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

Tapeña Wines, produced by the Ferrer family in Spain, are fresh and fruit-forward. Made to pair well with tapas (small plates), Tapeña wines feature a distinctive fork on the label. At every taberna in Spain, tapas are served communal style—each person armed with a glass of wine and a fork. Perhaps best known as the owners of Freixenet, the popular sparkling wine, the Ferrer family operates over 11 wineries in Spain. Gabriel Suberviola joined Freixenet in 1980 and has risen to become head winemaker for several of the Ferrers’ wineries.

“Opening with powerful violet-red hues, this wine has a tremendous concentration of ripe cherries and juicy candied fruits. The palate is intense in rich, ripe, dark fruits balanced by soft tannins and a lovely spicy mouthfeel. It is well structured, soft but lively, ending with a lingering velvety finish.” –Tapeña Wines

2010 Tapeña Garnacha (Spain): 100% Garnacha (Grenache). Medium ruby red in color. Aromatic with black cherry and a touch of barnyard on the nose. Fruit-forward with cherry, licorice, and earth on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium 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 $10; Available elsewhere, $7

A Wine for Tonight: 2010 Tapeña Garnacha was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

After moving to Woodinville, the Sharadins met Cheryl Jones when Mike succeeded her as the local PTA president. They became fast friends and soon discovered a common interest in wine. Cheryl had worked in the wine industry for over 30 years for a number of Woodinville wineries. Ultimately, Cheryl helped Mike get his start in the wine industry with a job as cellarmaster for Cavatappi Winery in Kirkland. After getting his feet wet in the industry, Mike decided to try his hand at winemaking. The Sharadins teamed up with four other people to make some wine. They learned a lot in the process and decided to take their hobby to a commercial level when they founded Northwest Totem Cellars in 2005. Mike serves as the winemaker, and their friend Cheryl Jones is the consulting enologist.

Northwest Totem Cellars sources fruit from Chandler Reach Vineyards, Elerding Vineyards, and Sagemoor Vineyards. All of their red wines are closed with environmentally friendly glass stoppers rather than cork. Their annual production is around 2,100 cases.

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste some of the current releases from Northwest Totem Cellars in a blind samples tasting. Our favorite was the 2008 Grenache. It exhibits vibrant fruit and will pair extremely well with food. We also really enjoyed the 2007 Longhouse Syrah and the 2007 Low Man Red, a Bordeaux-style blend.

If you find yourself in the Woodinville area, I highly encourage you to visit Northwest Totem Cellars. The Sharadins welcome guests into their beautiful Northwest-style home for tastings. They are open one weekend per month or by appointment.

2008 Northwest Totem Cellars Grenache (Yakima Valley, Washington): 97% Grenache and 3% Mourvedre. Medium-deep ruby red. Aromatic with molasses, mint, and red fruits on the nose. Raspberry, blueberry, mint, and molasses come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium tannins. Well-balanced with 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 Northwest Totem Cellars Longhouse Syrah (Yakima Valley, Washington): 90% Syrah, 4% Viognier, and 6% Petit Verdot. Dark, dense purple in color. Aromatic with black fruit, oak, and floral notes on the nose. Black fruit, floral notes, and spice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $20

2007 Northwest Totem Cellars Low Man Red (Columbia Valley, Washington): 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Deep ruby red. Nice nose with raspberry, blackberry, and spice aromas. Red fruit, spice, and licorice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $35

2007 Northwest Totem Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (Yakima Valley, Washington): Dark red in color. Nice nose with jammy red and black fruit and vanilla aromas. More black fruit and vanilla come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a medium to long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $35

2008 Northwest Totem Cellars Qo-ne (Columbia Valley, Washington): 60% Cabernet Franc, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Syrah, and 2% Petit Verdot. Dark red. Aromatic with smoke, spice, black fruit, and earth on both the nose and palate. 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

Northwest Totem Cellars: Standing Tall was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

We first discovered Rôtie Cellars at the Rhone Rangers event in Seattle in 2009. Since then, we have kept a keen eye on this winery. Folks, Rôtie Cellars is the real thing. No beginner’s luck or sophomore slump here. The current releases represent the winery’s third vintage, and all three have been excellent. Recently, we had the opportunity to taste the current releases in a blind samples tasting. The 2009 Northern Blend, a Syrah that is co-fermented with Viognier, is outstanding. And the 2009 Southern Blend, a Southern Rhone-style blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre, is excellent as well.

Boyd is committed to making his Rhone-style wines from Washington State fruit while utilizing Old World techniques. That means less alcohol, less ripeness, and less oak, which results in beautiful wines. If you, like us, are a big fan of Syrah and other Rhone varieties, Rôtie Cellars is definitely a winery to have on your radar screen. And if you have the chance, I highly encourage you to visit their tasting room on Main Street in downtown Walla Walla.

2009 Rôtie Cellars Northern Blend (Washington State): 95% Syrah and 5% Viognier. Dark purplish red. Beautiful bouquet with black cherry, blackberry, spice, and a hint of perfume on the nose. Black cherry, blackberry, spice, perfume, and a hint of black pepper come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high, smooth 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 $40; Available elsewhere, $36

2009 Rôtie Cellars Southern Blend (Washington State): 68% Grenache, 16% Syrah, and 16% Mourvedre. Dark red in color. Nice nose with red and black fruit and spice rack aromas. Black fruit, especially blackberry and black cherry, spice, and earth come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a very 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 $40; Available elsewhere, $40 to $42

2010 Rôtie Cellars Southern White (Washington State): 50% Viognier, 30% Roussanne, and 20% Marsanne. Pale to medium golden yellow. Aromatic with pear, apple, and a hint of minerality on the nose. Pear, apple, minerality, and floral notes come through on the palate. A hint of petrol on the back end. Dry and medium-bodied with lively acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $28; Available elsewhere, $27 to $28

2009 Rôtie Cellars “Little G” Grenache (Washington State): Medium ruby red. Nice nose with smoked meat, bacon, and red fruit aromas. More smoked meat, strawberry, and dusty notes come through on the palate. Medium-bodied and crisp with medium tannins and a long, slightly bitter, 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

Rôtie Cellars: Walla Walla’s Rhone-style Specialist was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

No matter where you live in the United States, you are probably familiar with the wines of Chateau Ste. Michelle, particularly their Columbia Valley line. While those wines enjoy national distribution, Chateau Ste. Michelle also produces a number of other reserve and limited release wines that are not as widely available.

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste several wines from Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Limited Release series in a blind samples tasting. These limited release wines allow the winemaking team to experiment a bit. These small lots are initially available exclusively to members of their wine club, the Vintage Reserve Club. After 30 days, these limited releases are offered to the public at the Chateau Ste. Michelle wine shop in Woodinville and online.

We especially enjoyed the 2009 Oak Oval Gewurztraminer and the 2008 Grenache. In a departure from their Columbia Valley Gewurztraminer that is fermented in stainless steel, the 2009 Oak Oval Gewurztraminer was fermented in a “Fuder”, a large upright oak barrel that gives the wine a touch of richness. Gewurztraminer pairs well with spicy foods, particularly Asian cuisine. Grenache is primarily a blending grape, but in recent years, more and more winemakers are producing it as a single varietal wine. I, for one, am glad that is the case, and this 2008 Grenache is a great example of what the grape variety has to offer.

For those of you who have not had much, or any, Grenache or Gewurztraminer, I encourage you to give them a try. Both are excellent food wines.

2008 Chateau Ste. Michelle Grenache (Wahluke Slope, Washington): 82% Grenache and 18% Syrah. Deep red in color. Nice nose with gamey and savory aromas. Red and black fruits, licorice, and spice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium, smooth 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 $25

2009 Chateau Ste. Michelle Oak Oval Gewurztraminer (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, greenish straw yellow. Aromatic with lychee, apricot, and white peach on both the nose and palate. Dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long, refreshing finish. Spicy with a touch of richness.  Residual Sugar: 0.72%
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $17

Limited Releases from Chateau Ste. Michelle 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

Bodegas San Alejandro, founded in 1962, is located in Miedes, Spain. It is a cooperative comprised of 350 associates. Their Las Rocas range of wines was first released in 2003 and was specifically produced to appeal to the American market. This Las Rocas Garnacha has been a consistent favorite of ours through the years and delivers serious bang for your buck.

“Deep ruby colored with a gorgeous nose. Attractive aromas of kirsch, raspberries, pepper and melted liquorice. Full flavored wine with a supple texture and no hard edges. Medium to full bodied, fruit driven sumptuously-textured and long aftertaste.” –Bodegas San Alejandro

2008 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha (Calatayud, Spain): Deep ruby red. Gorgeous nose with strawberry, cherry, and dusty notes. Loads of red cherry, dust, spice, and a hint of earth on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium tannins. Well-balanced and smooth 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: Wine World Warehouse (Seattle, Washington), $12; Available elsewhere, $9 to $14

A Wine for Tonight: 2008 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha 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

Bodegas Ateca, founded in 2005, is one of the wineries in the Oro Wines group. Located in the Calatayud DO in Spain, Bodegas Ateca is technically managed by the Australian enologist Sarah Morris who is assisted by winemaker Iwo Jakimowicz. The vineyard is mainly made up of small parcels of old vine Garnacha (Grenache).

“It is ripe cherry. It has an intense nose with predominance of red ripe fruits (raspberry, currant), balsamic sensations and mineral aromas. It is a fruity wine, very fresh and easy to drink that gives the pleasant sensation of savoring a fruity candy.” –Bodegas Ateca

2009 Bodegas Ateca Garnacha de Fuego Old Vines (Calatayud, Spain): Medium-deep ruby red. Aromatic with sour cherry and strawberry on the nose. More cherry and a hint of spice come through on the palate. Medium-bodied and smooth with soft 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: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $7.99; Available elsewhere, $6 to $13

A Wine for Tonight: 2009 Bodegas Ateca Garnacha de Fuego Old Vines was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

We first visited Dusted Valley on a trip to Walla Walla in the summer of 2008 and had the pleasure to meet Chad. Their Walla Walla tasting room is located in a converted garage below Corey’s house. In 2009, they opened a second tasting room in Woodinville in the Hollywood Schoolhouse area to have a presence closer to the population base and tourists in Seattle. In addition to being a tasting room, the Dusted Valley Wine Gallery features the art of local artists. In my opinion, Dusted Valley has one of the best names for their wine club that I’ve ever heard, the Stained Tooth Society. Chad, Corey, and all of the folks at Dusted Valley value their STS members but are also able to have a bit of fun with the club giving new members Stained Tooth Society-logoed toothbrushes.

While they source their grapes from vineyards around the state of Washington, Dusted Valley is especially proud of their four estate vineyards, Sconni Block, Birch Creek, Stoney Vine, and Minnick Hills.

Recently, we had the opportunity to meet with Corey and taste through some of the current releases from Dusted Valley at their Wine Gallery in Woodinville. We also took home three of their wines to put into one of our blind samples tastings. We thought all six wines were very good but were especially impressed with the 2009 Grenache.

If you live near or are visiting either Walla Walla or Woodinville, I encourage you to make a point to stop at one of Dusted Valley’s tasting rooms. Not only are they making great wines, but also they are very friendly, welcoming folks.

2009 Dusted Valley Grenache (Columbia Valley, Washington): 91% Grenache and 9% Petite Sirah. Deep, dark ruby red. Gorgeous nose with blackberry, black cherry, spice, perfumed, and gamey aromas. Black cherry, game, strawberry, plum, and a hint of earth come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and crisp with medium, smooth tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long finish. A great food wine.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $28; Available elsewhere, $22 to $28

2008 Dusted Valley Tall Tales Syrah (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 97% Syrah and 3% Viognier. Deep, dark purple. Very aromatic with smoked meat, earth, truffles, and pencil shavings on the nose. More smoked meat and earth as well as blackberry, black cherry, and blueberry come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high, drying tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $53; Available elsewhere, $46

2008 Dusted Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Malbec. Deep, dark inky purplish red in color. Nice nose with blackcurrant, leather, oak, chocolate, and dusty aromas that lead to black fruit, licorice, leather, and smoked meat flavors. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high, drying tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and 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 $30; Available elsewhere, $24 to $26

2009 Dusted Valley Wallywood (Columbia Valley, Washington): 63% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 7% Mourvedre. Dark purplish red. Nice nose with earth, spice, and licorice aromas. Red cherry, spice, and Red Vines come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high tannins, and a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Winery, $42

2008 Dusted Valley Malbec (Columbia Valley, Washington): Deep, dark inky purple-black in color. Nose is a bit tight at first. Black cherry, leather, and spice dominate the palate. Medium-bodied and lively with medium, drying tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Winery, $42; Available elsewhere, $34

2006 Dusted Valley Late Harvest Syrah (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): Deep, dense purple. Aromatic with raisins, prunes, meat, and savory notes on both the nose and palate. Very different dessert wine; not sweet like most Late Harvest wines. Both sweet and savory. Residual Sugar: 5.1%
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Winery, $30 [375ml]

Crack that Cap with Dusted Valley Vintners was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Recently, our tasting group met and explored Spanish Garnacha. Many believe that Grenache is indigenous to Spain where it is called Garnacha, but some contend that the Spanish took the vine from Sardinia during their occupation of the island. Sardinia claims the grape as its own, where it is called yet another name, Cannonau. Grenache/Garnacha is primarily a blending grape, but in recent years, more and more winemakers are producing it as a single varietal wine. Today, it is the third most widely planted red grape variety in Spain and is used to produce both varietal wines and blends. Grenache/Garnacha wines tend to be relatively high in alcohol and offer strawberry, cherry, and perfumed notes. The variety itself typically produces low tannins, low acid wines with moderate amounts of pigment. But low yields can produce dark, rich, spicy reds. We tasted eight bottles of Spanish Garnacha, and the consensus favorite was the 2009 Bodegas Zabrin Ateca Garnacha de Fuego Old Vines. Retailing for only $7.99, it delivers serious bang for your buck. In fact, you could buy a case of the Garnacha de Fuego (the consensus favorite) for the price of one bottle of the Espectacle del Montsant (which finished last in the tasting and is not recommended). A perfect example that price is not always indicative of quality.

As you’ll notice in the tasting notes below, we had duplicates of two of the wines, the Las Rocas and the Tres Picos. While the rankings were close on the Tres Picos and we found them to be very similar, the Las Rocas, while also noticeably similar, varied a bit more. Once again, just one of the many things that keeps the world of wine interesting.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2009 Bodegas Zabrin Ateca Garnacha de Fuego Old Vines (Calatayud, Spain): Medium-deep ruby red. Aromatic with sour cherry and strawberry on the nose. More cherry and a hint of spice come through on the palate. Medium-bodied and smooth with soft 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: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $7.99; Available elsewhere, $6 to $13

2008 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha (Calatayud, Spain): Deep ruby red. Gorgeous nose with strawberry, cherry, and dusty notes. Loads of red cherry, dust, spice, and a hint of earth on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium tannins. Well-balanced and smooth 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: Wine World Warehouse (Seattle, Washington), $12; Available elsewhere, $9 to $14

2008 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Veraton Garnacha (Campo de Borja, Spain): Deep red in color. Aromatic with dark red fruits, earth, and a bit of funk on the nose. More red fruits as well as spice and black pepper come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high, drying 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: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $28.99; Available elsewhere, $22 to $42

2008 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha (Calatayud, Spain): Deep ruby red. Nice nose with red fruits, earth, and floral notes. Red fruits, earth, dust, and floral notes on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $11.79; Available elsewhere, $9 to $14

2006 Clos Figueras Priorat (Priorat, Spain): Deep purplish ruby red. Aromatic with Red Vines and prunes on the nose; more prunes and stewed plums on the palate. Medium-bodied and smooth with medium tannins. Very ripe and a bit hot with a medium to long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $50; Available elsewhere, $68 to $83

2009 Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha (Campo de Borja, Spain): Medium-deep ruby red in color. Aromatic with perfume, dust, and rubber on the nose that lead to flavors of dust, earth, and sour cherry. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Whole Foods (Seattle, Washington), $16; Available elsewhere, $7 to $17

2009 Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha (Campo de Borja, Spain): Medium-deep ruby red in color. Aromatic with red berries and floral notes on the nose that lead to more red berries, earth, and oak on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $13.49; Available elsewhere, $7 to $17

2007 Espectacle del Montsant Garnacha (Montsant, Spain): Medium-deep ruby red. Sour cherry Jolly Rancher, strawberry, and dust on the nose; rough, dry, and dusty on the palate. Medium-bodied with lively acidity, hard tannins, and a very bitter, unpleasant finish.
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Where to buy: J.J. Buckley (California), $108.99; Available elsewhere, $100 to $125

Tasting Group: Spanish Garnacha was originally posted on Wine Peeps. 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 and the perfect way to cap off Washington Wine Month. Of the 700+ wineries in the state, over 220 of them are expected to be on hand pouring their wines at the Grand Tasting on Sunday, March 27th, at the Qwest Field Event Center. There will also be a vineyard area in which you can taste wines that several different wineries have produced from a single source. 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, a live jazz band, 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. It is a huge event and can be overwhelming if you are not prepared. You will be wise to plan a strategy ahead of time. Be sure to refer back to my post from last year with tips for making the most of Taste Washington.

If a smaller, more intimate gathering is more your speed or you want to further your knowledge of wine and Washington wine in particular, The Seminars on Saturday, March 26th, might be of interest to you. Held at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center, eight 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.

The “Common Ground” seminars the past two years were such a hit that they are offering another one this year which will focus on Seven Hills Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley. A couple of other seminars that sound very interesting are “A Sort of Homecoming: Food and Wine Pairing with Michael Mina” (help Chef Mina decide which Washington wines go best with his world-class dishes) and “In Search Of: Washington’s Singular Style” (explore whether Washington has or needs a singular style of wine which can’t be made anywhere else).

Recently, I attended the Taste Washington TweetUp hosted by the Washington Wine Commission at Soul Wine, Pike & Western’s new wine shop at South Lake Union, which featured wines that will be poured at the Grand Tasting (see my notes below). The total cost to buy a bottle of each of the ten wines I tasted would set you back $316, 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 I tasted them, with my Twitter-style notes as well as Quality and QPR ratings:

2007 Northstar Winery Merlot (Columbia Valley, Washington): Nice black fruit, very smooth.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $40

2007 Fall Line Winery Cabernet Sauvignon (Yakima Valley, Washington): Fruit sourced from Artz and Boushey Vineyards. Great fruit, big, bold, yet smooth tannins.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $25

2007 Fall Line Winery Artz Vineyard Red Wine (Red Mountain, Washington): 39% Cabernet Franc, 36% Merlot, and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Black fruits, vegetal notes, long finish, a little rough on the back end.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $25

2008 Dusted Valley Vintners Stained Tooth Syrah (Columbia Valley, Washington): Appropriately named, dark fruit, hint of leather and spice.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $24

2005 Tranche Slice of Pape (Columbia Valley, Washington): A blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Cinsault. Very Rhone-like as you might expect. Good fruit and earthy notes.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $35

2008 Gramercy Cellars Lagniappe Syrah (Columbia Valley, Washington): Fruit-forward, herbal notes, classic Syrah.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $40

2008 Chinook Cabernet Franc (Yakima Valley, Washington): Nice fruit. Some vegetal, earthy, and barnyard notes as well.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $22

2009 Maison Bleue Winery Jaja Red (Yakima Valley, Washington): 50% Grenache, 50% Syrah. Gorgeous nose, red and black fruits, licorice, leather.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $20

2009 Maison Bleue La Montagnette Grenache (Upland Vineyard, Snipes Mountain, Washington): Gorgeous, extremely food-friendly, good complexity, black fruits, plum, smoked meat, very smooth.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested retail price: $35

2009 Maison Bleue Graviere GSM (Upland Vineyard, Snipes Mountain, Washington): 25% Grenache, 50% Syrah, and 25% Mourvedre. Another winner from Jon Martinez. Black fruits, nutmeg, spice, licorice, very smooth.
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 later this month.

Taste Washington 2011 Preview 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

Bodegas San Alejandro, founded in 1962, is located in Miedes, Spain. It is a cooperative comprised of 350 associates. Their Las Rocas range of wines was first released in 2003 and was specifically produced to appeal to the American market. This Las Rocas Garnacha has been a consistent favorite of ours through the years and delivers serious bang for your buck.

“Deep ruby colored with a gorgeous nose. Attractive aromas of kirsch, raspberries, pepper and melted liquorice. Full flavored wine with a supple texture and no hard edges. Medium to full bodied, fruit driven sumptuously-textured and long aftertaste.” –Bodegas San Alejandro

2007 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha (D.O. Calatayud, Spain): 100% Grenache. Medium deep ruby red in color. Very aromatic with road tar, earth, and spice on the nose. Loads of red fruits and spice come through on the palate. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity, medium 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: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $11.79; Available elsewhere, $7 to $14

A Wine for Tonight: 2007 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Garnacha was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.