A few weeks ago, the Wine Peeps team hosted a Digging into the Cellar Party for about fifteen of our closest wine loving friends. The theme was Rhone-style wines, and we bookended a blind tasting of eighteen 2005 Washington Syrahs with a 2005 Chateau de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape from France and a 2001 Penfolds Grange from Australia. The 2005 vintage was a great vintage in Washington wine country, and we wanted to see how these Syrahs were doing at five years old and see which ones we thought still had a lot of life left.

What we found was that almost all the Syrahs were still drinking very well, and we estimated that many of them could easily go another 5 to 7 years. Although this was not a serious, take copious tasting notes, event, each attendee was asked to turn in the bottle 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 turned out to be the 2005 Stevens Black Tongue Syrah. My personal favorite was the 2005 Fielding Hills Syrah, and Kori’s favorite was the 2005 O*S Dineen Vineyard Syrah. Other group favorites were the 2005 Watermill Reserve Syrah (an Oregon winery located in the Walla Walla Valley AVA), the 2005 Hollywood Hill Vineyards Syrah, and the 2005 Basel Cellars Syrah.

Undoubtedly, the overall favorite wine of the night was the 2001 Penfolds Grange, and well it should be with its price tag. It was a spectacular wine in every way and should be drinking well for at least another twenty years. It was one of those wines that leaves memory notes on your brain that pop back up every time you mention the wine…blackberries, blueberries, licorice, dark chocolate, spice, and a long, lingering finish. Maybe it’s not so expensive after all if you can call up the wine in your mind and smell the aroma and taste the taste all over again without spending another dollar.

All in all it was a great party with great friends and spectacular wine. 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 2009 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cold Creek Vineyard Riesling 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. 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 Riesling, are made in Woodinville.

“Cold Creek Vineyard is known for producing a rich, soft style of Riesling because of the area’s warm temperatures. The wine offers aromas of ripe peach and grapefruit with a refined elegance and a refreshing finish. The wine’s concentration and intense focused fruit is attributed to the older vines at Cold Creek.” –Bob Bertheau, Head Winemaker

This Riesling would be a great, economical choice to pair with your Thanksgiving turkey and dressing tonight.

2009 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cold Creek Vineyard Riesling (Cold Creek Vineyard, Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, greenish straw yellow in color. Very aromatic with white peach, lime, and minerality on both the nose and palate. Slightly off-dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced with a long finish. Residual sugar: 2%
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $15; Available elsewhere, $15 to $16

Happy Thanksgiving!

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.

The holidays always get me in the mood for sparkling wine. Last week, our tasting group met and explored Champagne. Champagne is the most well-known sparkling wine in the world, but it can only be called Champagne if it is produced in the Champagne region of France. The Champagne region is one of the coldest and most northerly winegrowing regions, which is why it is best suited to sparkling wine. Champagne is produced from any or all of the three grape varieties allowed for sparkling wine production in the Champagne region: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. The majority of Champagne, about 85 percent, is non-vintage and produced in a “house style” by blending wines from several vintages. In the best years, a vintage Champagne is produced in which all of the wine is from the year indicated on the bottle.

We tasted six bottles of Champagne, and the consensus favorite was the 1996 Moet et Chandon Dom Perignon Brut Champagne. Colby and I were glad to see this wine do well in the blind tasting because it has special significance to us personally. It is our “anniversary” wine. Each year, we enjoy a bottle of Dom Perignon to celebrate our wedding anniversary. The tradition began when members of our extended family gave us a bottle of Dom Perignon and made a special toast at our rehearsal dinner. The 1996 vintage itself is not significant for us other than we purchased a case of it several years ago and have been working through the case each anniversary since then. We have occasionally opened a bottle of it for other occasions such as this tasting. We have five bottles left and were thrilled to find that it is still drinking well at 14 years old.

If you like Champagne and enjoy history, you might be interested in a book I read last year, Champagne: How the World’s Most Glamorous Wine Triumphed Over War and Hard Times by Don and Petie Kladstrup. It was a fascinating read and would make a great stocking stuffer.

Unfortunately, one of the bottles in our tasting was corked so you will only see tasting notes below for five sparkling wines. All five would make good choices to enjoy during the upcoming holidays. From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

1996 Moet et Chandon Dom Perignon Brut Champagne (Champagne, France): Pale to medium, golden yellow. Small, fast bead of bubbles. Very aromatic with citrus fruits and floral aromas on the nose. Lemon, lime, yeasty, and nutty flavors come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with very crisp acidity. Well-balanced and elegant with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: K&L Wine Merchants (California), $125; Available elsewhere, $205 to $300

NV Deutz Brut Classic Champagne (Champagne, France): Pale, straw yellow. Small, fast bead of bubbles. Aromatic with cheesecake and milky aromas on the nose; lime, yeasty, and nutty flavors on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with lively acidity. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Whole Foods (Seattle, Washington), $42; Available elsewhere, $29 to $55

NV Pierre Peters Blanc de Blancs Brut Champagne (Champagne, France): Pale, straw yellow. Small, fast bead of bubbles. Aromatic with corn and play-doh aromas that lead to flavors of corn, bread, and green apple. Dry and medium-bodied with lively acidity and a long, slightly bitter, finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Available from various retailers, $36 to $60

NV Henri Abele Brut Champagne (Champagne, France): Medium straw yellow. Small, fast bead of bubbles. Nutty and yeasty aromas on the nose. Lemon, lime, bread, and nutty flavors on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $36.79; Available elsewhere, $27 to $40

NV Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut Champagne (Champagne, France): Medium yellow. Medium, fairly fast bead of bubbles. Vegetal, petrol, and applesauce aromas on the nose. Beer, yeasty, and creamy flavors come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Available from various retailers, $29 to $33

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is leafroll virus.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Leafroll virus is a virus disease that is widespread in all countries where grapes are grown. The disease is now thought to be due to a complex of different viruses which can be differentiated. Of all the virus diseases of vines, it can have the most serious effects on wine quality. These dramatic effects are not understood by the many appreciative tourists in wine regions who marvel at the attractive autumnal colours of vineyards. Few realize that these colours often indicate the presence of a serious disease, although other factors may contribute to autumnal colours. Leafroll virus causes yield to be reduced by as much as 50 per cent. Wine quality is also affected because of delayed ripening. Thus wines from infected vines are lower in alcohol, colour, flavour, and body. The disease does not kill vines, so they are infrequently removed. Yet removal is the only known treatment to overcome the effects of the virus.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Leafroll virus can be responsible for the lovely gold and red vine leaves in the vineyard in autumn. This color display, coupled with a downward rolling of the leaf blade, is an indication of delayed crop ripening and reduced yields.

Today’s post is part of a series featuring the Women of Washington Wine. In an industry once dominated by men, more and more women are joining the ranks as winery owners, vineyard owners, and winemakers. Being a woman myself, I am fascinated by these women and what they have done and continue to do. Through this series, I hope to introduce you to some of the brightest female faces in the Washington wine industry.

Judy Phelps and her husband Don bought a 25-acre orchard on the north shore of Lake Chelan in 2004. They ripped out most of the orchard, planted grapevines, updated the existing orchard buildings, and purchased winery equipment to prepare for their first crush in the fall of 2005. Judy serves as winemaker while Don manages the vineyards. Originally known as Balsamroot, the winery was rebranded as Hard Row to Hoe in 2008. The Hard Row to Hoe name has a bit of a “naughty” story behind it, celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit of a man who ran a row boat taxi service on Lake Chelan in the 1930’s ferrying miners by rowboat to a brothel located at Point Lovely. Judy and Don are both very personable and can often be found greeting visitors to their winery and vineyards.

Recently, Judy was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions for me and our Wine Peeps readers.

Highlights from Q&A with Judy Phelps:

How did you first get involved in the wine business?
I first got involved when I decided to turn my hobby of winemaking into a full-time profession, a second career. This came about as a result of a golden handshake opportunity from my corporate job. I had been making wine at home for friends and family and knew that my early retirement was coming, so I went back to school to get some formal training in winemaking. I received my winemaking certificate from UC Davis in 2006.

What were the steps that led to where you are now?

1. I went back to school at UC Davis to get training in winemaking. This was a 3-year program that ended in 2006.
2. Don and I bought property, a beautiful orchard at Lake Chelan in 2004. In 2005, we pulled out most of the orchard and planted grapevines.
3. We bought state-of-the-art winemaking equipment, renovated an old orchard shed, and had our first commercial crush in 2005.
4. We renovated an old building on the property and turned it into a tasting room. The opening in 2006 was very basic honestly; we set up a card table, put out a shingle, and started pouring our wine.
5. I decided to concentrate on quality not quantity as a business model and this has allowed and encouraged me to explore different varietals and styles of winemaking, which has contributed to our success. Despite everything else, it is all about the wine.

Hey, it was just that easy!

Has being a woman been an advantage or a disadvantage in your wine journey?
I don’t think it has hurt or helped one way or the other actually, for me anyhow. Although, it is still a male-dominated field; and without female mentors, it may be hard for a young woman to get started. I skirted the glass ceiling by starting my own business and being my own boss. I think for women just starting in the field, they may face some obstacles because it is a non-traditional field for women.

What advice do you have for a woman wanting to get involved in the wine business today?
Like my advice to anyone starting out, be open to any opportunity and get your foot in the door, even if that means volunteering somewhere at first. Get as much experience as you can; be a sponge and absorb everything. There is no one right way to make wine. My philosophy is to find out what you are good at and “OWN” it.

I think that women wine drinkers are a fast growing demographic and women in the business can reach out to the female customer base. Wine tasting has become a social activity for women; it is a niche to take advantage of.

What are your thoughts about the Washington wine industry, in general?
What a great place to be a winemaker! The industry has come so far just in the 6 years that I have been involved in it. It will continue to grow, and Washington wines will continue to grow in popularity.

In recent years the Washington wine industry has grown at a rapid rate. Do you expect that trend to continue?
Yes. Washington wines are still relatively unknown by the rest of the country and the world. I believe we are still on a strong growth curve.

How do you and your husband, Don, divide the duties at the winery?
The short answer is that Don takes care of the vineyard, and I do the winemaking. Don still has a regular day job so the day-to-day management of the winery and tasting room falls to me. Don expertly takes care of the bookkeeping and bill paying and also does most of the social media campaigning. I think we make a great business team and complement each other nicely.

A couple of years ago, you rebranded your winery from Balsamroot to Hard Row to Hoe. What led to that decision and how has the new image been received?
Balsamroot is a native wildflower, part of the shrub steppe habitat here in eastern Washington. We love the name Balsamroot, and because we grow the vineyard organically, we thought it was a good fit because we promote and support the native plant species surrounding the vineyard as part of our organic program. Unfortunately, there was no connection between the name and our customer base. Most of the visitors to the tasting room come from the Seattle area where balsamroot does not grow. We quickly learned that hardly anyone could remember the name, which is not a good position if you are trying to promote your brand.

So with that fact firmly in my mind, I attended a session at the WAWGG [Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers] Conference in 2007 about winery branding and got the idea to rebrand by hearing of the J. Bookwalter Winery story of how they rebranded. That was in February, and by May, we had a new name and new label. We did it rather quickly, I think. The new name has been well received and because of the double entendre and the story behind the name, people now remember it.

You and Don have been very active in promoting Hard Row to Hoe via Twitter and Facebook. What impact has your social networking had on the winery?
I am not sure how to quantify the impact it has had, but we love interacting with our customer base on both Twitter and Facebook. It keeps us in touch with what they like and don’t like and makes us better business owners. We encourage people to comment on our Facebook page; we read everything. So it has helped a great deal to build the brand, as they say, and for people to get to know us and our wine. We don’t use social media to sell anything, just to interact with folks. It really is a lot of fun, too.

What is your vision for the future of Hard Row to Hoe?
We will continue to increase the amount of wine we produce from our estate vineyards. Right now, it is only a small percentage because the vines are young. We expect to continue to specialize in Cabernet Franc as a specialty, and we are starting to explore other varieties from the Lake Chelan AVA such as Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, and Malbec. So look for these in the future. Lake Chelan is a new AVA so, in a way, we feel like pioneers. We will continue to increase the amount of Lake Chelan AVA wines with time, as more and more grapes come online. I love being able to explore growing new varieties and learning how they express themselves here locally.

Feel free to share any other thoughts that you believe would be of interest to our readers.
Our philosophy at Hard Row to Hoe is to take some of the snobbery out of wine drinking and wine tasting and make it more fun. Our wine is no joke, however. This philosophy has made our wine and tasting room very appealing and approachable to many people who may never have tried our wine otherwise. Wine doesn’t have to be pretentious to be good!

I want to encourage women to get involved in the winemaking field, and I’d be willing to mentor anyone out there who may be interested.

—

Many thanks to Judy for sharing her story and thoughts with us. I wish her and Don all the best and will continue following their work and Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards with great interest, and I hope that you will too. And, I certainly hope one of our female readers will take Judy up on her offer to be a mentor.

When I received a copy of The Wine Journal by Jennifer McCartney, my first thought was that it might be a great holiday gift item for a wine newbie. After giving the book some further study, my initial opinion has been reinforced. It would make a great stocking stuffer for your new-to-wine friend or family member.

While there are many ways to keep a record of wines you have tasted, the setting, and what you thought of the wine, the biggest stumbling block for most folks is just the discipline to do it. I’ve kept corks as a memory device, but, after a while, you forget most of the story about the wine. I usually use a simple spiral notepad for my notes. However, if I could break out of my rut, this book would be a perfect journal to use. It’s small enough to fit into a woman’s purse or a man’s cargo pants pocket, and there’s enough room to write down all the pertinent information about a wine, when and where you tasted it, with whom you tasted, and what food you ate, if applicable. In addition, there is ample space to write any comments and tasting notes as well as your overall rating of the wine. If I counted correctly, there is room for 228 wines in this book, and then you can start a second one.

The best part of using a wine journal is the ability to recall which wine you had for a special occasion like your spouse’s birthday celebration, who else was there, and what meal you enjoyed with the wine. A few years down the road, it can be quite fun and educational to flip back through your wine journal, rather than receipts and the backs of envelopes, to relive each of those wines.

You can find fancier journals, some even leather-bound, but for the money (~$11), I believe this one is as good as it gets. It even has an introductory chapter with some good quotes and interesting wine trivia. One caveat: the paper in the book is fairly slick so be careful about what type of pen you use so you don’t smear the ink when you close it.

The author, Jennifer McCartney, is a Canadian writer and editor from Ancaster, Ontario with a background in the hospitality industry, currently living in Brooklyn, New York.

If you want to record your notes about wine in one handy place or need a gift for a wine loving friend, I encourage you to pick up a copy (or two, or three) of The Wine Journal today.

Have you used The Wine Journal? If so, please leave a comment and let us know what you thought of it.

Cheers!

Full Disclosure: We received this book as a review copy.

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 2006 LAN Rioja Crianza from the Rioja region in Spain.

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

Bodegas LAN, founded in 1972, is named after the initials of the three provinces in the Rioja region of Spain: Logroño (now La Rioja), Álava, and Navarra. Rioja, located in north-central Spain, is probably the most well-known wine region in Spain. Red wines from Rioja are typically Tempranillo-based. Red wines labeled Crianza have been aged a mininum of 24 months of which 6 months were spent in oak.

“Brilliant red cherry with violet hues. Elegant aging aromas with fruity notes. It develops a good balance at the palate coming from the sweet and elegant tannins.” –Bodegas LAN

2006 LAN Rioja Crianza (Rioja, Spain): 100% Tempranillo. Medium to deep, ruby red in color. Very aromatic with red fruits and earth on the nose; red fruits, particularly cranberry, dusty notes, and spice come through on the palate. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity, medium drying tannins, and a long finish. Gets better the longer it is open.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $10.49; Available elsewhere, $9 to $15

Twelve, founded by John and Linda Lenyo, is a small, family-owned winery in Carlton, Oregon. The Lenyos live on their 12.5-acre estate vineyard, Fir Crest Vineyard, which is the sole source of fruit for the Twelve wines. Located in the Yamhill-Carlton District AVA in the northern part of the Willamette Valley, Fir Crest Vineyard is planted to 11 acres of Pinot Noir and 1.5 acres of white varieties. Originally from New Jersey, the Lenyos moved to Oregon in 1996, bought their vineyard land in 1998, and produced their first vintage of Twelve in 2003. Currently, Twelve produces 1,200-1,500 cases per year. If you are curious about the name Twelve, as I was, search “goes to eleven” on YouTube to watch one of the Lenyos favorite movie scenes and the inspiration for the name of their winery.

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste some Twelve wines in a blind samples tasting. We tasted their 2008 Estate White as well as a Pinot Noir vertical, which included the 2005, 2006, and 2007 vintages of their 144 “reserve” Pinot Noir and the 2008 vintage of their estate Pinot Noir. We would recommend all five wines but especially enjoyed the 2008 Estate White and the 2006 Pinot Noir 144. Twelve is definitely an exciting new discovery for us.

With the help of consulting winemaker Dean Fisher, the Lenyos make the Twelve wines at ADEA Wine Company in Gaston, Oregon. In July, Twelve had a “soft” opening for their new tasting room in McMinnville. They will be hosting an official grand opening in conjunction with the release of their 2008 Pinot Noir “reserve” blends, the 144 and Uh-Huh, this Saturday, November 20th.

Oregon’s Willamette Valley is a great place to visit, particularly for Pinot Noir lovers. Our last trip to the Willamette Valley was in 2008, and we are anxious to visit again. We will definitely be adding Twelve to our list of places to visit on a future trip to the area. If you are looking for something fun to do over Thanksgiving weekend, you might consider attending the Willamette Valley’s annual Wine Country Thanksgiving when over 160 wineries and tasting rooms will open to the public for special tastings and holiday festivities.

2008 Twelve Estate White (Fir Crest Vineyard, Yamhill-Carlton District, Oregon): 80% Pinot Blanc, 20% Pinot Gris. Pale to medium, greenish yellow in color. Very aromatic with lemon and lime on the nose; more lemon, lime, and white peach come through on the palate. Dry and medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced and refreshing 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 $15; MadWine (Seattle, Washington), $15

Pinot Noir vertical (oldest vintage to most recent vintage):

2005 Twelve Pinot Noir 144 (Fir Crest Vineyard, Yamhill-Carlton District, Oregon): Medium red in color. Very aromatic with strawberry, cranberry, and violet aromas. More strawberry and cherry pie filling flavors on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity, medium dry tannins, and a long, slightly bitter 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 $35; Available elsewhere, $36 to $40

2006 Twelve Pinot Noir 144 (Fir Crest Vineyard, Yamhill-Carlton District, Oregon): Medium red in color. Beautiful bouquet with floral and red fruit aromas. Raspberry, cranberry, strawberry, violet, and a hint of spice come through on the palate. Medium-bodied with good, crisp acidity and medium tannins. Well-balanced with a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $35

2007 Twelve Pinot Noir 144 (Fir Crest Vineyard, Yamhill-Carlton District, Oregon): Pale to medium, ruby red. Aromatic with strawberry, raspberry, and cranberry on the nose. Bright red fruits, particularly strawberry, and cinnamon dominate the palate. Medium-bodied and crisp with medium tannins and a long, somewhat bitter, finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $35

2008 Twelve Pinot Noir (Fir Crest Vineyard, Yamhill-Carlton District, Oregon): Pale to medium, ruby red. Nice nose with bubblegum and cedar aromas which lead to flavors of raspberry, cranberry, and a hint of spice. Medium-bodied and crisp with medium tannins and a long, slightly bitter, finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $25; MadWine (Seattle, Washington), $23

Note: This “Wine Word of the Week” series, which previously ran on Saturdays, will now be running on Tuesdays starting today.

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

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Charmat is the name of a bulk sparkling winemaking process which involves provoking a second fermentation in a pressure tank. Also called cuve close or tank method.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Charmat is a method of sparkling wine production in which the second alcoholic fermentation takes place in a pressurized tank rather than in the bottle. This method is often used for producing German Sekt and Italian sparkling wines such as Asti and Prosecco.

For years, I’ve had friends tell me that they can’t find the great Washington State wines that I tell them about where they live. So with the help of Wine-Searcher.com and a lot of legwork, I’ve set out on a mission to prove them wrong.

This is the fifteenth in a series of posts to help you find great Washington State wines in the major cities and areas all around the country. Today, I’m searching for Washington State wine in the San Jose, California, area. Whether you live in San Jose or travel there for business, we want to help you be able to find and enjoy your favorite Washington State wines.

Here’s the format: To be selected, a store first has to have a Wine-Searcher.com rating of 4 or higher on a scale of 1 to 5 for customer service, reliability, etc. Next, it has to stock Washington State wines that we like. Finally, they need to be an online retailer as well, so that if you don’t live close enough to the store to drop in, you can still purchase their wines.

Based on these strict criteria, I struck out. Fortunately, there are two great wine merchants that I’m personally familiar with that have stores in the San Jose area, BevMo and K&L Wine Merchants. I’ve bought online from both of them multiple times and have been pleased with their service. Both of them have a good selection of Washington wine at a variety of price points. I’m hoping that some of our readers will weigh in with comments if you know of other San Jose area wine retailers with a good selection of Washington State wines.

When you visit one of these stores, please let me know how you find their service and selection, and don’t hesitate to ask us any questions you might have about any of the Washington State wines they are offering.

BevMo-Camden, 14800 Camden Ave, San Jose, CA 95124
BevMo-Willow Glen, 1133 Lincoln Ave, San Jose, CA 95125
BevMo-Blossom Hill, 871 Blossom Hill Road, San Jose, CA 95123
BevMo-Santa Clara, 3149 Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95117
K&L Wine Merchants, 3005 El Camino Real, Redwood City, CA 94061