• Italy says it is #1 in wine production, although it admits it is a close race with France and depends on the vintage.
• France is #1 in wine exports and historically was #1 in production, too.
• Spain is #1 in acreage planted to grapes.
• United States is #1 in wine imports.

Today, I’m going to focus on Italy. I’ll have to admit that when I used to think of Italy and wine, I thought of the straw covered bottles of house Chianti served in most Italian restaurants during my young adult days. However, today it is a new ballgame. Today, not only does Italy produce a lot of wine, it produces a lot of good wine, too, with excellent QPRs as well.

Italy received great press and notoriety with their Super Tuscans, jazzing up their Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon and other of the top international varietals. In Tuscany, the revolution spread to Chianti with vast improvements in Chianti and especially Chianti Classico wines. In Piedmont, Barolo and Barbaresco have always been respected, but now you see some good Barbera as well.

The ultimate compliment to Italian wines is that you are seeing so many wine producers in the United States experimenting with Italian varietals such as Sangiovese, Barbera, Pinot Grigio, and even Nebbiolo with varying degrees of success.

In our quest to qualify to join the ranks of the Wine Century Club last year, we tasted a number of Italian wine varietals that we had never tasted before and found several that we really liked to add to our list of Italian favorites. Below is a list of some Italian wines that not only are of very good quality but are good values (high QPRs) as well. (Quality: “x” stars out of 5, QPR: “x” bangs for your buck out of 5)

2001 Vietti Castiglione Barolo $30, Quality: 4, QPR: 5
2001 Felsina Fontalloro IGT (Super Tuscan), $35, Quality: 4, QPR: 4
1999 LaGerla Brunello di Montalcino, $20, Quality: 4, QPR: 5
2005 Pasetti Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, $13, Quality: 4, QPR: 5
2003 Cesari Amarone della Valpolicella, $37, Quality: 4, QPR: 4
2005 Michele Chiarlo Nivole Moscato d’Asti, $10, Quality: 4, QPR: 5

The best thing about Italian wines is that they pair so well with food and not just with Italian food. The crisp acidity of the whites and the tanginess of the reds make some of the most food-friendly wine anywhere. And everyone I’ve known that has visited Italy says that Italian wine country is one of the best tourist destinations in the world. It’s on our short list of future wine trips. If you go before we do, let us know what you think.

(Photo from Vietti)

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is claret.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Claret is the English (not American) term generally used to describe red wines from the Bordeaux region, or red Bordeaux. Claret has also been used as a generic term for a vaguely identified class of red table wines supposedly drier, and possibly higher in tannins, than those wines sold as generic burgundy….

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Claret is the European term for red Bordeaux wines. Some American producers use the term to describe their red Bordeaux-style blends.

We fell in love with Australia and Australian wines when we visited in the spring of 2005 and were especially taken with the Barossa Valley. While the Barossa Valley is quite versatile in the number and quality of wines it can successfully produce, it is best known for Shiraz.

“The Barossa is having so much success and so it should. It’s God’s own country and has established itself as one of the great wine regions of the world.” –Peter Lehmann, founder of Peter Lehmann Wines

Recently, we had what turned out to be an Australian Shiraz showdown in one of our private tasting dinners pitting the 2005 St Hallett Faith Shiraz against the 2005 Cimicky Trumps Shiraz. We liked both of these wines but all four of us preferred the St Hallett Faith. In fact, we thought it was outstanding, and with a QPR of 5 bangs for your buck, it is a great buy as well! You don’t often find a wine of this quality for $12 anywhere. For a more complete description of how we set up these private tastings, please refer to How We Taste.

St Hallett, located in Tanunda, was established by the Lindner family in 1944. Winemakers Stuart Blackwell and Toby Barlow lead a team that utilizes over 200 different Shiraz vineyard parcels each vintage. Each year they produce three different expressions of Barossa Shiraz: Faith, Blackwell, and Old Block. St Hallett was recognized as Winery of the Year in 2004 by Wine & Spirits magazine.

Founded in 1973 as Karlsburg Wines by Karl Cimicky, Cimicky Wines has flourished under Karl’s son Charles. Located near Lyndoch, Cimicky produces approximately 15,000 cases annually.

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2005 St Hallett Faith Shiraz (Barossa Valley, Australia): Deep, dark purple with spicy aromas of black pepper and jalapeno. Dark fruits, especially blackberry comes through on both the nose and palate. Extremely smooth and well-balanced.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: MadWine (Seattle), $12.50; Available elsewhere, $14 to $16

2005 Cimicky Trumps Shiraz (Barossa Valley, Australia): Deep, dark purple with dark fruit aromas and flavors. Cocoa also comes through on the palate. Good up front but a layer of heat (high alcohol) on the mid-palate makes it a bit off-balance.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Premier Cru (California), $15; Available elsewhere, $13 to $20

Recently, Colby and I drove to Wenatchee, Washington, to help with bottling at Fielding Hills Winery. This was the first time that we had an opportunity to take part in the winemaking process. Each year around this time owners Mike and Karen Wade invite friends, family, and wine club members to come for a bottling social event.

Their first year in business, when it was time to bottle their wines, they called the mobile bottling services only to find out that they were booked six months in advance. Out of necessity, they ended up purchasing their own equipment and enlisting family and friends to help them out with bottling. It has now turned into an annual social event with people coming from all over the state of Washington and even some from out of state. This year they even had a waiting list of people wanting to come and work.

I found this to be a fascinating event. The wine geek in me truly loved taking part in this small part of the process. I look forward to seeing a 2007 Fielding Hills Merlot on the shelf in a wine shop or on a restaurant wine list and being able to say, “I helped bottle that wine.”

Fielding Hills produces five varietal wines and one blend, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, and Tribute. All of the wines are bottled, one wine per shift, over the course of three days. Twelve people participate in each shift, each with a different job to do.

At the first station, someone picks up a case of bottles, pinches the sides, turns it over, and dumps the twelve empty bottles onto the table. The next person picks up two bottles at a time and shoots nitrogen gas into them which displaces any oxygen that might harm the wine and then places them on the bottle filler machine. The bottle filler works automatically, stopping when the bottles are full, and fills six bottles at a time. The next person removes the bottles from the filler and hands them to the person running the cork machine.

The person running the cork machine holds the bottle in place while the machine inserts the cork. From there, someone else wipes down the bottles and hands them to another person who places the foil over the top of the bottle. The next station is the foil spinner which seals the foil tightly around the neck of the bottle. Another person wipes down the bottles again and hands them to the person running the label machine. After the bottles are labeled, they are handed to someone who puts them back into the case boxes. When the box is full, the final step is to seal the box, make sure it is labeled properly, and stack it on the pallet.

After a while the work can become monotonous, but Mike Wade keeps the troops motivated by coming by periodically with a pitcher of the wine that’s being bottled and fills the workers’ glasses.

It’s a win-win situation for everyone. The workers get to go behind the scenes at a world-class winery, sip outstanding wine, and enjoy a meal outside after the shift, and the Wades get free labor.

When we finished, we sat outside on picnic tables for a spaghetti dinner and wine, of course. At the end of the day, we each got to take home a bottle of the 2007 Merlot that we helped bottle that had been signed by each person in our shift as well as winemaker Mike Wade. It was a fabulous day!

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The Wenatchee World shot some video during the 2008 bottling event:

For the 2007 vintage, Fielding Hills produced about 880 cases. They will remain in storage to bottle age from now until they are released in October. I look forward to trying all of the Fielding Hills wines when they are released but will be paying particular attention to the Merlot this year to see how it has changed since bottling.

If you ever have the chance to participate in a bottling event or in any part of the winemaking process, I highly encourage you to do so. For those of us who spend most of our time on the consuming end, it is truly eye-opening to see what goes on behind the scenes to get that wine into the bottle and onto our dinner tables.

Last week in Texas Wine Country 2009, Part One, I shared with you my initial impressions of Texas wines in 2009 and how much better they are today than in 2002. Now after visiting a total of 23 wineries and tasting a total of 169 wines from 28 wineries, let me give you a summary of my thoughts and conclusions.

1. While Texas is producing quite a few good wines, we were disappointed not to find at least one great wine on this trip.
2. Becker, Driftwood Estate, and Texas Hills remain our three favorite wineries from this trip, although Pillar Bluff had maybe the single best wine and Fall Creek had some good value (high QPR) wines.
3. Several factors seem to me to be keeping Texas from moving into the elite class of wine producing areas:
   • Pierce’s Disease is wrecking havoc in many Texas vineyards.
   • Erratic weather in the form of late freezes, hail, and even floods are causing producers to have smaller than normal crops in too many years for Texas to be able to produce the string of good vintages that is necessary to establish coveted terroir.
   • Because of the weather issues mentioned above, too many Texas producers are selling wines made from California, Washington, New Mexico, and even Australia grapes.
   • It is difficult to find Texas wines outside of Texas, and almost every Texas winery seems to have a different interpretation of wine shipping laws.
4. Despite the caveats mentioned above, I will stick with the conclusion I reached after last year’s visit to several Texas High Plains wineries that Texas is doing the best job of the states outside of the big four of California, Washington, Oregon, and New York.

Here’s a breakdown of all of the wines that we have tasted on this trip made with Texas grapes. Under each Quality heading, the wine name 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: 4 stars (out of 5)
2006 Driftwood Estate Syrah, $18, QPR: 5
2006 Pillar Bluff Boar Doe Red Wine, $21.55, QPR: 5
2007 Becker Vintage Port, $21.95, QPR: 5
2005 Lost Creek Buddy’s Select (Cab/Merlot/Shiraz), $22.95, QPR: 5
2007 Texas Hills KICK BUTT Cab, $25, QPR: 5
NV Dry Comal Creek 1096 Port (Black Spanish estate grapes), $75, QPR: 2

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2008 Fall Creek Chenin Blanc, $6.99, QPR: 5
NV Fall Creek White Riesling, $8.99, QPR: 5
2005 Sister Creek Merlot, $15.25, QPR: 5
2005 Texas Hills KICK BUTT Cab, $17.50, QPR: 5
2006 Driftwood Estate Super Texan (88% Sangiovese, 12% Merlot), $18, QPR: 5
2006 Driftwood Estate Lone Star Cab, $18, QPR: 5
2006 Texas Hills Port Rubino, $19.95, QPR: 5
NV Pillar Bluff Ruby Port, $20.61, QPR: 5
2002 Alamosa Texas Port (Grenache), $24, QPR: 5
2006 Becker Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, $24.95, QPR: 5
2007 Becker Chenin Blanc, $12.95, QPR: 4
2007 Becker Claret, $16.95, QPR: 4
2007 Becker Prairie Rotie, $16.95, QPR: 4
NV Flat Creek Buckin’ Horse Red, $17.95, QPR: 4
2007 Texas Hills Syrah, $19.95, QPR: 4
2004 Lost Creek Buddy’s Blend (Cab/Merlot/Shiraz), $20.95, QPR: 4
2007 Woodrose Zinfandel, Willmuth Vineyards, $21.95, QPR: 4
2007 Mandola Estate Zinfandel, $24, QPR: 4
NV Grape Creek Port, $29.95, QPR: 4
NV Flat Creek Mistella (fortified Muscat Canelli), $34.95, QPR: 4
2005 Texas Hills Orange Moscato, $17.50, QPR: 3
NV Flat Creek Buckin’ Horse White Viognier, $17.95, QPR: 3
2007Grape Creek Cabernet/Syrah, $26.95, QPR: 3
2005 Torre di Pietra Claret, $27.95, QPR: 3
NV Torre di Pietra Tango Port (Primitivo), $49.95, QPR: 3
2007 Pedernales Stonewall Viognier, $18.00, QPR: 2
NV Torre di Pietra Rosa Flamenco, $18.95, QPR: 2
2001 Alamosa El Guapo Grande Tempranillo, $28, QPR: 2
2006 Alamosa Palette Red Rhone Blend, $30, QPR: 2
2008 Dry Comal Creek Black Spanish (estate grapes), $30.99, QPR: 2
2006 Alamosa Scissortail (Marsanne/Viognier/Roussanne), $26, QPR: 1
2007 Pedernales Cellars Family Reserve, $49.00, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2007 Spicewood Sweet Bluebonnet Flush (89% Merlot, 11% Cab), $9.99, QPR: 5
NV Fall Creek Granite Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, $9.99, QPR: 5
NV Fall Creek Merlot, $11.99, QPR: 5
2004 Texas Hills Cabernet Sauvignon, $14.95, QPR: 5
2002 McReynolds Wines Cabernet Sauvignon, $15, QPR: 5
2007 Texas Legato Cabernet Sauvignon, $17.95, QPR: 5
NV Alamosa Texas Port (Sangiovese), $18, QPR: 5
2007 Fall Creek Mission Sauvignon Blanc, $9.99, QPR: 4
2005 Texas Hills Syrah, $13.95, QPR: 4
2006 Driftwood Estate Longhorn Red, $18, QPR: 4
NV Fredericksburg Bach Burgundy, $18.95, QPR: 4
2007 Texas Legato Family Reunion Red Wine, $19.95, QPR: 4
2006 Flat Creek Super Texan (Sangiovese/Cab/Merlot), $19.95, QPR: 4
2007 Pedernales Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, $25.00, QPR: 4
2006 Stone House Scheming Beagle Port (Norton), $26.95, QPR: 4
NV Flat Creek Ruby Port, $29.95, QPR: 4
2007 Fall Creek Viognier, $12.99, QPR: 3
2008 Becker Viognier, $14.95, QPR: 3
NV Fall Creek Muscat Canelli, $14.99, QPR: 3
2007 Pillar Bluff Chardonnay, $18.74, QPR: 3
NV Torre di Pietra Texas Dirty Girl, $18.95, QPR: 3
2007 Grape Creek Merlot, $19.95, QPR: 3
2005 Alamosa Syrah Tio Pancho Ranch, $20, QPR: 3
2006 McReynolds Wines Merlot, $20, QPR: 3
2005 Messina Hof Private Reserve Cabernet Franc, $22, QPR: 3
2006 Messina Hof Private Reserve Tex-Zin, $22, QPR: 3
2007 Mandola Estate SPINO’-Montepulciano, $26, QPR: 3
2008 Alamosa Amigo White High Valley Vineyard, $15, QPR: 2
2008 Flat Creek Muscato D’ Arancia, $16.95, QPR: 2
2005 Lost Creek Blanc du Bois, $17.50, QPR: 2
2007 Mandola Estate Canto Felice, $18, QPR: 2
2005 Fredericksburg Merlot, $24.95, QPR: 2
2006 Woodrose Merlot, Hendericks Vineyards, $24.95, QPR: 2
NV Torre di Pietra Porto Blanco, $49.95, QPR: 2
2004 Alamosa El Guapo Tempranillo, $18, QPR: 1
NV Torre di Pietra Red Flirt (Cab/Syrah), $18.95, QPR: 1
2008 Driftwood Estate Cuve Blanc, $20, QPR: 1
2007 Torre di Pietra Texas Chenin Blanc, $21.95, QPR: 1
2008 Torre di Pietra Blanc du Bois, $21.95, QPR: 1
2008 Woodrose Texas Rain (Rose), Tanglewood Vineyards, $21.95, QPR: 1
2007 Alamosa Scissortail (Marsanne/Roussanne/Viognier), $22, QPR: 1
2006 Stone House Claros (Norton), $23.95, QPR: 1
2006 Torre di Pietra Mataro (Mourvedre), $24.95, QPR: 1
2007 TORO di Tejas (Tempranillo), $25, QPR: 1
2003 Fredericksburg Texitage, $34.50, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
NV Comfort Cellars Jalapeno Wine, $9.95, QPR: NR
NV Fall Creek Ed’s Smooth Red, $9.99, QPR: NR
2007 Fall Creek Mission Cabernet Sauvignon, $9.99, QPR: NR
2007 Spicewood Cabernet Claret, $9.99, QPR: NR
2007 Pillar Bluff Founder’s Red, $13.12, QPR: NR
2007 Spicewood Estate Chardonnay, $13.99, QPR: NR
2007 Texas Hills Pinot Grigio, $14.95, QPR: NR
2005 McReynolds Wines Chardonnay, $15, QPR: NR
2002 McReynolds Wines Merlot, $15, QPR: NR
2008 Pedernales Cellars Garnacha Rose, $15.00, QPR: NR
2007 Flat Creek Muscato Blanco, $16.95, QPR: NR
2008 Grape Creek Cuvee Blanc, $16.95, QPR: NR
2006 Mandola Estate Viognier, $18, QPR: NR
NV Torre di Pietra Classico, $18.95, QPR: NR
2005 Lost Creek Chardonnay (no oak), $19.95, QPR: NR
2004 Fredericksburg Rose of Cab, $19.95, QPR: NR
2007 Texas Legato Malbec, $19.95, QPR: NR
NV Texas Legato Sojourn Port, $19.95, QPR: NR
2008 Pedernales Cellars Vino Blanco, $20.00, QPR: NR
2005 Messina Hof Private Reflections (60% Cab Franc), $22, QPR: NR
2008 Woodrose Blanc du Bois, Tanglewood Vineyards, $23.95, QPR: NR
2007 Mandola Estate Dolcetto, $26, QPR: NR
2007 Woodrose Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah, $26.95, QPR: NR
2007 Pedernales Cellars Tempranillo, $29.00, QPR: NR
2005 Torre di Pietra Sangiovese, $29.95, QPR: NR
2002 Comfort Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, $29.95, QPR: NR
2005 Torre di Pietra Touriga Nacional, $39.95, QPR: NR

Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
2004 McReynolds Wines Merlot (76% Merlot, 24% Sangiovese), $10, QPR: NR
NV Comfort Cellars Chenin Blanc, $12.95, QPR: NR
2004 Cinque Vino Rosso, $12.95, QPR: NR
NV Comfort Cellars Orange Chardonnay, $14.95, QPR: NR
2008 Pillar Bluff Chenin Blanc, $14.99, QPR: NR
2007 Texas Legato Merlot, $15.95, QPR: NR
NV Fredericksburg Corderillas, $15.95, QPR: NR
2004 Alamosa Texaxaia (Sangiovese/Syrah/Tempranillo), $16, QPR: NR
2007 Grape Creek Viognier, $16.95, QPR: NR
2002 Comfort Cellars Pinot Noir, $18.95, QPR: NR
2005 Torre di Pietra Carignane, $18.95, QPR: NR
NV Fredericksburg F & N, $18.95, QPR: NR
2007 Texas Hills Rousanne, $19.95, QPR: NR
NV Comfort Cellars Sweet Rojo (Muscat/Merlot), $19.95, QPR: NR
2008 Texas Legato Sweet Peggy Sue White, $19.95, QPR: NR
2005 Messina Hof Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, $22, QPR: NR
2007 Mandola Estate Sangiovese, $24, QPR: NR

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is body.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Body is the tasting term for the perceived ‘weight’—the sensation of fullness, resulting from density or viscosity—of a wine on the palate. Wines at either end of the scale are described as full bodied and light bodied. …. Body is not related to wine quality, balance being more important in a wine than whether it is full or light bodied.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Body is the feel of the wine in your mouth, from watery (light-bodied) to creamy (full-bodied).

Our host for the May edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday, the blogosphere’s monthly virtual wine tasting event, is Jeff of Good Grape. He selected California Inspiration as this month’s theme as homage to Robert Mondavi who passed away on May 16th of last year. Because Mondavi was an inspiration to many and was the forefather of the modern California wine industry, Jeff asked us to revisit a California wine that we have enjoyed and tell a story.

When I read Jeff’s theme and started thinking about what California wines have had an impact on me and have a good story to go along with them, one stood out above the rest, Sebastiani Secolo.

The game of tennis consumed my time and thoughts when I was growing up in Texas. If I was not on the tennis court myself, then I was probably watching professional tennis on television or reading about it in Tennis Magazine. During that time, my two favorite professional players were Steffi Graf and Stefan Edberg. I followed both of them their entire careers and continue to admire them even in their retirement. Therefore, when I heard that both Steffi and Stefan were being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2004, I knew that I just had to go.

At the time, Colby was in graduate school and unable to travel with me to the Hall of Fame Induction. He encouraged me to go anyway, and I talked my parents into joining me. After all, they had followed professional tennis as well and understood how excited I was to be able to witness this piece of tennis history.

It was a perfect weekend! I got to see my childhood tennis heroes inducted into the Hall of Fame, spend quality time with my parents, and sightsee around beautiful Newport, Rhode Island. One evening, we went to a local steak and seafood house on the water in Newport. It was a gorgeous summer evening with the setting sun glistening on the water. We enjoyed a fabulous meal, and oh yes, discovered an outstanding wine. We had tasted a number of California wines prior to this, but honestly, none of them had really stood out to us. We were perusing the wine list for a red wine. Not finding any that we were really familiar with, we asked the sommelier for a recommendation. He suggested that we try the Sebastiani Secolo, a Bordeaux-style red blend from Sonoma County, California. We loved it and it paired extremely well with our surf and turf dinner. We jotted down the name of the wine and made a point to visit Sebastiani on our next trip to Sonoma wine country.

Each time I drink Sebastiani Secolo, I am transported back to Newport, Rhode Island, and once again enjoy the memories of that wonderful weekend. We recently sat down to enjoy a bottle of the current vintage, the 2006 Sebastiani Secolo. It was a good wine that I enjoyed once again but honestly, I do not think that the 2006 is as good as some of their previous vintages.

2006 Sebastiani Secolo Sonoma Red Wine (Sonoma County, California): 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 6% Malbec, 1% Petite Sirah. Dark, dense purple; almost black. Vanilla and burnt black cherry aromas. Bitter coffee, chocolate, and black plums come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with drying tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish. Needs some age to smooth itself out.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Spec’s Wines, Spirits, & Finer Foods (Texas), $32; Available elsewhere, $30 to $36

The Wine Century Club turned 4 last Thursday. The Club was founded by Steve and Deborah De Long in 2005 to promote “the many unsung grape varieties used to make wine.”

Dad (John) and I became members of the Wine Century Club last year after tasting at least 100 different grape varieties. While we have our favorites, we never want to stop learning and trying new things. The Wine Century Club encourages just that spirit. Instead of drinking your favorite Merlot or Chardonnay again, consider trying Nebbiolo or Aglianico.

Even though we already have our membership certificates, we still enjoy trying new varieties. Maybe someday we’ll even qualify for the new Doppel Member recognition level for those who have tasted over 200 different grape varieties. To celebrate the Club’s 4th birthday, we raised a glass of a new-to-us variety, Vilana. We enjoyed the 2006 Kretikos Boutari White Wine of Crete. While not the best wine we’ve ever had, it was definitely drinkable and would be a nice summer sipper. In addition to being a variety we had not previously tasted, it also gave us a taste of Greek wine, something that we do not have very often.

For those interested in membership or just looking for a new challenge, you can download an application form. And while it is completely on the honor system, as the application says, “Should you lie, may the wrath of Bacchus curse your palate!”

2006 Kretikos Boutari White Wine of Crete (Crete, Greece): Grape variety: Vilana. Yellow in color. Aromas of wet hay, rotten eggs, and sulfur. Pear, grass, and butterscotch come through on the palate. Dry and lively with a long finish. Tastes much better than it smells. Would be a nice summer sipper or pair well with seafood.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Spec’s Wines, Spirits, & Finer Foods (Texas), $10; Available elsewhere, $12 to $15

Quilceda Creek, located in Snohomish, Washington, was founded in 1978 by the Golitzin family. Generally considered the premier winery in Washington State, Quilceda Creek remains a small, family-owned and operated winery. Their flagship wine, the Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, has received three 100-point ratings in the last four years from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate for the 2002, 2003, and 2005 vintages. The 2002 and 2003 (rated at the same time) were the first Washington State wines ever to receive a perfect 100-point rating.

“The father-son team of Alex and Paul Golitzin are making, by anyone’s standards, as fine a cabernet sauvignon as anyone in the world. Their single-minded focus, their ability to make brilliant wine in virtually every vintage, and, most impressively, their unbroken track record of excellence are unparalleled. Nobody does it better.” –Paul Gregutt, Washington Wines & Wineries

Quilceda Creek sources their grapes from vineyards throughout the Columbia Valley. In 2001, they purchased and planted their own Galitzine Vineyard on Red Mountain. The 2004 Quilceda Creek Galitzine Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon was the first release from their own vineyard. In addition to the Columbia Valley Cab and the Galitzine Vineyard Cab, Quilceda Creek produces a Merlot and a Columbia Valley Red Wine. They also purchased the Palengat Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills adjacent to Champoux Vineyard in 2007. Quilceda Creek will be releasing a single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Palengat Vineyard this fall.

Quilceda Creek wines are only offered to members of their private mailing list. The winery is open one weekend each year when mailing list customers can pick up their pre-purchased wines. Colby and I had the pleasure to visit the winery for the first time this year. Dad (John) is on the mailing list and was out of town during their pick up weekend, so we jumped at the chance to be his wine delivery service. I was very impressed with the event and the people that we met. Not only are they producing some of the best wines in the world, but Quilceda Creek knows how to run a business. They are well-organized and welcoming. When we checked in, they radioed the barrel room to get our order together so that it would be ready when we finished enjoying the wine and hors devours in the tasting room. At the door, we were greeted by a member of the Golitzin family who made sure that we felt welcome, gave us our tasting tokens and glasses, and showed us where to go.

They were offering two wines for tasting, the 2006 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon which was being released that weekend and the 2006 Columbia Valley Red Wine which will be released this fall. We took our time, enjoyed each wine, and strolled around their state-of-the-art facility. They are also planning to build a new 12,000 sq ft building next door.

As you will see in the tasting notes below, we thought both wines were excellent. Given the fact that the Cab should age well and last for 15 to 20 years, I was blown away by how good it was upon release. I just hope that Dad will share some of his wine in a few years so that I can see how it evolves.

2006 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 97% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot. Dark, dense purple. Aromas of black fruits, smoke, and earth. More black fruits as well as coffee and tobacco come through on the palate. And there’s some sweet black cherry on the very long finish. Medium to full-bodied with soft tannins. Not an overpowering Cab on its own but absolutely explodes with food. Smooth and extremely well-balanced.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Winery, $125 [Private Mailing List only]

2006 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Red Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 10% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec. Dark, dense purple. Cherry, raspberry, and oak on the nose. Flavors of cherry, plums, and cinnamon. Medium to full-bodied with medium to high tannins. Smooth with a long finish. Very young.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Winery, $37 [to be released this fall]

Sauvignon Blanc has been one of our favorite white varieties for years. Our trip to New Zealand in 2005 solidified that love, and we have a soft spot for Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region of New Zealand. While not for everyone, we just cannot get enough of the grapefruit flavors and crisp acidity of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Since that trip, we have made it a point to try Sauvignon Blanc from other countries/regions when we have the chance. No matter how much we like a wine or type of wine, we are always looking to expand our palates and seek out even more great wine.

On Mom and Dad’s recent trip to South Africa, they discovered the 2008 Warwick Professor Black Sauvignon Blanc that they thought was every bit as good as our favorites from New Zealand. They were anxious to see what Colby and I thought of it and to see how it would stack up in a blind tasting. Also on their South Africa trip, Mom and Dad enjoyed visiting Boekenhoutskloof and wanted us to try their second label, Porcupine Ridge Sauvignon Blanc, which is available in the U.S. for around $10.

In typical Wine Peeps fashion, we recently sat down for a blind tasting to compare four Sauvignon Blancs from around the world. We put in one of our all-time favorites, the 2008 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, as well as the recently discovered Warwick Professor Black and Porcupine Ridge. We wanted to include an American Sauvignon Blanc also. About that time, we received a sample of the 2007 Rued Sauvignon Blanc from the Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County, California, and decided to throw it into the mix.

As you’ll see from the notes below, we rated both the Kim Crawford and the Warwick Professor Black as 4.5 stars. They are both truly outstanding wines. In terms of ranking order, the Kim Crawford came out on top by just a hair.

Both the Porcupine Ridge and Rued are good wines, too. They were just up against some stiff competition in this tasting. I was especially glad to see how lively and pleasant the Rued was in stark contrast to many of the over-oaked California Sauvignon Blancs I’ve tasted in the past.

So depending on the style of Sauvignon Blanc that suits you, I think that you could easily find one of these four wines to your liking.

2008 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand): Extremely aromatic. Beautiful grapefruit on the nose. More grapefruit, lime, and other citrus fruits come through on the palate. Well-balanced with a long finish. Very distinctive and crisp.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Costco (Seattle), $14; Available elsewhere, $12 to $16

2008 Warwick Professor Black Sauvignon Blanc (Stellenbosch, South Africa): Aromatic and flavorful. Lemon and lime aromas lead to flavors of grapefruit and lime. Medium-bodied and crisp. Well-balanced.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Wine Exchange (California), $14.99; Available elsewhere, $14 to $21

2008 Porcupine Ridge [Boekenhoutskloof] Sauvignon Blanc (Franschoek, South Africa): Freshly cut grass prevalent on the nose. Flavorful with tart, green apple flavors. Medium-bodied with a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle), $10; Available elsewhere, $8 to $12

2007 Rued Sauvignon Blanc (Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California): Aromas of Clorox and peaches. Medium-bodied and lively with flavors of vanilla and peaches. Tastes much better than it smells. A very pleasant wine.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $16; Winery, $16