5:00pm
It’s Day 2 here at the Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, Washington. We are just about to begin the Live Wine Blogging – Red Wines segment featuring wines poured for us by the winemakers themselves. Just like yesterday, we will update this post as we go.

5:05pm
2007 Sequel Syrah [Long Shadows] (Columbia Valley, Washington): Always a favorite. Made by John Duval from Australia. Black fruits, smoke, chocolate, lots of layers. Well-balanced.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $55

5:11pm
2008 Solena Estate Pinot Noir (Hyland Vineyard, McMinnville, Willamette Valley, Oregon): Luscious red fruits, strawberry, raspberry, spice. Smooth, crisp. Well-balanced.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $50

5:17pm
2007 Concannon Conservancy Petite Sirah (Livermore Valley, California): Inky purple. Blackberry, black plum, baker’s chocolate. Big yet smooth.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $15

5:22pm
Presentation of AOC Travel Guides. An iPhone/iPad app. “A tour of wine, food, and culture.”

5:26pm
2006 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley, California): 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec. Black fruits, oak. Drying tannins. Long, lingering finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $52

5:32pm
2007 Maryhill Zinfandel (Columbia Valley, Washington): Black cherries, raspberry, pepper, hint of cocoa. Fruit-forward, jammy. Long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $15

5:37pm
2007 Dry Creek Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley, California): Gorgeous nose, good fruit. Red and black fruits, black pepper, spice. Drying tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $28

5:42pm
2006 Hogue Cellars Genesis Merlot (Columbia Valley, Washington): Black plums, spice box. Medium to full-bodied, medium tannins. Long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $16

5:47pm
2006 Buty Columbia Rediviva (Phinny Hill Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Syrah. Black fruits, smoked meats,  black pepper. Extremely well-balanced, smooth, velvety tannins, long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $48

5:52pm
2007 Boomtown [Dusted Valley] Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): Black plum, blackberry. Medium, dry tannins. Long finish. A great weeknight wine.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $15

5:57pm
2007 Gordon Brothers Merlot (Columbia Valley, Washington): 93% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Syrah. Black fruits, cinnamon, hint of earth. Medium-bodied and smooth.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $20

6:02pm
2005 Nicholas Cole Cellars Camille Red Wine (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 45% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Petit Verdot. A lot of bacon on the nose. Black fruits, smoke, bacon. Big and bold. High, drying tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $35

6:06pm
This concludes the Live Wine Blogging – Red Wines segment.

Cheers!

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is foil cutter.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
A foil cutter is a gadget for serving wine which helps cut the foil neatly just below the lip of the bottle with the advantages that this avoids unsightly and possibly dangerous torn metal edges, and that there is no likelihood of the wine’s being poured over a foil which might taint it. Some foil cutters are blades incorporated into corkscrews; others are separate prongs with small circular blades which cut the foil when rotated. Life without a foil cutter is quite feasible; living without one after being introduced to it is not.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
A foil cutter is a gadget that neatly and quickly cuts the foil or capsule just below the lip of the wine bottle.

4:50pm
Dad (John), Colby, and I are here at the Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, Washington. We are just about to begin the Live Wine Blogging – White Wines segment featuring wines poured for us by the winemakers themselves. We will update this post as we go.

5:00pm
NV Pepperwood Grove Chardonnay (California): The Big Green Box. Green apple, vanilla, crisp acidity. But not much to it.
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $19.99 [3L box]

5:05pm
2009 Desert Wind Viognier (Wahluke Slope, Washington): Nice nose, fresh, floral, white peach, apricot. A bit hot.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $15

5:11pm
2009 Poet’s Leap Riesling [Long Shadows] (Columbia Valley, Washington): Always a favorite. So crisp and refreshing. Great acidity. Apricot, peach, citrus. Well-balanced.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $20

5:16pm
2009 Big House White (California): 51% Malvasia Bianca, 14% Muscat Canelli, 13% Viognier, 10% Gruner Veltliner, 5% Pinot Gris, 4% White Riesling. Very fragrant nose. Disappoints on the palate.
Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $21.99 [3L Octavin]

5:21pm
2008 Maryhill Viognier (Columbia Valley, Washington): Green apple, pear, honey. Lively acidity. Residual sugar: 1.24%.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $11.95

5:26pm
2008 Hogue Genesis Riesling (Columbia Valley, Washington): Off-dry, crisp acidity, refreshing. Melon, citrus, tangerine. Long finish. Residual Sugar: 1.8%
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $16

5:31pm
2008 Buty Semillon/Sauvignon/Muscadelle (Columbia Valley, Washington): 69% Semillon, 26% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Muscadelle. Good acidity. Floral aromas, lemon, hint of oak. Very nice. Well-balanced.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $25

5:38pm
2009 Dusted Valley Ramblin’ Rosé (Columbia Valley, Washington): 52% Mourvedre, 29% Counoise, 16% Syrah, 2% Viognier. Dry. Strawberry, raspberry, cherry. Good acidity.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $18

5:41pm
2008 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Estate Blanc (Columbia Valley, Washington): 62% Sauvignon Blanc, 38% Semillon. Dry, grapefruit, vanilla, honey, tropical fruits.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $34

5:47pm
2008 Duck Pond Cellars Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley, Oregon): Dry, mineral, melon, smooth.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $15

5:47pm
2009 Banfi Centine Bianco (Toscana IGT, Italy): 40% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Grigio. Nice nose. Pear, lime, crisp acidity.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $10

5:55pm
2009 Kung Fu Girl Riesling (Evergreen Vineyard, Columbia Valley, Washington): Produced by Charles Smith Wines. Nose is a bit tight at first.  Lime, lemon, tropical fruits. Off-dry. Good acidity. Residual Sugar:  1.5%
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $12

6:00pm
This concludes the Live Wine Blogging – White Wines segment. Whew! A fast-paced process but lots of fun.

Cheers!

Today through Sunday, Dad (John), Colby, and I will be attending the third annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, Washington. We are thrilled that this year’s conference is being held in our home state and look forward to joining our fellow wine bloggers as well as other members of the wine industry for three days of meeting, greeting, learning, sharing, and of course, tasting. The conference boasts an action packed agenda including breakout sessions, keynote speakers, visits to local vineyards and wineries, and tastings. Just like the previous two years, I’m sure we will have much to share with you all when we return.

One thing I want to go ahead and explain is the Live Wine Blogging segments that we will be participating in this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon. We will be tasting and reviewing wines live from the conference. It will be a fast and furious process but should be a lot of fun. So stop by this afternoon at 4:50pm PDT for white wines and tomorrow around 5pm PDT for red wines and follow along for some live updates.

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 Corvidae Lenore 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

Corvidae Wine Company, located in Sunnyside, Washington, is a relatively new label in the Owen Roe Winery portfolio. All of the wines are produced with Oregon and Washington fruit and retail for under $20. In Latin, Corvidae is the name for the family of birds that includes the crow, raven, jay, and magpie, birds that can often be found in Eastern Washington vineyards. Each of the Corvidae wines feature a bird and literary quote on the label. This line of wines is yet another excellent offering from winemaker David O’Reilly.

“Dark and brooding, indulgently lush, this deep purple juice is the Syrah enthusiasts answer to everyday drinking. Lenore captivates with her spice, seductive jammy fruit and a supple texture. A delicious drink now wine that’s a steal for the price.” –Corvidae Wine Company

2007 Corvidae Lenore Syrah (Columbia Valley, Washington): Deep, dark purple. Oak and dark fruits come through on the nose; more dark fruits and spice on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish. A good weeknight wine.
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, $13 to $17

Last Friday evening was a beautiful, sunny, summer evening here in Seattle. It was the perfect night to gather with friends to enjoy a fabulous meal and good wines for one of our monthly wine tasting dinners. And what is the perfect wine to enjoy on a hot summer day? This is the time of year when we turn our attention to rosé wines. In fact, many wineries only make small quantities of rosé wines to be released during the summer months.

Since rosés have a limited window of availability, we decided to change up our normal routine a bit in order to taste a few more wines. It was a gorgeous early summer evening, so we tasted through eleven Washington Rosés outside on the deck. Each person was asked to take one pour of each wine, taste it, and then give a preliminary 1-11 ranking in order of preference. We then tallied up the scores in order to determine the six “finalists” that would move on to the dinner portion of the tasting.

Rosé is French for “pink” and is used to describe wines of that color. Rosés are generally made from red grapes; however, unlike typical red wine production, the skins are removed from the juice after only a couple of days. This limited skin contact gives rosé its light pink color and is the reason that rosés are lighter-bodied than most red wines. Rosés can run the gamut from dry to sweet. Too many people think pink wines are all sweet. Not so. For me, the dry rosés are more serious and interesting.

This tasting was a lot of fun. Not only were the wines perfect for the weather, but they paired very well with Mom’s dinner of tomato basil soup, arugula, peach, and tomato salad, grilled pork tenderloins, steamed red potatoes with yellow bell pepper, lemon seasoned fresh green beans, and meringue shells with ice cream, garnished with whipped topping and mixed fresh berries.

The consensus favorite was the 2009 Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese. It is one of the most well-known and widely available Washington State rosés. I look forward to its release each year. My personal favorite of the night was the 2008 Lullaby Rosé. I had it for the first time a couple of weeks ago during the #WARose tasting with Paul Gregutt. French-born Virginie Bourgue is a talented winemaker who recently left her position as head winemaker for Cadaretta to focus full-time on her own Lullaby Winery. The 2009 Milbrandt Traditions Rosé and the 2007 Columbia Crest Two Vines Vineyard 10 Rosé were also excellent. And, the best news is that all eleven wines retail for $18 or less with four of them receiving a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

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

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings with dinner:

2009 Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese (Columbia Valley, Washington): Medium pink in color. Very aromatic. A lot of red fruits up front on both the nose and palate, especially strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, and watermelon. Dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced and very refreshing with a long finish. A great sipper on a hot summer day and gets even better with food.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, WA), $11; Available elsewhere, $9 to $13

2009 Milbrandt Traditions Rosé (Columbia Valley, Washington): 100% Syrah. Light pink and very aromatic. Aromas and flavors of watermelon and raspberry. Dry and light-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish. Very refreshing.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Whole Foods (Seattle, WA), $12

2007 Columbia Crest Two Vines Vineyard 10 Rosé (Washington State): 95% Syrah, 5% Viognier. Medium, hot pink in color. Aromatic with cherries, strawberries, and a hint of vanilla on the nose; more cherries come through on the palate. Slightly off-dry, light to medium-bodied, lively acidity, and a long finish. Residual Sugar: 1%
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, WA), $6; Available elsewhere, $7 to $9

2008 Lullaby Rosé (Columbia Valley, Washington): 100% Grenache. Very faint copper in color, could easily be mistaken for a white wine instead of a rosé wine. Aromatic with fresh, floral notes. More floral notes, strawberry, melon, and herbs come through on the palate. Dry, light-bodied and crisp with a long finish. Well-balanced and very refreshing with good complexity. A Provence-style rosé. Reminds me of a rosé sparkling wine without the bubbles. Excellent by itself and very food-friendly. My personal favorite of the evening.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: McCarthy & Schiering (Seattle, WA), $18 [500ml]; Available elsewhere, $15

2009 Charles & Charles Rosé (Columbia Valley, Washington): 100% Syrah. Pale, pinkish salmon. Aromatic with watermelon rind and ripe red berries on the nose; watermelon, berries, peach, and a hint of pepper and spice on the palate. Dry, light to medium-bodied and crisp with a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Central Market (Shoreline, WA), $10; Available elsewhere, $9 to $13

2009 Waters Rosé (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 75% Syrah, 25% Viognier. Pale to medium, pinkish salmon in color. Gorgeous nose with vibrant fruit, red berry, melon, and floral aromas. Cranberry, melon, and strawberry on the palate. Dry, light to medium-bodied and crisp with a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $18

The rest:

2007 Working Girl Wines [Olympic Cellars] Rosé the Riveter (Columbia Valley, Washington): 100% Lemberger. Off-dry.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, WA), $10.50; Available elsewhere, $9

2009 Dusted Valley Ramblin’ Rosé (Columbia Valley, Washington): 52.4% Mourvedre, 29% Counoise, 16% Syrah, 2% Viognier. Dry.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $18; Available elsewhere, $16

NV Townshend Pink Table Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): Sweet.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, WA), $5.50

2009 Syncline Rosé (Columbia Valley, Washington): 37% Cinsault, 35% Counoise, 12% Grenache, 11% Mourvedre, 5% Carignan. Dry.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $16; Available elsewhere, $14 to $16

2007 Eliseo Silva [Tagaris] La Rosa de Syrah (Columbia Valley, Washington): 92% Syrah, 8% Riesling. Residual Sugar: 3.5%
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, WA), $10; Available elsewhere, $9

O*S Winery, located in South Seattle, was founded in 1997 by Bill Owen and Rob Sullivan. They produce about 3,000 cases per year. We first visited their tasting room during the holidays in 2008 and were immediately impressed with the high quality of wines they are producing across the board. That initial impression was validated when their 2006 Dineen Vineyard Syrah received our highest Quality rating of 5 stars (out of 5) in our tasting dinner last December. In fact, we named that wine as our Best Washington Wine of 2009.

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste two current releases from O*S Winery in a blind samples tasting. Once again, we were very impressed with the quality of both wines. The 2009 Riesling and the 2007 Cabernet Franc are both excellent and deliver serious bang for your buck. Both wines are produced from fruit sourced from Champoux Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills.

If you are in the Seattle area, I highly encourage you to visit O*S. In addition to producing excellent wines, they offer a fun, welcoming tasting room experience.

2009 O*S Winery Riesling (Champoux Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): Pale, greenish yellow and very aromatic. Lemon zest, honey, and apricot aromas lead to pineapple, apricot, mango, and honey flavors. Off-dry, medium-bodied, crisp acidity, and a long finish. Well-balanced and very refreshing. Residual Sugar: 2%
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $15

2007 O*S Winery Cabernet Franc (Champoux Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 83% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, red garnet in color. Very aromatic with cinnamon, clove, and a hint of oak on the nose. Raspberry, cherry, and spice come through on the palate. Medium-bodied with crisp acidity and medium tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and 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 $28

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.

Denise Slattery and her husband, Steve Michener, are co-owners and co-winemakers of Trio Vintners in Walla Walla, Washington. Trio Vintners was established in 2006 and focuses on Italian and Rhone varieties. Denise and Steve moved to Walla Walla with their two young sons to pursue their winemaking dream. They both studied at the Institute for Enology and Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College. In addition to the numerous hours they put into Trio, Denise has a freelance marketing strategy and writing service business and Steve is a Registered Nurse.

Trio has been located in one of the five almost identical buildings built by the Port of Walla Walla near the regional airport known as “incubator” wineries. The incubator concept was developed with the entrepreneurial spirit in mind. Each incubator winery must be brand new to lease space and at the end of a six-year lease, they must move out to make room for another new winery. As of July 1, Trio will be moving into a new location in downtown Walla Walla.

Recently, Denise 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 Denise Slattery:

How did you first get involved in the wine business?
Coming from San Francisco, I was aware of the emerging wine industry, especially through the 80’s. Napa and Sonoma were a huge draw for me. But it was not until later in my professional life that I was able to connect the dots, to be able to take what I knew about marketing and branding and apply it to something that I had actually crafted myself. At the same time, it was my husband, Steve, who introduced me to wines from around the world, and I was able to focus on wine as a study. Shortly after moving to Walla Walla, I enrolled in the Enology and Viticulture program and was completely impressed with the quality of education I received. I had the great fortune to have the late Stan Clarke as an instructor.  He passed on so much passion and knowledge, especially about viticulture. I fell in love with the process of training a grape plant to make great wines. He was a tremendous influence.

What were the steps that led to where you are now?
We looked at quite a few communities to live in where we could pursue a family-based wine business. We found Walla Walla through some research into the wine business. The community seemed like a great fit for our family and the Enology and Viticulture Center proved to be a great place to get hands-on learning experience.

Has being a woman been an advantage or a disadvantage in your wine journey?
It’s something that I’m aware of but don’t try to bring a lot of attention to. I meet many women who are in the sales and marketing side or run winery business operations but not many women winemakers. I happen to do both and need to multi-task in our daily wine operations. It’s a good trait to have as a winemaker.

There is an old guard (in both vineyards and the cellars) that tends to be dominated by men, and, consequently, there’s a tendency to be taken slightly less seriously. That said, it’s hard to disentangle this from the fact that I really am quite new at this in the scheme of things so I try to give them the benefit of the doubt!

One thing that is clearly different for me is that I am also a mother of two school age boys and this has prevented me from being able to be out and on the road more often. It’s just a fact. I can’t take the road trips or meetings with wholesalers when I also have to be on hand for my kids. Family trumps all. It’s frustrating at times because I can’t get the face time with wine buyers so they know I’m a real part of the winemaking team! But I’m really good on the phone! So call me, ok? ☺

What advice do you have for a woman wanting to get involved in the wine business today?
For me, since we don’t own our own vineyards, it is very important to be knowledgeable about grape farming. Know the growers, know what kinds of wines are produced from the blocks, and pursue those grower relationships that fit your style of doing business. On the winemaking side of things, do not be intimidated by those that appear to know more. Just keep your head down, work hard, and have a sense of humor. You will not make better wine just because you are a woman, but it’s quite possible that you may have more fun doing it!

What are your thoughts about the Washington wine industry, in general?
My crystal ball says we have a great future ahead! Seriously, I’m excited to be making wine in a state where quality is king and commitment to excellence is the name of the game. I’m proud to call myself a Washington winemaker. But we all have to work hard to keep the quality up and our reputation growing, especially to other parts of the country and abroad.

In recent years the Washington wine industry has grown at a rapid rate. Do you expect that trend to continue?
I think, despite economic pressures, you’ll see small producers continue to get into the business. The industry is a magnet for those who are willing to shoulder debt in order to create their own product and brand, live the dream, etc. We’ll also see some consolidation amongst the larger producers where margins and operations are managed more closely.  But smaller producers will always be more entrepreneurial and able to stretch a little further. As a result, there will be some churn.

This is a very complicated and low margin business to operate no matter where you choose to make wine. Many don’t realize that until they are into it for a few years, so it’s not too surprising that there are people leaving the business. For those who are willing to try and work hard, go for it!

How do you and your husband, Steve, divide the duties at the winery?
Well, I like to say I make just a little bit more wine than Steve, but, truthfully, it’s really a “divide and conquer” operation. We both do whatever must be accomplished in a given week. All the critical winemaking decisions are made between us. We both adhere to a wine making style that’s fairly minimalist, low-oak, using fruit that’s high in acid and low in potential alcohol. We compliment each other. As far as the marketing and sales, I manage the majority of that work. I’m way more plugged into social media than Steve, but on the other hand, he’s the first to pour over numbers.

I understand that Trio is moving out of the “incubator” at the Walla Walla Airport and into a new tasting room downtown on July 1. What led you to making this move now?
Several factors. Establishing ourselves at that location has been great for us, but it’s time to move on. We have a time limit of six years, and we don’t want to leave this critical move to the last minute. On another note, I don’t want to be perceived as “new” or “incubating” any longer. Of course, we are still very young as a wine business, but I think we are growing more solid in terms of our winemaking style, our grower relationships, and a core group of customers who are following us with each release. That’s very satisfying. Finally, as we all know in this business, you have to sell the wine too! So our new location downtown is going to give us a better profile and allow us to further distinguish ourselves from other producers in Walla Walla. That’s a challenge. We want to fit in, yet stand apart. I love my neighbors, but I need my own address.

What is your vision for the future of Trio Vintners?
We will be buying Chateau Ste. Michelle and producing nothing but Mourvedre! Just kidding! We want to grow slowly, in time and at a comfort level that’s in check with the realities of the marketplace. We would love to eventually transition into this being our main source of income (Steve is working full-time as an RN right now) by growing the brand to the point where we can actually make some money. It’s a lot of fun, but we’d be crazy to be doing this if we didn’t want to eventually make a living at it.

Feel free to share any other thoughts that you believe would be of interest to our readers.
My whole life has been about exploring new frontiers and taking on new challenges. That is our underlying philosophy at Trio Vintners. We encourage people to try new types of wines, to expand their palates, and discover new tastes. I love what I’m doing now because it’s pulling together all the skills I’ve spent years honing. Wine is about sharing and bringing together people. This is what I know how to do best.

—

Many thanks to Denise for sharing her story and thoughts with us. I wish her and Steve all the best and will be following their work and Trio Vintners with great interest, and I hope that you will too.

(Photos from Trio Vintners)

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

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Riddling is an integral stage in the traditional method of making sparkling wines, known as remuage in French. It involves dislodging the deposit left in a bottle after a second fermentation has taken place inside it and shaking it into the neck of the inverted bottle. It can be achieved either by hand or, more speedily, by machine. Modern alternative techniques may eventually render this cumbersome process superfluous.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Riddling is the process by which a sparkling wine bottle is turned so that the lees or dead yeast cells gradually move and collect in the neck of the bottle.

President Obama and the wine blogging community have a lot in common. We’ve both come to the forefront in the last few years with a flourish of hope, excitement, and promise of great things to come. Unfortunately, just as with Obama, most bloggers have proven more adept at spending than generating income.

Just as most politicians don’t pay enough attention to the average taxpayer, I don’t believe that most wine blogs pay enough attention to the average wine consumer. I read quite a few wine blogs on a regular basis, and most of them are written to appeal to the professional wine trade, wineries, or other bloggers. Too many others seem to believe that sexual innuendo, profanity, and even plagiarism is the key to success.

We try very hard to write Wine Peeps for the wine consumer, and write in a way that is family-friendly. In addition to our extensive number of wine reviews with QPR ratings, we have a number of regular features designed specifically for the wine consumer: A Wine for Tonight, Wine Word of the Week, Challenging Wine Pairing, Wine Tasting Dinner recaps, Tasting Group recaps, Wine Event recaps, Great Washington Wine Available in [insert city], Women of Washington Wine, Spotlight On, and Wine Book Reviews.

Our mission at Wine Peeps is to be “Your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond.” If you believe we are straying from that objective, please let us know so we can get back on track.

Thank you for reading. Cheers!