Wine Press Northwest Summer 2007

01 Cover

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02 Best Western ad

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03 TCVCB ad

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04 Contents

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WINE PRESS

Vol. 10, No. 2

N O R T H W E S T

Summer 2007

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FEATURES

32 Red Mountain Turns Green Sagebrush-covered hills give way to some of the hottest vineyards in the Northwest.

58 Willamette Wonder Fourth-grader Ryan Coleman takes an active part in his family’s Oregon winery.

64 Quilceda Creek Vintners Father-son team strives to make the perfect wine.

70 A Vintage to Remember 2005 produced some of Washington’s greatest red wines.

76 Viognier We blind taste this rediscovered white wine, which is gaining in popularity.

84 Match Makers

DEPARTMENTS 6 Wine Knows Searching for a sense of place

8 A Distant Perspective Rosé in resurrection mode

10 Market Grapevine Summer arrives in exuberant fashion

12 Swirl, Sniff & Sip How to store Port

14 Urban Sips Sultry stories of wine vixens, ullage

18 10 Things to Do 19 Northwest Wine Events 20 Wine Destinations South Okanagan, BC

92 Recent Releases 110 Vintage Musings Fluent in Franc

Two Northwest chefs pair their seafood dishes with Barnard Griffin’s 2006 Rosé of Sangiovese

ON THE COVER Red Mountain’s lush vineyards have been carved out of the sagebrush-covered hills. Story starts on Page 32.

Photo by Jackie Johnston

05 Masthead

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WINE PRESS N O R T H W E S T

Wine Press Northwest is for those with an interest in wine — from the novice to the veteran. We focus on Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia’s talented winemakers and the wineries, vintners and restaurants that showcase Northwest wines. We are dedicated to all who savor the fruits of their labor.

Publisher: Rufus M. Friday Editor-in-chief: Andy Perdue Phone: 509-582-1564 Fax: 509-585-7221 E-mail: editor@winepressnw.com Managing editor: Eric Degerman Phone: 509-582-1564 Fax: 509-585-7221 E-mail: edegerman@winepressnw.com Tasting editor: Bob Woehler Tasting panel: Vanessa Bailey, Ken Robertson, Coke Roth, Bob Woehler, Paul Sinclair, Eric Degerman, Andy Perdue Master facilitator: Hank Sauer Tasting panel facilitator: Paul Sinclair Page designer: Jackie Johnston Editorial consultant: Jon Bauer Columnists: Dan Berger, Teri Citterman, Braiden Rex-Johnson, Ken Robertson, Bob Woehler Contributing writers: Mary Hopkin, Jenny Meier, Chris Mulick Contributing photographers: Jackie Johnston Ad sales: L. Cooper, 509-539-2009 E-mail: lworks@charter.net Mona Perdue, 360-373-2659 E-mail: mperdue@silverlink.net To subscribe: Subscriptions cost $10 U.S., $12 Canadian and $15 outside of North America per year for four issues. Mail check, money order or credit card number and expiration date to address below or subscribe securely on our Web site.

Subscriptions and customer service: 800-538-5619; e-mail: info@winepressnw.com Letters to the editor: We encourage your thoughts and comments about our publication and about Northwest wines in general. Write to us at the address below.

Free weekly newsletter: Sign up for our free Pacific Northwest Wine of the Week e-mail newsletter at www.winepressnw.com Mailing address: P.O. Box 2608 Tri-Cities, WA 99302-2608 Shipping address: 333 W. Canal Drive Kennewick, WA 99336 © 2007 Wine Press Northwest A Tri-City Herald publication W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

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06 Wine Nose

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the wine knows

BY ANDY PERDUE

Search for a sense of place

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f you read many wine publications — ours included — you’re likely to run across a lot of talk about terroir, that French word that seems to point to a mystical connection between a wine and the earth upon which its grapes were grown.

While I’m not a big fan of the terroir term because it’s become so hackneyed and misused within our profession, I do appreciate a wine’s sense of place. In the thousands of wines we review and rate each year, we can clearly see patterns that indicate where a wine might be from.

Which brings me to some exciting projects we’re doing here at Wine Press Northwest. This spring, Managing Editor Eric Degerman and I spent a few days in the northern Willamette Valley to taste through a couple hundred Pinot Noirs. Each day, we tasted wines from specific regions: EolaAmity Hills, McMinnville, Chehalem Mountains, Ribbon Ridge, Yamhill-Carlton District and the Dundee Hills. These six new AVAs were featured on the cover of our Summer issue a year ago, and we decided to conduct this year’s tastings (all single blind) to continue our search for strains of similarities between these appellations that are very close together.

In fact, we believe we are beginning to see some patterns emerging. We are drilling down with the winemakers and grape growers as we taste the wines. Thus, we are looking at aroma and flavor components alongside structure and complexity.

For example, the tannin structures in the wines from the Eola-Amity Hills are vastly different than those from areas to the north, such as the Dundee Hills. Why? Perhaps it’s because of the Van Duzer Corridor, a gap in the Coast Range that allows ocean breezes through every afternoon during the growing season. The Eola-Amity Hills AVA is in a direct line from the Van Duzer Corridor, and this natural phenomenon undoubtedly affects the way grapes develop.

Determining a sense of place in the northern Willamette Valley is complicated by the fact that soil types in the six AVAs are vastly different. Add to this the fact that producers use about a half-dozen different Pinot Noir clones, which are the same grape variety but genetically different. And they can produce significantly different wines depending on where they are planted. Thus, part of our long-term project will be to better understand how clones perform differently — dare we say better? — in each area.

This kind of exploration is nothing new for us. In fact, this summer, we will conduct our fifth annual tasting of Walla Walla Valley wines under blind conditions. For this, we spend a day in Walla Walla, first walking a couple of vineyards, then settling down and tasting 80 or so wines, all of which carry the Walla Walla Valley appellation on the bottle.

What have we learned so far? Plenty. First of all, we’re building a database of flavor profiles and wine structures based on what part of the valley the wines come from and vineyard sources. So far, we are noticing a trend that the 6

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wines from the western side of the Walla Walla Valley are more generous with their bright fruit notes, while those from the eastern and southeastern areas reveal fascinating mineral and dark fruit components.

What could cause this? We have a theory: The Ice Age Floods some 15,000 years ago dropped more sediment in the eastern valley. These sediments, known as Touchet Beds, were created when the floodwaters created a temporary lake that stretched from Lewiston, Idaho, past Yakima, Wash. They are more prevalent in the eastern Walla Walla Valley and, thus, could affect the profile of the grapes. The western side of the valley has sandier soil.

Or it could be the way the grapes are farmed or differences between vintages. Only time — and more tastings — will tell.

The new north Willamette AVAs and the Walla Walla Valley are amazing areas to conduct these studies because we can search for differences and similarities between nearby places, then look for possible reasons. The Ice Age Floods in the Walla Walla Valley and the Van Duzer Corridor in the north Willamette Valley are the fascinating stories we love to learn, then discover what their effects on the wines might be.

It’s all pretty geeky-nerdy, but we think this is what many wine lovers are equally fascinated with.

These tastings follow in the footsteps of two former Washington State University scientists: Alan Busacca and Larry Meinert, who conducted groundbreaking work in Walla Walla and on Red Mountain less than a decade ago.

We are adding these kinds of tastings whenever we can.

Three years ago, we traveled to the Snake River Valley and tasted the entire Idaho wine industry in one day. That’s not difficult when there are about 80 wines, and it gave us a complete picture of what was happening in the Gem State — and what its potentials are.

We hope you’ll notice what we learn in our writings, whether they be in feature articles (such as this issue’s cover article on Red Mountain), wine reviews, the Northwest Wine of the Week e-mail newsletter or the daily Wine Knows blog on our Web site.

Our next step will be to take our big AVA tastings, write about the wines we review and begin to draw some conclusions. We will publish these special reports online beginning this summer with our in-depth look at the six northern Willamette Valley AVAs. Keep an eye on the Wine of the Week newsletter and the blog for the freely downloadable reports when they are ready.

ANDY PERDUE is editor-in-chief of Wine Press Northwest and author of The Northwest Wine Guide: A Buyer’s Handbook. He can be reached at 509-582-1564 and via e-mail at editor@winepressnw.com. Watch his weekly video wine show at www.winepressnw.com/video/vodcast.

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07 Maryhill

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08 Berger column

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a distant perspective

BY DAN BERGER

Rosé in resurrection mode

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f rosé were a human being, it would be reviled by the vast majority of wine lovers — and thus those who read this publication on a regular basis would be guffawing that a wine columnist would spend more than a millisecond chatting about this wretched bum with a sad and dejected look needing more than a shower and a nourishing meal.

We typically shun those who offend us, and that’s pretty much all I see from wine lovers when it comes to rosé.

“Pink?” they shriek, and walk a wide berth around the topic.

Sure, there were those sweet, tired, brown-rimmed excuses for wine we witnessed in the past. Terrible, they were. Lacking in freshness, dull and incoherent. A sad excuse for a wine.

And there were white Zinfandels, which were euphemistically referred to as “blush wines.” The only justification for this was that those who made them were so embarrassed that they were constantly blushing, even while furtively going to the bank to deposit rather large checks.

So it’s a special pleasure for me to announce that rosé of a fine order is now resurrected. It wears a new set of clothing (vibrant red color), speaks with a crisp and intelligent air (fresh fruit aromas) and has actually taken a paying job (working brilliantly with food).

Rosé can be a sad creature indeed, but it’s under far better treatment than ever before. Dozens of wineries are making truly magnificent statements with the wine. And the public’s response has been shockingly receptive, given the past indignities heaped upon its tired brow.

As a starter, we learn that 60 percent of the wine consumed in Spain these days is pink. We learn that Fetzer sold nearly 100,000 cases of a Syrah rosé to the United Kingdom last year and can’t make enough of it to meet the demand. We hear that the most popular wine, for sampling and sales, in the tasting room at V. Sattui in the Napa Valley is a Gamay rosé whose average consumption time is about 5 minutes after purchase (at the winery’s picnic tables).

Wineries have found out the same odd thing: The purists aren’t the ones buying the vast majority of pink wines. It is the masses, and they are buying drier and drier rosés than most winemakers ever thought they would.

I could name dozens off the top of my head, including Miner Family’s Sangiovese-based Rosato; Carol Shelton’s Rendezvous Rosé (Mendocino Carignane); Robert Hall of Paso Robles, with a Rhône-based Rosé de Robles; Beckmen’s stunning Grenache Rosé; Eberle’s Syrah Rosé; and the Navarro Rosé (a blend of many things).

One of the best in the country is from the Northwest: Barnard Griffin’s spectacular Rosé of Sangiovese, which won the sweepstakes award for rosé wines at this year’s Riverside 8

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International Wine Competition in a close vote with Shelton’s. Indeed, it is possible to argue with some justification that pink is the best color for Sangiovese to offer consumers, since red Sangiovese rarely achieves the sublime character that it exudes when grown in Tuscany.

The key to these newer (dry-styled) pink wines is the overt fruit they deliver, from strawberry and cherry to watermelon and tangerine. They can actually be a true, all-purpose wine for the diners at restaurants who order disparate foods.

Imagine this: A couple goes into a fine restaurant. He wants filet of sole, she wants prime rib. Ordinarily, he would have white and she red, but a bottle of pink solves the dilemma. A well-made rosé will have the oomph to go with the meat and the delicacy to work with lighter seafood dishes. The real problem is such a wine also works brilliantly with the wide array of flavors available on appetizer plates, so our imaginary couple may well finish the bottle before the food runs out!

Well, that dilemma is easily solved: Order another bottle.

After all, it’s not like the pink wine will be an albatross in terms of cost. The typical Chardonnay in a restaurant is about $35 to $40; two bottles runs $70 to $80, which may be more than a couple wants to pay for wine. But rosé wines rarely run more than $25 on wine lists, so two bottles is only $50.

Now some tips to getting good ones: • Look at the alcohol. If it’s above 14 percent, pass. In general, such wines were made by “bleeding” off a tank of red wine to make a rosé (so-called saignée). Red wines are harvested so late that a rosé made from the same material likely will not have the crispness and freshness that come in the best rosés.

• Watch the vintages. Anything older than 2005 is a risk, and with 2005s, think of them as light reds.

• Keep them chilled. A room-temp rosé can be unattractive.

• Pass on oak-aged pinks. I have rarely tasted a rosé that was better for aging in a new barrel. (Some “vin gris”-style wines, such as Sanford’s Pinot-based wine, are exceptions.)

• Pass on malolactic pinks. Fresh fruit is the greatest asset of a rosé, and any rosé that went through malolactic will have had some of its fruit robbed from it.

• Do not pay a lot. Pink wine is instant wine. It needs no barrels, can be sold soon after the vintage and generally is tired within three years. At retail, the most I would pay for a rosé is about $25, and that’s for the best.

It’s trite, but think pink.

DAN BERGER is a nationally renowned wine writer and judge who lives in Santa Rosa, Calif. He publishes a weekly commentary Dan Berger’s Vintage Experiences (www.

VintageExperiences.com).

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market grapevine

BY BRAIDEN REX-JOHNSON

Summer arrives as exuberant season Each issue, Braiden Rex-Johnson matches four Pacific Northwest wines with fresh regional ingredients.

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ummertime is the exuberant season for Northwest cooks. The region’s gorgeous greens, herbs and vegetables and fresh cherries, berries and peaches are ripe for the picking. Sumptuous salmon makes its glorious summer run.

Our summer repast begins with Dilled Grilled Prawns, an appetizer from Simply Classic (The Junior League of Seattle, 2002). Begin by soaking 24 bamboo skewers in hot water for 30 minutes. Skewer 24 Alaskan spot prawns or large shrimp (peeled and deveined) and place them in a shallow baking dish. Combine one-quarter cup each white vermouth and olive oil, two tablespoons each chopped fresh parsley, green onion and dill (or two teaspoons dried dill); one tablespoon Dijon mustard; one medium garlic clove (minced); one bay leaf; and freshly ground pepper to taste. Pour the marinade over the prawns, cover and refrigerate at least one hour or up to overnight. Remove the prawns from the marinade and grill until barely opaque throughout (one to two minutes per side).

Serve the sizzling shellfish skewers with Quails’ Gate Estate Winery 2006 Limited Release Chenin Blanc ($19 Canadian) from the Okanagan Valley. The wine displays aromas and flavors of lemons and limes and a touch of honey, along with herbal/earthy notes, thanks to blending with Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp, with firm acidity, this wine pairs nicely with simply prepared shellfish dishes.

Blue Cheese-Cherry Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette comes from Kay Simon, winemaker at Chinook Wines in Prosser, Wash. To re-create the winemaker’s recipe, add four ounces of fresh sweet cherries (pitted and cut in half) or unsweetened dried cherries to six tablespoons of Merlot or Cabernet Franc. Make the vinaigrette by whisking together two tablespoons each raspberry vinegar and freshly squeezed lemon juice, two teaspoons each Dijon mustard and honey or sugar, half a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt to taste. Slowly whisk in one-third cup of extra virgin olive oil.

Tear two heads of butter lettuce into a large salad bowl along with half a head of radicchio. Add half a small red onion (thinly sliced). Drain the cherries, add them to the bowl, toss the salad with the vinaigrette and sprinkle with half a cup of crumbled blue cheese before serving.

Pair the salad with Chinook Wines 2005 Cabernet Franc ($20) from the Yakima Valley. Chinook has developed a quite following for this variety — particularly in Seattle-area restaurants. In her tasting notes, Simon describes the wine as, “a fruity, bright red wine that is easy on the palate. Flavors you might find in Chinook Cab Franc include licorice, mint and lavender.”

Continuing our exuberant summer feast, we cook up 10

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Alaskan Salmon with Warm Blackberry and Shallot Compote, a recipe from my Pike Place Public Market Seafood Cookbook (Sasquatch Books, 2005). Toss three to four small, peeled shallots with one tablespoon of olive oil and onequarter cup of sugar. Spread in a baking pan and cook at 400 degrees until the shallots are lightly browned and soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and spoon the shallots and syrup into a nonreactive mixing bowl. Add two cups of fresh blackberries and one-quarter cup of raspberry vinegar.

Toss gently, cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, on a piece of waxed paper, mix together onequarter cup of all-purpose flour, one tablespoon each minced fresh chervil and parsley, and a pinch each of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. When hot, add one tablespoon olive oil. Remove the skin and bones from four six-ounce salmon fillets and pat both sides of each fillet in the flour, shaking off any excess. Cook three to five minutes per side, transfer to dinner plates and spoon the compote over the salmon.

Pair the salmon with Bridgeview Vineyard & Winery 2003 Blue Moon Merlot ($10) from Oregon. Youthful — even refreshing for a red wine — this bright, ruby-colored quaffer pairs nicely with the berry compote, thanks to its lush flavors of blueberry and black cherry and a medium mouth feel.

Our summer menu ends on a sweet note with one of my original recipes — Lemon Whip Peach Parfaits. Begin by gently tossing four ripe peaches (skin and pits removed and cut into bite-sized pieces) with two tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice. In a chilled mixing bowl with a chilled whisk, whip one cup of heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in one cup of plain yogurt and half a cup of lemon curd. Cut one package of soft ladyfingers (24 ladyfingers) into bite-sized pieces and layer half of the pieces in four wine goblets or dessert bowls. Layer with half the peaches and half the lemon cream, repeat the process (ending with the lemon cream) and refrigerate two to 24 hours.

Serve the peach parfaits with a well-chilled bottle of Covey Run Winery 2005 Morio-Muskat ($8) from Washington’s Columbia Valley. This delicately aromatic wine is made from the intriguing German hybrid cross of Pinot Blanc and Sylvaner grapes.

Its intoxicating floral aromas and flavors of peaches and honeysuckle, touched by a hint of sweetness, make you want to stand up and cheer as you celebrate summer, the exuberant season!

BRAIDEN REX-JOHNSON has written about Northwest food, wine and travel for 16 years and is the author of six books, including the Pike Place Public Market Seafood Cookbook.

Visit her online at www.NorthwestWiningandDining.com.

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swirl, sniff & sip

BY KEN ROBERTSON

How to store Port Should I store my Port wines differently than my other wines? I have a temperature-controlled wine cabinet but have not seen any information on whether Port should be stored differently to allow it to age properly. And at what temperature should it be stored?

Although I regularly drink a bit of Port around the holidays, I’m not exactly an expert. So I consulted a couple of folks from my area in Eastern Washington who produce some excellent Port — Rob Griffin, owner and winemaker at Barnard Griffin Winery in Richland, Wash., and Wade Wolfe, owner and winemaker at Thurston Wolfe Winery in Prosser, Wash.

Barnard Griffin, which was Wine Press Northwest’s Winery of the Year in 2006, produces a fine Syrah Port and Thurston Wolfe offers two excellent bottlings — a Zinfandel Port and JTW Port, a blend of Touriga, Souzao, Petit Sirah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wade Wolfe noted that Port lovers should remember to drink their Ruby and Tawny Ports young because they’re not designed to age. And treat aged Port “like fine red table wine.”

Both Wolfe and Griffin had much the same advice for Port storage. Put it into your wine cabinet, which should be set to maintain a temperature of about 55 degrees, and hold on until you have the right special occasion.

And so long as your storage method maintains its integrity, you don’t have much to worry about with Port. A few years ago, two close friends, my wife and I enjoyed a stellar dinner to celebrate a 50th birthday at The Herbfarm Restaurant in Woodinville, Wash. Our dinner was capped off by a stunning Port that dated from 1914, as I recall.

I’d be ecstatic to have something like it to age even more in my wine cabinet. And Wine Press Northwest Editor Andy Perdue recently sipped a bit of Royal Oporto produced in 1896, and he continues to drool over the experience. Clearly, a fine Port, well stored, can outlast its owner.

So, don’t be reluctant to age the appropriate kind of Port.

Griffin also noted there’s no sin in drinking Port, especially the Northwest version, when it’s young and all that wonderful fruit from a fine vintage remains at its peak. In fact, he speaks about the virtues of young Port with a relish that makes me suspect one wouldn’t find many aged Ports hanging around the Griffin household.

Sometimes I get a headache within a half hour of drinking a sparkling wine. Other wines don’t seem to affect me the same way. Is there something about sparkling wine that causes this?

Sparkling wine (or Champagne, if it’s from the famous region of France) does indeed have a higher concentration of a headache-causing chemical than most other wines.

During the second fermentation of sparkling wine, which 12

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creates the sparkle by instilling the famous carbon dioxide bubbles, some other byproducts also emerge.

Almost certainly the culprit causing your headaches is acetaldehyde, which also is found in ripe fruit, coffee and fresh bread. It affects how we feel when we consume items that contain it, including wine, depending on the level an individual can tolerate.

Acetaldehyde is blamed for playing a major role in the head-pounding consequence we all hate most from overindulging. The liver processes alcohol twice. Once to break it down to acetaldehyde, then a second time to produce acetic acid, which the body can dispose of.

But acetaldehyde, combined with the absorption and processing of alcohol, produces a sort of double-barreled impact. That can produce a raging headache, which to some degree depends on the amount of acetaldehyde in a particular wine.

Sherry also is higher in acetaldehyde, according to The New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia.

Genetics also reportedly play a role in how susceptible one is to acetaldehyde, with people who get a strong “alcoholic flush” apparently more likely to suffer most from the chemical’s effects.

My advice: Drink sparkling wine sparingly and with plenty of water when you do. It will help mitigate the impacts of both the alcohol and the acetaldehyde.

Wine Words: Veraison

Ah, yes, time to return to our French lessons. Veraison is the time of summer when the grapes begin to tell us visually that they have begun to ripen. Red varieties begin to gain color, while white grapes add sugar and tartaric acid, declining in malic acid. White varieties that will add a kiss of bronze (Pinot Gris) or dusky rose (Gewürztraminer) also begin to signal their ultimate colors.

Typically, the grapes do not change much in size at this point, according to The New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia.

In the Pacific Northwest, veraison typically occurs, depending on location and grape variety, sometime between midJuly and the first week of August. Pass by a vineyard about then, and you should be able to see evidence the ripening process has begun.

For the winemaker, this change signals the time has arrived to begin harvest preparations, and it soon will be time to begin monitoring sugar levels.

KEN ROBERTSON, a newspaperman for 37 years, has enjoyed sipping and writing about Northwest wines for 30 years. He lives in Kennewick, Wash. Do you have a question for Ken? E-mail it to krobertson@winepressnw.com.

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urban sips

BY TERI CITTERMAN

Sultry stories of wine vixens, ullage ’ll take “Obscure Terms” for $100, Alex.

The word is “ullage”: A. What is a small one- or two-person sled on which one slides supine and feet-first down snowy hillsides or down steeply banked, curving, iced chutes while sipping ice wine?

I

than seen,” he said, his eyes a-twinkling. “If you think about Geneva – she was a lovely lady, and the history and legend is just incredible.”

B. What is a spicy Hungarian dish usually made of beef, onions, red peppers and paprika served with a big Cabernet Sauvignon?

“Not an awful lot ... because she did do a lot of heavy breathing,” he continued, “but it was a different kind of thing than what usually happens in the top of a bottle,” he slyly whispered.

C. What is the unfilled space in a container of liquid, especially those carrying wine, such as barrels and bottles?

D. What is a type of rubber boot that slips over shoes to keep shoes from getting muddy or wet in the tank room?

Ulalalalalalalalage rolls off the tongue so smoothly that it could be the single best word in the language of wine.

Is it a winter sport, a European stew or a state of mind?

Is it something to wear or admire? “Your ullage looks gorgeous with those earrings!”

The origin is Latin ultimately from the Latin oculus, “eye,” which was used in a figurative sense by the Romans for the bung hole of a barrel. (I think bung hole should be a term investigated all on its own, but that’s just me.)

The French adapted the word in the medieval period as oeil, from which a verb ouiller was created, to fill a barrel up to the bung hole. There it is again. Leave it to the French to come up with all the cool words.

Ullage: Some know it, some create it, and every bottle of wine all over the world has it.

Before you go scurrying off to look up the word in The Oxford Companion to Wine, let’s continue with our game.

For those who know — shhh ... keep quiet! It’s much more fun when you guess a little and play around with what you never knew was there.

Ulalalalalalge. I asked a bunch of wino-types to give me their best unrelated characterizations of a few wine-related words.

The game occurred in April at the 10th annual Taste Washington in Seattle.

Eric Dunham of Dunham Cellars jumped in and opened up with the finest Pepé Le Pew rendition of a drippy French brogue: “Eet ees vhat happens after you feed a beautiful Fronch wooman lots of Champagne. She gives you lots of ulllllllllllage.”

Up next, Don Corson of Camaraderie Cellars tackled “Geneva Double Curtain.” Well, he didn’t actually tackle her but instead explained, as only Don can, that Geneva Double Curtain is what you find in the boudoir of a lovely, lovely wine vixen. “It’s really something to be experienced more 14

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“But does it have anything to do with ullage?” I asked sinisterly. I mean innocently.

I learned from Charlie Hoppes of Fidelitas Wines, whose explanation included a proud Santalike chuckle, that “stuck fermentation” is ... well ... when people are doing punch-downs in the tanks and they fall in and can’t get out.

White Zinfandel. Now there’s a doozy. If you ask James Mantone of Syncline Wine Cellars, he’d say it’s “a rescue wine for old vineyards to carry over until someone arrives who knows what real wine is.” But what would he do if white Zin was presented to him. “Wine is wine, drink it! Wine’s not meant to be anything serious. I make rosé. It should be fun. Pink wine is fun,” he grinned.

Mike Januik of Januik Winery recognized its more salvageable characteristic, noting white Zinfandel “is a wine that has made many people happy.”

“White Zinfandel?” questioned Ted Baseler, chief executive of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. “Well, it’s not grown in Washington.

In fact, white Zinfandel is not grown anywhere.” Then he did that charming Sinatra smile thing that makes you melt and blush all in one swoop. “Zinfandel is! And then they turn it into some kind of soft drink.” (Still melting ...)

For those of us who put the lame in laymen, these are terms worth knowing and, more importantly, worth exploring if you’re so inclined. Tom Hedges of Hedges Family Estate told me, in an off-dry, perfected French burr, “Ullage ees the petite spaaws between the cork and the top of the wine in the bottle.”

Ring the bell, folks. We have a winner!

(Editor’s note: We captured Teri’s search for the definitions of obscure and common wine terms at Taste Washington on video. To see the hilarious proceedings in their glorious entirety, go to www.winepressnw.com, click on “Weekly Video Show” on the left side, then select the episode for April 24, 2007.)

With sass and attitude, TERI CITTERMAN is a Seattle dweller and an eager wine enthusiast. She has promoted a number of Washington wineries and is a contributing writer to the Puget Sound Business Journal, the Portland Business Journal and Northwest Best Places Travel Books.

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activities

great things to do

in Northwest wine country

By ERIC DEGERMAN

Few things in life are as enjoyable as going to an outdoor summertime concert with your best friend in a peaceful setting with a glass of Northwest wine.

It’s a comfortable 75 degrees, and there you are sitting with your date’s hand in one palm. In the other is a Pinot Noir, a Riesling, a rosé, etc. Now that’s multitasking at its finest.

Thank goodness for opposable thumbs.

Fortunately, there are a growing number of such venues in the Pacific Northwest. It’s no coincidence that many of them are at wineries.

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“Come and see the show.” The line is off Karn Evil 9: First Impression, part 2 by Emerson, Lake and Palmer, but I’m guessing ELP’s audiences chose something other than wine as a concert “enhancement.”

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates’ “Summer Concerts at the Chateau” in Woodinville, Wash., is the pinnacle. This marks its 24th season, and acts include the Doobie Brothers, Robert Cray, Bruce Hornsby, Earth, Wine & Fire, Chris Isaak, Diana Krall, Lyle Lovett with k.d. Lang and the annual Smooth Jazz Festival weekend.

Among the wineries in Washington with concert series are St. Laurent in

Malaga, with four straight Saturdays starting July 28, capped by Too Slim and the Taildraggers; Arbor Crest in Spokane with a varied lineup of groups that performs each Sunday for $5 per person; and Terra Blanca on Red Mountain with its new 4,000-seat amphitheater.

Then, of course, there’s Cave B, just a few hundred yards from The Gorge at George with the annual Dave Matthews Band weekend set for Aug. 31-Sept. 2.

Secret House Winery in Veneta, not far from the University of Oregon, also plays host to concerts, including a group unlikely to appear at Ste. Michelle — Social Distortion on July 13 — as well as the medieval-themed Faerieworlds Festival on July 21-22 and the Wine and Blues Festival on Aug. 25.

Among those in British Columbia with concert venues is CedarCreek in Kelowna. The lineup at its 400-seat pavilion, which overlooks Okanagan Lake, includes Jim Cuddy of Juno Award-winning Blue Rodeo on Sept. 12 to help the Fitzpatricks celebrate the winery’s 20th anniversary.

Ste. Chapelle in Caldwell, Idaho, has a dozen concerts scheduled on Sundays through October. Admission is $10.

Sadly, repairs scheduled for the Highway 97 bridge over the Columbia River prompted Maryhill Winery to cancel its 2007 season and postpone the re-opening of its now 4,000-seat amphitheater near Goldendale, Wash.

However, the Leutholds will continue to offer free live music each weekend on the arbor.

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An academic journal. There’s the Journal of Science and the Journal of Medicine. Did you know there’s also a Journal of Wine Economics? This new academic journal focuses on peer-reviewed research of economics related to

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W I N E C O U N T RY wine, viticulture and oenology. It’s published twice a year and includes scholarly papers, wine events and reviews of books and movies. Among the editors is Karl Storchmann of Whitman College in Walla Walla.

Panelists of the JWE editorial advisory board include Gregory Jones of Southern Oregon University, Jill McCluskey of Washington State University and Allen Shoup of Long Shadows Vintners. Subscribe for $39.

Go to www.wine-economics.org.

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Do you have fun at work? Let’s put that another way. Is your job fun?

Many folks are envious of those who work in the wine industry, and some would pay to spend their vacation working for a winemaker. Venture to VocationVacations.com, a business founded in 2004 by Wisconsin-born, Portland-based Brian Kurth. Cost starts at $799 per person and recent “openings” included six in Oregon — Amity Vineyards (Amity), Cherry Hill Winery (Rickreall), Cristom Vineyards (Salem), Eola Hills Wine Cellars (Rickreall), Pfeiffer Vineyards (Junction City) and Stone Wolf Vineyards (McMinnville) — and Wind River Cellars in Husum, Wash.

Visit the site or call 866-888-6329.

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Sip a bit of Japan done Canadian.

Granville Island in beautiful Vancouver is home to Canada’s first rice winery, Artisan SakeMaker Studio. It produces Junmai Nama, Junmai Nama Genshu and Junmai Nama Nigori under the brand name Osake. The rice is imported from Japan, handcrafted and bottled unfiltered. Go to www.artisansakemaker.com

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Tour on a big motorbike. Here’s a suggestion e-mailed to me from Ann Reeves in Kennewick, Wash.

“My husband, Ken, and I are a pair of childless baby boomers who love to hop on our midlife crisis-inspired and self-indulgence-motivated motorcycle and hit the backroads to visit just about any winery we can Google for an address. We enjoy chatting it up with whomever is within earshot to discuss the wines, the terroir, the ferW I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

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activities

mentation, whatever, just so we can learn more about wine. We also like to seek out opportunities to gently, but quickly, remind wine-bar attendants that ‘Meritage’ rhymes with ‘heritage’ and is not pronounced like some snooty French word.”

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Life’s a beach! Leave Pismo Beach to Bugs Bunny. Oregon’s Cannon Beach combines wine, food, art and music as the DragonFire Gallery and Studio celebrates its fifth anniversary July 22 with “Palate to Palette.” Three chefs from the north Oregon Coast — Robert Neroni of EVOO Cooking School, John Sowa of Lil’ Bayou in Seaside and Match Maker alumnus John Newman, who left the Stephanie Inn to open Newman’s 988 — will pair three courses with three wines from Secret House. Portland blues/jazz fusion band Fritz Weber and the Luminos perform three sets.

Sherry Casper will present her paintings of Neroni, Newman and Sowa. For

reservations call 503-436-1533 or visit DragonFireStudio.com.

Martin at info@thearchiveproject.net or call 503-764-7698.

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A certifiable wine drinker. The Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET), which claims to be the world’s most recognized and most respected wine certification program, is coming to Seattle. It’s interesting to note that its entry-level program is referred to as “intermediate” rather than “novice.” And the intermediate certificate program includes 15 hours of instruction and requires no previous experience. Get experienced in one weekend, June 23-24 at Maple Leaf Cellars, 9634 Roosevelt Way N.E. in Seattle or in two-hour segments on Monday nights in Portland from June 25 to Aug. 13.

Officials cite that during 2006, more than 17,000 people took a WSET course, which are offered in 38 countries. To earn your certification, you must pass the exit exam. And I’m told the tests are not easy. Contact Mimi

Rhone Rangers ride shotgun.

Founding father Randall Grahm has since re-dubbed himself “The Rhine Ranger” as he focuses on Riesling production in Washington, but he and others continue to champion the cause for Rhône varieties. On July 11, there’s a public tasting of Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvédre, Syrah and Viognier in Seattle entitled, “Guest Chef on the Waterfront.” It rounds up the Rhone Rangers and gathers about 100 of the Seattle area’s top chefs at Bell Harbor’s Elliott Hall on Pier 66 for a weekday night carnival-style tasting of food, wineries, breweries, spirits and live jazz. The sunset could be sensational. Proceeds go to FareStart. Cost is $60. Visit rhonerangers.org for info.

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Tell ’em Rosey sent you. Rosey Rosenberg, chef at the Idle Hour Cafe, helps spearhead the Wine Fest on July 14 in Quincy, Wash. The fund-raiser for the 1904 ReimanSimmons House Museum features more than 15 wineries, food vendors, crafts, a silent auction and an event glass. The wineries, most of them from the newly formed Columbia River Wine Country group between Vantage and Chelan Falls, will also be retailing their bottles. Cost is $35. Go to the Quincy Valley Chamber of Commerce site at quincyvalley.org.

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Get a job. Want to be a part of the Northwest wine industry and get paid for it? This might be one way to start. This spring, LHA Bates & Parnters in Kirkland, Wash., launched NWWinejobs.com. Bill Bates created the clearinghouse site “to fill a need for winery and hospitality businesses throughout the Northwest.”

Clients post positions to the site.

Hopeful candidates build and upload resumés. Go to nwwinejobs.com or call 425-968-8596.

What is your favorite thing to do in Northwest wine country? Send your ideas to edegerman@winepressnw.com.

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June 22-23 Wine Country Celebration, Yakima, Wash. Festivities include a concert by jazz pianist Bill Charlap, winemaker dinners in the vineyards and the Grand Gala Auction and Benefit dinner at the DeAtley Estate. Call 206-285-0514 or go to winecountrywashington.org.

23 Sunshine and Wine, Yakima, Wash. This event is part of the Washington State Wine Competition. Call 509-248-7160 or go to sunshineandwine.com.

July 11 Rhone Rangers Public Tasting. Seattle. This carnival-style tasting at Pier 66 is called “Guest Chef on the Waterfront”and includes wineries and restaurants.

Proceeds benefit FareStart. Go to rhonerangers.org.

13-15 Kirkland Uncorked. Kirkland, Wash. City officials created this new event in Kirkland Marina Park, featuring 60 wines from 20 wineries along with food-andwine pairing workshops. Go to kirklanduncorked.com or call 206-633-0422.

14 Oregon Wine & Art Auction. Carlton, Ore. “The Pursuit of Pinot” marks the 15th annual auction, and Ken Wright Cellars is playing host. Call 503-883-0323 or go theoregonwineandartauction.org.

19-21 Sun Valley Wine Auction. Sun Valley, Idaho. The Sun Valley Center for the Arts stages its 26th annual charity wine auction. Go to sunvalleycenter.org.

26-29 International Pinot Noir Celebration. McMinnville, Ore. Pinotphiles from all over the world visit Linfield College for the 20th consecutive year. Call 800-7754762 or go to ipnc.org.

28 Ohme Gardens Summer Wine Festival. Wenatchee, Wash. Ohme Gardens brings together area chefs, smooth jazz and nine wineries from the newly formed Columbia River Wine Group. Go to columbiariverwine.com or call 800-572-7753.

29 Oswego Wine and Food Festival. Lake Oswego, Ore. More than 20 wineries from the Columbia and Willamette valleys will pour at Millennium Plaza Park. Go to lowineandfood.com

August 9-11 Okanagan Summer Wine Festival, Vernon, B.C. The annual event at Silver Star Mountain Resort has education and recreation. Go to thewinefestivals.com.

11 Prosser Wine and Food Fair, Prosser, Wash. This late-day event continues to grow with the wine industry. Call 800-408-1517 or go to prosserchamber.org.

12 Northwest Wine Festival, Mercer Island, Wash. Northwest chefs pair wines from the 33rd annual judging of Northwest wines by the Seattle Wine Society. Call 206-706-3771 or go to seattlewinesociety.org.

16-18 Auction of Washington Wines, Woodinville, Wash. The Washington Wine Commission’s 20th annual benefit spans three days and centers at Chateau Ste. Michelle. Call 206-326-5754 or go to auctionofwashingtonwines.org.

18 Leavenworth Wine Tasting Festival, Leavenworth, Wash. Enjoy Washington wines, art and live music. Call 509-548-5807 or go to leavenworth.org.

24 Idaho Wine Festival, Boise, Idaho. The Treasure Valley Wine Society organizes this fourth annual event at the Hoff Building, and wineries pour the wines they entered in the state competition. There will be a people’s choice award. Go to rockinrs.com/IWF.htm.

24-26 Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival, Vancouver, Wash. This event at Esther Short Park features 30 regional wineries, 10 area restaurants and several top-name recording artists. Go to vancouverwinejazz.com or call 360-906-0441.

25 Southern Oregon World of Wine Festival, Gold Hill, Ore. Del Rio Vineyards blends food, cheese, music and wines from more than 35 Rogue and Southern Oregon vintners. Call 541-855-2062 or go to worldofwinefestival.com.

September 8 Rhapsody in the Vineyard, Corvallis, Ore. Willamette Valley wineries will pour during a downtown art walk. Go to downtowncorvallis.org or call 541-754-6624.

8 Umpqua Valley Wine, Arts and Music Festival, Oakland, Ore. Hot-air balloons and local wineries are among the attractions. Go to uvwamf.com.

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okanagan valley, b.c.

South Okanagan a must-visit for wine lovers

By ANDY PERDUE For decades, British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley has been the summer playground for residents of Vancouver and the rest of the Lower Mainland.

These days, it’s a veritable paradise for wine lovers, thanks to about 100 wineries, most of the province’s vineyards and an attitude that puts visitors and hospitality before anything else.

If all you have is a long weekend, you

may want to try tackling just one part of this 100-mile-long valley that starts at the U.S. border with the town of Osoyoos.

The largest city in the Okanagan is Kelowna, which is about two hours north of the border. It has the most restaurants and best hotels, as well as a good number of wineries. However, the southern Okanagan Valley is where many of the province’s most exciting wines are made, and the region has made tremendous strides in the restaurants and lodging in the past decade.

The city of Oliver, which is 20 minutes from the U.S. border, has even laid claim to being the “Wine Capital of Canada” because of all the wineries and vineyards nearby.

Tips: A couple of things to remember when traveling to British Columbia:

• Take your passport. It didn’t used to be a big deal to go back and forth without one, but those days are pretty much over.

• You can bring back as much wine as you want for personal consumption.

Don’t let the U.S. Customs folks tell you any differently. You will need to pay 21 cents per liter in IRS tax when you come back, but even if you bring back six cases, you’re only looking at about $12. U.S. Customs takes cash, check and credit but not Canadian dollars. To speed things up, just use cash.

Lodging: A number of small motels are scattered up and down Highway 97, but your best choices are in Penticton, about an hour north of the border. The Lakeside is your nicest option. There are plenty of B&Bs, which is a great option for getting to know the locals.

The Heritage Inn in Naramata has been lovingly restored and offers 12 rooms and dining.

Food: The finest dining in the south Okanagan is Toasted Oak in Oliver, a restaurant on the main drag with cuisine that’s regionally inspired and a wine list judged by Wine Press Northwest to the best in the province. As a bonus, a wine shop is under the same roof, so you can

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pick up wines from producers you did not make it to.

Additionally, several wineries now have restaurants alongside their tasting rooms. Burrowing Owl and Lake Breeze are excellent choices. Theo’s, a Greek restaurant in Penticton, is a local favorite and should not be missed.

Wineries: There are dozens of wineries open to the public, offering everything from sturdy reds to crisp whites to sexy signature ice wines. Here’s one way to tackle the wineries:

• Day 1: Between Osoyoos and Oliver, there are more than a dozen producers, so take in several, including Tinhorn Creek, Gehringer Brothers and Nk’Mip. • Day 2: A group of wineries around the town of Okanagan Falls could fill your day. Don’t miss Hawthorne Mountain or Wild Goose.

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards, south of Oliver, British Columbia, has a spacious tasting room, self-guided tour, demonstration vineyard and picnic area.

• Day 3: The Naramata Bench, northeast of Penticton, has more than a dozen wineries, all fairly close together.

Be sure to visit Kettle Valley, Red

Rooster, La Frenz and Township 7.

A long weekend is a great way to get to know the Okanagan — and a taste

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of the region will ensure a return visit.

AN D Y PE R D U E is editor of Wine Press Northwest.

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WINE NEWS

Washington loses 2 pioneers, winemaker It was a difficult spring for the Washington wine industry, as two pioneers and one young winemaker who was just coming into his own passed away.

• In mid-March, George Carter died at the age of 94 in Prosser. Carter was a chemist at Washington State University’s research station in Prosser.

Carter worked alongside Walter Clore, who is universally considered “the father of Washington wine.”

While Clore did much of the important viticultural work, Carter made wines from various test vineyards.

• In early May, Les Fleming died at the age of 93 in the Yakima Valley.

Fleming was one of the early giants in the modern Washington wine industry, working for National Wine Co. (it later became Chateau Ste. Michelle) in the 1930s.

While Clore did research, Fleming pushed the industry forward from the business side. Fleming retired from Ste. Michelle in 1978 and promptly went to Honduras on behalf of the company to see if grapes would grow there.

• In late May, Lance Baer, owner of Baer Winery in Woodinville, Wash., passed away at the age of 39. He died of acute liver failure after being hospitalized for three weeks.

Baer got his start in the wine industry by volunteering at crush for DeLille Cellars in Woodinville. That led to a job as assistant winemaker at DeLille before Baer launched his eponymous winery in 2000. Baer was best known for crafting superb blends and was a champion of Cabernet Franc, a grape with rising interest in Washington.

“This is a terrible, terrible shock to everybody,” said Greg Lill, co-owner of DeLille Cellars. “There was no real warning. This just doesn’t happen to people 39 years old.”

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WINE VIEWS

Bargain Bob digs up inexpensive wine gems By ‘BARGAIN’ BOB WOEHLER Old “Bargain Bobby” has been mining for great wine deals, and he’s found some diamonds in the rough this time.

Red Diamond is a brand of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, and the Woodinville, Wash., giant has decided to go mainstream with this lineup of $10 wines that includes Chardonnay, Merlot,

Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Until recently, this well-made brand was offered in restaurants. The four Red Diamond wines are made at Columbia Crest and should be widely available.

Another $10 bargain wine I’ve come across is Killer Red, a lip-smacking Syrah made by Keith Pilgrim of Terra Blanca on Red Mountain.

If $10 is too much, I’ll throw in a couple of Salmon Harbor wines at $9 each.

Red Diamond 2003 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $10: A delicious Chardonnay that

is not over the top with oak or tropical fruit aromas. It’s barrel fermented in French and American oak, but it also spends some time in stainless steel. It makes for a harmonious sipper that’s creamy, with pineapple and pear flavors.

Red Diamond 2003 Merlot, Washington, $10: The wonderful smoothness is so

attractive. Aromas of cherry cola and baking spice lead to black cherry and slight chocolate finish. The winemaker says the finish is soft and begs you to drink more. Amen to that!

Red Diamond 2002 Shiraz, Columbia Valley, $10: This Aussie-style Syrah features flo-

ral and leather aromas followed by raspberry jam flavors mixed with black pepper and other spice.

Red Diamond 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $10: This is a very good

Cab that’s full of blackberry and Bing cherry aromas. The flavors include more blackberries with supple tannins and a nice lingering finish.

Killer Red 2004 Syrah, Columbia Valley, $10: Terra Blanca created a funky, sexy

label. It’s a big Syrah with concentrated blackberries, strong tannins and bittersweet chocolate.

Salmon Harbor 2004 Merlot, Columbia Valley, $9: Youthful aromas and flavors of

black cherry, cinnamon, licorice and chocolate notes make this an easygoing, smooth red.

Salmon Harbor 2005 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $9: Full of apples and pears with a

hint of vanilla in the nose, followed by a crisp palate.

BOB WOEHLER has been writing about wine since 1976.

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WINE NEWS

Seattle fest showcases Northwest cheese, wines

By JENNY MEIER A little rain didn’t dampen the spirits of Northwest wine and cheese lovers who whetted their palates and appetites at the Pike Place Market during the third annual Seattle Cheese Festival.

Special attention during the May 18-20 event was given to local producers at the sold-out wine-and-cheese pairing seminar, “The Bounty of the Pacific Northwest.”

Kurt Dammeier, owner of Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, and Laura Werlin, author of The All American Cheese and Wine Book, directed the seminar that put four Northwest wines together with six Northwest cheeses to test the theory that wine and cheese from the same region make a perfect pair.

The first cheese in the tasting was a fluffy, mild goat cheese made by Port Madison Farms on Bainbridge Island.

Paired with a crisp Bunnell Family Cellars Evergreen Vineyard Pinot Gris, the cheese’s tangy acidity and creamy texture were matched by the wine’s refreshing acidity and creamy apple-pear finish.

It makes a light and delicious pairing for summer.

The bright acidity in the Pinot Gris also paired well with the raw-milk Sally Jackson sheep cheese wrapped in chestnut leaves. Without the wine, the cheese’s nuttiness nearly was too subtle, but the Pinot Gris gave the mild and creamy cheese from Oroville, Wash., a boost in flavor.

A Poet’s Leap Riesling from the Columbia Valley — the second white in the lineup — was hailed by Werlin as the most versatile wine in the tasting because of its balanced acidity and fruitiness.

“If I had to choose one type of wine to

pair with cheese,” Werlin said, “Riesling’s it.”

The lush fruit of the Long Shadow Vintners’ product was a surprisingly good match with Mount Townsend Creamery’s “Cirrus” — a luscious and buttery soft-ripened cheese made in Port Townsend. The wine’s acidity cut through the rich texture of the cheese, making the pairing as balanced as the wine itself.

Then, it was on to the reds: Bookwalter Winery’s Lot 21 blend and the Syncline Wine Cellars Syrah.

Dammeier smiled as most everyone in the room agreed that his Flagship Reserve was delicious with both wines.

Aged 13 months, Flagship Reserve has a sharp, cheddarlike intensity and meaty undertones that complement the dark fruit, spice and ripe tannins in the Syrah and the Lot 21 blend.

However, it was the Lot 21 that proved most satisfying with Grisdale Goat, a raw-milk cheese made by Estrella Family Creamery in Montesano, Wash. The nutty and earthy cheese brought out a smoky character in the wine, a pairing so hearty that all you need are a few nibbles to feel completely satisfied.

The finale was Oregon’s flavorful Rogue River Blue, wrapped in pear brandy-soaked grape leaves. The sweet and salty flavor of the cheese sparked a debate: Did it taste better with the Syncline Syrah or the Poet’s Leap Riesling?

The last drops of wine were gone before a firm decision was reached, but the seminar attendees did reach a consensus. Regional wines and cheeses make delicious companions, and with the bounty of the Pacific Northwest right at our door, there’s no need to wait until next year’s Seattle Cheese Festival to enjoy them together.

JENNY MEIER is an occasional contributor to Wine Press

Northwest and a California Culinar y Academy grad who has worked in cheese shops in New York and California. A native of Washington, she lives in Forest Hills, N.Y., but remains passionate about discovering and supporting cheesemakers in the Pacific Northwest. She feeds her “Urban Forager ” blog at jennifermeier.com.

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WINE NEWS

State Legislature helps winemakers with 2 new laws

By CHRIS MULICK OLYMPIA, Wash. — A pair of bills approved by the Washington state Legislature this year are designed to make it easier for Washington wineries to ship their product to retail stores.

Gov. Chris Gregoire signed both into law April 9. They take effect July 22.

Most significantly, Senate Bill 5011 removes the expiration date from a 2006 law that allowed wineries to ship to retailers directly.

Historically, in-state wineries could ship to retailers directly while out-of-state operations had to use a distributor.

In 2005, a federal judge declared that requirement unconstitutional. In 2006, the Legislature approved a bill permitting both in-state and out-of-state wineries to ship directly to retailers until June 30, 2008, because pieces of a lawsuit brought by Costco were being considered.

This year, the Legislature approved Senate Bill 5011 in the upper chamber (46-0) and in the House (91-3) to repeal the expiration date, making the law permanent.

“It looks like we did it right,” said Rep. Alex Wood, DSpokane.

In the meantime, the Costco lawsuit isn’t entirely resolved.

“We need to continue this compromise until further notice,” said Rep. Cary Condotta, R-East Wenatchee.

Direct shipping is particularly important to small wineries, which otherwise may not be able to attract attention from distributors. That hampers their ability to get their product to market.

This year, the Legislature also approved Senate Bill 5898, which will allow small wineries to use a common carrier to ship their wines. Last year, the Legislature voted to allow retailers to use common carriers to transport wine from wineries. But the law did not allow small, out-of-the-way wineries with little access to retailers to use common carriers to ship their wines.

Senate Bill 5898, approved 45-1 in the upper chamber and 94-0 in the House, allows each winery to ship no more than 100 cases per month using a common carrier out of convenience.

“For the very small wineries, this is a definite plus,” Condotta said.

C H R IS M U LIC K is an occasional contributor to Wine Press Northwest, covering legisla-

tive issues from the state Capitol in Olympia, Wash.

Washington factory to make wine bottles The United States’ first new glass factory in 30 years will be built by the Port of Kalama on the Columbia River and will focus exclusively on producing bottles for the wine industry.

The plant will create about 90 local jobs and will cost $109 million to build.

It will be operated by Cameron Family Glass Packaging of Pittsburgh, Pa. It is expected to open in late 2008.

William Spear, a former Coca-Cola executive, is involved in the 175,000square-foot factory. The company says its hydro-powered electric furnace will make it the world’s largest eco-friendly wine bottle manufacturing plant.

Donald R. Cameron, whose family’s involvement with Coca-Cola spans more than a century, said the company researched the project for three years.

“We discovered two major issues that proved to us there was room in this industry for a new player: a lack of capacity and quality issues,” he said.

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BOOKS/DVDS

New books, DVD provide wine knowledge

By ANDY PERDUE “Pacific Northwest: The Ultimate Winery Guide” by Christina Melander and photography by Janis Miglavs, Chronicle Books, 2007, $23.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, you know how beautiful our region is. But until you pick up this book, you might not realize just how stunning Northwest wine country is.

It’s rather silly to call something “The Ultimate Winery Guide” when it profiles 30 wineries out of the nearly 1,000

now in business in the Northwest, but that is all forgiven once you turn the pages and drink in Janis Miglav’s amazing photography from Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.

“A Wine Odyssey: Old World Wines” Central Washington University, 2006, $50.

Amy Mumma, a Master of Wine candidate, runs the World Wine Program at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, and her knowledge of Old and New World wines is highly respected.

This four-DVD set focuses on the wine regions of France, Italy, Spain and Portugal and also includes a DVD with an introduction to wine tasting.

Mumma uses this medium to reach even more wine lovers than she does with the wine-appreciation program she started at the university in 2003. If you’re serious about expanding your

Riedel makes Oregon Pinot Noir glass

By ANDY PERDUE

PHOTO BY JACKIE JOHNSTON

W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

The company that has turned the mere act of drinking wine into a multimillion-dollar industry has released a new glass specific to Oregon Pinot Noir.

Riedel Crystal of Austria created the glass in collaboration with the Oregon wine industry and released it earlier this year. The glass will be officially introduced in July during the annual International Pinot Noir Celebration in McMinnville, Ore. A panel of Oregon Pinot Noir experts went through a number of glasses with owner Georg Riedel, focusing on three finalists. Riedel returned to Europe to develop a glass that would bring out the best of these three glasses as they pertained to Oregon Pinot Noir.

The Oregon Pinot Noir glass has a slightly narrower opening than Riedel’s expensive, hand-blown Burgundy Grand Cru, which was designed in 1958. Its lip also flares out slightly less than the Grand Cru. Tasters involved in helping to develop and choose the Oregon Pinot Noir glass said the narrower opening helped focus the fruit-driven aromas of Oregon Pinot Noir, while the flared edge accentuated a wine’s flavors on the palate, much as the Grand Cru glass does.

knowledge of Old World wines, this is a don’t-miss.

“Art and Science of Wine” by James Halliday and Hugh Johnson, Firefly Books, 2007, $30.

Famed wine writer Hugh Johnson collaborated with winemaker James Halliday to write this book that is loaded with information ranging from viticultural practices to winemaking techniques.

It ranges into the making and enjoyment of all styles of wine and also delves into common and obscure wine faults.

Read this book and you’ll be guaranteed to come out of it smarter.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST

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Two Bottles of select

Northwest Wine delivered monthly, accompanied by our

“Vin Affairs” newsletter detailing your monthly selection.

503-620-6691 800-288-3008

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WINE NEWS

Washington vineyard plantings ramp up

By MARY HOPKIN Newly planted Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are crawling up the stakes at Cold Creek Vineyards, Ste. Michelle Wine Estate’s oldest vineyard.

And young Merlot and Petit Verdot have just been planted at the company’s Canoe Ridge Estate Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills.

Washington state’s largest wine company has expanded its vineyards this year with 164 acres of new grapes — and it isn’t the only one.

Washington’s wine grape growers are expanding vineyards throughout the Columbia Valley, not only to produce more grapes, but also in an effort to improve quality by planting specific varieties in areas where they are known to thrive.

“The growth in fine wine is soaring. We have the key vineyard sites, and we need more fruit,” said Keith Love, communications director for Ste. Michelle.

Traditionally, vineyard growth and new plantings have been done in fits and starts, following trends — Riesling in, Riesling replaced, Riesling replanted.

Eric Henriksen, general manager of Shaw Vineyards, is adding 250 acres of grapes this year to the 900 he already has in the ground in Mattawa and Franklin County and on Red Mountain, and he plans on planting another 150 acres next year.

“It seems like it goes in fits and spurts — we went through a slow period for a while, but now the contracts were available and we had the land,” he said.

In 1993, Washington had 11,100 acres planted in wine grapes — 7,100 acres of white varieties, and 4,000 acres of red varieties. By 1999, the acreage had more than doubled to 24,000, and white varieties were overtaken by red, which accounted for 13,500 acres.

Then, there was a lull. In January 2002, there were 28,000 acres of grapes planted in Washington — only 4,000 more than three years earlier.

“After 9/11, the fine wine business suffered,” Love said.

“The restaurant business was slow and took a huge hit.”

Paul Champoux, managing partner of Champoux Vineyards and chairman of the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers, said that economic slowdown kept growers from investing in new vines.

“We were unsure of what was going to happen — the price of everything was going up,” he said.

Now, with the number of wineries in the state nearing 500 and wine grape production up 9 percent in 2006, Champoux and others are much more certain of their future.

“We are planting 500 to 600 acres in the Horse Heaven Hills,” he said. “And they all have a place to go.”

The grape growers are optimistic about the future of the state’s wine industry — but they still are businessmen who 30

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don’t like to speculate. It’s always better to have a contract in hand to sell the grapes before you plant them.

“The demand for Washington wines is increasing, so to deal with the increase, we have to increase the supply of grapes,” Champoux said.

Tom Judkins Jr., who owns Inland Desert Nursery in Benton City, has been supplying young grape vines to area growers since 1980.

“It seems like this year and last year, there is certainly an expansion in most of the varieties — a lot of plantings going in and there’s pretty big demand for next year, too, the way people are talking,” Judkins said.

But growers aren’t just expanding — they are also doing a lot of shuffling.

It’s all about location, said Rob Andrews, co-owner of Andrews Horse Heaven Ranch and McKinley Springs Vineyards, which produces grapes for about 18 wineries.

“Location is making the choice, not the varieties — over the years we have seen certain areas that produce outstanding varieties — so growers are refining where they are planting varieties to produce higher quality,” he said.

MARY HOPKIN is a frequent contributor to Wine Press Northwest. She covers agriculture and the wine industr y for the Tri-City Herald in Kennewick, Wash.

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TOURING

The well-prepared Pacific Northwest wine traveler Hat

What to take with you on a summer wine-tasting trip.

SO YOU PLAN TO GO WINE TOURING this summer? No matter where you want to travel in Pacific Northwest wine country, you can never be too prepared.

To help you have the best possible winetasting experience, we put our heads together and came up with a variety of items you might consider bringing along.

If you are going to travel east of the Cascade Mountains to Washington’s Columbia Valley or into British Columbia’s Interior to the Okanagan Valley, prepare for it to be hot. Really, really hot. Like triple-digit hot in July and August.

But at least it’s a dry heat. West of the mountains in westCarrying tube for your Riedel glass so it doesn’t ern Oregon and get broken Washington, temperatures can occasionally rise into the 90s — Wine Press Northwest magazines (duh!) along with ample humidity.

The lesson here is Bottled water to protect yourself with water and sun screen. Just as Maps and importantly, shield guides that wine you’re purchasing so it doesn’t bake in the Cooler to put trunk of your car — your picnic lunch thus ruining it and and purchased your happiness. wines in Crossing an international border? Carrying your passport will be a really good idea if you want to get very far.

Our thanks to Bethany Lee, who agreed to be our model. Yes, she’s old enough to drink. ı

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A Riedel tasting glass

A folding chair for your picnic

Sunglasses

Notepad and pen for taking tasting notes

Money for tasting fees and to buy wine. Also, don’t forget your ID, especially if you look as young as our model

Unscented sunscreen so you can smell the wine Note: Also skip the perfume or cologne and opt for unscented soap, deodorant, etc., for the same reason

PHOTO BY JACKIE JOHNSTON WINECOUNTRYCREATIONS.COM

A case to keep your picnic wine in along with glasses, foil cutter, corkscrew, cork and napkins

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Red Mountain Turns Green Sagebrush-covered hills give way to some of the hottest vineyards in the Northwest.

BY ANDY PERDUE

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JACKIE JOHNSTON

WHEN JOHN WILLIAMS BOUGHT 80 ACRES of dirt and sagebrush more than 30 years ago on a dusty ridge overlooking the Yakima River near Benton City in Eastern Washington, the nuclear engineer wasn’t viewed

Col Solare, which means “shining hill” in Italian, lights up Red Mountain at night.

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as a pioneer, a trend setter or a prophet.

“They thought I was crazy,” said the owner of Kiona Vineyards Winery.

Back then, nobody would loan the Williams family a dime to plant a vineyard and build a winery. Today, Kiona is

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in a new $2.5 million facility — and everybody wants in on the action.

Three decades ago, Williams and Jim Holmes — co-founder of Kiona and now owner of Ciel du Cheval Vineyard across the road — were the only people who had the vision to see the viticultural opportunities of Red Mountain. They purchased the land in 1975 for $400 per acre and planted Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Riesling.

“You could stand on the top of Red Mountain and not see any other green out here — except us,” Williams said.

Today, a lot of people in the wine business would love to trade places with them. Or at least be their neighbors. That’s because Red Mountain is the hottest and most expensive land in Washington wine country. A place on Red Mountain virtually guarantees success.

Glance around the neighborhood, and it’s apparent. Just down the hill from Kiona’s new, spacious tasting room is Klipsun Vineyards, regularly lauded by national publications as one of Washington’s finest. A Klipsun-designated wine is likely to sell to collectors at a premium price. Next to Klipsun is Terra Blanca, owned by Keith Pilgrim, who has sunk millions of dollars into a facility that stands alone in the Northwest in terms of sheer beauty and magnitude. Up Sunset Road is Hedges Family Estate and its Frenchinspired chateau that has been a symbol of grandeur on Red Mountain for more than a decade.

Clear up the hill to the east is Col Solare, the international collaboration between Washington’s oldest winery and Italy’s most important producer. Between the 18,650square-foot winery and the 30-acre vineyard in front, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and Marchese Antinori shelled out $8 million.

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It doesn’t stop there. Thanks to the state Department of Natural Resources and the Kennewick Irrigation District, land that as recently as two years ago didn’t have water is now being planted. A new interchange off Interstate 82 is being planned, and everyone in the area, it would seem, is trying to figure out how to get in on this tiny American Viticultural Area while they can.

SMALL IS GOOD

RED MOUNTAIN ISN’T REALLY RED. AND FRANKLY, IT isn’t much of a mountain. But Brown Ridge doesn’t sound terribly sexy, and nobody seems to mind. But one thing is for sure: Red Mountain is turning green. As in money and vines.

At 4,040 acres, Red Mountain is, by far, Washington’s smallest American Viticultural Area, or AVA, and in the Northwest is the second smallest after Ribbon Ridge in Oregon. It became an approved AVA in June 2001. At the time, it had about 600 acres of vineyards, which has slowly grown since then.

Red Mountain is the easiest AVA for wine lovers to grasp. Compared with the vast, 11 million-acre Columbia Valley, Red Mountain is tiny. It is one small ridge on the eastern edge of the Yakima Valley that can be seen in its entirety from Interstate 82.

A N C I E N T H I S T O RY

LIKE MUCH OF EASTERN WASHINGTON, RED MOUNTAIN was severely affected by the Ice Age Floods some 15,000 years ago. The side of the mountain that is the appellation was a backwater eddy that was entirely underwater.

Alan Busacca, a soil scientist and expert on the Ice Age Floods and how they shaped the modern Washington wine industry, points to Red Mountain as a region that was monumentally changed by the largest flows of water ever recorded on Earth.

“Red Mountain is an area where the outburst floods from Glacial Lake Missoula had quite a dramatic effect,” Busacca said as he stood high on the ridge at the site of a new vineyard planting. “Red Mountain stood in the way of the floodwaters that were coming out of the north.

When the first waves came crashing in here, they came swirling around this spine of Red Mountain. This bench that forms the main growing area was in the back eddy.”

The waters swirled and brought in gravel, sand, silt and clay and dropped them throughout Red Mountain, Busacca added. Thus, even small vineyard plantings will have tremendous variations in soil types just below the surface.

“Everything we see in all directions up to 1,200 feet was a standing lake,” Busacca said. “That lake only sat here for a week to 10 days for the largest floods. Every 50 to 75 years, this lake came into existence here with incredible violence.”

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F E AT U R E

WAT E R M AT T E R S

TODAY, WATER STILL IS AN ISSUE ON RED MOUNTAIN. But instead of there being too much, there isn’t enough.

In fact, for several years, few grapes were planted on what is arguably the finest vineyard land in Washington because of a lack of water, which came primarily from deep wells and huge holding ponds. However, growers and winemakers have great hope that a plan by the Kennewick Irrigation District will bring needed water to Red Mountain. The $35 million plan will require the irrigation district to trade its Yakima River water rights for Columbia River water and add a new pump station downstream on the Columbia. The plan could irrigate up to 8,500 acres on Red Mountain and in the nearby city of West Richland — and as a bonus, it might even be good for salmon because it would reduce the amount of water being taken out of the Yakima. If all goes as planned, Red Mountain could have ample water as soon as 2009.

PLANNING AHEAD

ALSO IN THE WORKS IS A GROWTH-MANAGEMENT plan started by Tom Hedges, owner of Hedges Family Estate on Red Mountain, and now led by Benton County officials, including commissioners Leo Bowman and Claude Oliver. The plans include walking trails, a park, a village and, perhaps most importantly, a new freeway interchange that will funnel visitors directly toward the wineries.

“There’s a lot we can do when we get behind a single vision,” Oliver said. “Red Mountain has the potential to be the Washington poster child for doing growth management right. People are realizing it’s very hot real estate, very much a tourist destination.”

The village concept would be a small area with highend housing and perhaps a general store and restaurant.

The new interchange likely is five to 10 years away from being built. More information on the project is at www.redmountainvision.org, a site run by Benton County.

PIONEERS

Kiona’s new tasting room offers spectacular views of Red Mountain and the Yakima Valley.

ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE TO HAVE A VISION OF what Red Mountain could be was Hedges. In 1989, he was running an operation that purchased wine and resold it in Asia and Europe, but he wanted to plant vineyards and start a more traditional winery. That year, he attended his 20th high school reunion in Richland. He ran into an old classmate, Fred Artz, a vineyard owner on Red Mountain.

The next day, they headed up Red Mountain to look at a piece of property for sale, and Hedges bought it.

Hedges worked on a shoestring to plant his vines, and he made the wine at other wineries until his building was finished in 1995. His wife, Anne-Marie, is French, so

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architecturally, the Old World model seemed like a good idea.

“There was no local architectural style here at the time, so we copied Bordeaux,” Hedges said of his chateau. “We built something nice because we had high hopes for the area.”

Today, Hedges has 88 acres of vineyards and farms nearby Red Mountain Vineyards, which is another 33 acres. The winery is now open weekends most of the year and has one of the most beautiful tasting rooms in the state. As other high-quality wineries have built up around him on Red Mountain, he finds it gratifying that he was a pioneer.

“My whole dream now is to make Red Mountain famous and successful,” he said. “Our success is based on the success of Red Mountain, and Red Mountain’s success is partly based on what we did. It could become a great appellation. I’d love to see 20 more great wineries up there.”

Hedges, 56, thinks the next 10 years will witness tremendous growth on Red Mountain. He envisions developed vineyard land selling for $100,000 per acre. He thinks all the plantable land will be under vines and 30 wineries will be in operation.

“I don’t see anything stopping it.”

THE TOURIST EXPERIENCE

ONE PERSON WHO HASN’T STOPPED — OR EVEN slowed down — since he arrived in 1993 is Keith Pilgrim, owner of Terra Blanca. A year ago, he unveiled his 55,000square-foot winery that is second to none in the Northwest. Though he won’t reveal just how much he spent, he termed it as “substantial,” and it’s certainly as grand as anything on the mountain.

Pilgrim opened his first, basic tasting room in 1998. His 80 acres of vineyards were still developing, and his big hook was the two caves he’d built into the side of the hill for barrel storage. After getting the business established, he and an architect headed to his native Northern California and visited more than 300 wineries, gathering ideas wherever they could find them. The result is today’s Tuscan-style building with amazing spaces for banquets, tastings, outdoor dining and concerts.

“It gives us the ability to do more,” Pilgrim said.

“Anytime you’re able to get wine and food together, it’s a positive. It just gives us a lot more room for hospitality and a more relaxed atmosphere.”

As yet, he hasn’t taken full advantage of what he’s created, but such programs as educational tastings, tours and special events will come.

“In California, wineries just wanted to get people to come see them,” he said. “Then Napa became the biggest tourist draw in the country. Now the wineries have modified their facilities to give guests the experience they’d 36

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F E AT U R E

Hedges Family Estate was built in the style of a French chateau.

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like to have, not just an experience.

“Washington is where California was 20 years ago. Let’s give people the experience they’d like to have,” he added. “Some might want to taste at the tasting bar.

Some might want food-and-wine pairings. Those are things we’d like to offer, and we’re getting closer.”

And to think Pilgrim almost didn’t come here. In 1992, he’d made an offer on land in Paso Robles in California.

He happened to make a trip to Washington and tasted wines from Red Mountain.

“I was excited about the area — especially about Red Mountain because it was unique.”

In his nearly 15 years on Red Mountain, Pilgrim has seen a lot of growth, and he expects that to continue accelerating over the next half-decade, with more than 1,500 acres of vineyards and at least 25 wineries.

“I think Red Mountain has the ability to be world renowned with certain grapes, such as Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon,” he said. “It can draw comparisons to small districts such as Stags Leap, Howell Mountain and other small viticultural areas, but it’s its own thing.

RED MOUNTAIN INFO

RED MOUNTAIN IS IN EASTERN WASHINGTON, on the far eastern edge of the Yakima Valley. From Seattle, it’s less than four hours of driving, all on interstate. To get there, take the Benton City exit on Interstate 82, just west of the Tri-Cities.

Tasting rooms: More than a dozen wineries are on Red Mountain, and many of them have regular tasting room hours. Such wineries as Kiona, Terra Blanca, Seth Ryan and Blackwood Canyon are open daily. Others have weekend hours or are open by appointment. For exact hours, consult the Washington Wine Commission Web site (www.washingtonwine.org).

Where to stay: The nearby towns of Benton City and West Richland have few accommodations. The Tri-Cities (Kennewick, Pasco and Richland) is eight miles away and has plenty of hotels, motels, RV parks and camping (www.visittri-cities.com).

Prosser, 20 miles to the west, also has lodging.

Where to eat: The Tri-Cities has the best choices of restaurants, including Mexican, Thai, Italian, Indian, Greek, American, Vietnamese, etc.

Picnickers should seek out Yoke’s Fresh Market in West Richland for high-end cheeses, olives, breads and wine. At least a half-dozen Starbucks are scattered throughout the Tri-Cities, along with many independent espresso stands. Three microbreweries offer craft beer and pub-style food.

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Jim Holmes, owner of Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, has spent more than 30 years growing premium wine grapes on Red Mountain.

Keith Pilgrim, owner and winemaker at Terra Blanca, has been on Red Mountain since 1993.

AP PHOTO

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red mountain FidĂŠlitas has one of the newest tasting rooms on Red Mountain.

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F E AT U R E

Grapes from Red Mountain, such as those from Klipsun Vineyards, are recognized as some of the best in the state.

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The fact it’s small and defined makes marketing the area a bit easier.”

FUSING OLD AND NEW WORLDS

HAVING COL SOLARE AS A NEIGHBOR ALSO WILL HELP, and most wineries in the neighborhood agree. The combined forces of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates and the Antinori family will help refine the focus on Red Mountain, especially when Col Solare’s sole wine, a $70 red blend, is made from 100 percent Red Mountain grapes.

“The vision we have here is that Col Solare becomes a Red Mountain AVA wine in probably a half-decade and that we would have it principally estate grown,” said Ted Baseler, CEO of Ste. Michelle. “We would like the identity of Col Solare clearly as a Red Mountain estate-grown wine.”

So far, Col Solare’s grapes have come from some of the company’s top estate vineyards, including Canoe Ridge to the south and Cold Creek to the northwest.

Col Solare was 12 years in the making after the two companies put together their Opus One-type collaboration. Renzo Cotarello of Antinori and Doug Gore of Ste. Michelle oversee the winemaking, which is under the direction of Marcus Notaro, the resident winemaker.

Col Solare is a beacon on Red Mountain, thanks to a distinctive architectural style that includes a 56-foot-tall bell tower.

“We had this vision that it would be a fusion of New World and Old World,” Baseler said. “I couldn’t be more happy with the way the winery turned out. It’s understated sophistication. And it’s a state-of-the-art production facility for making world-class wine.”

Piero Antinori couldn’t agree more.

“The dream has become reality,” he said excitedly at Col Solare’s grand opening in April. “We think it’s a beautiful winery. It integrates well with the landscape.”

Antinori, who lives amid the picturesque hills of Tuscany, feels right at home in dusty Eastern Washington.

“It’s very different from Tuscany,” he said, gazing west up the Yakima Valley. “It has great, great charm. For me, it’s fascinating, maybe because it’s so different.

“When I come here, I have the feeling that it can produce great wines,” he added. “It’s not a matter of soil or climate, just that you feel it. For an old winemaker like I am, it works when I have a feeling that it can produce a great wine.” ı A N D Y P ER DUE is editor-in-chief of Wine Press Northwest. Read his blog, The Wine

Knows, at www.winepressnw.com.

JACKIE JOHNSTON , a freelance photojournalist, is a regular contributor and the page designer for Wine Press Northwest. Her Web site is WineCountryCreations.com

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Piero Antinori’s family has been making wine in Italy for 26 generations.

Renzo Cotarello, Antinori’s head enologist, guides the winemaking at Col Solare.

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red mountain Col Solare eventually will fill all its barrels with wine from Red Mountain grapes.

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F E AT U R E

THE WINES O F R E D M O U N TA I N

WHAT MAKES RED MOUNTAIN special? Why are the grapes and their resulting wines so highly prized? This 4,040-acre bench is, indeed, unique — even amid the seemingly similar nearby hills.

First of all, Red Mountain faces southwest, providing maximum afternoon sun exposure. As far as Eastern Washington viticulture is concerned, the Yakima Valley is considered relatively cool. But not Red Mountain, which is consistently one of the warmest areas of the Columbia Valley.

However, a gap between Red Mountain and Rattlesnake Mountain to the west allows cool air from the north to slip through to the vineyards, which sit at altitudes of between 600 and 1,100 feet. The Yakima River, which runs north around Red Mountain, also tempers hot summer days into cooler nights.

Those help retain acidity and add levels of complexity.

Second, Red Mountain’s soil is poor by most agricultural standards. It’s sandy, low in nutrients and uneven. But stress can do one of two things to vines: make them struggle and work harder or cause them to wither and die.

That struggle to reach deeper into the soils produces smaller grapes and more concentrated juice.

On Red Mountain, red wines tend to be more tannic, as well as more focused and complex.

The hot days ensure ripeness, the cool nights preserve acidity, and the small berries create dark aromas and flavors and plenty of structure. Thus, Red Mountain has the opportunity to produce some of Washington’s most ageworthy wines.

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We produce elegant Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from our Seven Hills and Pepper Bridge estate vineyards. These luxurious wines showcase the distinctive terroir of the Walla Walla Valley.

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Enjoy wines made with a charming French accent.

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Enjoy our authentic Italian Cuisine, friendly atmosphere and extensive wine selection.

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W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

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Ryan Coleman has been busily learning the family business since he was 21â „2 years old, but he would rather be a NASCAR driver than a winemaker when he grows up.

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the willamette wonder

F E AT U R E

Are you smarter than a 4th grader?

Then get ready to meet the McMinnville kid who’s the talk of the Willamette Valley.

BY ERIC DEGERMAN

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JACKIE JOHNSTON

YOU WON’T FIND RYAN COLEMAN behind the tasting bar, manning the cash register or handling the thief, but his fingerprints — so to speak — are all over one of the most talkedabout wines in the Willamette Valley.

He is, in fact, the boy behind the Coleman Vineyard 2005 Real Fine Racy Red Pinot Noir. Ryan, age 10, is a fourth-grader in McMinnville, Ore., and is a living definition of precocious.

“The Racy Red is a pretty large wine with fruity flavors and big tannins that are not bitter or rough,” Ryan tells anyone and everyone.

“I’m really happy with the results.

It’s really good.”

He already sounds like a winemaker taking samples to a potential distributor, only he’s not a winemaker.

The ultimate responsibility belongs to his parents, Randy and Kim Coleman, who left Southern California for Oregon in 1999 to launch their 4,000-case, 30-acre estate winery.

“Ryan is not allowed to sell the wine, pour the wine or be the winemaker,” Randy says. “And he’s not legally able to own the money that is made from that. We’re putting it away for his college education, and it’s going into 401(k)s and IRAs.” So what all does Ryan do?

“Well, he gets in my way a lot,” Randy says with a smile.

The Colemans have trained him to run the sorting line, but he also muscles up for punch down. On the lots for what the winery Web site refers to as the “fun Coleman family collaboration,” Ryan selects the fermentation yeasts, compiles the data and consults on the blending trials of barrels allocated for the Racy Red. A family friend designed the Racy Red label, which features a checkered flag and a numbered race car. No. 8 is on the 2005 vintage — Ryan’s age at the time of crush.

“He knows it all,” says Kim, the winery’s chemist. “He’s learning the science and the math. He’s converting fractions to do the lab work before he even has it in school.

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He tastes wine at our dinner table, and we’ve taught our children to look for the balance in the wine and where it falls on the palate.”

And like any good winemaker, Ryan will be the first one to tell you it starts in the vineyard. “If all you have are a bunch of raisins, you are not going to make good wine obviously,” he said.

Armed with such insight, he tracked down neighbor Moe Momtazi, whose Momtazi Vineyard in the McMinnville AVA contributed heavily to the Colemans’ soon-tobe released 2006 Racy Red. “I’ve known Ryan for many years, and he’s very easy to get along with, but the negotiations were quite a bit of a challenge,” Momtazi says. “He’s a really neat kid, but he’s very savvy and tried to take advantage of his age when we were negotiating. He told me, ‘I’m just starting my business, and I don’t have much cash, so can we work something out where we swap fruit?’

“He wanted to trade me some Pinot Gris for my Pinot Noir straight across, ton-for-ton! I told him, ‘Ryan, it doesn’t work that way.’ Here I am selling him some of my best fruit that’s grown biodynamically, and he tells me, ‘I’m also giving you some really good fruit!’ He really tried getting it done ton-for-ton. It took a couple of weeks of negotiations.”

The kid knows what to do with the fruit when it comes in. He takes a week off from classes at McMinnville International Community School to work crush with his family, Ben the vineyard manager and volunteers.

“A day in harvest. Wow! It means getting up at 6 a.m. to help get everything plugged in, the bins and stuff,” Ryan said. “This year, my dad said I could drive the tractor, so that’s going to be cool.”

Ryan also runs the hydraulics on the sorting line, working alongside adults each night until the job is done. “It means staying up really late, drinking Coke,” Ryan said.

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“Last harvest, I did drink a little coffee.”

Of course, that’s just the beginning.

“Fermentation. That’s another interesting one,” Ryan says. “There’s a little bit more griping because it’s really hard work. I get dressed in the morning and come out and do my punch downs, write all my information on a card with my brix and run my tests, which I do about three times a day. I connect the hoses. Make sure the bins are covered up because those fruit flies are bad. And I wipe down the sides of the tank with sulfur water. Then you figure out what kind of fermentation you want to use.”

He prefers the always-risky wild yeast fermentation, starting in 2004 with 45 cases of the inaugural Racy Red. “As soon as he heard that word “wild,” that’s what he wanted to use,” his dad says. “We had never used it before, but in 2004, Ryan did, and we found a taste and mouth feel that we were looking for. Now, a third of all of our wines are indigenous fermentation.”

The 2005 Racy Red, made from estate fruit and sold for $24, received an “Excellent” rating in a double-blind tasting by Wine Press Northwest. See Page 96 in the Recent Releases section. Much of it went to NASCAR nuts around the country.

“We made 85 cases, but we could have sold 2,000 cases,” Ryan says, disappointed by the loss of potential sales to his driving idols. “I want to call Junior (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) and Tony Stewart and send them out some wine. Maybe Jeff Gordon, too, but I’m not so happy with him right now.”

Considering the source, the four barrels of 2006 will yield about 100 cases of what promises to be the fastestmoving Racy Red yet.

“I’m a good friend of Moe’s,” Ryan says. “He gave me some really good fruit, and I’m really thankful and happy.”

Momtazi says, “I haven’t tasted it, but it’s from some of our best fruit, and I told him with that fruit, he should charge $50 a bottle. Ryan told me, ‘I don’t want to do that right away. I want to develop the business.’ ” In reality, it’s the family livelihood, and Ryan’s parents know others are watching, including the Oregon Liquor Control Commission.

“I’ve only had positive experiences with the OLCC,” Kim said. “We are respectful of the law and respectful of people who might not think that kids should even be involved with alcohol. But it is a farm, and growing and processing fruit is part of it.”

Ken Palke, public information officer for OLCC in Portland, said an investigator reported in October 2006 that the Colemans are in accordance with Oregon Revised Statute Chapter 471.403.

“We see Ryan as farm laborer, and really, we don’t feel he is involved in the sales or service or making of wine, per se,” Palke said. “He’s a young kid helping out on a farm, and that’s how they learn the business.”

One key is that Colemans only allow Ryan to sample the wine inside their home, not in the winery.

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Ryan’s midget race car was the inspiration for Coleman Vineyard’s Racy Red label.

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COLEMAN VINEYARD 22734 S.W. Latham Road McMinnville, Ore. 97128 (503) 843-2707 www.colemanvineyard.com

F E AT U R E

“Under Oregon law, a parent or legal guardian is allowed to provide an alcoholic beverage at the dinner table,” Palke said.

There is a history of underage winemakers in the Northwest. Two years ago, Victor Palencia, assistant winemaker for Willow Crest Winery in Prosser, Wash., graduated from Walla Walla Community College’s Center of Enology and Viticulture at age 20.

Another winery in Prosser — Pontin Del Roza — was founded in 1984 by then-underage winemaker Scott Pontin as a Future Farmers of America project.

The Colemans wanted their children, Ryan and Kristin, to grow up on a farm rather than in Southern California.

Kristin attended Oregon State University before being accepted to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. It’s no coincidence that Kim attended the CIA at Greystone in the Napa Valley.

As for Ryan, he was whining to help his mom and dad in the winery before he could ride a tricycle.

“In 1999, when we made our first vintage, Ryan was 21⁄2 years old,” Kim recalls. “I had to do a lot of the punch downs that year, and there I was on a stepladder with a 21⁄2-year-old pulling on my leg, screaming, ‘I want to do it! I want to do it!’ So he did. Every year, he’s just gotten a little more involved.”

These days, he’s pestering Dad to let him plant a halfacre of grapes, even though there’s plenty nearby.

It’s easy to forget Ryan is 10, but his parents provide a balanced childhood. He plays baseball. He builds remotecontrol airplanes and takes flying instruction at nearby Evergreen Aviation Museum. Friends bring their skateboards and sleep over. He’s in a swim club, and the family races quarter midget cars throughout the Northwest.

“The kid loves mechanics and aeronautics. He’s really good in math and science and reading,” his mother says.

“He’s just interested in so many things, and I think all anyone can really ask of their kid is that they are curious and interested in the world.”

Which begs the question: What will he do when he grows up?

“That’s a tough one,” Ryan says with a rub of his babyfaced chin. “Winemaking? Maybe as a hobby, but I’d like to go to college and have a career as a NASCAR driver.”

Include comedian as a possible career for Ryan Coleman, who has been known to entertain adult winemakers with a stream of blonde jokes.

“Someday, he’s going to have a real nice college fund, which is his biggest push now,” Randy says. “He’s 10, and he’s already talking about going to an Ivy League school. I have no idea where he finds out all these things.”

So, what were you doing in the fourth grade? ı ERIC DEGERMAN is Wine Press Northwest’s managing editor. E-mail him at

edegerman@winepressnw.com.

JACKIE JOHNSTON , a freelance photojournalist, is a regular contributor and the page

designer for Wine Press Northwest. Her Web site is WineCountryCreations.com.

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Quilceda Creek’s 2002 and 2003 Cabernet Sauvignons earned perfect 100-point scores from The Wine Advocate, and Wine Spectator rated the 2003 Cab as the No. 2 wine in the world after an Italian Sangiovese.

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F E AT U R E

What comes after perfection?

Quilceda Creek Vintners’ father-son team reaches lofty goal and work to repeat it

BY ANDY PERDUE

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JACKIE JOHNSTON

PERFECTION. Admit it or not, we all seek to attain it in one way or another. For most winemakers around the globe, it’s an ethereal goal, unreachable unless all the planets and stars align in a way that is entirely unlikely.

Yet, for the father-son team of Alex and Paul Golitzin, it was a quest — even a crusade — attainable, yet just beyond their fingertips.

For the past two years, perfection has become a reality for the Golitzins and Quilceda Creek Vintners of Snohomish, Wash. Dare we say a standard? A foregone conclusion? Not a chance: The Golitzins are not about to take anything for granted.

Two years ago, Pierre-Antoine Rovani of The Wine Advocate scored Quilceda Creek’s 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon a perfect 100 points, a first for a Northwest wine. Then, a year ago, Rovani awarded the Quilceda Creek 2003 Cab another 100. The Wine Advocate is owned

by Robert Parker, the world’s most famous and influential wine critic. Rovani reviewed Northwest wines for Parker until late last year, when he left for new pursuits.

In the newsletter’s nearly 30-year history, the Advocate has reviewed and rated about 100,000 wines and awarded just 127 perfect scores, according to eRobertParker.com.

Most of the names are easily recognizable in the world of wine: Lafite, Latour, Petrus, Haut Brion, Margaux, Chapoutier, Cheval Blanc, Screaming Eagle, Harlan. And now, Quilceda Creek.

As if two perfect scores weren’t enough, the world’s largest wine publication, Wine Spectator, rated Quilceda’s 2003 Cab the No. 2 wine in the world. Since the No. 1 wine was an Italian Sangiovese, this made Quilceda not only the No. 1 American wine on the list, but also the world’s top Cabernet Sauvignon in the world, ahead of Bordeaux, Napa and every place else.

“It was always a goal,” said Paul, Quilceda’s winemaker since 1992. “To achieve it is one thing. Now, it scares the bejeezers out of me,” he added, starting to laugh. “Now there’s nowhere to go but down!”

That’s unlikely. The key to Quilceda’s success is its vineyard sources. Throughout the years, the Golitzins have purchased grapes from some of the state’s top vine-

yards, including Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun, Taptiel and Kiona on Red Mountain and Champoux in the Horse Heaven Hills. In 1997, the Golitzins became partners in Champoux with vineyard manager Paul Champoux, Bill and Greg Powers (Powers Winery), Rick Small (Woodward Canyon Winery) and Chris Camarda (Andrew Will), ensuring their favorite Cabernet grapes would be available annually. In 2001 and 2002, they planted Galitzine Vineyard on Red Mountain, adjacent to Ciel du Cheval and managed by Ciel’s owner, Jim Holmes.

Early this year, the Golitzins purchased Matador, a fiveacre vineyard near Champoux. They renamed it Palengat Vineyard after Paul’s mother, Jeanette, whose maiden name is Palengat. The winery also signed a long-term lease for an adjacent 3 1/2-acre vineyard. The Golitzins plan to produce a Palengat Vineyard-designated wine.

Except for Galitzine (the original spelling of “Golitzin”) and a bit of fruit from Klipsun and Taptiel, the bulk of Quilceda’s fruit now comes from the Horse Heavens.

“I love the Horse Heaven Hills,” Paul Golitzin said with conviction.

Champoux Vineyards, formerly known as Mercer

“...Mother Nature has control. She’s the one who makes you or breaks you.”

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—PAUL CHAMPOUX

Ranch Vineyards, was first planted in 1972, with the majority of the vines put in the ground between 1979 and 1981, said Paul Champoux. He began working there in 1989, leased it in 1992 and put together the partnership to purchase it in 1997. Its 175 acres are highly sought after and are sold to many of the Northwest’s top vintners.

“One of the benefits of being a partner is you get grapes from the older vines, from the same rows every year,” Champoux said. “You get your allotment every year, before anyone else does.” And if there happens to be winter damage, the partners get their full allotment of grapes ahead of other winemakers.

Champoux is obviously excited about Quilceda’s success. “Eighty-eight percent of the fruit from the 2002 was from here,” he said. “No doubt about it: It’s great for

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THE WINES OF QUILCEDA CREEK

QUILCEDA CREEK VINTNERS IS not open to the public. All of its wines are sold to mailing list customers and wholesalers. Those interested in being on the mailing list are encouraged to sign up on the waiting list at www. quilcedacreek.com.

Limited amounts of the wines can be purchased through wine shops, auction houses and restaurants.

In March, Wine Press Northwest tasted through recent, current and future releases of Quilceda Creek wines. Here are our notes:

➤ 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $78: Made primarily from Champoux Vineyards fruit but also includes grapes from Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun and Taptiel. This exotic wine is still plenty youthful, thanks to aromas of sweet spices, violets and black currants, and flavors of blueberries, blackberries, minerals and cocoa powder. The ample tannins are perfectly in check with the fruit and acidity. (3,400 cases produced) ➤ 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $84: Made primarily from Champoux Vineyards fruit but also includes grapes from Ciel du Cheval, Klipsun and Taptiel. Aromas of smoked meats, lavender and a whiff of cocoa powder give way to complex flavors of sweet plum sauce, blackberries and sweet spices. The tannins let you know they are there without getting in the way of the ripe fruit. (3,400 cases produced) ➤ 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $100: Made primarily from Champoux Vineyards fruit but also includes grapes from Klipsun and Taptiel. Violets,

Quilceda, great for the Washington wine industry and great for me. I’m proud because the majority (of the 2002 and 2003 Cabs) came from this vineyard. It’s made Washington well known worldwide.”

Despite the success, Champoux feels little pressure. “I keep doing the best I can. I try to improve what I do. I have my data, which can help me improve. But you can never repeat it exactly again next year because Mother Nature has control. She’s the one who makes you or breaks you.”

Looking at the Golitzin family tree, one might think Alex was destined to make great wine. His uncle was André Tchelistcheff, the famed Russian immigrant who put Napa Valley on the map early in California’s modern winemaking history with Beaulieu Vineyards.

Tchelistcheff later consulted for Chateau Ste. Michelle.

It’s a connection Alex Golitzin doesn’t mind at all.

“Uncle André really helped us out to start with,” he said. “But we do everything totally different than he taught us in those days. But the whole world has changed, let’s face it.”

Quilceda Creek started in Golitzin’s garage in 1979, though he had been making wine experimentally for a few years prior to that. During that first vintage, 9-yearold Paul was right there helping. When did he think about becoming winemaker? “When I was 9,” he said with a wink.

Since the beginning, the Golitzins’ philosophy has been simple: Do not compromise and become better with each vintage. Through the years, they’ve captured top awards and garnered great scores, even a couple of 98s from the Advocate (for the 2001 and 1999 Cabs). In 66

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minerals and black fruit greet the nose, leading to elegant flavors of black currants, blackberries, moist earth and sweet herbs.

The tannins are plush and approachable, yet ample enough for the long haul. (3,400 cases produced) ➤ 2004 Galitzine Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain: This new Cab will be released in Fall 2007. It relies entirely on estate grapes from Red Mountain, adjacent to Ciel du Cheval. The still-young vines produced grapes that show off aromas of sweet herbs, violets and black currants. It’s a complex wine with aromas and flavors of minerally earth, lavender, black fruit and bittersweet chocolate. ➤ 2004 Red Table Wine, Washington, $35: Quilceda Creek’s most affordable wine, this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot uses barrels that did not fit into the Golitzins’ top-tier bottlings. It’s a big, warm red with aromas and flavors of red currants, chocolate and crushed walnuts. Gentle tannins balance perfectly with rich fruit and ample acidity.

fact, of the 30 wines the Advocate has rated, all but six have earned a 90 or better.

Since the two perfect scores have come out, plenty of Washington winemakers have congratulated the Golitzins on their success, but nobody has asked how they achieved it.

“It’s the vineyards, the winemaking, the blending,” Alex said. “You can’t teach anyone that.”

In addition to being very particular about his vineyard sources, Paul also uses 100 percent new French oak, a practice begun in 1993 after he and Alex attended a seminar in Seattle that showed the differences between French and American oak. When they returned home, they canceled an order for American oak barrels and never looked back.

“Our wine is sufficiently concentrated to handle new wood,” Alex said. “It just fits our winemaking better and integrates with our fruit better.”

While the Cab has garnered nearly all of the attention, Paul makes other wines, too, including 400 cases of highly rated Merlot and 2,000 cases of a less-expensive red blend. The Red Table Wine is made in the Bordeaux tradition, in which certain barrels are “declassified” because they don’t quite fit the profile Paul is looking for.

And Paul and Alex have no temptations to stray from their current success.

“We made Syrah for three years just for ourselves,” Alex said. “It’s a lovely wine, but we’re a Bordeaux house.” ı AN D Y PE R D U E is editor-in-chief of Wine Press Northwest. Read his blog, The Wine

Knows, at www.winepressnw.com.

JACKIE JOHNSTON , a freelance photojournalist, is a regular contributor and the page

designer for Wine Press Northwest. Her Web site is WineCountryCreations.com.

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F E AT U R E

Paul, left, and Alex Golitzin only use new French oak barrels to make their wine.

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Syncline Cellars’ Subduction Red and Tamarack Cellars’ Firehouse Red are among the recent 2005 vintage winners of Wine Press Northwest Outstanding awards.

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a good year

F E AT U R E

A Vintage to Remember The reds of 2005 are bottled and ready to start winning awards.

B Y K E N R O B E RT S O N

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JACKIE JOHNSTON

AS THE LUSH RED WINES FROM THE NORTHWEST’S 2005 vintage start trickling to market this summer, it might be a good year for wine lovers to buy a new dictionary. One chock full of all the adjectives they’ll feel compelled to utter in describing what likely is this decade’s finest vintage to date.

Winemakers, grape growers and nearly everyone else in the industry are smacking their lips in anticipation.

Yes, we all know that these folks base their livelihoods on an optimistic outlook for every new vintage. But the 2005 reds appear ready to make believers of even the skeptics, especially in Washington.

In Oregon, September rains made the year different from the previous three vintages, and winemakers are watching their wines with concern but growing optimism as they see their Pinot Noir emerging into wines large in structure and laden with fruit.

Doug Gore of Columbia Crest Winery in Paterson, Wash., who shepherds the reds through the region’s largest winery, has no reservations. “It’s a great vintage,” he said of 2005. “It’s got everything going on.”

The winery’s senior vice president of winemaking and viticulture, he’s enthusiastic about all of his “big three” reds — Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. He has plenty of company. From the biggest wineries to midsized operations like Barnard Griffin of Richland, Wash., and Three Rivers Winery just outside Walla Walla, Wash., down to such smallish vintners as Thurston Wolfe Winery in Prosser, Wash., there’s plenty of enthusiasm bubbling away about their reds.

Thurston Wolfe’s grapes, obtained chiefly from Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills American Viticultural Area (AVA), are fruitier, softer and lower in alcohol because of a cooler fall ripening period, said owner and winemaker Wade Wolfe. The result is that he could leave his juice on the skins longer because the tannins were riper and consequently softer.

“When you try to balance for sugar, you may not get ripe tannins, and the wine will be more astringent” in a year when the fall is hot and the grapes ripen too quickly, he added.

Wolfe speculated that 2005 in Washington may well turn out to be similar to 1969 in California, when he was a relative newcomer to the business. He recalled the

wine world was enthralled with California’s 1968 and 1970 vintages of Cabernet Sauvignon at the time, especially the 1970. As the wines aged, the 1970s sort of unraveled. The 1969 Cabs knitted their finest elements together and outlasted the 1970s.

In Washington, the 2005s are different from any vintage Wolfe has worked with since 1999, he noted.

Rob Griffin, winemaker and co-owner of Barnard Griffin, would push that date back even further. Every year since 1995 has been a warm year, he said.

Although 2005 started out as a warm year, cooler weather in late August extended the ripening process.

The result in the grapes has been “rich, generous, big

The vintage is turning out to be sensational for virtually every red variety from almost every vineyard

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wines that are relatively soft,” Griffin reported.

Wolfe, who started out as a viticulturalist, also credited the cooler fall with producing a special harvest. The softer tannins are immediately evident.

The result? Consistent character across all the reds that appears likely to be the hallmark of the 2005 reds. Lush, rich, complex, a ripe mouth feel from the front of the palate to the back. Rob Griffin’s assistant winemaker, Mickey French, summed it up this way moments after sipping some of the newly released 2005 Merlot: “Big wines with very, very dense but soft tannin.”

Barnard Griffin’s red grapes came largely from the sprawling Columbia Valley appellation. The Merlot he crushed for his famous “tulip label” came from the Wahluke Slope as well as Caroway Vineyard just east of Kennewick, Wash. His Reserve Merlot will blend Alder Creek Vineyard grapes from the Horse Heaven Hills with fruit from the state’s smallest AVA, Red Mountain.

He drew heavily on Sagemoor Vineyards for his Cabernet Sauvignons. Sagemoor produced the grapes that went into many of finest Cabernet Sauvignons of 1983, acclaimed by many as the best vintage of the 1980s.

Until recently, the vineyard has endured a period when much of its fruit has been unremarkable.

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But in the last few years, “They’re Grapes ferment in stainless steel doing sensational work,” Griffin said tanks at Adelsheim Vineyard in enthusiastically.

Newberg, Ore. Holly Turner, winemaker at Three Rivers, is equally impressed with Sagemoor. “Todd Cameron (the vineyard manager) has done an awesome job. ... It’s fantastic.”

For Griffin’s Syrahs, the grapes came from the Wahluke and nearby Desert Aire. But no matter the source of grapes, he agrees with Gore: The vintage is turning out to be sensational for virtually every red variety from almost every vineyard.

Turner echoed that: “Across the board, they’re really good.”

“What I look at in Cabernet,” Gore said, “is how’s it going to be in Grand Estates.” The Grand Estates label in any variety — Chardonnay, Merlot, Cab — has built Columbia Crest a reputation for crafting one of the best-value, best-quality wines anywhere in the nation. But in difficult vintages, reaching that standard is more of a challenge, he said.

That’s because the higher-priced, fancier reserve label versions of Columbia Crest Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet and its Walter Clore red blend get the top-tier grapes produced by zealous tending that typically limits yields to about 3 tons of grapes per acre.

The Grand Estates grapes don’t get the same amount of pampering. In 2005, that didn’t much matter, he said.

“It was good, it was really good, the ’05, even the 5- or 5 1/2-ton Cab, it was still really good,” Gore said. “The high-ton stuff, when that’s working, Bins are filled with grapes prior to Mother Nature is the decider.” crushing during the 2005 harvest The conclusion to be drawn from at Gordon Brothers Family virtually every corner of Eastern Vineyards in Pasco, Wash.

Washington’s grape-growing regions: All the reds will be excellent. Turner, The grapes of 2005 had so much varietal character, who sourced fruit from as far east as the Blue Mountain they were a joy to work with, she concluded. And it foothills east of Walla Walla and as far west as famed didn’t seem to matter from where they came — Walla Champoux Vineyards in the west end of the Horse Heaven Hills, said it would be hard to pick a favorite red from 2005.

Walla, Columbia or Yakima valleys, Horse Heaven Hills, “The Cab is outstanding,” she noted. She paused a Red Mountain, Columbia Gorge or Wahluke Slope. moment, then added, “And the Malbec and Malbec“Everything is very balanced,” she said.

Merlot we released for the spring tasting weekend, In Oregon, the enthusiasm is a bit more muted, partly they’re beautiful.” because 2002, 2003 and 2004 were easy years to make 72

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“It was relatively typical of the old Oregon vintages,” said Harry Peterson-Nedry of Chehelem Wines and Ribbon Ridge Winery. The veteran Oregon winemaker planted his first vineyard in 1982 on what has since become the Ribbon Ridge AVA. “We had rain at harvest, and the later you harvested, the more rain effect you got. It was a relatively late vintage, but not because of the rain.”

Now that he’s had time to watch his wines develop, he’s pleased with the result. “It was a surprise to me because we had to work hard on it. The wines are big in structure from that vintage, and there’s gobs of fruit there.”

In the McMinnville AVA, winemakers and growers reported the 2005 vintage shows a similar pattern. The wines have “zingy acidity, freshness and crispness,” said Todd Hamina of Maysara Winery. He and others in the AVA report the tannins are more subtle in their 2005 Pinot Noirs, a theme that echoes the words of their Washington counterparts.

They agree with other Oregon vintners that the 2005s required more of the winemaker’s art than 2002, 2003 and 2004. But they’re getting better with age.

Mark Pape, cellarmaster of Witness Tree Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, had similar comments about what he’s seeing in the wines of 2005.

“The vintage has this real purity, clean delivery of fruit and really, really concentrated fruit flavors,” he said.

“They have really, really pretty fruit.”

An early May tasting of the entire lineup of Rob Griffin’s 2005 red wines, from luscious Merlot to sybaritic Syrah, was conclusive evidence that wine lovers will find many reds to love, whether they choose to drink them young or cellar them and enjoy their fully developed finesse.

As Columbia Crest’s Gore said when told of Wolfe’s enthusiasm for the 2005s, “Wade got it right.” ı

Wine is bottled at Syncline Wine Cellars in Bingen, Wash.

A barrel sample is poured at Camaraderie Cellars in Port Angeles, Wash.

lots of good wine and sell it all. In 2005, Oregon’s September rain at times made harvest conditions tough, some of the crop uneven and the resulting wines from parts of the crop a bit more of a challenge.

It was not a cool vintage in general because winemakers got as much sugar to develop in their grapes as they wanted, plus the cooler, rainy patch in September provided extra hang time.

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Managing Editor ERIC DEGERMAN contributed to this report.

KEN ROBERTSON , a newspaperman for 37 years, has enjoyed sipping and writing about Northwest wines for 30 years. He lives in Kennewick, Wash.

JACKIE JOHNSTON , a freelance photojournalist, is a regular contributor and the page designer for Wine Press Northwest. Her Web site is WineCountryCreations.com.

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Viognier is a good wine for summer’s lighter fare or just sipping on the back porch under blue skies.

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viognier

TA S T I N G R E S U LT S

V is for Viognier This Rhône variety is gaining popularity in Washington and around the Northwest.

BY ANDY PERDUE

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JACKIE JOHNSTON

AS RECENTLY AS TWO YEARS AGO, WE WOULD NOT HAVE DREAMED OF putting together a tasting of Pacific Northwest Viogniers. Simply put: There weren’t enough of them.

But this difficult-to-pronounce white wine whose traditional home is in France’s northern Rhône Valley, is quickly gaining strength in the Northwest — especially in Washington — as a good transition wine for Chardonnay lovers.

A half-century ago, Viognier was nearly extinct, with perhaps a dozen acres planted in France. Since then, interest in the grape has risen, with plantings having reached more than 700 acres, primarily in Condrieu, the appellation just south of Côte-Rôtie.

Viognier (pronounced “vee-own-YAY”) arrived on the West Coast within the past two decades, first in California, where about 300 acres are planted, then to Washington and Oregon. Today, Washington Viognier is closing in on 400 acres. In Oregon, Viognier plantings have grown to 134 acres.

Our judging of Northwest Viognier comprised 39 wines from Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Leading the list was the 2006 Viognier from Vin du Lac, a winery in Washington’s Lake Chelan region. Owner/winemaker Larry Lehmbecker gets about half of his Viognier from the Yakima Valley and half from the Chelan area.

“With our northern fruit, we’re getting a lot of acid retention,” he said.

Viognier is notoriously low in acidity, which can give it a flabby mouth feel if the grapes get overripe. Lehmbecker tends to watch acid levels more than sugar, then ferments the wine in stainless steel.

“A lot of guys are using some oak with Viognier,” Lehmbecker said. “I think that’s a mistake, as it takes away from the acids.”

Viognier has quickly come into its own because of its exotic aromas and flavors. It can show off peach, apricot and tropical fruit notes. And some of the best reveal aromas and flavors of orange Creamsicle.

Lehmbecker suggests pairing this delicate white wine with lighter foods, such as sautéed fish topped with a mango salsa or tropical fruit chutney. He also likes to serve Viognier with mild desserts.

The judges for this competition were: Vanessa Bailey, a soil scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash., and a member of Wine Press Northwest’s tasting panel; Ken Robertson, columnist for Wine Press Northwest; Coke Roth, an international wine judge, a grape grower on Red Mountain and member of Wine Press Northwest’s tasting panel; and Eric Degerman, Wine Press Northwest’s managing editor. ı ➤ F O R M O R E W I N N I N G W I N E S ➤ W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M / M E D A L S

W I N E R AT I N G S All rated wines are tasted blind, then placed in the following categories: Outstanding These wines have superior characteristics and should be highly sought after.

Excellent Top-notch wines with particularly high qualities.

Recommended Delicious, well-made wines with true varietal characteristics.

Prices are suggested retail and should be used as guidelines.

OUTSTANDING Vin du Lac $18 2006 Vie! Viognier, Columbia Valley Owner/winemaker Larry Lehmbecker shows his versatility by crafting a delicate white that is mind-bogglingly delicious. Up front, it’s loaded with delicate aromas of orange blossoms, apples, pears and limes, followed by bright flavors of starfruit, lemons, cantaloupe and oranges. This is a great example of what Viognier should be. Pair with fettucine alfredo.

— 300 cases DiStefano Winery $22 2005 Viognier, Columbia Valley Owner Mark Newton and winemaker Hillary Sjolund have crafted one of the finest Viogniers you’ll likely come across. It opens with classic aromas of orange Creamsicle, dried pineapples and lemon bars. On the palate, this big, creamy wine is loaded with exotic tropical and citrus flavors and balanced with ample acidity. Pair with seared scallops or curried chicken.

— 169 cases Spangler Vineyards $16 2006 Viognier, Southern Oregon Pat and Loree Spangler have revived the former La Garza Cellars in Southern Oregon and are producing a wide array of superior wines.

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This luscious white opens with aromas of oranges, apricots, limes and pink grapefruit, followed by bright tropical fruit flavors. Its lush midpalate might remind you of rich vanilla ice cream.

— 344 cases Bergevin Lane Vineyards $25 2006 Viognier, Columbia Valley This fast-rising Walla Walla Valley winery has crafted a deli-

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cious Viognier blended with 11% Roussanne, another Rhône Valley grape. A little bit of oak shows up on the nose, melding with notes of star fruit, pineapples and even watermelons.

Bright tropical flavors and lemon-lime notes are backed up with plenty of acidity. — 206 cases

estate Destiny Ridge Vineyard in Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills and winery just north in the Yakima Valley town of Prosser, Alexandria Nicole is producing delicious wines. This left us salivating for more, thanks to its aromas and flavors of blood oranges, limes, cream

Alexandria Nicole Cellars $18 2006 Viognier, Columbia Valley With its

and huge varietal character. This is a benchmark wine for Viognier.

— 1,200 cases

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grapes from a vineyard north of Lake Chelan, they’ve crafted a delicious Viognier with aromas of orange Creamsicle, white pepper and Lemonheads, followed by bright, salivating flavors of oranges, limes, pears and vanilla.

— 185 cases Waters Winery $20 2006 Viognier, Columbia Valley This young Walla Walla Valley winery has made a splash with its initial efforts. This Viognier is its first release of the luscious white. Its gorgeous aromas of oranges, bananas and Rainier cherries give way to delicious flavors of melons, racy limes and hints of golden raisins. A complete and satisfying wine.

— 135 cases Valley View Winery $17 2005 Anna Maria Viognier, Rogue Valley The Wisnovsky boys have been making Rogue Valley wines as long as anyone, and this reserve-level Viognier is a delicious example of their work. It opens with intriguing aromas of orange oil, tropical fruit and even caramel, followed by lush fruit flavors with a hint of sweetness around the edges.

— 1,150 cases Agate Ridge Vineyard $22 2006 Viognier, Rogue Valley This young producer in Eagle Point, Ore., just north of Medford, is out of the gates fast with this Viognier from estate fruit. It offers aromas of fresh oranges, casaba melon and dried herbs, followed by bright flavors of oranges, melons and white pepper.

— 182 cases Chatter Creek $20 2006 Viognier, Columbia Valley Owner/winemaker Gordy Rawson has moved from making wine in a very crowded Seattle basement to roomier facilities in Woodinville.

Best known for his Syrahs and Cabernet Franc, Rawson also crafts one of the finer Viogniers in the Northwest. This opens with aromas of fresh-cut Pink Lady apple and orange blossoms, followed by bright fruit flavors and ample acidity.

— 372 cases

EXCELLENT Erin Glenn Wines $22 2006 Chateau LeBeau Vineyard Viognier, Willamette Valley This young winery in The Dalles, Ore., is on the right track with a superb Viognier. Aromas of limes and grapefruit lead to bright, refreshing flavors that are

smooth, even hedonistic. Notes of orchard fruit and citrus highlight the palate through the lengthy finish.

— 240 cases Nefarious Cellars $16 2006 Antoine Creek Vineyard Viognier, Columbia Valley Nefarious bills itself as “wickedly good wine,” and the folks at this Chelan, Wash., winery aren’t kidding. Using

➤ F O R M O R E W I N N I N G W I N E S ➤ W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M / M E D A L S

Zerba Cellars $18 2005 Viognier, Columbia Valley Cecil Zerba already has shown his prowess with Syrah, so why not with the northern Rhône’s white wine, too? This opens with aromas of fresh whole lemons and a hint of butterscotch, followed by fresh, round, luscious fruit flavors.

This is a sophisticated white that will be a good transition wine for Chardonnay lovers.

— 169 cases Abacela Winery $20 2006 Viognier, Umpqua Valley Winemaker Kiley Evans has crafted a lovely white exclusively from estate fruit in Southern Oregon. It opens with aromas of mangoes, oranges and vanilla, as well as juicy tropical fruit flavors and a hint of almonds.

— 488 cases

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viognier

CONSUMER PANEL W H AT D O T H E P R O S K N O W, A N Y WAY ?

THEY SAY YOU SHOULD NEVER WATCH SAUSAGES BEING made, but the opposite is true when watching professional wine judges go through their swirl, sip and spit routine.

Three guest wine judges said sitting in on our Viognier tasting not only increased their knowledge of how to judge a wine, but also their appreciation of the wine itself. The three tasted with the professional judges but had no part in the final rating of the wines.

Bob Belden of Walla Walla, Wash., has worked in the wine trade, and Paul Kinahan of Seattle is a seasoned oenophile. Janine Graves of Ellensburg, Wash., has learned about wine through college courses.

Her e-mail a week after the tasting best stated what a tasting is like for an amateur: “It became apparent immediately that the pro-

Novelty Hill Winery $20 2005 Stillwater Creek Vineyard Viognier, Columbia Valley Estate fruit from one of Washington’s youngest and best vineyards went into this expressive wine. Hints of oak, grated fresh coconut and lemons lead to flavors of apples, lemons and even wild strawberries.

— 164 cases Goose Ridge Vineyard $20 2005 Viognier, Columbia Valley Goose Ridge is a massive vineyard just south of Red Mountain, and the wines are crafted by Charlie Hoppes. This wine shows a bit of oak influence, with hints of butter, spice and brie, followed by flavors of cloves, oranges and dried pineapples. A good transition wine for Chardonnay drinkers.

— 200 cases Silvan Ridge $22 2006 Reserve Viognier, Rogue Valley One of Oregon’s largest producers, Silvan Ridge is in the southern Willamette Valley.

This is a lovely Viognier from Southern Oregon fruit and offers aromas and flavors of ripe nectarines, oranges, melons and vanilla.

— 325 cases

RECOMMENDED Barnard Griffin $25 2006 Viognier, Columbia Valley Our 2006 Northwest Winery of the Year doesn’t disappoint with this luscious white. It shows off aromas of orange zest and fresh-cut flowers, followed by flavors of ripe oranges, pears and white pepper in the finish.

— 126 cases

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fessional judges were there for a reason. They were perceptive, articulate and able to analyze the wine very quickly. I, on the other hand, was sensually handicapped, inarticulate and was about as slow as molasses in the attempt to analyze the wine.

“One thing I appreciated about this experience was the ability to see the professional judges in action. Professional judges probably consider tasting 39 wines a very easy task. I can’t speak for the other two consumer judges, but initially, I thought it was going to be a dauntingly difficult chore. To my amazement, it was not. The wines with exceptional characteristics and qualities shined in each flight.

“I didn't walk out of there totally humiliated, however. When the final medal designation for each wine was determined, my scores, for the most part, although lower across the board, were close enough to the other judges’ scores to be in the ballpark.”

Interested on being a consumer panelist? Keep an eye on the Wine Press Northwest Wine of the Week e-mail newsletter.

— Bob Woehler

Coeur d’Alene Cellars $24 2005 L’Artiste, Washington This North Idaho winery uses Columbia Valley grapes for its reserve-level Viognier. This reveals aromas and flavors of oranges, vanilla ice cream and tropical notes. An elegant mouth feel leads to a complex finish.

— 120 cases

Vin du Lac $18 2005 Vie! Viognier, Columbia Valley The older sibling of our top Viognier still has plenty of life in it, thanks to aromas and flavors of limes, melons, sweet Meyer lemons and sweet herbs.

— 300 cases

Griffin Creek $25 2003 Viognier, Rogue Valley The oldest wine in our tasting shows Viognier can age a bit. This offered aromas and flavors of oranges, vanilla and tropical fruits.

— 433 cases

Terra Blanca Winery $15 2005 Viognier, Columbia Valley Revealing a fair bit of oak treatment, this Viognier from a Red Mountain producer offers aromas and flavors of sweet spices, butter and apricots.

— 1,506 cases

Seven Hills Winery $18 2006 Viognier, Columbia Valley Owner/winemaker Casey McClellan acquired Wahluke Slope grapes for this charming Viognier with aromas of sweet oranges and mangoes, followed by round, luscious flavors of tropical fruit with just a hint of sweetness.

— 800 cases Coeur d’Alene Cellars $18 2005 Viognier, Washington Coeur d’Alene Cellars’ standard Viognier is a dramatic example of the variety, thanks to aromas of limes, gooseberries and bay rum spice and flavors of Golden Delicious apples and Mandarin oranges.

— 470 cases Cougar Crest Winery $20 2006 Viognier, Walla Walla Valley Cougar Crest is moving from its facility at the Walla Walla Airport to a new winery west of town on Highway 12. Estate grapes go into this Viognier, which is loaded with aromas and flavors of sweet oranges, limes, pears and apricots.

— 1,100 cases

Rockblock $30 2005 Del Rio Vineyard Viognier, Rogue Valley Domaine Serene in Dayton, Ore., crafts Rhône varieties under the Rockblock label. This provides aromas and flavors of grapefruits, lemons, oranges and pears, all backed with impressive acidity. It is available only at the winery.

— 100 cases Benson Vineyards Estate Winery $19 2005 Viognier, Chelan County This Lake Chelan producer is on the right track with this Viognier, which offers aromas and flavors of lemons, sweet herbs and hints of white pepper. A well-balanced wine.

— 375 cases AN D Y PE R D U E is editor-in-chief of Wine Press

Northwest. Read his blog, The Wine Knows, at www.winepressnw.com.

JACKIE JOHNSTON , a freelance photojournalist, is a regular contributor and the page designer for Wine Press Northwest. Her Web site is WineCountryCreations.com.

➤ F O R M O R E W I N N I N G W I N E S ➤ W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M / M E D A L S

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M AT C H M A K E R S

Seared Ahi Tuna Loin with Nicoise Aioli and Warm Green Bean Salad paired with Barnard Griffin’s 2006 Rosé of Sangiovese.

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➤ F O R M O R E PA I R I N G S ➤ W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M / PA I R I N G

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M AT C H M A K E R S WINE

Rosé & Seafood Northwest chefs pair their dishes with Barnard Griffin’s rosé

BY ERIC DEGERMAN

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JACKIE JOHNSTON

THIRST WINE BAR & BISTRO P O RT L A N D , O R E .

AN UNQUENCHABLE DESIRE TO be in the restaurant business lured Daniel Martinez from Minnesota to New Mexico to Manhattan.

While it’s no coincidence that Martinez, 27, made his way to Portland, his role as executive chef at Thirst Wine Bar & Bistro is a bit different.

“I was helping out at the front of the house when they had a problem with their chef,” Martinez said. “I stepped in and have been enjoying it ever since.

That was more than a year ago.”

Ask the newlywed what he does for enjoyment when he’s away from Thirst, and he’ll tell you, “I kid you not, it’s go home and either cook something for my wife, or we go out to restaurants. We love to do that. And there are some wonderful restaurants here in the Northwest.”

Intel marketing director Leslie Palmer and partner/husband Gary Kneski created the Northwest concept for Thirst. And they nailed the location, positioning it in the middle of the uber-trendy RiverPlace Esplanade, adjacent to Tom McCall Waterfront Park along the

Willamette River in downtown Portland.

Martinez’s cuisine continues to help build the business to the extent that Palmer and Kneski are set to open a second Thirst this summer in Lake Oswego.

“We call it a Northwest-style tapas menu, and it’s very seasonal,” Martinez said. “I go to the farmers market whenever I can, and we’ll have three or four daily specials.

“The only problem is the weather really dictates a lot of our business,” he added. “On a nice weekend, we’ll do 200-250 covers a day. But when it’s rainy, that makes it difficult to use everything I buy locally. Sometimes, the staff eats very well.”

And the patrons drink some of the Northwest’s best. The wine list and shop offerings rotate, but the focus is tightly centered on the Pacific Northwest. More than 30 wines are offered as glass pours, and flights of four 2-ounce samples are available.

Each Thursday evening, Kneski and the staff feature complimentary wine tastings. This spring, the lineup included Anne Amie, Elk Cove, Erin Glenn, Maryhill, Medici, Panther Creek, Sineann and Viento.

On Tuesdays, Kneski goes through regional wines that Martinez pairs

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Barnard Griffin Winery $11 2006 Rosé of Sangiovese —2,900 cases produced

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ach issue, Wine Press Northwest sends wine to two chefs with a passion for our region’s wines. The chefs are asked to match a recipe to the selected wine.

For this issue, it’s hot pink — and perhaps the most acclaimed wine we’ve ever used for a Match Maker project.

Rob Griffin’s 2006 Sangiovese rosé opened 2007 by winning a gold medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. It followed up with sweepstakes awards at two more California judgings: the Riverside International Wine Competition and the Monterey Wine Competition.

And it’s no fluke. Last year, the Richland, Wash., vintner captured double gold at the Chronicle for his 2005 version so he nearly tripled production.

“Clean, crisp and smells like strawberries. What’s not to like?” Griffin asks.

Structurally, there’s a consistency of bright red fruit, ranging from strawberries to raspberries to cranberries with berry acidity, a touch of minerality and vanilla bean.

The 30-year veteran of Washington winemaking does not compromise the food-friendliness of his rosé either, finishing it dry (0.3% residual sugar).

This Italian variety seems to be an ideal choice for rosé because of its inherent acidity and low alcohol. It’s also the key component in arguably the world’s most well-known wine — Chianti.

Fortunately, plantings and production of Sangiovese in Washington state is on the rise. These grapes hail from the Balcom and Moe Vineyard in Pasco, less than 20 minutes from Griffin’s winery.

So why does Griffin chose to work with Sangiovese?

“I think the downfall of the variety is that there’s very little color as a red; the tannins are absolutely brutal, and the fruit is prone to be burned out in normal red fermentation,” Griffin said. “All of these ‘flaws’ are virtues if the grape is made into a rosé.”

Barnard Griffin Winery, 878 Tulip Lane, Richland, Wash., 509-627-0266, www.barnardgriffin.com.

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M AT C H M A K E R S RECIPE Seared Ahi Tuna Loin with Nicoise Aioli and Warm Bean Salad Serves 4

4 anchovy filets 1 ounce Nicoise olives, pitted 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard, separated use 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon plus 4 tablespoons rice vinegar, separated use 1 1⁄2 cups plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, separated use 1 ounce red onion, thinly sliced 1 clove garlic, minced 8 ounces green beans, blanched 4 ounces grape tomatoes, halved 4 ounces white beans, cooked and drained Salt and pepper, to taste 4 4-ounce ahi tuna steaks 1. Make the Nicoise aioli by combining the anchovies, olives, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, egg yolk and 1 teaspoon vinegar in a blender.

2. Slowly pour in 3⁄4 cup olive oil until aioli is a thick, tight texture. Set aside.

3. Make vinaigrette for bean salad by combining the remaining 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard, the remaining 4 tablespoons of vinegar and 3⁄4 cup olive oil.

Set aside.

4. Sauté red onions and garlic until fragrant in the 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.

5. Add green beans, tomatoes and white beans to the sauté pan. Heat until warm.

6. Add vinaigrette to bean mixture and toss until combined. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper and keep warm until dish is completed.

7. Heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add tuna, watch it as it cooks. When it cooks about 1⁄4 of the way up, about 2 minutes, flip it over and do the same thing on the other side. Remove from pan.

8. Lightly coat top of tuna steaks with aioli.

9. Add bean salad to plates first, then top with seared tuna and serve.

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with artisan cheeses. If you stay for dinner that night and bring your own wine, Thirst waives the $10 corkage fee.

And Martinez, a Minnesota native, seems comfortable with it all. “I got started in restaurants when I was 15, and I was managing when I was close to 17,” he said. “Then I moved to Taos, New Mexico, to help out my grandparents. After a while, I started getting offers to open my own restaurant, but I didn’t feel I knew enough about the back of the house.”

So he gave up the skiing and the cycling, moved to New York and enrolled in the Institute of Culinary Education. “I wanted to be in New York City.

Daniel Martinez, executive chef at Thirst Eventually, I was running Wine Bar & Bistro in Portland. the front of the house operations for the NYCRG when I moved to New York and I (NYC Restaurant Group), which was in charge of the wine list at owns 18 restaurants,” Martinez said.

NYCRG’s Film Center Café, I put six He “hopped around stages” at bottles of Washington and Oregon other large-name New York restauwines that were house pours,” rants for five years, including Daniel in Manhattan.

“My time was up, and I decided to move out to the Northwest,” he said. “I love mush—DANIEL MARTINEZ rooms — especially morels — Pinot Martinez said. “It seems now that all Noir and seafood, including beautithe Northwest wineries are doing ful Pacific salmon. I have no comsomething very unique and very plaints.” interesting. The Syrahs out of At some point, Martinez and his Washington are absolutely phenomwife, Beth, hope to open a bioenal, and Pinot Noir from the dynamic restaurant in the Northwest Willamette Valley is spectacular.” so self-sufficient with green power When it came to his Match Maker that it could operate off “the grid.” assignment, Martinez already was His wine list, though, won’t look familiar with the producer because much different from that at Thirst.

Barnard Griffin is a mainstay at “The sommelier I worked with in Thirst.

Martinez — a big fan of rosé Taos loved Oregon Pinot Noir, so

“It seems now that all the Northwest wineries are doing something very unique and very interesting.”

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M AT C H M A K E R S — seemed inspired by this 2006 Rosé of Sangiovese.

“Rosé is a beautiful wine,” Martinez said. “It’s got a little more body than most of the whites and less than reds. It has the best of both worlds. And a well-done one is just a wonderful treat.”

Martinez noted that the Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese has “a really nice, dry finish and lot of bright fruit, raspberries and beautiful acidity. It had really nice length on the palate. It hit the front, middle and the back.”

“With this wine, I wanted to think regionally. When I think rosé, it speaks of Provence, but because it is made with Sangiovese, I included a little white bean to think of Italian.”

He produced a pan-seared ahi tuna with a green bean and white bean Dijon vinaigrette salad.

“I thought about salmon, but I thought the wine needed something with more texture,” Martinez said.

“Salmon was a little too fatty. And by adding some salty component — the Dijon vinaigrette, finishing the salad with Fleur de Sel, the anchovies and the aioli — it really livens the raspberry in my mouth.”

There is indeed a lot of texture to

this colorful, quick and light dish, which required a mere 10 minutes of preparation from start to finish.

Martinez kept the green beans crisp, the white beans emerged plump but not mushy, and his adroit use of salt accented the raspberry and white strawberry components of the wine.

The Dijon vinaigrette, while spicy, did not overpower.

Thirst Wine Bar and Bistro, 0315 S.W. Montgomery St., Suite 340, Portland, 503-295-2747, www.thirstwinebar.com.

ANDR AE’S BOISE, IDAHO

WALLA WALLA’S LOSS TURNED OUT to be quite a gain for the culinary scene in Boise.

Then again, executive chef Andrae Bopp still caters to many of the top winemakers in the Walla Walla Valley.

“I love the Walla Walla Valley and the guys who are making wine there,” Bopp said. “We do a lot of winemaker dinners with them. We just did one at Basel Cellars with Trey Busch. And I’ve done them with Justin Wylie at Va Piano as well as Pepper Bridge, SYZYGY and Abeja. It goes both ways. I’ve got a lot of great friends there. They want to get me over there, and I want to get them over here.”

So why didn’t Bopp — rhymes with “pope” — and wife Michelle chose to open their 42-seat restaurant at the base of Washington’s Blue Mountains?

“I really like the area, but we thought the population base here

“I love the Walla Walla Valley and the guys who are making wine there”

And they reciprocate by visiting Andrae’s, an upscale, Frenchinspired restaurant cellared in the basement of a building on Boise’s bustling Eighth Street Market Corridor just a block from the state Capitol.

—ANDRAE BOPP

and how it is growing was a little more to draw from, so we settled in Boise,” Bopp said. “I still think Walla Walla’s an untapped area, really.”

A native of St. Louis, Bopp grew up with a deep-seated interest in

Andrae Bopp, owner and executive chef of Andrae’s in Boise, Idaho.

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M AT C H M A K E R S RECIPE Sous Vide Alaskan Halibut with Confit of Pearl Onions on a bed of Smoked Walla Walla Sweet Onions Purée Serves 4

4 Walla Walla Sweet Onions or similar type of sweet onion 1 cup of mesquite wood chips, soaked 6 tablespoons butter, unsalted 1 cup heavy cream Fleur de Sel (French sea salt) ground white pepper 10 ounces red pearl onions 10 ounces white pearl onions 4 cups duck fat, melted and warm 4 fresh Alaskan halibut fillets (6 ounces each) 4 sprigs of thyme 1. To prepare the purée, first peel and slice the sweet onions in quarters.

2. Place soaked wood chips in a heavy saucepan, put a perforated pan on top and added the onions. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.

3. Place pan over low heat and smoke the onions for about 30 minutes.

4. Remove the onions and place in a sauté pan with the butter. Simmer until the onions are translucent and tender.

5. Place the onions and all in a blender and purée. Strain through a fine chinois. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Return the strained purée to a sauce pan and add the heavy cream as needed to taste. Warm and re-season

fine dining, in large part because his father, a corporate executive, often took him along on business trips.

“I was 5, 6, 7 years old, and we used to eat in those big, fancy steakhouses with high-backed red leather chairs,” Bopp recalls. “I was eating frog legs, escargot, oysters on the half-shell. I just loved it.”

Later, his stepfather’s military career gave Bopp a window to gain cultural perspectives of the West Coast, the East Coast, the Midwest and then Germany, where he spent his high school years.

“We traveled around Europe, and I really found an appreciation for French food, so food and wine have 88

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with salt and pepper.

7. Keep warm, and reserve.

8. To prepare the confit of pearl onions, first soak pearl onions in warm water for 10 minutes.

9. Cut off the top and the root end of each onion and carefully peel, keeping the red and white onions separate.

10. Place red onions in one pan, and the white onions in another and cover with duck fat.

11. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper in each pan.

12. Simmer on a stove on low heat for about 30 minutes until the onions are easily pierced with a knife blade.

13. Remove onions from the fat and cool. Place duck fat in an ice bath to cool down and solidify.

14. Once fat has solidified, place one halibut fillet in a vacuum bag, add one sprig of thyme, two tablespoons of duck fat, two each of the pearl onions and season with the Fleur de Sel and pepper. Seal bag with a vacuum sealer.

15. Place the pouch in a pot of simmering water for exactly 71⁄2 minutes.

16. Remove from water, cut open pouch, remove thyme sprig and plate the fish immediately on top of onion purée. Top with the pearl onions. been passions of mine for a long time,” he said.

However, it wasn’t until after years of building a landscaping and sprinkler installation business in Elko, Nev., that Bopp began to chase his dream.

“I came home one night and said, ‘That’s it. I’m done,’ ” Bopp recalls.

“Michelle said, ‘Done for the day?’ I said, ‘Nope, I’m done.’ She said, ‘Done with a job?’ And I said, ‘No, I’m done with landscaping. I’ve got to do what I want to do.’ ” So Michelle stayed home with their daughter, and he moved to New York City. He graduated from the French Culinary Institute, where

master sommelier and author Andrea (Immer) Robinson leads the wine program. He received internships at New York landmarks Le Bernardin and Bouley and also worked for the wine director at Balthazar.

Then, it was time for Bopp to return home to launch Andrae’s. Ten years as a competitive cyclist on the West Coast gave him perspective on the setting. Financial sacrifice then success from within his efficient 400square-foot kitchen attracted a following and led to Bopp partnering with Dave Krick, owner of the popular Red Feather Lounge — a past Match Maker participant — and Bittercreek Ale House. Both are a block away.

“The synergy of having multiple restaurants is great,” Bopp said.

“Bittercreek Alehouse is the daytime workhorse, which allows us to take risks with Red Feather’s menu and ultimately refining our dinner-only program at Andrae’s.”

Andrae’s showcases Northwest wines, earning an “Outstanding Northwest Wine List” award from Wine Press Northwest in 2006. This spring, he doubled up at the Washington Wine Commission Restaurant Awards banquet, winning the Best Out-of-State Washington Wine Program Award and the Washington Wine Grand Award for out-of-state restaurants.

“We were very honored and very happy,” said Brandon Bruins, wine director for Andrae’s and Red Feather. “For the restaurant, and Boise as a whole, it means we’re getting some recognition. We’ve had people come to Boise to eat because of the wine awards. Andrae and the staff here are very focused on Washington wines, and we sell a fair amount of Oregon Pinot Noir, too.”

As for local wines, it can be frustrating being an ambassador, Bruins said.

“The problem we face is the challenge of convincing people — even Idahoans — they should try Idaho

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M AT C H M A K E R S wines,” Bruins said. “The question I get, is, ‘Come on. Is it really good?’

Well, they really are good, and they go beyond the sweet Rieslings we’ve been famous for in the past.”

Rosé in the Northwest is beginning to flourish, and Bopp’s approach to the Barnard Griffin 2006 Rosé of Sangiovese from the Columbia Valley pays tribute to the terroir of the Walla Walla Valley. He chose to create Sous Vide Alaskan Halibut with Confit of Pearl Onions on a bed of Smoked Walla Walla Sweet Onions Puree.

“We were really impressed with the acidity of this rosé,” Bopp said.

“American rosés are usually a little sweet, but not this one. This is clean, it’s crisp, and those are things you are looking for in a summer wine. I think of sitting on a patio, barbecuing with friends, and a nice fish dish.”

Sous Vide is a French technique of vacuum-sealing food into a bag with seasonings. Bopp prepared several days ahead by placing duck fat, prepared onions, seasonings and a halibut fillet in a Food Saver-type bag.

When the time came, he placed the bag in a pot of simmering water and cooked it slowly. It was a marvelous manner in which to prevent the halibut from drying out during cooking. The bed of smoked Walla Walla Sweet Onion purée was fascinating and delightful, akin to a pumpkin squash. There’s enough acidity to balance the sweetness of the onions, and Bopp’s style of “not muddling the dish with any unnecessary garnish or flavors” still allowed the Barnard Griffin rosé to twinkle in the background with a touch of strawberry in the finish.

Sous Vide Alaskan Halibut with Confit of Pearl Onions on a bed of Smoked Walla Walla Sweet Onions Purée paired with Barnard Griffin’s 2006 Rosé of Sangiovese.

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Andrae's, 816 W. Bannock, Boise, Idaho, 208-385-0707, www.andraesboise.com.

ı

ERIC DEGERMAN is Wine Press Northwest’s manag-

ing editor. Have a suggestion for a future Match Maker? E-mail him at edegerman@winepressnw.com.

JACKIE JOHNSTON , a freelance photojournalist, is a regular contributor and the page designer for Wine Press Northwest. Her Web site is WineCountryCreations.com.

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recent releases ABOUT RECENT RELEASES

Wine evaluation methods Recent Releases are evaluated under strict conditions to ensure objectivity. Northwest wineries submit wines to Wine Press Northwest for evaluation by Wine Press Northwest’s tasting panel. After wines are received, they are stored for at least two weeks and a third party serves them “double blind,” meaning the tasting panelists know neither the producer nor the variety. In addition, the panelists are served glasses of wine and are not able to view the bottles or their shapes prior to tasting.

Wines are stored in a U-Line Wine Captain, which allows them to be served at perfect cellar temperatures.

Price is not a consideration in these evaluations, nor is a winery’s advertising activity with Wine Press Northwest, as the magazine’s editorial/wine evaluation activities and advertising/marketing efforts are kept strictly separate.

The Wine Press Northwest tasting panel includes Coke Roth, an international wine judge; Bob Woehler, the magazine’s tasting editor and a longtime Northwest wine writer and professional judge; Vanessa Bailey, a soil microbiologist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Wash.; Eric Degerman, the magazine’s managing editor; and Andy Perdue, the magazine’s editor-in-chief. Hank Sauer and Paul Sinclair conduct the evaluations and ensure their integrity.

The panel has a combination of technical and consumer palates. If at least three of the four panelists consider a wine technically sound and commercially acceptable, it is included here as “Recommended.” The panel may also vote the wine as “Excellent” and “Outstanding,” our top rating. Wines considered unacceptable by the panel are rejected and not included. Reviews are grouped by variety or style and listed alphabetically by winery. Prices listed are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.

Note: Tasting panelist Coke Roth’s son, Frank, is the winemaker at Tagaris Winery in Richland, Wash. When a Tagaris wine is reviewed, Roth’s vote is excluded after the tally is taken and the wine is revealed.

Competitions To ensure we maintain an international perspective, our tasting panelists judge thousands of wines annually at various competitions, including: Los Angeles International Wine and Spirits Competition, Riverside International Wine Competition, Dallas Morning News Wine Competition, Indy International Wine Competition, Virginia Governor’s Cup, Sonoma County Harvest Fair, Grand Harvest Awards, San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, Pacific Rim International Wine Competition, Long Beach Grand Cru, Washington State Wine Competition, Oregon State Fair, Northwest Wine Summit, Okanagan Fall Wine Competition, New York Wine and Grape Foundation Competition, Tri-Cities Wine Festival, Northwest Wine & Food Fest and Capital Food & Wine Fest.

Red Cabernet Sauvignon Amavi Cellars 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley, 3,913 cases, $24

Outstanding! It’s mostly Cabernet Sauvignon (76%), and it’s beyond excellent and even includes fruit from Del Rio Vineyards in Oregon’s Rogue Valley. Pepper Bridge winemaker Jean-Francois Pellet embraced French oak to help make an enchanting wine with textures of blackberry jam, black currants, black olives, bacon fat, chocolate chip, vanilla and moist earth.

Arbor Crest Wine Cellars 2003 Klipsun Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain, 290 cases, $32

Recommended. Klipsun Cabs are among the

most powerful and longest-lived wines in the Northwest, so count on this improving with maturity because of its abundant acidity. It’s already worthy with blackberry, bittersweet chocolate, cedar, currant and earthy notes racing over the top and within. In the meantime, enjoy with blue cheeses and/or marbled meats.

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Barnard Griffin Winery 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley, 836 cases, $30

Outstanding! This spent 16 months in the barrel, and Rob Griffin pulled this out at just the right time. There are expressive detailings of cherries, plums and currants with some alfalfa, minced meat and bittersweet chocolate notes.

Bold tannins with ample acidity bode well for cellaring or a thick, marbled steak in the short term. It’s sold out at the winery.

Basel Cellars 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley, 580 cases, $32

Recommended. Trey Busch made this 100% Cab

with all the fruit from a pair of 30-year-old blocks at Cold Creek Vineyard. It’s definitely a Cab nose with black cherries and cassis with crushed walnuts and toasted oak. And yet, it’s oh so smooth with a juicy blackberry/blueberry profile that might prompt you to think it’s a Syrah until this vineyard’s telltale powerful tannins grab your attention.

Bitner Vineyards 2003 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Idaho, 150 cases, $24

Recommended. The Bitners recently opened their

tasting room in Caldwell, Idaho, and here’s a wine to celebrate with. Fresh-picked cherries,

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spicy red currants, blueberries and tobacco notes in the nose are chased by a silky and juicy entry in the mouth with that same fruit and toasted oak. There’s the typical brisk Idaho acidity, anise in the midpalate and refreshing tannins with bittersweet chocolate on the back end.

Chateau Faire Le Pont 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Washington, 298 cases, $20

Recommended. Cut open a bag of Montmorency

dried cherries and you’ll have an idea of this wine’s invitation, which includes cola, brown sugar, tomato paste, light chocolate, toasted oak, minerally earth and a whiff of patchouli oil.

It’s more cherries on the palate with cream soda and composite soil in the midpalate. There’s a burst of acidity and youthful oak tannins in the structure, allowing for future research.

Chateau Ste. Michelle 2004 Indian Wells Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley, 20,000 cases, $18

Outstanding! This is CSM’s second vintage for this vineyard-designated release on the Wahluke Slope. Elegant can be used to describe the structure developed by Bob Bertheau, which features aromas and flavors of oak-influenced hints of graham crackers and dark chocolate, backed by blueberries, black raspberries, cherries, currants and minerality.

Columbia Crest Winery 2003 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley, 4,000 cases, $30

Excellent. It’s a reserve on a large scale, and

there’s not much holding this back after emerging from 26 months in barrel. First come hints of plums, black cherries, black tea, flint and sheetrock chalk. A delicious entry with abundant fruit awaits as black cherries and plums segue into a smooth midpalate of a Hershey’s Kiss, then black cherry acidity hangs on for a good long time.

Five Star Cellars 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley, 950 cases, $30

Excellent. Again, the freeze-out of ’04 in the

Walla Walla Valley forced most local vintners to look elsewhere, but Matt and David Huse still produced a delicious and chocolaty Cab that opens with scents of black cherries, pomegranate, dill, sarsaparilla and crushed leaf. Inside are more sweet black cherries, a mocha milk shake midpalate, ample acidity and a flinty finish.

L’Ecole No. 41 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley, 5,524 cases, $30

Outstanding! This release by Marty Clubb rarely disappoints. Thankfully, there’s plenty to go around each time, even when the Walla Walla Valley freezes out, testimony to old vines and old friends at Ste. Michelle’s Cold Creek, Milbrandt, Willard, Portteus, Goose Ridge and Candy Mountain. Hints of black fruit, coffee, violets, dill and river rock set the table for a rich, sweet entry of black cherries and black currants, a midpalate of dark chocolate and modW I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

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recent releases est tannins. It’s a beautiful balance of barrel treatment and sweet fruit.

Lost River Winery 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley, 579 cases, $23

Excellent. This Winthrop, Wash., winery recently opened a showpiece facility in the Methow Valley, and there’s a smooth Cab waiting for you.

John Morgan pulled from Wallula and Inland Desert vineyards, and his use of 60% new French oak shows. Heavy coffee notes, a dash of cherries and a touch of chocolate wave you in to find more cherries and chocolate in the mouth with bright acidity that outshines the tannins.

Merry Cellars 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Yakima Valley, 71 cases, $22

Excellent. Patrick Merry leaned on 100% new

oak — most of it Hungarian — for this release off the Inland Desert Nursery. There’s no missing that oak with dark roast coffee and leather aromas. Mocha makes its way into the entry where flavors of black cherries, plums and black pepper weave around enjoyable acidity and moderate tannins.

Page Cellars 2003 Limited Edition Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain, 86 cases, $50

Outstanding! Jim Page of Woodinville, Wash.,

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taps into the Shaw and Ciel du Cheval sites, and he’s timed the release nicely. Black cherries, lavender and nice herbal notes push toward rich flavors of raspberries, boysenberries and blackberries. Smooth tannins are tethered with just the right weight on the tongue where there’s a finish of bittersweet chocolate.

Roast beef or homemade beef stew will sound good after drinking this.

Pleasant Hill Winery 2004 Elephant Mountain Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

WINE REVIEWS

of the structure should help this age for at least a handful of years.

Spangler Vineyards 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Southern Oregon, 167 cases, $30

Excellent. Patrick Spangler takes Cab Sauv

(93%) and includes Cab Franc (3%), Merlot (2%) and even Pinot Noir (2%). Out emerges spicy oak, wheat Chex cereal and lots of cherry compote. This wine leaps from the glass all ready to go.

Rattlesnake Hills, 60 cases, $27

Three Rivers Winery

Outstanding! Larry Lindvig only works with small

2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

lots, and this release hails from the Hattrup brothers’ lofty site of 1,400 feet elevation.

Cherries, walnuts, oregano and vanilla hint at some American oak. A smooth entry produces more cherries and tongue-coating blackberries with slightly gritty tannins. Enjoy with a grilled pork chop.

Columbia Valley, 2,067 cases, $19

San Juan Vineyards 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Yakima Valley, 95 cases, $28

Excellent. The winter kill of ’04 forced Holly

Turner to turn to seven vineyards for the fruit.

Out comes a whiff of oak, a dusting of cocoa powder and hints of chocolate-covered Chukar Cherries. Yummy plummy flavors await, joined by black raspberry jelly and huckleberry syrup on the rich midpalate. A solid tannin structure should lend it nicely to flank steak or duck.

Vashon Winery

Excellent. It’s all Kestrel View, all Cab and all

new oak, and yet it’s youthful and not gussied up with wood. Blueberries and clove aromatics transcend to big cherry tongue-coating flavors of chocolate and plums with zesty acidity from more blueberries. Tannins tug a bit, but the rest

2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Washington, 100 cases, $22

Recommended. Ron Irvine wasn’t in a hurry to

push this lighter-style Cab out the door, and his patience paid off. Skillful oak management

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elicited black currant, blueberries, anise and herbs in the nose. An abundance of black fruit flavors and green peppercorns in the midpalate give way to cherries and more anise in the finish.

Red Mountain Vineyard to create a luscious Cab that’s filled with black fruit and black olive notes. Very gentle tannins and modest acidity make it a smooth quaffer and fine to pair with spaghetti in a mild marinara sauce.

Vin du Lac of Chelan

Wedge Mountain Winery

2003 Barrel Select Cabernet Sauvignon

2004 Cabernet Sauvignon

Beran Vineyards

Yakima Valley, 205 cases, $28

Red Mountain, 100 cases, $25

2004 Estate Grown Pinot Noir

Excellent. No need to worry about over-the-top

oak here. Larry Lehmbecker saw to it that these new French barrels merely accented the blackberries, currants, black olive and cedar aromas.

His blending of Cab Franc (9%), Malbec (6%) and Petit Verdot (6%) created a structure of graceful red fruit and black pepper with subtle tannins, leaf tobacco and bittersweet chocolate on the finish.

Excellent. Charlie McKee grabbed about four bar-

rels’ worth of fruit off Kiona’s North Block Vineyard and came out with a typical Red Mountain Cab. Blackberry and Heinz Blend pipe tobacco aromas are met by density on the palate with more brambleberries, smooth dark chocolate and tannins that have a good grip on the finish.

Pinot Noir

Waterbrook Winery 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley, 3,134 cases, $22

Outstanding! John Freeman gathered fruit from

Elephant Mountain (Rattlesnake Hills), Chandler Reach (Yakima Valley), Stone Tree (Wahluke Slope) and the Hedges-managed

name it after their grandson. It’s quite expressive with fresh strawberry in moist earth, raspberries and oak accents. Early season Bing cherries curry favor from boysenberry acidity on the midpalate, joined by chocolaty oak notes and late-arriving, restrained tannins.

Willamette Valley, 510 cases, $34

Excellent. Vines in the Chehalem Mountains dat-

ing to 1972 produce a classic lighter style food wine featuring incredible spiciness with black and green peppercorns. Light cherry flavors and delicious acidity will help this pair with steak, Copper River salmon or even blackened catfish.

b2 2004 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, 2,300 cases, $19

Abiqua Wind Vineyard 2005 Isaac’s Reserve Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, 90 cases, $25

Excellent. Steve Anderson of Eola Hills Wine

Cellars crafted this for the Buffingtons, who

Recommended. This release by Eugene Wine

Cellars is alluring with strawberry and earthy aromas. It turns brambleberry with a bit of Cherries Jubilee on the palate, creating a very juicy mouth feel, some layered chocolate cake

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WINE REVIEWS

Best Buys: Red wines Outstanding, Excellent or Recommended wines that retail at $15 ($18 Canadian) and under.

Arbor Crest Wine Cellars 2003 Merlot Columbia Valley, 1,382 cases, $15

Recommended. A blend of Conner Lee,

Dionysus, Stillwater Creek and Klipsun fruit laid the foundation for this Spokane winery to produce this cherry-bomb of a Merlot.

Indeed, its chocolate midpalate is reminiscent of Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream.

There’s a serious side too, with some black pepper, a line of minerality and assertive tannins.

Barnard Griffin Winery NV Cab-Merlot Columbia Valley, 10,722 cases, $14

Outstanding! Mix-master Rob Griffin simply

makes more of this blend as supply dwindles, and it’s easy to see why he never has trouble moving it. This formula of Cab (50%), Merlot (36%) and Cab Franc (14%) greets you with a nice sniff of creamy vanilla and dusty black cherries behind that. It’s hugely structured throughout the mouth with astounding density of blackberries and black cherries and tremendous balance. Enjoy with a bloody ribeye.

Claar Cellars 2003 White Bluffs Rendezvous Red Columbia Valley, 250 cases, $10

Excellent. A thief or two away from a legal Cab

(74%), the mix of Merlot (26%) helped produce aromas of orange marmalade, strawberry jam, vanilla, oak and pipe tobacco. You can taste the Heinz Blend in the background of Bing cherries and raspberries, met by creaminess on the midpalate and light tannins. A dusting of bittersweet chocolate and cherries on the finish will prompt lips to meet glass again.

plummy entry with more brambleberries, toasted oak and checked tannins. Some proceeds from each bottle are given to The Ocean Conservancy.

Girardet Wine Cellars 2005 Grand Rouge Southern Oregon, 1,430 cases, $14

Excellent. One nearby Rogue Valley winery

San Juan Vineyards

produces a blend of 13 varieties. Well, Marc Girardet’s “secret family recipe” uses 14 for his delicious release. There’s little doubt that Baco Noir finds its way in here.

Blueberries, smoked meat, cloves, nutmeg, Rainier cherries and some minerality are hinted at in the aromas. A clean, bright entry on the balance features red fruit — currants and raspberries — then slides into a luscious midpalate with a silk satin finish.

Serve with glazed ham or a big slab of lasagna.

2004 Cab-Merlot

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley, 4,000 cases, $12

Recommended. This emerges as an every-

Recommended. Precept Brands keeps pumping

evening Merlot with dark and moody notes of ripe raspberries, blueberries, black Twizzlers Nibs and Hershey’s Special Dark chips.

Pine and Post 2005 Merlot Washington, 25,000 cases, $6

Recommended. Steven Sealock produced a

straight Merlot without heavy barrel treatment or heavy tannins. It centers the nose and tongue on blueberries and boysenberries, with some black cherry and vanilla notes.

Enjoy with grilled meats accompanied by plum reduction sauce.

Ridge Crest Columbia Valley, 355 cases, $10

Columbia Valley, 100,000 cases, $8

Excellent. Here’s another label for Claar Cellars

Excellent. Ray Einberger incorporates

of Pasco, Wash., but the approach is more of the same quality. Red currants, milk chocolate, green peppercorns and tobacco filter up.

Through the lips arrive notes of strawberry/rhubarb compote and cherries with a splash of food-friendly acidity.

Washington, 10,000 cases, $15

Recommended. Seattle-based Click Wine Group

developed this tribal-themed logo, and the blending of Merlot (78%), Cab Franc (16%), Cab Sauv (5%) and Malbec rewards the drinker with a nose of plums, blackberries, mulberries, cranberries, spice and abundant oak. Dark sweet fruit flavors are led by a rich

W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

Syrah (5%) from Kestrel View in Prosser, Wash., produced a food-friendly wine because of its tart acidity, with notes of plums, boysenberries, cranberries, milk chocolate, allspice and pie cherries. Pair with a tomatobased dish such as pasta with a spicy puttanesca sauce.

Columbia Valley, 3,103 cases, $10

2003 White Bluffs Syrah

2004 Merlot

Recommended. A medley of Merlot (25%) and

2005 Merlot

2004 Two Vines Shiraz

Flying Fish

Yakima Valley, 728 cases, $15

Sockeye

Pavin & Riley

Columbia Crest

Viognier and Grenache for an explosion of purple fruit with nice, light toast, crushed walnut shells, lime and black cherries. Then, it’s reminiscent of frozen Montana huckleberries in a bowl of milk, along with flavors of plums and blueberries that focus the structure on acidity rather than tannins. Boysenberries add to a finish that’s not long but is delicious.

fashion, but Hyatt Vineyards’ reserve label offers it at a veritable bargain. Blackberries, black licorice and chocolate aromas set the table for black currants, more licorice and an undercurrent of chocolate. There’s a modicum level of tannins to strike a balance with the fruit and acidity.

Roza Ridge 2003 Merlot Yakima Valley, 2,570 cases, $15

Recommended. An expressive nose of blueber-

ries, mulberries, toasted oak, black olives and milk chocolate spill into nice, dark fruit of black and blueberries amid sandy tannins, and there’s enough power from the fruit to take it all through the finish.

Roza Ridge 2003 Syrah Yakima Valley, 550 cases, $15

Excellent. These days, this variety is in high

out quaffable, affordable wines. Black cherries, green olives, anise and smoke aromas are followed by a lush, straight-forward drink of Bing cherries, bittersweet chocolate, vanilla, plum jam and horehound candy with a string of acidity.

Snoqualmie Vineyards 2004 Merlot Columbia Valley, 5,000 cases, $11

Excellent. A mellow Merlot for the masses, this opens with dusty cherries, chalk dust and oregano aromas. The palate of blueberries, yellow bell pepper, fresh green beans, chocolate and coffee makes for broad food applications, including meatloaf or char-broiled steak.

Two Mountain Winery NV Hidden Horse Red Table Wine Yakima Valley, 240 cases, $14

Outstanding! The Rawn brothers in Zillah,

Wash., bought out relatives after the death of their uncle — Ron Schmidt, who would be proud of this estate blend of Cab Franc (55%), Merlot (27%) and Cab Sauv.

Craisins, fresh charcoal briquettes, breakfast counter coffee, cherry wood, black olives and rosemary awaken your nose. Red fruit flavors of red currants and cranberries, mixed in with some crushed leaf, are hallmarks of the Franc, as is the nice lingering acidity. There’s a relative absence of tannin, then an appearance of blueberries in the finish. Low alcohol (12.8%) makes the food possibilities nearly endless, and decanting should allow the nose to exhibit even more fruit.

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on the middle and tart cranberry-like acidity on the finish.

b2 2004 Pendarvine/Bellevue Cross Pinot Noir Oregon, 200 cases, $29

Excellent. A blend, rather than a cross, of

would consider out of place east of the Cascades. Details of black pepper, pleasing oak and Bing cherries turn into blockbuster, mouthfilling flavors. Smooth-as-silk consistency front to back is accented by acidity with wonderful tannins and green peppercorns in the finish.

Pendarvine Vineyard in Clackamas County and the Bellevue Cross planting in Yamhill County heightens your sense of strawberries, a theme throughout. Aromas of cinnamon, a bit of barnyard and lingonberry flash on the palate with currant jam, black pepper, cardamom, light oak and juicy strawberries. Its acidity pushes tannins into the background, where there’s a strip of strawberry fruit leather to finish. Here’s a Pinot Noir that’s great for food and aging. The Biehl boys also enjoy this with a cigar.

Coleman Vineyard

Chateau Faire Le Pont

Coleman Vineyard

2005 Milbrandt Vineyards Pinot Noir

2005 Real Fine Racy Red Pinot Noir

Washington, 260 cases, $27

Willamette Valley, 87 cases, $25

Outstanding! Wenatchee winemaker Doug Brazil makes it three consecutive vintages for earning our top rating with a grape most

Excellent. This marked vintage No. 2 of the fami-

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over the process. Cherries, Madagascar vanilla extract and juniper spice jump-start your juices in preparation of smooth and rich cherry flavors with a touch of cedar and green peppercorns.

His preference is to avoid heavy tannins, and he nailed that with a medium structure that allows this to be served with many types of cuisine.

2004 Estate Reserve Pinot Noir

Domaine Drouhin Oregon

Willamette Valley, 300 cases, $35

2004 Pinot Noir

Excellent. Randy and Kim Coleman can now

Willamette Valley, 7,454 cases, $45

use the McMinnville AVA on their estate wines, and this release was typical of the vintage. Strawberry fruit leather, black cherries, fresh cardamom and vanilla spread out for a smooth and expressive drink. Bright acidity and warm tannins carry the bold red fruit to the end.

Excellent. An even-tempered September helped

ly collaboration, which sees Ryan Coleman, an elementary school student, take some direction

W I N E P R E S S N O RT H W E S T • S U M M E R 2 0 0 7

Veronique Drouhin craft her typically lively and charming Burgundy, opening with rose petals, President plums, pomegranate, Baker’s chocolate and underpinnings of French oak, just 20% of which was new. Lip-smacking Bing cherries, more plums and a nip of Red Vines licorice lead into a medium-bodied and balanced Pinot Noir with a bit of cherry peel in the finish.

Domaine Serene 2004 Jerusalem Hill Estate Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, 485 cases, $75

Outstanding! Here’s one of the state’s top wines

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recent releases from a searing season. Alluring aromas of vanilla, cinnamon, raspberries and shavings of bittersweet chocolate yield to flavors of more rich berries and red currants. The superb balance crafted by Tony Rynders — in just the third vintage from this Eola Hills site — shows with wellmanaged oak and whispering tannins as a creamy midpalate finishes with more bittersweet chocolate.

Left Coast Cellars 2004 Cali’s Cuveé Pinot Noir

the Turner tasting room, they’ll give a dime.

Ask them for a refill instead. The aromas will have your head spinning with thoughts of light strawberries, cherries, cardamom and violets.

Bright fruit filters through the lips as cherries and red currants are joined by green tea and black olives. Comforting tannins transition into silkiness from the plummy midpalate through to the finish, with great acidity along the way.

Jim Bernau’s vineyards are certified as “salmon safe,” but grilled salmon might be the

WINE REVIEWS

first thing to cross your mind.

Willamette Valley Vineyards 2005 Estate Vineyards Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, 1,958 cases, $40

Recommended. It makes sense that a more typical

vintage for Oregon would help create lighterbodied Pinot Noir, and this is among those.

Green peppercorns, cloves and coffee with creamer awaken the senses. It enters the mouth with black cherries and milk chocolate,

Willamette Valley, 1,050 cases, $24

Excellent. This isn’t the most expensive release

from this new winery in Rickreall, Ore., but it’s showing very cherry good at the moment.

Aromas of tart cherry pie, blueberries and strawberries are joined by lavender and violet tones. Juicy cherries return to dominate the flavor profile, joined by smooth vanilla, moist earth and bittersweet chocolate tannins in the midpalate and chased by a Hostess cherry pie.

Left Coast Cellars 2004 Latitude 45 Estate Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, 600 cases, $34

Recommended. Dusty Bing cherries, black cur-

rants, raspberry, blueberries, mushrooms, parsley and abundant oak aromas funnel into pleasing Bing cherry flavors. It’s a straight-forward Pinot with friendly acidity, balance and nice tannins.

Left Coast Cellars 2004 Suzanne’s Estate Reserve Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, 450 cases, $42

Recommended. Luke C. McCollom runs the vine-

yard and makes the wine at this young operation just outside the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. Plums, raspberries, chalkboard dust, chocolate, vanilla, alfalfa and Juicy Fruit gum aromas waft out. It’s all blue fruit on the palate with ripe plums on the entry, blackberries with cream on the midpalate and a melodious arrangement of tannins, acidity and balance.

Methven Family Vineyards 2005 Pinot Noir Eola-Amity Hills, 479 cases, $25

Recommended. This is the second vintage for the Methvens, who buy grapes within the AVA from Elton and Skinner vineyards. First, it’s aromas of chai tea, mint and chocolate. The flavor profile revolves around ripe raspberries and vanilla bean. Resolved tannins and big acidity should allow this to pair well with many dishes offered nearby at the Joel Palmer House in Dayton, Ore.

Methven Family Vineyards 2004 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, 470 cases, $34

Excellent. Yamhill Valley star Josh Bergström

crafted this inaugural release for dentist/entrepreneur Allen Methven, and this shines. Notes of chokecherry, black cherry, oak and earth breeze into the mouth with dark tones of ripe plums, milk chocolate and black pepper.

Willamette Valley Vineyards 2005 Pinot Noir Oregon, 16,371 cases, $24

Outstanding! If you return the empty bottle to W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

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and moist earth on the midpalate, then more green peppercorns in the subtle finish. The food possibilities include game hens or mushroombased dishes.

in the Cabernet Sauvignon (16%), as well as Cab Franc (3%) makes this a welcome companion for a nice thick steak.

Willamette Valley Vineyards

2004 Canoe Ridge Estate Merlot

Chateau Ste. Michelle

2006 Whole Cluster Fermented Pinot Noir

Horse Heaven Hills, 12,000 cases, $22

Willamette Valley, 16,000 cases, $19

Recommended. This vintage marked Bob Bertheau’s first full tour of duty at

Outstanding! President/founder Jim Bernau refers to this carbonic macer-

Ste. Michelle, and his boat ride shows off blueberries, chocolate, leather, char and mushroom details in the nose. It then steers into big, ripe black fruit flavors with cherry notes, free-flowing tannins and a wave of chocolate from the far shore.

ation production as “Pinot Noir candy,” and it’s one of outrageous soul with bright raspberries, Rainier cherries, green olives and white pepper out and about. Velvety smooth and balanced from start to its finish of strawberries and cinnamon, this youthful, nouveau style is why many adore Beaujolais wines. Bernau suggests squab. We thought chateaubriand.

Kalamar Winery 2003 Merlot Yakima Valley, 196 cases, $30

Merlot

Recommended. An Impressionistic-inspired painting by Greg Kalamar

graces the bottle, and brother Mark did the work on the inside. A fresh pot of coffee does much of the talking for this release, incorporating blackberries, stewed plums, toasted oak, a hint of barnyard, mint and lively acidity.

Capstone Cellars 2004 Boushey Vineyard Merlot Yakima Valley, 125 cases, $20

Outstanding! Roy Bays continues to garner attention for this Longview, Wash., winery for his mastery with Dick Boushey’s fruit. A bold fruit-filled nose features blueberries, slate, French vanilla, toast and red peppercorns. Flavor-wise, it’s more of the same as round, smooth and elegant tannins rap up the dark blueberries. Weight added by Portteus Vineyard

Kalamar Winery 2003 Reserve Merlot Yakima Valley, 46 cases, $56

Outstanding! It’s likely that no winery is closer to Mount Rainier than is

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recent releases NORTHWEST WINE REGIONS Northwest appellations The following are official viticultural regions in the Pacific Northwest.

Washington Columbia Valley: This multi-state appellation is 11 million acres in size and takes up a third of Washington. It encompasses the Yakima and Walla Walla valleys, Red Mountain, Horse Heaven Hills, Rattlesnake Hills and Wahluke Slope. It was established in 1984.

Yakima Valley: The Northwest’s oldest appellation (established in 1983) stretches from Wapato in the west to Benton City in the east and includes Red Mountain and Rattlesnake Hills. The Yakima Valley has about 11,000 acres of wine grapes.

Walla Walla Valley: This multi-state appellation is in the southeast corner of Washington. The Walla Walla Valley is 300,000 acres in size with about 1,000 acres of wine grapes planted. It was established in 1984.

Red Mountain: Washington’s smallest appellation is a ridge in the eastern Yakima Valley. It is 4,040 acres in size with about 800 acres of mostly red wine grapes planted. It was established in 2001.

WINE REVIEWS

Mark Kalamar’s winery in Lake Tapps, and his focus may be the most narrow of anyone in the state. Of his three wines, two are Merlot, and this stands the tallest. Dense mountain blueberries and blackberries, sweet oak, moist earth, talus and pencil shavings rise out of the glass.

Inside, it’s full of dark, brooding and delicious blackberry jam with blueberry syrup notes that sweep into the midpalate and carry on through, along with medium tannins and finish with coffee. All that said, this wine’s still not showing everything it’s got.

Lopez Island Vineyards 2003 Crawford Vineyards Merlot Yakima Valley, 171 cases, $17

Puget Sound: This sprawling appellation is in Western Washington. It stretches from the Olympia area to the Canadian border north of Bellingham. It also sweeps through the San Juan Islands and to Port Angeles. Fewer than 100 acres of wine grapes are planted. It was established in 1995.

Outstanding! A third-generation farming family in the hills above Prosser, Wash., produces all the fruit for the red program at this island winery.

Vibrant red tones spin around this expressive Bordeaux, opening with red currants, red peppercorns, strawberries, river rock and slate, alongside balanced barrel influences of milk chocolate, vanilla and coffee. It’s more of the same between the cheeks with an injection of jazzy raspberry acidity, toffee notes and assertive tannins.

Columbia Gorge: This multi-state appellation begins around the town of Lyle and heads west to Husum on the Washington side of the Columbia River. It was established in 2004.

Make The Dash Count

Horse Heaven Hills: This large appellation — 570,000 acres — is south of the Yakima Valley and stretches to the Oregon border. It has more than 6,000 acres of wine grapes planted. It was established in 2005.

Wahluke Slope: Approved in early 2006, this huge landform north of the Yakima Valley is an 81,000-acre gravel bar created by the Ice Age Floods. More than 5,000 acres are planted in this AVA, which is one of the warmest regions in the entire Pacific Northwest. It was established in 2006.

Rattlesnake Hills: Washington’s newest appellation is in the western Yakima Valley north of the towns of Zillah, Granger and Outlook.The appellation is 68,500 acres in size with about 1,300 acres of vineyards. It was established in 2006.

2002 Merlot

Oregon

Columbia Valley, 200 cases, $100

Willamette Valley: Oregon’s largest appellation stretches roughly from Portland to Eugene. It was established in 1984.

Recommended. Walla Walla winemaker Chuck

Ribbon Ridge: This is the Northwest’s smallest appellation at 3,350 acres. It is best known for its Pinot Noir and is within the Chehalem Mountains AVA. It was established in 2005.

Yamhill-Carlton District: This appellation has more than 650 acres of wine grapes, primarily Pinot Noir. It is a horseshoe-shaped appellation that surrounds the towns of Yamhill and Carlton. It was established in 2005.

Chehalem Mountains: The most-recently approved Oregon AVA also is the largest within the Willamette Valley. This 62,100-acre appellation is northeast of the Dundee Hills. It was established in 2006.

Dundee Hills: Many of Oregon’s pioneer wineries are in the Dundee Hills within Oregon’s Yamhill County. The appellation is 6,490 acres in size with nearly 1,300 acres of planted vineyards. It was established in 2005.

Eola-Amity Hills: This important region stretches from the town of Amity in the north to the capital city of Salem in the southeast. It is 37,900 acres in size and has 1,300 acres planted. It was established in 2006.

McMinnville: The hills south and west of the Yamhill County city of McMinnville is more than 40,000 acres in size and contains about 600 acres of wine grape vineyards. It was established in 2005.

Reininger’s belief in Hope Moore’s vision to raise funds for at-risk youth programs created this inaugural bottling — a blend of Merlot (75%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (25%). Count on picking up hints of blackberries, crushed herbs and charred oak in the aromas, followed by bold and plummy dark fruit flavors with sturdy tannins and toasted oak in the finish. Moore is moving ahead with plans next year to open Heaven’s Cave Cellars atop Destiny Ridge in the Horse Heaven Hills.

Umpqua Valley: This Southern Oregon appellation surrounds the city of Roseburg north of the Rogue Valley. It can produce Pinot Noir as well as warm-climate grapes. It was established in 1984.

Merry Cellars

Rogue Valley: The Northwest’s southern-most appellation surrounds the cities of Medford and Ashland, just north of the California border. It is known for its warm growing conditions. It was established in 2001.

Columbia Valley, 87 cases, $25

Applegate Valley: This small valley within the Rogue Valley is known for a multitude of microclimates that can result in wines of distinction and complexity. It was established in 2004.

Columbia Gorge: This multi-state appellation is around and south of the city of Hood River. It was established in 2004.

Southern Oregon: This large AVA encompasses the Umpqua, Rogue and Applegate valleys and Red Hill Douglas County appellations. It was established in 2005.

Red Hill Douglas County: This tiny appellation — just 5,500 acres — is within the Umpqua Valley. Fewer than 200 acres of wine grapes, primarily Pinot Noir, are grown here. It was established in 2005.

Snake River Valley: The Northwest’s newest appellation is in southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon. It covers 8,263 square miles.

2004 Merlot Recommended. All the Merlot for this came off Stillwater Creek, with the Cab Franc (15%) from Inland Desert Nursery Vineyard. Patrick Merry likes new Hungarian oak (60%) in his barrel of tools, and the results are pleasant.

Notes of black currants, dark cherries, chalkboard dust, blackberries and chocolate run throughout as the fruit is sweet yet bold, and the mouth feel is juicy.

Napeequa Vintners

British Columbia

2004 Merlot

Okanagan Valley: In the province’s interior, this 100-mile valley stretches from the border in Osoyoos to Salmon Arm in the north. Most wineries are near Oliver, Penticton and Kelowna. Spelling note: In Washington, the county, river and city are spelled “Okanogan.” It was established in 1990.

Columbia Valley, 75 cases, $26

Similkameen Valley: This warm valley is west of the southern Okanagan Valley. It was established in 1990.

Vancouver Island: This marine-influenced appellation is in the southwest part of the province. It was established in 1990.

Fraser Valley: This farming area is in the Lower Mainland, south of Vancouver. It was established in 1990.

Gulf Islands: This appellation, the province’s newest, includes approximately 100 islands spread out between Vancouver Island and the southern mainland. It was established in 2005.

Idaho Snake River Valley: The Northwest’s newest appellation is in southwestern Idaho and southeastern Oregon. It is 8,263 square miles and includes vineyards near the cities of Nampa and Caldwell, west of Boise.

W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

Recommended. Kestrel View Estate is a favorite of

David Morris, which helped this Plain, Wash., vintner produce black cherries, persimmons, cigar ash and spice in the aromas that lead to a pleasingly structured palate of blackberries and blueberries with toasted oak notes.

Seven Hills Winery 2003 Seven Hills Vineyard Merlot Walla Walla Valley, 785 cases, $28

Excellent. Casey McClellan’s winery is adjacent to famed restaurant Whitehouse-Crawford, and S U M M E R 2 0 0 7 • W I N E P R E S S N O RT H W E S T

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he’s crafted a remarkable blend of Merlot (83%) and Cab Franc (17%) that’s ripe for food pairings. Exotic aromas of white strawberries, cola, cinnamon, sun-dried tomatoes and petunias escort you to a veritable table of sweet red fruit in the vein of black currants and pomegranates, then black raspberries and forthright tannins take over in the midpalate and spill out into the finish.

Pair with berry-influenced duck confit or rabbit.

McClellan projects its peak to be in early 2009.

Silvan Ridge 2004 Reserve Merlot Rogue Valley, 384 cases, $19

Outstanding! Jonathan Oberlander joined this Eugene-area winery in 2004, so this vintage makes these wines his first at Silvan Ridge.

And this release kicks off with dark berries, leaf tobacco, cherrywood chips and bay leaf. The juicy berries drizzle down the throat, and there’s a thimble of warmth to go with it. It’s luscious, very quaffable from front to back, age-worthy and good company.

Snoqualmie Vineyards 2003 Reserve Merlot Columbia Valley, 1,200 cases, $23

Outstanding! A wicked-hot vintage on the pre-

dictably warm Wahluke Slope gave Joy Andersen all she could want in reserve. And there’s much to explore. Pie cherries, pomegranates, teriyaki and hickory smoke notes waft about. A rich entry reveals massive amounts of cherry pie filling and raspberries,

chocolate-covered hazelnuts and bright acidity.

Andersen suggests enjoying with rosemaryinfluenced lamb. Just make sure to cook it rare.

Spangler Vineyards 2004 Reserve Merlot Southern Oregon, 163 cases, $28

Excellent. Patrick Spangler, a relative newcomer

to the Northwest, continues to churn out remarkable wines, including this release with a sweet nose of black cherries, vanilla bean, Beechnut chewing tobacco and cedar. Cherries spill out sweetly on the palate with nice weight and acidity, giving way to cranberries and black tea tannins.

Tefft Cellars 2004 Merlot Rattlesnake Hills, 500 cases, $16

Recommended. Joel Tefft’s operation in Outlook turned 16 this year, and here’s another of his food-friendly releases. This wine spent 16 months in oak and feature notes of racy raspberries, cranberries and farm-fresh green beans, roasted eggplant and toasted pine nuts.

Three Rivers Winery 2004 Merlot Columbia Valley, 1,280 cases, $19

Excellent. Small French barrels contribute in a

big way throughout in this blend of grapes from six vineyards. Coffee and chocolate, dark ripe plums and black cherries toss and tumble about, met by sturdy and frontal tannins. Notes of sweet red pepper and cherry tomato acidity on the midpalate should lend this wine quite well to a plate of spaghetti or a gourmet pizza with red sauce.

TimberRock Winery 2004 Merlot Washington, 110 cases, $20

Outstanding! Idaho Panhandle veterinarian

Kevin Rogers got this fruit from Horse Heaven Hills sites Phinny Hill and Matador Vineyard, the latter of which Quilceda Creek Vintners now owns. The wine expresses French oak in terms of marshmallows and vanilla, with canned pie cherries and blueberries right alongside. Inside is a bold entry of fruit with Bing cherries and their refreshing acidity, then sweet, dark chocolate in the midpalate. The tannins frame this wine very well with cherries, cherries and more cherries in the backdrop.

Waterbrook Winery 2004 Merlot Columbia Valley, 3,361 cases, $20

Recommended. Dense touches of blackberries,

plums, green peppercorns, licorice, cinnamon and bittersweet chocolate are met by tarry tannins and a finish with more berries and figs.

Syrah Amavi Cellars 2004 Syrah Columbia Valley, 797 cases, $28

Excellent. If a wine has hints of blackberry and

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black pepper, it’s likely to be Washington Syrah.

Such is the case with this hedonistic hit from Walla Walla, which is sweet brambleberry from beginning to end with nose-tickling peppercorns, lots of herbal notes amid well-married oak. Smooth tannins meet an easy finish of mincemeat.

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Amavi Cellars 2004 Seven Hills Vineyard Syrah Walla Walla Valley, 99 cases, $32

Excellent. It’s a diminutive offering, but consider-

ing the vintage in his valley, Jean-Francois Pellet seems happy with what he got. This small lot spins out black cherries, raspberries, fresh-ground coffee, cocoa powder and black walnuts — a heritage to its 16 months in 100% French oak. A rich entry of black raspberries and blackberries includes cracked blackpepper.

A jammy midpalate meets round and supple tannins for a smooth finish.

Arbor Crest Wine Cellars 2003 Syrah Columbia Valley, 653 cases, $18

Excellent. Kristina Mielke-van Löben Sels skillful-

ly blended fruit from Stillwater Creek in the Frenchman Hills and the Milbrandts’ Sundance site. The result is a boldly structured Syrah with sweet blackberries and black currants, black licorice, violets and 40% new oak that shows itself in the form of graham crackers.

Suggested fare includes barbecued ribs or duck breast.

Barnard Griffin Winery 2005 Syrah Columbia Valley, 1,858 cases, $17

Outstanding! Rather than getting wrapped up in

blackberries, as is often the case with this Rhône variety in Washington, this offering broadcasts red fruit with aromatics of dried strawberries, Bing cherries, joined by hints of cedar, leather, coffee and pleasing menthol.

They all follow through beautifully on the palate with a sense of opulence and resolved tannins.

Chateau Faire Le Pont 2004 Boushey Vineyard Syrah Washington, 295 cases, $19

Outstanding! Doug Brazil in Wenatchee, Wash., dialed in this Sunnyside-sourced fruit for an affable and quaffable Syrah with a distinct plum note in the nose, along with blackberries, mincemeat spice and chocolate shavings. A deep, mouth-coating entry is heavy on Bing cherry syrup, a velvety midpalate of mountain berries, light oak, a late dose of acidity and the return of mincemeat in the finish.

Hogue Cellars 2004 Genesis Syrah Washington, 1,939 cases, $17

Recommended. Dark and brooding is what many

look for — and want — from a Syrah. Here’s a wine that delivers blackberries, black cherries, black currants, chocolate-covered almonds and a pinch of dill are all packaged around smooth tannins. Start basting those barbecued ribs to serve with this big red.

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recent releases Page Cellars 2004 Syrah Columbia Valley, 447 cases, $37

Recommended. Fruit from famed Klipsun

Vineyards on Red Mountain as well as Wahluke Slope Vineyard produced a powerful release filled with pomegranates, huckleberries, chocolate and roasted coffee. Enjoy with a T-bone.

Robert Karl Cellars 2005 Syrah Columbia Valley, 150 cases, $29

Excellent. Spokane’s Joe Gunselman developed

this wine in rather classic fashion. He zeroed in on one vineyard: McKinley Springs in the Horse Heaven Hills. He chose the Côte Rôtie route by co-fermenting with Viognier (8%), then employing 100% French oak. The results are jammy black raspberries, warm and inviting chocolate, spice of anise and caraway seed, and smoked meat. A little patience will allow it to loosen up just a bit.

Sequel 2004 Syrah Columbia Valley, 1,359 cases, $55

Recommended. John Duval, a former maker of

Australia’s famed Penfolds Grange, annually expresses his skill in Walla Walla for Long Shadows Vintners. Boushey, Alder Ridge, Wallula and a variety of Red Mountain sites contributed to this berry-focused release of medium weight with savory, leather and straw notes.

dive into concentrated dark red fruit flavors — primarily strawberries — that are smooth and juicy. There’s balance from supple, pleasing and ample tannins. A drop of vanilla extract with toasted oak pops out in the farewell.

WINE REVIEWS

Cabernet Franc Cowan Vineyards 2004 Estate Cabernet Franc Yakima Valley, 245 cases, $16

Excellent. Often a blending grape, this longtime

Volcano Vineyards 2004 Aguila Vineyards Syrah Rogue Valley, 150 cases, $28

Outstanding! There wasn’t much Syrah planted in Oregon in 1994 when this vineyard in Talent did so. The vines are hitting their stride, starting with black cherries, raspberries, cinnamon and cedar on the nose. The focus on the silky palate is that of wonderful plum jam with blackcapped raspberries and food-friendly acidity.

Waterbrook Winery 2005 Syrah Columbia Valley, 1,997 cases, $20

Excellent. The Hattrups’ rather lofty Elephant

Mountain Vineyard is building a reputation for Syrah, and this all-Rhône blend with Grenache (5%) and Viognier (4%) includes fruit from Stone Tree Vineyard on the Wahluke Slope. Sweet tobacco, black olives, blueberries, a hint of chocolate and peaty notes wave you in for smooth paving of cherry/chocolate flavors. Figs and more black olives add complexity amid expressive, yet not assertive, tannins.

farming family in Prosser, Wash., went full Franc in fine fashion. Dried strawberries, a bit of leafiness and black cherry aromas evolve into more red fruit flavors of strawberry/rhubarb.

It’s juicy, silky smooth and medium-bodied for a wide range of food applications.

Lone Canary Winery 2004 Cabernet Franc Columbia Valley, 104 cases, $20

Recommended. Ripeness wasn’t an issue for grapes from Willard and Clifton vineyards. The result is a robust Cab Franc with a captivating breath of candy cane and cherries, met by dark plums and cherries. They get a backing by some dustiness, milk chocolate and assertive tannins.

Spangler Vineyards 2005 Sundown Vineyard Cabernet Franc Southern Oregon, 320 cases, $24

Recommended. Compared with the previous vine-

yard, Patrick Spangler doubled his draw from this Rogue Valley site. It produced blackberry, plum and green peppercorn notes and maintained the varietal tendency with a leafy and herbaceous component.

Silvan Ridge 2005 Reserve Syrah Rogue Valley, 627 cases, $20

Excellent. A big, pleasant release that portends even more, this Eugene, Ore., winery takes cherished Del Rio Vineyards fruit and barrels it in French oak for 15 months. It shows in hints of teriyaki jerky and toast, but there are lots of wild mountain berries to support it. Lip-smacking marionberries and huckleberries — accompanied by their acidity — sweep across the palate with vanilla bean. Tannins are behind the bushes as blueberries drop in for the finish.

Three Rivers Winery 2004 Ahler Vineyard Syrah Walla Walla Valley, 233 cases, $39

Excellent. Despite a trying vintage for most Walla

Walla Valley vineyards, this winter-hardy estate site actually produced 50 more cases than in 2003. A sniff brings a mocha with an extra shot of espresso. Then, drink in a smooth entry of chocolate, boysenberries and unsweetened blackberries and marionberries with a bit of the leaf. Sweet tannins lead into creamy vanilla and some tar in the finish.

Three Rivers Winery 2004 Boushey Vineyards Syrah Yakima Valley, 384 cases, $50

Outstanding! When one of the top wineries in the Northwest works with one of the top vineyards in the Northwest, the results are often stellar. And this wine has got a little of everything. Cassis, leather and tobacco aromas W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

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Stina’s Cellars 2003 Cabernet Franc Columbia Valley, 50 cases, $20

Excellent. A young winery in University Place, near Tacoma, got fruit from Alder Ridge and the den Hoeds’ Desert Hills site in Prosser to contribute aromas of brambleberries, coffee, green peppercorns, leather, talus and river rock. There’s lots of acidity behind the racy and enjoyable raspberry and violets entry.

Some cherry cough syrup in the midpalate gives way to caramel at the end.

Malbec Barnard Griffin Winery 2005 Malbec Columbia Valley, 411 cases, $35

Outstanding! Rob Griffin saw to it that this didn’t

Kyra Wines 2005 Sangiovese Wahluke Slope, 385 cases, $20

Outstanding! This Italian variety is beginning to take flight in the Columbia Valley, and the Milbrandt brothers’ Pheasant Vineyard continues to gain acclaim. So Kyra Baerlocher in Moses Lake, Wash., doesn’t need to drive far for this fruit, which exudes youthful strawberries, cloves and forest floor aromatics.

Inside, it’s silky smooth with Rainier cherries and plums with the bright, food-friendly acidity one associates with this grape. Enjoy with tomato-based pasta dishes.

spend much time in oak, and nothing gets in the way of the elegance, starting with its beautiful color. There is a pleasant shot of espresso in the nose, but it’s quickly joined by blueberries and black currants, cloves, moist earth and minerality. It’s more of the same on the palate, including Bing cherry juice, dark chocolate and a fresh-baked bread character at the midpoint. Delicious acidity and balance set this up for immediate drinking. Enjoy with beef brisket, barbecued ribs or a pulled pork sandwich.

Lone Canary Winery

Napeequa Vintners

2005 Sangiovese

2004 Malbec

Washington, 244 cases, $28

Columbia Valley, 75 cases, $24

Estate in Prosser, Wash., supplied Lake Wenatchee winemaker David Morris with the Malbec (87%) and Merlot (4%). Matador — now controlled by Quilceda Creek — chipped in with the jolt of Cabernet Sauvignon (9%). Influences of French, American and Russian oak result in a tricked-out yet balanced Bordeaux with aromas and flavors of blackberries, vanilla, moist earth and cordial cherries.

Outstanding! Drink this berry medley and be merry. The Sangiovese component (79%) hails from Pheasant Vineyard, which helps this Pullman, Wash., winery produce temptations of black bramblefruit, cloves and toasted oak.

There’s a spicy blackpepper entry with dark chocolate undertones, a rush of jammy blackberries and black currants, a fine line of minerality from the midpalate to the finish. Well-managed tannins straddle the great acidity that one associates with this Italian grape.

Sangiovese

Other reds

Outstanding! Charles Smasne’s Kestrel View

2004 Sangiovese Wahluke Slope, 490 cases, $18

Recommended. Here comes another solid Sangio

(84%) that doffs its cap in reverence to the Milbrandt Pheasant Vineyard. Merlot (10%), Cab Sauv and Cab Franc (3% each) help his wine to exhibit jammy black currants, maple and butterscotch flavors. Bold flavors and a racy acid structure come naturally.

Merry Cellars

Capstone Cellars

Abacela Vineyards & Winery

2005 Boushey Vineyards Sangiovese

2005 Dolcetto

Yakima Valley, 160 cases, $20

Southern Oregon, 238 cases, $20

Excellent. Here’s the type of easy-drinking wine

Excellent. The northwest Italian variety will find

that Europeans make a part of lunch in the country each day, only this is made in Longview, Wash. Black currants, spicy oak, bunker sand, charcoal, tea and coffee fill the nose. It’s brambleberry on the bold entry with light cherries on the midpalate. Pleasant and refreshing, this should pair well with a big helping of lasagna.

more homes in the Pacific Northwest, thanks to work such as this. Earl Jones’ Fault Line Vineyards supplies the fruit for this release heaping with strawberries, toasted oak and chokecherry acidity. Tannins and bittersweet chocolate appear at the back end. The Joneses suggest drinking within four years and enjoying with prosciutto-spinach-ricotta ziti Bolognese.

Cuneo Cellars

Abacela Vineyards & Winery

2004 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Bricco Sangiovese

2005 Grenache

Red Mountain, 380 cases, $40

Excellent. The estate Fault Line Vineyards in the

Recommended. The Italian term for the high

Umpqua Valley seem to accommodate this heat-loving Spanish grape. A candy-sweet nose of cherry jam, root beer and horehound with subtle French oak notes tumbles into flavors of more cherry jam with a midpalate of President plums in heavy syrup and an excellent tannin structure.

point of a vineyard is “bricco,” and this Oregon release from one of the Washington state’s most renowned sources may well be the highest priced Sangio this side of Walla Walla. Black cherries, raspberries, bittersweet chocolate, chalkboard dust and mocha aro-

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mas descend into a palate sturdy in structure with flavors of blackberries and marionberries, chased by bittersweet chocolate in the finish.

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Southern Oregon, 249 cases, $24

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recent releases Kana Winery 2004 Vines de Marco Vineyard Old Vines Lemberger Yakima Valley, 210 cases, $16

Excellent. This block, planted in 1979, once was

part of famed Red Willow Vineyard. The gnarled, thick trunks sent out grapes that led to mellow notes of black cherry syrup, blueberry jam and licorice. Smooth and juicy on the palate, it’s not shy on acidity and finishes with a puff of smoke.

Sawtooth Winery 2004 Tempranillo Idaho, 150 cases, $20

Recommended. Brad Pintler bottled this Spanish

grape on its own for a second straight vintage, and this one is at full strength. Awesome oak swells in the aromas of coffee and chocolate, and there is more coffee in the mouth with cherries covered in dark chocolate. Tempered tannins drift into a finish of hazelnut coffee creamer.

apparent on the palate with bright, crisp ripe cranberries and cherries, and the abundance acidity casts a complete absence of tannins on the structure. It should age well with that acidity, but why bother? Pair with a tomato-based dish or a combo pizza.

Franc at 5%. Shaw Vineyards fruit provided a base coat of purple fruit with lavender, charred oak, spice and cedar on the nose.

Inside is a dark and brooding texture with Bing cherries amid a solid foundation of youthful tannins.

Glacial Lake Missoula Wine Co.

Pirouette

2003 Deluge

2004 Red Wine

Yakima Valley, 150 cases, $40

Columbia Valley, 653 cases, $55

Recommended. The name, the label and the con-

cept have raised the profile of this boutique Blaine, Wash., winery. And the juice inside is as big as the bottle. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cab Franc from Kestrel View in Prosser gave Tom Davis aromatics of boysenberry, plums, toasted oak and blackberries sprinkled with cocoa powder. The structure is not for the faint of heart with tart blackberries, chunks of bittersweet chocolate and sinewy tannins. A T-bone topped with blue cheese will do nicely.

Wahluke Slope, 850 cases, $19

Recommended. Here’s another multi-generation

Applegate Valley, 118 cases, $60

farming family that diversified and is now keeping some fruit for itself. This blend of Gilbert Orchards Cabernet Sauvignon (68%), Merlot (12%), Malbec (10%) and Petit Verdot (10%) is made by Nate Gilbert and features raspberries, rhubarb, fresh green beans, sun-dried tomatoes and vanilla cream on the nose. It is bold raspberries on the palate with racy acidity and lively tannins.

Red blends Bitner Vineyards 2003 Reserve Cab-Shiraz Idaho, 50 cases, $32

Excellent. Ron Bitner, an Idaho grape-growing

pioneer, also is an entomologist who spends months in Australia on researching bees and Shiraz. Greg Koenig makes his wine. Aromas prompt thoughts of a blackberry bush after a spring rain, joined by lightly roasted fresh coffee, cedar and cherry vanilla cola. It’s more blueberries and sweet pomegranate on the tongue, then Chukar Cherries and dark chocolate accent the pleasing and lingering finish.

features a Quintessa connection from the

2004 Claret

2004 Reserve Zinfandel

acre led to 26.5 brix and a fresh, fruity and smooth Zin. Black currants, cherries, plums, violets, cinnamon, sarsaparilla and a hint of baseball card bubble gum inspire conversation. Rich strawberry/rhubarb compote, chocolate and maple syrup, then a bit of crushed leaf swirl about. A touch of vanilla extract in the finish is the only indicator of alcohol (15.5%).

Excellent. This Long Shadows Vintners project

Gilbert Cellars

Troon Vineyard Excellent. Estate fruit cropped at 2.5 tons per

WINE REVIEWS

Nota Bene Cellars 2004 Abbinare Washington, 175 cases, $27

Recommended. Boeing Wine Club product Tim

Narby transports fruit from famed sources Champoux, Ciel du Cheval and Kestrel View for this blend of Merlot (47%), Cab Sauv (24%), Cab Franc (24%) and Petit Verdot (5%). In the nose, there are ticks of cocoa powder, overripe strawberries, sandalwood, cedar, chalkboard dust and NECCO Wafer candy. The palate is dominated by a warm, round and plummy mouth feel with milk chocolate and lean tannins.

Nota Bene Cellars 2004 Miscela Washington, 200 cases, $28

Chateau Faire Le Pont 2004 Provence Washington, 225 cases, $28

Excellent. Hints of cherry pie spilling over the

edge, blackberries and vanilla carry on through on the mouth with juicy acidity and more vanilla for a pleasing finish.

Chateau Faire Le Pont 2004 Tre Amore Washington, 210 cases, $37

Outstanding! Wenatchee winemaker Doug Brazil earns our top rating for the second straight year with this release. It’s Cab Sauv (50%), Sangiovese (25%) and Merlot (17%), and starts with a nose of cherries, blueberries, toasted oak and cherry tomatoes with a bit of the stem.

The influence of zesty Sangio is even more W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

Recommended. The “N” in what began as NB

Cellars is winemaker Tim Narby, and he leads this pleasingly beguiling Bordeaux blend with Merlot (40%), the balance of which comes from Arianses Vineyard off the Wahluke Slope. Plum, sage, toasted oak and bacon fat aromas give way on the palate to soft, dark plums, leather, moist dirt and Muscovado brown sugar. Then comes its amazingly intriguing sandy tannin structure, which warrants further examination with another sip.

Page Cellars 2003 Preface Red Wine Red Mountain, 392 cases, $37

Recommended. This Woodinville, Wash., winery continues to increase the percentage of Cab in this proprietary blend, now at 95% with Cab S U M M E R 2 0 0 7 • W I N E P R E S S N O RT H W E S T

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Napa Valley — Philippe Melka and Agustin Huneeus — who collaborate again for this blend. Their resulting assemblage is Cabernet Sauvignon (49%), Merlot (27%), Petit Verdot (13%) and Syrah (11%). Dusty vanilla and cherry aromas turn to a structure of bright cherries, boysenberry jam, green peppercorns, anise, vanilla and chocolate. At this point, it’s a chewy, crowd-pleasing big wine. In one to two years, it should be awesome.

nin, figs and pineapple in the background.

Spangler Vineyards

Columbia Crest

2006 Chardonnay

2004 Grand Estates Chardonnay Columbia Valley, 50,000 cases, $11

Excellent. If you were going to sit at the bar and

Columbia Valley, 1,600 cases, $19

have a glass of Chardonnay, here’s one to order. Mandarin oranges, guava and minerality on the nose leads to a very ripe fruit entry featuring mouth-watering watermelon. Next up are pineapples and apples in front of a buttery rich midpalate, then a slice of juicy papaya as a nightcap.

Excellent. This bottling does the bulk of the

David Hill Vineyards & Winery

Robert Karl Cellars 2005 Claret

work at this Spokane boutique winery. Cost and quality are the two keys. It’s all Horse Heaven Hills fruit, and blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Merlot (14%), Petit Verdot (14%), Cab Franc (11%) and Malbec (11%) sends out notes of cherry coca, maple syrup and some leafiness. Those cherries and vanilla show up densely, and the tannin structure doesn’t distract.

White Chardonnay Chateau Ste. Michelle 2005 Chardonnay Columbia Valley, 259,000 cases, $13

Recommended. For those who enjoy the style developed and made famous by those folks south of the Oregon border, here’s a Chardonnay for you. Abundant oak is followed by notes of baked apples drizzled with Gruyere, a tart entry and a delicious dose of ripe tropical citrus lifts the wine in appealing fashion.

Chateau Ste. Michelle 2005 Canoe Ridge Estate Chardonnay Horse Heaven Hills, 9,100 cases, $22

Excellent. Bob Bertheau’s expression of Chardonnay from this site over the Columbia River skillfully straddles the balance of oak and fruit. Tropical notes and lemon curd meld with just a sniff of toasted oak. It’s rich and tropical across the palate with pineapples, baked pears and the taste and feel of bananas. Seven months on the lees provides lemon curd creaminess with some oak tan-

2005 Chardonnay Willamette Valley, 306 cases, $12

Recommended. Jason Bull took estate fruit from

his first vintage at the historic Forest Grove, Ore., property to produce a rather inviting Chardonnay with ambrosia salad aromas followed by flavors of papaya, banana and nutty cork flakes. Herbal notes and late acidity add complexity.

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2005 Old Vines Chardonnay Washington, 120 cases, $16

Excellent. Dr. Kevin Rogers pulls in fruit from the Smasne family’s 30-year-old site in the Yakima Valley. Out comes a nose of rosewater, almonds, fresh-cut hay and ground coriander. Inside are awakening full flavors of apricots, apples, pear, grapefruit and more almonds with toasted walnuts.

Malolactic fermentation with preserved acidity allows it all to hang on the palate for an enjoyable spell.

Waterbrook Winery Columbia Valley, 12,951 cases, $13

Recommended. Toasty oak, butter, vanilla and

Willamette Valley, 900 cases, $22

tropical fruit lure you in to find more tropical fruit, particularly ripe bananas. There are also toasted pine nuts and a rounded creaminess from the midpalate on back with oak undertones and citrus pith.

Recommended. A pleasing blend of fruit and oak

are found in this white from a new winery in Rickreall, Ore. Tropical notes, fresh apples, grassiness, a line of minerality and a nice background of oak are in the aromas. Pineapples, Granny Smith apple and cinnamon get a jolt of citrus in the midpalate and more tropical flavors in the finish.

Wedge Mountain Winery 2005 Chardonnay Washington, 177 cases, $17

Recommended. This release from Leavenworth,

Lopez Island Vineyards 2005 Crawford Vineyards Chardonnay Yakima Valley, 242 cases, $14

Outstanding! It’s barrel-fermented and sur-lee

aged, but it’s surprisingly far from oak-dominated. Lemon zest, minerality, sweet herbs, fresh-cut straw and vanilla are centered in the aromas. There’s a fair bit of round butteriness in the attack, but the fruit catches right up in the midpalate with tropical notes and poached pear, then sweetened lemon acidity and pleasing French vanilla bean in the finish.

Methven Family Vineyards 2005 Chardonnay

San Juan Vineyards

WWW.PORTLANDWINE.COM

TimberRock Winery

2005 Estate Chardonnay

banana, grassy herbs, lemon, butter and a whiff of smoke. Guava flavors join the banana and butter with lime and grassiness in the finish, which should fare well with a creamy pasta dish or chicken.

306 SE ASH ST. & MLK

figs, Crème Brûlée topping, fennel, candied yams and slightly underripe pears dominate this slightly off-dry unoaked Chardonnay, which includes Semillon (5%).

2005 Chardonnay

Recommended. Aromas open with a slice of

Steel Racks, Wood Bins, WineSafe Luggage & Lead-Free Crystal.

Recommended. Notes of Golden Delicious apples,

Left Coast Cellars

Willamette Valley, 144 cases, $25

Climate Controlled Self-Storage rentals with 24-7 access.

Dometic “Silent Cellar” wine cabinets for home storage.

Unique Wine Accessories and Necessities.

Southern Oregon, 84 cases, $20

2005 Chardonnay Columbia Valley, 715 cases, $15

Recommended. It’s fully barrel-fermented, but

the oak — only 25% new — does not get in the way. Baked apple, butter and a pinch of bunker sand pitch into an easy entry of clean, quaffable orchard fruit, followed by a creamy midpalate and a bit of citrus-pith bitterness.

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Wash., starts with hints of candy corn, buttered toast, apple box and white pepper. On the entry are tropical fruit with unsweetened pineapple that is spread out by a pleasing round mouth feel and lots of influence from new American oak. It should go quite well with seared scallops.

Pinot Gris Barnard Griffin Winery 2006 Reserve Pinot Gris Columbia Valley, $17

Excellent. Intriguing, racy and good dinner com-

pany. Who wouldn’t want some of that? That can be found in a glass of this, which starts with alluring aromas of Bosc pears, orange blossoms, green bananas, a dusty white rose and grapefruit. Tart citrus, slate, green apples and a pinch of sage should allow this to cozy up to a breast of chicken with some SubRosa mango chutney.

b2 2004 Pinot Gris Oregon, 1,900 cases, $15

Excellent. The Biehl brothers of Eugene Wine

Cellars turned to alliteration and algebra to rebrand their line. This Pinot Gris comes at you in different directions, starting with a nose of canned pineapple, dusty sage, dried tropical fruit and clarified butter. On the palate, it’s fresh pineapple and papaya with pleasing roundness in the midpoint. A bit of bitterness and a hint of river rock on the finish will W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

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recent releases show well alongside seared scallops.

Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006 Pinot Gris Columbia Valley, 60,000 cases, $13

Excellent. An agreeable Gris, this opens with

signs of nice peaches, a pinch of white pepper, ginger and pears, followed by flavors of pink grapefruit. A touch of herbal in the midpalate adds balance to the fruit and acidity. Enjoy with mussels or linguine and clams in a white sauce.

Girardet Wine Cellars 2006 Pinot Gris Southern Oregon, 790 cases, $16

Excellent. Marc Girardet isn’t letting his dad

down as a second-generation winemaker.

Delicate floral notes of lychee, orange oil, banana and some grassiness dive into a very fruit-forward drink. The trace of residual sugar (0.7%) hits you immediately with pleasant oranges and grapefruit, some candied apple, then cantaloupe. Enjoy as an aperitif or alongside a cheese plate, a bowl of fried rice or a bratwurst.

Methven Family Vineyards 2005 Pinot Gris Willamette Valley, 210 cases, $20

Excellent. This new winery in the Eola Hills near Dayton, Ore., turns out a tremendously versa-

W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

tile Pinot Gris that invites with aromas of starfruit, kumquat, lime, gooseberries, pears and herbs. Amazing acidity awaits with delicious lemon, lime and Mandarin orange flavors. One could drink this all day long, especially with scallops or pasta primavera grilled with vegetables.

WINE REVIEWS

Riesling Carpenter Creek 2005 Signature Series Riesling Washington, $13

Recommended. Dried apples and white grapefruit

with cloves slide into a sweet fruit entry of apples and white pears. They are met by racy acidity that sings with the sugar, finishing with stunning pepper and pineapple notes.

Naches Heights Vineyard 2005 Pinot Gris Columbia Valley, 120 cases, $16

Recommended. Kana winemaker Mark Wysling takes fruit off this lofty estate site (1,800 feet in elevation) for the inaugural vintage of Phil Cline’s new winery. Lemon zest, Granny Smith apples, a tinge of bees wax and pinch of white pepper create the foundation for this dry Pinot Gris with solid structure and pleasing length.

VX Vercingetorix 2005 Pinot Gris Oregon, 280 cases, $17

Excellent. Bruce Hall, owner of Willamette Farms

of Oregon in Newberg, decided to get in the winemaking business. Hired gun Laurent Montalieu assists, and the collaboration worked well here. Pink Lady apples, passionfruit, pineapple, citrus, lavender, marigolds and NECCO wafer delight both nose and tongue.

It’s big, rich and long with dried apples and clover honey notes in the finish.

Chateau Faire Le Pont 2005 Riesling Washington, 115 cases, $15

Excellent. Those seeking a softer Riesling should

consider this release from the Wenatchee Valley. It opens with orchard fruit, white pepper, nuttines, Crème Brûlée topping, minerals and oranges. On the tongue it’s fresh-squeezed orange juice and pineapple with a touch of creme soda in the finish.

Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006 Cold Creek Vineyards Riesling Columbia Valley, 4,500 cases, $14

Excellent. A dusty drive through Wenatchee

Valley orchards on a hot September day begins to describe this softer version. Honeycrisp apples and juicy peaches, then huge citrus acidity on the midpalate strikes a balance with the remaining sugar (2.2%).

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Icicle Ridge Winery

fashion with great acidity.

Abiqua Winds Vineyard

2006 Royal Ladies of the Autumn Leaves White Riesling

Waterbrook Winery

2006 Chloe’s Breeze Müller-Thurgau

Washington, 700 cases, $22

2005 Sauvignon Blanc

Outstanding! At 45 characters, the full name of

Columbia Valley, 2,426 cases, $14

Don Wood’s wine is a mouthful, but so is the wine. This tribute to past honorees of the longrunning fall festival in Leavenworth rakes up hints of limes, kumquats, slate, anise, facial powder and sweet herbs. The citrus in the mouth turns to sweet Meyer lemons, joined by Lipton green tea, sweet basil and more licorice.

Enjoy with a creamy pasta dish or simply on its own.

Recommended. Aging in predominately used bar-

Martin-Scott Winery

Kyra Wines

Spangler Vineyards

2005 Apple Block Vineyards Estate Riesling

2006 Chenin Blanc

2006 Semillon

Columbia Valley, 80 cases, $12

Outstanding! Hedonistic, yes, but Mike Scott and

Judi Martin-Scott in East Wenatchee, Wash., balanced the 3% residual sugar with a pH of 2.99. Apple, citrus, lavender and flint on the nose carry into explosive flavors of apples, pears and Orange Slices jelly candy.

Methven Family Vineyards 2005 Riesling Willamette Valley, 119 cases, $20

rels without any malolactic fermentation allows the fruit from Oasis and Willard vineyards to shine with notes of tart gooseberries, pineapple, lemons, sage and Red Delicious apples. A round sweetness on the midpalate includes guava, then finished with more citrus.

Chenin Blanc

Wedge Mountain Winery 2005 Dry White Riesling Washington, 100 cases, $14

Outstanding! Charlie McKee goes back-to-back vintages in earning our top rating for this bonedry style. It’s unmistakable with the tell-tale push of petrol in the nose, joined by hints of cantaloupe, orchard fruit and rosewater. A healthy dose of citrus fruit and Granny Smith apples creates for ingratiating tartness and a beautiful wine that will pair with Lamb Vindaloo, pork chops or a Waldorf salad.

Sauvignon Blanc Spangler Vineyards 2006 Sauvignon Blanc Southern Oregon, 230 cases, $16

Recommended. Citrus, tropical fruit and freshly

husked white corn come together with Uncola citrus flavors, balanced acidity and a citrus-peel bitterness in the finish to make this a fine accompaniment to a bowl of linguine or a plate of dry cheese such as Sonoma Jack, Manchego or Romano.

2005 Savvy! Blanc Sauvignon Blanc Columbia Valley, $15

Excellent. Larry Lehmbecker imparts an off-dry

spin (1.6% residual sugar) on this often tart variety. There still are the gooseberry, river rock, petrol and rosewater aromas with peaches and apples. Fresh-cut peaches with ginger and starfruit flavors strike early in pleasant

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— this nearly 125-year-old cross of Riesling and Silvaner — can thrive “on the quiet side of the Valley,” as Silverton, Ore., grower Pete Buffington says. Gary Carpenter of Secret House Winery brought out hints of Granny Smith apples, rosewater, mineral, a bit of herbaceousness and pear which all follow through with identical flavors. Then the acidity hits immediate and carries the structure on through to an easy finish of lemonade.

Southern Oregon, 142 cases, $15

Outstanding! Portland encaustic artist Kyle Evans created a painting for the label, and his sister in Moses Lake, Wash. — Kyra Baerlocher — poured her art into the bottle. Citrus aromas with an undercurrent of river rock are followed by a bright entry of homemade lemonade and mineral flavors. A basil leaf, some gooseberry and a dab of pear syrup (1.7% residual sugar) shine in beautiful harmony, courtesy of Upland and Pleasant vineyards in the Yakima Valley.

Recommended. Scents reminiscent of Apple Crisp

Widgeon Hill Winery 2005 Chenin Blanc Yakima Valley, 130 cases, $12

Outstanding! Rhett Mills has taken over for his late

father, Joel, at the Chehalis, Wash., winery. By the looks of it, things are just fine. Approachable and expressive, it opens up with aromas of lemon meringue, nougat, Rainier cherries, starfruit, clover, honey and cardamom. A fairly sweet entry is marked by naval oranges, Golden Delicious and Fuji apples, then a bit of Rainier cherries, but its hallmark is superb balance.

Other whites Abacela Vineyards & Winery 2006 Estate Albariño Southern Oregon, 633 cases, $23

Outstanding! Two years ago, London-based Jancis Robinson made this her wine of the week. Earl Jones increased production six-fold since that inaugural release, but the quality hasn’t dropped.

Orange oil, bananas and minerality in the nose make their way on to the palate with tropical fruit flavors. There’s an explosion of acidity and twist of lime in the finish. This Iberian grape makes a superb seafood wine and should marry well with a paella or a skewer of shrimp sprinkled with white pepper and joined by cilantro, mango and guava.

Abiqua Wind Vineyard 2006 Collier’s Early Muscat Willamette Valley, 150 cases, $15

Vin du Lac of Chelan

Excellent. Germany’s most widely planted grape

Columbia Valley, 500 cases, $12

Outstanding! Oregon’s reputation for Riesling

continues to improve, and here’s another example. Citrus, dried cantaloupe and pineapple with mineral notes carry into bright and lively flavors of fruit cocktail with grapefruit, then lime SweeTarts. This should be terrific with oysters, grilled or raw, and halibut accompanied by mango salsa.

Willamette Valley, 150 cases, $15

Outstanding! The Buffingtons’ new winery east of Silverton, Ore., gains attention with an interpretation of Early Muscat that’s made by Joe Dobbes and named after a grandson. A perfect summer picnic wine, it’s reminiscent of Juicy Fruit gum with flavors that won’t quit, including orchard fruit and rosewater on the slightly foamy midpalate. A bit of grapefruit pith in the finish keeps the sugars in balance.

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with Mandarin orange evolve into sweet Pink Lady apple and pear flavors. A slice of banana on the midpalate enriches the mouthfeel.

Residual sugar (2.5%) creates a very pleasant drink, particularly for those new to Semillon.

Vashon Winery 2004 Semillon Washington, 120 cases, $18

Outstanding! Accomplished author Ron Irvine can make wine and distill his own tasting notes with the best of them. Of this wine from Rattlesnake Hills, he might write “strong citrus and pear aromatics include a field of green grass, a sprig of tarragon and some gravelly minerality. Those Bartlett pears drop down into the mouth, joined on its sleek entry with bright citrus qualities, well-managed barrels, a hint of anise and a dollop of lime sherbet in the finish.” Enjoy with a halibut fillet or a fish taco.

Mount Baker Vineyards 2004 Siegerrebe Puget Sound, 248 cases, $12

Excellent. Germans crossed Gewürztraminer with

Madeleine Angevine to create this variety, so it reasons that it can do well in the cool climate of the Puget Sound. Rosewater, facial powder, tangerine, lemon zest and candy corn aromas are met on a softened palate of pink grapefruit, lychee and a hint of clove on the back.

White blends Brian Carter Cellars 2005 Oriana Yakima Valley, 658 cases, $24

Outstanding! This longtime Washington winemaker is all about blending now. The past two vintages have both been all Outlook Vineyard fruit, but Carter more than doubled production and nearly doubled the percentage of Viognier (61%) — at the expense of Roussanne (14%) — with the rest as Riesling (25%). Success was achieved in nice honeysuckle and big fresh orchard fruit throughout, secured by a blast of acidity. A hair of residual sugar (0.6%) makes the apples and apricots last forever.

Doyenne 2005 Métier Blanc Columbia Valley, 175 cases, $31

Recommended. Another program for DeLille W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

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recent releases Cellars, this vintage came out as an assemblage of Viognier (70%) from Ciel du Cheval and Chardonnay (30%) off Cold Creek.

Impressions include honeysuckle, sesame, marshmallow, lemon custard, cooked pear and a drop of vanilla extract in the nose. There’s more of the same on the flavors with a lemon tartness on the entry, some savory spice and enormous acidity that should fare well with Hollandaise sauce over salmon and asparagus with a side of jasmine rice.

enjoy rosé, especially a structurally sound one.

An extraordinary but expected choice of fruit — Tempranillo (93%) and Grenache (7%) — this blush charges at you like a Spanish bull with ripe strawberry, white pepper, rhubarb and mineral aromas. More of the same hits the tongue with fresh raspberry acidity, orangy citrus, vanilla and a slate of minerality. Finished completely dry, pour it with a rack of baby-back ribs.

Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006 Nellie’s Garden Dry Rosé

Kana Winery

Columbia Valley, 12,000 cases, $13

2005 Cuvée Le Blanc Reserve White Yakima Valley, 417 cases, $18

Outstanding! This winery in downtown Yakima,

Wash., continues to show skill in blending. A blend of Rhône varieties Viognier (53%), Roussanne (37%) and Marsanne (10%) that releases aromas of passionfruit, honeydew, citrus and a faint hint of rosemary. There’s an attack of dried pineapple and citrus on the front, a butterscotch pudding on the midpalate, then melon and acorn squash in the lengthy finish. It’s a mighty complete wine and balanced to the extent it won’t clash with a vegetable-based entree.

Excellent. A collaboration of the red (Joshua

Malong) and white (Brennon Leighton) teams turned out this pink Rhône rosé that’s Syrah (96%), with Grenache (1.5%), Viognier (1.5%) and Mourvédre (1%). This memorial to the historic Stimson Estate’s grounds’ matriarch opens with whiffs of cranberry, rosemary, allspice and pine. Cranberry acidity and dark cherries on the midpalate give this blush some oomph, which is a nice touch for a rose.

Mount Baker Vineyards 2004 Rosetta Blanc Yakima Valley, 168 cases, $18

Kana Winery 2005 Katie Mae White Table Wine Yakima Valley, 616 cases, $14

Recommended. An unusual blend of Pinot Gris

(48%), Pinot Blanc (33%) and Riesling combines for hints of gooseberry, melon, butter and basil in the background with more melons, gooseberry and pear on the attack. Its dry style and citrus pith finish should lend this to a plate of pasta or dry cheeses.

Recommended. The Swiss grape Chasselas Dore,

perhaps the oldest variety in the world, joins Chardonnay as equal partners (32%) in this pink blend that includes Pinot Gris (25%), Siegerrebe (5%), Viognier (4%) and Roussanne (2%).

Honeydew and watermelon, pears, grassiness and white tea lure you into brisk flavors of more pears, unsweetened dried pineapple, cumin and more white tea.

Tefft Cellars NV Huckleberry White

2005 Viognier-Chardonnay

450 cases, $14

Yakima Valley, 571 cases, $15

Excellent. Joel Tefft in Outlook, Wash., first incor-

Outstanding! Hyatt Vineyards reshaped its reserve project, which it lists at 10% of production, and now calls it Roza Ridge. Although Viognier is listed first, the balance of this blend tilts heavily to Chardonnay (79%) and opens with banana chips, fresh-cut straw, apples, Juicy Fruit and savory spice aromas. Sweet, ripe fruit hits on the entry with more bananas, papayas, pineapple and apples, but there’s comely complexity with roundness in the midpalate then bold acidity, then butter in the finish.

porated huckleberry juice into his Port-style, and now this new SKU — a blend of 2005 vintage Gewürztraminer (45%) and Riesling (45%). Huge aromatics of strawberries, orange oil, rosewater, cherry cola and Rainier cherries cascade into an entry of sugared pink grapefruit, more Rainier cherries and some sort of berry. It comes in with a residual sugar at 3%.

Excellent. Organically farmed fruit from Broer’s

Farms in Monroe, Wash., makes for a razzy drink with a hint of strawberry freezer jam in the nose and unmistakable raspberries on the tongue. Shiny acidity makes it refreshing for a summer’s day or a sorbetlike palate cleanser during a multi-course dinner.

Outstanding! At this time of year, it’s easy to W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

Chateau Ste. Michelle 2005 Late Harvest Chenin Blanc Horse Heaven Hills, 1,150 cases, $29

Excellent. Often overlooked and usually unappre-

ciated, a release and style such as this can help inspire more models of this Vouvray.

Mouth-watering are the candied fruit aromas, heavy with pineapple and mango and cantaloupe, which include hints of Muscat, honeydew and lemongrass. The borderline syrup entry mimics the aromas dead-on to produce a “wow!” It’s spicy because part of the crop was botrytis affected, yet not overly sweet though, despite its 16.0% residual sugar, making it a good cocktail wine because of its mouth-puckering acidity. Try it drizzled over sliced papaya or allow it to age for a decade or so.

Girardet Wine Cellars Outstanding! The Girardets like to call this “candy in a bottle,” but it’s so complex and true to the grape. There’s a nose full of lychee, grapefruit, honey, apples and candied violets. Next is a wonderful blend of sweetness and variety coming together with dried pineapple, Golden Delicious apple, caramel, dried figs dipped in honey and a vanilla note. There’s great weight and balance along with 15% residual sugar.

Recommended. At what point do these grapes,

Excellent. Troon winemaker Herb Quady worked

Southern Oregon, 106 cases, $14

Recommended. Many may wonder how you manage to grow Pinot Noir in the Wenatchee Valley. Then, there’s the issue of ice wine.

Well, Don Wood has pulled it off for two straight vintages, cropping at 3 tons per acre.

Dried apricots, hazelnuts, apples and horehound describe many of the entry points to this unusual pursuit of Pinot. A decent dose of acidity and balanced alcohol add to the pleasantries of this release.

Columbia Valley, 950 cases, $39

Lopez Island Vineyards Washington, 120 cases, $15

2006 Rosado

Washington, 25 cases, $65

2005 Ethos Late Harvest White Riesling

Applegate Valley, 1,100 cases, $18

Abacela Vineyards & Winery

2006 Judy’s Vineyard Pinot Noir Ice Wine

Chateau Ste. Michelle

Fruit wine

2006 River Guide White

Rosés

Icicle Ridge Winery

Southern Oregon, 150 cases, $20

NV Raspberry Wine

on Randall Grahm’s Pacific Rim project, and his skill with Riesling from Oregon’s Krouse Vineyard shows in this blend with Gewürz (5%) and Viognier (5%). There’s a handful of apples and nectarines, joined by pineapple, citrus and petrol aromatics. Complex sweet citrus fruit and minerality strike a balance with the acidity and residual sugar at a mere 0.58%.

guide you to lush flavors of fresh apricots and poached pears, a midpalate of Karo syrup and filberts and a spike of lime acidity on the back end.

2005 Frostbite Gewürztraminer

Roza Ridge

Troon Vineyard

WINE REVIEWS

Dessert wine

taken early November in the Horse Heaven Vineyard, become the rarefied Single Berry Select? The telltale signs of botrytis with butterscotch, honey, glacéed apricots and spice say this wasn’t far off at 22% residual sugar.

Pineapple, mandarin orange, lemon zest acidity and Sprite-like flavors make this a natural to enjoy with a plate of dried fruits, toasted nuts and assertive cheeses.

Abacela Vineyards & Winery 2004 Port

TimberRock Winery

Southern Oregon, 192 cases, $25

2005 Chenin Blanc ice wine Washington, 90 cases, $35

Excellent. Idaho winemaker Kevin Rogers turned

tasty marbles from Stone Ridge on the Royal Slope into a delicious dessert. Mouth-watering aromas of honey, maple syrup and spicy botrytis

Excellent. With a more traditional approach than most in Northwest, Abacela produces a Portstyle nightcap using co-fermented estate Bastardo and Tinta Roriz. And there’s no mistaking it. Blueberries, cherry cola and vanilla with a cough-syrup consistency, it’s rich yet lighter bod-

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recent releases

Best Buys: White wines Outstanding, Excellent or Recommended wines that retail at $10 ($12 Canadian) and under.

Arbor Crest Wine Cellars

Chateau Ste. Michelle

2005 Bacchus Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

2005 Horse Heaven Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc

Columbia Valley, 3,800 cases, $10

Horse Heaven Hills, 10,000 cases, $10

Recommended. The Mielke family’s association with this variety and this

Outstanding! Looking for a great food wine? Mouth-watering tropical notes of pineapples and bananas with nice minerality set the table for more pineapple on the tongue with lime and mineral notes. Three months of sur lie aging adds some mid-palate richness, but terrific acidity carries well beyond that. Try with Indian-spiced chicken, steamed mussels, grilled halibut or a salad influenced by goat cheese.

vineyard overlooking the Columbia River dates to 1982. Crisp apples, orange, grapefruit and licorice aromas are joined by tamarind soda on steely palate. Try with phad Thai food or a spread of goat cheese.

Barnard Griffin Winery 2006 White Riesling Columbia Valley, 2,706 cases, $8

Chateau Ste. Michelle

Outstanding! Tulips, spring and Riesling make for a pleasing experience.

2005 Semillon

This edition from the Richland, Wash., wizard conjures up hints of cantaloupe, Hermiston watermelon and white grapefruit. Inside are tropical fruit flavors and a creamy lemon meringue midpalate with mouthwatering balance.

Columbia Valley, 6,000 cases, $9

Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006 Gewürztraminer Columbia Valley, 87,000 cases, $10

Outstanding! Fans of Asian food might like to Thai this wine on for size.

A gorgeous mineral note on the aromas include citrus, lychee — evidence of Bob Bertheau’s mania for Muscat Canelli (9%) — and Apple Crisp. Then it’s a nice minerally entry, followed by clean flavors of pears and huge citrus acidity that lift up without separating the harmony created by the sweet fruit (1.7% residual sugar). Lemon zest bitterness merely adds complexity to a divine finish. It’s a perfect white wine for summer.

Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006 Riesling

Outstanding! This variety isn’t the easy sell in the market place, but here’s a deliciously inexpensive offering for even those less intrepid.

Tropical fruit, citrus, pears, white pepper and delicate oak aromas carry through in flavors of pear and the peel with canned pineapple and some of the syrup. It’s extremely well-balanced, aided by the addition of refreshing Sauvignon Blanc (22%). Head winemaker Bob Bertheau suggests trying it with Chinese food that’s “not too spicy.”

Columbia Crest Winery 2005 Two Vines Sauvignon Blanc Columbia Valley, 17,000 cases, $8

Excellent. Chefs, particularly those who favor seafood, rave about Sauv

Blanc’s acidity. Here’s an example and a bargain, starting with aromas of mineral, grapefruit, peaches and cream with cloves, and white pepper. Tremendous acidity hits the tongue along more peaches, some green apple Jolly Rancher candy and lime tartness. Grill up some halibut.

Columbia Valley, 554,000 cases, $10

Outstanding! No one in the world makes more Riesling than Bob Bertheau, and this might be unparalleled for quality and value. Breathe in sensations of spiced pear, Honeycrisp apple, honeydew melon and lemon/lime. It’s even more expressive on the palate with a rich and bright entry of peaches, apricots, Granny Smith apples, and starfruit.

Creamy lemon-curd acidity provides terrific length. Fortunately, a bottle of this shouldn’t be difficult to find. Enjoy with chicken, cheeses or on a chaise lounge.

Hyatt Vineyards 2005 Chardonnay Yakima Valley, 1,591 cases, $9

Recommended. Ambrosia salad aromas with pineapple and coconut,

some vanilla and lemons carry right on through to the flavors with a slice of caramel Granny Smith apple. That tart apple and heft of lemon/lime acidity make this a nice, crisp Chardonnay.

Chateau Ste. Michelle

Lone Canary

2006 Dry Riesling

2006 Sauvignon Blanc

Columbia Valley, 25,000 cases, $10

Columbia Valley, 2,836 cases, $10

Excellent. For 15 years, this dry version was produced primarily for

Recommended. Remarkably, a downtown Spokane winery has become

Northwest consumption. Now, it’s going national as consumers and restaurants have been heard. Bob Bertheau seemingly squeezed grapefruit into this “Trochen” style with pears and apples in the mix. A burst of lime acidity makes this quite a fun wine, and it also conjures up thoughts of pairing it to a hot plate of Tex-Mex chicken with a fruit salsa.

one of the Northwest’s leading Sauv Blanc producers, supplied by two respected vineyard operations in Milbrandt (Northridge) and Willard Family. Tropical fruit, apple wood and the tell-tale signal of “tom cat” aromas turn to tastes of ripe peach and pear. Brisk acidity, another hallmark of the variety, includes a finish of lemongrass.

ied than many. Balance is achieved as the alcohol (19%) does not overpower the dense fruit or acidity. Kiley Evans predicts a life of 5-8 years.

strawberries, pomegranates, Cherries Jubilee and a finish of fresh cherry pie. It’s so quaffable that “Fang” could easily enjoy enough to make Phyllis Diller look mighty good.

background. Enjoy with rich chocolate dessert.

Barnard Griffin Winery

Willamette Valley, 105 cases, $28

2004 Cabernet Franc Port Washington, 330 cases, $24

2005 Syrah Port

Recommended. Reserve Chardonnay off 24-year-

Carpenter Creek

Outstanding! Dangerously good, this dessert wine

from Mount Vernon, Wash., should come with a warning on the label because there’s virtually no hint of alcohol (18%). Strawberry SweeTarts and cherry vanilla in the nose lead into fresh

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Columbia Valley, 993 cases, $17

Excellent. Think of blackberries and flash-frozen blueberries and you begin to describe this deep and dark luscious treat. The opulent fruit and alcohol are balanced with a bit of nuttiness in the

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Namaste Vineyards 2004 Serenity Vineyard White Port

old vines was aged 18 months, then infused with brandy from Oregon-based Clear Creek Distillery. Spice pear, citrus and sugar cane notes (2% residual sugar) drift out from behind the brandy. Try with a fresh-cut pineapple and blue cheese.

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northwest winners

COMPETITIONS

Northwest wines fare well in regional, national, international judgings Wine Press Northwest tracks medal winners from more than 30 competitions worldwide. Here are some of the highlights of recent competitions.

Complete Northwest results are online at www.winepressnw.com.

Northwest Wine Summit This spring, Jeff Martin’s winemaking prowess rolled up superlatives with the speed and momentum of an avalanche.

The Australian vintner/owner of La Frenz Estate Winery in Penticton, British Columbia, saw his 2005 Merlot, Okanagan Valley, earn Best of Show and Best Red at the Northwest Wine Summit.

The Northwest Wine Summit, held each spring at Timberline Lodge on Oregon’s Mount Hood, is the largest judging of Northwest wine.

Best of Show: La Frenz Estate Winery 2005, Merlot, Okanagan Valley Best Red: La Frenz Estate Winery, 2005 Merlot, Okanagan Valley Best White: LaVelle Vineyards, 2006 Riesling, Willamette Valley Best Rosé: Township 7 Vineyards & Winery 2006 Rosé, Okanagan Valley Best Sparkling: Domaine Ste. Michelle, NV Cuvee Brut, Columbia Valley Best Fortified: La Frenz Estate Winery, NV Tawny, Okanagan Valley Best Ice Wine: Covey Run Winery, 2005 Reserve Semillon Ice Wine, Yakima Valley Best Dessert: Dalla Vina Wines, 2005 Amore Late Harvest Semillon, Columbia Valley Best Non Grape: Hawks View Winery, NV Wild Blackberry Wine, Oregon Best British Columbia: Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate, 2003 Proprietors' Reserve Shiraz Okanagan Valley Best Idaho: Koenig Vineyards 2004 Cabernet/Syrah, Idaho Best Oregon: LaVelle Vineyards, 2006 Riesling, Willamette Valley Best Montana: Trapper Creek Winery, 2005 Dark Mead, Montana Best Washington: E. B. Foote Winery 2004 Perfect à Trois, Columbia Valley Riverside International Wine Competition The Riverside (Calif.) International Wine Competition, conducted by Wine Press Nor thwest columnist Dan Berger, handed out categor y sweepstakes to several Nor thwest wineries.

Barnard Griffin’s 2006 Rosé of Sangiovese, Columbia Valley ($11) topped the rosé class.

Spangler Vineyards’ 2005 Sundown Vineyard Cabernet Franc from Southern Oregon ($24) — the 2004 vintage earned a Platinum from Wine Press Northwest last year — received a Chairman’s Award for its double gold in its class.

And Ste. Chapelle in Idaho also picked up a double gold for its 2005 Winemaker’s Collection Merlot, Idaho ($9).

As for multiple gold winners, Barnard Griffin led the Northwest contingent with three total, including its 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley ($17); and 2006 Semillon, Columbia Valley, ($14).

Maryhill Winery in Goldendale, Wash., learned of two golds, too — 2004 Proprietor’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley ($35); and W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

Maryhill Winery 2004 Merlot, Columbia Valley ($18).

Four Ste. Michelle Wine Estates properties each scored one gold: Chateau Ste. Michelle 2005 Indian Wells Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, ($17); Columbia Crest 2004 Grand Estates Merlot, Columbia Valley ($11); Domaine Ste. Michelle NV Blanc de Noirs, Columbia Valley, ($13); and the Northstar 2003 Merlot, Walla Walla Valley ($54).

Monterey Wine Competition Barnard Griffin garnered the only Northwest superlative at the Monterey Wine Competition, an international competition in King City, Calif. Again, it was for the 2006 Rosé of Sangiovese. It was to be judged the only Northwest gold-medal worthy wine there.

International Eastern Wine Competition This 31-year-old competition in Watkins Glen, N.Y., operated by Vineyard & Winery Management magazine, brought a smile to faces at Sweet Cheeks Winery. The Eugene, Ore., winery went to the East Coast and its 2006 Dry Riesling ($20) from the Willamette Valley returned as Best White Wine.

It qualified after winning the Best Dry Riesling category, edging fellow double gold winner Chateau Ste. Michelle’s 2006 Dry Riesling, Columbia Valley ($12).

Maryhill Winery in Goldendale, Wash., made quite a haul with four golds: 2004 Proprietor’s Reserve Merlot, Columbia Valley ($30); 2004 Merlot, Columbia Valley ($18); 2004 Sangiovese, Columbia Valley ($26); and 2004 Syrah, Columbia Valley ($26).

Chateau Ste. Michelle also won a gold for the 2004 Orphelin Red Wine, Columbia Valley ($30).

Sister property Domaine Ste. Michelle saw gold with its NV Blanc de Noirs, Columbia Valley ($13).

West Coast Wine Competition Four Northwest wines gathered best of class medals at the West Coast Wine Competition, which is conducted in Santa Rosa, Calif., by Vineyard & Winery Management magazine.

The wines were Mission Hill Family Estate 2005 S.L.C. Riesling Ice Wine, Okanagan Valley ($80 CDN); Cougar Crest Winery NV Dedication One, Columbia Valley ($20); Gordon Brothers Family Vineyards 2005 Kamiak Red, Columbia Valley ($13) and Sweet Cheeks Winery 2006 Riesling, Willamette Valley ($12).

Sweet Cheeks went back for thrice more with the 2006 Dry Riesling, Willamette Valley ($20); the 2006 Estate Riesling, Willamette Valley ($12); and the 2006 Estate Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley ($15).

Mission Hill also snapped up a gold medal with its 2005 Five Vineyards Riesling Icewine, Okanagan Valley ($20). Three Rivers won two golds with the 2004 Meritage Red, Columbia Valley ($40); and the 2005 Meritage White, Columbia Valley ($19).

Dallas Morning News Wine Competition The Dallas (Texas) Morning News Wine Competition is staged by Seattle resident Rebecca Murphy, who founded the event more than 20 years ago. She has built it into one of the largest judgings in North American.

Two Northwest wineries racked up multiple gold medals.

Snake River Winery won both its 2005 Arena Valley Vineyard Syrah, Idaho ($25) and Arena Valley Vineyard Barbera, Idaho ($18). Thurston Wolfe in Prosser, Wash., also was sent golds for its 2005 Lemberger, Horse Heaven Hills ($15) and 2004 Destiny Ridge Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington ($25).

Pacific Rim International Wine Competition The Pacific Rim International Wine Competition is held each spring in San Bernardino, Calif., and is part of the National Orange Show.

The award for Best Dessert Wine went to Girardet Wine Cellars’ 2005 Frostbite Gewürztraminer, Umpqua Valley in Roseburg, Ore. See Wine Press Northwest’s review of this wine on page 107 of the Recent Releases.

Best-of-class awards went to the following: Covey Run, 2005 Chardonnay Winemaker’s Collection, Columbia Valley ($13) Eaton Hill Winery, 2003 Konnowac Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Yakima Valley ($32) Hester Creek Estate Winery, 2006 Pinot Blanc, Okanagan Valley ($15) Oak Knoll Winery, NV American, Niagara ($7) Sumac Ridge Estate Winer y, 2006 Private Reser ve Gewürztraminer, Okanagan Valley ($13) Two additional golds went to Sumac Ridge for its 2004 Black Sage Vineyard Meritage Red Wine, Okanagan Valley ($24 CDN) and 2005 White Meritage, Okanagan Valley ($18 CDN).

Finger Lakes International Wine Competition The Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, staged in Rochester, N.Y., awarded the honor of Best Riesling to Chateau Ste. Michelle’s 2005 Ethos Reserve Late Harvest Riesling, Horse Heaven Hills. See Wine Press Northwest’s review of this wine on page 107 of the Recent Releases.

Terra Blanca Winery picked up multiple golds, winning for its 2002 Syrah, Red Mountain, and 2005 Viognier, Yakima Valley ($15).

Among those to have won golds, there was Barnard Griffin for its 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley ($17) and Barrister Winery, 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley ($25) and Maryhill Winery, 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley ($20).

Grand Harvest Awards Three Northwest releases were voted to double gold by panels at the Grand Harvest Awards, another international competition conducted by Vineyard & Winery Management in Santa Rosa, Calif.

Coeur d’Alene Cellars in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, won double gold for its 2003 Syrah, Washington ($28). Maryhill Winery saw its 2004 Proprietor’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley ($30) also go GG. A panel found Winter’s Hill 2004 Pinot Blanc, Dundee Hills ($24) also to be worthy of double gold.

Northwest wineries winning more than one gold included Maryhill Winery, which captured four total, counting its 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley ($30), 2004 Proprietor’s Reserve Merlot, Columbia Valley ($30), and 2005 Winemaker’s Blend, Columbia Valley ($12); and Golden Mile Cellars Estate Winery in Oliver, B.C. for its 2005 Zinfandel, Okanagan Valley ($33 CDN) and 2005 Black Arts Chardonnay, Okanagan Valley ($35 CDN).

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BY BOB WOEHLER

Fluent in Franc

M

any years ago, Walla Walla Vintners’ Myles Anderson and Gordy Venneri chose the typically unheralded Cabernet Franc as their star.

That unusual yet intelligent choice was evident when Wine Press Northwest’s tasting panel got to sample an 11-year vertical of this variety that usually takes a back seat to its more famous Bordeaux brethren: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Traditionally, Cabernet Franc has been used in small quantities to add additional character to Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Yet when properly made, Cabernet Franc can be a charming red that is a bit lighter than Cabernet Sauvignon and a touch spicier than Merlot.

Few wineries in the Pacific Northwest can boast 11 vintages of Cabernet Franc, and making the wine has paid off for Anderson and Venneri.

“We knew we had to make a heck of a good wine to keep up with the reputation of the Walla Walla Valley wineries and to do something that would bring attention to our winery,” said Venneri, a retired accountant.

They’ve found a delicious hook.

Anderson, who recently retired as the director of enology and viticulture at Walla Walla Community College, pointed out, “Many of our visitors come to our winery to try the Cabernet Franc.

As a result, the Cabernet Franc ($25) often is the first of Walla Walla Vintners’ wine to sell out, usually within two month.

Walla Walla Vintners makes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sangiovese and a red blend. But Anderson and Venneri found their niche with Cabernet Franc, even if it wasn’t their first choice.

“In 1997, there were not as many vineyards in Eastern Washington as there are today, and we found we were shut out trying to acquire Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from our usual sources,” Venneri said. “However, they told us they had a lot of Cabernet Franc available.”

At first, they planned to make a blended red heavily influence by Cabernet Franc but found the variety itself had a great deal of appeal. The grapes were cheaper, too.

“There were a lot of issues with this variety to keep away from vegetative flavors,” Anderson said. “We learned how to grow it and when was the most opportune time to pick it.”

This vertical tasting was special not only to Wine Press Northwest but also to Walla Walla Vintners, as evidence by this follow-up e-mail from Anderson.

“Thanks for suggesting the Cabernet Franc at Walla Walla Vintners. It was great for us to taste and see how these Francs are doing in bottle. It is nice to learn that the corks are still holding up and the cellaring conditions are supporting the longevity of these wines. I still taste the 1995. It is framed well and has enough acid to keep it alive with fruit and tobacco. It was great that you had us get these bottles 110

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out and taste a decade of bottled Franc. It was a stunning experience for me.”

It was a complete vertical. Anderson and Venneri did not receive Cab Franc from the 1996 vintage because of the bad winter freeze. Here are my notes on the tasting: 1995, Yakima Valley: This old friend was surprising lively with herbal, brown sugar, oak and spice aromas, with flavors of cranberries and cherries, held up with great acidity.

1997 Spring Valley Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley: This vineyarddesignated is juicy and rich with beautiful tannins and nice chocolate-covered cherry flavors. The aromas have an herbal undertone, typical of the variety.

1998, Columbia/Walla Walla Valleys: Inviting aromas of oak and black pepper that lead to smooth, chocolate-covered cherry flavors with ample raspberry characteristics.

1999, Walla Walla Valley: This began a trend of oak and herbal aromas. Huge marionberry flavors and a smooth finish.

2000, Walla Walla Valley: There’s big roasted coffee and oak aromas with dark berry flavors and a hint of citrus.

2001, Walla Walla Valley: Interesting eucalyptus and crème brûlée aromas lead to vanilla and bright berry flavors with great acidity and tannins.

2002, Columbia Valley: Blended with 16 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. Smoky oak aromas don’t stop the fruit from shining through. Yummy cherry pie flavors with some spice and French vanilla add special emphasis.

2003, Walla Walla Valley: Big cherry cola aromas and flavors laced with a rich chocolate milkshake mouth feel. Hints of cinnamon and yams covered with brown sugar finish this wine.

2004, Columbia Valley: Missouri and Hungarian oak barrels helped this release receive a 90 rating from one international publication. There are more crème brûlée characteristics with blueberry, sweet chocolate and sturdy tannins.

2005, Columbia Valley, $25: This current release is lighter on oak with aromas of white pepper and dark fruit, followed by smooth flavors of ripe raspberries and black cherries. It’s very balanced and can match up to fish, including poached halibut.

2006, Columbia Valley (barrel sample): You can see a trend of using fruit from the Wahluke Slope and Sagemoor Vineyards, as as Cabernet Franc seems to grow better in the warmer Columbia Valley appellation, Anderson said. There’s already a toasty beginning of roasted chestnuts, followed by smooth berry fruit flavors. Will be released in 2008.

BOB WOEHLER is Wine Press Northwest’s tasting editor. He has been writing about Northwest wine since 1976.

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