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.

History
Louis Comini, an Italian stone mason and immigrant, originally planted the Old Vine Zinfandel at The Pines Vineyard in the late 1800’s. When current owner, Lonnie Wright, first came to The Pines Vineyard in 1982, neither he nor the owner at that time knew who had planted the Old Vine Zin. By then, the vineyard had been abandoned for twenty years and was struggling to survive.

The Comini name surfaced years later when a retired fire chief from The Dalles approached Wright and told him that he remembered going into “old man” Comini’s wine cellar with the Comini twins to steal Dago Red when they were teenagers. Knowing that Dago Red is what some people called Zinfandel in the old days, Wright thought he might be close to discovering the story behind the Old Vine Zin. Later, Wright was interviewed by Oregon Agriculture magazine. When he was asked who planted the vineyard, he said he thought a fellow named Comini originally planted it. After the article was published, Wright started getting phone calls from the family of Louis Comini.

As the story goes, Comini came to the United States from Genoa, Italy. He landed in Baltimore and then made his way across the country to San Francisco and then moved north to work on the Cascade Locks in the Columbia Gorge. Toussaint Mesplie, a Frenchman and the first Catholic priest on the east side of the Cascade Mountains, went to Fort Dalles with the soldiers out of Vancouver. At the time, his two brothers were panning for gold in California. Mesplie wrote his brothers to let them know that they were giving away land in Oregon and encouraged them to come up and get some. Theodore Mesplie staked a claim to the land in 1852 that is now The Pines. Toussant Mesplie met Louis Comini and offered him a job to come to Fort Dalles and make headstones for the Catholic cemetery. Through that relationship, Comini ended up planting the vineyard on Theodore Mesplie’s property. Comini made the communion wine for the church. Wright does not know the exact year the Old Vine Zin was planted but does have pictures of it that were taken in 1911.

Theodore Mesplie died in 1916 without a will. His five children divided his property. One of his daughters inherited the part of the property on which the vineyard was planted. Along with a wealthy businessman in Portland, she formed The Pines Corporation around 1930. They sold it to a guy who wanted to turn it into a destination spa, aka “fat farm”. When he had trouble making payments, he partnered with a guy in Salt Lake City who owned fitness clubs and spas all across the country and who eventually bought it outright. Eventually, he decided to sell it. A cherry farmer in The Dalles was in the process of buying it when Lonnie Wright entered the picture.

Wright got his start in viticulture in 1978 when he and several others planted 2,000 acres of grapes for the first vineyards at Columbia Crest in Paterson, Washington. Under the tutelage of Wade Wolfe and Clay Mackey, experts in vineyard management in Washington State, Wright became the area manager for 650 acres of grapes and supervised the first harvest. In 1980, Wright married a girl from Hood River, Oregon, and promised her that they would move to the Gorge in a year after he completed what he considered to be his training in the industry.

Lonnie Wright and his wife Linda moved to The Dalles in 1981. He heard that a cherry farmer was buying an abandoned vineyard in the area and was going to try to bring it back to life. Unannounced, he showed up at 7am the morning work was to start and found the cherry farmer standing out in the field with six women he had hired and a General Viticulture book from UC Davis open to the page on pruning. Wright told him that while he had never brought an abandoned vineyard back to life, he did have vineyard experience and was promptly hired. In 1983, Wright started a vineyard management company called Columbia Country Vineyards. In addition to his work at The Pines, he also plants and manages vineyards for others in the area. About three or four years after he went to work for the cherry farmer, the farmer ran into financial problems, and he had to give The Pines property back to the guy from Salt Lake City. Since that owner did not have any interest in grapes or wine, he asked Wright if he’d be interested in moving onto the property and taking care of it. Wright and his family moved on in 1987, got a twenty-year lease, and started expanding the vineyard.

Old Vine Zinfandel
The first winery to produce Old Vine Zinfandel from The Pines Vineyard was Sineann, a partnership between Peter Rosback and David O’Reilly of Owen Roe. When they first released their Old Vine Zinfandel, most people assumed it was from Washington State since it carried the Columbia Valley appellation on the label. In fact, many retail shops and restaurants put it in their Washington sections. [The first time we had it, earlier this year, we were told by a local shop that it was made from Washington grapes.] Since Wright was leasing the place at the time, he did not really want to draw attention to the place and increase its value because he hoped to be able to buy it someday. In 2002, Wright bought The Pines Vineyard, so now he is more than happy to tell people where those Old Vine Zin vines are located.

One thing that you’ll notice in the pictures is that the trunks of the Old Vine Zin don’t look like gnarly, century-old vines. That’s because they are not. The vineyard froze to the ground in 1991 and 1996. The trunks that are visible now have been there since 1996. However, the roots have been there since the late 1800’s.

Today, Sineann and Wright’s own The Pines 1852 Winery use the fruit from the Old Vine Zinfandel.

Grape Varieties
The Pines Vineyard totals twenty acres. As I previously mentioned, the original eight acres of Old Vine Zinfandel were planted in the late 1800’s. Wright used starts from the Old Vine Zin to plant five more acres of Zinfandel in 1987 and then planted two more acres of Zinfandel in 2002. Wright added Merlot in 1991 and 1993 for a total of three acres. He also planted four acres of Syrah in 1994.

The soils in the vineyard are mostly sandy loam with a little bit of silt loam. The vineyard gets about seventeen inches of rain each year. The elevation at the top of the vineyard is about 650 feet, though it feels much higher when you are up there. Wright believes that one of the things that make the valley where the vineyard is located special is that Mt. Hood sits at the head of the valley and so it gets nice, cool breezes at night. On days when the temperature reaches 94-95, it will quite often go down to 60-62 at night.

The Pines 1852
After years of growing grapes and selling them to others, Wright decided it was time to keep some of that fruit for himself and start his own winery. In 2001, he founded The Pines 1852 Winery. Peter Rosback of Sineann is the winemaker. The Pines 1852 has a tasting room in downtown Hood River, Oregon. Their annual production is 3,500 to 4,000 cases.

Both the vineyard and the winery remain family-owned and operated. Unlike many working farms, the Wrights do offer vineyard tours of The Pines Vineyard. So if you are in the area, I highly encourage you to call ahead and make an appointment. Zinfandel vines, especially century-old vines, are not something you get to see very often in the Northwest.

The Pines Vineyard: Century Old Vines in the Northwest was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.

Craig and Vicki Leuthold each gave up successful careers in Spokane to pursue their dream of owning a winery. Even as the winery has grown, Craig and Vicki continue to oversee the entire operation. New Zealand-native Richard Batchelor joined Maryhill as winemaker in the summer of 2009. He had previously been head winemaker for Hall Winery in St. Helena, California.

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste six wines from Maryhill in a blind samples tasting. We recommend five out of the six. We particularly enjoyed the 2008 Viognier, the 2007 Zinfandel, and the 2006 Sangiovese. In addition to being very good wines, those three also deliver serious bang for your buck. Maryhill produces a total of 28 wines, most of them (except the Reserves) retail for $20 or less.

As I have mentioned previously, a trip to the Columbia Gorge is well worth your time. If you time it right, you could take in a concert at Maryhill and enjoy outdoor recreation on the Columbia River in addition to visiting some outstanding wineries. However, if you do not live in the area and are unable to visit, Maryhill’s wines are distributed nationally.

2008 Maryhill Viognier (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, greenish yellow in color. Very aromatic with floral, orange blossom, honey, and lemon/lime aromas; flavors of citrus fruits, flowers, green apple, pear, and dried apricots. Dry, light to medium-bodied, crisp and refreshing with a very long finish. Well-balanced with good complexity. Residual sugar: 1.24%
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $15; Available elsewhere, $11

2007 Maryhill Zinfandel (Columbia Valley, Washington): Deep, ruby red in color. Aromatic with Red Vines, raspberries, and black cherries on the nose that lead to more red fruits, spice, pepper, and a hint of cocoa on the palate. Medium-bodied with lively acidity and medium tannins. Fruit-forward and jammy with 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 $22

2006 Maryhill Sangiovese (Columbia Valley, Washington): Deep garnet in color with slight browning around the edges. Aromatic with cinnamon and red fruits on the nose; cherry and spice on the palate. Medium-bodied and lively with medium 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 $18; Available elsewhere, $11

2008 Maryhill Pinot Gris (Columbia Valley, Washington): Very pale, straw yellow. Nice nose with lemon square aromas. More lemon and a hint of hay come through on the palate. Dry, light-bodied and crisp with a long finish. Residual sugar: 0.64%
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $15; Available elsewhere, $11 to $15

2008 Maryhill Winemaker’s White (Columbia Valley, Washington): 31% Viognier, 24% Chardonnay, 23% Sauvignon Blanc, 22% Semillon. Pale, straw yellow in color. Aromatic with oak and minerality on the nose; citrus and floral notes on the palate. Dry, light to medium-bodied, crisp acidity, and a long finish. Residual sugar: 1.1%
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $12; Available elsewhere, $9

2008 Maryhill Winemaker’s Red (Columbia Valley, Washington): 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% Syrah, 10% Cabernet Franc. Deep, ruby red. Stinky feet and Kool-Aid on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied, soft tannins, and a medium finish.
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $14; Available elsewhere, $11

Maryhill: One of Washington State’s Destination Wineries was originally posted on Wine Peeps. Wine Peeps - Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.