Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$20
• Must be widely available

Rodney Strong founded Rodney Strong Vineyards, located in Healdsburg, California, in 1959. It was Sonoma County’s 13th bonded winery. Current owner Tom Klein and the Klein family purchased the winery in 1989. Zinfandel vines have been thriving in Sonoma County for the last three centuries. When Rodney Strong acquired vineyard acreage on the west side of the Russian River, he became the proud owner of 15 acres of old, gnarled Zinfandel vines that had been growing there since 1904. The winery still harvests Zinfandel from those old vines in addition to farming vineyards in the Alexander Valley.

“Fresh, bright berry fruit from our heritage Russian River vineyard combined with the ripe peppery jamminess from our Alexander Valley vineyards make for wonderful diversity of flavor showcasing the best that zinfandel can offer in one wine.” –Winemaker Rick Sayre

2009 Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Zinfandel (Northern Sonoma, California): Deep ruby red in color. Aromatic with strawberry and cinnamon on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium tannins. Well-balanced with a very long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $18.50; Available elsewhere, $14 to $22

A Wine for Tonight: 2009 Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Zinfandel was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

After consulting What to Drink with What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, we decided to try a Tempranillo and a Zinfandel. The two wines that we had with the meal were the 2008 Columbia Crest Reserve Tempranillo and the 2008 Dry Creek Vineyard Estate Zinfandel. While we certainly enjoyed both wines, the unanimous choice for the best pairing with the food was the Tempranillo. And for the record, while the Tempranillo was great with the meal, we all concluded that a margarita is still the best beverage of choice overall for taco night.

We’d love for you to share in the comments what you would have paired with this meal. And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

2008 Columbia Crest Reserve Tempranillo (Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep, dark purple in color. Aromatic with black cherry, earth, and cocoa on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balance with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery $30

2008 Dry Creek Vineyard Estate Zinfandel (Spencer’s Hill Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley, California): Deep, dark purplish red. Nice nose with red fruit, mint, and leather aromas. Fruit-forward with raspberry, Red Vines, and mint on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a long, jammy finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery $32

Challenging Wine Pairing: Taco Night was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Winemaker Joe Shirley received his Master of Science in Enology from UC Davis and launched his winemaking career in 1997. He joined Trinchero Winery in 1999 and worked his way up to winemaker for Trinchero Family Selection and Trinchero Napa Wines in 2002. In 2007, Joe was named head winemaker for Napa Cellars.

Napa Cellars produces seven different wines. Recently, we had the opportunity to taste their 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2009 Zinfandel, and 2009 Merlot in a blind samples tasting. All three wines were good and are very reasonably priced for Napa Valley wines.

2008 Napa Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley, California): 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot. Deep purplish red. Aromatic with black fruit, earth, and leather on the nose. More black fruit and leather as well as cocoa and spice come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity, high tannins, 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 $26

2009 Napa Cellars Zinfandel (Napa Valley, California): 88% Zinfandel and 12% Petite Sirah. Deep ruby red in color. Nice nose with red plum and spice aromas. Red plum, strawberry, spice, and a hint of pepper come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $22; Available elsewhere, $15 to $22

2009 Napa Cellars Merlot (Napa Valley, California): 100% Merlot. Deep red in color. Black plum and blackberry dominate both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high tannins, and a medium to long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $22; Available elsewhere, $16 to $22

Napa Cellars: Good Value Reds from Napa Valley was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

In 1999, St. Francis built a new winery facility on the Wild Oak Vineyard, which is about one mile from the original winery site. The St. Francis Visitors Center was completed in 2001 and features three separate tasting bars.

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste their 2007 “Old Vines” Zinfandel in a blind samples tasting. It is excellent and delivers serious bang for your buck. To be used in the St. Francis “Old Vines” Zinfandel program, the vines must be at least 50 years old, and many are 100 years old, must be head pruned without benefit of trellising, and must be dry farmed.

2007 St. Francis Winery “Old Vines” Zinfandel (Sonoma County, California): Deep red in color. Nice nose with molasses and black fruit aromas. Black plum, cinnamon, and apple cider come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $19.95; Available elsewhere, $12 to $26

St. Francis Winery “Old Vines” Zinfandel was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

While Sineann is located in Newberg, Oregon, in the heart of Pinot Noir country, and Rosback got his start with that grape, his portfolio of wines includes much more than Pinot. Almost all of his wines are single-vineyard designated from vineyards in Oregon, Washington, California, and even New Zealand. Sineann’s Sauvignon Blanc is closed with a screwcap while all of the other wines are sealed with glass closures.

We had the pleasure to visit Sineann during a recent visit to Oregon’s Willamette Valley. I highly encourage you to do the same the next time you are in the area. We tasted a total of 17 wines. Our favorites were the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Baby Poux from Champoux Vineyards in Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills and the 2008 The Precious Late Harvest Gewurztraminer from the Columbia Gorge. Both are outstanding. Sineann also makes another dessert wine that I would love to try called Sweet Sydney, named for one of Rosback’s daughters. Sydney just happens to be the name of our daughter, too. Sweet Sydney is a limited production Zinfandel icewine, and, unfortunately for us, was all sold out when we visited. As you will see from my notes and ratings below, Sineann produces a number of wines worth checking out if you see them on the shelf at your local wine shop or on a restaurant wine list.

Our favorites:

2009 Sineann Cabernet Sauvignon Baby Poux Vineyard (Columbia Valley): Deep, dark purplish red in color. Nice nose with blackberry, black cherry, chocolate, and coffee aromas. Big black fruits, chocolate, and espresso bean comes through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with big yet smooth tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $42; Available elsewhere, $36 to $62

2008 Sineann The Precious Late Harvest Gewurztraminer (Columbia Gorge): Light amber brown color. Extremely aromatic with honey, caramel, prune, and dried apricot on both the nose and palate. Very sweet and sticky, medium to full-bodied with good acidity, and a long, yummy white peach finish. Residual Sugar: 43%
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $24 [375ml]; Available elsewhere, $23 to $25

Here’s a breakdown of the rest of the wines that we tasted during our visit:

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2008 Sineann Cabernet Sauvignon Sugarloaf Mountain, California, $42, QPR: 5
2007 Sineann Pinot Noir Lachini, Willamette Valley, $36, QPR: 4
2009 Sineann Old Vine Zinfandel, Columbia Valley, $39, QPR: 4
2009 Sineann Petit Verdot, Champoux Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $48, QPR: 2

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2009 Sineann Abondante Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $24, QPR: 4
2008 Sineann Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $30, QPR: 4
2007 Sineann Pinot Noir Schindler, Willamette Valley, $36, QPR: 4
2009 Sineann Merlot Champoux, Columbia Valley, $36, QPR: 3
2010 Sineann Pinot Noir Resonance, Yamhill-Carlton, $42, QPR: 3
2010 Sineann Pinot Noir Yates Conwill, Yamhill-Carlton, $42, QPR: 3
2010 Sineann Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand, $20, QPR: 2

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2009 Sineann Cross-Check Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 4
2009 Sineann CJ Port Zinfandel, Columbia Valley, $24, QPR: 3
2009 Sineann Pinot Noir, Oregon, $30, QPR: 3
2010 Sineann Gewurztraminer Resonance, Willamette Valley, $18, QPR: 2

Sineann’s Peter Rosback…a Jack of Many Vineyards was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

The menu for this pairing consisted of the Thai red curry beef dish, rice, sautéed snow peas, and fresh mango. As with most of our challenging wine pairing dinners, I consulted What to Drink with What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page to determine what wines to pair with the meal.

While there are a number of wines that can be paired with this dish, we decided to go with a Zinfandel blend and a Merlot. We enjoyed the 2009 Ridge Three Valleys Zinfandel blend from California’s Sonoma County and a 2007 Watermill Merlot from the Oregon side of the Walla Walla Valley. While both wines were excellent, three of the four of us preferred the Zinfandel blend with the meal.

We’d love for you to share in the comments what you would have paired with this meal. And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

2009 Ridge Three Valleys (Sonoma County, California): 70% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah, 15% Carignane, 3% Grenache, and 2% Mataro. Deep, dark purplish red. Nice nose with red cherry, clove, and spice aromas. Flavors of red fruits, particularly strawberry, and spice. Medium to full-bodied with medium, soft tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $22.79; Available elsewhere, $18 to $29

2007 Watermill Merlot (Walla Walla Valley, Oregon): Deep, dark purple. Aromatic with black fruits, especially black cherry and black plum, and smoke on the nose. More black cherry, black plum, coffee, and baker’s chocolate come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $24; Available elsewhere, $22

Challenging Wine Pairing: Thai Red Curry Beef was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$15
• Must be widely available

Redwood Creek is one of the brands in the E. & J. Gallo Winery portfolio. E. & J. Gallo Winery, headquartered in Modesto, California, is the world’s largest family-owned winery and the largest exporter of California wine. Sixteen family members spanning three generations of the Gallo family actively work at the winery. Redwood Creek’s winemaker, Cal Dennison, has been making wine for over 25 years.

“This 2008 Lodi Zinfandel embodies flavors of dark berries and blackberry jam with notes of chocolate and spice.” –Redwood Creek

2008 Redwood Creek Lodi Zinfandel (Lodi, California): Deep, purplish red in color. Nice nose with blackberry, cherry, and pasta sauce aromas. More red and black fruits as well as spice and a hint of chocolate come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and very crisp with medium to high tannins 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 $7.99; Available elsewhere, $6

A Wine for Tonight: 2008 Redwood Creek Lodi Zinfandel was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

We recently had the opportunity to taste four Dry Creek Vineyard Zinfandels (all but their Late Harvest Zinfandel) in a blind samples tasting, the 2007 Somers Ranch Zin, the 2007 Beeson Ranch Zin, the 2007 Old Vine Zin, and the 2008 Heritage Zin. All four wines were good, but we especially enjoyed the Somers Ranch, interestingly the only one that is 100% Zinfandel.

Somers Ranch is located at the southern tip of the Dry Creek Valley. The vineyard sits on two adjacent hillsides and faces west which allows it to receive beneficial afternoon sun. The vines themselves were planted over 20 years ago. The 2007 Somers Ranch Zin is a limited production bottling with under 500 cases.

2007 Dry Creek Vineyard Somers Ranch Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley, California): 100% Zinfandel. Deep, dark red. Very aromatic with black cherry, floral notes, and buttered popcorn on the nose. More black cherry, cinnamon, and clove show through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $34

2007 Dry Creek Vineyard Beeson Ranch Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley, California): 97% Zinfandel and 3% Petite Sirah. Deep red in color. Aromatic with cherry and cinnamon on the nose; more dark cherry and spice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium drying tannins, and a long, slightly hot, finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $34

2007 Dry Creek Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley, California): 82% Zinfandel and 18% Petite Sirah. Medium deep ruby red. Very aromatic with smoky and beef jerky aromas that lead to red fruit flavors, especially strawberry. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a medium finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $28; Available elsewhere, $21 to $30

2008 Dry Creek Vineyard Heritage Zinfandel (Sonoma County, California): 82% Zinfandel and 18% Petite Sirah. Deep, ruby red in color. Nice nose with oak and plum aromas. Flavors of blackberry, black cherry, plum, and spice. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $19; Available elsewhere, $13 to $18

Dry Creek Vineyard: Zinfandel Specialist was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Red beans and rice originated out of the need for an easy meal on “washday” in the Creole community. So, on Mondays, the usual day for doing laundry, it was easy to put on a pot of red beans and let them simmer while the chores were being done. Ham was a traditional Sunday meal, so the leftover ham bone was thrown into the pot along with the beans. Then at mealtime in the evening, it was just a matter of preparing some white rice and possibly some sausage, and dinner was ready!

There are just about as many recipes for this dish as there are cooks who prepare it because flavors can be tweaked to the desired tastes. The most common ingredients along with the beans and ham are onion, bell pepper, celery, and a variety of seasonings. Andouille sausage is often used; although, any smoked sausage will do. Some people serve the sausage on the side while others slice it and put it directly into the pot with the other ingredients. For the most part, the dish itself is mild, so hot sauce such as Tabasco is often put on the table as a condiment.

Our red beans and rice meal for this month’s challenging wine pairing included the red beans and rice with ham and Andouille sausage all included in the mixture, broccoli, red onion, and green olive salad with a yogurt dressing, and jalapeno cornbread muffins. I know, I know…jalapeno cornbread with a Creole dish? I just could not help myself; I had to throw in a little spice! And, they went great with the meal.

In selecting the wines to pair with this meal, once again, I referred to my favorite book, What to Drink with What you Eat by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page and decided on a Zinfandel and a Gewurztraminer. With the red beans and rice, we enjoyed the 2007 Trio Vintners Zinfandel from Pheasant Vineyard in Washington’s Wahluke Slope AVA and the 2008 Sineann Gewurztraminer from Celilo Vineyard on the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge AVA. (Note: Sineann Winery is located in Newberg, Oregon.) Both wines, as you will see in the tasting notes below, are excellent; however, the unanimous choice as the best pairing with the red beans and rice was the Gewurztraminer.

We’d love for you to share in the comments what you would have paired with this meal. And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for challenging wine pairings for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

2008 Sineann Gewurztraminer (Celilo Vineyard, Columbia Gorge, Washington): Pale, straw yellow in color. Very aromatic with pear and green apple on the nose. More pear, citrus fruits, honey, and white peach come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with lively acidity. Well-balanced with a long, refreshing finish. Gets even better with food.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $18; Available elsewhere, $19 to $22

2007 Trio Vintners Zinfandel (Pheasant Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep, purplish red. Nice nose with aromas of buttered popcorn, leather, and red fruits. More red fruits, especially raspberry, and a hint of earth on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $26; Available elsewhere, $26

Challenging Wine Pairing: Red Beans and Rice was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

We arrived in Walla Walla, on Thursday afternoon, checked into our hotel, and then crossed the state line into Oregon for happy hour at Tero Estates. We sat outside in Windrow Vineyard and enjoyed the wines of Tero Estates and Flying Trout and visiting with Doug and Jan Roskelley and Ashley Trout.

On Friday morning, we headed back into Oregon for a visit to Seven Hills Vineyard. Managing partner Norm McKibben gave us a tour of the vineyard as well as the entire SeVein Vineyards project. We rounded out the day with visits to Plumb Cellars, Rotie Cellars, and Locati Cellars.

Saturday brought visits to Reynvaan Family Vineyards, Rasa Vineyards, and Adamant Cellars before rushing back to the hotel to watch my Washington Huskies play BYU in their opening game of football season. However, given their disappointing performance, it would have been more enjoyable to visit a few more wineries instead. After the ballgame, Dad (John) and I walked down to Vintage Cellars, a wine bar located in downtown Walla Walla, and tried a few more local wines by the glass. Vintage Cellars is a must-visit when you are in Walla Walla. Nicole Rivinius, the wine buyer for Vintage Cellars and also the Sales & Marketing Director for Rotie Cellars, was a great host. She stocks an excellent selection of Washington wines. So if you don’t have time to visit all of the individual wineries and tasting rooms in Walla Walla, Vintage Cellars is a great place to try and even buy some additional local wines. They also offer live music on most Monday and Saturday nights.

We only visited two wineries on Sunday, Trio Vintners and Tertulia Cellars, in order to enjoy a day of rest and watch more football on television. On Monday, we crossed the Oregon state line once again and visited Watermill Winery in Milton-Freewater. Then we headed for the Walla Walla airport area and visited the rest of the “incubator wineries” including Lodmell Cellars, CAVU Cellars, and Kontos Cellars.

On this trip, we toured one vineyard, visited 14 wineries, and tasted 63 wines. A quick look at the list of wines below will show that the standout wineries for us were Rasa Vineyards, Rotie Cellars, and Watermill Winery. In fact, we discovered another “Wow!” wine, the 2007 Rasa Vineyards Principia Reserve Syrah. It was a pleasure to meet so many wonderful people along the way. In the coming weeks, I will be writing in more detail about some of the wines and wineries that we encountered.

Here’s a breakdown of the wines that we tasted while visiting the Walla Walla Valley. Under each Quality heading, the wine name and region will be listed along with price and QPR rating. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Rasa Vineyards Principia Reserve Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $85, QPR: 5

Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Watermill Merlot, Walla Walla Valley, $24, QPR: 5
2008 Rotie Cellars Southern Blend (GSM), Horse Heaven Hills, $35, QPR: 5
2007 Rasa Vineyards QED (Syrah/Gren/Mourv), Walla Walla Valley, $50, QPR: 5
2008 Rasa Vineyards Vox Populi (Mourvedre), Minick Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $45, QPR: 4

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2006 Plumb Cellars Damn Straight Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $24, QPR: 5
2007 Watermill Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley, $24, QPR: 5
2007 Trio Vintners Sangiovese Riserva, Yakima Valley, $26, QPR: 5
2007 Trio Vintners Zinfandel, Wahluke Slope, $26, QPR: 5
2006 Kontos Cellars Merlot, Columbia Valley, $24, QPR: 5
2005 Lodmell Estate Merlot, Columbia Valley, $33, QPR: 5
2006 Tertulia Cellars Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, $34, QPR: 5
2007 Kontos Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Pepper Bridge Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, $36, QPR: 5
2007 Watermill Estate Malbec, Walla Walla Valley, $28, QPR: 4
2008 Watermill Estate Malbec, Walla Walla Valley, $28, QPR: 4
2008 PB Wines [Rasa] Red Mountain Kiona Vineyards (Syrah/Cab), Red Mountain, $29, QPR: 4
2007 Watermill Praying Mantis Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $30, QPR: 4
2008 CAVU Cellars Barbera, Horse Heaven Hills, $30, QPR: 4
2008 Rotie Cellars Northern Blend (Syrah/Viognier), Washington State, $35, QPR: 4
2009 Kontos Cellars Gossamer White (Chard/Viog/Rouss), Columbia Valley, $22, QPR: 3
2007 Tertulia Cellars Phinny Hill Carmenere, Horse Heaven Hills, $35, QPR: 3
2008 Tertulia Cellars Les Collines Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley, $35, QPR: 3
2008 Reynvaan Unnamed Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $40, QPR: 3
2008 Rasa Vineyards QED (Syrah/Gren/Mourv/Viog), Walla Walla Valley, $50, QPR: 3
2008 Reynvaan The Contender Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $55, QPR: 2

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2008 Plumb Cellars Estate Sangiovese Walla Walla Valley, $12, QPR: 5
2008 Watermill Late Harvest Gewurztraminer, Walla Walla Valley, $14 (375ml), QPR: 5
2007 Plumb Cellars Syrah, Columbia Valley, $24, QPR: 4
2006 Lodmell Sublime (Cab/Merlot), Columbia Valley, $24, QPR: 4
2006 Flying Trout Sangiovese, Stillwater Creek Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $33, QPR: 4
2009 Trio Vintners Tres Rose (Mourv/Gren), Yakima Valley, $15, QPR: 3
2008 Watermill Viognier, Columbia Valley, $16, QPR: 3
2008 Rotie Cellars VdP (Syrah/Mourvedre), Washington State, $25, QPR: 3
2007 Locati Innovation (Barbera/Cab/Sangio), Columbia Valley, $25, QPR: 3
2006 CAVU Cellars Horizon Red Wine, Walla Walla Valley, $26, QPR: 3
2006 Kontos Cellars Alatus (Cab/Cab Franc/Merlot), Columbia Valley, $27, QPR: 3
2007 Adamant Cellars Nalin Red Wine, Columbia Valley, $27, QPR: 3
2007 Watermill Estate Petit Verdot, Walla Walla Valley, $28, QPR: 3
2007 Watermill Estate Cabernet Franc, Walla Walla Valley, $28, QPR: 3
2008 PB Wines [Rasa] Yakima Valley Syrah, Yakima Valley, $29, QPR: 3
2007 Tertulia Cellars Les Collines Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $30, QPR: 3
2008 CAVU Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 2
2007 Trio Vintners Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley, $26, QPR: 2
2006 Trio Vintners Mourvedre, Yakima Valley, $26, QPR: 2
2008 CAVU Cellars Malbec, Columbia Valley, $30, QPR: 2
2007 Kontos Cellars Petit Verdot, Columbia Valley, $32, QPR: 2
2008 Flying Trout The Brook Blend (Cab/Malbec/Petit Verdot), Horse Heaven Hills, $33, QPR: 2
2008 Reynvaan In the Rocks Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $45, QPR: 2
2008 Rotie Cellars Southern White (Viognier/Roussanne), Columbia Valley, $25, QPR: 1
2007 Tertulia Cellars Columbia Valley Malbec, Columbia Valley, $35, QPR: 1
2007 Tero Estates Windrow (Cab/Merlot/Cab Franc/Malbec), Windrow Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, $45, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2008 Lodmell Estate Saignee (Rosé of Merlot/Cab), Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: 2
2009 Plumb Cellars Estate Viognier, Walla Walla Valley, $18, QPR: 2
2006 Plumb Cellars Birch Creek Vineyard Merlot, Walla Walla Valley, $20, QPR: 2
2006 Lodmell Syrah, Alder Ridge Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 2
2007 Locati Sangiovese, Rosebud Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $30, QPR: 2
2008 Tertulia Cellars Lonesome Springs Ranch Viognier, Yakima Valley, $19, QPR: 1
2009 Adamant Cellars Bijoux (Sauv Blanc/Sem), Columbia Valley, $20, QPR: 1
2008 Tertulia Cellars Lonesome Springs Ranch Grenache, Yakima Valley, $25, QPR: 1
2006 Locati Barbera, Lonesome Springs Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, $26, QPR: 1
2009 Rasa Vineyards The Composer Riesling, Sagemoor Vineyards, Columbia Valley, $30, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2008 Locati Pinot Grigio, Rosebud Vineyard, Columbia Valley, $16, QPR: NR
2008 Lodmell Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley, $18, QPR: NR

Weekend in the Walla Walla Valley AVA: A Tale of Two States was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.