Recently, we had the opportunity to taste four sparkling wines from Domaine Ste. Michelle in a blind samples tasting. All four wines offer good overall quality and deliver the most bang for your buck.

Too often, people only think of sparkling wines to celebrate special occasions or to ring in the New Year. I absolutely love bubbly and think that it should be enjoyed on a regular basis. Sparkling wines are also very food-friendly. All of the wines from Domaine Ste. Michelle can regularly be found for under $10 at your local grocery store and are great options to become your “house” sparkling wine that you don’t hesitate to open on a random Tuesday night, just because.

NV Domaine Ste. Michelle Blanc de Noirs Sparkling Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): Light, pinkish salmon in color. Very aromatic with raspberry and floral notes. Raspberry, citrus, and a hint of cinnamon come through on the palate. Dry, medium-bodied and crisp with small, fairly fast bubbles, 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 $12; Available elsewhere, $9 to $15

NV Domaine Ste. Michelle Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, greenish straw yellow. Very aromatic with citrus and grassy notes. More citrus fruits, lemon zest, and some minerality come through on the palate. Dry, medium-bodied and crisp with small, fairly fast bubbles, 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 $12; Available elsewhere, $8 to $13

NV Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut Sparkling Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, greenish straw yellow. Aromatic with orange peel and floral aromas that lead to flavors of gardenias and oranges. Dry, medium-bodied and lively with small, fairly fast bubbles, 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 $12; Available elsewhere, $8 to $12

NV Domaine Ste. Michelle Extra Dry Sparkling Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, greenish straw yellow. Aromatic with apple, pear, hay, and honey on the nose. Apple, banana, and honey come through on the palate. Off-dry, medium-bodied and lively with small, medium speed bubbles, and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $12; Available elsewhere, $8 to $15

Domaine Ste. Michelle Sparkling Wines: Big Bangs and Sabers was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Best known for its estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignons, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars became famous for besting four French Bordeaux in the 1976 Judgment of Paris when its 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon took top honors.

In 2007, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars was acquired by a joint partnership between Ste. Michelle Wine Estates of Washington State and Marchesi Antinori of Italy. Founder Warren Winiarski remains involved in an advisory role. Current winemaker Nicki Pruss joined Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars in 1998 as an intern and worked her way up to being named winemaker in 2005.

During the recent Wine Bloggers Conference, we had the pleasure to spend a day in the Napa Valley and visit Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars for lunch followed by a Napa Green presentation. Napa Green is a voluntary program developed by the Napa Valley Vintners that establishes comprehensive “best practices” in land-use and wine production. Vineyard manager Kirk Grace took us on a vineyard tour and discussed how Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars handles various environmental issues.

Here are some key clips from Kirk’s Napa Green presentation:

Spotlight On: Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

When we met Erik and tasted his wines at the Spokane tasting at Barrister Winery, we were impressed not only with their quality but also their value. All four Mountain Dome sparkling wines (Non-vintage, Vintage, Rosé, and Cuvee Forte) have a QPR of 5 bangs for your buck.

Erik was kind enough to give us a tour of the Mountain Dome facilities and answer our questions on a variety of topics. He shared the history of Mountain Dome Winery, gave us insight into his winemaking philosophy, and took us through the step-by-step process of making sparkling wine. I became particularly fascinated with the sparkling winemaking process when I was studying for the CSW (Certified Specialist of Wine) exam in 2007. So I thoroughly enjoyed having Erik walk us through the process so we could “see” it firsthand. Be sure to watch the video and see for yourself.

Here are some key clips from our interview:

Video Interview with Erik Manz of Mountain Dome, Washington Sparkling Wine Producer was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Mom (LaGayle) and Dad (John) first discovered Stephenson Cellars when they visited Walla Walla on their cross-country road trip in the spring of 2008. Since then, we have had Stephenson Cellars wines on numerous occasions. We continue to be impressed with the overall quality of the wines, and most importantly in today’s economy, their high QPR ratings across the board. While Stephenson Cellars currently produces five wines (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Red Wine, and Viognier), Syrah is Dave’s specialty.

Dave was kind enough to answer our questions on a variety of topics, from how he got started to why he keeps his vineyard sources under wraps to why he moved his tasting room downtown. As you’ll see from the video, Dave has a laid back personality, but don’t let that fool you, he is a hard-working, talented winemaker. He knows how to identify great fruit and turn it into outstanding wine.

Here are some key clips from our interview:

Video Interview with Dave Stephenson of Stephenson Cellars was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

During our visit, Chris was kind enough to do a video interview and answer questions about Meerlust, The Foundry, and South African winemaking. I believe you will find his comments about the 300 year history of Meerlust interesting as well as his prescription for South Africa making the same impact in the United States as have other New World winemaking regions.

Here’s our full interview:

Cheers!

South Africa: Video Interview with Chris Williams of Meerlust was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Charles was kind enough to answer my questions on a wide variety of topics. As you will see in the video, he is a passionate advocate for South African wines but is realistic in his assessment of the challenges they face in trying to increase their penetration of the U.S. market.

I found it especially interesting to listen as Charles made his case for South African wine, and why he believes that it is not truly New World nor Old World but somewhere in-between because of the unique geology of South Africa’s winemaking regions.

Here are some key clips from our interview:

Cheers!

South Africa: Video Interview with Charles Back of Fairview was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Cork Pops is available online or at a retailer near you.

Here’s a short video to demonstrate Cork Pops in action:

Cheers!

Wine Gadget: Cork Pops was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Here’s a short video to demonstrate an easy way to open a screwcap bottle:

Cheers!

Helpful Hint: Opening a Screwcap was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.