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 [...]

The State of Washington has a unique position in the world of wine. It makes world-class wines of so many varietals that it dilutes its focus from just one “signature” varietal that has made so many wine regions almost legendary, such as Napa Cab and Oregon Pinot Noir. A good case can be made in [...]

Washington is the largest Riesling producing state in the United States. And, Washington State’s own Chateau Ste. Michelle is the largest Riesling producer in the world. Since Riesling has become known as Washington State’s signature white variety, I have been looking forward to having a wine tasting dinner featuring Washington Riesling for some time.
Fortunately, this [...]

As I reflect on meals that I have enjoyed in the past, baked ham has always been a favorite. It is a popular holiday or special occasion menu item and is usually one that many people enjoy. As I think about ham menus, I am reminded of the menu my mother-in-law used many times for [...]

While Columbia Crest, Washington State’s largest winery, has recently received national attention for its 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon which was rated as the #1 wine of 2009 by Wine Spectator, they are best known for their everyday value lines, Two Vines and Grand Estates, which are widely available nationwide. Rounding out their portfolio is the [...]

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 [...]

Through the years, we’ve had the pleasure of tasting a number of Long Shadows wines. We’ve visited their production facility in Walla Walla, Washington, attended a winemaker’s dinner with Allen Shoup and John Duval, and had their wines in our monthly wine tasting dinners as well as private dinners. However, last month, we had an [...]

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste some of the current releases from three outstanding Washington wineries, Fielding Hills Winery in Wenatchee, Nefarious Cellars in Lake Chelan, and Saviah Cellars in Walla Walla. While all nine of the wines are very good, we were especially impressed by the 2007 Fielding Hills Cabernet Sauvignon and the [...]

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 [...]

As regular Wine Peeps readers know, we recently spent a long weekend in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada, relaxing, visiting family friends, and of course, wine tasting. Kori wrote a nice post recapping our weekend and sharing our thoughts and ratings of the wines that we tasted.
LaGayle and I stayed over an extra [...]