Last week, the Wine Peeps team hosted our second Digging into the Cellar Party for about a dozen of our closest wine loving friends. Last month, the theme was Rhone-style wines. This month the theme was Red Blends, and we bookended a blind tasting of twelve 2005 and 2006 Red Blends from Washington State with a couple of French Bordeaux wines, the 2000 Chateau Moulin Riche Saint-Julien and the 2000 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac First Growth. The 2005 and 2006 vintages were excellent in Washington wine country, and we wanted to see how these wines were doing, and see which ones we thought still had a lot of life left.

What we found was that almost all the wines were drinking very well, the 2006’s we tasted were better overall than the 2005’s, and we estimated that many of them could easily go another 7 to 10 years. Although this was not a serious, take copious tasting notes, event, each attendee was asked to turn in the sack numbers of their three favorites so that we could get a composite favorites list.

After unveiling the sacked bottles, the consensus favorite of the group, as well as both Kori’s and my favorite, turned out to be the 2006 Grand Rêve Collaboration Series I, a red wine made for Grand Rêve by Ben Smith of Cadence Cellars entirely from Ciel du Cheval Red Mountain fruit. Other group favorites were the 2005 Tasawik Reserve and the 2006 Sheridan Mystique. Other favorites of Kori and mine were the 2006 Saviah Une Vallee, the 2005 Quilceda Creek Red Wine, and the 2005 Cave B Cuvée du Soleil.

Without a doubt, the overall favorite wine of the night was the 2000 Chateau Lafite Rothschild, and well it should have been with its high praise from critics and its price tag. While it was an outstanding wine, it did not “wow” me as much as I had hoped. With a recent auction in Asia that garnered a price of over $70,000 for one case of this wine, maybe my expectations were set too high.

All in all it was a super party with great friends and spectacular wine. We’re looking forward to doing it again in the New Year.

Cheers!

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 2007 Chateau Ste. Michelle Syrah from the Columbia Valley of 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

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. The fruit for this Syrah was sourced from Columbia Valley and Yakima Valley vineyards. The 2007 vintage was the first time that the Columbia Valley Syrah was co-fermented with Viognier.

“The Columbia Valley Syrah is a soft, ripe Syrah with ripe berry fruit aromas and flavors with hints of vanilla and brown sugar spice. The 2007 Syrah was co-fermented with Viognier for an even more accessible and fruit forward style of Syrah. This is an enjoyable, easy-to-drink red.” –Bob Bertheau, Head Winemaker

2007 Chateau Ste. Michelle Syrah (Columbia Valley, Washington): 95% Syrah, 4% Viognier, and 1% Grenache. Deep, dark purplish red in color. Very aromatic with earth, black fruit, and barnyard aromas on the nose. Red and black fruit, especially plum and blackberry, and a hint of chocolate come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a medium to 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 $13; Available elsewhere, $9 to $11

Now that we are into the winter season, what better meal on a cold, rainy or snowy night than chili? Of course, the official name is chili con carne, which comes from the Spanish language and means peppers with meat. Chili is actually just a spicy stew. There are almost as many versions of chili as there are cooks that prepare it. The main ingredients are beef stew meat or ground beef; however, today there is even vegetarian and turkey chili. While meat is the most common main ingredient, the other ingredients usually include onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and tomatoes or tomato sauce. Some people like to add beans; however, I prefer my chili without beans.

Since I’m a Texan, I found the origin of chili to be interesting. Spanish Canary Islanders first invented chili in San Antonio, Texas. And, by the way, chili is the official dish of the state of Texas.

The menu for this month’s challenging wine pairing was very basic. It included the chili, a salad of lettuce, tomatoes, and avocados with a cilantro lime dressing, and Fritos corn chips.

Now, what wines to pair with this meal? The fact that wine is probably not what first comes to mind to pair with chili only added interest in doing this pairing. I hope this series proves that wines can be found to pair with just about anything. Once again, I referred to my favorite book, What to Drink with What You Eat by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, and selected Malbec and Syrah. We enjoyed the 2007 Andrew Will Annie Camarda Syrah and the 2007 Milbrandt Vineyards The Estates Malbec. While both wines were good, all four of us thought that the Syrah paired best with the chili.

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!

2007 Andrew Will Annie Camarda Syrah (Washington State): Dark, inky purple in color. Very aromatic with ripe, jammy black fruits, oak, earth, and eucalyptus on the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and 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, Washington), $22.99; Available elsewhere, $23

2007 Milbrandt Vineyards The Estates Malbec (Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep, dark purplish red. Nose is a bit tight at first then coffee, licorice, and waxy aromas come through and lead to flavors of black plum and olive. Medium-bodied and smooth with soft tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $17.99; Available elsewhere, $20

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

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Crémant is a term used in France’s shorthand for the country’s finest dry sparkling wines made outside Champagne using the traditional method of sparkling wine-making. The term was adopted in the late 1980s, when the expression méthode champenoise was outlawed by the European Union (and replaced by méthode traditionnelle).

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Crémant is French sparkling wine made outside of the Champagne region.

When I first heard that a new wine, food, and special events venue was opening in Seattle, I was intrigued especially given the high quality of wineries that were on board to have tasting counters. Last week, we attended the grand opening party for URBAN enoteca, and I am thrilled to report that my expectations were easily exceeded. It is not just another tasting room or wine bar. Well, it is those things but also so much more.

The brainchild of owner Terry Thompson, URBAN enoteca is located in Seattle’s SODO district in a converted warehouse. Once inside, however, it boasts a hip and trendy vibe with high wood beam ceilings, skylight, water feature, fireplace, and comfortable leather couches and chairs. The wine tasting room features tasting counters for seven premier Washington State wineries including Cave B Estate Winery, Côte Bonneville, Five Star Cellars, Fidelitas, Fielding Hills Winery, Kiona Vineyards and Winery, and McCrea Cellars. There are six additional counters available, and I expect that they will be filled soon with other wineries looking for a Seattle location. Each tasting counter is licensed and bonded as another location for each of the wineries. Each winery is responsible for staffing their own counter and setting their own prices. Hugh Shiels, owner of Côte Bonneville which was the first winery to sign on to this new venture, gave us a grand tour of the facility. He credits his daughter Kerry, the Côte Bonneville winemaker, with seeing the potential of URBAN enoteca when the building was still just an old warehouse.

When guests enter the building, they check in at the concierge desk, have their credit card swiped, and are given a house card to be used for all food and wine purchases. In the wine tasting room, guests can choose to purchase 1.5 oz tastes, 5 oz glasses, or full bottles. Each winery will also have some stock on hand, so that guests can purchase cases if they’d like. The tasting room is furnished with comfortable lounge seating and a fireplace so guests are encouraged to sit, relax, and visit while enjoying the wine and small bites prepared by James Beard award-winning Chef Jason Wilson and his team from Crush. Based on the concept of the Press Club in San Francisco, URBAN enoteca’s goal is to bring some of the best wines in Washington State to one location that is convenient to the large population in the greater Seattle area as well as the many tourists that visit each year.

There are three unique rooms available for private events. The special events space will allow the wineries to host winemaker dinners, release events, and so forth. It is also available to rent for special events such as weddings and business meetings. The Riddling Room is the largest with seating for 230 that can accommodate weddings or corporate parties. Blanc de Blanc is a contemporary room furnished in all white and ideal for bridal showers or as a bridal room during a wedding. The Barrel Room is the masculine counterpart to Blanc de Blanc and can serve as a groom room during a wedding or as a boardroom for corporate meetings.

The facility is equipped with a full-service kitchen for preparing those small bites and for catering special events. Chef Jason Wilson is the exclusive caterer.

URBAN enoteca is scheduled to open to the public later this week. I am anxious to go back and take some friends with me. This is a great venue to enjoy some of the best wines in Washington State and visit with representatives from those wineries without having to travel across the state to do so.

If there is a more excited guy in Seattle today than Lenny Rede, he must literally be flying. Rede, the Operations Manager of the new Wine World Warehouse just off of I-5 at NE 45th Street in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood, could hardly contain himself as he gave us a tour of their new wine superstore during the “friends and media” grand opening event Wednesday evening. Yesterday was the public grand opening of the business billed as “The Largest Wine Shop in the Northwest”; open 7 days a week from 11am-9pm.

“Our focus is to cover the value market of $20 and under, while giving the customer Nordstrom-quality customer service.” –Lenny Rede, Operations Manager

The front half of the store is devoted to Northwest wines, mostly from Washington. The other half of the store stocks wines from around the world, categorized by region. There are two thirty-foot long wine tasting bars in the center of the store where they plan to have free wine tastings every evening. There is also a window-lined 5,000 square foot catering area and event space along one side of the store.

Rede is “Mr. Inside” and Sommelier and Founder David LeClaire is “Mr. Outside” in this business, funded by 13 investors, many of them hands-on participants. “We just signed the lease on this old Office Max location in early October, so it’s been a race to get it renovated, licenses secured, and the store stocked and opened before the big rush of the holiday buying season,” said Rede.

According to Rede, Phase 1 is to get the bricks and mortar store staffed and up and running. Within months, he hopes to have twice as many different items for sale as they have today, including wine, beer, cheese, wine accessories, and gift items. Phase 2 includes a Reserve Cellar for special tastings, winemaker dinners, and the sale of cult wines, as well as a demo kitchen in which to hold classes on wine pairings, etc. Phase 3 is to get an online store up and running to compliment the bricks and mortar business.

Don’t let “Warehouse” in the store name fool you. While they plan to offer over 8,000 wines, many for under $20, in the 23,000 square foot store, the atmosphere is comfortable and modern with cushy leather chairs in a lounge area and flat screen TV’s above the tasting bars.

“Think Barnes & Noble rather than Costco.” –Lenny Rede, Operations Manager

When asked about their business model and their chances for success in this economy, Rede said, “At our price point, we need to move 70 cases of wine a day to make this work.” Can they do it? Only time will tell. They have a great location that quite frankly looks a little sparse right now, and they’ve had some startup operational glitches; but if you can turn enthusiasm into sales, Wine World Warehouse will be a huge success.

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 Mark West Pinot Noir from California.

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

Mark West Winery, located in Graton, California, was founded in 1978 and acquired by Purple Wine Company in 2001. Winemaker Alex Cose was hired in 2002. Mark West specializes in producing value California Pinot Noir and sources fruit from vineyards in Santa Barbara, Central Coast, Sonoma Valley, Napa Valley, Mendocino County, and other areas in California. It is not often that you find a very good bottle of Pinot Noir like this for under $10.

“Enticing aromas of strawberry and raspberry with barrel notes of caramel, vanilla and baking spices. Oak aging rounds out the palate and gives the wine its body. The wine drinks of deep, concentrated raspberry, cherry pie with a touch of cola berry. The wine shows juicy fruit texture and subtle oak.” –Alex Cose, winemaker

2008 Mark West Pinot Noir (California): Medium, ruby red in color. Very aromatic with strawberry, raspberry, and spice on the nose. More red fruits and cinnamon come through on the palate. Medium-bodied and lively with soft tannins and a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $9.99; Available elsewhere, $8 to $12

The two biggest dangers to wine are wide temperature fluctuations and high temperatures for a sustained period of time. For wines that you plan to consume in the next week to the next year, which will probably be most of your wine, a dark, low-vibration closet in a home or apartment with a normal household temperature of 68 to 72 degrees is fine. It’s also wise to store your wine on its side, so that the wine remains in contact with the cork and keeps the cork from drying out. Actually, the color and thickness of the wine bottle itself are inherently a great help in protecting the wine as well.

For your high-end wines that merit bottle aging before consumption, you need to be more concerned about storing your wines in a proper temperature- and humidity-controlled environment. Unless you have hundreds of these elite bottles and can afford to build your own cellar, a refrigerated wine storage unit is probably your best bet. Unlike a standard refrigerator, these units keep wine at an ideal temperature of about 55 degrees and 70 percent humidity, with a minimum of vibration.

If you are in the market for a refrigerated wine storage unit for yourself or for the wine lover on your list this holiday season, there are three units that we can recommend from personal experience.

NewAir AW-321ED 32 Bottle Dual Zone Thermoelectric Wine Cooler
Recently, we received this wine cooler as a sample from Air & Water, Inc. The unit is a very attractive black cabinet with stainless steel trimmed doors. It comes with stainless steel racks, and wood racks are available as an optional accessory. Both racks are nice, but I preferred the stainless steel racks to match the décor in the room. In my opinion, the best feature of this unit is the dual zone capability. I have one side set at 45 degrees for storing white wines and the other side set at 55 degrees for storing red wines. It is very easy to operate with digital temperature controls. Overall, this is a great unit. The only drawback for me is that it only holds standard Bordeaux-style bottles. It will not hold Burgundy-style bottles (i.e. Pinot Noir, Syrah, Champagne) or really long bottles.

Chelsea Wine Cellar Credenza (42 Bottle – 2-Temp)
We bought this cooler three years ago from Wine Enthusiast. Not only does this unit contain two functional refrigerated units, but it is also a beautiful piece of furniture in our living room. The center of the credenza features a storage area for wine glasses and other wine accessories behind glass doors. We are able to store 24 glasses including champagne flutes and large Burgundy glasses, two decanters, a spit bucket, and a few other odds and ends. While we only store red wines in this unit and have both units set to 55 degrees, it has the capability to set each side at a different temperature. Unlike many wine coolers, this unit will hold different bottle styles including Burgundy-style bottles. Each refrigerated unit has a lock and key which is a plus when you have little ones in the house. The only drawback for me is that the temperature controls are dials rather than digital buttons. I can also speak very highly of Wine Enthusiast’s customer service. One of the refrigerated units stopped working just under a year after we bought it (during the warranty period). Wine Enthusiast replaced it with a completely new credenza immediately. Thankfully, two years later, we have not had any further problems. Unfortunately, it appears that this particular unit is no longer available from Wine Enthusiast; however, they do offer other credenza-style wine coolers.

EuroCave Performance 183 Wine Cellar
John (Dad) bought this cooler over six years ago from Wine Enthusiast. He speaks very highly of it. He lives in a condo and keeps the EuroCave in a storage closet which allows him to properly store a lot more wine than would normally be possible in a condo unit. His unit only has one temperature zone; however, EuroCave offers the unit with two and three temperature zones as well. It holds 183 standard Bordeaux-style bottles, but the height of the shelves can be adjusted to accommodate different style bottles. The unit has a lock and key for security. It is an attractive black cabinet with glass doors. This is a great unit, and EuroCave is one of the most-respected brands when it comes to wine coolers.

I tested all three units to see how fast they would cool a bottle to the proper storage temperature. While the “test” bottle in each unit got noticeably cooler each hour, it took each unit 24 hours before the bottle registered the same temperature as the unit’s temperature indicator.

Both Air & Water, Inc. and Wine Enthusiast offer smaller wine cooler models if the ones recommended above are too large or two expensive for your needs.

Do you already own a wine cooler? Please feel free to share your experiences and reviews of other models with your fellow readers.

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is Pierce’s disease.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Pierce’s disease, or PD, is one of the vine bacterial diseases most feared around the world as it can quickly kill vines and there is no cure. The disease, along with flavescence dorée, is a principal reason for quarantine restrictions on the movement of grape cuttings and other plants between countries. ….

Leaves develop marginal discoloration that advances to dead tissue. This progressively enlarges until only the petiole remains attached. Vines die within one to five years after infection, depending on grape variety, vine age, and climate. ….

The disease is spread by insects called sharpshooters, which transmit bacterium from host plants to the vineyards during feeding.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Pierce’s disease is a bacterial disease of the vine resulting in premature leaf fall and eventual death of the vine. The disease is spread by sharpshooters, insects that feed on an infected vine and then transmit the bacterium to a healthy vine.

Kori S. Voorhees, our Wine Peeps Editor-in-Chief, is also a regular contributor to Washington Tasting Room Magazine, a quarterly magazine that focuses on Washington State wine with articles about wineries, vineyards, travel, and lifestyle. The following article, written by Kori, appeared in the Spring 2010 issue.

Overlooking the lush Yakima Valley, DuBrul Vineyard is cultivating a loyal following for their elegant fruit—with helpful hands from an all-female vineyard crew

If you drive by DuBrul Vineyard, near Sunnyside, from mid-February through harvest in the fall, you are likely to see the ladies of their vineyard crew hard at work. They might be pruning, thinning, or doing whatever is necessary to take care of this 45-acre world class vineyard.

Why an all-female vineyard crew? “Women are more nurturing to the vines,” says owner Hugh Shiels. “We appreciate continuity of our workforce and people who care about following instructions.”

DuBrul Vineyard was planted by physician Hugh Shiels and his wife Kathy in 1992. At the time they purchased it, the land was home to an apple orchard and a meager seven acres of Riesling vines. Those Riesling vines, some of the oldest in Washington State, are still there today. The apple orchard, however, was torn out in order to plant Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc.

Master Farming

Those initial plantings were done under the expert supervision of vineyard consultant Dr. Wade Wolfe (now owner of Thurston Wolfe Winery). When Wolfe got promoted at Hogue Cellars, Stan Clarke took over the development of the vineyard. A Washington wine icon, Clarke worked with the Shiels from 1996 until his untimely death in 2007. Today, Rick Hamman is their viticultural consultant.

Through all three consultants, the one constant has been vineyard manager Larry Dolan, who has been there since the beginning. Under Dolan’s watchful eye, DuBrul is committed to sustainable farming practices. During a drought in 2005, they dug a naturally filling pond in the hydrology draining wedge on their property which allows them to provide the vineyard with normal irrigation even in years with limited rainfall.

Cherry Traits

DuBrul Vineyard, named after Hugh Shiels’ mother’s maiden name, is truly a unique site. The vineyard’s steep, rocky, south-facing slope is situated on a basalt promontory with gorgeous views of the Yakima Valley in all directions. It boasts many different aspects, multiple elevations, multiple exposures, multiple slopes, and multiple soils, which are planted to maximize the growing conditions for different grape varieties.

While cherry can be a very common descriptor in the flavor profile of red wines, Hugh and Kathy’s daughter, Kerry Shiels, who is the winemaker for the family’s estate winery Côte Bonneville identifies, “a very intense cherry that is distinctive of our vineyard,” as DuBrul’s overriding trait. “There is also a lot of complexity and richness in the fruits from DuBrul that is not common. Our vineyard tends to produce wines that definitely have good structure but are not astringent. Our tannin levels are not incredibly high. It lends itself more to elegant, finesse type wines.”

Multiple Varieties

Winemaker David O’Reilly of Owen Roe, DuBrul’s largest customer, speaks highly of the vineyard. He makes numerous single-vineyard wines using DuBrul fruit, including a Merlot, a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Syrah, a Chardonnay, and a Riesling.

Oftentimes, wine critics will perpetuate an idea about a particular region by saying that a certain area is great for growing one particular variety. When you look at DuBrul Vineyard, that theory is challenged.

“Where else can you find a single-vineyard with world class Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Chardonnay, and Riesling? It is just unheard of,” says O’Reilly.

“You think Syrah from the Rhone, Riesling from the Mosel, Chardonnay from Burgundy, and then the Bordeaux grapes. But here, you have all these grapes grown in one area.”

Hands-On

The common thread that emerges when speaking with winemakers who use DuBrul fruit is the attention to detail that goes into every aspect of the vineyard. “Everything we do is hand-harvested, hand-worked, and nothing mechanical. We differentially irrigate within a row and really manage everything to the nth degree,” says Kerry Shiels.

During harvest, Hugh Shiels, who still works as an orthopedic surgeon, visits the vineyard every morning to check on the crew and give them instructions for the day before he goes to his office. After work, he changes clothes, returns to the vineyard and helps the crew who will be working late into the evening. “To get the quality, you have to be hands on,” says Shiels.

Côte Bonneville

In 2001, Hugh and Kathy Shiels started Côte Bonneville, their estate winery that uses fruit exclusively from DuBrul. “Before the vineyard was ten years old, we knew it was special. So we decided to start our own winery to showcase what the vineyard can do best,” says Kathy.

Owen Roe’s David O’Reilly praises the consistency of the fruit he buys from DuBrul. “Year in and year out, you know what you are going to get and when you are going to get it.”

That consistency is a testament not only to the vineyard itself, but also to the Shiels family and the ladies of their crew who strive to be diligent stewards of the land.