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 CMS Red by Hedges 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

Hedges Family Estate, located on Red Mountain, is the largest family-owned winery in Washington State. Founded by Tom and Anne-Marie Hedges in 1987, Hedges produces a flagship Red Mountain red wine along with two value-priced wines, the CMS Red and CMS White. The aptly named CMS Red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah.

“Dark purple in color with a nose of black cherry, cassis, with hints of tar, tobacco and sweet vanilla toast. Black cherry and blackberry fruit continue on the palate with dried herbs and licorice. A nicely balanced wine with enough acid and tannins to make this a more serious longer lived wine that pairs nicely with food.” –Hedges Family Estate

2008 CMS Red by Hedges (Columbia Valley, Washington): 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Merlot, and 6% Syrah. Deep, dark purplish red in color. Nice nose with red fruit and plum aromas. Fruit-forward with red cherry, plum, and cinnamon on the 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: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $12; Available elsewhere, $9 to $16

On Friday evening, we hosted our 88th wine tasting dinner. This month’s dinner featured Washington Merlot from the 2006 vintage. For those of you still avoiding Merlot as a result of watching Sideways, it’s time to give this noble grape another chance. Merlot is a wonderful varietal, and Washington State makes outstanding Merlot. Washington Merlot is bigger, more complex, and has higher acidity than most Merlot produced elsewhere.

“Rather than using merlot as a simple blending grape to soften their cabernets, Washington winemakers are just as likely to do the reverse.” –Paul Gregutt, Washington Wines & Wineries, Second Edition

While all six wines were good, the top four were excellent and paired well with Mom’s dinner of tomato basil soup, mixed green salad with white balsamic vinaigrette, grilled marinated flank steak, balsamic roasted green beans, creamy potato casserole, and German chocolate dessert. The consensus favorite of the evening was the 2006 Columbia Crest Reserve Block 08 Merlot. It was followed closely by the 2006 Owen Roe DuBrul Vineyard Merlot, 2006 Fielding Hills Merlot, and the 2006 Stephenson Cellars Merlot.

Columbia Crest, located in Paterson, Washington, is the largest producer in the state. Head winemaker Ray Einberger and his team continue to pump out great wines at great prices. Well-known for their Grand Estates and Two Vines lines, it is their Reserve line that puts them in the league with the premier producers in the state.

Owen Roe Winery, named after a 17th century Irish patriot, sources fruit from both Oregon and Washington. The winery is located in Saint Paul, Oregon, but now makes their Washington wines in Sunnyside, Washington. Winemaker David O’Reilly primarily works with smaller vineyard sites in the Willamette Valley of Oregon and the cooler west end of Washington’s Yakima Valley. DuBrul Vineyard in the Yakima Valley is one of O’Reilly’s favorite vineyard sites and the fruit source for this vineyard-designated Merlot.

Fielding Hills Winery is a small, family-owned winery located in Wenatchee, Washington. Owner/winemaker Mike Wade (our Best Washington Winemaker of 2009) and his wife Karen are longtime apple and cherry growers who have turned a middle portion of their orchard near Mattawa into a vineyard. Their Riverbend Vineyard, planted in 1998, is in the Wahluke Slope AVA. They source all of their fruit, including the fruit used to produce this Merlot, from Riverbend Vineyard.

Stephenson Cellars, founded in 2001 by owner/winemaker Dave Stephenson, is a small winery located in Walla Walla, Washington. Dave Stephenson moved to Walla Walla in 1999 and began his career in the wine industry. Studying enology and viticulture textbooks and working at other wineries in Walla Walla prepared him to go out on his own with Stephenson Cellars just two short years later. In 2003, he began consulting for other wineries as well.

These wines are all good representations of the quality Merlot that Washington State produces.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2006 Columbia Crest Reserve Block 08 Merlot (Four Feathers Vineyard, Columbia Valley, Washington): Deep, dark red in color. Nice nose with floral and elegant red fruit aromas. More red fruits and vanilla come through on the palate. Medium-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: Winery, $35

2006 Owen Roe DuBrul Vineyard Merlot (DuBrul Vineyard, Yakima Valley, Washington): Deep, dark, brilliant red. Very aromatic with ripe fruit, cherry, spice, and floral aromas. More red fruits, cherry, spice, chocolate, and smoke come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $44.99

2006 Fielding Hills Merlot (Riverbend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): Deep, ruby red. Very aromatic with raspberry, plum, violet, and cinnamon on the nose; plum, cherry, and chocolate on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high 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: Winery, $36; Available elsewhere, $39

2006 Stephenson Cellars Merlot (Washington State): Deep, dark red in color. Black plum, cherry, licorice, and bubble gum come through on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high, drying tannins. Well-balanced with a long, slightly bitter finish. Improves with food the longer it is open.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $28; Available elsewhere, $28 to $29

2006 Chateau Ste. Michelle Canoe Ridge Estate Merlot (Canoe Ridge Estate, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): Deep, dark ruby red. Aromatic with smoked meats and earth aromas. Flavors of coffee, smoke, black fruits, and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium 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: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $18.99; Available elsewhere, $19 to $29

2006 Milbrandt Vineyards The Estates Merlot (Wahluke Slope, Washington): Medium red. Nose is a bit tight at first, then red fruit aromas emerge. Red fruits, particularly red plums, come through on the palate. Medium-bodied with lively acidity, soft tannins, and a medium finish. A bit thin.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $21.99; Available elsewhere, $20

Last week, we had the pleasure to take part in an online Chilean Red Blends tasting hosted by Wines of Chile. Eight Chilean winemakers/winery representatives convened in Chile to talk about their wines via videoconference to 50 wine bloggers across the United States. “Chile is red grapes paradise,” said Master Sommelier Fred Dexheimer who moderated from New York City. As a result, a wide variety of grapes are grown in Chile and the winemakers enjoy experimenting with new blends.

The presenting winemakers/winery representatives included:

• Brett Jackson, Valdivieso
• Marcelo Retamal, De Martino
• Ricardo Baettig, Estampa
• Aurelio Montes Del Campo, Montes
• Ricardo Rivadeneira Hurtado, Viña Maquis
• Luca Hodgkinson, Viña Hacienda Araucano
• Cesar Morales, Emiliana
• Grant Phelps, Casas del Bosque

They answered questions and shared personal stories on top of discussing their own wines and their love of blending in general. Most of the bloggers, including me, were tweeting during the event. If you’d like to review the stream, check out #ChileBlends.

In addition to tasting wines, I thoroughly enjoy it when I have the opportunity to visit with winemakers and kick the dirt in the vineyards. While my first choice would be to visit in person, I am thankful for the technology that allowed me (and my fellow bloggers) to visit with winemakers on another continent. One of these days I hope to be able to visit Chile so that I can complete the experience and kick the dirt in the vineyards, as well as meet some of these talented winemakers in person.

My favorite wine of the tasting was the 2008 Estampa Gold Assemblage Carmenere Blend from the Colchagua Valley. It had a gorgeous bouquet and good complexity. A close second and third were the 2008 Hacienda Araucano Clos de Lolol from the Colchagua Valley and the 2007 Casas del Bosque Gran Estate Selection Private Reserve from the Casablanca Valley. As you will see from the tasting notes below, the Estampa and Hacienda Araucano also deliver the most bang for your buck with QPR ratings of 5 (out of 5). While we tasted through all eight wines without food during the online event, Wines of Chile had sent a few recipes that they thought would pair well with the wines. So after the tasting, we paired our three favorite wines from the tasting with a dinner of Beef Empanadas and Wild Mushroom, Merken, and Red Wine Risotto. The empanadas and risotto were delicious, and all three wines really shined with food.

If you have not had any Chilean Red Blends, I encourage you to give them a try.

Here are the wines we tasted, listed in my personal order of preference:

2008 Estampa Gold Assemblage Carmenere Blend (Colchagua Valley, Chile): 57% Carmenere, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Petit Verdot. Medium to deep, ruby red. Very nice bouquet with red plums, red cherries, and spice aromas on the nose. More spice and red cherry along with pepper, tobacco, and leather on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and crisp with medium to high tannins and a long finish. Well-balanced. Has a lot going on. Young, should get even better with age.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail Price: $22

2008 Hacienda Araucano Clos de Lolol (Colchagua Valley, Chile): 31% Syrah, 29% Cabernet Franc, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 17% Carmenere. Medium to deep, ruby red. Very aromatic with floral notes, spice, red and black fruits on the nose. Black cherry, blackberry, floral notes, and a hint of smoked meats come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and crisp with medium to high, drying tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail Price: $23

2007 Casas del Bosque Gran Estate Selection Private Reserve (Casablanca Valley, Chile): 61% Syrah, 26% Merlot, and 13% Pinot Noir. Deep, dark purplish red. Aromatic with black olives, black fruits, floral notes, and spice aromas that lead to black cherry, blueberry, chocolate, and spice flavors. Medium to full-bodied and crisp with medium to high tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail Price: $50

2006 De Martino Single Vineyard Old Bush Vines “Las Cruces” (Cachapoal Valley, Chile): 66% Malbec and 34% Carmenere. Deep, bright ruby red in color. Red and black fruits, earth, herbal notes, and a hint of barnyard on the nose. Raspberry, black cherry, black plum, earth, licorice, and herbal notes come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and crisp with medium to high tannins and a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail Price: $45

2006 Maquis Lien (Colchagua Valley, Chile): 42% Syrah, 30% Carmenere, 12% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot, and 7% Malbec. Deep, dark purplish red. Nice nose with spice and floral notes. Fruit-forward with red fruit, raspberry, red cherry, cinnamon, and floral flavors. Medium-bodied and lively with soft tannins and a long finish. A little bit thin.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail Price: $19

2005 Valdivieso Eclat (Maule Valley, Chile): 56% Carignan, 24% Mourvedre, and 20% Syrah. Medium to deep, ruby red. Nose is a bit tight at first then opens into red fruit, mineral, and medicinal aromas. Red fruits, raspberry, rhubarb, spice, and Red Vines on the palate. Medium-bodied and crisp with medium tannins and a long, slightly bitter finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail Price: $27

2007 Emiliana Coyam (Colchagua Valley, Chile): 38% Syrah, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Carmenere, 17% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, and 1% Mourvedre. Deep, dark purplish red in color. Nice nose with aromas of black pepper, black fruits, and a spice rack. More black fruits and spice on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high tannins. A bit hollow on the mid-palate with a medium, slightly bitter, finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail Price: $29

2008 Montes Limited Selection Cabernet Sauvignon Carmenere (Colchagua Valley, Chile): 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Carmenere. Deep, ruby red. Barnyard, black fruits, blackcurrant, and eucalyptus aromas lead to flavors of earth, mineral, barnyard, mint, and chocolate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high, drying tannins and a long, bitter finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Suggested Retail Price: $15

Full Disclosure: We received these wines as samples.

For those of you who have never been, Leavenworth, Washington, is a quaint and beautiful Bavarian Village nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in the heart of the state. No matter the season, it is a great get-away tourist destination. And in recent years, it has also become a destination for wine lovers as a number of wineries now call the area home and others have opened tasting rooms in downtown Leavenworth. About a two and a half hour drive east of Seattle, Leavenworth was awarded the title of “Ultimate Holiday Town USA” by A&E Network in 2003.

Along with the Wenatchee Valley and Lake Chelan, Leavenworth is one of three destination areas within the Cascade Valley Wine Country. Located in central Washington State halfway between Seattle and Spokane, Cascade Valley Wine Country is home to approximately 50 wineries and tasting rooms. The oldest wineries in the Cascade Valley Wine Country have only been in existence about a decade. However, in that short time, they have capitalized on the tourist-appeal of the area and have established a thriving wine community.

Our family has taken long weekend trips to Leavenworth a couple of times each year since we moved to Washington State in the mid-1990’s. We enjoy visiting in both summer and winter as there is so much to do, no matter the season. During that time, we have watched wineries and tasting rooms open and have enjoyed getting to know some of the folks in the wine business there. Colby and I had a chance to visit Leavenworth again during our recent trip touring the Cascade Valley Wine Country.

In my opinion, Boudreaux Cellars is producing the best wines overall in Leavenworth. Only open by appointment, Boudreaux is well worth a visit. Owner/winemaker Rob Newsom, a Louisiana native, has lived on the property since 1981 and began making wine in his garage in 1998. In 2001, he started building the winery facilities. Boudreaux currently produces about 2,000 cases per year, which is exactly the production level that Newsom plans to maintain. Newsom sources his grapes from many different vineyards around the state. His goal is to get the best grapes from the best vineyards. Boudreaux Cellars is best known for its Cabernet Sauvignon, which is excellent. In addition to making great wines, Boudreaux boasts a spectacular setting along the Icicle River. With his Louisiana Cajun accent and dry sense of humor, Rob Newsom truly is one of the great personalities in the Washington wine industry.

Another must-visit in the Leavenworth area is Icicle Ridge Winery, both the winery itself with their hallmark log home tasting room in Peshastin and their downtown Leavenworth tasting room and gift shop called A Taste of Icicle Ridge. Louie Wagoner, the Wagoner family patriarch, is a well-known and respected pear farmer who ventured into the winery business with his wife Judy in 2002. Son-in-law Don Wood is the winemaker and the entire family is involved in the 6,000-cases per year operation. They host special events at the winery throughout the year including their summer Jazzamatazz Concerts. After a visit to Icicle Ridge, you leave feeling like you are part of the family.

Our most exciting new discovery on our recent trip to Leavenworth was Silvara Vineyards. Founded in 2008 by winemaker Gary Seidler and partner LPGA pro golfer Cindy Rarick, Silvara opened its beautiful tasting room between Leavenworth and Peshastin in October 2009. While their wines did not blow us away, they showed great potential. Silvara is definitely a winery to watch.

If you live in Washington or have plans to visit, I highly encourage you to include Leavenworth in your travel itinerary. With its location in the Cascade Mountains, Leavenworth is a year-round playground for outdoor recreationalists. From skiing or snowshoeing in the winter to hiking or river rafting in the summer, there are many activities available in the area. And for those that are not interested in outdoor activities, Leavenworth offers numerous unique shops. As was the case during our entire trip to the Cascade Valley Wine Country, we found the people of Leavenworth to be very friendly and welcoming. They seemed to truly love where they live and what they do. While the wine quality really runs the gamut, there are more than enough good wines and wine country experiences to be had. Given the gorgeous scenery and recreational opportunities, the area is a great get-away destination for everyone in the family, for wine lovers and teetotalers alike. For more information about planning a trip to the area, visit the websites for Cascade Valley Wine Country and the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce.

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is cover crop.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Cover crop is a crop of plants other than vines established in the vineyard, typically between the rows, generally for the benefit of the vineyard soil.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Cover crop is a crop of plants often planted in a vineyard between the rows, mostly for the benefit of soil quality and fertility.

Wine clubs are very popular among newbie and seasoned wine lovers alike. It’s easy to understand why. You visit a tasting room, like the ambiance, like the wines, and like the friendly tasting room host. So when he or she offers you a way to get 20% off of your wine purchases, you jump at the chance. After this happens five or six times at different wineries, you start becoming a regular on your UPS man’s route as the wine deliveries start coming in and the credit card charges mount. Only then do you begin to think. Do I really like ABC Winery’s wines that much? Should I have acted a little slower? Fortunately, most wineries allow you to drop your club membership anytime you wish.

Probably a better approach would be to taste at least several vintages of a winery’s entire lineup before signing up for their wine club, because while you may have really liked their Cab, they may be sending you their Syrah and Riesling in the first shipment, their Merlot and Chardonnay in the next shipment, and so on. Once you have done your due diligence, or have let someone like us at Wine Peeps whose palate you trust do your due diligence for you, a wine club membership can be a great experience.

Adopting your favorite winery by joining its wine club and following its vintages year after year is a great way to learn and feel like part of their family. When you join your favorite winery’s wine club, you not only get a first taste of their latest vintages that they send you automatically three or four times a year, but you typically also receive discounts on additional purchases, free winery tours, and invitations to special events. In many clubs, you can also specify whether you want all red wines, all white wines, or some of each. Of course, you will only be able to take advantage of some of those perks if you live relatively close to the winery or a satellite tasting room.

Today, it seems like everyone is in the wine club business, whether they are a winery or not. Even the Wall Street Journal and USA Today have wine clubs. These non-winery wine clubs typically advertise that they have special access to uniquely good wines of a particular type, either new wines not in general distribution, a variety of wines from around the world, famous waiting-list wines, and/or premium wines from a particular region. The wines are selected by the club operators and sent to you automatically every month or every other month.

While I’m sure that some wine lovers have found great new wines this way, I don’t believe it’s a very efficient way to find new favorites. You’re at the mercy of a club operator, who may have a financial rather than a fiduciary interest in the wines you receive.

We personally prefer the wine clubs of wineries whose wines we already know, those that have performed well in our own blind tastings, and whose new releases we want to access as soon as possible.

What are your thoughts/experiences with wine clubs?

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 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 <=$15
• 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.

“At first swirl, the 2009 Fumé Blanc presents bright aromas of lemon peel and passion fruit. After several minutes in the glass, additional aromas of pineapple and grapefruit shine through. On the palate, the wine continues the refreshing theme of citrus elements, along with a wonderful backbone of minerals that provide dimension and weight to the palate. Subtle, nuanced, and showing true varietal character, this delicious wine finishes crisp and juicy proving again just how versatile Sauvignon Blanc can be.” –Winemaker Bill Knuttel

2009 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. More grapefruit and lime peel come through 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: Received as sample, suggested retail $12; Available elsewhere, $10 to $15

Located in central Washington State halfway between Seattle and Spokane, Cascade Valley Wine Country is home to around 50 wineries and tasting rooms in Wenatchee, Chelan, and Leavenworth. The oldest wineries in the Cascade Valley Wine Country have only been in existence about a decade. However, in that short time, they have capitalized on the tourist-appeal of the area and have established a thriving wine community. Lake Chelan has been a popular tourist destination for years especially during the summer months when visitors flock there to enjoy the sunshine and recreation around the lake. In May 2009, Lake Chelan was established as Washington State’s 11th AVA (American Viticultural Area). Today, Lake Chelan is home to 15 wineries.

While both Colby and I had both vacationed in Chelan during college, our first trip to visit the wineries in the area was in the summer of 2009. We enjoyed visiting the area again during our recent trip touring the Cascade Valley Wine Country.

In my opinion, Nefarious Cellars is producing the best wines overall in Lake Chelan. Founded in 2004 by the husband-wife winemaking team of Dean and Heather Neff, Nefarious currently produces about 2,000 cases per year and plans to maintain that level. The Neffs are extremely nice folks, and their winery and estate vineyard boast gorgeous views of the lake.

Several other wineries worth visiting in the area include: Hard Row to Hoe, Rio Vista, Four Lakes, Benson, and Tsillan.

Don and Judy Phelps at Hard Row to Hoe love to tell stories and are producing some very good wines. In 2008, the Phelps rebranded their winery, which was formerly known as Balsamroot. The new Hard Row to Hoe name has a bit of a “naughty” story behind it, and they are more than happy to share it with visitors.

John and Jan Little founded Rio Vista in 2008 and currently produce about 600 cases per year. Rio Vista is a little off the beaten path but is a great find along the Columbia River. In fact, they get as much boat traffic as they get car traffic.

Four Lakes Winery sits high up on a hill overlooking, what else, four lakes. The view is amazing. Founded in 2003 by owner Don Koester, Four Lakes’ new tasting room opened last year.

Benson Vineyards Estate Winery, founded by Paul and Kathy Benson and their sons, Scott and Jeff, is located on 30 vineyard acres with a spectacular view of Lake Chelan. They bought the land in 1998, ripped out the existing apple orchard, and began planting their vineyard in 2002. Their first harvest was in 2004, and they released their first wines in 2005. Currently, they produce about 5,000 cases per year using 100 percent estate fruit. Benson boasts a stunning new facility, which opened last year.

Founded in 2000, Tsillan Cellars is a beautiful Tuscan-style winery located on a slope overlooking Lake Chelan. Tsillan is owned by dentist/inventor Bob Jankleson and produces about 5,000-6,000 cases per year. As of 2008, Tsillan uses fruit exclusively from their 135 acre estate. Tsillan Cellars also features a Summer Concert Series.

If you live in Washington or have plans to visit, I highly encourage you to include Lake Chelan in your travel itinerary. The gorgeous lake, which offers a host of recreational opportunities, as well as the 15 wineries in the area make Chelan a fabulous Washington wine country destination. As was the case during our entire trip to the Cascade Valley Wine Country, we found the people of Lake Chelan to be very friendly and welcoming. They seemed to truly love where they live and what they do. While the wine quality really runs the gamut, there are more than enough good wines and wine country experiences to be had. Given the gorgeous scenery and recreational opportunities, Lake Chelan is a fun destination for the whole family. For more information about planning a trip to the area, visit the websites for Cascade Valley Wine Country, Lake Chelan Wine Valley, and the Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce.

Wine lovers spend a lot of time talking about wine itself but very little time talking about the glasses in which that wine is served. As we have said before, good wine glasses do make a difference. However, before you roll your eyes in disagreement or, conversely, fear that you’ll have to take out a second mortgage for new stemware, please just hear me out. While good wine glasses can improve the overall wine drinking experience, it is not necessary to become obsessive about it. The most important thing is consistency. When you taste wines, it is important to use the same glass for all of the wines in the tasting. And if you are going to be discussing the wines with a group, it is important for each person in the group to be drinking from the same type of glass.

Nevertheless, if you are a wine enthusiast who wishes to make the most of your wine drinking experiences at home, you’ll want to consider adding some good wine glasses to your wine toolkit. Riedel has been the standard-bearer for fine stemware for 50 years while the Riedel family has been a glassmaking dynasty in Austria for over 250 years. In 1961, Claus Riedel (the 9th generation Riedel in the glassmaking business) really distinguished the Riedel Company in stemware as he focused on function over aesthetics and produced glasses specially made to enhance specific styles of wine. He launched the handmade Sommeliers series in 1973. His son, Georg Riedel, took his vision even further by producing grape-specific glasses and also developing a line of machine-made glasses, the Vinum series, to make the Riedel glasses more affordable.

My Dad’s cousin Marie Morris and her husband Dink were the ones who first introduced me to Riedel wine glasses and the difference good wine glasses can make, and they gave Colby and me our first set of Riedel glasses when we got married. We have used Riedel glasses virtually every day since. Recently, three different manufacturers have sent us samples of their stemware to try.

Eisch Glaskultur is a small glass producer from Germany. We received two red wine glasses from their Superior Line, one with their proprietary SensisPlus treatment and one without. Their claim: “Wine poured in SensisPlus glasses becomes more harmonious and complex, with better balance and greater elegance.”

Andrea Robinson is a Master Sommelier, wine educator, and author. Based on her wine knowledge and experience, she has developed her own line of stemware called The One. We received two The One glasses, one white stem and one red stem. Their claim: “The One white stem is the only glass you will ever need to optimize the scent and taste of all white wines, and The One red stem is the only glass you will ever need to optimize the scent and taste of all red wines. It’s really that simple.”

Ravenscroft Crystal has been producing handmade, lead-free crystal for years; although, for much of their history, their products were produced for other brands and sold under other brand names. They have been producing wine-specific stemware and decanters under the Ravenscroft name since 1999. Last year, Ravenscroft released a new collection of stemware called Invisibles. The Invisibles Collection includes eight varietal, specific shapes. We received one Invisibles Bordeaux/Cabernet glass. Their claim: “The delicate hand and mouth feel of a Ravenscroft Crystal Invisible wine glass delivers a whisper-light, sensuous, tactile, elegant, perfectly tuned and virtually undistracted precision tool experience, that is perfect for the most discriminating wine enthusiast.”

In true Wine Peeps fashion, we decided to evaluate them in the only way we know how to do so fairly…blind. Differing slightly from our blind wine tastings, our comparative tasting of stemware was done using the same wine in each glass while we were blindfolded. Mom (LaGayle) prepared the tastings, one red and one white, and then put the glasses in front of Dad (John) and me for evaluation. As we tasted, we made our comments aloud as Mom took notes. After our rankings were complete, we took off our blindfolds to see how they finished.

Results of the red stem showdown:

1. Riedel Vinum Bordeaux (~$30/stem) – Our favorite in terms of overall feel and best expression of aromas and flavors.
2. Eisch Superior Red Wine (~$22.50/stem) – A very close second. Very similar in terms of feel to the Riedel. Good expression of aromas and flavors.
3. Eisch Superior SensisPlus Red Wine (~$30/stem) – Exhibited very good aromatics but overall expression of flavors was not as good as the standard Eisch or Riedel.
4. Andrea Robinson The One Red (~$12.50/stem) – Good aromatics but the feel and shape of the glass was a bit awkward. You have to tilt the glass way up to take a sip. However, a beautiful glass in appearance.
5. Ravenscroft Invisibles Bordeaux/Cabernet (~$10/stem) – Extremely light, which we found awkward and distracting. Stored under the same conditions as the other glasses, after a few days, this one appeared cloudy, almost frosted over while the others were still crystal clear and clean.

Results of the white stem showdown:

1. Riedel Vinum Chablis/Chardonnay (~$25/stem) – Our favorite in terms of overall feel and best expression of aromas and flavors.
2. Andrea Robinson The One White (~$12.50/stem) – Good aromatics but the feel and shape of the glass was a bit awkward. You have to tilt the glass way up to take a sip. However, a beautiful glass in appearance.

The Riedel Vinum stemware fended off the challengers to win both the red and white stem showdowns. The Eisch Superior glasses finished in a close second and third place among the red stems.  If you are looking to start or add to your stemware collection, I can easily recommend both Riedel and Eisch. Obviously, I understand that $30/stem, for which both the Riedel Vinum and Eisch retail, may be a bit pricey. Therefore, for an everyday all-purpose stem, I highly recommend another glass in the Riedel line, the Riedel Ouverture Red Wine glass. It is the glass that we use most often for both red and white wines and retails for ~$10-12/stem.

What is your favorite stemware, for special occasions and for everyday use?

Cheers!

Full Disclosure: We received the stemware from Eisch, Andrea Robinson The One, and Ravenscroft as samples.

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 fourteenth 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 other Washington, the Washington, DC, area. Whether you live in Washington, DC, or travel to our nation’s capital for business or pleasure, 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 found three Washington, DC, area retailers, Calvert Woodley, Corridor Wine & Spirits, and DCWineGuy (Cairo Wine & Liquor). Calvert Woodley and DCWineGuy both have a decent selection of mostly value wines from Washington State, while Corridor has a very good selection at a variety of price points. I’m hoping that some of our readers will weigh in with comments if you know of other Washington, DC, 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.

Calvert Woodley, 4339 Connecticut Avenue, Washington, DC 20008
Corridor Wines & Spirits, 3321 Corridor Marketplace, Laurel, MD 20724
DCWineGuy.com (Cairo Wine & Liquor), 1618 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009