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 […]

While my family and I do not eat much pork, we do enjoy it on occasion. As I started planning another challenging wine pairing meal, I remembered the garlic seasoned broiled pork chops that my aunt used to make. I cannot remember the last time that I had a pork chop, but the more I […]

One of the Walla Walla, Washington, incubator wineries, Trio Vintners is located in one of the five almost identical buildings built by the Port of Walla Walla near the regional airport. The incubator concept was developed with the entrepreneurial spirit in mind. Each incubator winery must be brand new to lease space and at the […]

While we enjoy Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, too often we find them to be priced way out of our budgets. Recently, we discovered two Napa Cabs that, while not inexpensive, deliver good bang-for-your-buck. And on top of that, they recognize philanthropic efforts which are a great thing in my book. We had the opportunity […]

In our inaugural tasting group meeting in January, we explored Spanish Reds from Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Those wines are made predominately with the Tempranillo grape. While only a small amount of Tempranillo is grown in Washington, it is beginning to show some promise here. So we were thrilled when we had what turned […]

This year marks the 11th anniversary of Open That Bottle Night. Open That Bottle Night, created by former Wall Street Journal wine columnists Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher in 2000, is the one night a year that we are all encouraged to get out that bottle of wine that is so special that no special […]

Our host for the February edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday, the blogosphere’s monthly virtual wine tasting event, is Jennifer Hamilton of The Domestic Goddess. She selected Your Tender-est Twosome as this month’s theme and asked us to pair a wine with a dessert saying, “Every once in a while, dessert deserves the attention given to […]

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 […]

On Friday evening, we hosted our 80th wine tasting dinner. It was another fabulous evening of good wines, the company of wonderful friends, and Mom’s excellent food. This month’s dinner featured Washington Syrah from the 2007 vintage. I personally believe that the 2007 vintage may ultimately be considered the best ever in Washington State. All […]

While my family and I really enjoy creamy dishes, we try to avoid them on a regular basis for the sake of healthier eating. However, once in a while we do like to treat ourselves to a dish that we probably shouldn’t eat! Fettuccini Alfredo has always been one of my favorite dishes. For this […]