Oregon ranks third in the number of wineries and fourth in wine production in the United States. In its relatively short 40-year history, the Oregon wine industry has evolved into a world-class wine region. With Oregon’s 16 AVA’s (American Viticultural Areas) found in both warm and cool climates, Oregon winemakers are able to produce wines from over 70 different grape varieties. However, Pinot Noir is the variety that propelled Oregon onto the worldwide wine stage and is still what many people think of when it comes to Oregon wine. While Oregon wine is far from a one-trick pony, Pinot Noir is still the queen. Over 12,000 acres of vineyards in Oregon are planted to Pinot Noir and production of Pinot Noir is over three times the next leading variety, Pinot Gris. As you will see in the lists below, we tasted more Pinot Noir than anything else at the event.

Unwine’d was a huge success, especially for a first-time event. By the time the doors opened to the public at 3pm, the line wrapped around the outside of the Left Bank Annex building. Once inside, attendees were treated to great wines and yummy food. Kudos to the Oregon Wine Board and Jamie Peha of Peha Promotions for a job well done!

Considering the time and gas money attendees saved not having to travel around the state visiting tasting rooms and making appointments, the $50 ticket was money well spent. Hopefully, those who attended discovered some favorite new wines and wineries and will make plans to travel to the wineries to visit and taste again. There is nothing like spending a long weekend in wine country.

Between the three days I spent in Oregon wine country on a media tour in March and attending Unwine’d last weekend, it has been a pleasure to immerse myself in all things Oregon wine and get to know so many key players in the Oregon wine industry.

With 100 wineries pouring three to five wines each, we were not able to taste wine from every winery at Unwine’d. Instead, we tried to taste wines from a good representative sample of the participating wineries. We hope you enjoy the following lists that show some of our favorite wines and wineries of those we did taste at the event.

Overall Favorite Wines (Highest Quality Ratings):
2007 Amity Winemaker’s Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $40, Quality: 4.5, QPR: 5
2009 Archery Summit Looney Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge, $85, Quality: 4.5, QPR: 5
2009 Archery Summit Arcus Estate Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, $100, Quality: 4.5, QPR: 5

Best Wines <=$20:
2009 Cooper Mountain Chardonnay, Willamette Valley, $18, Quality: 4, QPR: 5
2010 Sokol Blosser Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, $18, Quality: 4, QPR: 4
2010 Dobbes Wine by Joe Chardonnay, Oregon, $14, Quality: 3.5, QPR: 5
2010 Montinore Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $20, Quality: 3.5, QPR: 5
2010 Dobbes Wine by Joe Pinot Gris, Oregon, $14, Quality: 3.5, QPR: 4

Best Value Regardless of Price (Quality >=4 and QPR=5):
2007 Amity Winemaker’s Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $40, Quality: 4.5, QPR: 5
2009 Archery Summit Looney Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge, $85, Quality: 4.5, QPR: 5
2009 Archery Summit Arcus Estate Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, $100, Quality: 4.5, QPR: 5
2009 Cooper Mountain Chardonnay, Willamette Valley, $18, Quality: 4, QPR: 5
2008 Argyle Brut Sparkling Wine, Willamette Valley, $27, Quality: 4, QPR: 5
2010 Montinore Estate Reserve Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $28, Quality: 4, QPR: 5
2010 Lachini Pinot Port, Willamette Valley, $28 [375ml], Quality: 4, QPR: 5
2009 Van Duzer Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $30, Quality: 4, QPR: 5

Top 10 Favorite Wineries (in alphabetical order):
Adelsheim Vineyard
Amity Vineyards
Archery Summit
Argyle Winery
Lachini Vineyards
Phelps Creek Vineyards
Sokol Blosser Winery
Stoller Vineyards
Van Duzer Vineyards
Watermill Winery

If you were at Unwine’d, we’d love to hear what some of your favorites were. And if you missed the event, I encourage you to enjoy some Oregon wines during the month of May and throughout the year.

Cheers!

Unwine’d 2012: Highlights from Oregon Wine’s Big Event was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

For those of you who live in the Seattle area, be sure to mark your calendar for Woodinville Wine Country’s annual spring event, Passport to Woodinville, coming up the weekend of April 21st and 22nd. Named one of “America’s 50 Most Amazing Wine Experiences” by Food & Wine magazine, Passport to Woodinville offers Washington wine lovers the opportunity to taste through an exciting array of wines at more than 30 participating Woodinville wineries.

Tickets are $75 for a two-day pass, and $65 for a Sunday-only pass. Advance purchase is required, and tickets are only available online at Brown Paper Tickets. Ticket holders receive a glass and passport, allowing one-time entry to participating wineries. No passport is required for designated drivers.

New for this year’s event, Shuttle Express is offering safe and convenient transportation for guests to participating wineries. The Passport Shuttle will run 11am-4pm both days. Guests can park in a master parking lot, hop on the shuttle, and then hop off and back on as often as they would like. The shuttle service will cover all participating wineries, and guests will not have to wait more than 15 minutes at any stop. Also, Shuttle Express will offer secured, staffed wine purchase storage for Passport Shuttle guests who purchase wine during the day.

Passport Shuttle tickets are only $10 per person for a 2-day pass (same price even if you only plan to use it one day) if purchased in advance. They are available for purchase along with your Passport event ticket on Brown Paper Tickets or separately through the Shuttle Express website. Shuttle tickets may also be purchased as a “walk up” during event weekend for $15.

Passport to Woodinville participating wineries include:
Airfield Estates Winery, Anton Ville Winery, Apex at Alder Ridge, Brian Carter Cellars, Bunnell Family Cellars, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Winery, Convergence Zone Cellars, Covington Cellars, Davenport Cellars, Des Voigne Cellars, Domaine Ste. Michelle, Elevation Cellars, Finn Hill Winery, Goose Ridge Estate Winery, J. Bookwalter Tasting Studio, Kestrel Vintners, Matthews Estate, Michael Florentino Cellars, Northwest Totem Cellars, Otis Kenyon Wine Tasting Room, Page Cellars, Patit Creek Cellars, Patterson Cellars, Piccola Cellars, Pondera Winery, Silver Lake Winery, Tefft Cellars, Tempest Sol Winery, II Vintners, William Church Winery, Woodinville Wine Cellars, XSV Winery.

I hope to see you at Passport later this month. It is a great opportunity to enjoy good wine, food, and entertainment as well as stock up on your favorite wines for spring and summer.

Cheers!

Full disclosure: I am the Wine Consultant for Shuttle Express.

Spring on Over for Passport to Woodinville Wine Country was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Setting the tone for the week, the Washington Wine Restaurant Awards were held at the Washington Athletic Club on the Monday before Taste Washington weekend.

Washington Wine Restaurant Awards

The purpose of the Washington Wine Restaurant Awards is to honor restaurants, sommeliers, and individuals that help promote Washington wines in restaurants. Judges evaluate restaurants on a variety of criteria, including wine list, service and staffing, promotions and overall wine philosophy. The Walter Clore Honorarium, given to an individual who has demonstrated dedication to the advancement of the Washington wine industry, was awarded to Budd Gould from Anthony’s Restaurants. Nelson Daquip, Wine Director at Canlis Restaurant in Seattle, was honored as Sommelier of the Year. The Washington Wine Restaurant of the Year is the most prestigious award, given to the restaurant that has promoted Washington wines above and beyond all others. This year’s winner was The Metropolitan Grill in Seattle.

In addition to the awards presentation, over 40 Washington wineries were on hand pouring their wines. A few wines that got our attention during that tasting were the 2009 EFESTE Big Papa, the 2009 EFESTE Ceidleigh Syrah, the 2009 Robert Ramsay Cellars Boushey Vineyard Syrah, and the not-yet-released 2010 Rotie Cellars Dre Mourvedre.

Seminars

The education portion of Taste Washington featured six seminars, three each day, on a variety of topics. The seminars give attendees the opportunity to taste, discuss, meet, and learn from some of the biggest names in the Washington wine industry as well as a few notable guests from outside of Washington State. I attended the Vineyard Exploration seminar featuring Red Willow Vineyard.

Moderated by Jon Bonne of the San Francisco Chronicle, the panelists included owner/grower Mike Sauer of Red Willow Vineyard, Patrick Comiskey of Wine & Spirits Magazine, and Bob Betz, MW, of Betz Family Winery. Each panelist spoke about their thoughts regarding Red Willow Vineyard which was the birthplace of Syrah in Washington State and has a long history of grape growing innovation, and then Jon Bonne led us through a tasting of wines from Betz Family Winery, Columbia Winery, EFESTE, Gramercy Cellars, Mark Ryan Winery, and Owen Roe.

All of the wines were very good, but my favorite was the 2009 Betz Family Winery La Côte Patriarche Syrah. The fruit for this wine comes from the 1986 Syrah block, the oldest Syrah planting in Washington State. The name of this wine, which translates as “the founder’s slope”, is a nod to Red Willow owner/grower, Mike Sauer, and former Columbia Winery winemaker, David Lake, who planted those original Syrah vines.

“Red Willow Syrah has the same concentration as Red Mountain without the astringency.” –Bob Betz, MW

For more information about the vineyard, check out the article I wrote about Red Willow for Washington Tasting Room Magazine.

Grand Tasting

The Grand Tasting is the “main event” each day. This year, Taste Washington featured over 200 wineries pouring their wines and over 50 restaurants serving small bites. With more than 740 wineries now open in the state of Washington, this event offers attendees the opportunity to try a large number of them in one place at one time. Considering the time and gas money you save not having to crisscross the state visiting tasting rooms and making appointments, the price of admission to Taste Washington is money well spent. Now, don’t get me wrong, once you attend an event like this and discover some favorite new wines and wineries, you will definitely want to make plans to travel to the wineries to visit and taste again. There is nothing like spending a long weekend in Washington wine country.

One of the best aspects of Taste Washington is that often you will find either the winemaker and/or winery owner pouring that winery’s wines. In addition to visiting with a number of people whose wines we have enjoyed in the past, we always find it a great opportunity to try some wines from wineries whose wines we have not previously tasted.

My favorite wines from the Grand Tasting were the 2008 FIGGINS Estate Red Wine, the 2009 Nefarious Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2009 Sparkman Cellars Stella Mae Red Wine.

Taste Washington was the perfect way to cap off Washington Wine Month. But here’s to enjoying excellent Washington wine all year long. Cheers!

Taste Washington 2012: Highlights from Seattle’s Wine & Food Weekend was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

If you love Washington wine or want to learn more about Washington wine, March is the month for you. Dubbed Washington Wine Month, this annual celebration of Washington State’s award-winning wine industry features promotions by restaurants, retailers, hotels, and wineries throughout the region including activities such as free tastings, discounts on Washington wine, and winemaker dinners pairing the state’s top winemakers and chefs. The Washington State Wine Commission has created a dedicated website, washingtonwinemonth.com, which features a comprehensive listing of these promotions. New promotions will be added on an ongoing basis throughout the month.

The month will be capped off with Taste Washington in Seattle, the nation’s largest single-region wine and food event on Saturday, March 31st and Sunday, April 1st at CenturyLink Field Event Center. The grand event has been expanded to two days for 2012. Hosted by Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau in partnership with the Washington State Wine Commission, Taste Washington is the ultimate carnival for wine and food lovers. Of the 740+ wineries in the state, over 200 of them are expected to be on hand pouring their wines. In addition, many of the top Seattle-area restaurants will be serving small bites. It is a huge event and can be overwhelming if you are not prepared. You will be wise to plan a strategy ahead of time. Even though the event now runs for two days, you might find it helpful to refer back to a previous post that gives tips for making the most of Taste Washington.

If a smaller, more intimate gathering is more your speed or you want to further your knowledge of wine and Washington wine in particular, the seminars that will be offered each day prior to the tasting might be of interest to you. This year’s seminars will also be held at CenturyLink Field Event Center. Six seminars will be offered on a variety of topics and afford attendees the opportunity to taste, discuss, meet, and learn from some of the biggest names in the Washington wine industry as well as a few notable guests from outside of Washington State.

As always, we are looking forward to Taste Washington and hope that those of you who live in the greater Seattle area will plan to attend as well. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Taste Washington website.

Cheers!

Washington Wine Month and Taste Washington 2012 was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

For those of you who live in the Seattle area, be sure to mark your calendar for the St. Nicholas Day Open House in Woodinville the weekend of December 3rd and 4th. Thirty-seven (37) Woodinville wineries are participating and will be offering a festive assortment of special wine tastings, holiday bites, and gift giving ideas as part of this annual event.

Two-day passes are $55, and Sunday-only tickets are available for $40. All ticket holders will receive a booklet of participating wineries and a commemorative glass. Advanced purchase is required as tickets are limited and are sure to sell out. Tickets are available online only from Woodinville Wine Country.

New for this year’s event, Shuttle Express will be offering safe and convenient transportation for guests to participating wineries. The St. Nick’s Shuttle will run 11am-4pm both days. Guests can park in a master parking lot, hop on the St. Nick’s Shuttle, and then hop off and back on as often as they would like. The shuttle service will cover all participating wineries, and guests will not have to wait more than 15 minutes at any stop. Also, Shuttle Express will offer secured, staffed wine purchase storage for St. Nick’s Shuttle guests who purchase wine during the day.

St. Nick’s Shuttle tickets are only $10 per person for a 2-day pass (same price even if you only plan to use it one day) and may be purchased online in advance or as a “walk up” during the event.

Participating wineries include:
Airfield Estates Winery, Anton Ville Winery, Apex at Alder Ridge, Brian Carter Cellars, Challenger Ridge, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Winery, Convergence Zone Cellars, Covey Run, Covington Cellars, Davenport Cellars, Des Voigne Cellars, DiStefano Winery, Domaine Ste. Michelle, Elevation Cellars, Goose Ridge Estate Winery Tasting Room, Hollywood Hill Vineyards, Isenhower Cellars, J. Bookwalter Tasting Studio, Kestrel Vintners, Matthews Estate, Michael Florentino Cellars, Northwest Totem Cellars, Otis Kenyon Wine Tasting Room, Page Cellars, Patit Creek Cellars, Patterson Cellars, Piccola Wines, Pondera Winery, Red Sky Winery, Silver Lake Winery,  Tefft Cellars, Tempest Sol Winery, Two Vintners, William Church Winery, Woodinville Wine Cellars and XSV Wines.

I hope to see you at St. Nick’s in December. It is a great opportunity to enjoy good wine, food, and entertainment as well as stock up on your favorite wines for the holidays and get that special something for family, friends, or co-workers.

Cheers!

Full disclosure: I am the Wine Consultant for Shuttle Express.

‘Tis the Season for St. Nick’s in Woodinville Wine Country was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

We found that all but one of the wines were drinking very well, and we believe that many of them have a number of good years still ahead of them. Although this was not a serious, take-copious-tasting-notes event, each attendee was asked to turn in the sack numbers of their three favorites so that we could get a composite favorites list. With this group of wines, which were very good, it was a difficult task.

After unveiling the sacked bottles, the consensus favorite of the group as well as Kori and my personal favorite turned out to be the one Washington Syrah in the lineup, the 2005 Sequel Syrah made, interestingly enough, by the famous Australian winemaker John Duval. However, only one person in the group correctly identified it as the Washington wine. Other favorites included the 2005 Peter Lehmann Barossa Shiraz [a terrific value year after year at less than $15 retail] and the 2005 John Duval Entity Shiraz [yes, the same John Duval].

While the two bookend wines were not tasted blind, they received considerable praise from a number of the attendees. The 1998 Dutschke was still very good at age thirteen, and the 2005 Fielding Hills was also drinking very well, although we wouldn’t give it quite a 5-star rating today.

All in all, it was another wonderful evening with great friends and spectacular wine. We’re looking forward to doing it again.

Cheers!

Digging into the Cellar Party IV: 2005 Australian Shiraz (mostly) was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Winemakers Bob Bertheau and Ernst Loosen work together every step of the way to produce world-class Riesling from Washington State grapes. The partnership launched in 1999, and the 2010 vintage, the current release, is Eroica’s 12th vintage. Eroica is named for Beethoven’s Third Symphony.

We have found Eroica to be consistently excellent from vintage to vintage. Recently, I had the pleasure to attend an Eroica tasting and lunch with Bob Bertheau and Ernst Loosen at Wild Ginger in Seattle. It is obvious that these two gentlemen work very well together.

Riesling is one of the most versatile grape varieties. It can be made in many different styles from bone dry to very sweet, reflect the regional character of where it is grown, and is extremely food-friendly. And, it is probably the most age worthy of all white wine varieties. At the tasting at Wild Ginger, we tasted three vintages of the off-dry Eroica Riesling (2005, 2007, and 2010) and two vintages of the very sweet Eroica Single Berry Select Riesling (2001 and 2007). All five wines were excellent, but the 2001 Single Berry Select was absolutely phenomenal. The Single Berry Select is made in the traditional German Trockenbeerenauslese style and is one of the few TBAs produced in North America.

2005 Eroica Riesling [Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen] (Columbia Valley, Washington): Golden yellow. Nice nose with honey, pear, white peach, and peach blossom aromas. Pear, white peach, minerality, forest floor, and a hint of honey come through on the palate. Slightly off-dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a long finish. Residual Sugar: 1.6%
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail: $20

2007 Eroica Riesling [Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen] (Columbia Valley, Washington): Golden straw yellow. Gorgeous nose with lime, white peach, and minerally aromas. Orange peel, lime, and minerality come through on the palate. Slightly off-dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a long, refreshing finish. Residual Sugar: 2.15% [Note: In 2012, it will be re-released for on-premise sales.]
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail: $20

2010 Eroica Riesling [Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen] (Columbia Valley, Washington): Medium straw yellow with golden tinges. Gorgeous nose with white peach, lime, and floral aromas. Lots of lime, orange peel, and minerality on the palate. Slightly off-dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a long, refreshing finish. Residual Sugar: 1.64%
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail: $20

2001 Eroica Single Berry Select Riesling [Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen] (Horse Heaven Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): Deep, dark amber in color. Gorgeous nose with honey, butterscotch, and dried apricot aromas and flavors. Very sweet and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced and extremely smooth with a long, lingering finish. Wow! Amazing! Residual Sugar: 38.7% [Note: In 2012, about 1,000 bottles will be re-released.]
Quality: 5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail: $200 [375ml]

2007 Eroica Single Berry Select Riesling [Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen] (Horse Heaven Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): Golden, orange amber color. Nice nose with honey, dried apricot, and a hint of pineapple aromas. Honey, dried apricot, and orange peel come through on the palate. Very sweet and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a long, smooth finish. A rare treat! Residual Sugar: 37%
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail: $200 [375ml]

Eroica: The Standard-Bearer for Washington Riesling [Wow! Alert] was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Several years later, Antinori and Ted Baseler, President and CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, decided to build a winery solely dedicated to this project. In 2005, they purchased 40 acres on Red Mountain to build a winery building and plant an estate vineyard. Construction of the winery was completed in time for the harvest of 2006. The 2006 vintage was the first vintage produced at Col Solare’s state-of-the-art facility, which officially opened in April 2007. In addition, Col Solare planted a 28-acre estate vineyard on the property in 2007. Col Solare produces between 10,000 to 11,000 cases per year of its flagship wine.

“Twenty years from now, we would like to be using all estate fruit from Red Mountain.” –Marcus Notaro, winemaker

Like the partnership, the Col Solare facility itself reflects a mix of Old World and New World. The winery sits high on Red Mountain with an Old World bell tower visible from far away. Inside, though, it boasts a modern cellar and a contemporary, New World décor in the tasting room. The fan-shaped estate vineyard emanates out from the winery building like rays of sunshine, which are illustrated in the Col Solare logo.

Now, residents and visitors of the west side of Washington State can get a taste of Col Solare at their new Bottega (Italian for “shop”) located within Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville. Last Wednesday, I attended a tasting with winemaker Marcus Notaro followed by the Grand Opening event. The Bottega is tastefully done and designed to provide guests with a sneak preview of how the tasting room on Red Mountain looks and feels.

The Bottega officially opened to the public on Thursday, September 15th. It will be open by appointment seven days a week. Each 45-minute appointment will include an overview of the Col Solare story and a tasting of three vintages of their flagship Bordeaux-style blend. The Bottega is a beautiful space in which to sample the excellent wines of Col Solare. If you are in Woodinville, I encourage you to visit the Col Solare Bottega. And if you are able, a trip to the winery on Red Mountain is well worth your time as well.

Current Release:

2007 Col Solare Red Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc. Deep, dark purple. Gorgeous nose with aromas and flavors of black cherry, blackberry, vanilla, and spice. Full-bodied yet elegant with smooth tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $75

Future Releases:

2008 Col Solare Red Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Syrah. Deep, dark purple. Gorgeous nose with cocoa, black cherry, and pencil lead aromas. Cocoa, espresso, black cherry, and blackcurrant come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and silky tannins. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: N/A
Where to buy: To be released Fall 2011

2009 Col Solare Red Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Malbec. Deep, dark purple in color. Aromatic with earth, chalk, black fruit, and floral notes on the nose. Blackcurrant, cocoa, pencil lead, and earth come through on the palate. Big and bold. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and silky tannins. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: N/A
Where to buy: To be released Fall 2012

Col Solare Bottega: A Taste of Red Mountain in Woodinville was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

The three-day event included a Picnic and Barrel Auction, winemaker dinners, the Covey Run 5K and 10K Run/Walk, and The Wine Gala. Dad (John) and I attended the Picnic and Barrel Auction on the grounds of Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville. This was the second year that we have had the pleasure to attend, and it truly is an outstanding event for a great cause.

The highlight of the Picnic is the Barrel Auction itself in which bidders have the chance to win future, limited-release wines from twenty-five participating wineries. All attendees have the opportunity to taste wines from those participating wineries to determine whether or not they want to bid. While we did not taste them all, our favorites of the ones we did taste were the 2010 Sparkman Cellars Darkness Syrah, the 2008 Adams Bench Red Willow Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2007 Boudreaux Cellars Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2009 Woodward Canyon Estate Reserve. The picnic also featured a silent auction and picnic games including a Restaurant Balloon Pop, Wheel of Wine, Wine Pull, and Ring Toss.

In addition to outstanding wines, Picnic attendees were also served wonderful food prepared by the talented chefs from Tulalip Resort Casino. I was very impressed with the food last year so I made sure to make the rounds at the food tents this year. Once again, their culinary creations were amazing.

If you weren’t able to attend this year’s Auction, I encourage you to go ahead make plans to attend in 2012. It truly is a great weekend for both Washington wine and charity.

Auction of Washington Wines: Another Smashing Success was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Each winemaker and their partner will be given a box of products selected by Barking Frog’s Executive Chef Bobby Moore from which to create an appetizer and an entrée in 60 minutes. A panel of celebrity foodie judges will sample the competitors’ dishes and select a winner each week based on presentation, flavor, and creativity.

The 2011 Iron Vintner Challenge schedule:

• June 8, 5:30–7pm; Preliminary Round 1: Chris Sparkman vs. Chris Gorman, $35 per person
• June 15, 5:30–7pm; Preliminary Round 2: Chris Upchurch vs. John Bigelow, $35 per person
• June 22, 5:30–7pm; Championship: Winner of Round 1 vs. Winner of Round 2, $35 per person
• June 29, 7pm; Championship Dinner at Barking Frog: All participating winemakers attend, $135 per person

For additional information or to make a reservation, visit the Willows Lodge website. I will be in the “Twitter pit” for the Preliminary Round on June 15th. If you are unable to attend, be sure to follow my tweets @winepeeps.

Vintage Walla Walla (June 16-17)
Vintage Walla Walla is an annual event in Walla Walla, Washington, featuring winemaker dinners, a Vintage Pour, and a Summer BBQ. In addition, attendees will also be able to watch five local winemakers compete in the VIKING Master of the Grill competition and enjoy the music of the Dusty 45s, Seattle’s rockabilly, swing, and jump blues band. A portion of the proceeds benefits Seattle Children’s Uncompensated Care Fund in collaboration with the Auction of Washington Wines.

Vintage Walla Walla schedule:

• June 16, 6-10pm; Private Winemaker Dinners, various locations, $100 per person
• June 17, 5-6pm; Vintage Tasting at Waters Winery, $65 per person for tasting and BBQ
• June 17, 6-10pm; Summer BBQ at Waters Winery, $50 per person for BBQ only

For additional information, visit the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance website.

Entwine Grand Auction (October 15)
The Entwine Grand Auction brings together the best of the Walla Walla Valley’s wine, food, and art at the Marcus Whitman Hotel in Walla Walla, Washington. The evening kicks off with a silent auction and small bites, followed by a multi-course dinner featuring ingredients from local growers and producers. Some of the featured items in the auction will be unique barrel art. Seven Northwest artists were commissioned to create interpreted works of art from vintage wine barrels.

Recently, the barrel art was on display in Woodinville, and I had the pleasure to attend a media event to get a sneak peek. The barrel art is now on display at wineries in Walla Walla where it will remain until the Entwine Grand Auction in October. Be sure to check it out!

There are many great bottles of wine and wine experiences on the list of auction items as well as a few other non-wine auction lots that sound intriguing like NASCAR Racing Experience for 2, Fighter Pilot for a Day, and a 10-day Holland America Cruise.

For additional information, visit the Entwine Auction website.

I hope you are able to attend one (or all) of these upcoming events. They offer great opportunities to enjoy good wine, food, and entertainment.

Cheers!

Upcoming Events: Iron Vintner, Vintage Walla Walla, and Entwine Auction was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.