We recently spent a wonderful weekend in Washington wine country. We visited vineyards and wineries on Red Mountain, in the Yakima Valley, and near the Tri-Cities. We met some wonderful people, tasted some great wines, and spent time in some of the state’s best vineyards. On the way from Seattle to our hotel in the […]

Last weekend, we traveled to Walla Walla, Washington, to attend Vintage Walla Walla, an annual event considered to be one of the nation’s premier regional wine tasting events. It is a two-day event featuring seminars, tours, and winemaker dinners in addition to the two marquee tastings, the Vintage Pour and the Grand Pavilion Tasting. On […]

When most people think of wine country destinations in Washington State, Walla Walla, Yakima, and Woodinville immediately come to mind. One area that I have rarely heard mentioned is Spokane and that is truly a shame. We had the pleasure to spend the long Memorial Day weekend in the Spokane area, and I must say […]

Last week in Texas Wine Country 2009, Part One, I shared with you my initial impressions of Texas wines in 2009 and how much better they are today than in 2002. Now after visiting a total of 23 wineries and tasting a total of 169 wines from 28 wineries, let me give you a summary […]

Regular readers may remember that I visited several wineries in the Texas Panhandle about a year ago. Prior to last year, I had not been impressed at all with the Texas wineries I had visited. However, based on my limited sampling last year, I wanted to make a more comprehensive survey of Texas wines and […]

On Friday evening, we hosted our 70th wine tasting dinner. Once again we had a fabulous evening of good wines, the company of wonderful friends, and Mom’s excellent food. This month’s dinner featured Washington Merlot. Don’t be misled by what one idiot said in a Hollywood movie, Merlot is a wonderful varietal. And Washington State […]

A few months ago, I saw a list of America’s most popular restaurant wines that was published in a post on the popular wine blog, Vinography: Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay Beringer Vineyards White Zinfandel Cavit Pinot Grigio Italy Sutter Home White Zinfandel Inglenook Chablis Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio Italy Yellow Tail Chardonnay Australia Copperidge Chardonnay […]

The tagline used by the Washington Wine Commission to describe Taste Washington is “the ultimate wine experience.” That phrase definitely sums up this past weekend. Taste Washington is a wine and food lover’s paradise. The festivities kicked off on Friday with the Washington Wine Restaurant Awards, picked up steam on Saturday with Education Day, and […]

Whether or not those of us in the New World like it, French wines still set the bar against which the world’s wines are measured. And when it comes to red wine and the grape varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Bordeaux remains the world’s standard. With a reputation like that, it is no wonder […]

The inaugural Sip of Snoqualmie, benefitting Encompass, was held last Saturday at the Snoqualmie Casino in Snoqualmie, Washington (about 26 miles east of Seattle). Encompass is a non-profit organization whose mission is to nurture children, enrich families, and inspire community in the Snoqualmie Valley. Thirty-two Washington wineries were on hand pouring their wines during this […]