Taste Washington, held in Seattle annually, is the nation’s largest single-region wine and food event. This past weekend brought Washington wine lovers from around the country to Seattle to drink, eat, and be merry. The event spanned two days with Seminars offered each morning followed by the Grand Tasting each afternoon. Hosted by Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau in partnership with the Washington State Wine Commission, Taste Washington is the highlight of Taste Washington Wine Month.

The Grand Tasting is the “main event” each day. This year, Taste Washington featured 226 wineries pouring their wines and 68 Northwest restaurants serving small bites. With more than 780 wineries now open in the state of Washington, this event offers attendees the opportunity to try a large number of them in one place at one time. Considering the time and gas money you save not having to crisscross the state visiting tasting rooms and making appointments, the price of admission to Taste Washington is money well spent. Now, don’t get me wrong, once you attend an event like this and discover some favorite new wines and wineries, you will definitely want to make plans to travel to the wineries to visit and taste again. There is nothing like spending a long weekend in Washington wine country.

One of the best aspects of Taste Washington is that often you will find either the winemaker and/or winery owner pouring that winery’s wines. In addition to visiting with a number of people whose wines we have enjoyed in the past, we always find it a great opportunity to try some wines from wineries whose wines we have not previously tasted.

With over 800 wines featured at a large tasting like this, we can only taste through a limited number of them. Therefore, we don’t try to revisit wines that we have recently reviewed (i.e. Avennia, etc.). Keeping that in mind, my favorite wines from the Grand Tasting, from wineries whose wines we’ve enjoyed in the past, were the 2008 Boudreaux Cellars Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2011 Doubleback Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2010 Fall Line Winery Red Willow Red Wine, and the 2011 Rotie Cellars Northern Blend.

At Taste Washington last year, our most exciting discovery was Kevin White Winery. We deemed it as a winery to watch. Kevin White recently released his 2012 vintage wines, and this was our first opportunity to taste them. They did not disappoint. In fact, his 2012’s are even better than his 2011’s. The 2012 La Fraternité Red Wine and the 2012 En Hommage Red Wine are both outstanding. And, I expect them to only improve with some age. With price tags under $30, both wines deliver serious bang for your buck.

For the best new-to-us winery, my nod goes to Bartholomew Winery. While not a brand new winery, we had not tasted their wines previously. They were pouring three wines at the Grand Tasting, the 2013 Aligote, the 2013 Rosé of Carmenere, and the 2010 Reciprocity Red Blend. All three were very good and are worth checking out. Bart and Chona Fawbush founded Bartholomew Winery in 2007. Their tasting room located in Seattle’s historic Old Rainier Brewery building is open to the public for tastings on the weekends.

Did you attend Taste Washington this year? What were some of your favorite wines?

Even though Taste Washington Wine Month has concluded, here’s to enjoying excellent Washington wine all year long. Cheers!

March is Taste Washington Wine Month, the annual celebration of Washington State’s award-winning wine industry featuring promotions by restaurants, retailers, hotels, and wineries throughout the region including activities such as free tastings, discounts on Washington wine, and winemaker dinners pairing the state’s top winemakers and chefs. If you live in Washington and haven’t yet taken advantage of the special promotions going on this month, you have just a few days left to do so.

Once again, the highlight of the month is sure to be Taste Washington, the nation’s largest single-region wine and food event, taking place this weekend on Saturday, March 29th and Sunday, March 30th at CenturyLink Field Event Center in Seattle. Hosted by Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau in partnership with the Washington State Wine Commission, Taste Washington is the ultimate carnival for wine and food lovers. Of the 780+ wineries in the state, 226 of them will be on hand pouring their wines. The popular Taste the Vineyards section is back and will feature growers pouring wines made from their grapes. In addition, 68 Northwest restaurants will be serving small bites.

Whether you attend the Grand Tasting on one or both days, which lasts three hours each day for General Admission and four hours each day for VIP ticketholders, it is impossible to visit every booth and taste every wine being poured and every bite being served. It is a huge event and can be overwhelming if you are not prepared. You will be wise to plan a strategy ahead of time.

First, I suggest that you visit the Taste Washington website to download the event program so you can plan your route in advance. Make a list of the wineries that you’d like to visit, and then prioritize that list. Start with the ten you don’t want to miss, then mark the next ten you’d like to visit if you have time and so on. It really gets crowded during the general admission hours, so you might not get to as many wineries as you’d like. But if you visit only ten winery booths and try all three wines they are serving, that’s thirty wines right off the bat. Then depending on time, crowds, etc., you can try more if you’d like.

Once you have determined which wineries you’d like to try and you are actually at the event, there are several things to keep in mind to make sure you make the most of the event while tasting responsibly. These tips are important to remember for wine tasting newbies and veterans alike.

• Spit! This is extremely important. We always spit when we attend large tasting events like this or are visiting wineries. Otherwise, you end up drinking too much which won’t feel good the next morning and you won’t be able to really tell which wines you like and don’t like after the first few you taste.
• Drink water. Alcoholic drinks dehydrate your body so it is important to drink a lot of water to help your body rehydrate.
• Eat. Be sure to eat a good meal before the event begins so that you are starting with a full stomach. Then, once inside, stop at the restaurant booths to keep your stomach full. Try to eat something at least between every fifteen to twenty wines you taste.
• Don’t be shy. Tell the wineries what you want to know, what you like, and what you want to try. If they have a better idea of your interests and level of wine knowledge, they can help point you in the right direction and make your Taste Washington experience even better. With that said, though, please be respectful of all of the wineries and other vendors who are there to serve you.
• Make safe transportation arrangements. After you’ve enjoyed this fabulous event, we want to make sure you get home safely.
• And last, but certainly not least, have fun!

If a smaller, more intimate gathering is more your speed or you want to further your knowledge of wine and Washington wine in particular, the seminars that will be offered each day prior to the tasting might be of interest to you. This year’s seminars will also be held at CenturyLink Field Event Center. Eight seminars will be offered on a variety of topics and afford attendees the opportunity to taste, discuss, meet, and learn from some of the biggest names in the Washington wine industry as well as a few notable guests from outside of Washington State.

As always, we are looking forward to Taste Washington and hope that those of you who live in the greater Seattle area will plan to attend as well. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Taste Washington website.

Cheers!

Washington State Cabernet Sauvignons are among the best in the world, and they are much better values (higher QPR) than most Cabs in other wine regions of the world. And, the 2007 vintage was one of the best vintages in the history of Washington State. We featured 2007 Washington Cabernet Sauvignon in one of our wine tasting dinners several years ago when those wines were recently released. Now that wines from the 2007 vintage have some bottle age on them, we decided to revisit some of those Washington Cabs in our wine tasting dinner last Friday. It was another fabulous evening of great wines, the company of wonderful friends, and LaGayle’s (Mom’s) excellent food. All six wines paired extremely well with our dinner of tomato basil soup, mixed green salad, prime rib with beef glacé, braised kale, rosemary roasted red potatoes, and German chocolate dessert with whipped topping garnished with dark chocolate.

The consensus favorite was the 2007 Corliss Estates Cabernet Sauvignon. Michael and Lauri Corliss bought the building in downtown Walla Walla in 1999 that is now home to Corliss Estates and started the winery in 2000. Their first wines were released in 2008 from the 2003 vintage. Great attention to detail goes into the production of their wines. Corliss believes in extended barrel and bottle aging.

Even though Corliss finished in the top spot, Quilceda Creek, Leonetti, and Fielding Hills were hot on its heels. All four of those wines were outstanding. In fact, my personal favorites were Quilceda Creek and Fielding Hills. And, five out of the six wines in the tasting received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5). Even though these wines are not inexpensive, they are well worth the money. I would encourage you to try any of these wines, especially with a meal, to decide for yourself how Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon compares to other world-renowned Cabs.

From 1st to last in the group consensus rankings:

2007 Corliss Estates Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Merlot. Deep, dark garnet red in color. Nice nose with leather and black fruit aromas. Gorgeous blackberry, black cherry, leather, and spice come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high, smooth tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $75; Available elsewhere, $55 to $75

2007 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot. Deep, dark red. Very aromatic with black cherry, leather, and floral notes on the nose. Black cherry, blackberry, leather, spice, game, and a hint of earth come through on the palate. Full-bodied and lively with high, dry tannins. Well-balanced with good complexity and a very long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of five)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $125; Available elsewhere, $190 to $400

2007 Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 4% Carmenere, and 3%Malbec. Deep, dark red in color. Aromatic with red and black fruit, spice, and a touch of earth on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, and smooth tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $90; Available elsewhere, $85 to $110

2007 Fielding Hills Cabernet Sauvignon (Riverbend Vineyard, Wahluke Slope, Washington): 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Syrah, 3% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Deep, dark purplish red. Gorgeous nose with black fruit, licorice, and spice rack aromas. Blackcurrant, black cherry, licorice, smoked meat and a hint of tobacco come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $38

2007 Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Columbia Valley, Washington): 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3.8% Merlot, and 0.2% Cabernet Franc. Deep, dark red. Aromatic with herbs, spice, and black fruit aromas. Fruit-forward with black plum, blackberry, and herbs on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium tannins. Well-balanced with a long finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $40; Available elsewhere, $36 to $55

2007 Woodward Canyon Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon (Washington State): 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep, dark garnet red. Nose is a bit tight at first and then earth, black fruit, and grape Jolly Rancher come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity, and 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, $70; Available elsewhere, $70 to $85

Managing partner Marty Taucher and winemaker/partner Chris Peterson founded Avennia Winery in 2010. Located in Woodinville, Washington, Avennia made an impressive debut with their first releases in the fall of 2012. The winery name was inspired by the Roman name for the city of Avignon and is a nod to Old World winemaking. Winemaker Chris Peterson, not to be confused with the new University of Washington football coach Chris Petersen, spent eight years crafting award-winning wines at DeLille Cellars. He is passionate about Old World winemaking techniques and strives to make wines with structure and elegance.

Avennia sources grapes from some of the top vineyards in Washington State, including Boushey Vineyards, Red Willow Vineyard, Bacchus Vineyard and Dionysus Vineyard (part of Sagemoor Vineyards), and Klipsun Vineyard. The majority of the fruit they source, with the exception of the Sauvignon Blanc, comes from 20+-year-old vines. With their current vintage, Avennia produces 1,700 cases per year. Their goal is to ultimately get to a production level of 4,500 cases per year.

In the fall, we had their 2011 Arnaut Syrah, 2011 Justine Red Wine, and 2012 Oliane Sauvignon Blanc in a blind samples tasting. In February, they rounded out their 2011 vintage with the release of their two Red Wine Bordeaux-style Blends, the 2011 Gravura and the 2011 Sestina.

Recently, we had the pleasure to visit with Chris and taste through all five of their current releases as well as a few barrel samples. We were able to revisit the three wines that were released in the fall. All three are very good, but we continue to be especially impressed with the Arnaut Syrah. This 100% Syrah from Boushey Vineyards in the Yakima Valley is an outstanding wine and delivers serious bang for your buck. Then we moved on to the newly released Bordeaux-style Blends. While the 2011 Gravura is an excellent wine in its own right, the 2011 Sestina absolutely “wow-ed” us. As Avennia’s flagship wine, Sestina absolutely deserves top billing. It is a Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend from old vines at Bacchus and Red Willow. This is a gorgeous, complex wine that should only improve with age.

Avennia wines are offered on an allocated basis to their mailing list members. While you may find some of their wines elsewhere, I highly encourage you to get on their mailing list now before it closes and you are out of luck. Other than release events for mailing list members, the winery is not open to the public.

2011 Avennia Gravura Red Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, and 8% Cabernet Franc. Dark, dense purple. Blackberry, black cherry, leather, and a touch of black pepper come through on both the nose and palate. Medium to full-bodied with lively acidity and medium to high tannins. Well-balanced with a long, smooth finish.
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $35

2011 Avennia Sestina Red Wine (Columbia Valley, Washington): 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, and 9% Cabernet Franc. Dark, dense purple. Gorgeous nose with earth, black fruit, and leather aromas. Complex flavors of herbs, earth, leather, black fruit, and smoked meat come through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity, and high, chewy tannins. Extremely well-balanced with good complexity and a very long, lingering finish. Should get even better with age. Wow!
Quality: 5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $55

The Walla Walla Valley is one of the oldest of Washington State’s 13 AVA’s. Established in 1984, it encompasses over 1,600 vineyard acres. Located within the greater Columbia Valley AVA, the Walla Walla Valley covers the area around the town of Walla Walla, Washington, and also dips across the state-line into Oregon near Milton-Freewater. The Walla Walla Valley is now home to more than 100 wineries.

The Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance is a winery and grower membership organization committed to furthering the awareness of the quality wineries, wines, and vineyards of the Walla Walla Valley. The WWVWA recently hosted their annual tasting events in Seattle for both the trade and the public. We attended the trade tasting held at McCaw Hall. Given our work commitments, family obligations, and the busy schedule of a first grader, we haven’t been able to travel to Walla Walla recently, so this was a good opportunity for us to visit with winemakers and taste a number of Walla Walla wines all under one roof.

I’ll spare you the laundry list of all of the wines we tasted. However, here are three wines that really grabbed our attention, and I encourage you to give them a try if you have the opportunity.

2011 Waters Winery Loess Syrah, Walla Walla Valley, $50
2010 Figgins Estate Red Wine (Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Petit Verdot), Walla Walla Valley, $85
2010 Cadaretta Windthrow (Syrah/Mourvedre/Grenache), Columbia Valley, $50

If you live in the Seattle area, you’ll have another opportunity to taste Walla Walla wines as well as many more wines from around the state of Washington later this month. Make plans to attend Taste Washington on March 29-30 at CenturyLink Event Center. With that said, if you haven’t yet taken a wine tasting trip to Walla Walla, I highly encourage you to do so. There’s nothing like spending time in Washington wine country.

Cheers!

This year’s Open That Bottle Night was last Saturday, February 22. Open That Bottle Night, created by former Wall Street Journal wine columnists Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher, is the one night a year that we are all encouraged to get out that bottle of wine that is so special that no occasion seems special enough to actually open it.

That’s exactly what the Wine Peeps team did when we sat down for dinner and opened not one, but two bottles of Washington wine that I’d been saving for just such a special occasion. Both wines were 2008 Bordeaux-style red blends, each with 69% Cabernet Sauvignon. I was the only one who knew the identity of the wines beforehand; they were tasted “blind” so the labels would not prejudice our critique of the wines.

As it turned out, wine bag #1 contained the 2008 Leonetti Reserve from the Walla Walla Valley and wine bag #2 contained the 2008 Rasa Creative Impulse from the Yakima Valley. The 2008 Creative Impulse had been Wine Peeps’ choice as Best Wine of 2011 the first time we tasted it. We had not previously tasted the 2008 vintage of the Leonetti Reserve.

Leonetti Cellar, located in Walla Walla, Washington, has a long and storied history for a Washington State winery. Founded by Gary and Nancy Figgins in 1977, Leonetti Cellar was the Walla Walla Valley’s first modern-day winery. Leonetti wines have been standard bearers for quality and consistency since their beginning and have achieved a cult following. It often takes years of waiting to make their allocation list. In 1996, Gary and Nancy’s son, Chris, joined them in the winery after graduating with a degree in Horticulture from Washington State University. While Gary is still actively involved in the winery, Chris now serves as CEO and Director of Winemaking. From early on, the Figgins family has worked on developing their own vineyards in order to achieve their goal of exclusively using estate-grown fruit from the Walla Walla Valley. Leonetti only produces three or four wines each year, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese, and in the best vintages, a Reserve like this one.

Even though they are a relative newcomer, founded in 2007 by brothers Pinto and Billo Naravane, Rasa Vineyards is already a bona fide Washington wine superstar. Billo serves as winemaker and Pinto as managing partner, but the brothers collaborate on every aspect of the business. They both have engineering and mathematical backgrounds and worked in the computer industry. As far as Wine Peeps’ ratings go, Rasa has been in a league of its own. We’ve found a “Wow!” wine (Quality rating of 5 stars) in every release they’ve had so far, which is unprecedented for us: 2007 Principia, 2008 Creative Impulse, 2009 Plus One, and 2010 QED. Also, the 2008 Vox Populi was the consensus winner in a Tasting Group tasting of Mourvedre from around the world. Rasa Vineyards offers their wines through their mailing list first. Only open by appointment, Rasa Vineyards is definitely a must-visit if you are in the Walla Walla area.

Once you have bottles like these two in the cellar, it is often difficult to decide when it’s the right occasion to drink them. Enter Open That Bottle Night. So this past weekend, we sat down to one of LaGayle’s wonderful dinners of mixed greens drizzled with tomato balsamic vinegar, steak frites, and a French macaroon for dessert, paired with these two special bottles that I had decanted for two hours. I’m happy to report that it did not disappoint!

2008 Leonetti Cellar Reserve (Walla Walla Valley, Washington): 69% Cabernet Sauvignon , 11% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot, and 9% Cabernet Franc. Deep, dark purple. Outstanding nose of black cherry, earth, and leather. On the palate, it has an amazing set of complex flavors including black cherry, other black fruits, a spice box with cinnamon and black pepper, and even a yummy vegetal note. Full-bodied, almost creamy, with crisp acidity, a good, dry tannin level and an extremely long finish. A fabulous, well-balanced wine that should reward further cellaring. It was the better of these two outstanding wines from start to finish. Wow!
Quality: 5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $145; Available elsewhere, $160 to $200

2008 Rasa Vineyards Creative Impulse (DuBrul Vineyard, Yakima Valley, Washington): 69% Cabernet Sauvignon and 31% Merlot. Deep, dark purplish red. The nose features aromas of black cherry, black currant, and vanilla. Very fruity with more black cherry, black currant, some red fruits, and licorice on the palate. Medium-full bodied with lively acidity and silky, smooth tannins. Well-balanced and gets better the longer it is open. Has good complexity and a very long finish. While this is an excellent wine, this bottle on this day was not quite up to the Wow! Rating we gave this wine a couple of years ago.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $95; Available elsewhere, $95 to $100

While our goal at Wine Peeps is to find excellent wines that are also excellent values, it sure can be fun to splurge every once in a while.

If you missed this year’s OTBN, go ahead and open your special bottle tonight (or this weekend) anyway. Or, mark your calendar for next year’s OTBN on Saturday, February 28, 2015 (always the last Saturday in February).

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? If so, you might want to check out the 2012 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Unoaked Chardonnay from Washington State.

Our selection criteria include:

• A very good Quality rating of >=3.5 stars (out of 5)
• A price tag of <=$20
• Must be widely available

Columbia Crest, located in Paterson, Washington, has been one of our favorite sources of value wines for many years. In 2011, Juan Munoz Oca took over as head winemaker from Ray Einberger. Einberger had been at the helm since 2002 when he took the reins from Doug Gore who had been the winemaker since Columbia Crest was founded in 1983. The Columbia Crest winemaking team has produced more 90+ scoring bottles of wine than any other winery in the world. For those of us who live in Washington State, it is nice to have such a consistent, affordable producer in our own backyard.

“Fermented only in stainless steel, the Grand Estates Unoaked Chardonnay is a light-bodied wine that reveals a pure expression of the varietal. The wine reveals aromas of lemon seed, green mangoes and orange blossoms. On the palate, layers of citrus fruit flavors combine with lively acidity, creating a refreshing style of Chardonnay.” –Juan Munoz Oca, Winemaker

2012 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Unoaked Chardonnay (Washington State): 100% Chardonnay. Pale, greenish straw yellow. Aromatic with citrus notes, especially lemon and lime, on both the nose and palate. Dry and light-bodied with tart acidity and a long finish.
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 $14

Brothers Butch and Jerry Milbrandt planted their first vines in Washington’s Columbia Valley and Wahluke Slope in 1997. Today, Milbrandt Vineyards is comprised of over 2,000 acres of estate vineyards. After selling their grapes to wineries throughout Washington for years, the Milbrandts launched their own winery in 2005. Joshua Maloney, who previously worked for wineries in California and then as Chateau Ste. Michelle’s red winemaker, joined Milbrandt Vineyards as Director of Winemaking in 2011. The Milbrandt Vineyards tasting room is located in Prosser, Washington.

Recently, we had the opportunity to taste the 2012 The Estates Ancient Lakes Riesling and 2012 The Estates Viognier in a blind samples tasting. Both wines are very good and food-friendly. Even though we are in the throes of winter, either of these wines would be a good choice when you have a hankering for white wine.

Milbrandt Vineyards consistently offers a lineup of good quality wines that deliver great bang for your buck.

2012 Milbrandt Vineyards The Estates Ancient Lakes Riesling (Evergreen Vineyard, Ancient Lakes of the Columbia Valley, Washington): 100% Riesling. Pale, greenish straw yellow. Very aromatic with white peach, lime, petrol notes, and a touch of minerality on both the nose and palate. Dry and light to medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long, refreshing finish.
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $16.99; Available elsewhere, $20

2012 Milbrandt Vineyards The Estates Viognier (Wahluke Slope, Washington): 100% Viognier. Pale, greenish straw yellow. Nice nose with citrus, honey, and floral aromas. Lime and lemon come through on the palate. Dry and light-bodied with tart acidity and a very long, refreshing 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 $19.99; Available elsewhere, $14 to $22

Recently, a recipe for braised beef short ribs caught my eye. It sounded delicious, and I thought it would make for a good challenging wine pairing dinner. The Wine Peeps like just about any cut of beef, so I’m always looking for beef recipes that we haven’t already tried. Even better—this was a simple preparation and was absolutely fantastic—the meat just fell off the bone! I served the short ribs over pasta and accompanied it with oven-roasted vegetables and a mixed green salad with pineapple and raspberries drizzled with mango balsamic vinegar.

For the wines to pair with this meal, we decided to go with a Syrah and a Mourvedre and selected the 2010 Mark Ryan Winery Lost Soul Syrah and the 2010 Rotie Cellars Dre Mourvedre. Both wines are outstanding! Throughout the dinner, we went back and forth as to which wine we each preferred with the meal. When we tasted each one before eating any food, the Syrah probably had the edge. But the Mourvedre is extremely food-friendly and really came on during dinner. You really can’t go wrong with either of these wines with the short ribs, so it ultimately comes down to personal preference. Or, if you are feeling adventurous, why not have a glass of each and try this challenge yourself.

What would you have paired with this meal?  And, as always, we welcome your suggestions for future challenging wine pairings.

Bon Appétit!

2010 Mark Ryan Winery Lost Soul Syrah (Red Willow Vineyard, Yakima Valley, Washington): Dark, dense purple. Gorgeous nose with black fruit and smoked meat aromas. Blackberry, black cherry, smoked meat, and a touch of black pepper comes through on the palate. Full-bodied with crisp acidity and high, smooth tannins. Well-balanced with a very long, lingering finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Full Pull Wines (Seattle, Washington), $45; Available elsewhere, $49

2010 Rotie Cellars Dre Mourvedre (Washington State): Dark purplish red. Nose is a bit tight at first and then nice black fruit aromas come through. Red cherry, plum, blackberry, and cinnamon come through on the palate. Medium to full-bodied with crisp acidity and medium to high, smooth tannins. Well-balanced with a very long finish.
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 3 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Winery, $60

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? If so, you might want to check out the 2012 Chateau Ste. Michelle Gewurztraminer 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 <=$20
• Must be widely available

Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington State’s founding winery with its roots dating back to the repeal of Prohibition. In 1976, Ste. Michelle built a French-style chateau in Woodinville, just northeast of Seattle. While all of Chateau Ste. Michelle’s vineyards are located on the east side of the Cascade Mountains, all of their white wines, including this Gewurztraminer, are made in Woodinville.

“A fan favorite, this Gewurztraminer is such an enjoyable wine with beautiful, expressive fruit and clove spice. This is a lush style of Gewurztraminer with a lot of floral character, yet it still maintains the grape’s natural crisp acidity. A touch of Muscat offers citrus notes and a deeper spice note. Try this wine with Thai food or any cuisine with a little ‘bite’ to it.” –Bob Bertheau, Head Winemaker

2012 Chateau Ste. Michelle Gewurztraminer (Columbia Valley, Washington): 98% Gewurztraminer, 2% Muscat. Pale straw yellow. Aromatic with honey, melon, and floral notes on the nose. More honey, melon, and floral notes as well as apple come through on the palate. Medium sweet and medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a long finish. Residual sugar: 1.6%
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
QPR: 4 bangs for your buck (out of 5)
Where to buy: Received as sample, suggested retail $11; Available elsewhere, $7 to $12