Wine Peeps is an independent wine blog dedicated to helping you get the most bang for your buck in wine. We do this through blind tastings of wine from around the world and calculations of 
A Wine for Tonight: 2007 Corvidae Lenore Syrah
By Kori ~ June 24th, 2010.
Would you like a quick suggestion for a good wine to drink tonight (or this weekend) that won’t break your budget and is widely available? Many of our readers have said this is something they would like, so here is this week’s selection, the 2007 Corvidae Lenore Syrah from the Columbia Valley of Washington State.
Our selection criteria include:
- A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
- A price tag of <=$15
- Must be widely available
Corvidae Wine Company, located in Sunnyside, Washington, is a relatively new label in the Owen Roe Winery portfolio. All of the wines are produced with Oregon and Washington fruit and retail for under $20. In Latin, Corvidae is the name for the family of birds that includes the crow, raven, jay, and magpie, birds that can often be found in Eastern Washington vineyards. Each of the Corvidae wines feature a bird and literary quote on the label. This line of wines is yet another excellent offering from winemaker David O’Reilly.
“Dark and brooding, indulgently lush, this deep purple juice is the Syrah enthusiasts answer to everyday drinking. Lenore captivates with her spice, seductive jammy fruit and a supple texture. A delicious drink now wine that’s a steal for the price.†–Corvidae Wine Company
2007 Corvidae Lenore Syrah (Columbia Valley, Washington): Deep, dark purple. Oak and dark fruits come through on the nose; more dark fruits and spice on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, medium tannins, and a long finish. A good weeknight wine.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $13; Available elsewhere, $13 to $17
Filed under: A Wine for Tonight, American Wine, Five-Bangs For Your Buck Wines, Red Wine, Shiraz/Syrah, Washington State Wine, Wines Under $15, Wines Under $20, Wines Under $25
I live on the Olympic Peninsula and, to my shame, have not spent a great deal of time tasting wine wine in Washington. I have been to several wineries in Woodinville. Do you have some “don’t miss” Washington favorites in other areas of the state I should be sure to visit?
Cat,
I’m sure that Kori will have some additional suggestions, but I would refer you to this post for ideas: http://winepeeps.com/2010/01/01/best-of-2009-in-washington-wine-country.
John
Cat,
There are many excellent Washington wineries. You could spend a lot of your weekends traveling to great wine destinations around the state. In addition to the link John gave you, here are a couple of others that could give you some suggestions of wineries to try/visit.
For a list of our “go-to†Washington wineries for 2009:
http://winepeeps.com/2009/11/20/wine-peeps-leading-the-coverage-of-washington-state-wines-continued/
You might also want to peruse our Wine Travel category which includes posts on wine trips we’ve taken (in Washington and beyond):
http://winepeeps.com/category/wine-travel/
Cheers!