Oftentimes, wineries in the United States produce blends from their leftovers. They put their best grapes into their varietal wines and then produce a blend from the grapes that don’t quite make the cut. There are some wineries, however, who strive to produce Bordeaux-style blends using the very best grapes that they can get. Over […]

Today’s post is part of a series featuring the Women of Washington Wine. In an industry once dominated by men, more and more women are joining the ranks as winery owners, vineyard owners, and winemakers. Being a woman myself, I am fascinated by these women and what they have done and continue to do. Through […]

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 […]

The harvest began early in Washington State this year, and first indications are that it’s going to be another stellar vintage. The state of Washington has had an uninterrupted string of outstanding vintages for this entire decade, highlighted so far by 2005 and the 2007’s just now being released. According to a recent news release […]

Washington Tasting Room Magazine is a brand new quarterly magazine aimed at wine enthusiasts of every age and from novice to collector. As the name implies, it focuses on Washington State wine with articles about wineries, vineyards, travel, and lifestyle. I am proud to announce that I am a Contributor to the magazine. The article […]

Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, located in Napa, California, was founded by Warren Winiarski in 1970. Bitten by the wine bug when he spent a year studying in Italy, Warren and his family moved to California in the early 1960s to pursue his winemaking dream. He gained experience working for Souverain Cellars and then Robert Mondavi […]

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 […]

First off, as regular readers know, I love Syrah, and I believe that some of the best Syrah in the world is made in Washington State. In fact, the first wine that ever garnered our highest quality rating, 5 stars (out of 5) was a Fielding Hills Syrah from Washington. But as the title of […]

Grand Rêve Vintners, whose first three wines were just released last month, produces vineyard-designed wines from Red Mountain grown fruit by an all-star cast of Washington winemakers. Theirs is truly a revolutionary and exciting concept in the same vein as Long Shadows Vintners. The difference is that Grand Rêve focuses on the fruit first and […]

Many people think of wine as an uppity beverage. They think beer is for the common folk while wine is for high society. Oh, how I wish we could break down these stereotypes once and for all. What those people fail to realize (or remember) is that wine is an agricultural product. Wine grapes are […]