This past weekend, Dad (John), Colby, and I spent three jam-packed days in Sonoma and Napa County, California, for the second annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference. We were joined by over 275 fellow wine bloggers, wine industry participants, and media members for tastings, keynote addresses, breakout sessions, vineyard walks, and winery visits.

Unfortunately, the conference got off to a slow start on Friday afternoon when the host hotel in Santa Rosa suffered from major Wi-Fi issues which caused the postponement of the Live Wine Blogging segment that was supposed to kick off the festivities. With a quick juggle of the schedule, Tom Wark presented the 2009 American Wine Blog Awards while they worked to get the Wi-Fi up and running. We were able to finally have the Live Wine Blogging segment which featured wines poured for us by the winemakers themselves in a fast and furious “speed dating”-like format.

Later that evening, we enjoyed a grand tasting of Sonoma wines out by the pool followed by dinner with Chris Alden of Six Apart as the keynote speaker. He referred to Blogging 2.0 as “social publishing” in which blogging and social networking are inextricably intertwined. (So if you aren’t already, please follow/fan us on Twitter and Facebook.)

On Saturday, we hopped into buses and headed for the Napa Valley. We enjoyed keynote addresses by Barry Schuler, former CEO of AOL, and Jim Gordon, editor of Wines & Vines, at the Culinary Institute of America. Then we split up and each bus went to its assigned wineries for Napa Green presentations, vintner discussion panels, and dinner, only coming back together for a grand tasting of Napa wines in the afternoon. Our day in Napa was worth the price of the conference admission alone, and I’ll be devoting a post next week to our day in Napa and later doing a spotlight on one of the wineries we visited.

Sunday morning featured breakout sessions on a variety of topics. I won’t bore you with the details but we found the sessions very interesting and informative. We hope to incorporate some of the suggestions and ideas we formulated during these sessions to make Wine Peeps even better.

The conference officially ended at noon on Sunday but we took advantage of the optional lunch and vineyard walk since we had had such a wonderful experience on our vineyard walk last year. It was a gorgeous, sunny afternoon and we enjoyed a lovely lunch on the lawn at Dry Creek Vineyard in the Dry Creek Valley. From there, we boarded buses bound for three different vineyard walk venues. We chose to visit Montemaggiore, a winery that specializes in Syrah and is very proud of their biodynamic vineyard. The sun was scorching down on us so we took an abbreviated vineyard walk and sought shade wherever we could find it.

While I enjoyed all of the keynotes, sessions, events, and tastings, the best part of the conference was getting to meet so many of our fellow wine bloggers in person and see some friends we had made at last year’s conference.

Many thanks to Allan Wright of Zephyr Wine Adventures and Joel Vincent of the OpenWine Consortium for organizing this wonderful conference and to all of the sponsors for your support in making it a reality.

We are already looking forward to next year’s conference. I am thrilled that our home state of Washington will be hosting the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla next June. We have had two great years in northern California, but I can’t wait for our fellow wine bloggers to see our great state and get to experience Washington wines firsthand. There’s nothing like walking the vineyards, visiting the wineries, and talking with winemakers to truly enjoy the complete wine experience.

Here’s a breakdown of the Sonoma wines that we tasted at the Wine Bloggers Conference, except those that we already rated during the Live Wine Blogging segment. Under each Quality heading, the wine name and region will be listed along with price and QPR rating. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2007 Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Zinfandel, Sonoma County, $20, QPR: 5
2007 Seghesio Barbera, Alexander Valley, $27, QPR: 4
2007 Gustafson Petite Sirah Dry Creek Mountain Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley, $32, QPR: 4
2005 Rockaway [Rodney Strong] Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, $75, QPR: 4
2005 Montemaggiore Nobile Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah, Dry Creek Valley, $45, QPR: 3

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Teresina Zinfandel MacLeod Family Vineyard, Sonoma Valley, $24, QPR: 4
2005 Rued Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, $25, QPR: 4
2007 Thomas George Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, $28, QPR: 4
2006 Dry Creek Vineyard Beeson Ranch Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, $34, QPR: 3
2006 Sapphire Hill Winberrie Vineyard Zinfandel, Russian River Valley, $34, QPR: 3
2005 Montemaggiore Paolo’s Vineyard Syrah, Dry Creek Valley, $35, QPR: 3
2005 Rued Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, $45, QPR: 3
2007 Viansa Prindelo Red Wine, Sonoma County, $35, QPR: 2

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2008 Dry Creek Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley, $16, QPR: 2
2008 Schug Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County, $18, QPR: 2
2008 Gustafson Rosé of Syrah Dry Creek Mountain Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley, $20, QPR: 1
2007 Paul Hobbs Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, $45, QPR: 1
2007 Sojourn Pinot Noir, Sonoma County, $48, QPR: 1
2003 Garden Creek Tesserae Red Wine, Alexander Valley, $70, QPR: 1
2006 Ty Caton Tytanium Red Wine Caton Vineyard, Sonoma Valley, $75, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Eric Ross Pinot Noir Saralee’s Vineyard, Russian River Valley, $38, QPR: NR
2005 Skipstone Oliver’s Blend Red Wine, Alexander Valley, $90, QPR: NR

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

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Plonk, a vague and derogatory English term for wine of undistinguished quality, is a term of Australian slang that has been naturalized in Britain.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Plonk is a term for cheap, low quality wine.

Because Mom and Dad (fellow Wine Peeps John and LaGayle) took a three week trip to South Africa’s winelands in February, I took a special interest in this month’s Wine Book Club selection, Africa Uncorked: Travels in Extreme Wine Country by John and Erica Platter. I remember how intently they studied Platter’s South African Wine Guide before the trip and how helpful they found the information. While John Platter no longer writes the guide, he has been South Africa’s most prominent wine commentator for many years.

In this book, the Platters chronicle an amazing trip through the African continent, from Algeria to Zimbabwe, where just getting from one wine area to another was an adventure in itself, not to mention the challenges winemakers face in areas where nature says growing grapes is nuts and in Islamic countries where making wine could put a price tag on your head.

While I doubt that any of these countries, save South Africa, will be known for its world-class wines anytime soon, the book weaves a fascinating tale of how doggedly determined winemakers have accepted the challenge of producing wine when all the odds are against them. I found the Platters’ story of locating and then exploring Les Celliers de Meknes in Morocco, a huge and modern winemaking operation located anonymously with no signage or directions so as not to offend the devout Muslims, extremely interesting and almost unbelievable.

The Platters finished their African continent winelands tour, fittingly enough, with South Africa where they had lived and worked for more than twenty years. As the eighth largest wine producing country in the world and with 350 years of grape growing history, South Africa is the flagship for wine on the African continent. Based on what Mom and Dad told me from their travels in South Africa this year, I think the Platters did a good job of telling the South African wine country story through the diary of their six week excursion.

However, as the Platters say in this book, the trip is not complete. There are other winelands in Africa they want to visit, and there are winemakers in this extreme wine country worth keeping an eye on, such as Sam Pfidzayi of Marondera in Zimbabwe for his Cabernet Franc, Faith Rutto’s Cabernet Sauvignon in Kenya, Ramilla Ramguendez’s “new wave red” in Algeria, and Jacques Poulain’s Atlas Vineyard wines from Morocco, just to name a few.

Whether it’s adventure, travel, or wine that excites you, I believe that this book should have a place in your library. You can pick up a copy from Amazon or your book retailer of choice.

Have you already read Africa Uncorked: Travels in Extreme Wine Country? If so, please leave a comment and let us know what you thought of it.

For those of you who would like to read along with us in the Wine Book Club, the August selection is A Vineyard in Tuscany: A Wine Lover’s Dream by Ferenc Mate.

Cheers!

Are you tired of hand washing your stemware? If so, this wine gadget could be the answer for you. Last month, I was contacted by James Roush, managing partner of StemGrip, asking me if we would like to test their product which he touted as “a great wine accessory that saves you time, enhances stemware sanitation and reduces stemware loss due to breakage. Our slogan is, no more hand washing stemware!” It sounded great, so I told him to send me a sample so we could check it out.

StemGrip attaches to any vertical tine on your dishwasher’s bottom rack and the removable clips hold the wine glass stems in order to keep them from bumping, falling or cracking. The bottom line: they do work, but they are not quite as easy to use as the sales literature indicates. It is not a difficult process but can take some time to get the glasses positioned properly. I found out that Mom (LaGayle) has been using StemGrip for several years to wash her champagne flutes, but she feels they are too cumbersome to set up in the dishwasher to use for all of her stemware. In fact, she and I both use Riedel Ouverture and INAO tasting glasses as our everyday stemware which are dishwasher safe and will fit in the top rack of our dishwashers.

I would recommend StemGrip for long-stemmed wine glasses or champagne flutes that you feel comfortable putting in a dishwasher.

StemGrip is available online or at a retailer near you.

Have you used StemGrip? If so, how has it worked for you?

Full disclosure: We received StemGrip as a sample.

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.

Kathy Johanson and Stacy Lill founded O Wines in 2006. Located in Woodinville, Washington, O Wines currently produces one wine, a Chardonnay. They are just on their second vintage but seem to be going strong. Their goal is to offer quality wines at reasonable prices while contributing a portion of their proceeds to fund scholarships for underprivileged and at-risk girls in Washington State. In addition to owning and running O Wines, Kathy is a manager for The Boeing Company.

I had the pleasure to meet Kathy Johanson at the Women of the Big W Club (University of Washington Letterwinners Association) Wine Tasting Event in May. Recently, Kathy 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 Kathy Johanson:

How did you first get involved in the wine business?
My business partner Stacy and I have been friends for nearly 20 years. Neither of us could have predicted we would be in business together–let alone “The Wine Business”. It was Stacy’s “union” with Greg Lill, co-owner of DeLille Cellars in Woodinville, which made the wine-thing possible for both of us!

On October 31st, 2006, Stacy and Greg invited my husband Bob Johanson and me to the famous “Body Exhibit” in downtown Seattle and, after, dinner at Barolo, a new restaurant at the time. Quite fitting for a fun Halloween adventure!

At dinner Stacy and I sat across from our wine husbands (my husband Bob had been a distributor 20 years ago), they were talking about the technical characteristics of the wine we were sampling in an “engaging” conversation–or at least they thought so. Meanwhile across the table, Stacy and I jabbed that we were going to start our own charity wine for women, with women in mind! We were going to change the world forever through our charitable contributions!

What were the steps that led to where you are now?
I’d have to say the culmination of many interesting work and social experiences, education, mentoring and personal growth. I started with The Boeing Company in 1986 and am still a full-time Boeing manager, and also, a full-time charitable winery owner.

Boeing, over the years, has allowed me the privilege of higher education–they have graciously paid for my Master of Science and PhD while allowing me to maintain full time employment!

Mentoring has been a joy–a few years back a research group from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation approached female executives at The Boeing Company looking for women with a background in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). I signed up about 8 years ago and have been mentoring 11-13 year old public school girls ever since. I was also teaching part time for City University in their Master of Science department after Boeing hours and on weekends. Another element of my past that has greatly helped was the establishment of a couple of different businesses.

The culmination of these activities have opened my eyes to the educational needs which seem to grow every day and especially with the cutbacks realized by all of our school systems.

Has being a woman been an advantage or a disadvantage in your wine journey? Please explain.
Being a woman has been a definite advantage! There are so few women in the wine business that when Stacy and I walk in the room we tend to get a bit of attention simply because we’re women. Once the other winery owners hear us talk with passion and enthusiasm about our goals with our wine and scholarships–I believe we have been able to create a stir–sometimes simply curiosity for how we’ve been able to see so much success so soon. Women also have a few physiological advantages over men, one being that women can transfer data between the right and left hemisphere of the brain faster than men. Also, women have a more acute sense of smell, too, making us better at interpreting a wine’s aroma.

Do you believe a woman has certain built-in traits than can make her a better winery owner than a man? If so, please explain.
The female brain gets 15% more blood flow than the male’s, and women also have more speech centers in their brain than men do, making it easier for women to verbalize. The winery business seems to be pre-disposed for the female’s innate ability to socialize. A lot of what we do is in influencing our suppliers, customers and patrons through our ability to communicate our dreams, goals and aspirations; this along with the better sense of smell place women in a pretty good place to work in the wine industry. Obvious physical strength differences between men and women have ended up being a deterrent for women–lugging boxes of wine can really be tiring. Weight lifting is a must in this business.

Do you use the fact that you are a woman to promote your wines? If so, how?
As I mentioned earlier, a lot of what we do is social, so having the ability to easily interact with a variety of people on a daily basis has made being a woman in this business a definite plus!

What advice do you have for a woman wanting to get involved in the wine business today?
Research the business. Volunteer at a winery–hands on is always a great way to learn. It’s also a great idea to interview men and women in the wine business to find out the real scoop about what it takes, their experiences, do’s and don’ts. The wine business appears so glamorous when you’re looking at it from the outside in. It’s a lot of work and can be exhausting. It’s also a lot of fun, too.

You played collegiate tennis at the University of Washington. Has your experience as an athlete helped you at all in your career in the wine industry? If so, how?
Competitive team and individual sports–tennis, soccer, and baseball–have been an absolute advantage in the wine business and with every endeavor I have taken on. Competitive athletes have common inherent attributes and qualities the average person doesn’t appear to actively possess. We are disciplined, focused, detail-oriented, team players, goal-oriented, and of course–fiercely competitive.

What are your thoughts about the Washington wine industry, in general?
I’ve been very pleasantly surprised by the willingness of folks in the wine industry here in Washington to support and guide others. It feels more like a very small community of people wanting to make sure everyone survives. It may simply be because we all get to drink on the job. It’s been a wonderful experience.

In recent years the Washington wine industry has grown at a rapid rate. Do you expect that trend to continue?
Even within our small company, we’ve seen dramatic increase in our success. Wine is “in” right now and appears to be gaining momentum around the world and especially here locally. The number of new wineries has increased at an incredible rate over the last 5+ years. Hopefully this trend will continue–we believe it will!

I understand that the “O” in O Wines stands for Opportunity and that your mission is to fund scholarships for underprivileged young girls. Could you share a little bit about that program and your motivation for starting it?
“O” does stand for Opportunity! In fact, we have established the “Opportunity for Success Scholarship” through the College Success Program. Both of us have mentored young girls throughout the years–I have been a mentor for TECHReach for the last 8 years. Through this and many other experiences involving education the idea to help motivated kids was a no brainer.

What is your vision for the future of O Wines?
Our goal is to fund 1 million scholarships in our lifetime and would eventually like to establish academies for learning. We are also attempting to sell our wine in every state with the goal of funding scholarships to each state’s local colleges.

Giving back to our community has been the most important message we have been able to pass along to children and adults alike. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people tell me about an idea they’ve had to help others but didn’t really think it would make a big difference or it would be too hard. My message back is always the same: it doesn’t matter if it’s a big difference or as simple as recycling, everything we do to make the world a better place is doing something, so JUST DO IT!

—

Many thanks to Kathy for sharing her story and thoughts with us. I wish her and Stacy all the best and will be following their work and O Wines with great interest, and I hope that you will too.

(Photos from O Wines)

2:30pm
Dad (John), Colby, and I are here at the Wine Bloggers Conference in Sonoma County, California. We are just about to begin the Live Wine Blogging segment featuring wines poured for us by the winemakers themselves. We will update this post as we go.

Having major wi-fi issues at the host hotel. So they’ve switched a few things on the agenda and postponed the Live Wine Blogging segment. Hopefully, they’ll get it sorted out and we’ll be back soon.

3:38pm
2007 Bella Vineyards and Wine Caves Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley, CA): 89% Zinfandel, 8% Petite Sirah, 3% Syrah. Dark cherry, black fruits, lots of oak. A little hot. Very dry. Long finish. Young, should get better with a little age.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bang for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $38

3:42pm
2007 Twisted Oak Winery River of Skulls Calaveras County Mourvedre (Calaveras County, CA): 88% Mourvedre, 12% Syrah. Red fruits especially raspberries. Smoky aromas. Smooth, long finish. Will be released in one month.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 2 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $35

3:49pm
2006 Schramsberg Vineyards North Coast Blanc de Blancs (North Coast, CA): 100% Chardonnay. A beautiful sparkling wine. Citrus, vanilla, and nutty aromas and flavors. Smooth, crisp. Long finish. Very well-balanced.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $36

3:54pm
2008 FishEye California Pinot Grigio (California): Apple, pear, melon. Very crisp, fresh. Amazing value for a summer sipper.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $7

4:00pm
NV Pinot Evil Pinot Noir (Vin de Pays de l’ile de Beaute, France): 3L boxed wine. Once opened, will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 6 weeks. Nose is very tight. Muted black fruits. Some acidity. A little too plain and simple.
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Price: $19.99 [3L box]

4:06pm
2007 Cupcake Vineyards Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon (Central Coast, CA): Lots of oak on the nose. Dark cherries, blackberries. Chocolate, cocoa. Medium to full-bodied. Long finish. Approachable now.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $13.99

4:12pm
2005 Snows Lake Vineyard Two (Red Hills Lake County, CA): 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Cabernet Franc. Luscious black fruit aromas, black cherry, blackberry. Full-bodied, lively, high tannins. Long finish. Should soften with a little more age.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $45

4:18pm
2007 Cecchetti Racke Line 39 Lake County Petite Sirah (Lake County, CA): Earthy, barnyard aromas. Dark black fruits and bitter chocolate on the palate. Full-bodied. Very acidic, long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $10

4:24pm
2007 Cline Cellars Ancient Vines Mourvedre (Contra Costa County, CA): Bing cherries, burnt toast on the nose. More cherries and pepper come through on the palate. A bit tart. Medium-bodied, medium tannins. Smooth, long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $16

4:30pm
2007 Tandem Wines Manchester Ridge Vineyard Chardonnay (Mendocino Ridge, CA): Butter, oaky, vanilla, and lemon zest aromas. Fortunately the oak is not as heavy on the palate. Lemon, lime, lots of citrus flavors. Medium-bodied, smooth, long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $54

4:36pm
2007 Foggy Bridge G.E.O. San Francisco Bay Chardonnay (San Francisco Bay, CA): G.E.O. stands for Green Earth Origin. Predominately apple aromas with a hint of cheese. Doesn’t taste like a typical Chardonnay. Light-bodied, crisp.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $18

4:42pm
2007 Clif Family Winery Gary’s Improv Syrah (Napa Valley, CA): Same family that owns Clif Bar Company. Dark fruits and beef jerky on the nose. Black plums, blackberry, and pepper come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied, high tannins, long finish. Seems a little young, should improve with age.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Price: $35

4:49pm
This concludes the Live Wine Blogging segment. Whew! A fast-paced process but lots of fun.

Cheers!

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is volatile acidity.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Volatile acidity of a wine is its total concentration of volatile acids, those naturally occurring organic acids that are separable by distillation. Wine’s most common volatile acid by far is acetic acid (more than 96 per cent), which is why it is used as the routine measure of volatile acidity (VA). ….

Acetic acid, in small amounts, is a byproduct of the normal action of yeast in grape juice. However, the major source is the action of a group of bacteria known as acetobacter which require oxygen for their growth and survival, and cause a reaction between the alcohol of a wine and the oxygen to produce acetic acid. Very low concentrations of acetic acid, below 0.2 g/l, do not affect the taste adversely. Increasing concentrations change the taste of the wine, however, from added complexity and fruitiness to a frankly vinegary flavor at levels much above 1.5 g/l.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
Volatile acidity, caused most often by acetic acid, is the result of oxidation during winemaking. Excessive amounts of volatile acidity are considered a wine fault and are characterized by the unpleasant smell of vinegar or nail polish remover.

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.

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.

This tasting was a lot of fun. Not only were the wines perfect for the weather, but they paired quite well with Mom’s dinner of squash soup with curry, watermelon/yellow tomato salad, chicken tetrazzini, and spicy green beans with Italian tomatoes and bacon. We topped it all off with angel food pudding and strawberries.

The consensus favorite and surprise of the night was the 2007 Parejas Cellars Rosé. It is an unusual blend of 34% Viognier and 66% Mourvedre. I was not familiar with Parejas Cellars prior to this tasting but will definitely be on the lookout for more of their wines if this rosé is any indication of the quality wines they produce. And the best part is that it can be purchased for less than $10. Especially in these tough economic times, you can’t beat a deal like that.

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. Any of the top five here are a good place to start.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2007 Parejas Cellars Rosé (Yakima Valley, Washington): 34% Viognier, 66% Mourvedre. Pale salmon in color. Lots of green, vegetal aromas. Flavors of strawberry, watermelon, and herbs come through on the palate. Crisp, smooth, and slightly fizzy. Very flavorful and refreshing with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: The Local Vine (Seattle, WA), $9

2008 Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese (Columbia Valley, Washington): Bright, hot pink color. Very aromatic with strawberry, mint, and floral aromas. Smooth and crisp with lots of bright strawberry flavors. Long finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, WA), $11; Available elsewhere, $10 to $18

2007 Columbia Crest Two Vines Vineyard 10 Rosé (Washington State): Predominantly Syrah. Bright, hot pink, almost magenta in color. Medium-bodied and lively. Nose is a bit tight at first. Opens up the longer it is open. The palate explodes with flavors of maraschino cherries, raspberries, and watermelon. A dry wine but seems slightly sweet.
Quality: 3.5 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 $8

2008 K Vintners Syrah Rosé (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): Very pale pink, almost watery in appearance. Aromas of watermelon candy. Flavors of pink grapefruit and raspberries. Light-bodied and crisp with a long finish.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 1 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $20

2008 Saviah Cellars Rosé (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): Sangiovese. Pale pink in color. Very light, yet lively. Fresh, strawberry aromas. Tastes a bit like watered down pink lemonade.
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Esquin Wine Merchants (Seattle, WA), $11; MadWine (Seattle, WA), $11

2008 Trust Cellars Rosé Cabernet Franc (Columbia Valley, Washington): Pale salmon color. Very distinctive aromas of Elmer’s glue and pickles. Vinegar, pickles, and mustard comes through on the palate. Also has a bit of a fishy taste. A distinctive, but not pleasant, flavor profile.
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: NR (not recommended)
Where to buy: The Grape Choice (Kirkland, WA), $16

This Friday through Sunday, Dad (John), Colby, and I will be attending the second annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference in Sonoma and Napa County, California. We will be joining 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, vineyard walks, and tastings. Just like last year, 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 segment that we will be participating in on Friday 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 on Friday around 2:30pm PDT and join us for some live updates.

For the second year in a row, Dad (John) and I attended the Rhone Rangers trade/media tasting in Seattle. The Rhone Rangers are a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting American Rhone varietal wines. To be members, wineries must produce wines from one or more of the 22 varietals that are native to the Rhone Valley in France. Rhone Ranger member wineries from Washington, California, Oregon, Idaho, and Colorado participated in this tasting.

The Rhone Rangers—Advancing the knowledge & enjoyment of Rhone grapes grown in America and of the wines produced from those grapes.

Last year, we focused on Syrah so this year we decided to focus on Viognier and red blends. We tasted a total of 54 wines: 16 Viogniers, 30 red blends, and eight Syrahs. We gave a 4 star rating or higher to ten wines.

Our most exciting discovery was the 2007 Rôtie Cellars “Northern” Red Blend, a Syrah (97%) co-fermented with Viognier (3%) in the Côte-Rôtie style. It is a bold wine, yet exhibits remarkable finesse at the same time. I was blown away by its purity of fruit. Rôtie Cellars, located in Walla Walla, Washington, is a new winery founded by winemaker Sean Boyd. As his winery’s name indicates, Boyd is dedicated to producing Rhone-style wines from Washington State fruit. If you, like us, are a big fan of Syrah and other Rhone varietals, Rôtie Cellars is definitely a winery to watch.

The best Viognier that we tasted was the 2007 Bridlewood Viognier Central Coast Reserve. I was a bit disappointed that we did not find more 4-star Viogniers. One thing I noticed was the number of different styles of Viognier, from crisp, acidic, Sauvignon Blanc-like to flabby, oaky, and Chardonnay-like. The Bridlewood Viognier falls somewhere in between those two extremes. It is very aromatic, as a Viognier should be, exhibiting floral, gardenia notes. Melon and peach flavors come through on the palate and round out this light, crisp wine.

Here’s a breakdown of the wines that we tasted at the Rhone Rangers event. Under each Quality heading, the wine name and region will be listed along with price and QPR rating. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).

Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Rôtie Cellars “Northern” Red Blend, Washington State, $35, QPR: 5

Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2006 Chateau Ste. Michelle “Austral” Red Blend, Columbia Valley, $26, QPR: 4
2006 Chateau Ste. Michelle “Ethos” Syrah, Columbia Valley, $28, QPR: 4
2006 Chateau Ste. Michelle “Boreal” Red Blend, Columbia Valley, $30, QPR: 4
2006 Doyenne Aix Red Blend, Red Mountain, $34, QPR: 4
2007 Bridlewood Viognier Central Coast Reserve, Central Coast, $22, QPR: 3
2007 Four Vines “Loco” Red Blend, Paso Robles, $40, QPR: 3
2006 Villa Creek “Vulture’s Post” Red Blend, Paso Robles, $40, QPR: 3
2007 Justin “Savant” Red Blend, Paso Robles, $45, QPR: 3
2006 Tablas Creek “Esprit de Beaucastel” Red Blend, Paso Robles, $45, QPR: 3

Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Cline “Cashmere” Red Blend, California, $14, QPR: 5
2006 Eberle “Côtes-du-Robles” Red Blend, Paso Robles, $20, QPR: 4
2006 Chateau Ste. Michelle Syrah, Wahluke Slope, $28, QPR: 4
2006 Chateau Ste. Michelle Viognier, Yakima Valley, $16, QPR: 3
2007 Tablas Creek “Côtes de Tablas” Red Blend, Paso Robles, $25, QPR: 3
2004 Zefina “Serience” Red Blend, Alder Ridge Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, $30, QPR: 3
2006 Adelaida “Version” Red Blend, Paso Robles, $30, QPR: 3
2004 Columbia Winery Red Willow Syrah, Yakima Valley, $30, QPR: 3
2008 Maison Bleue “Notre Vie” Viognier, Art DenHoed Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $20, QPR: 2
2008 Vina Robles “Huerhuero” Viognier, Paso Robles, $22, QPR: 2
2007 Rôtie Cellars “Southern” Red Blend, Washington State, $35, QPR: 2
2007 Villa Creek “Willow Creek Cuvee” Red Blend, Paso Robles, $35, QPR: 2
2006 Four Vines Syrah One Tree Hill Block, Los Alamos Vineyard, Santa Barbara County, $40, QPR: 2
2007 Adelaida Viognier, Paso Robles, $30, QPR: 1
2007 Goedhart Family Syrah, Bel’ Villa Vineyard, Red Mountain, $50, QPR: 1
2006 Villa Creek “High Road” Red Blend, James Berry Vineyard, Paso Robles, $60, QPR: 1

Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2008 Cline Viognier, California, $10, QPR: 4
2006 Sawtooth Viognier, Snake River Valley, $13, QPR: 3
2007 Morgan “Côtes du Crow’s” Red Blend, Monterey, $22, QPR: 3
2005 McCrea “Sirocco” Red Blend, Yakima Valley, $28, QPR: 2
2006 Calcareous “Tres Violet” Red Blend, Paso Robles, $32, QPR: 2
2006 Doyenne Métier Red Blend, Columbia Valley, $32, QPR: 2
2007 JC Cellars “Imposter” Red Blend, California, $32, QPR: 2
2007 Cougar Crest Viognier, Walla Walla Valley, $20, QPR: 1
2007 Zefina Viognier, Alder Ridge Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, $20, QPR: 1
2007 Fess Parker Viognier, Santa Barbara County, $24, QPR: 1
2007 Katin Viognier, Paso Robles, $32, QPR: 1
2005 McCrea Syrah, Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, Red Mountain, $36, QPR: 1
2005 McCrea Syrah, Boushey Vineyard, Yakima Valley, $36, QPR: 1
2005 Zaca Mesa “Z Three” Red Blend, Santa Ynez Valley, $42, QPR: 1
2006 Villa Creek “Badger” Red Blend, Booker Vineyard, Paso Robles, $50, QPR: 1
2006 Goedhart Family Syrah, Bel’ Villa Vineyard, Red Mountain, $70, QPR: 1

Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2007 Barrel 27 “High on the Hog” Viognier, Paso Robles, $15, QPR: NR
2007 Vina Robles “Red4” Red Blend, Paso Robles, $16, QPR: NR
2008 Eberle Viognier Mill Road Vineyard, Paso Robles, $20, QPR: NR
2008 Walter Dacon Viognier, Yakima Valley, $22, QPR: NR
2006 Villa Creek “Avenger” Red Blend, Paso Robles, $35, QPR: NR
2007 Four Vines “The Peasant” Red Blend, Paso Robles, $40, QPR: NR

Quality: 2 stars (out of 5)
2008 Zaca Mesa Estate Viognier, Santa Ynez Valley, $20, QPR: NR
2006 Zaca Mesa “Z Cuvee” Red Blend, Santa Ynez Valley, $20, QPR: NR
2008 Three Coins Viognier, Betsy’s Vineyard, Sonoma County, $24, QPR: NR
2007 Qupé “Los Olivos Cuvee” Red Blend, Santa Ynez Valley, $25, QPR: NR
2006 Barrel 27 “Bull by the Horns” Red Blend, Central Coast, $32, QPR: NR
2007 Four Vines “Anarchy” Red Blend, Paso Robles, $40, QPR: NR