Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2011 Nobilo Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region of New Zealand.

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

Regular readers know that as far as white wines go, we Wine Peeps love Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. But as far as Mom (LaGayle) is concerned, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is the best wine period. And, Nobilo Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc is one of her favorite go-to wines.

The Nobilo Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc is consistent from vintage to vintage and widely available. It is crisp, refreshing, and an excellent sipper no matter whether you are sitting on the deck on a sunny afternoon or curled up with a book on a winter’s evening.

In the 1940’s, Nikola Nobilo emigrated from Croatia and planted some of the first commercial grapevines in New Zealand. He was one of the pioneers responsible for the worldwide popularity of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

“Intense aromas of pineapple, passion fruit and guava, complemented by flinty minerality and herbal notes of nettle and cut tomato plant. The nettle and cut tomato plant characters give richness to the palate, and there is an abundance of luscious fruit sweetness, especially passionfruit and pineapple notes. The wine has excellent presence and mouthfeel, with balanced acidity and a generous finish.” –Nobilo

2011 Nobilo Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand): Pale, greenish straw yellow. Very aromatic with grapefruit, pear, and grassy aromas. Grapefruit, grass, and lime come through on the palate. Dry and light to medium-bodied with very tart acidity. Well-balanced with a long finish. Very crisp and refreshing.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Metropolitan Market (Seattle, Washington), $10.99; Available elsewhere, $8 to $15

Summer is the time of year when we turn our attention to rosé wines. In fact, many wineries only make small quantities of rosé wines to be released during the summer months. Rosé is French for “pink” and is used to describe wines of that color. Rosés are generally made from red grapes; however, unlike typical red wine production, the skins are removed from the juice after only a couple of days. This limited skin contact gives rosé its light pink color and is the reason that rosés are lighter-bodied than most red wines. Rosés can run the gamut from dry to sweet. Too many people think pink wines are all sweet. Not so. For me, the dry rosés are more serious and interesting.

This month’s wine tasting dinner featured six rosé wines from Washington State. It was another fabulous evening of good wine, the company of wonderful friends, and LaGayle’s (Mom’s) excellent food. The wines paired extremely well with our dinner of tarragon seasoned squash soup, green salad with raspberries and feta cheese and a mango balsamic vinaigrette dressing, broiled halibut with roasted red pepper aioli sauce, fingerling potatoes, roasted mixed vegetables including beets, carrots, fennel, and green beans, and meringue shells with vanilla ice cream and fresh strawberries for dessert.

The consensus favorite was the 2011 Trust Cellars Cabernet Franc Rosé. This wine is always a popular summer wine here in Washington. It is outstanding as a sipper and gets even better with food.

When the sun is shining and you’re looking for a refreshing beverage to enjoy on the deck or in the backyard, don’t forget to give rosé wine a shot.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2011 Trust Cellars Cabernet Franc Rosé (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale to medium pink salmon in color. Aromatic with raspberry and floral notes on the nose. Strawberry, raspberry, watermelon, and orange blossom come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a long, refreshing finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Whole Foods (Seattle, Washington), $17

2011 Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese (Columbia Valley, Washington): Medium bright pink in color. Nice nose with strawberry, raspberry, watermelon, and floral aromas. More red fruits as well as orange peel come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced and refreshing with a very long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Whole Foods (Seattle, Washington), $11; Available elsewhere, $11 to $13

2011 Brian Carter Abracadabra Rosé (Columbia Valley, Washington): 44% Sangiovese, 20% Syrah, 18% Grenache, 10% Mourvedre, and 8% Cinsault. Pale pink in color. Aromatic with Rainier cherry, strawberry, and orange peel on both the nose and palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a long, refreshing finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Whole Foods (Seattle, Washington), $16

2011 Robert Ramsay Rosé (Columbia Valley, Washington): 62% Grenache, 19% Cinsault, 18% Syrah, and 1% Viognier. Pale pinkish salmon in color. Very aromatic with watermelon, raspberry, cherry and floral notes on both the nose and palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a long, refreshing finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $18; Available elsewhere, $10

2010 Chinook Cabernet Franc Rosé (Yakima Valley, Washington): Medium pinkish orange in color. Nice nose with watermelon, raspberry, tangerine, and a touch of cream. More raspberry and tangerine come through on the palate. Dry and medium bodied with crisp acidity and a medium to long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $15; Available elsewhere, $16

2011 Gilbert Cellars Rosé of Mourvedre (Columbia Valley, Washington): Very pale salmon in color. Nose is a bit tight at first, then strawberry, cherry, and floral aromas come through. More cherry and strawberry as well as raspberry and melon on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a medium to long, slightly bitter, finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Whole Foods (Seattle, Washington), $13; Available elsewhere, $13

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is barrel aging.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Barrel maturation [the term used in this book for aging a wine in a barrel] is the wine-making operation of storing a fermented wine in wooden barrels to create ideal conditions for the components of the wine to evolve and so that the wood imparts some oak flavor. This is an increasingly common practice for superior-quality still wines of all colors and styles, providing them, as it does, with the ideal preparation for bottle aging.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Barrel aging is the process of letting wines mature in wood barrels. During this process, the characteristics of the barrel are imparted into the wine and affect the flavor and balance of the wine.

With the passing of I-1183 and the state now out of the liquor business, beverage consumers in Washington State are finally in the driver’s seat. Now, we have a marketplace where competition will dictate selection and price.

In addition to grocery stores and other established local wine retailers getting into the spirits business, two large beverage retailers, Total Wine and BevMo, have entered the Washington market. Both Total Wine and BevMo are one-stop beverage shops and will provide consumers with even more choices.

Total Wine & More

Total Wine, based in Maryland, opened its first Washington location in Bellevue last month. Colby and I attended a pre-opening event and were very impressed. While Total Wine has over 80 stores in 13 states, I had never been in one. Total Wine calls itself “America’s Wine Superstore,” the country’s largest independent retailer of fine wine. They sell over 8,000 wines, 3,000 spirits, and 2,500 beers, as well as some specialty food items and beverage accessories.

Brothers David and Robert Trone started Total Wine in 1991 with two stores in Delaware. Total Wine is committed to offering the best wine selection at the lowest prices.

While the Bellevue store is very large (almost 30,000 sq ft), it does not feel like a warehouse. It is well appointed and has nice wood-finished floors. We were very impressed by its size, selection, the friendliness and knowledge of the staff, and the great prices on the limited number of items we spot-checked. They carry wines from every wine-producing region in the world, and I was especially pleased to see their extensive selection of Washington wines.

Total Wine has announced plans for other locations in Southcenter, Spokane, the University District, Alderwood, Silverdale, Federal Way, Tacoma, and Vancouver, Washington.

BevMo! Beverages & More

BevMo got its start in 1994 with the opening of six stores in the San Francisco Bay Area. Headquartered in California, BevMo has 118 stores in California, Arizona, and now Washington. Their first two Washington locations, in Tacoma and Silverdale, recently opened. I had the pleasure to visit both stores on a media tour.

BevMo stores are large (typically 10-15,000 sq ft) and offer a wide selection of wine, beer, and spirits but are about half the size of Total Wine stores. More of a specialty beverage retailer rather than a superstore, BevMo positions itself as a neighborhood store rather than a destination store. Rather than offer every wine you can think of, BevMo employs cellar master and world-renowned wine judge Wilfred Wong to taste between 6,000 and 9,000 wines annually to pare down the choices to around 3,000 different wines. In addition to carrying wines from around the world, BevMo offers many Washington wines. Green “Pacific Northwest Favorite” signs highlight local products.

BevMo is piloting a new store design with its Washington stores featuring a new color palate, easy to navigate aisles, covering the overstock above the shelves with curtains, and offering a growler station for beer lovers. I think customers will like what they see.

In addition to its large selection of wine, beer, and spirits, BevMo also offers specialty foods, mixers, cigars, and other beverage accessories. They also have an extensive soda selection with over 250 choices.

BevMo’s next Washington location will be in Tukwila, with three more locations anticipated before the end of the year.

Comparison

Conclusion

Personally, I am thrilled to welcome both Total Wine and BevMo to Washington State. These stores provide consumers with more choices and competitive prices.

Each of these stores will appeal to different consumers. At the same time, there is certainly still a place for smaller neighborhood wine shops for those who like a specialty selection and a “Mom and Pop” feel. Other consumers will always shop at grocery stores because beverages are simply another item on their list. And, of course, when possible, it is always great to buy directly from the winery.

Speaking of wineries, another positive that the entrance of Total Wine and BevMo into the Washington market brings is increased national exposure for Washington wines. As these companies get to know even more about Washington wines, you can expect them to carry more Washington wines at their other stores around the country.

Both Total Wine and BevMo are stores you should check out if there is a location near you.

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2011 Ecco Domani Moscato from Italy.

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

Ecco Domani, which means “here’s tomorrow,” produces contemporary style wines from distinctly Italian grape varieties. Fabrizio Gatto, head winemaker for Ecco Domani since the 1995 vintage, and his team strive to create wines that exhibit the best that Italy has to offer. Since Ecco Domani’s debut in 1996, it has become the leading premium imported brand in the United States. Moscato has a long history of growing in northern Italy where the cool temperatures are ideally suited to bringing out the best characteristics from this aromatic variety. While there are many sub-varieties of Moscato grown in the world, it is the small-berried Moscato Bianco grape, also known as Moscato di Canelli, that is considered best and it forms the base of this wine along with the sweet Moscato Giallo. The fruit is sourced predominately from the Friuli Venezia Giulia with a portion from Trentino and the Colli Euganei in the Veneto.

“Lovely aromas of peach, apricot and mandarin orange entice the nose, while the slightly off-dry palate has bright acidity to make this wine so refreshing. Excellent as an aperitif, Ecco Domani Moscato also has the body to match well with a range of fragrant and spicy dishes.” –Fabrizio Gatto, head winemaker for Ecco Domani

2011 Ecco Domani Moscato (Delle Venezie IGT, Italy): Medium yellow in color. Aromatic with sweet apricot, honey, and floral notes on the nose. More apricot, honey, and orange blossom come through on the palate. Semi-sparkling, medium-bodied, and sweet with lively acidity 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 $14; Available elsewhere, $8 to $11

Being native Texans, the Wine Peeps love BBQ. Real BBQ, that is! There is a distinct difference between real BBQ and just anything cooked on a grill outside. Hamburgers and hot dogs are not BBQ; neither is roast beef with lots of BBQ sauce slathered on top. Real BBQ is smoked by slow-cooking the meat for hours in a pit over indirect heat. And let me tell you, it is so good!

Since moving to Seattle many years ago, it is the rare occasion that we are able to enjoy real BBQ. So once a year on the Fourth of July, I cook a complete Texas BBQ meal. I use mesquite wood and charcoal in the firebox to the side of the grill holding the meat and the smoke goes from the firebox through the grill/smoker section and out through a “chimney” that is located on top of that section at the opposite end from the firebox.

While Shiner Bock beer is always a great choice to enjoy with Texas BBQ, we decided to see what wine would pair well with the BBQ for this month’s challenging wine pairing. Our BBQ meal included beef brisket, pork ribs, and sausage. It was rounded out with potato salad, baked beans, coleslaw, garlic bread, and banana pudding.

To determine which wines to try, once again I referred to my favorite resource, What to Drink with What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. I decided to try a Shiraz and a Zinfandel and selected the 2008 John Duval Entity Shiraz from Australia and the 2009 Sineann Old Vine Zinfandel from Oregon. Both wines were very good; however, the unanimous choice as the best pairing with the Texas BBQ was the Shiraz. The Shiraz had more tannins and held up better with the smoked meats.

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 John Duval Entity Shiraz (Barossa Valley, Australia): Deep, dark purple black in color. Very aromatic with leather, spice, and smoke on the nose. Black fruits, leather, and spice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: K&L Wine Merchants (California), $31.99; Available elsewhere $30 to $45

2009 Sineann Old Vine Zinfandel (Columbia Valley, Oregon): Dark purple black. Nice nose with blackberry jam and smoky aromas. Very jammy with blackberry and chocolate on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity, medium tannins, and a very long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $36.99; Available elsewhere $32 to $36

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

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Aging of wine is an important aspect of wine connoisseurship, and one which distinguishes wine from almost every other drink. When a fine wine is allowed to age, spectacular changes can occur which increase both its complexity and monetary value. Aging is dependent on several factors: the wine must be intrinsically capable of it; it must be correctly stored (in a cool place and out of contact with air); and some form of capital investment is usually necessary.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Aging of wine is an important aspect of winemaking and wine enjoyment. All wines are aged for a period of time (some longer than others) in barrels, tanks, or bottles, so that they can mature. In general, the aging process is more important for red wines than white wines. As red wines age, they tend to become less harsh, less tannic, and more complex. However, only a small number of wines truly benefit from extended bottle aging.

Ryan and Renee Crane own Kerloo Cellars, located in Walla Walla, Washington. The Cranes relocated from Seattle to Walla Walla to pursue their winemaking dream. Shortly after moving to Walla Walla, Ryan earned an AAAS in Enology and Viticulture from Walla Walla Community College. He gained experience working crush under Marie-Eve Gilla at Forgeron Cellars and then served as assistant winemaker at Va Piano for three years before focusing his efforts solely on building Kerloo. His experience and contacts in the industry have helped him secure some prized vineyard sources and to hit the ground running with his own winery. Incidentally, Kerloo describes the call of the whooping crane.

On a recent visit to Walla Walla, we visited the Kerloo tasting room downtown, which has been open about a year. We had the pleasure to meet Ryan Crane and taste through some of Kerloo’s current and upcoming releases. We have been impressed with his wines in the past but were glad to have the opportunity to visit with him and taste his 2010 wines, which will hit the Seattle market on August 1st. We thought all four of the 2010’s were very good but were especially impressed with the Les Collines Syrah and the Alder Ridge Grenache. Both are outstanding!

Kerloo’s current production level for the 2010 vintage is 950 cases. They have about 1,300 cases in barrel for the 2011 vintage and anticipate increasing to around 1,800 cases with the 2012 vintage. While the tasting room is located on 2nd Avenue in downtown Walla Walla, Ryan Crane produces his wines at the Va Piano facility south of town. His goal is to have his own facility for Kerloo by 2014.

As we have said before, Kerloo Cellars is definitely a winery to watch. Be sure to be on the lookout for their 2010’s which should be hitting store shelves soon. And if you are in the Walla Walla area, I highly encourage you to take the time to visit the Kerloo tasting room.

2010 Kerloo Cellars Les Collines Syrah (Les Collines Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 100% Syrah. Deep, dark purple. Gorgeous nose with blackberry, blueberry, and game aromas. Blackberry, blueberry, and bacon come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity, and medium to high, smooth tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $38

2010 Kerloo Cellars Alder Ridge Grenache (Alder Ridge Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 100% Grenache. Deep ruby red. Very aromatic with raspberry, plum, and a touch of tobacco on the nose. More raspberry, plum, and tobacco as well as cinnamon come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium tannins. A gorgeous wine with a great mid-palate. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $40 (only available in the tasting room)

2010 Kerloo Cellars Va Piano Syrah (Va Piano Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 96% Syrah and 4% Viognier. Deep purple red. Beautiful nose with floral notes and red and black fruit aromas. More floral notes as well as bacon and thyme come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and smooth tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $38

2010 Kerloo Cellars Tempranillo (Columbia Valley, Washington): 86% Tempranillo and 14% Grenache. Deep red in color. Nice nose with Bing cherry, spice, and floral aromas. Black cherry, Bing cherry, and spice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $34

Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2011 Dry Creek Vineyard Fumé Blanc from Sonoma County in California.

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

Dry Creek Vineyard, founded in 1972 by David Stare, is located in the heart of Dry Creek Valley just outside of Healdsburg, California. Well-known for their Fumé Blancs and Zinfandels, Dry Creek Vineyard also produces a number of other good wines. And best of all, their wines deliver serious bang-for-your-buck. “A great wine at a fair price” was founder David Stare’s mantra, and the family continues to uphold this philosophy. Today, Dry Creek Vineyard is run by David’s daughter Kim Stare Wallace and her husband Don.

“The 2011 Fumé Blanc displays an aromatic symphony that leaves one pondering the truly magical characters of the Sauvignon Blanc varietal. The initial aromas fill the senses with a cacophony of pungent grassy, kaffir lime, citrus, white pepper and classic olive aromas. The palate is framed by refreshing citrus and mineral notes that mingle in wonderful harmony with Meyer lemon, Granny Smith apple and orange zest flavors. The grassy elements repeat on the finish with acidity that is both refreshing and brisk.” –Dry Creek Vineyard

2011 Dry Creek Vineyard Fumé Blanc (Sonoma County, California): Grape variety: Sauvignon Blanc. Stainless steel fermented. Very pale, straw yellow in color. Aromatic with fresh grass, citrus fruits, and grapefruit on the nose. Lime, grapefruit, lemon, and grass come through on the palate. Dry and light-bodied with crisp acidity and a very long, refreshing 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 $14; Available elsewhere, $8 to $14

Right from the get-go, we here at Wine Peeps were supporters of Washington State’s ballot initiative, I-1183. And, as you know, we were thrilled when it passed, because it finally got the state out of the liquor business. No longer do we have bureaucrats at the WSLCB deciding what selections will be available to us as consumers of wine and spirits and what price we will pay. Instead we have a marketplace where competition will dictate selections and price.

If the first 30 days under the new law are any indication, the consumer is the big winner as we predicted. Here in the Seattle area, the established wine retailers like Wine World, Esquin, and Pete’s have entered the spirits business; as well as the big chain stores like Costco, Safeway, QFC, Fred Meyer, and Metropolitan Market. Even Bartell Drugs has entered the fray.

And now two of the big-box liquor store chains have entered the Washington market, just as we expected. Both Total Wine and BevMo opened their first Washington locations on the same day, Thursday, June 28. Kori will give you a more complete rundown on both stores in the coming weeks, but I’ll give you a little sneak preview to whet your appetite.

Total Wine’s first Washington location is in Bellevue, in an old Larry’s Market location behind Nissan of the Eastside and next door to Uwajimaya. Total Wine has announced plans for other locations in Southcenter, Spokane, the University District, Alderwood, Silverdale, Federal Way, Tacoma, and Vancouver, Washington.

BevMo’s first Washington store is in Tacoma, across the street from Costco and right down the street from the Tacoma Mall. BevMo has another store opening in Silverdale and plans for a total of four or five locations.

I visited the new Total Wine location in Bellevue on their opening day, and I was literally blown away by its size, selection, the friendliness and knowledge of the staff, as well as their prices on the limited number of items I viewed. The staff person I visited with said they have 8,000 wines (including 1,800 Washington wines), 3,000 spirits, and 2,500 beers in a store measuring almost 30,000 square feet.

I explored the new BevMo location in Tacoma on Saturday, June 30. While not as large or as well appointed as Total Wine, it is nevertheless an impressive store with a selection of some 8,000 different wine, spirits, and beer products. BevMo also has a nice selection of specialty foods and wine accessories. Both BevMo and Total Wine are stores you should check out if there is a location near you.

One other big positive for the Washington wine business is that Washington wines will now get more national exposure. Both Total Wine (with 81 stores) and BevMo (with 117 locations) expect to carry more Washington wines at their other stores around the country as well as a result of their investment in the Washington retail market.

We’ll keep you posted as events continue to unfold, so stay tuned! It’s going to be a fun ride with the beverage consumer in Washington State in the driver’s seat…finally!