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 Buried Cane Riesling from Washington State.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$15
• Must be widely available

Buried Cane is the value brand for Middleton Family Wines. The Middletons, a multi-generation Washington timber family, also own Cadaretta Winery in Walla Walla, which is where Buried Cane is produced. Buried Cane wines are named after a time-honored practice used to protect grape vines from frigid winter temperatures in which low-growing vine canes are buried and then unearthed after winter freezes pass.

“Our Riesling is a ripe, off-dry white with a subtle nose of orange blossom, citrus and jasmine, and flavors that define Washington State Riesling. The balanced mouthfeel is crisp and clean; it’s the ideal thirst quencher for Asian cuisines, chicken and cheeses.” –Buried Cane

2007 Buried Cane Riesling (Washington State): Medium yellow in color. Apricots and metallic notes on the nose lead to apricots and peaches on the palate. Off-dry and medium-bodied with lively acidity. Well-balanced with a long finish. Residual Sugar: 1.2%
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $12; Available elsewhere, $9 to $10

Founded in 2002 by winemaker Kevin Cedergreen, Cedergreen Cellars is located in Kirkland, Washington, though, as is the case with most Washington State wineries, their fruit is sourced from eastern Washington. Kevin’s introduction to agriculture came at an early age, growing up on an orchard in eastern Washington. After college, Kevin worked as a landscape architect in Seattle. In the mid-90’s, Kevin and his wife decided it was time for a change, and they wanted to do something that would allow them to spend time in both eastern and western Washington. Starting a winery seemed to be a good fit. To learn the nuts and bolts of winemaking, Kevin took extension courses through UC Davis. Before starting his own winery, Kevin worked at several wineries in Washington State and spent part of each year in New Zealand so that he could work harvest year-round. The experience he gained in Washington and New Zealand has given Cedergreen Cellars an integration of New World styles.

At first, Kevin focused exclusively on white wines but has since added red wines to his portfolio. I think that was a great decision. Dad (John) and I first met Kevin at the Cabernet Classic last fall. Recently, we tasted some of Cedergreen’s current releases in a blind samples tasting. We thought that the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon was excellent. We had tasted it at the Cab Classic, and it has only gotten better with additional time in the bottle. We also really enjoyed the 2008 Old Vine Chenin Blanc. I have a soft spot for Chenin Blanc, as it was one of the first varieties that I fell in love with when I first got into wine. Unfortunately, it is not a regular part of the portfolio for many wineries so I am always thrilled to find wineries that do produce it.

If you have not had any Cedergreen wines, I encourage you to give them a try if you see them on the shelf at your local wine shop. You’ll recognize them by the distinctive red square on their labels.

2006 Cedergreen Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): Medium-deep red and very aromatic. Vegetal and mint aromas on the nose; coffee, tobacco, and black fruits on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $29

2008 Cedergreen Old Vine Chenin Blanc (Columbia Valley, Washington): Very light straw yellow, almost white. Very aromatic with vanilla, guava, and papaya on the nose; melon and lemon zest on the palate. Dry and light-bodied with crisp acidity. Well-balanced 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 $17; Available elsewhere, $18

2006 Cedergreen Thuja Red Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Medium red in color. Perfume aromas lead to flavors of black fruits, coffee, and mint. Medium to full-bodied and crisp with medium, dry 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; Available elsewhere, $21

2006 Cedergreen Merlot (Columbia Valley, Washington): Medium-deep red. Moderately aromatic with oak and red fruits on both the nose and palate. Medium-bodied and crisp with medium, dry tannins and a long, slightly bitter finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $36

Halibut is the fish of choice in our family, so when I learned about halibut cheeks, I could not resist giving them a try. The cheek meat is located behind the eyes and jaws and is thought to be the most tender and flavorful part of the fish. Halibut cheeks are considered an Alaskan gourmet treat, and some people compare them to sea scallops or even lobster depending on how they are prepared.

For this challenging wine pairing, I served the halibut cheeks with drawn butter and the meal included a fresh green salad, creamy polenta, and grilled mixed vegetables. The cheeks were a real treat and were very easy to prepare.

Referring to my favorite book, What to Drink with What You Eat, by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, I decided to pair the meal with a White Burgundy and a Pinot Noir. When possible, we like to make these challenging wine pairings even more interesting by trying one Old World wine and one New World wine and sometimes go so far as comparing one white and one red. Most people automatically think white wine when they are serving fish, so we thought it would be fun to give a lighter, food-friendly red a chance as well. For this challenge, I selected the 2008 Louis Jadot Pouilly Fuisse (100% Chardonnay) from the Burgundy region of France and the 2008 Owen Roe Sharecropper’s Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley of Oregon.

These are both very good, food-friendly wines. However, all four of us Wine Peeps gave a slight edge to the White Burgundy without food and thought that it paired the best with our halibut cheeks as well. That said, we look forward to trying this Pinot Noir again with another meal. And, best of all, both wines received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

We have a lot of fun with these challenging wine pairings so I encourage you to try your own challenging pairings at home. Also, we would love for you to suggest challenging wine pairing meals for us to try in the future.

Bon Appétit!

2008 Louis Jadot Pouilly Fuisse (Pouilly Fuisse, Burgundy, France): 100% Chardonnay. Pale to medium, straw yellow in color. Very aromatic with minerally and lemon aromas leading to lemon zest and more citrus notes on the palate. Medium-bodied with lively acidity. Well-balanced and refreshing with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $26.79; Available elsewhere, $18 to $26

2008 Owen Roe Sharecropper’s Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, Oregon): Medium-deep, ruby red. Aromatic with red fruits, smoke, and bacon on the nose; red cherries, raspberries, and smoke on the palate. Medium-bodied and very smooth with low to medium, soft 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), $22.99; Available elsewhere, $20 to $35

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 tenth in a series of posts to help you find great Washington State wines in the major cities and areas all around the country. So far, the series has featured New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Austin, and Denver. Today, I’m searching for Washington State wine in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. Whether you live in Philly or take a trip there to see the Liberty Bell, we want to help you be able to find and enjoy your favorite Washington 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 really 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 cannot find a single Philadelphia area retailer to recommend. Pennsylvania has some of the most archaic liquor laws in the country. Wine distribution is controlled by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board [PLCB], which just happens to own and operate 54 state liquor stores in Philadelphia alone. Five of those stores, two on Chestnut St., and one each on S. 5th, Germantown Ave, and Franklin Mills Cir, are known as Premium Collection Stores. It is those stores that have good selections of top quality Washington State wine, and it is available through the PLCB online site as well. I’m recommending those five stores based on this information and hoping that some of our readers will weigh in with your comments if you know of other Philadelphia area wine retailers with a good selection of Washington 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 wines they are offering.

Wine & Spirits Stores (Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board)
Five Premium Collection Store locations:

• 1913 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
• Top Of The Hill Shop Ctr, 8705 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19118
• 401 Franklin Mills Cir, Philadelphia, PA 19154
• 1218 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
• Society Hill Shopping Ctr, 326 S 5th St, Philadelphia, PA  19106

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

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Disgorgement, or degorgement in French, is an integral stage in the traditional method of sparkling wine-making entailing the removal of a pellet of frozen sediment from the neck of each bottle. Modern alternative techniques such as alginate beads may eventually render this cumbersome process superfluous though on a commercial scale they have not generally proved to be sufficiently economical or practical.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Disgorgement is the process in which sediment is removed from the neck of a sparkling wine bottle.

LaGayle is the love of my life and my best friend. She and I have been married 42 years, which is almost 99% of the time we have known each other. Wine has been an increasingly important part of our lives as the years have gone on. How else could she have put up with me this long?

Actually our move to the state of Washington almost 13 years ago was the catalyst for our joint love affair with wine. While I had my first glass of wine over 50 years ago, our daughter, Kori, who had come to school at the University of Washington, was the one who really introduced us to wine country and wine as an everyday part of life. When we could easily visit the wineries, meet the winemakers, and kick the dirt in the vineyards, our interest in and passion for wine increased exponentially.

Regular Wine Peeps readers know that our monthly wine tasting dinners started as a result of some of those early trips to wine country where we made terrible buying mistakes. Our solution to this problem was to just buy a bottle or two, not a case, at the winery, bring it home, and taste it blind against similar wines. Then we could confidently buy more once a wine was a proven favorite. We’ve been having our regular monthly dinners ever since.

As our wine dinners went on for years and years as well as our trips to wine country, and not just in Washington but around the world, our circle of friends who looked to us as their “wine experts” expanded as well. Being a mathematician and engineer by education, I was not only interested in finding great wine, but great wine at a bargain price, thus the development of our signature QPR rating for wines we review. Starting the Wine Peeps family wine blog was a natural extension of sharing our growing wine expertise with our friends.

Since I sold my investment management business and LaGayle retired from her full–time volunteer job in the Athletics Department at the University of Washington, we have more time to spend together exploring the world of wine. LaGayle’s fascination with new and/or unusual recipes has led to many what I call “guinea pig” meals with possible candidates for our Challenging Wine Pairing series. We typically have a glass of wine with every meal, and often have blind tastings of two wines at family dinners for fun and as a learning experience. These tastings also give us many of the candidates for our A Wine for Tonight series.

After dinner each evening, unless we are babysitting our 3 ½ year old granddaughter, we typically read or watch a ballgame on TV while sipping a glass of wine. LaGayle’s favorite after-dinner sipper is a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. My glass is usually from a bottle of red wine that we had previously opened for dinner, to see how it has evolved after 24 or 48 hours.

Love and a glass of wine are a hard combination to beat.

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 Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese 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

In case you haven’t gotten your fill of virtual tastings yet, tonight there is another one featuring Washington wine. Organized by Randall PR and hosted by Paul Gregutt, the Northwest’s most prominent wine writer, #WARose (the event’s Twitter hashtag) is a virtual event whose goal is to get folks drinking and talking about dry rosé wines from Washington State.

Tonight, Paul will taste and talk about these eight Washington dry rosés:
Syncline Wine Cellars 2009 Rosé, Columbia Valley ($16)
Waters Winery 2009 Rosé, Walla Walla Valley ($18)
Chinook Wines 2009 Cabernet Franc Rosé, Yakima Valley ($14.99)
Sleight of Hand Cellars 2009 Rosé of Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley ($17.99)
Charles & Charles 2009 Rosé of Syrah, Columbia Valley ($12.99)
Lullaby Winery 2008 Rosé of Grenache, Columbia Valley ($16)
Barnard Griffin 2009 Rosé of Sangiovese, Columbia Valley ($12)
Dusted Valley 2009 Rosé, Columbia Valley ($18)

Participants are invited to watch the live stream, ask questions, and tweet their thoughts. We will be participating and wanted to recommend one of the wines that meets our “A Wine for Tonight” criteria so that you can join in and taste along if you’d like.

Barnard Griffin Winery, located in Richland, Washington, was founded in 1983 by Rob Griffin and his wife Deborah Barnard. Rob moved to Washington State in 1977 to be winemaker for Preston Wine Cellars when there were under ten wineries in the entire state. Shortly after founding Barnard Griffin, Rob left Preston and went to work for Hogue Cellars as winemaker and general manager. In 1991, Rob left Hogue to devote his full time and energy to Barnard Griffin. The current winery and tasting room were built in 1996. Barnard Griffin’s current annual production is approximately 75,000 cases. Their Rosé of Sangiovese is one of the most well-known and widely available Washington State rosés. I look forward to its release each year.

“A dry Sangiovese Rosé tour de force! Boasts a range of complex flavors built around racy strawberry and tart orange with hints of melon rind and peach. Impresses because of its perfect balance between rich, concentrated flavors and mouthwatering acidity.” –Owner/winemaker Rob Griffin

So go to your local wine shop, pick up a bottle of this 2009 Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese or any of the aforementioned Washington rosés, log on to Twitter between 5:30 and 7pm PDT tonight, and participate in the #WARose event. You’ll find me on Twitter @winepeeps.

And, even if you have no interest in participating in the virtual event, this is a great bottle to enjoy on a warm summer evening.

2009 Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale to medium pinkish salmon color. Very aromatic. A lot of red fruits up front on both the nose and palate, especially strawberries, raspberries, 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.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, Washington), $11; Available elsewhere, $9 to $13

While we frequently enjoy wine with food, our writings here on Wine Peeps generally focus on the wine first. Don’t get me wrong, food is important and there are plenty of food blogs out there for you foodies. We just want to be your first stop when it comes to wine. However, on my recent press trip to Paso Robles, California, I had the pleasure to delve into the Paso Robles food scene a bit as well. I’m not going to go too far out of my area of expertise and rate the food itself, but I do think that anyone considering a visit to Paso Robles might appreciate some restaurant recommendations to enjoy while you are there. One of the things that I noticed is how closely integrated the wine and food culture is in Paso. The wineries recommend local restaurants, the restaurants recommend local wineries and offer local wines on their wine lists, and restaurateurs and winemakers frequent each other’s establishments.

So without further ado, here are some excellent Paso restaurants to try on your next wine tasting trip to the area.

Downtown Paso Robles

Thomas Hill Organics
1305 Park Street
Paso Robles, CA 93446
805-226-5888

Thomas Hill Organics is a market-bistro and wine bar dedicated to serving organic produce from their farm in the east hills of Paso Robles. The menu changes on a weekly basis to showcase seasonably fresh ingredients. Owned by Joe and Debbie Thomas, Thomas Hill Organics makes a great lunch stop during a day of wine tasting in downtown Paso.

Artisan Restaurant
1401 Park Street
Paso Robles, CA 93446
805-237-8084

Owned by Chef Chris Kobayashi and his brother Michael who is the General Manager, Artisan is dedicated to sourcing local ingredients and changing the menu for the season. According to Chris, the menu is driven by what is sold at the local farmers market. The food at this American Bistro is fabulous, and the setting is perfect for a lovely dinner after a day of wine tasting.

Out in Wine Country

Farmstand 46
3750 Highway 46 West
Templeton, CA 93465
805-709-2040

Farmstand 46 is a team project lead by Villa Creek’s executive chef, Tom Fundaro, and Four Vines Winery proprietors, Christian Tietje, Susan Maher, and Bill Grant. This gourmet deli offers healthy food made from organic, estate-grown vegetables and herbs. Farmstand 46 is probably the most convenient restaurant for people out for the day visiting wineries without having to go all the way back into the town of Paso Robles. It is right next door to the Four Vines tasting room so it is a convenient stop for lunch. We enjoyed gourmet pizzas made outside at the Farmstand 46 pizza oven. For those who live in the area, Farmstand 46 also offers a Drop-a-Pot service. Drop off your pot before 2pm and come back between 5:30 and 7pm to pick it up hot. It’s a great way to enjoy local ingredients in the comfort of your own home without having to cook it yourself.

On the Coast

Cass House Inn & Restaurant
222 North Ocean Ave
Cayucos, CA 93430
805-995-3669

Cass House is a relatively new restaurant that features a daily changing, seasonally driven and locally sourced menu as well as an award-winning wine list. Chef/owner Jensen Lorenzen works closely with local farmers and foragers to ensure that each menu represents the best the season has to offer. Located in Cayucos, one of California’s last original beach towns, the historic Cass House was built between 1867 and 1875. While it is a little removed from most of the wineries in the area, a trip to Paso is made complete by a visit to the coast.

Founded in 2004 by winemaker Jarrod Boyle and his wife Ali, Alexandria Nicole Cellars is located on their 243-acre estate vineyard, Destiny Ridge Vineyard, in the Horse Heaven Hills of Washington State overlooking the Columbia River. They also have tasting rooms in Prosser and Woodinville. Jarrod began his career in the industry as assistant viticulturist to Dr. Wade Wolfe when they both worked for Hogue Cellars. During his time there, he discovered the property that is now home to Destiny Ridge Vineyard, and vines were planted in 1998. After the vines came into full production and showed great potential, Jarrod decided to try his hand at winemaking and Alexandria Nicole Cellars, named for his wife Ali, was born.

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste twelve wines from Alexandria Nicole Cellars in a blind samples tasting. We were very impressed with the overall quality of all of these wines and would recommend all twelve. Three of the twelve received an excellent Quality rating of 4 stars (out of five): the 2007 Alderdale Cabernet Sauvignon, the soon-to-be-released 2007 A2 Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2007 Quarry Butte.

I also had the pleasure to meet Jarrod at a recent tasting at El Gaucho in Seattle. Jarrod makes the Mackay Duck Press Red for Mackay Restaurants, which includes El Gaucho. We had the Duck Press Red in one of our private tastings earlier this year and thought it was excellent, too.

While Alexandria Nicole Cellars is not a brand-new winery and we had previously visited their tasting room in Prosser, I must admit that I consider them to be an exciting new discovery for us. We have enjoyed some of their wines in the past, but the overall quality of their portfolio as evidenced in our recent tastings is impressive. Some wineries hang their hats on one or two wines that they submit to reviewers and hope that good scores on those wines will result in sales of their other wines. For Alexandria Nicole to submit twelve samples for review shows the confidence that they have in their products. And that confidence is justified. Not only are these wines of high quality, but also four of the twelve received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of five).

2007 Alexandria Nicole Alderdale Cabernet Sauvignon (Destiny Ridge Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): Medium-deep, ruby red. Aromas of earth and black licorice. Flavors of black fruits, blackcurrants, licorice, spice, and a hint of earth. Full-bodied and crisp with smooth tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity, good mouthfeel, and a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $35; Available elsewhere, $32

2007 Alexandria Nicole A2 Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): Deep, purplish red. Very pleasant nose with spice rack aromas, particularly vanilla and cinnamon. Black fruits and spice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and crisp with medium tannins. Good mouthfeel, texture, and complexity. A lot of layers. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $24 [will be released next week]

2007 Alexandria Nicole Quarry Butte (Destiny Ridge Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Malbec, and 3% Syrah. Deep, ruby red. Very aromatic with jammy red fruits and cherry Jolly Rancher aromas leading to black fruits and spice on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and crisp with medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with good mouthfeel and a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $20; Available elsewhere, $17 to $20

2008 Alexandria Nicole Shepherds Mark White (Destiny Ridge Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 65% Roussanne, 24% Marsanne, 11% Viognier. Pale, greenish yellow. Aromatic with apple, pear, and floral notes on the nose; apple, pear, lemon, and lime on the palate. Dry and light-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $20; Available elsewhere, $18

2007 Alexandria Nicole Block 17 Syrah (Destiny Ridge Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): Dark, inky purple. Very aromatic with dried black fruit, floral, and almost port-like aromas. Black fruits and chocolate on the palate. Full-bodied and crisp with high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $42

2009 Alexandria Nicole Marsanne (Destiny Ridge Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): Light, greenish yellow. Pleasant nose with floral, peach blossom, peach, and apple aromas. Apples come through on the palate. Medium-bodied and crisp with a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $28

2009 Alexandria Nicole Roussanne (Destiny Ridge Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 98% Roussanne, 2% Marsanne. Pale, straw yellow. Aromatic with apples and floral notes on the nose; loads of apples and a bit of minerality on the palate. Medium-bodied and lively with a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $28

2007 Alexandria Nicole Destiny (Destiny Ridge Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Carmenere, and 3% Malbec. Deep red in color. Pine needles, perfume, and floral aromas come through on the nose; red fruits, spice, and Red Vines candy on the palate. Medium-bodied and crisp with medium tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $45

2008 Alexandria Nicole Late Harvest Riesling (Destiny Ridge Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): Pale, greenish yellow. Honey and dried apricot aromas and flavors. Sweet, medium-bodied, and crisp acidity with a long finish. Residual Sugar: 3.75%
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $16; Available elsewhere, $16

2009 Alexandria Nicole Pinot Gris (Columbia Valley, Washington): Very light, almost watery, greenish yellow. Gorgeous floral nose with magnolia blossom aromas. More floral, citrus, and white peach on the palate. Light-bodied and lively with 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 $14

2008 Alexandria Nicole Crawford Viognier (Columbia Valley, Washington): Light, straw yellow in color. Fairly tight nose with faint floral aromas and a hint of minerality. Citrus flavors, particularly lemon and lime, come through on the palate as well as some metallic notes. Light to medium-bodied and lively with a medium finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $20; Available elsewhere, $19 to $20

2007 Alexandria Nicole Tempranillo (Destiny Ridge Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): Deep, purplish red. Moderate aromas of earth and black plums lead to black fruit and earth on the palate. Medium-bodied and lively with medium tannins and a long finish. Good up front but a bit hollow on the mid-palate.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $55

The WAWine World Tasting Event was last Thursday night. Hosted by 14 Washington wine writers including me, #WAWine (the event’s Twitter hashtag) was a virtual event designed to get people from all around the world simultaneously drinking and talking about Washington wine.

Many thanks to Josh Wade of Drink Nectar for hosting, Washington Tasting Room Magazine and the Washington Wine Commission for sponsoring, and all of you who participated. The event was a success!

“There were almost 400 people tweeting about #WAWine last night. 1850 Tweets. Possibly 2000 people at various events. #success” –Host Josh Wade (@nectarwine)

We hosted a small gathering of friends for the event. We provided some of the wines from our own cellar and each couple also brought a bottle to share. We enjoyed ten bottles of Washington wine. Those ten wines covered seven varieties, five AVAs, and a variety of price points. It was a good representation of the breadth and depth of Washington wine.

To kick off the evening, we toasted Washington wine with a sparkling wine which was predominately Chardonnay, then moved to still white wine for a Riesling, and then had eight red wines including Cabernet Franc, a Sangiovese blend, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah.

The ten Washington wines we tasted, in my personal order of preference:

2005 Chateau Rollat “Rollat” Cabernet Sauvignon (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc. Deep, dark red. Stunning nose with black fruit, oak, cedar, and pencil lead aromas. Blackcurrant, black plum, earth, and a touch of chocolate come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high tannins. Well-balanced and complex with a long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Costco (Seattle, Washington), $30.99; Available elsewhere, $32 to $40

2006 Saviah Cellars Laurella (Columbia Valley, Washington): 51% Sangiovese, 33% Cabernet Franc, 16% Merlot. Dark, inky, purplish red. Beautiful bouquet with black and red fruits on the nose; more red and black fruits, sour cherry, and spice on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and crisp with medium to high tannins. Good mouthfeel, well-balanced, and a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of five)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $35

2008 Nefarious Stone’s Throw Vineyard Riesling (Columbia Valley, Washington): Estate grown fruit. Pale gold in color. Dried apricots come through on the nose; Granny Smith apples and white peach on the palate. Off dry, medium-bodied, long finish. Very crisp, smooth, and well-balanced. A great sipper and also excellent with food.
Quality: 4 stars (out of five)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $18

2007 Hollywood Hill Vineyards Rattlesnake Hills Syrah (Rattlesnake Hills, Washington): Dark, purplish red. Very aromatic with black fruits, pepper, spice, and smoked meats on the nose; black fruits, beef jerky, spice, and black pepper on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and crisp with medium to high tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with good complexity and a very long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of five)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $32

2005 Camaraderie Cabernet Franc (Washington State): Deep, ruby red in color. Black fruit, spice, and vegetal aromas. Flavors of black fruits and spice with pronounced green pepper on the finish. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Central Market (Seattle, Washington), $19.99; Available elsewhere, $20 to $22

NV Domaine Ste. Michelle Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale, greenish straw yellow. Very aromatic with citrus and grassy notes. More citrus fruits, lemon zest, and some minerality come through on the palate. Dry, medium-bodied and crisp with small, fairly fast bubbles, and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Albertsons (Seattle, Washington), $9.99; Available elsewhere, $8 to $11

2007 Substance Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): Dark, ruby red. Nice nose with black fruit aromas. More black fruits and a hint of leather on the palate. Medium-bodied and lively with sweet tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of five)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $20; Available elsewhere, $20 to $22

2005 McKinley Springs Syrah (Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): Dark, purplish red. Moderately aromatic with mocha, ripe fruit, and vegetal aromas. Black fruit flavors. Medium-bodied and lively with medium tannins and a medium finish. A weeknight wine.
Quality: 3 stars (out of five)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $13.49; Available elsewhere, $14 to $16

2007 Animale Petite Sirah (Yakima Valley, Washington): Dark, inky purple. Stinky feet and Kool-Aid on the nose; red and black fruits up front but flavors trail off on mid-palate. Medium-bodied and lively with soft tannins and a medium finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of five)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $22.29; Available elsewhere, $26

2007 Kamari Cabernet Franc (Columbia Valley, Washington): Deep, purplish red. Bacon, smoke, and oak on the nose; good fruit up front but fades off. Medium-bodied and lively with medium tannins and a long finish. Very different than most Cabernet Francs. Over-oaked and plain.
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of five)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $25.29