend), Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 2
2007 Riverhaven Estate Syrah, River Rock Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, $28, QPR: 2
2007 Glencorrie Merlot, Stillwater Creek Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 2
2009 Davenport Cellars Semillon, Columbia Valley, $19, QPR: 1
2007 Cougar Crest Viognier, Walla Walla Valley, $20, QPR: 1
2008 Tru Rosé (Syrah/Chard/Riesling), Washington State, $21, QPR: 1
2008 CAVU Barbera, Horse Heaven Hills, $30, QPR: 1
2008 Hollywood Hill Vineyards Cabernet Franc, Rattlesnake Hills, $32, QPR: 1
2007 Dusted Valley Malbec, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 1
2007 Camaraderie Elegance (Bordeaux-style red blend), Meek Family Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $35, QPR: 1
2007 Smasne Cellars Block 3 Syrah, Lawrence Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Sweet Valley Double Barrel Red, Walla Walla Valley, $20, QPR: NR
2008 Rulo Birch Creek Chardonnay, Walla Walla Valley, $20, QPR: NR
2009 DaMa Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $21, QPR: NR
NV Tru Blanc de Blancs, Washington State, $40, QPR: NR
2007 Sinclair Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $45, QPR: NR

Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
2007 Tru Gewurztraminer, Celilo Vineyard, Columbia Gorge, $21, QPR: NR

Highlights and Wine Tastings from the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference was originally posted on Wine Peeps on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:00 UTC. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste two current releases from O*S Winery in a blind samples tasting. Once again, we were very impressed with the quality of both wines. The 2009 Riesling and the 2007 Cabernet Franc are both excellent and deliver serious bang for your buck. Both wines are produced from fruit sourced from Champoux Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills.

If you are in the Seattle area, I highly encourage you to visit O*S. In addition to producing excellent wines, they offer a fun, welcoming tasting room experience.

2009 O*S Winery Riesling (Champoux Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): Pale, greenish yellow and very aromatic. Lemon zest, honey, and apricot aromas lead to pineapple, apricot, mango, and honey flavors. Off-dry, medium-bodied, crisp acidity, and a long finish. Well-balanced and very refreshing. Residual Sugar: 2%
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $15

2007 O*S Winery Cabernet Franc (Champoux Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 83% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, red garnet in color. Very aromatic with cinnamon, clove, and a hint of oak on the nose. Raspberry, cherry, and spice come through on the palate. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity and medium tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $28

O*S Winery Continues to Impress was originally posted on Wine Peeps on Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:00 UTC. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Many thanks to Josh Wade of Drink Nectar for hosting, Washington Tasting Room Magazine and the Washington Wine Commission for sponsoring, and all of you who participated. The event was a success!

“There were almost 400 people tweeting about #WAWine last night. 1850 Tweets. Possibly 2000 people at various events. #success” –Host Josh Wade (@nectarwine)

We hosted a small gathering of friends for the event. We provided some of the wines from our own cellar and each couple also brought a bottle to share. We enjoyed ten bottles of Washington wine. Those ten wines covered seven varieties, five AVAs, and a variety of price points. It was a good representation of the breadth and depth of Washington wine.

To kick off the evening, we toasted Washington wine with a sparkling wine which was predominately Chardonnay, then moved to still white wine for a Riesling, and then had eight red wines including Cabernet Franc, a Sangiovese blend, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.

The ten Washington wines we tasted, in my personal order of preference:

2005 Chateau Rollat “Rollat” Cabernet Sauvignon (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc. Deep, dark red. Stunning nose with black fruit, oak, cedar, and pencil lead aromas. Blackcurrant, black plum, earth, and a touch of chocolate come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high tannins. Well-balanced and complex with a long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Costco (Seattle, Washington), $30.99; Available elsewhere, $32 to $40

2006 Saviah Cellars Laurella (Columbia Valley, Washington): 51% Sangiovese, 33% Cabernet Franc, 16% Merlot. Dark, inky, purplish red. Beautiful bouquet with black and red fruits on the nose; more red and black fruits, sour cherry, and spice on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and crisp with medium to high tannins. Good mouthfeel, well-balanced, and a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of five)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $35

2008 Nefarious Stone’s Throw Vineyard Riesling (Columbia Valley, Washington): Estate grown fruit. Pale gold in color. Dried apricots come through on the nose; Granny Smith apples and white peach on the palate. Off dry, medium-bodied, long finish. Very crisp, smooth, and well-balanced. A great sipper and also excellent with food.
Quality: 4 stars (out of five)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $18

2007 Hollywood Hill Vineyards Rattlesnake Hills Syrah (Rattlesnake Hills, Washington): Dark, purplish red. Very aromatic with black fruits, pepper, spice, and smoked meats on the nose; black fruits, beef jerky, spice, and black pepper on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and crisp with medium to high tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with good complexity and a very long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of five)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $32

2005 Camaraderie Cabernet Franc (Washington State): Deep, ruby red in color. Black fruit, spice, and vegetal aromas. Flavors of black fruits and spice with pronounced green pepper on the finish. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Central Market (Seattle, Washington), $19.99; Available elsewhere, $20 to $22

NV Domaine Ste. Michelle Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, greenish straw yellow. Very aromatic with citrus and grassy notes. More citrus fruits, lemon zest, and some minerality come through on the palate. Dry, medium-bodied and crisp with small, fairly fast bubbles, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Albertsons (Seattle, Washington), $9.99; Available elsewhere, $8 to $11

2007 Substance Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): Dark, ruby red. Nice nose with black fruit aromas. More black fruits and a hint of leather on the palate. Medium-bodied and lively with sweet tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of five)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $20; Available elsewhere, $20 to $22

2005 McKinley Springs Syrah (Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): Dark, purplish red. Moderately aromatic with mocha, ripe fruit, and vegetal aromas. Black fruit flavors. Medium-bodied and lively with medium tannins and a medium finish. A weeknight wine.
Quality: 3 stars (out of five)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $13.49; Available elsewhere, $14 to $16

2007 Animale Petite Sirah (Yakima Valley, Washington): Dark, inky purple. Stinky feet and Kool-Aid on the nose; red and black fruits up front but flavors trail off on mid-palate. Medium-bodied and lively with soft tannins and a medium finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of five)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $22.29; Available elsewhere, $26

2007 Kamari Cabernet Franc (Columbia Valley, Washington): Deep, purplish red. Bacon, smoke, and oak on the nose; good fruit up front but fades off. Medium-bodied and lively with medium tannins and a long finish. Very different than most Cabernet Francs. Over-oaked and plain.
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of five)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $25.29

WAWine World Tasting Event: Oh, What a Night! was originally posted on Wine Peeps on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:00 UTC. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

We arrived in Hood River, Oregon, on Friday afternoon, checked into our hotel, and then crossed the Hood River Bridge back into Washington for our first visit to Celilo Vineyard. Celilo Vineyard is the premier white wine grape vineyard in Washington State. Rick Ensminger, Celilo’s vineyard manager, gave us a tour of the vineyard in the pouring rain. Celilo has breathtaking views of the Columbia River and Mount Hood, but they were hard to see in the rain. We returned the next day to take pictures when the sun finally came out.

On Saturday, it was overcast but thankfully dry. We spent the day on the Oregon side of the AVA and visited four wineries: Cathedral Ridge, Phelps Creek, The Pines 1852, and Viento.

Founded in 1985 as the second winery in Hood River, Cathedral Ridge Winery was originally known as Flerchinger Vineyards. Sonoma-based winemaker Michael Sebastiani makes their wines. Today, Cathedral Ridge produces 6,000 cases per year.

The tasting room for Phelps Creek Vineyard is at the Hood River Golf Course. It is the first winery I’ve visited at a golf course, but I must say the setting works. And the wines are excellent. Rich Cushman is their Director of Winemaking. I absolutely loved the 2008 Phelps Creek Celilo Vineyard Chardonnay. Alexandrine Roy from Burgundy, France, is a contributing winemaker for Phelps Creek and crafts two wines for them each year, the “Fleur de Roy” Rosé and the Cuvée Alexandrine Pinot Noir. Phelps Creek is lucky to have Rich and Alexandrine making their wines. It is a rare occasion when I find domestic Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that I really like. Founded in 2004, Phelps Creek produces 6,000 cases per year.

At The Pines 1852 tasting room in downtown Hood River, we had the pleasure to meet Sierra Wright, daughter of founder and owner Lonnie Wright. We were able to schedule a tour of the family’s The Pines Vineyard in The Dalles for Monday. Their Old Vine Zinfandel vines are over 100 years old, one of the oldest vineyards in the Northwest. Annual production for The Pines 1852 Winery is 3,500 to 4,000 cases.

We wrapped up our day with a wonderful visit at Viento. We ran into Celilo’s vineyard manager Rick Ensminger and his wife Jody there. They were wine tasting with their friends Dennis and Becky Beeks, owners of Chukar Ridge Vineyards. After tasting through Viento’s regular lineup of wines, we had the pleasure to meet owner and winemaker Rich Cushman (yes, the same winemaker as Phelps Creek) and concluded the day tasting his ice wine barrel samples (outstanding, by the way) on the patio along with the Ensmingers and Beeks. In addition to enjoying great wines, it is always a treat to get to spend time with growers and winemakers. They are some of the most down-to-earth, genuine people you will ever meet.

On Sunday, we explored the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge AVA and visited four wineries: Syncline, Cor, Memaloose, and Domaine Pouillon.

Our first stop took us to Syncline Wine Cellars in Lyle, Washington. We had the pleasure to finally meet both James and Poppie Mantone in person. Poppie was carrying their newborn daughter in a sling while their older daughter collected rocks around the winery, and James was busy working on his tractor. All the while, both of them and their staff welcomed guests to the tasting room for one of their busiest weekends of the year. No rest for the weary. We are very appreciative that we were able to steal a few minutes of their time and had a wonderful visit about bottle closures (Syncline is a cork-free winery, using screw caps and glass closures) and farming practices. They are wonderful people and excellent winemakers.

Owner/winemaker Luke Bradford founded Cor Cellars in 2005. Cor means “heart” in Latin. Cor specializes in Bordeaux-style and Mosel-style wines.

The McCormick Family owns and operates Memaloose on their Mistral Ranch property in Lyle, Washington. McCormick Family Vineyards includes five estate vineyards, three in Washington and two in Oregon. Memaloose sources fruit from their estate vineyards and purchases about one-third of their grapes from other vineyards in the area. Annual production is about 1,200 cases per year.

Domaine Pouillon is family-owned and operated by Alexis and Juliet Pouillon. Founded in 2005, Domaine Pouillon produces approximately 1,500 cases per year.

Before returning to Seattle, we stopped at The Pines Vineyard in The Dalles on Monday morning for a tour with owner/vineyard manager Lonnie Wright. It was fascinating to get a look at century old Zinfandel vines. I have seen old vines in California but these were the oldest vines I’ve seen in the Northwest. Look for a detailed post about The Pines Vineyard in the coming weeks.

If you have not spent any time in the Columbia Gorge, I highly recommend it, for both outdoor recreation and wine tasting.

Here’s a breakdown of the wines that we tasted while visiting the Columbia Gorge AVA. Under each Quality heading, the wine name and region will be listed along with price and QPR rating. Since the Columbia Gorge AVA runs into both Washington and Oregon, I have indicated in parentheses the state(s) in which the grapes were grown. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2008 Syncline Subduction Red, Columbia Valley (WA), $18, QPR: 5
NV Domaine Pouillon Black Dot Red Blend, Horse Heaven Hills (WA), $18.50, QPR: 5
2008 Phelps Creek Celilo Vineyard Chardonnay, Columbia Gorge (WA), $24, QPR: 5
2005 Alain Fouquet Cabernet Sauvignon [Viento], Pepper Bridge Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley (WA), $40, QPR: 5
2009 Syncline Viognier, Coyote Canyon Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills (WA), $20, QPR: 4
2007 Viento Barbera, Lonesome Spring Ranch, Columbia Valley (WA), $24, QPR: 4
2008 Syncline Mourvedre, Coyote Canyon Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills (WA), $30, QPR: 4
2008 Phelps Creek Cuvée Alexandrine Pinot Noir, Columbia Gorge (OR), $42, QPR: 4

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2005 Viento Cuvée Tuition Sangiovese, Columbia Valley (WA), $20, QPR: 5
2008 Phelps Creek “Vin Dore” Dessert Gewurztraminer, Columbia Gorge (WA), $24 [375ml], QPR: 5
2006 Viento Pinot Noir, Underwood Mountain Vineyard, Columbia Gorge (WA), $24, QPR: 5
2008 Viento Riesling, Columbia Gorge Vineyard, Columbia Gorge (OR), $16, QPR: 4
2008 Phelps Creek Unoaked Chardonnay, Columbia Gorge (WA/OR), $18, QPR: 4
2007 The Pines 1852 Tres Syrah, Columbia Gorge (WA/OR), $22, QPR: 4
2007 Domaine Pouillon Pierre (Syrah/Cab), Horse Heaven Hills (WA), $24, QPR: 4
2008 Syncline Columbia Valley Syrah, Columbia Valley (WA), $25, QPR: 4
2008 Syncline Pinot Noir, Columbia Gorge (WA), $28, QPR: 4
2007 The Pines 1852 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Gorge (OR), $30, QPR: 4
2008 Phelps Creek Oak Ridge Vineyard Gewurztraminer, Columbia Gorge (WA), $17, QPR: 3
2008 The Pines 1852 Pinot Gris, Columbia Gorge (WA), $18, QPR: 3
2009 Alba Cor Pinot Gris/Gewurztraminer, Celilo Vineyard, Columbia Gorge (WA), $18, QPR: 3
2008 Memaloose Idiot’s Grace Cabernet Franc, Columbia Gorge (OR), $25, QPR: 3
2008 Syncline McKinley Springs Syrah, McKinley Springs Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills (WA), $30, QPR: 3
2008 The Pines 1852 Old Vine Zinfandel, Columbia Valley (OR), $38, QPR: 3
2006 Cathedral Ridge Cabernet Reserve, Columbia Valley (OR), $44, QPR: 3
2009 Phelps Creek “Fleur de Roy” Rosé of Pinot Noir, Columbia Gorge (OR), $20, QPR: 2
2008 Syncline Roussanne, Horse Heaven Hills (WA), $22, QPR: 2
2008 Cathedral Ridge Reserve Chardonnay, Columbia Valley (OR), $36, QPR: 2
2006 Cathedral Ridge Syrah Reserve, Columbia Valley (OR), $44, QPR: 2
2007 Cathedral Ridge Rock Star Red (Cab/Syrah), Columbia Valley (OR), $44, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2007 The Pines 1852 Big Red (Cab/Mer/Syrah/Zin/Grenache), Columbia Valley (OR), $20, QPR: 4
2007 Cor Cabernet Sauvignon, McKinley Springs Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills (WA), $25, QPR: 4
2005 Viento Nocturne Dessert Wine (Touriga), Lonesome Spring Ranch, Columbia Valley (WA), $36 [375ml], QPR: 4
2007 Cathedral Ridge Bordheauxd Red (Syrah/Cab/Merlot), Columbia Valley (OR), $26, QPR: 3
2008 Phelps Creek Pinot Noir, Columbia Gorge (WA/OR), $29, QPR: 3
2009 Syncline Rosé, Columbia Valley (WA), $16, QPR: 2
2008 Memaloose Trevitt’s White (Viognier/Chardonnay), Columbia Valley (WA), $17, QPR: 2
2008 Domaine Pouillon Deux (Chardonnay/Viognier), Columbia Valley (WA), $18.25, QPR: 2
2007 Cathedral Ridge Syrah, Columbia Valley (OR), $32, QPR: 2
2008 Memaloose Barbera, Columbia Gorge (OR), $20, QPR: 1
2009 Viento Grüner Veltliner, Underwood Mountain Vineyard, Columbia Gorge (WA), $20, QPR: 1
2007 Cathedral Ridge Zinfandel Reserve, Columbia Valley (OR), $38, QPR: 1
2007 Phelps Creek Estate Reserve Pinot Noir, Columbia Gorge (OR), $42, QPR: 1
2006 Cathedral Ridge Pinot Noir Reserve, Columbia Valley (OR), $52, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2008 Cor Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia View Vineyard, Columbia Gorge (OR), $10, QPR: NR
2008 Domaine Pouillon Blanc du Moulin (Roussanne/Viognier), Horse Heaven Hills (WA), $17, QPR: NR
2008 The Pines 1852 Viognier, Columbia Valley (OR), $18, QPR: NR
2008 Cor Momentum Red Blend, Horse Heaven Hills (WA), $18, QPR: NR
2007 Cor Cabernet Franc, Alder Ridge Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills (WA), $22, QPR: NR

Columbia Gorge AVA: One of Washington and Oregon’s Best Kept Secrets was originally posted on Wine Peeps on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:00 UTC. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

We selected Saviah Cellars as our Best Washington Winery of 2009. Recently, we had the opportunity to taste six current releases from Saviah in a blind samples tasting. Our favorite was the 2008 Malbec, followed closely by the 2007 Red Mountain Syrah and the 2006 Petit Verdot, but we would recommend all six wines. And two of the wines, the Malbec and the Cabernet Sauvignon, received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

One of the things that I really admire about Rich’s winemaking style is that he strives for elegance rather than over-extracted huge wines. As a winemaker, he is all about the fruit, but his wines are not fruit bombs. Rich’s wines show balance, complexity, and elegance. Not only is Rich making some great wines, but he is an extremely nice guy to boot. If you are in the Walla Walla area, Saviah Cellars is a winery that you should definitely visit. And even if you aren’t able to visit, be sure to try some Saviah wines.

2008 Saviah Cellars Malbec (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): Deep, dark purple in color. Very aromatic with black fruits, spice, and licorice on the nose; more black fruits, spice, and black pepper on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and crisp with medium to high tannins and a long finish. Well-balanced with a lot of layers.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $30

2007 Saviah Cellars Red Mountain Syrah (Red Mountain, Washington): Deep, dark purple and aromatic. Vanilla and oak aromas lead to blackberry and licorice flavors. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $30

2006 Saviah Cellars Petit Verdot (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): Deep, dark, inky purple. Very aromatic with prunes, earth, and blackberry on the nose; black fruits, particularly plums, and licorice on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $35

2007 Saviah Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): Deep, dark red in color. Very aromatic with black cherry and vanilla aromas that lead to more black cherry and blackcurrant flavors. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high, drying tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $28; Available elsewhere, $25 to $30

2007 Saviah Cellars The Jack Red Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): Deep, purplish red. Ripe red and black fruit aromas lead to jammy, sweet black fruit flavors. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $18; Available elsewhere, $17 to $23

2007 Saviah Cellars Cabernet Franc (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): Deep, purplish red. Aromatic with oak and creosote aromas. Black fruits and a hint of pepper come through on the palate. Medium-bodied and lively with medium tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $28; Available elsewhere, $24

Saviah Cellars: More Good Wine from Rich Funk was originally posted on Wine Peeps on Mon, 31 May 2010 14:00 UTC. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

The SageCliffe story began in 1980 when the Bryan family bought the land. At the time, it was home to alfalfa, sagebrush, and a few cattle. They began planting their first vineyard on the property that first summer. When the vineyards began producing adequately, they sold the grapes to wineries around Washington State but always looked forward to making their own wine. Their first winery was known as Champs de Brionne. Not long after the winery opened, the Bryans discovered an area on their property which offered amazing natural acoustics. Today, that area is the world-renowned Gorge Amphitheater. As the reputation of the amphitheater grew, they decided to close the winery and focus on the amphitheater and vineyards.

Years later in 2001, with the amphitheater’s reputation firmly established and the vineyards more mature, the Bryans decided to open another winery, this time a smaller, premium estate winery named Cave B Estate Winery. All of the grapes used in Cave B wines come from their 100+ acre estate vineyards. The climate in their vineyards is not as hot as Wahluke Slope and not as cool as Lake Chelan but rather somewhere in the middle. This allows them to ripen reds nicely but also retain good acidity. As a result, many varieties seem to do well on their site, and they currently grow seventeen different varieties. Cave B uses about 35 percent of their crop and they sell the rest of the grapes to other wineries. Currently, Cave B produces a total of about 5,000 cases per year under two labels, their primary Cave B label and their more widely available SageCliffe label.

Winemaker Alfredo “Freddy” Arredondo joined Cave B in 2006 as assistant winemaker and became head winemaker in November 2007. He is a very personable guy with a clear passion for both wine and food. In fact, his roots are in the food world. He attended culinary school in Scottsdale, Arizona, and later also studied at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners in Costigliole, Italy. Through his culinary studies, he became interested in wine and in 2003 decided to switch his focus to winemaking. He graduated with a degree in Enology and Viticulture from the Institute for Enology and Viticulture in Walla Walla, Washington. During school, he worked as a cellar master at Cougar Crest Winery. After graduation in 2005, he went to work for Cave B.

“Before changing careers, I was a chef. I’ve been working on my palate my whole life. I make wines that are meant to be drunk with food.” –Winemaker Freddy Arredondo

Recently, Dad (John) and I had the pleasure to meet Freddy and taste through some of the Cave B wines with him when he was in Seattle. The 2008 vintage was the first vintage that Freddy produced completely on his own. During that tasting, we had the opportunity to taste three of “his” reds that were recently bottled and will not be released until June, a Malbec, a Cabernet Franc, and a Tempranillo. We were very impressed, particularly with the Malbec. Both the Malbec and the Cabernet Franc are the first varietal bottlings of those wines from Cave B. Given that recently bottled wines tend to be muted on both the nose and palate, we were very impressed with the character that these wines already showed. I will be anxious to try these wines again once they’ve been in the bottle six to eight months. We have had Cave B wines in the past and had found them to be somewhat inconsistent. It is obvious that Freddy has Cave B headed down the right path as these current and upcoming releases are quite impressive and really show Freddy’s potential as a winemaker as he showcases Cave B’s vineyard site.

“My philosophy in winemaking in general is to really pull back on oak, really have a restrained, light touch with oak. I really view the oak as giving the wine texture and body more so than giving it toasted wood. I, personally, especially with food, don’t really like wines that smell and taste like toasted wood. I want the fruit to be front and center, not the oak.” –Winemaker Freddy Arredondo

The only bad news in all of this is that most of Cave B’s wines are not widely distributed. About 80 percent of all their wine sales take place on the premises through their tasting room, restaurant, and wine club.

The wines rated below include a number of Cave B’s current and upcoming releases, one we tasted in a blind samples tasting and the others when we tasted with Freddy in Seattle. These eight wines are excellent representatives of the Cave B portfolio. With four 4-star wines, two 3.5-star wines, and two 3-star wines, I encourage you to pick up any of these if you happen to see them on the shelf at your local wine shop. And if you find yourself near The Gorge Amphitheater or looking for a special vacation destination, I encourage you to stop by or make a reservation at Cave B. As if the current amenities aren’t enough to entice you, they also are developing The Golf Club at SageCliffe and a limited number of single-family residences. And down the road, they plan to build a Hilltop Village which will include art galleries, performance spaces, more culinary offerings, retail shops, and condominiums.

2008 Cave B Estate Winery Malbec (Columbia Valley, Washington): Bottled in early March. Cave B’s first varietal Malbec. Beautiful blood red with purple hues. Massive red fruit on the nose. Luscious red fruits, spice, and a hint of black pepper on the palate. Medium-bodied with very crisp acidity and drying tannins. Well-balanced now but should really open up with more time in the bottle.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, probably low $30’s (to be released in June)

2008 Cave B Estate Winery Riesling (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, straw yellow with green tinges. Petrol, mineral, dill, and citrus aromas on the nose; pears, peaches, and green apples on the palate. Off-dry and light-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced and complex with a long finish. Residual Sugar: 2%
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $18

2008 Cave B Estate Winery Cabernet Franc (Columbia Valley, Washington): Bottled in early March. Cave B’s first varietal Cab Franc. Gorgeous nose for just being bottled. Spice, clove, vegetal, and dark fruit aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish. Well-balanced, good complexity, has great potential.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, probably high $20’s (to be released in June)

2006 Cave B Estate Winery Cuvee du Soleil (Columbia Valley, Washington): 44% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot. Cave B’s signature Bordeaux-style blend. Great nose with smoke, chocolate, and spice aromas. Black fruits and smoked meat come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and high, drying tannins. Good fruit up front and good weight on the mid-palate. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $40

2008 Cave B Estate Winery Tempranillo (Columbia Valley, Washington): 80% Tempranillo, 20% Cabernet Franc. Bottled in early March. Aromas of earth, floral, and spice; flavors of smoke, dark fruits, and leather. Medium to full-bodied, lively acidity, medium drying tannins, and a long finish. Should come together with more time in the bottle.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, probably high $20’s (to be released in June)

2009 SageCliffe 100 Chardonnay (Columbia Valley, Washington): Small amount of Viognier blended in as well. Light-bodied and very aromatic. Floral notes, pear, and apple come through on both the nose and palate. Crisp, yet smooth, with a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $18.50

2008 Cave B Estate Winery Semillon Ice Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): Golden yellow. Nose is a bit tight at first but then honey and dried apricot aromas and flavors show through. Not overly sweet on the palate despite the high residual sugar. Good balance. Residual Sugar: 12.5%
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $35 [375ml]

2008 Cave B Estate Winery Semillon (Columbia Valley, Washington): Some oak and a hint of butter on the nose. Light to medium-bodied. Smooth and creamy with lively acidity and a long, slightly hot, finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $20

Spotlight On: Cave B Estate Winery was originally posted on Wine Peeps on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:05 UTC. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Recently, I had the opportunity to spend three days in Paso Robles wine country on a media tour hosted by the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance. We had the pleasure to meet winemakers, visit vineyards, dine at local restaurants, and stay in luxurious accommodations. Paso Robles, a quaint town of 30,000 people, is a wonderful wine country destination and served as an excellent home base as we toured the surrounding areas. Within walking distance of our hotel, Hotel Cheval, were many tasting rooms, restaurants, boutique shops, and a lovely park. For those of you who are more familiar with Washington wine country, Paso Robles reminds me a lot of Walla Walla. It is about the same size and offers numerous wine and food options.

I tasted a total of 65 wines on this trip, a representative sampling of what is coming out of the Paso Robles AVA. Sixty out of that 65 are wines that I would recommend. Suffice it to say, the wineries in Paso Robles are producing some high quality wines, and best of all, doing it with a smile on their face. Everyone we met genuinely seemed to love where they live and what they do.

Three things stood out as the common threads running through Paso Robles wine country:

• Community – There really is a close sense of community. The wineries, restaurants, and hotels seem to work together to offer a wonderful wine country experience for their visitors. And many of the winemakers and vineyard owners are good friends with each other, often helping each other out and simply shaking hands to seal deals.
• Local – The people of Paso Robles are passionate about where they live and what the land provides. The restaurateurs encourage their patrons to support local wineries while the winemakers recommend local restaurants. And many chefs take it even further by buying their produce at local farmers markets or growing it themselves.
• Sustainable – The word I heard used most frequently by winemakers and vineyard owners was sustainable. They are strong proponents of sustainable viticulture and strive to be good stewards of the land.

In the coming weeks, I will be writing more about the people and places that I encountered in Paso Robles. And if you are planning a trip there anytime soon (which I highly recommend), feel free to ask me any questions about the area in the comments below or via our Contact Us form. I’m happy to help if I can.

Here’s a breakdown of the wines that I tasted while visiting Paso Robles. 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)
2008 Turley Dusi Vineyard Zinfandel, Paso Robles, $60, QPR: 3

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2007 kukkula Sisu (red Rhone blend), $24, QPR: 4
2006 Edward Sellers Syrah Selectionnée, Paso Robles, $32, QPR: 4
2007 Zenaida Cellars Zephyr (Syrah/Zin/Viognier), Paso Robles, $32, QPR: 4
2007 Four Vines Dusi Vineyard Zinfandel, Paso Robles, $35, QPR: 4
2006 Windward “Monopole” Pinot Noir, Paso Robles, $36, QPR: 4
2009 Villicana Viognier, Paso Robles, $23, QPR: 3
2007 Tablas Creek Rosé, Paso Robles, $27, QPR: 3
2007 Four Vines “Loco” Tempranillo, Paso Robles, $40, QPR: 3
2006 Terry Hoage “The Pick” Grenache Cuvee, Paso Robles, $42, QPR: 3
2006 Edward Sellers Cuvee des Cinq (red Rhone blend), Paso Robles, $42, QPR: 3
2007 Austin Hope Grenache, Paso Robles, $42, QPR: 3
2007 Justin Savant (Syrah blend), Paso Robles, $45, QPR: 3
2009 L’Aventure Estate Rosé, Paso Robles, $35, QPR: 2
2008 L’Aventure Estate Roussanne, Paso Robles, $35, QPR: 2
2007 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel (red Rhone blend), Paso Robles, $50, QPR: 2
2006 J. Lohr Cuvee St. E. (Bordeaux blend), Paso Robles, $50, QPR: 2
2005 L’Aventure Estate Cuvee (Syrah/Cab/PV), Paso Robles, $85, QPR: 1

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 J. Lohr Los Osos Merlot, Paso Robles, $15, QPR: 5
2007 Kiamie Late Harvest Zinfandel, Paso Robles, $18 [375ml], QPR: 5
2007 Wild Horse Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles, $20, QPR: 5
2007 Victor Hugo Petite Sirah, Paso Robles, $22, QPR: 4
2008 Villicana Zinfandel, Paso Robles, $26, QPR: 4
2007 Vina Robles Jardine Petite Sirah, Paso Robles, $26, QPR: 4
2008 Justin Sauvignon Blanc, Paso Robles, $15, QPR: 3
2009 Villicana Estate Vin Rosé, Paso Robles, $18, QPR: 3
2007 kukkula Lothario (Zin/Rhone blend), Paso Robles, $28, QPR: 3
2007 Villicana Estate Syrah, Paso Robles, $28, QPR: 3
2007 Adelaida Cellars Version (red Rhone blend), Paso Robles, $32, QPR: 3
2007 Grey Wolf Dusi Vineyard Zinfandel, Paso Robles, $36, QPR: 3
2008 Eberle Cotes du Robles Blanc (white Rhone blend), Paso Robles, $20, QPR: 2
2007 J. Dusi Zinfandel Port Dusi Vineyard, Paso Robles, $28 [375ml], QPR: 2
2007 Hearst Ranch “Lone Tree” Cabernet Franc, Paso Robles, $35, QPR: 2
2006 Kiamie Kuvee (Cab/Syrah/Merlot/Zin), Paso Robles, $38, QPR: 2
2007 Four Vines Anarchy (Zin/Rhone blend), Paso Robles, $40, QPR: 2
2006 Windward Gold “Barrel Select” Pinot Noir, $60, QPR: 2
2007 Lone Madrone “Points West White” Roussanne, Paso Robles, $28, QPR: 1
2008 Terry Hoage “The Gap” Cuvee Blanc (white Rhone blend), Paso Robles, $32, QPR: 1
2008 J. Dusi Carignane Dusi Vineyard, Paso Robles, $38, QPR: 1
2008 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc (white Rhone blend), Paso Robles, $40, QPR: 1
2007 Villa Creek Damas Noir Mourvedre, Paso Robles, $40, QPR: 1
2006 Steinbeck The Crash (Cab blend), Paso Robles, $42, QPR: 1
2007 Alta Colina “Ann’s Block” Petite Sirah, Paso Robles, $48, QPR: 1
2006 Terry Hoage “5 Blocks” Syrah Cuvee, Paso Robles, $50, QPR: 1
2001 L’Aventure Estate Cuvee (Cab/PV/Syrah), Paso Robles, $85, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2007 J. Lohr South Ridge Syrah, Paso Robles, $15, QPR: 4
2008 Ancient Peaks Sauvignon Blanc, Paso Robles, $12, QPR: 3
2008 Clayhouse Wines Sauvignon Blanc, Paso Robles, $14, QPR: 3
2007 Ortman Family Sangiovese, Paso Robles, $22, QPR: 3
2008 Anglim Winery Rosé, Paso Robles, $15, QPR: 2
2008 Hearst Ranch “Glacier Ridge” Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands, $25, QPR: 2
2009 Eberle Viognier, Paso Robles, $21, QPR: 1
2007 Kenneth Volk Roussanne, Paso Robles, $24, QPR: 1
2007 Steinbeck Viognier, Paso Robles, $29, QPR: 1
2008 J. Dusi Zinfandel Dusi Vineyard, Paso Robles, $32, QPR: 1
2007 Peachy Canyon Snow Zinfandel, Paso Robles, $36, QPR: 1
2008 Denner Vineyards Grenache, Paso Robles, $42, QPR: 1
2005 Halter Ranch Ancestor Estate Reserve (Bordeaux blend), Paso Robles, $44, QPR: 1
2007 Hope Family Treana Red (Cab/Syrah), Paso Robles, $50, QPR: 1
2007 Hearst Ranch “The Point” Special Reserve (Cab blend), Paso Robles, $70, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2008 Robert Hall Rosé de Robles, Paso Robles, $15, QPR: NR
2007 Ancient Peaks Zinfandel, Paso Robles, $16, QPR: NR
2008 Niner Wine Estates Sauvignon Blanc, Paso Robles, $17, QPR: NR
2008 Thacher Vineyards Viognier, Paso Robles, $25, QPR: NR
2008 J. Dusi Syrah Caterina’s Hill Dusi Vineyard, Paso Robles, $38, QPR: NR

Paso Robles: California’s Emerging Wine Region was originally posted on Wine Peeps on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:00 UTC. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

The festivities kicked off on Friday with the Washington Wine Restaurant Awards, picked up steam on Saturday with Education Day, and launched into overdrive on Sunday when the doors opened at 2pm for the Grand Tasting.

The Grand Tasting is the showcase event of Taste Washington. This year’s event featured over 200 wineries pouring their wines and over 60 restaurants serving small bites. With more than 650 wineries now open in the state of Washington, this event offers attendees the opportunity to try a large number of them in one place at one time. Considering the time and gas money you save not having to crisscross the state visiting tasting rooms and making appointments, the $125 for VIP tickets or $75 for general admission tickets is money well spent. Now, don’t get me wrong, once you attend an event like this and discover some favorite new wines and wineries, you will definitely want to make plans to travel to the wineries to visit and taste again. There is nothing like spending a long weekend in Washington wine country.

With 200+ wineries pouring close to 1,000 wines, it is impossible to taste all of them. Therefore, we always try to put together a “plan of attack” before the event. This year we decided to focus on new wineries or wineries that were new to us. As I mentioned on Wednesday, we had the opportunity to get a head start and taste some wines during the trade tasting at the Restaurant Awards on Friday and a few more during the seminars on Saturday. Those wines along with the ones we tasted at the Grand Tasting on Sunday totaled 116 different wines. As you’ll see from the complete breakdown of wines below, of those 116 wines, we rated 22 of them as 4-star quality or higher and 19 of them have a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck. As we’ve said over and over: Washington State is producing outstanding wines that deliver the most bang for your buck.

Of the wineries whose wines I had not tasted prior to this weekend, the most exciting discoveries were Tranche Cellars, a relatively new winery in Walla Walla affiliated with Corliss Estates, and Steppe Cellars, a winery located in Sunnyside that opened in 2005. One of the best aspects of Taste Washington is that often you will find either the winemaker and/or winery owner pouring that winery’s wines. We enjoyed the opportunity to visit with some of the winemakers/winery owners whose wines we have enjoyed in the past including Bob Betz of Betz Family Winery, Dean and Heather Neff of Nefarious Cellars, Mike and Karen Wade of Fielding Hills, Rich Funk of Saviah Cellars, Hugh and Kathy Shiels of Cote Bonneville, and Tim and Erica Blue of Adams Bench as well as meet a few who we had not had the chance to meet previously including Alex Golitzin of Quilceda Creek, Denise Slattery and Steve Michener of Trio Vintners, and Kay Simon of Chinook Wines.

Here’s a breakdown of the wines that we tasted during the Taste Washington weekend. 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: 5 stars (out of 5)
2006 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $150, QPR: 5
1999 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $200, QPR: 5

Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Fielding Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, Wahluke Slope, $38, QPR: 5
2006 Quilceda Creek Galitzine Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, $98, QPR: 5
2005 Quilceda Creek Galitzine Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, $110, QPR: 5
2007 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $125, QPR: 5
2005 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $175, QPR: 4

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2008 McKinley Springs Chenin Blanc, Horse Heaven Hills, $12, QPR: 5
2007 Owen Roe Sharecropper’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $14, QPR: 5
2007 Steppe Cellars Syrah, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 5
2005 Tranche Cellars Barbera, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 5
2007 Adams Bench “V” Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $42, QPR: 5
2007 Castillo de Feliciana Tempranillo, Wahluke Slope, $28, QPR: 4
2006 Bunnell Family Syrah, Horse Heaven Hills, $38, QPR: 4
2007 Saviah Cellars Malbec, Walla Walla Valley, $30, QPR: 3
2007 Fidelitas Malbec, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 3
2007 JM Cellars Boushey Vineyard Syrah, Yakima Valley, $40, QPR: 3
2007 Quilceda Creek Galitzine Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, $98, QPR: 3
2006 Cote Bonneville Carriage House Red Wine, DuBrul Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $50, QPR: 2
2007 Andrew Will Champoux Red Wine, Horse Heaven Hills, $55, QPR: 2
2007 Andrew Will Ciel du Cheval Red Wine, Red Mountain, $55, QPR: 2
2005 Cote Bonneville DuBrul Vineyard Red Wine, Yakima Valley, $120, QPR: 1

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Buried Cane Riesling, Washington State, $12, QPR: 5
2007 Columbia Crest H3 Merlot, Horse Heaven Hills, $14, QPR: 5
NV The Surveyor Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $14, QPR: 5
2007 Boomtown Syrah, Columbia Valley, $15, QPR: 5
2008 Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, California, $17, QPR: 5
2005 Eagle Haven Sangiovese, Yakima Valley, $20, QPR: 5
2007 Mercer Estates Off Dry Riesling, Yakima Valley, $15, QPR: 4
2007 8 Bit Vintners Player 1 Red Blend, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: 4
2007 Plaza Winery Royalty Red, Red Mountain, $18, QPR: 4
2007 Soos Creek Commander Comet Syrah, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 4
2007 Davenport Cellars Syrah, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 4
2007 Chinook Cabernet Franc, Yakima Valley, $22, QPR: 4
2007 Sojen Cellars Red Bordeaux Blend, Columbia Valley, $22, QPR: 4
2007 Davenport Cellars R.H.D. Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $24, QPR: 4
2007 Davenport Cellars Continuity Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $24, QPR: 4
2007 Southard Syrah, Columbia Valley, $25, QPR: 4
2007 Tildio Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $30, QPR: 4
2004 Tranche Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 4
2009 Trio Vintners Tres Rose Rosé, Yakima Valley, $15, QPR: 3
2008 Mercer Estates Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley, $15, QPR: 3
2007 Wines of Substance Malbec, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 3
2007 Memaloose Cabernet Franc, Columbia Gorge, $25, QPR: 3
2006 Steppe Cellars Artemisia Red Bordeaux Blend, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 3
2006 Walla Faces Red Bordeaux Blend, Walla Walla Valley, $30, QPR: 3
2007 Bunnell Family “a pic” Red Rhone Blend, Stonetree Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, $32, QPR: 3
2007 Bunchgrass Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $32, QPR: 3
2007 Cadaretta Syrah, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 3
2007 Nefarious Malbec, Upland Vineyard, Snipes Mountain, $28, QPR: 2
2008 Isenhower Cellars Snapdragon Roussanne/Viognier, Red Mountain, $19, QPR: 2
2007 Adams Bench “Reckoning” Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $34, QPR: 2
2007 Gramercy Cellars Syrah, Columbia Valley, $38, QPR: 2
2007 Bunnell Family Boushey-McPherson Syrah, Yakima Valley, $43, QPR: 2
2006 aMaurice Cellars Malbec, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 1
2007 Sparkman Cellars The Darkness Syrah, Yakima Valley, $50, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
NV Seeing Red Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $10, QPR: 5
2007 Powers Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $12, QPR: 5
2007 Buried Cane Chardonnay, Washington State, $12, QPR: 4
2008 Cimicky Trumps Shiraz, Barossa Valley, Australia, $17, QPR: 4
2007 Corvus Cellars Ruckus Red Blend, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: 4
2008 Sojen Cellars Syrah, Yakima Valley, $18, QPR: 4
2007 Ott & Murphy Syrah, Horse Heaven Hills, $18, QPR: 4
2007 Castillo de Feliciana Miercoles Red Wine, Walla Walla Valley, $19, QPR: 4
2007 Mercer Estates Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $24, QPR: 4
2007 Southard Whipping Boy Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $25, QPR: 4
2007 Palouse Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Rattlesnake Hills, $29, QPR: 4
2007 Dopf & Irion Riesling, Alsace, France, $16, QPR: 3
2006 Seia Syrah, Horse Heaven Hills, $20, QPR: 3
2006 Powers Reserve Syrah, Cougar Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, $20, QPR: 3
2007 Eagle Haven Syrah, Yakima Valley, $20, QPR: 3
2008 Naches Heights Syrah, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 3
2007 Plaza Winery Super Tuscan Sangiovese, Horse Heaven Hills, $22, QPR: 3
2007 Memaloose Mistral Ranch Red Wine, Columbia Gorge, $23, QPR: 3
2006 Walla Faces Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $25, QPR: 3
2006 CAVU Cellars Horizon Red, Walla Walla Valley, $26, QPR: 3
2007 Glencorrie Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 3
2006 Walla Faces Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $35, QPR: 3
2006 Corvus Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, $39, QPR: 3
2007 Glencorrie Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $40, QPR: 3
2008 Domaine Alary Grange Daniel Roussanne, Vins de Pays, France, $15, QPR: 2
2006 Domaine de la Berangeraie Cahors, France, $18, QPR: 2
2006 Ksana Malbec, Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina, $18, QPR: 2
2007 Pacific Rim Wallula Biodynamic Riesling, Horse Heaven Hills, $18, QPR: 2
2008 El Corazon First Crush Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley, $26, QPR: 2
2007 Ott & Murphy Mystique Red, Columbia Valley, $27, QPR: 2
2006 Agate Field Cabernet Franc, Yakima Valley, $28, QPR: 2
2007 Glencorrie Merlot, Stillwater Creek Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 2
2007 Madsen Family Cabernet Franc, Washington State, $28, QPR: 2
2007 Seia Syrah, Wahluke Slope, $30, QPR: 2
2007 Bunchgrass Syrah, Columbia Valley, $32, QPR: 2
2006 McKinley Springs Malbec, Horse Heaven Hills, $20, QPR: 1
2008 CAVU Cellars Barbera Alder Ridge, Horse Heaven Hills, $30, QPR: 1
2008 El Corazon Tigers Blood Carmenere, Walla Walla Valley, $32, QPR: 1
2005 Portrait Cellars Merlot, Red Mountain, $32, QPR: 1
2007 Dusted Valley Malbec, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 1
2007 Gramercy Cellars Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley, $40, QPR: 1
2008 Maison Bleue Liberte Syrah, Yakima Valley, $40, QPR: 1
2007 Andrew Will Two Blondes Red Wine, Yakima Valley, $48, QPR: 1
2007 Obelisco Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, $59, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Buried Cane Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State, $13, QPR: NR
2008 Memaloose Estate Barbera, Columbia Gorge, $20, QPR: NR
2006 Fontaine Estates Dry Sangiovese, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: NR
2008 El Corazon Supernova Malbec, Rattlesnake Hills, $21, QPR: NR
2006 Two Mountain Winery Merlot, Yakima Valley, $22, QPR: NR
2005 Severino Cellars Syrah, Yakima Valley, $25, QPR: NR
2006 Madsen Family Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, $30, QPR: NR
2007 Irlandes Reserve Syrah, Columbia Valley, $34, QPR: NR

Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
2008 Simply Seductively Smooth Red Syrah, Columbia Valley, $10, QPR: NR
2005 Christian Mouiex Merlot, Bordeaux, France, $15, QPR: NR
2005 Illusion Apparition Red Bordeaux Blend, Columbia Valley, $16, QPR: NR
2007 Snowgrass Roaring Creek Red, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: NR
2007 Eliseo Silva Syrah, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: NR
2005 Agate Field Syrah, Yakima Valley, $25, QPR: NR
2007 Irlandes Reserve Merlot, Columbia Valley, $36, QPR: NR
2007 Swiftwater Proprietary Red Bordeaux Blend, Columbia Valley, $50, QPR: NR

Taste Washington 2010: The Complete Recap was originally posted on Wine Peeps on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 14:00 UTC. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

If you love Washington wine, want to learn more about Washington wine, or are just looking for a fun event to attend, the upcoming Taste Washington in Seattle is just the event for you. Hosted by the Washington Wine Commission, Taste Washington is the ultimate carnival for wine and food lovers. Of the 650+ wineries in the state, over 200 of them are expected to be on hand pouring their wines at the Grand Tasting on Sunday, March 28th, at the Qwest Field Event Center. In addition, approximately 75 of the best Seattle-area restaurants will be serving small bites. And to round out the carnival-like atmosphere, there will also be fun and games, cooking demonstrations, author talks, and much, much more. The Grand Tasting begins with a two-hour VIP tasting from 2-4pm, followed by three hours of general admission from 4-7pm.

If a smaller, more intimate gathering is more your speed or you want to further your knowledge of wine and Washington wine in particular, Education Day on Saturday, March 27th, might be of interest to you. Held at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center, seven seminars will be offered on a variety of topics. These seminars afford attendees the opportunity to taste, discuss, meet, and learn from some of the biggest names in the Washington wine industry as well as a few notable guests from outside of Washington State.

Last year’s “Common Ground” seminars were such a hit that they are offering another one this year which will focus on Boushey Vineyard in the Yakima Valley. A few other seminars that sound very interesting are “The Legend of Quilceda Creek” (a look at Washington’s premier winery), “The Value Challenge” (compare $10-$20 Washington wines with those from around the world at the same price), and “Which One’s Washington?!” (a blind tasting challenge).

Recently, I attended the Taste Washington TweetUp hosted by the Washington Wine Commission at El Gaucho that featured 13 wines which were a preview of what will be poured at the Grand Tasting (see my notes below). The total cost to buy a bottle of each of these wines would set you back $528, but you can purchase a ticket to Taste Washington for $75 and taste these wines as well as many more.

We’ll be there both days and hope that those of you who live in the greater Seattle area will plan to attend as well. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Taste Washington website.

Here are the wines I tasted during the Taste Washington TweetUp, listed in the order we tasted them, with my Twitter-style notes as well as Quality and QPR ratings:

2008 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc (Columbia Valley, Washington): 62% Sauvignon Blanc, 38% Semillon. Pineapple, lemon, very crisp.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $34

2008 Woodward Canyon Winery Chardonnay (Washington State): Crisp, clean, fresh. Some oak but not overdone. Food-friendly.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $44

2008 àMaurice Cellars Viognier (Columbia Valley, Washington): Another excellent wine from Anna Schafer. Floral, very crisp, long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $25

2008 Long Shadows Vintners Poet’s Leap Riesling (Columbia Valley, Washington): Light, fresh, citrus aromas and flavors. Lots of peach.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $20

2007 Barrage Cellars “Outcast” Cabernet Franc (Boushey Vineyard, Yakima Valley, Washington): 100% Boushey Vineyard. Dark fruits, vegetal notes. A little heat.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $35

2007 Cadence Winery Bel Canto (Cara Mia Vineyard, Red Mountain, Washington): 62% Cabernet Franc, 31% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot. Dark fruits. Very well-balanced. Should get even better with age.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $55

2002 Col Solare (Columbia Valley, Washington): 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% Syrah. Extremely smooth. Drinking beautifully.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $75 [Sold Out]

2007 Januik Winery Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Wasington): Black and red fruits, smoke, toast. Smooth.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $30

2006 Pepper Bridge Winery Cabernet Sauvignon (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): Smooth, soft tannins. Dark fruits, a bit bitter on the back end.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $55

2007 Betz Family Winery Père de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot. Will be released in March. Young but gorgeous.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $60

2006 Beresan Winery Malbec (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): Malbec is Seattle Magazine’s emerging varietal for 2009. Blue and black fruits, spice, pepper.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $29

2007 Dusted Valley Vintners Stained Tooth Syrah (Columbia Valley, Washington): Syrah co-fermented with Viognier and some Grenache and Counoise blended in as well. Luscious black fruits, fruit-driven, pepper.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $26

2007 Waters Winery Forgotten Hills Syrah (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): Barnyard funk and game. Lots of layers. Definitely a food wine.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $40

To try these wines for yourself, make plans to attend Taste Washington next month.

Taste Washington 2010 Preview was originally posted on Wine Peeps on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:00 UTC. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Last Saturday, we spent the afternoon visiting ten wineries or tasting rooms in Woodinville that we had not previously visited. In many cases, we had not tasted any or many of their wines either. Our ten stops included AlmaTerra, Guardian Cellars, XSV, Des Voigne, William Church, Cuillin Hills, Barrage, Covington, Hollywood Hills, and Isenhower. In the process, we made several exciting new discoveries.

Hollywood Hill Vineyards, located a couple of miles from downtown Woodinville on Hollywood Hill, was founded in 2004 by Steve and Becky Snyder. Hollywood Hill Vineyards is the only winery in Woodinville that also has their own vineyards, where they grow both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Their primary focus is on producing Rhone-inspired wines from Eastern Washington fruit, but they produce a small amount of estate grown wines as well. We had the pleasure to meet Becky and taste their wines in their tasting room located down the hill from their winery in the Apple Farm Village. We tasted four of their wines, three different Syrahs as well as a Mourvedre/Syrah blend, and thought they were all excellent, rating all four of them as 4 stars (out of 5).

AlmaTerra is a unique project dedicated to making wines from diverse Washington AVA’s (American Viticultural Areas) with the goal of expressing terroir. AlmaTerra is the brainchild of geologist/viticulturist Dr. Alan Busacca and winemaker Robert Smasne. Their first releases featured 2006 Syrahs. In the winery, Robert made each wine in exactly the same way, the only difference being where the grapes were sourced. They produce three single-vineyard Syrahs, one each from Minick Vineyard in the Yakima Valley, Coyote Canyon Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills, and Ciel du Cheval Vineyard on Red Mountain. We enjoyed all of their wines but thought their best wine was the 2006 Coéo Syrah which is a blend of their three single-vineyard wines. Alan happened to be in the tasting room on Saturday so we had the opportunity to learn about these wines from the viticulturist himself.

William Church Winery was founded in 2005 by Leslie and Rod Balsley. The winery is named after both of their fathers. We were welcomed at the winery by volunteer extraordinaires, Bob and Diane Schumacher. The Balsleys are fortunate to have such friendly, helpful folks “working” in their tasting room. Our favorites of the wines we tasted were the 2007 Malbec and the 2007 Syrah.

Here’s a breakdown of the wines that we tasted in Woodinville. Under each Quality heading, the wine name and region in Washington State 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)
2006 AlmaTerra Coéo Syrah, Columbia Valley, $48, QPR: 5

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2007 William Church Syrah, Yakima Valley, $25, QPR: 5
2007 Covington Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 5
2005 Hollywood Hill Vineyards Yakima Valley Syrah, Yakima Valley, $28, QPR: 4
2006 Hollywood Hill Vineyards Red Mountain Syrah, Red Mountain, $30, QPR: 4
2007 Hollywood Hill Vineyards Rattlesnake Hills Syrah, Rattlesnake Hills, $32, QPR:  4
2007 Hollywood Hill Vineyards DIst 83 Mourvedre/Syrah, Red Mountain, $32, QPR: 4
2007 Cuillin Hills Shackled Red Wine Stillwater Creek Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 4
2007 William Church Malbec, Wahluke Slope, $30, QPR: 3
2007 Barrage Cellars Secret Weapon Boushey Vineyard Syrah, Columbia Valley, $40, QPR: 3
2006 AlmaTerra Syrah Ciel du Cheval, Red Mountain, $56.25, QPR: 2

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Cuillin Hills Riff-Raff Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $17, QPR: 4
2007 Isenhower Wild Alfalfa Syrah, Columbia Valley, $25, QPR: 4
2007 Isenhower Batchelor’s Button Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $29, QPR: 4
2007 Covington Cellars Sangiovese, Columbia Valley, $30, QPR: 4
2007 Isenhower Road Less Traveled Cabernet Franc, Wahluke Slope, $25, QPR: 3
2007 Isenhower Red Paintbrush Bordeaux-style blend, Columbia Valley, $25, QPR: 3
2007 Guardian Cellars Chalk Line, Columbia Valley, $25, QPR: 3
2007 Des Voigne The Duke Red Wine Zinfandel Blend, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 3
2007 Cuillin Hills The Dungeon Syrah, Columbia Valley, $29, QPR: 3
2007 William Church “2 Spires”, Columbia Valley, $29, QPR: 3
2006 Covington Cellars Starr Syrah Seven Hills Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, $29, QPR: 3
2007 Des Voigne Solea Red Wine, Red Mountain, $30, QPR: 3
2007 Barrage Cellars Outcast Boushey Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 2
2007 AlmaTerra Coéo Viognier, Columbia Valley, $26, QPR: 1
2006 Smasne Malbec Phinny Hill Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, $35, QPR: 1
2006 AlmaTerra Syrah Minick Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $50, QPR: 1
2006 AlmaTerra Syrah Coyote Canyon Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, $53.75, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2007 William Church Bishop’s Blend, Columbia Valley, $19, QPR: 4
2007 Des Voigne San Remo Ciel du Cheval Sangiovese, Red Mountain, $26, QPR: 3
2003 XSV Cabernet Sauvignon, Wahluke Slope, $38, QPR: 3
2008 Cuillin Hills Derby Girl Rosé, Columbia Valley, $17, QPR: 2
2006 Covington Cellars Rough House Red, Walla Walla Valley, $29, QPR: 2
2008 William Church Viognier, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 1
2006 Guardian Cellars Gun Metal, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 1
2004 XSV Syrah, Horse Heaven Hills, $36, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2008 Isenhower Snapdragon White Wine, Red Mountain, $17, QPR: NR
2004 XSV Chardonnay, Wahluke Slope, $18, QPR: NR
2008 Des Voigne Menina Flor Viognier/Roussanne, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: NR
2008 Covington Cellars Dress White Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc Klipsun Vineyard, Red Mountain, $20, QPR: NR
2006 Des Voigne The Emcee Merlot, Walla Walla Valley, $28, QPR: NR
2007 Des Voigne Montreux Syrah, Columbia Valley, $30, QPR: NR
2004 XSV Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, $35, QPR: NR

New Discoveries in Woodinville Wine Country was originally posted on Wine Peeps on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:55 UTC. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.