Our Wine Peeps Tasting Group includes what we think is an excellent peer group of knowledgeable wine lovers to taste, share, and learn more about wine together. Unlike our monthly wine tasting dinners in which the guests rotate, this tasting group includes people who are committed to getting together once a month which we believe […]

Founded in 2007 by brothers Pinto and Billo Naravane, Rasa Vineyards has already become a superstar on the Washington wine scene. Their beautiful winery is located south of downtown Walla Walla near the Washington/Oregon state line. Both Pinto and Billo have engineering and mathematical backgrounds and worked in the computer industry. As for their official […]

Cabernet Franc is generally thought of as the quiet little brother of Cabernet Sauvignon. Some people even refer to it as the “other” Cabernet. However, Cabernet Franc is actually one of the genealogical parents of Cabernet Sauvignon. Originating in Bordeaux, France, Cabernet Sauvignon is a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. Well-known as a […]

Fielding Hills Winery, a small, family-owned winery in Wenatchee, is one of the top wineries in Washington State. Owner/winemaker Mike Wade and his wife Karen are longtime apple and cherry growers who have turned a middle portion of their orchard near Mattawa into a vineyard. Their Riverbend Vineyard, planted in 1998, is in the Wahluke […]

Rasa Vineyards is a relatively new winery located in Walla Walla, Washington. Founded in 2007 by brothers Pinto and Billo Naravane, Rasa Vineyards burst onto the Washington wine scene and received numerous accolades for their inaugural releases. Currently, they produce around 2,000 cases per year, a level they plan to maintain for a while. Originally […]

We spent Labor Day Weekend visiting the Walla Walla Valley AVA. The Walla Walla Valley AVA was established in 1984 as Washington State’s third AVA. It encompasses areas in both Washington and Oregon. When you are visiting wineries and vineyards in the valley, it is easy to forget which state you are in. The lines […]

Washington State Cabernet Sauvignons are among the best in the world, and they are much better values (higher QPR) than most Cabs in other wines regions of the world. Last Friday evening, we tasted six Cabernet Sauvignons from Washington State in our monthly wine tasting dinner. It was another fabulous evening of good wines, the […]

Hosted annually by the Washington Wine Commission, Taste Washington is dubbed “the ultimate wine experience.” This past weekend brought Washington wine lovers from around the country to Seattle to drink, eat, and be merry. The event is a wine and food lover’s paradise. The festivities kicked off on Friday with the Washington Wine Restaurant Awards, […]

This year marks the 11th anniversary of Open That Bottle Night. Open That Bottle Night, created by former Wall Street Journal wine columnists Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher in 2000, is the one night a year that we are all encouraged to get out that bottle of wine that is so special that no special […]

Last fall, I shared with you my “bucket list” of wines. As I said then, some of the wines on the list I already have, some are wines I’m hoping someone might give me as a gift, and some I’m hoping to be able to purchase if the slump in high-end wine prices continues. But […]