Well-known for their Grand Estates, H3, and Two Vines lines, it is their Reserve line that puts them in the league with the premier producers in the state. As you may remember, the 2005 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was named as the #1 wine of 2009 in Wine Spectator’s annual Top 100 Wines list, the first Washington wine to receive the honor. Their well-known reserve Bordeaux-style blend became designated as Walter Clore Private Reserve with the 1999 vintage to recognize the pioneer who did the unexpected in Washington State—prove that premium vinifera grapes could flourish in the Columbia Valley.

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste the current releases of both the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and the Walter Clore Private Reserve in a blind samples tasting. While we thought both wines were very good, the 2008 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is excellent.

If you ever find yourself in Paterson, Washington, you should definitely visit and tour Columbia Crest. And even if you aren’t able to visit, be sure to seek out some of their Reserve wines.

2008 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): Deep, dark red in color. Gorgeous nose with black fruit, cinnamon, and clove aromas. Black fruit, earth, clove, and pencil lead comes through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with good acidity and medium to high, smooth tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR:  5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $45; Available elsewhere, $32 to $50

2008 Columbia Crest Walter Clore Red Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): 57% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Malbec. Deep, dark red. Aromatic with red and black fruit, leather, and Red Vines on the nose. Black cherry, blackberry, and black pepper come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a medium to long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $30; Available elsewhere, $30 to $35

Columbia Crest Reserve: Cream of the Crop from Washington’s Largest Winery was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$20
• Must be widely available

Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington State’s founding winery with its roots dating back to the repeal of Prohibition. In 1976, Ste. Michelle built a French-style chateau in Woodinville, just northeast of Seattle. While all of their white wines are made in Woodinville, all of their red wines are made at Canoe Ridge Estate in eastern Washington. The fruit for this Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from vineyards in the Columbia Valley including Cold Creek, Canoe Ridge Estate, and Indian Wells.

“Our goal with the Columbia Valley Cabernet is to highlight concentrated Washington red fruit in an accessible style. This is our inviting Cab with plenty of complexity and structure with silky tannins. It’s also very versatile with food—try it with beef, pork or pasta.” –Bob Bertheau, Head Winemaker

2009 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 3% Syrah, 2% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Dark red in color. Aromatic with red fruit, earth, and smoked meat on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, smooth tannins, and a medium to 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 $16; Available elsewhere, $10 to $18

A Wine for Tonight: 2009 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Pinot Noir is the variety that propelled Oregon onto the worldwide wine stage and is still what many people think of when it comes to Oregon wine. Over 12,000 acres of vineyards in Oregon are planted to Pinot Noir and production of Pinot Noir is over three times the next leading variety, Pinot Gris. Nevertheless, Oregon wine is far from a one-trick pony.

During my recent media tour to explore Oregon wine country, I had the opportunity to try many different Oregon wines. Beyond Pinot Noir, which they continue to do well, I was particularly impressed with the quality of sparkling wines and Chardonnay that Oregon is producing.

Given that Oregon, and particularly the Willamette Valley, is predominately a cool climate growing area that has proven to grow Pinot Noir well, it is no surprise that Chardonnay is showing signs of greatness there as well. The leading white variety in the world’s leading Pinot Noir growing region of Burgundy, France, is none other than Chardonnay. The two varieties seem to go hand in hand. You may be wondering then why we haven’t seen more Chardonnay out of Oregon in the past, with many wineries instead focusing on Pinot Gris as their leading white variety. Well, according to Rollin Soles, founder/winemaker of Argyle Winery in Dundee, Oregon, the problem was that initially the wrong Chardonnay clone was planted in Oregon. After years of trial and error and experimentation, a number of those vines have been pulled out and a Chardonnay clone better suited for Oregon’s terroir has been planted. As a result, better Chardonnay wines are finally making an impact in the marketplace.

Two Chardonnay wines that I especially enjoyed during my trip were the 2009 Cameron Abbey Ridge Chardonnay [Quality: 4.5, QPR: 4, Price: $55] and the 2008 Ponzi Reserve Chardonnay [Quality: 4, QPR: 4, Price: $30].

Likewise, Oregon’s Willamette Valley has a similar climate and latitude to Champagne, France, and the two grape varieties most often used to produce sparkling wines are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Therefore, it only stands to reason that Oregon has the potential to produce some outstanding sparkling wines as well.

Both Rollin Soles of Argyle and Buzz Kawders of Domaine Meriwether are bullish on sparkling wines. Sparkling wine is very food-friendly so they see it as being particularly appealing to foodies. And, in general, younger generations are more celebratory and don’t need a special occasion to drink sparkling wine. Both of those facts bode well for the future of sparkling wine in Oregon.

“The Prosecco drinker of today will be the Willamette Valley sparkling wine drinker of tomorrow.” –Rollin Soles, founder/winemaker, Argyle Winery

From a viticultural perspective, sparkling wine producers can give an early snapshot of what to expect in any harvest because they pick their grapes earlier than still wine producers. And Soles believes that his experience making sparkling wines has made him a better winemaker and made him more attentive to how he blends still wines.

I had a number of excellent sparkling wines during my trip, but a couple of particular note were the 2001 Argyle Extended Tirage Brut [Quality: 4.5, QPR: 5, Price: $60] and the 2000 Domaine Meriwether Prestige Cuvee Brut Rosé [Quality: 4, QPR: 5, Price: $40].

If you haven’t had the opportunity, I highly encourage you to seek out Oregon sparkling wine and Oregon Chardonnay. As I’ve mentioned previously, May is Oregon wine month so this is a great time to try some new-to-you Oregon wines.

Cheers!

Oregon Wine: Beyond Pinot Noir was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$20
• Must be widely available

Rodney Strong founded Rodney Strong Vineyards, located in Healdsburg, California, in 1959. It was Sonoma County’s 13th bonded winery. Current owner Tom Klein and the Klein family purchased the winery in 1989. Zinfandel vines have been thriving in Sonoma County for the last three centuries. When Rodney Strong acquired vineyard acreage on the west side of the Russian River, he became the proud owner of 15 acres of old, gnarled Zinfandel vines that had been growing there since 1904. The winery still harvests Zinfandel from those old vines in addition to farming vineyards in the Alexander Valley.

“Fresh, bright berry fruit from our heritage Russian River vineyard combined with the ripe peppery jamminess from our Alexander Valley vineyards make for wonderful diversity of flavor showcasing the best that zinfandel can offer in one wine.” –Winemaker Rick Sayre

2009 Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Zinfandel (Northern Sonoma, California): Deep ruby red in color. Aromatic with strawberry and cinnamon on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium tannins. Well-balanced with a very long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $18.50; Available elsewhere, $14 to $22

A Wine for Tonight: 2009 Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Zinfandel was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Last Friday, we featured Washington Syrah from the 2008 vintage in our wine tasting dinner. All six wines paired perfectly with Mom’s dinner of tomato basil soup, candied walnut gorgonzola salad, grilled beef tenderloin steaks, braised kale, rosemary roasted sweet potatoes, and topped off with a German chocolate dessert with whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Four of the six wines received a Quality rating of 4.5 stars (out of 5), and three wines received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5). Even though these wines are not inexpensive, they are well worth the money.

The 2008 Betz Family Winery La Côte Patriarche Syrah came out on top in this stellar lineup. Bob Betz is one of the most well respected winemakers in the State of Washington. He is one of only 297 Masters of Wine in the world. As a winemaker, Bob strives for purity, elegance, and balance in his wines, and he certainly hits the mark with this wine. The fruit for La Côte Patriarche comes from the 1986 Syrah block at Red Willow Vineyard, the oldest Syrah planting in Washington State. The name of this wine, which translates as “the founder’s slope”, is a nod to Red Willow owner/grower, Mike Sauer, and former Columbia Winery winemaker, David Lake, who planted those original Syrah vines.

Really, you can’t go wrong with any of these wines. Washington State produces fabulous Syrah, and the winemakers who made these six wines are among the state’s best.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2008 Betz Family Winery La Côte Patriarche Syrah (Red Willow Vineyard, Yakima Valley, Washington): 100% Syrah. Beautiful, inky purple-black. Gorgeous nose with smoked meat, black fruit, licorice, and spice aromas. Luscious black fruit, smoked meat, and black pepper come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and high, dry tannins. Well-balanced with great complexity and a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $55; Available elsewhere, $69 to $100

2008 Rasa Vineyards QED (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 83% Syrah, 10% Grenache, 5% Mourvedre, and 2% Viognier. Deep, dark purplish red. Beautiful bouquet with aromas of blackberry, black cherry, floral notes, and a hint of game and earth. More black fruit as well as black pepper and a touch of cinnamon come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high, silky tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a very long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $50; Available elsewhere, $40 to $90

2008 DeLille Doyenne Signature Syrah (Yakima Valley, Washington): 98% Syrah and 2% Viognier. Deep, dark purplish red. Aromatic with cinnamon and game on the nose. Black pepper, cinnamon, black cherry, and blackberry come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and high, dry tannins. Well-balanced with a very long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $39; Available elsewhere, $38 to $47

2008 Grand Rêve Collaboration Series III (Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, Red Mountain, Washington): 100% Syrah. Winemaker Mark McNeilly of Mark Ryan Winery. Deep, dark purplish red. Nice nose with red and black fruit and spice aromas. Black cherry, Red Vines, and spice come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and high, dry tannins. Well-balanced with a very long finish. The 2008 Collaboration Series III is the last wine to carry the Grand Rêve label; the winery has since been renamed Force Majeure.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $50; Available elsewhere, $50 to $69

2008 Fielding Hills Syrah (Riverbend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): 94% Syrah, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. Deep, dark red. Aromatic with black plum, clove, violets, and dill on the nose. Black plum, blackberry, clove, and a hint of black pepper come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a very long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $38; Available elsewhere, $38 to $40

2008 K Vintners Morrison Lane Syrah (Morrison Lane Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 100% Syrah. Deep, dark purplish red. Smoked meat and earth come through on the nose; blackberry, black plum, game, and earth on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $41; Available elsewhere, $53 to $80

Wine Tasting Dinner: 2008 Washington Syrah was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$20
• Must be widely available

Columbia Crest, located in Paterson, Washington, has been one of our favorite sources of value wines for many years. Last year, Juan Munoz Oca took over as head winemaker from Ray Einberger. Einberger had been at the helm since 2002 when he took the reins from Doug Gore who had been the winemaker since Columbia Crest was founded in 1983. The Columbia Crest winemaking team has produced more 90+ scoring bottles of wine than any other winery in the world. For those of us who live in Washington State, it is nice to have such a consistent, affordable producer in our own backyard.

“This complex red exhibits layer flavors of blackberries and plums with a subtle spiciness and silky mouthfeel that leads to a long, elegant finish.” –Winemaker Juan Munoz Oca

2008 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Amitage Red Blend (Columbia Valley, Washington): 64% Merlot, 19% Syrah, 7% Cabernet Franc, 4.5% Malbec, and 5.5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, dark red. Aromatic with creosote, black fruit, and smoke on the nose. More black fruit and smoke as well as leather come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, and medium to high, dry tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $12; Available elsewhere, $7 to $13

A Wine for Tonight: 2008 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Amitage Red Blend was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Oregon ranks third in the number of wineries and fourth in wine production in the United States. In its relatively short 40-year history, the Oregon wine industry has evolved into a world-class wine region. With Oregon’s 16 AVA’s (American Viticultural Areas) found in both warm and cool climates, Oregon winemakers are able to produce wines from over 70 different grape varieties. However, Pinot Noir is the variety that propelled Oregon onto the worldwide wine stage and is still what many people think of when it comes to Oregon wine. While Oregon wine is far from a one-trick pony, Pinot Noir is still the queen. Over 12,000 acres of vineyards in Oregon are planted to Pinot Noir and production of Pinot Noir is over three times the next leading variety, Pinot Gris. As you will see in the lists below, we tasted more Pinot Noir than anything else at the event.

Unwine’d was a huge success, especially for a first-time event. By the time the doors opened to the public at 3pm, the line wrapped around the outside of the Left Bank Annex building. Once inside, attendees were treated to great wines and yummy food. Kudos to the Oregon Wine Board and Jamie Peha of Peha Promotions for a job well done!

Considering the time and gas money attendees saved not having to travel around the state visiting tasting rooms and making appointments, the $50 ticket was money well spent. Hopefully, those who attended discovered some favorite new wines and wineries and will make plans to travel to the wineries to visit and taste again. There is nothing like spending a long weekend in wine country.

Between the three days I spent in Oregon wine country on a media tour in March and attending Unwine’d last weekend, it has been a pleasure to immerse myself in all things Oregon wine and get to know so many key players in the Oregon wine industry.

With 100 wineries pouring three to five wines each, we were not able to taste wine from every winery at Unwine’d. Instead, we tried to taste wines from a good representative sample of the participating wineries. We hope you enjoy the following lists that show some of our favorite wines and wineries of those we did taste at the event.

Overall Favorite Wines (Highest Quality Ratings):
2007 Amity Winemaker’s Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $40, Quality: 4.5, QPR: 5
2009 Archery Summit Looney Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge, $85, Quality: 4.5, QPR: 5
2009 Archery Summit Arcus Estate Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, $100, Quality: 4.5, QPR: 5

Best Wines <=$20:
2009 Cooper Mountain Chardonnay, Willamette Valley, $18, Quality: 4, QPR: 5
2010 Sokol Blosser Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, $18, Quality: 4, QPR: 4
2010 Dobbes Wine by Joe Chardonnay, Oregon, $14, Quality: 3.5, QPR: 5
2010 Montinore Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $20, Quality: 3.5, QPR: 5
2010 Dobbes Wine by Joe Pinot Gris, Oregon, $14, Quality: 3.5, QPR: 4

Best Value Regardless of Price (Quality >=4 and QPR=5):
2007 Amity Winemaker’s Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $40, Quality: 4.5, QPR: 5
2009 Archery Summit Looney Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge, $85, Quality: 4.5, QPR: 5
2009 Archery Summit Arcus Estate Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, $100, Quality: 4.5, QPR: 5
2009 Cooper Mountain Chardonnay, Willamette Valley, $18, Quality: 4, QPR: 5
2008 Argyle Brut Sparkling Wine, Willamette Valley, $27, Quality: 4, QPR: 5
2010 Montinore Estate Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $28, Quality: 4, QPR: 5
2010 Lachini Pinot Port, Willamette Valley, $28 [375ml], Quality: 4, QPR: 5
2009 Van Duzer Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $30, Quality: 4, QPR: 5

Top 10 Favorite Wineries (in alphabetical order):
Adelsheim Vineyard
Amity Vineyards
Archery Summit
Argyle Winery
Lachini Vineyards
Phelps Creek Vineyards
Sokol Blosser Winery
Stoller Vineyards
Van Duzer Vineyards
Watermill Winery

If you were at Unwine’d, we’d love to hear what some of your favorites were. And if you missed the event, I encourage you to enjoy some Oregon wines during the month of May and throughout the year.

Cheers!

Unwine’d 2012: Highlights from Oregon Wine’s Big Event was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$20*
• Must be widely available

Saviah Cellars is a family-owned winery located south of downtown Walla Walla, Washington, near the Oregon state line in the Walla Walla Valley AVA. Owner/winemaker Richard Funk and his wife Anita, both natives of Montana, moved to Walla Walla in 1991. Rich became acquainted with a number of the area wineries while working as an Environmental Health Specialist with the Walla Walla County Health Department. Through his work at the Health Department on water quality and wastewater issues, he got a firsthand look at the vineyards in the area and developed a relationship with a number of local winemakers who helped him get his start in the industry. Saviah Cellars was founded in 2000 and currently produces about 9,500 cases per year. The name Saviah is a family name from Anita’s great-grandmother. Saviah Cellars consistently produces high-quality wines. The Jack is a value line in the Saviah portfolio produced with declassified fruit.

“The Jack Cabernet Sauvignon is a winner! Classic aromas of mint, black cherry, cassis and barrel spice are present in spades. Delicious flavors, beautiful balance, and a long smooth finish. Enjoy!” –Owner/winemaker Rich Funk

2010 Saviah Cellars The Jack Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. Deep, dark purplish red. Nice nose with caramel and black cherry aromas. Caramel, blackcurrant, and spice come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $18; Available elsewhere, $14 to $18

*We have expanded the price tag criteria for this “A Wine for Tonight” series to include wines less than or equal to $20.

A Wine for Tonight: 2010 Saviah Cellars The Jack Cabernet Sauvignon was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste a number of Fidelitas wines in a blind samples tasting. While we thought all five of these red wines were good and would recommend all of them, we especially enjoyed the 2009 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2009 Columbia Valley Merlot.

If you are in the Benton City area, you should definitely visit Fidelitas’ Red Mountain tasting room, which opened in 2007. It has a contemporary style and features great views of Red Mountain and the Yakima Valley. For those of you in the Seattle area, be sure to check out the Fidelitas tasting bar at Urban Enoteca. And even if you aren’t able to visit one of their locations, be sure to try some of their wines.

2009 Fidelitas Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark purplish red. Aromatic with black licorice, blackcurrant, and black cherry on the nose. More black cherry, blackcurrant, and licorice as well as pencil shavings come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity, and high, supple tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $25; Available elsewhere, $20 to $25

2009 Fidelitas Columbia Valley Merlot (Columbia Valley, Washington): 100% Merlot. Deep, dark purple. Nice nose with vanilla, plum, and black cherry aromas. More black cherry, plum, vanilla, and spice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, and medium to high, drying tannins. Well-balanced with a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $25; Available elsewhere, $21 to $25

2009 Fidelitas Malbec (Columbia Valley, Washington): 100% Malbec. Deep purple. Aromatic with cherry, plum, and leather on the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $35; Available elsewhere, $29 to $35

2008 Fidelitas Optu Red Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Malbec. Deep, dark purplish red. Nice nose with red fruit aromas and flavors as well as a hint of pickle. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a medium to long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $35; Available elsewhere, $38 to $40

2009 Fidelitas Red Mountain Merlot (Red Mountain, Washington): 100% Merlot. Deep purplish red. Aromatic with jammy red and black fruits on the nose. Plum and pencil shavings come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high, drying tannins, and a medium to long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $50

Fidelitas Wines: A Passion Realized was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$15
• Must be widely available

Wine Out West wines are produced by Mercer Estates. The Mercer and Hogue families founded Mercer Estates, located in Prosser, Washington, in 2006. Rob and Brenda Mercer of Mercer Canyons in the Horse Heaven Hills and Ron and Barb Harle of Hogue Ranches in the Yakima Valley lead the partnership. Both families have long histories in the Washington wine industry. Mercer Estates’ vineyards are located in the Horse Heaven Hills and the Yakima Valley. David Forsyth, who has over 25 years experience working in the Columbia Valley, leads the winemaking team for Mercer Estates but will be leaving in May to focus on his own winery. The Wine Out West labels feature the artwork of Diane Whitehead, a native of eastern Washington whose boldly colored oil paintings express the beauty of the west.

“Brimming with fresh fruit, our Wine Out West 2010 Riesling displays fresh peach and tangerine, with a hint of beeswax and good minerality. Crisp, fresh, and semi-dry in style, the palate begins with peach and stone fruit which lead to honey, lingering with floral accents.” –Winemaker David Forsyth

2010 Wine Out West Gone Fishin’ Riesling (Columbia Valley, Washington State): 99% Riesling and 1% Pinot Gris. Pale, greenish yellow. Nice nose with white peach and floral aromas. White peach, apricot, and a hint of lime come through on the palate. Off-dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish. Residual Sugar: 1.8%
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $12.99; Available elsewhere, $14

A Wine for Tonight: 2010 Wine Out West Gone Fishin’ Riesling was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.