Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington State’s founding winery with its roots dating back to the repeal of Prohibition. In 1976, Ste. Michelle built a French-style chateau in Woodinville, just northeast of Seattle. While all of Chateau Ste. Michelle’s vineyards are located on the east side of the Cascade Mountains, all of their white wines are made in Woodinville. Their red wines are made at Canoe Ridge Estate in eastern Washington.

No matter where you live in the United States, you are probably familiar with the wines of Chateau Ste. Michelle, particularly their Columbia Valley line. While those wines enjoy national distribution, Chateau Ste. Michelle also produces a number of other reserve and limited release wines that are not as widely available.

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste several wines from Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Limited Release series in a blind samples tasting. These limited release wines allow the winemaking team to experiment a bit. These small lots are initially available exclusively to members of their wine club, the Vintage Reserve Club. After 30 days, these limited releases are offered to the public at the Chateau Ste. Michelle wine shop in Woodinville and online.

We especially enjoyed the 2009 Oak Oval Gewurztraminer and the 2008 Grenache. In a departure from their Columbia Valley Gewurztraminer that is fermented in stainless steel, the 2009 Oak Oval Gewurztraminer was fermented in a “Fuder”, a large upright oak barrel that gives the wine a touch of richness. Gewurztraminer pairs well with spicy foods, particularly Asian cuisine. Grenache is primarily a blending grape, but in recent years, more and more winemakers are producing it as a single varietal wine. I, for one, am glad that is the case, and this 2008 Grenache is a great example of what the grape variety has to offer.

For those of you who have not had much, or any, Grenache or Gewurztraminer, I encourage you to give them a try. Both are excellent food wines.

2008 Chateau Ste. Michelle Grenache (Wahluke Slope, Washington): 82% Grenache and 18% Syrah. Deep red in color. Nice nose with gamey and savory aromas. Red and black fruits, licorice, and spice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium, smooth 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 $25

2009 Chateau Ste. Michelle Oak Oval Gewurztraminer (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, greenish straw yellow. Aromatic with lychee, apricot, and white peach on both the nose and palate. Dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long, refreshing finish. Spicy with a touch of richness.  Residual Sugar: 0.72%
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $17

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 2008 Boomtown Syrah from Washington State.

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

Boomtown is the entry-level value brand produced by Dusted Valley Vintners. Dusted Valley Vintners, located in Walla Walla, Washington, was founded in 2003 by brothers-in-law Chad Johnson and Corey Braunel who are co-owners and co-winemakers. Both Chad and Corey are originally from Wisconsin and are proud cheese-heads. In fact, they bring a bit of Wisconsin to Dusted Valley by using barrels made from Wisconsin oak to age their wines. They also have a tasting room in Woodinville near the Hollywood Schoolhouse for those on the west side of the mountains who cannot make frequent trips to Walla Walla.

“This wine combines Old World finesse with New World intensity. It begins with a shot of bright berry fruit, while balanced acid drives the long relaxed finish. This is Washington State Syrah.” –Boomtown

2008 Boomtown Syrah (Washington State): Deep, dark purple in color. Aromatic with blackberry, black plum, vanilla, and spice on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, 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: QFC (Seattle, Washington), $14.99; Available elsewhere, $14 to $16

Crepes, which originated in France, serve a variety of purposes. While many people may think of these thin pancakes for sweet dishes, they are just as popular for savory recipes.

Here in Seattle, the weather has not been as warm as it usually is at this time of year. Nevertheless, it is summertime so I wanted to have a summer menu for this month’s challenging wine pairing, no matter the temperature. We enjoyed a marinated beet salad, seafood crepes, and steamed mixed vegetables. The seafood crepes were filled with crabmeat, baby shrimp, light cream, cream cheese, green chilies, green onions, white wine, and soy sauce. When served, they were garnished with additional green onions and avocado slices. The seafood crepes were a hit with our family! If you like seafood, I highly recommend them.

After referring to my favorite guide for pairing food and wine, What to Drink with What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, we decided to go with an Alsatian Pinot Blanc and a New Zealand Pinot Noir. We selected the 2008 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Blanc from Alsace, France, and the 2008 Nautilus Pinot Noir from Marlborough, New Zealand. We enjoyed both wines very much; however, the consensus favorite prior to the meal and paired with the food was the Pinot Blanc.

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 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Pinot Blanc (Alsace, France): Medium yellow-gold. Aromatic with pear, honey, and mineral notes on the nose. Pear, lemon, tart apple, and minerality come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a long finish. A wonderful food wine.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: The Olde Wine Store (Mercer Island, Washington), $22; Available elsewhere, $17 to $26

2008 Nautilus Pinot Noir (Marlborough, New Zealand): Medium-deep ruby red. Nice nose with strawberry, raspberry, and earthy aromas. More strawberry and raspberry as well as smoke and dust come through on the palate. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity, 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: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $24.99; Available elsewhere, $20 to $25

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

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Umami is a Japanese term derived from two words meaning ‘delicious’ and ‘essence’ and used to refer to what some consider to be the fifth primary taste. More a quality than a specific flavor, it is variously described as ‘savory’ or ‘meaty’ and is found in high levels in foods such as soy sauce, Parmesan, fresh tomato juice, tuna and seaweed. Umami levels in other foods are increased by the addition of monosodium glutamate. ….

The level of amino acids in wine is thought to be affected by the ripeness of the grapes and the process of fermentation. However, it is extremely difficult to isolate the taste of umami in wine because of the way it interacts with the other four primary tastes.

Proponents of umami suggest that its presence brings a ‘completeness’ to the flavour of a wine but warn that it may increase the bitterness and astringency of some tannic reds.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Umami is a Japanese term meaning savory, which is one of the five basic tastes along with sweet, sour, bitter, and salty.

Robert Ramsay Cellars, located in Woodinville, Washington, is named for winemaker Bob Harris’s great uncle Mason Ramsay. When asked about the name, he jokes that “Bob Harris Winery” just didn’t have the same ring to it. Harris works in the software industry by day and devotes the rest of his time to producing high-quality Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mourvedre, and red blends. In 2001, he decided to take his winemaking hobby to the next level and got his start at Coeur d’Alene Cellars. Now his efforts are focused on his Robert Ramsay Cellars in Woodinville’s warehouse district.

We recently had the opportunity to taste three Robert Ramsay wines in a blind samples tasting, the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2008 Mourvedre, and the 2007 Horse Heaven Hills Syrah. All three wines were good, but we were especially impressed with the Cabernet Sauvignon. Not only is it an excellent wine, but it also delivers serious bang for your buck.

If you live in the greater Seattle area or visit the area on vacation, a trip to the wineries in Woodinville is well worth your time. And while you are there, I encourage you to visit Robert Ramsay Cellars. It is definitely a winery to watch.

2008 Robert Ramsay Cabernet Sauvignon (Upland Vineyards, Snipes Mountain, Yakima Valley, Washington): 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Mourvedre. Deep, dark purplish red. Nice nose with blackberry and toasty oak aromas. Black plum, licorice, and a hint of black pepper come through on the palate. 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 $38

2008 Robert Ramsay Mourvedre (McKinley Springs Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): Deep ruby red in color. Aromatic with game, earth, white pepper, and wild berries on the nose and palate. Medium-bodied with sweet tannins and a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $42; Available elsewhere, $41

2007 Robert Ramsay Horse Heaven Hills Syrah (Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 92% Syrah, 3% Mourvedre, and 5% Viognier. Dark purple. Aromatic with black plum on the nose. More black plum as well as blackberry and a hint of spice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high 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 $20; Available elsewhere, $20

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 2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling from the Columbia Valley in Washington State.

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

Washington is the largest Riesling producing state in the United States. And, Washington State’s own Chateau Ste. Michelle is the largest Riesling producer in the world. Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington State’s founding winery with its roots dating back to the repeal of Prohibition. In 1976, Ste. Michelle built a French-style chateau in Woodinville, just northeast of Seattle. While all of Chateau Ste. Michelle’s vineyards are located on the east side of the Cascade Mountains, all of their white wines, including this Dry Riesling, are made in Woodinville.

“The Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling is a dry, crisp, refreshing style of Riesling with beautiful fruit flavors, crisp acidity and an elegant finish. It exudes beautiful white peach and floral aromas with a clean finish. This is an incredibly versatile food wine and my favorite with oysters.” –Bob Bertheau, Head Winemaker

2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, greenish straw yellow in color. Nice nose with lemon, lime, white peach, and floral aromas. More lemon, lime, and white peach as well as orange peel and a hint of minerality come through on the palate. Dry and light-bodied with tart acidity and a long, refreshing 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 $9; Widely available elsewhere, $9 to $14

Since we live in Washington State and often drink wines from Washington State, we want to make sure that we continue to hone our knowledge of the entire world of wine and maintain well-rounded palates in order to make us even more objective when we evaluate wines from Washington State. Therefore, we are thoroughly enjoying our Wine Peeps Tasting Group which includes what we think is an excellent peer group of knowledgeable wine lovers to taste, share, and learn more about wine together. Unlike our monthly wine tasting dinners in which the guests rotate, this tasting group includes people who are committed to getting together once a month which we believe benefits all of us. In addition to trying varieties and regions that we do not taste frequently, the other main difference between this group and our wine tasting dinners is that each group member brings a bottle consistent with the month’s theme so no one knows all the wines in the blind tasting.

Last week, our tasting group met and explored Carmenere from Chile. Carmenere, a red varietal originally found in the Bordeaux region of France, disappeared from European vineyards almost completely in the mid-19th century. Today, Carmenere is known as Chile’s signature grape, having been discovered in that country in 1994 among vines that were previously thought to be Merlot. It is a deeply colored red grape that seems to thrive in Chile’s Mediterranean climate with sunny days and dramatically cooler nights. Grown in the right conditions, Carmenere has the ability to produce very fine wines that exhibit the finesse of Merlot and the structure of Cabernet Sauvignon.

We tasted seven bottles of Chilean Carmenere, and the consensus favorite was the 2007 Montes Purple Angel Carmenere from the Colchagua Valley. We also thought that the 2009 Viu Manent Carmenere Reserva and the 2008 Santa Rita Reserva Carmenere were very good. As far as bang-for-your-buck goes, the Viu Manent is hard to beat.

If you’ve never had Carmenere or want something different than Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon for a change, I encourage you to give Chilean Carmenere a try.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2007 Montes Purple Angel Carmenere (Colchagua Valley, Chile): 92% Carmenere and 8% Petit Verdot. Dark purplish red in color. Beautiful bouquet with cinnamon, clove, and black cherry aromas. More cinnamon, clove, black cherry, and a hint of smoked meat come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium, drying tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fine Wine and Cigars (Redmond, Washington), $54; Available elsewhere, $40 to $64

2009 Viu Manent Carmenere Reserva (Colchagua Valley, Chile): Deep, purplish red. Aromatic with red fruit, vegetal notes, and a bit of barnyard funk on the nose. More red fruit, green bell pepper, and black pepper come through on the palate. Full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high tannins, and a long, slightly bitter, finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $10; Available elsewhere, $9 to $11

2008 Santa Rita Carmenere Reserva (Rapel Valley, Chile): Deep, dark purplish red. Nice nose with perfume, floral, spice, and smoked meat aromas. Olive, smoked meat, and floral notes on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $21; Available elsewhere, $10 to $19

2009 Panilonco Carmenere Reserve (Colchagua Valley, Chile): Deep ruby red. Ripe red fruit, green bell pepper, spice, and smoked meat comes through on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium to high, drying tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Trader Joe’s (Seattle, Washington), $4

2006 Alcance de Viña Calina Carmenere (Maule Valley, Chile): Deep, dark purplish red. Very stinky at first with barnyard and vegetal aromas. Ripe red fruit, especially raspberry, and green bell pepper on the palate. Seems slightly fizzy. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity, sweet tannins, and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $15; Available elsewhere, $14 to $18

2009 Manos Negras Carmenere (Colchagua Valley, Chile): Deep, ruby red in color. Aromas and flavors of ripe black fruit, pencil lead, green bell pepper, and a hint of bacon. Medium to full-bodied with tart acidity, medium to high tannins, and a thin finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: McCarthy & Schiering Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $15

2009 Haras Carmenere (Maipo Valley, Chile): Deep, dark purplish red. Very stinky nose with canned corn and car exhaust aromas that lead to medicinal and vegetal flavors. Full-bodied with lively acidity, medium, drying tannins, and a long, bitter finish.
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Where to buy: McCarthy & Schiering Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $7; Available elsewhere, $10 to $12

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

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Sturm is the cloudy, part-fermented, very slightly sparkling sweet grape juice that is a local specialty at harvest time in Austria. It is generally white but red versions are also produced. The German equivalent is Federweisser, in Luxembourg it is known as Fiederweissen, and in Alsace it is known, confusingly, as vin nouveau. It tends to be drunk with hearty autumn food such as Zwiebelkuchen (onion tart).

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Sturm is grape must served during harvest in Austria and often enjoyed with roasted chestnuts.

Rick Small’s agricultural roots run deep; he’s a third generation farmer on his father’s side of the family and fifth generation on his mother’s side. Rick and his wife Darcey Fugman-Small founded Woodward Canyon Winery in 1981, making it the second winery in the Walla Walla Valley. In fact, the Smalls played an instrumental part in the federal approval process for the Walla Walla Valley AVA. Woodward Canyon, named for the canyon Rick’s family farmed, currently produces about 15,000 cases per year.

On a recent visit to Walla Walla, we had the pleasure to sit down with Rick and taste through five of Woodward Canyon’s current releases. As we sat in their beautiful reserve house, Rick shared some of the history and philosophy behind the winery. It was Rick’s good friend Gary Figgins of Leonetti Cellar who encouraged him to get into wine in the first place back in the mid-70’s. In 1976, Rick planted the first of 41 acres of the Woodward Canyon Estate Vineyard.

With his farming background, it is no wonder that Rick places such importance on Woodward Canyon’s vineyard sources. The hiring of winemaker Kevin Mott in 2003 has allowed Rick to focus his attention on the vineyards. In addition to their estate vineyard, Woodward Canyon is a partner in Champoux Vineyards with Paul and Judy Champoux and three other wineries, Andrew Will, Powers, and Quilceda Creek. They also source fruit from other top vineyards in the state including Sagemoor Vineyards, DuBrul Vineyard, and Celilo Vineyard, to name a few.

“I want people to buy our wines because they are drinkable, go well with food, and are age-able.” –Rick Small, Owner/Director of Production

Rick and Darcey drink wine with food. Therefore, they strive to produce wines that are balanced and food-friendly. In fact, when we were tasting the 2009 Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Rick could not stop raving about how well it pairs with Darcey’s Dungeness crab cakes. (Mmmm…makes me hungry just thinking about that pairing.)

The Woodward Canyon “Artist Series” Cabernet Sauvignon is their “standard bearer” for Cab, and each vintage features a different work of art on the label. The featured artists are predominantly from the Pacific Northwest. Woodward Canyon has every original art piece from every “Artist Series” label since 1992.

Of the current releases we tasted, my favorite is the 2008 “Old Vines” Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet Sauvignon for this wine typically comes from two of the oldest Cab blocks in Washington State, 1972 plantings from Champoux and Sagemoor Vineyards. This particular vintage also contains a small percentage of Petit Verdot from Woodward Canyon Estate Vineyard.

We have visited with Rick and Darcey at events and tasted some of their previous vintages. I have interviewed Darcey for our Women of Washington Wine series and Rick for articles about Champoux Vineyards and Sagemoor Vineyards. Whether on the phone or in person, Rick’s enthusiasm and passion for wine, Woodward Canyon Winery, the Walla Walla Valley, and the Washington State wine industry is evident.

Since the very beginning, Rick and Darcey have maintained a cellar library. They hold back a small amount of each wine they make for their library. In the early days, Rick recalls the bank not understanding why he purposely was not selling all of the wine he made. He tried to explain that it was important for research purposes, not to mention sentimental reasons, to have wines from each vintage that could be used for age-ability studies, vintage comparisons, and so forth. This foresight recently proved quite valuable when they began making wines from the 2010 vintage, which was a cool vintage. Rick and winemaker Kevin Mott went into the Woodward Canyon library and pulled out bottles from other cool vintages. They tasted through them to learn what to do and what to expect and made some adjustments as a result.

Woodward Canyon is located in Lowden, Washington, just 13 miles west of Walla Walla. If your travels take you to the Walla Walla Valley, I highly encourage you to visit Woodward Canyon. Their tasting room is in a restored 1870’s farmhouse, and the production facility is in the old Small family farm shops. Private, sit-down tastings of their reserve wines are available in the Reserve House adjacent to the tasting room.

2008 Woodward Canyon “Old Vines” Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington State): 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot. Deep, dark red. Gorgeous nose with black cherry, black currant, leather, cinnamon, and nutmeg aromas. Luscious black fruit, mocha, and spice come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high, silky tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity, and a long, rich finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $79; Available elsewhere, $73 to $80

2010 Woodward Canyon Washington State Chardonnay (Washington State): 100% Chardonnay. Medium, golden yellow. Very aromatic with pear, apple, nectarine, and vanilla on the nose. More pear, nectarine, and vanilla as well as mineral notes come through on the palate. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a rich, creamy mouthfeel. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish. One of the best Washington Chardonnays I’ve ever tasted.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $44; Available elsewhere, $41 to $44

2008 Woodward Canyon “Artist Series” Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington State): 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, and 4% Syrah. Deep, dark red. Nice nose with black cherry, blackberry, and chocolate aromas. Black cherry, mocha, and a hint of spice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and silky tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $49; Available elsewhere, $32 to $50

2009 Woodward Canyon Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 7% Syrah, 4% Petit Verdot, and 4% Mourvedre. Deep, dark red. Nice nose with black cherry, black currant, tobacco, earth, and mineral aromas. Flavors of black cherry, mocha, and tobacco. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium, drying tannins, and a long, very dry finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $44

2009 Woodward Canyon Estate Sauvignon Blanc (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Light, straw yellow. Very aromatic with pear, melon, and white peach on the nose and palate. Light-bodied with crisp acidity and a long, rich finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $26; Available elsewhere, $25

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 2010 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from the famed 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 <=$15
• Must be widely available

Kim Crawford Wines, located in New Zealand, was founded in 1996 by owner/winemaker Kim Crawford and his wife Erica. In the beginning, Kim Crawford Wines was one of New Zealand’s first “virtual wineries.” They sourced their grapes from growers across New Zealand, made the wine at other wineries, and managed their sales and marketing from their home in Auckland. In 1998, they began exporting some of their wine to the United States, Canada, and Australia. The Crawfords opened a cellar door (tasting room) facility in Te Awanga in Hawke’s Bay in 1999. Then they opened a state of the art winery and purchased vineyard land in Marlborough in early 2000. Kim Crawford Wines is now part of Constellation Brands.

Regular readers know that we are big fans of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, the country’s flagship wine. And Kim Crawford Wines makes one of our favorite New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. In fact, Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc has been Mom’s (LaGayle) favorite wine, period, since we visited New Zealand in 2005. The most amazing thing about Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc is its amazing consistency from vintage to vintage. It’s crisp acidity and refreshing grapefruit flavors are especially pleasing to our palates.

“A bouquet of citrus and tropical fruits backed by characteristic herbaceous notes that Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is renowned for. An exuberant wine brimming with flavours of pineapple, passionfruit, stonefruit and a hint of herbaceousness. The finish is fresh, zesty and lingering.” –Winemaker Anthony Walkenhorst

2010 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand): Pale, greenish straw yellow. Gorgeous nose with grapefuit, lime, and grassy aromas. More grapefruit, lime, and grass come through on the palate. Dry and light to medium-bodied with racy acidity. Well-balanced and very refreshing with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $14.85; Available elsewhere, $12 to $15