Washington State ranks second nationally in wine production, has over 650 wineries, and is home to the Wine Spectator Wine of the Year for 2009. And as I’ve said numerous times before, Washington wines are perfectly positioned to thrive in our current economy. Washington State is producing outstanding wines that consistently deliver great bang for [...]

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2006 Altas Cumbres Malbec from the Mendoza region of Argentina.
Our selection [...]

Woodinville has definitely become a must-visit destination in Washington wine country. Home of the state’s oldest, largest, and most well-known wineries, Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Winery, the Woodinville area is also home to over 40 wineries and tasting rooms, with new ones opening all the time. Woodinville now boasts the second largest concentration of [...]

Are you between the ages of 21 and 30? Do you enjoy wine and yet feel a bit intimidated by it? Do you live in the Seattle area or have plans to be in the area this weekend? If you answered “yes” to all three questions, then 20something—the new vintage could be just the event [...]

Our monthly wine tasting dinners are really the foundation upon which Wine Peeps was built. We have been getting together each month with friends to taste and evaluate wines throughout a four-course meal for years. Last Friday’s dinner featuring Washington Malbec was our 75th wine tasting dinner.
To mark this milestone of sorts, we decided to [...]

Dusted Valley Vintners, located in Walla Walla, Washington, was founded in 2003 by brothers-in-law Chad Johnson and Corey Braunel who are co-owners and co-winemakers. Both Chad and Corey are originally from Wisconsin and are proud cheese-heads. In fact, they bring a bit of Wisconsin to Dusted Valley by using barrels made from Wisconsin oak to [...]

This post is the first in a series on challenging wine pairings. Many people probably wouldn’t even try to pair wine with smoked sausage and sauerkraut; however, we were up to the challenge because we believe that any meal can be paired with a wine that compliments the food.
As I began planning our first Challenging [...]

We recently spent a long weekend in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada, relaxing, visiting family friends, and of course, wine tasting. The Okanagan Valley is Canada’s most well-known wine region. Located about 100 miles east of Vancouver, B.C., it is about a six hour drive from Seattle. The Okanagan Valley stretches over 100 [...]

In May, Lake Chelan was established as Washington State’s 11th AVA (American Viticultural Area). Lake Chelan is home to 13 wineries open to the public and 260 vineyard acres. A 3-hour drive east from Seattle, Lake Chelan has been a popular tourist destination for years especially during the summer months when visitors flock there to [...]

Question: What do Saviah Cellars and Watermill Winery have in common?
Answer: Winemaker Rich Funk.
Actually, they have a few more things in common as well. Both are located in the Walla Walla Valley, both are getting their grapes from some of the best vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley and elsewhere in Washington State, and both [...]