Last fall, I shared with you my “bucket list” of wines. As I said then, some of the wines on the list I already have, some are wines I’m hoping someone might give me as a gift, and some I’m hoping to be able to purchase if the slump in high-end wine prices continues. But in every case, the wine holds a special place in my mind as I visualize tasting it someday. And I promised that as I taste wines on the list, I would give you an update on whether or not the wine lived up to my high expectations and whether I believe you should put it on your bucket list of wines.

Since then I’ve had the opportunity to taste three of the wines on my bucket list, the 1996 Penfolds Grange, the 2005 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2006 Charles Smith “Royal City” Syrah. The Grange and the Quilceda Creek both more than met my expectations as you can see in the tasting notes below. However, while the Royal City Syrah was very good, it didn’t really “wow” me as I had expected. In fact, we found several other 2006 Washington Syrahs that we preferred.

1996 Penfolds Grange (South Australia, Australia): Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark, dense, almost opaque garnet in color. Gorgeous nose with blackberry, black cherry, sage, cinnamon, and caramel aromas. Blackberry liqueur, spice, and chocolate come through on the palate. Full-bodied and lively with high tannins and a very long finish. Big, bold, chewy, smooth, and extremely well balanced. Wow!
Quality: 5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where we purchased it: The Wine Center (Illinois), $175; Available elsewhere, $220 to $400

2005 Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): Dark, dense purple. Very aromatic with black fruits, beef jerky, leather, bacon, fried okra, and a hint of asparagus on the nose. More black fruits, bacon, and earth come through on the palate. Full-bodied and smooth with high, drying tannins, and a very long finish. Well-balanced.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $125 [sold out]

2006 Charles Smith Wines “Royal City” Syrah Stoneridge Vineyard (Columbia Valley, Washington): Deep purple in color. Cinnamon and vegetal aromas lead to black fruit and spice flavors. Medium to full-bodied with medium tannins and a medium finish. Well-balanced.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $80; Available elsewhere, $87 to $150

If you’ve tasted any of these three wines, please share your thoughts with me. And if you have some wines on your bucket list that you believe I should add to mine, please let me know.

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 Wily Jack Zinfandel from California.

Our selection criteria include:

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

Wily Jack Wines, produced by Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, launched nationally in October with three varietals including Zinfandel, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon. They are all fruit-driven wines from California vineyards with a suggested retail price of $8. Their wines, each with a slightly different label, feature a visually compelling silhouette of the Wily Jack character wearing his signature cowboy hat on the front and a “chapter” from his story on the back. Wily Jack is a fictitious character designed to grab the attention of and entertain consumers. Winemaker Jason Becker did a nice job with his inaugural effort.

“This is an adventurous Zinfandel showing an abundance of ripe fruit flavors. Jammy plum and blackberry flavors follow scents of ripe juicy fruit and cinnamon and nutmeg spices. Sweet vanilla and toasty flavors from the oak aging give this wine added interest and lead to a pleasing finish.” –Wily Jack

2007 Wily Jack Zinfandel (California): Deep ruby red. Very aromatic with marionberry on the nose. More red fruits and spice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with good acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish. Smooth and jammy. At 13.5% ABV, not a throat-burner like some Zins.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $8; Available nationally, $8 to $12

As your link to great QPR wines from Washington State and beyond, we Wine Peeps are thrilled that so many of our fellow wine bloggers will be joining us in Walla Walla this summer for the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference. Since this will be the first time visiting Washington Wine Country for many of you, we encourage you to come early and stay late to see all that our great state has to offer.

While I realize that extending your trip could be expensive, let me tell you about an opportunity to win a FREE trip across Washington, being wined and dined along the way. WineCHATr.com, through their WBC-or-BUST campaign, is offering 12 citizen wine writers the opportunity to take a free road trip that will begin in Seattle on Wednesday, June 23, and end in Walla Walla on Friday, June 25, for the conference. Along the way, participating wine bloggers will experience Washington wine country firsthand. The itinerary that has been put together sounds amazing.

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Wednesday, June 23 (Day 1): Seattle & Woodinville Wine Country
Experience some of the best Washington has to offer from one of the premier food & wine destinations in the Northwest.

• Tour and Food & Wine Pairing at Chateau Ste. Michelle
• Woodinville Grand Tasting at Willows Lodge
• Wine Lunch at Barking Frog Restaurant
• Return to Seattle to refresh the palate at Pike Brewery
• Seattle Winemaker’s Dinner at Waterfront Seafood Grill

Thursday, June 24 (Day 2): Yakima Valley & Walla Walla
Travel across the Cascade Mountain Range to visit Washington’s premier growing regions and taste through a selection of premium wines.

• Brunch and Unique AVA Wine Tasting at Cave B Inn
• Lunch at DuBrul Vineyard
• Yakima Grand Tasting at Prosser Wine Village
• Walla Walla Vintners Pizza & Wine Social

Friday, June 25 (Day 3): Start of the Wine Bloggers Conference
Arrive in Walla Walla in style just in time for the WBC with a deeper understanding of Washington and its thriving wine industry.

Sunday, June 27: Return Trip to Seattle
At the conclusion of the Wine Bloggers Conference, all WBC-or-BUST bloggers will return to Seattle via a comfortable limo bus.

Unfortunately, as a wine blogger from Washington State, I am not eligible to participate in the contest. But for those of you who live outside of Washington, I highly encourage you to enter. And don’t dilly-dally, the contest concludes at the end of April.

In order to qualify for the WBC-or-BUST campaign, wine bloggers need only sign-up on WineCHATr.com, add a contest badge to their website, and then blog about Washington wine. At the conclusion of the campaign, twelve (12) bloggers will win a seat on the all expenses paid road trip headed to Walla Walla and the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference.

NOTE: Wine Peeps does not have a financial interest in WineCHATr.com or the WBC-or-BUST campaign. We are simply Washington wine advocates who support the campaign, and I have agreed to serve as a contest judge.

In today’s economy, many people are cutting back on their wine budgets and are looking for wines that consistently offer good quality and good value. For those of us who drink wine virtually every day, it is not economical (nor necessary) to spend a lot for everyday wines. The key is to determine varietals and styles that you enjoy, from brands that you can trust for consistency, at prices that you can afford on a daily basis, and that are widely available. Wineries located in California that meet these criteria can be extremely difficult to find. However, one winery that immediately comes to mind that I would encourage you to explore is Dry Creek Vineyard.

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. I had the pleasure to meet Kim at the 2008 Wine Bloggers Conference and then visited their beautiful winery during last year’s conference.

We recently had the opportunity to taste two Dry Creek Vineyard wines in a samples tasting, the 2006 Merlot and the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon. With QPR ratings of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5) and 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5), respectively, both of these wines are great values that are worth a try if you see them on the shelf at your local wine shop.

2006 Dry Creek Vineyard Merlot (Dry Creek Valley, California): 87% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep red in color. Very aromatic with black plum, blackberry, and oak aromas. Flavors of black fruits, licorice, and a hint of tobacco. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium tannins. Well-balanced and smooth 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 $19; Available elsewhere, $17 to $22

2006 Dry Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Dry Creek Valley, California): 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Deep, dark purple. Oak and spice notes dominate the nose; black fruits show through on the palate. Medium bodied and lively with medium tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $25; Available elsewhere, $17 to $26

Washington State produces many excellent wines from many different grape varieties. There is much debate as to which red wine Washington does best. Some say Syrah, others Merlot, and others red Bordeaux-style blends. Recently, we had what turned out to be a Washington red blends showdown in one of our private tasting dinners pitting the 2006 Saviah Cellars Une Vallee Red Wine against the 2006 Mackay Duck Press Red. We thought both wines were excellent but gave a slight edge to the Saviah Une Vallee. Both wines paired well with Mom’s dinner of mixed green salad, beef tenderloin steaks, baked sweet potatoes, stir-fried broccoli, carrots, and snap peas, and topped off by razzleberry pie with ice cream. For a more complete description of how we set up these private tastings, please refer to How We Taste.

Saviah Cellars (our Best Washington Winery of 2009) is a family-owned winery located south of downtown Walla Walla, Washington, near the Oregon state line. Founded in 2000 by winemaker Rich Funk and his wife Anita, Saviah Cellars currently produces about 9,500 cases per year. The name Saviah is a family name from Anita’s great-grandmother. This classic Left Bank Bordeaux-style red blend is a consistent performer for Saviah Cellars from vintage to vintage.

The Duck Press Red is produced and bottled for Mackay Restaurants by Alexandria Nicole Cellars. 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 overlooking the Columbia River. They also have tasting rooms in Prosser and Woodinville as well. All of the fruit for the Duck Press Red comes from Destiny Ridge Vineyard. A friend who is a member of Alexandria Nicole’s wine club gave us this wine so we decided to put it into our private tasting lineup against a proven favorite.

This was an excellent tasting. Both wines are also good values that are worth a try if you see them at your local wine shop or restaurant.

2006 Saviah Cellars Une Vallee Red Wine (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc. Deep, dark purple in color. Very aromatic with leather and burnt wood aromas. Fruit-forward with red and black fruits and spice coming through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium tannins. Well-balanced and smooth with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $32

2006 Mackay Duck Press Red (Destiny Ridge Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington): 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 14% Malbec, and 10% Petit Verdot. Deep, dark purple with aromas of oak, new leather, and vanilla. Black fruit flavors, especially blackberries, dominate the palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium 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, $32

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

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Frizzante is an Italian wine term for semi-sparkling wine (as opposed to spumante, which is used for fully sparkling wines). Frizzante wines generally owe their bubbles to a partial second fermentation in tank, a sort of interrupted Charmat process sparkling wine.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Frizzante is a semi-sparkling wine. The term originated in Italy but can be found on some semi-sparkling wines in the United States as well.

When I first saw this book, When the Rivers Ran Red: An Amazing Story of Courage and Triumph in America’s Wine Country, on the shelf of my local Barnes and Noble, I knew I had to buy it, not for the great title, but for the last name of the author, Vivienne Sosnowski. When you have a rather uncommon last name as I do, Sosnowy, Sosnowski seemed like she could be a close relative. Unfortunately, after a little research into the family tree, I don’t believe Ms. Sosnowski is a relative, but her book intrigued me nonetheless.

I learned that Sosnowski has had a long and distinguished career as a journalist before writing this book. She was named vice president and national editorial director of Clarity Media Group in January 2007.  She had become executive editor of The Washington Examiner in 2006, and before that was executive editor of The San Francisco Examiner. Prior to coming to San Francisco in August 2004, she had been editor of The Province in Vancouver, B.C., and before that was executive editor of Toronto’s National Post. According to her publisher, she now splits her time between Healdsburg, California, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

This book is the story of California’s fledgling wine industry during the ugly days of Prohibition. While many winery families struggled to just hang on, others prospered as never before through legal and sometimes illegal means. I found their stories fascinating. Today, people around the world are familiar with California’s wines but are probably unaware that 90 years ago the families who made these wines, and in some cases still do, were faced with momentous decisions about what to do to save the wine industry and their chosen way of life. When Prohibition began in 1919, chaos erupted in the wine country of Northern California. Federal agents spilled untold gallons of wine in the rivers and creeks, gun battles erupted, and local law enforcement officers found ways to evade the federal authorities in order to help their winemaking neighbors.

“Sosnowski’s fascinating account of how Napa and Sonoma winemakers struggled to survive during the national insanity known as Prohibition fills a giant hole in the history of American wine. Wine lovers everywhere should thank her for tracking down survivors, many now in their 90s, who provided rich accounts of what it was like to live through that terrible nightmare. A tale well told—Sosnowski has a fine touch.” –George M. Taber, bestselling author of Judgment of Paris

This is very good book; I recommend that you pick up a copy today. Have you already read When the Rivers Ran Red? If so, please leave a comment and let us know what you thought of it.

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 2006 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Shiraz from South Australia.

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

When we visited the Barossa Valley of Australia in 2005, one of our stops was at the beautiful, modern Jacob’s Creek Wine Tasting Centre, located fittingly on the banks of Jacob’s Creek, close to the site of the first commercial vineyard in the Barossa, planted in the mid 1800’s.  Today, Jacob’s Creek is one of the world’s most popular wine brands and part of the Orlando Wines family.

We have tasted a number of the vintages of Jacob’s Creek Reserve Shiraz, and it has been a consistently good wine with an excellent QPR. While the suggested retail price is $14, I’ve often found it for $10 or less.

“The 2006 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Shiraz is a full bodied wine displaying rich fruit flavours of dark berries and plums and velvety tannins. Lovely acid balance and integration of flavours result in a supple and engaging wine with a lingering finish of spice, chocolate and mocha. A true expression of Australian Shiraz, to be enjoyed now or which with careful cellaring will develop gracefully over the next ten years.” –Jacob’s Creek

2006 Jacob’s Creek Reserve Shiraz (South Australia, Australia): Deep, dark red in color. Black fruits and black pepper on the nose, along with a hint of Ben-Gay. More black fruits, particularly black plums, black pepper and spice come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied and lively with medium to high tannins and a long finish. Well-balanced.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to Buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $14; Available elsewhere, $8 to 15

One family tradition that has emerged in recent years is to make Bananas Foster, which just happens to be my favorite dessert, after our Christmas Eve dinner. Mom (LaGayle) decided to shake things up a bit this year, and we enjoyed a different Christmas Eve meal than we normally do. However, not wanting to forego Bananas Foster for a whole year, we decided to have a special post-holiday family dinner. Nothing like extending the holidays, right?

Recently, Mom prepared a fabulous meal of mixed green salad, prime rib, baked sweet potato, and seasoned green beans. Unbeknownst to the rest of us, Dad selected a wine from his bucket list that he had in his cellar. He decanted it for three hours prior to dinner. When I sat down and took my first sip, I was immediately blown away. Wow! When he unveiled the bottle, we found that we had been enjoying the 1996 Penfolds Grange. This was only the second time I’ve ever had the pleasure of drinking a Grange, Australia’s most famous wine and one of the most sought after wines in the world. You may remember that the other, the 1976 Penfolds Grange, was the best wine I’ve ever had. And I must say that this 1996 Grange certainly makes my top 10.

I was excited to learn that one of my favorite winemakers, John Duval, was the winemaker for this 1996 Penfolds Grange. John Duval is one of the most famous winemakers in Australia and around the world. He spent 16 years as the chief winemaker for Penfolds and is best known for his work with Penfolds Grange. In 2002, he left Penfolds to establish John Duval Wines. Now he is also one of the Long Shadows winemaker-partners making Sequel Syrah here in Washington State. I have been fortunate enough to taste a number of his wines, and they are all fabulous.

What a special family dinner this was, a great meal, a “Wow!” wine, and Bananas Foster. For me, it doesn’t get much better than this.

1996 Penfolds Grange (South Australia, Australia): Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Dark, dense, almost opaque garnet in color. Gorgeous nose with blackberry, black cherry, sage, cinnamon, and caramel aromas. Blackberry liqueur, spice, and chocolate come through on the palate. Full-bodied and lively with high tannins and a very long finish. Big, bold, chewy, smooth, and extremely well-balanced. Wow!
Quality: 5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where we purchased it: The Wine Center (Illinois), $175; Available elsewhere, $220 to $400

One of our resolutions for the New Year is to explore more wines from around the world. Since we live in Washington State and often drink wines from Washington State, we want to make sure that we continue to hone our knowledge of the entire world of wine and maintain well-rounded palates in order to make us even more objective when we evaluate wines from Washington State. As a result, we have put together a Wine Peeps Tasting Group which includes what we think is an excellent peer group of knowledgeable wine lovers to taste, share, and learn more about wine together. Unlike our monthly wine tasting dinners in which the guests rotate, this tasting group includes people who are committed to getting together once a month which we hope will benefit all of us. In addition to trying varieties and regions that we do not taste frequently, the other main difference between this group and our wine tasting dinners is that each group member will bring a bottle consistent with the month’s theme so no one will know all the wines in the blind tasting.

Last week, we met for the first time and explored Spanish reds from Rioja and Ribera del Duero. All of the wines were predominately Tempranillo. Rioja, located in north-central Spain, is probably the most well-known wine region in Spain. Red wines from Rioja are typically Tempranillo-based and may have some Garnacha (Grenache), Mazuelo, or Graciano blended in as well. Ribera del Duero is also located in north-central Spain but is south of Rioja. Red wines from Ribera del Duero are also typically Tempranillo-based but are often blended with small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and sometimes Malbec. In Ribera del Duero, Tempranillo is frequently called Tinto del Pais or Tinto Fino.

Tempranillo is not particularly a fruit-driven wine, often showing aromas and flavors of wood and leather up front. Given this flavor profile, Tempranillo wines often seem older than they actually are. Taking its name from the Spanish word “temprano” which means early, Tempranillo tends to ripen early.

We tasted seven wines, but unfortunately, one of them was corked so it is not included in the tasting notes below. The consensus favorite was the 2006 Alejandro Fernandez Tinto Pesquera Crianza which garnered six out of seven first place votes. There were some other good wines in the tasting, but unfortunately, only the Tinto Pesquera had a high QPR.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2006 Alejandro Fernandez Tinto Pesquera Crianza (Ribera del Duero, Spain): Medium, ruby red in color. Gorgeous nose with vanilla, cedar, and jalapeno pepper aromas. Red fruits and spice come through on the palate. Good acidity and medium tannins with a long finish. Extremely well-balanced.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $31; Available elsewhere, $23 to $39

2004 Cillar de Silos Altos de Revilla (Ribera del Duero, Spain): 100% Tempranillo. 60 year old vines. Aged 18 months in 100% new French oak. Deep red and very aromatic. Cherry Coke and root beer barrel candy on the nose; big, red fruits on the palate. Drying tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Available from various retailers, $50 to $65

2004 Finca Villacreces (Ribera del Duero, Spain): Deep, ruby red in color. Aromas of tobacco and smoke lead to flavors of raspberry, spice, espresso, and cocoa powder. Medium-bodied with good acidity and medium tannins. Smooth.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Available from various retailers, $36 to $37

2005 Emilio Moro Malleolus (Ribera del Duero, Spain): 100% Tinto Fino (aka Tempranillo). Aged 18 months in new French oak. Medium red with floral and spice notes on the nose. Red fruit and leather flavors come through on the palate. Medium-bodied and viscous with chewy tannins and a long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Available from various retailers, $59 to $72

2004 Lan Reserva (Rioja, Spain): Medium to deep red with some vegetal aromas and funk on the nose. Good fruit up front but trails off a bit in the mid-palate. Drying tannins and lively acidity.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR:  1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Fred Meyer (Seattle, Washington), $17.50; Available elsewhere, $13 to $24

2005 Conde de Valdemar Crianza (Rioja, Spain): 90% Tempranillo, 10% Mazuelo. Aged 15 months in American oak. Ruby red in color. Tobacco, alcohol, and raisins dominate the nose. Bland and watery on the palate. Not much to it.
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Where to buy: Available from various retailers, $11 to $19