Wine Press Northwest Spring 2015

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WINE PRESS

VOL. 18, NO. 1

Spring 2015

NORTHWEST FEAT U RES

D E PARTME NTS

14 Maryhill Winery

6 Wine Knows

Our 2015 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year

22 Regional Wineries of the Year 8

Discover which wineries in Oregon, Washington and Idaho have won awards this year.

10 26 Northwest Tempranillo Tasting Results 12 46 LaConnor home to unique botique winery 50 54 Match Makers

Bunnell Family finds time is right in Prosser 62 for Wine o’Clock Wine Bar and Bistro

Aging gracefully

A Distant Perspective Diversity in wine

Swirl, Sniff & Sip “So, what’s your favorite wine?”

Nom de Vine: Stories Behind Wine Names Portlandia Vintners

Northwest Wine Events Grapes of Roth Give Merlot some respect

COVER STORY Northwest Winery of the Year On the cover: Maryhill Winery owners Craig and Vicki Leuthold in the barrel room with winemaker Richard Batchelor On this page: Maryhill Winery owners Craig and Vicki Leuthold in the vineyard.

COVER AND INDEX PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARYHILL WINERY 4

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WINEPRESSNW.COM

Wine Press Northwest is for those with an interest in wine — from the novice to the veteran. We focus on Washington, Oregon and Idaho’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.

Editor and Publisher: Gregg McConnell 509-582-1443 gmcconnell@winepressnw.com Contributor: Eric Degerman Contributor: Andy Perdue Contributor: Dan Radil Tasting panel: Rich Larsen, Heather Unwin, Ken Robertson, Gregg McConnell and Mitch Venohr Graphic designer: Misty Baker Columnists: Jon Bauer, Dan Berger, Ken Robertson, Coke Roth, Andy Perdue Contributing photographers: Carolyn Wells-Kramer, CWK Photography Christopher Pace Colby D. Kuschatka, cdk imaging David Witthaus, Northwest Media Production Richard Duval, Richard Duval Images Zacchoreli Frescobaldi-Grimaldi In memoriam: Bob Woehler Advertising sales: Carol Perkins, 509-582-1438 E-mail: cperkins@winepressnw.com To subscribe: Subscriptions cost $20 U.S. 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 www.winepressnw.com Subscriptions and customer service: 800-538-5619, e-mail: info@winepressnw.com Free weekly newsletter: Sign up for our free Pacific Northwest Wine of the Week e-mail newsletter at winepressnw.com Address: 333 W. Canal Drive Kennewick, WA 99336 © 2015 Wine Press Northwest A Tri-City Herald publication

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the wine knows

BY ANDY PERDUE

Aging gracefully

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ne can only hope to age gracefully, and residual sweetness, Ports are among the whether it is us or our wines. most age-worthy wines. I believe I can still Last fall, I flipped the calendar taste these two wines. on the half-century mark, and I amuse myself Similar to Ports are Madeiras, made on the by thinking I'm a little more mellow, maybe eponymous island off the northwest coast of not quite so hot-headed and, dare I venture, Africa. The owners of the fabulous Herbfarm even reaching some level of maturity that restaurant in Woodinville, Wash., have a makes me a more productive member of passion for Madeira and own one of the most society. famous collections anywhere. In fact, if you're And just as I have earned the gray that is willing to pony up more than $300, you can marching through in my beard, my appreciaenjoy an ounce of a Madeira from 1795 — a tion for older wines has strengthened. In my wine made when George Washington was relative youth, I preferred wines that were U.S. president. I am tempted. bolder, brasher, richer, stronger. Drink 'em But all of these were merely precursors to young, cook 'em rare, as my dear friend Coke my 50th birthday bash, which took place in Roth likes to say.

October. After turning 40, I came up with an Life wasn't nuanced then, and neither were idea to celebrate the half-century mark: colmy favorite wines. lect one wine from Drinking young each year of my life. wine is easy. It's To accomplish this, “Though more than 40 fresh, it's feisty, and I turned to Doug years old, they showed just Charles, owner of you don't have to think too much Compass Wines in how special aged about it. Pull the Anacortes, a town cork, pour, enjoy, Washington wines can be.” north of Seattle. repeat. It doesn’t Charles evaluates and have to be too thoughtful. purchases entire cellars across the country and Drinking mature wines can bring a richer resells the wines to his clientele. Let's just say experience. They can reveal more layers of I'm pleased to be on his customer list. I also complexity and fascination with fewer ragged could not have done this without the help of edges. But, just like people, sometimes they my dear friends Hank and Nancy Sauer, who can just be old and tired. took care of carefully opening and pouring Through the years, I've taken the rare every wine during the party. opportunity to enjoy well-aged wines. They We started with a Charles Krug 1964 Caare often revelatory. On two occasions about bernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. This was a dozen years ago, I got to taste Cabernet a wine made by the Mondavi family before Sauvignons from two different Washington brothers Peter and Robert got into a notoproducers that were amazing. Both were rious fistfight that ultimately led to the nearly 20 years old at the time, and that founding of Robert Mondavi Winery and opened my eyes to the possibilities offered by fundamentally changed the American wine Washington Cabs. industry.

During a 2002 tasting that celebrated I ended up with a problem for 1965, comColumbia Winery's 40th anniversary, a 1967 pletely because of my mistake. I wrote in my Gewürztraminer was uncorked. Stunningly, it database that I had a 1965 Bordeaux when, in held its spicy varietal character for about 15 fact, it was a 1966. We made up for it by minutes before fading into oblivion. kicking off the party with a 1959 Chateau And the two finest wines I've ever tasted Margaux, a great vintage that is overshadwere Ports, one from 1963 and the other owed by the famed 1961 Bordeaux vintage. from 1896 (!). Because of their high alcohol Perhaps the most interesting wine was a 6

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bottle of Dom Perignon 1966 Champagne.

While sparkling wines get really interesting with a few years of age, trying a 48-year-old bubbly is nothing short of risky. Charles said he wasn’t sure what to expect. But as luck would have it, there were a few bubbles left, and the wine’s aromas and flavors were a dead ringer for crème brûlée.

The oldest Northwest wines in this vertical were Associated Vintners Cabernet Sauvignons from 1969 and 1970 and a Ste. Michelle Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignons from 1971 and 1973. Though more than 40 years old, they showed just how special aged Washington wines can be.

I didn't want this particular tasting to focus on the Northwest, however, but rather to explore the world of wine. As such, we also opened wines from Italy, Portugal, Madeira, South Africa, Germany, Lebanon, California, Australia and Israel.

When you put together a collection of wines such as this, it should be shared with friends — particularly those who enjoy great wines. So about 40 friends and family members celebrated with me, and everyone enjoyed about a half-ounce of each wine through the course of six hours.

While there was no consensus favorite, one of the stars was the Woodward Canyon 1983 Cabernet Sauvignon, one of those first older wines I'd tasted years before.

While we had such an enjoyable time celebrating my 50th birthday, the event also led me to think more about opening older wines. I have a number of reds in my cellar going back 15 to 20 years, and I now look for occasions to open them. I'm also continuing to hunt for opportunities to collect older wines when they are made available. A few of my friends who were at the party have said the same thing.

Surely this is a sign of maturity. is the wine columnist for The Seattle Times and editor and publisher of Great Northwest Wine.

ANDY PERDUE

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a distant perspective

BY DAN BERGER

Diversity in wine

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ad an interesting Cabernet Sauvigand far between as they are, would be truly non lately? Not a great one; an distinctive. interesting one.

But try to find one.

There is a difference here, and to a great I am referring to Cabs with a lower-thandegree many of the popular wines of the last usual alcohol level (13% would be refreshseveral decades (i.e., Cabernet, Chardonnay) ing); a lower oak level, and a structural balhave been made more or less to fit a homogeance that works with food. A clue is that all neous style that, frankly, isn’t very interesting. by itself the wine is relatively crisp and almost We will use just two examples of wines angular and calls for food to accompany it. from the most popular grape varieties: And that without food, the wine doesn’t taste The majority of Chardonnays tend to be as good. oak-driven soft, generous, Do such and lacking in the very wines exist? If “And these three wines acidity that seems approyou are seeking illustrate that greatness in a Cabernet priate to serving the wine with food. And as for Sauvignon that wine basically emanates Cabernet Sauvignon, well, delivers such the majority tend to be from balance, a trait usually character, you oak-driven soft, generous, may have to go given short shrift from the to New York or and lacking in the very acidity that seems approsome other number mongers” priate to serving the wine cooler locale. In with food. today’s marketing-driven world, “rich” Cabs If these two disparate grape varieties sound, are nearly mandatory. To consciously make a in these two descriptions, awfully similar to West Coast Cabernet that has the elements one another (if not identical!), it was indescribed above is sales suicide. Such a thing tended to sound that way because it’s true. would not work with most of today’s brainReal distinctiveness in wine these days has washed wine buyers, for whom “rich” is a trait been sacrificed on the altar of sameness. Part devoutly to be desired. of this surely is attributable to wine makers’ So where do we go for balanced wine? Best quest for higher scores. And thus do wine bet is the alternative varietal. makers pander to the score-generating wine When wine makers deal with grape variepublications by making styles of wine that are ties that do not have a false paradigm that fit more for scores than dinner. seem to be required for the so-called popular As such, the world of wine has moved varieties, they are not as highly incentivized toward homogeneity, at least with the major to “manufacture” the wine into a pointsgrape varieties. Most Zinfandels tend to be sensitive style (i.e., rich). And thus the alalcoholic and “rich.” Many Pinot Noirs tend ternative grapes are usually more like what to be extracted and “rich.” And most Syrahs they are supposed to be and not what they tend to be plum-y and “rich.” I think the are not supposed to be. point being made here is clear. Rich is good, Since few Cabs are Cab-like and few Charand by contrast, balance is not. donnays are Chardonnay-like any more, conSo my question about “interesting Casumers who are interested in interesting wines bernets” isn’t an idle one. If you assume that should be seeking wines of more distinctivemost Cabs are made in a similar style to one ness and unique flavors. another (lots of alcohol and extract from later As such, I can recommend dry Chenin harvesting that usually leads to balanced Blanc; the fine Tempranillos of Idaho; Cawines, which means a lot of tannin, more oak bernet Franc, especially from the Loire Valthan the wine needs, and a hardness in a ley; sparkling wines (always an overlooked tannic finish) then the interesting ones, few resource for most dinner table pairings), 8

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Malbec from cooler regions(!), and wines from Lemberger, Gamay, and Albañio.

Let’s get more specific. A number of Northwest wines with national distribution are more than happy choices for alternative wines with dinner.

--Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling, Columbia Valley: There may not be a better wine value in the United States (or the world?) than this absolutely sensational white wine that is not altogether dry. The aromas and flavors are pure New World Riesling, and the finish is perfect for Asian foods, Mexican seasonings, or just plain sipping. An utterly sublime effort by Wendy Stuckey.

--Barnard Griffin Rose of Sangiovese, Columbia Valley: This Italian grape variety has a rather checkered history when grown in the United States, but Rob Griffin has found the perfect (yes, perfect) way to deal with it: as a pink wine. However, this is no shy, sweet, and flaccid little thing. It is annually a world-class way to design a best-use style for a grape that more often confuses consumers. Here there is no confusion: greatness is evident immediately after opening it.

--Telaya “Turas,” Columbia Valley: Earl Sullivan uses Syrah as the base for this delightful red wine that he makes in his Idaho winery, using a seed-removal technique that is rare in today’s wine making world. The wine has sensational flavors and lower tannins than most similar wines, and the result is an outside-the-box experience worth trying.

Untraditional, yes. And these three wines illustrate that greatness in wine basically emanates from balance, a trait usually given short shrift from the number mongers.

One final important point: price.

Do you want a rich wine? You’ll pay for it.

Such wines call for new oak, generally French, which kicks the price up. Balanced low-oak wines typically cost less, have good acidity, and work nicely with food.

And to my earlier point, are more interesting. is a nationally renowned wine writer who lives in Santa Rosa, Calif. He publishes a weekly column Dan Berger’s Vintage Experiences (VintageExperiences.com).

DAN BERGER

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swirl, sniff & sip

BY KEN ROBERTSON

“So, what’s your favorite wine?”

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hat’s among the most frequently asked questions I hear from people after they learn that I write about wine, guide wine tours and serve as a judge in wine competitions around the Pacific Northwest.

And generally, I simply answer: “The one I have in my glass.” I admit that’s a bit of a non-answer. But, the simple question is really complex. After all, price, the variety of wine or blend of wines, the winemaker and the food I plan to pair a wine with, plus many other factors, may shape my reply. Over the years, I’ve had many favorite varietals: Gewürztraminer, Semillon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Albariño, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and probably a few more.

And I have a list of a score or more favorite labels and winemakers, including some that have stayed on my list for well over a decade.

They include the region’s giants, Columbia Crest, Chateau Ste. Michelle and Domaine Ste. Michelle (now Michelle); medium-sized to small producers, such as Abacela in Oregon’s Umpqua Valley and Barnard Griffin in Richland, Wash.; and rather tiny wineries such as Brandborg Cellars in Elkton, Ore., Coyote Canyon in Prosser, Wash., Wild Goose and Gehringer Brothers in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley and Bitner Vineyards and Koenig Vineyards in Idaho near Caldwell.

I could easily expand that list and likely have omitted some I respect highly and whose products I covet, but I think that short list makes my point. There is no simple answer. Some categories are simpler to make suggestions about, however.

For example, it’s easy with inexpensive Riesling. Dry, off-dry or sweet, try the world champion in total Riesling production, Chateau Ste. Michelle. You can find some of the world’s best in almost any grocery store, likely for about $10, maybe less if you catch a sale.

Rosé also has a surprisingly inexpensive suggestion — Barnard Griffin Rosé of Sangiovese. Who can argue with a decade’s worth of judges at the San Francisco Chronicle competition, where this wine has won a gold

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medal or better in nine of the last 10 years?

(And the only year it didn’t win there, it won gold in several other competitions.) It often sells for less than $13.

Affordable sparkling wine? Michelle, whether it’s brut, rosé or off dry. All are consistently good and regularly win platinum awards in Wine Press Northwest’s annual competition. Again, they are about $12-$13 on sale.

But ask me about my favorite inexpensive red blend and I’ll have no answer. There are so many good ones and they have been proliferating so rapidly, I have no idea. And I feel the same about many other categories. I’ll readily admit, for example, that I could spend several years tasting Oregon’s hundreds of Pinot Noirs, and I doubt I could narrow the field to less than a couple dozen. I don’t believe I’m alone in this.

Over the last 20 years, I’ve met many people who make choices for the restaurant wine lists and the shelves of wine shops and grocery stores across the Pacific Northwest. They make recommendations every day for their customers. And I have yet to meet one who has said, “This is my absolute favorite wine.”

So I don’t ask them what their favorite wine is. I ask instead, “What’s in your glass?”

Wine words: AVA Some wine lovers toss this term around as casually as they sip Chardonnay at a leisurely Saturday lunch. For others, it’s as puzzling as nailing down exactly what perfect Pinot Noir should taste like. So, to simplify matters a bit, let’s unpack the acronym. AVA is short for American Viticultural Area.

Though the phrase has been around for at least 35 years, it remains little recognized outside of the industry. Typing the simplified “AVA” into Google, will get you to the American Volksport Association acronym well before it offers up “AVA wine.” The folks I guided on wine tours of the Red Mountain AVA last summer often asked for an explanation.

Briefly, it’s the American equivalent of the French AOC — or Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée. The French have used the term

for centuries, but decided to crack down on American use of their beloved wine terms starting late in the last century and forced reforms. So we barbaric New World folks traded in the term appellation — unless we’re talking French wine — for AVA. We have spent the last few decades developing our own American vocabulary for our wines, and perhaps because of the rather short history of our efforts, its words often are both arcane and confusing to the average grocery store customer just wanting a bottle for tonight’s dinner.

Washington’s first AVA was the Yakima Valley, recognized by the federal government in 1983, just ahead of the Columbia Valley, Red Mountain and Walla Walla AVAs. Oddly enough, at least to we who live on the West Coast, the nation’s first AVA, recognized on June 20, 1980, was the Augusta AVA in Missouri.

The designation was created to tell the consumer that a wine was made with grapes grown in a particular area with particularly significant characteristics, including climate, soil type and length of growing season. It’s not necessarily an exercise in exactitude. In Washington and Oregon, the Columbia Valley AVA consists of 11 million acres, where more than 40,000 acres are now planted in grapes. That’s not terribly specific. Washington’s smallest is the Red Mountain AVA, at 4,040 acres. In Oregon, the smallest is Ribbon Ridge at 3,350 acres. Both are pretty specific.

Anyway that’s a short history of AVA. The U.S. has about 210 at last count. Washington has 13 and Oregon 18, including its newest, the 3,767-acre Rocks District of MiltonFreewater, distinguished from the overlapping Walla Walla AVA by the basalt cobblestones found in a part of Oregon just over the border from Washington. The federal government blessed the Rocks earlier this year. the retired editor of the Tri-City Herald, has been sipping Northwest wines and writing about them since 1976

KEN ROBERTSON

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nom de vine

Nom de vine: Stories behind wine names

Portlandia Vintners

BY JON BAUER

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hen two business entities share the same name, usually the larger and better known — even if it wasn’t the first — sics its lawyers on the other and sends a cease-and-desist letter that orders a name change.

That Olympic National Park has kept its name is a legal triumph in the face of the International Olympic Committee's usual habit of pouncing on anything that even begins to type the letters O, l and y.

So Damian Davis, whose Seattle-based Rainier Wine was starting a new label using Willamette Valley, Oregon, grapes to produce Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris wines, must have braced for a similar response when “Saturday Night Live” alum Fred Armisen and SleaterKinney musician Carrie Brownstein launched their sketch comedy series, “Portlandia,” in 2011 on IFC. Just prior to the show's first season, for his label’s wines Davis had chosen and trademarked the name Portlandia Vintners, after the Raymond Kaskey copper sculpture in front of the Portland Building. The massive sculpture depicts a classically dressed kneeling woman who holds a trident in her left hand and reaches out with her right, a symbol of Portland, featured in the opening credits of “Portlandia.”

Davis did get that call from the show's producers.

“They contacted us early on. And requested samples,” he said. “We sent some, and they were happy with the quality of the wine and offered to make us The Official Wine of ‘Portlandia.’”

Davis declined the sponsorship offer, a smart marketing move but one that would have required a significant investment.

“I’m not in the vodka business; I don’t have that kind of money,” he said.

But that doesn’t mean that Davis, an expe•••

Portlandia Vintners www.portlandiavintners.com

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rienced marketer and a fan of the show — Google “Portlandia beet salad” for his favorite sketch — has discouraged the connection.

Portlandia’s labels feature a 19th-century bicycle with a huge front wheel for the Pinot Gris and a pair of horn-rim glasses for the Pinot Noir, sharing the same hipster aesthetic and sense of humor as the show. And, yes, while those glasses look pretty similar to what Armisen wears, Davis wears the same thick-rimmed style, as do “all the pretty girls” in Portland, he noted.

Oh, and if that isn’t enough of a Northwest thick-beard, craft-brew, farm-to-table, put-abird-on-it, Powell’s-Books-is-Mecca attitude, the labels themselves are made from 100 percent recycled kraft paper.

But even good marketing, an eye-catching label and an unofficial relationship with a hit TV show is only going to sell the first bottle of wine. The wine has to be worth buying a second time.

Both wines are made by veteran Oregon winemaker Judy Thoet from Willamette Valley grapes using facilities owned by Oregon winemaker Joe Dobbes. Portlandia’s 2012 Pinot Noir ($30) and its 2012 Pinot Gris ($20) each recently received “Outstanding” ratings from Great Northwest Wine.

Davis’ Rainier Wine, has, since 2005, produced a series of AVA-specific wines, including Mad Housewife from California vineyards and Diversion, produced by the Milbrandt family at its Wahluke Wine Co. from Eastern Washington grapes.

Davis, who grew up around wine in an East Coast restaurant family, draws on his marketing experience and acts as a kind of wine curator, working through friendships he's made in the region. He’s noticed that many

great winemakers, like any passionate artist, would rather spend their time making wine than dealing with marketing and other aspects of the business side. So he’s starting labels to promote the talents of winemakers.

In addition to working with Thoet on Portlandia, he also is working on a project with Juergen Grieb of Treveri Cellars in Wapato, Wash. Treveri has made a name with its sparkling wines, but Grieb and Davis plan on releasing some still wines under a separate label from single-vineyard German-style varietals.

“I see a lot of people, working like an artist toiling in the studio, who very few people know about because marketing is so hard.

You really have to have the time to make it work,” Davis said.

“The idea of a brand is to tell that winemaker’s story,” he said.

And everybody, especially Portland hipsters in beards and horn-rim glasses, likes a good story.

JON BAUER is Wine Press Northwest’s Salish Sea correspondent. The longtime newspaperman lives near La Conner, Wash.

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FEATURE

winery of the year

PACI F I C N O RTH W E S T

WINER Y OF THE YEAR

// BY ANDY PERDUE PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARYHILL WINERY

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WINEPRESSNW.COM

winery of the year

T

FEATURE

he Washington wine industry was a lot different just 14 years ago when Craig and Vicki Leuthold opened the doors to their winery near the tiny community of Goldendale in south-central Washington.

The state had only about 125 wineries back then, and putting a winery atop basalt cliffs in the middle of nowhere seemed like a risky move.

But fortune favors the bold, and today Maryhill Winery is one of the most remarkable destination wineries in the Pacific Northwest.

For its superb winemaking, stunning location, amazing concert venue, national reach and superb leadership, Maryhill Winery is our 2015 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year.

The Leutholds were living in Spokane when they began to get interested in wine. They were part of a local group who bought wines to explore not only the Pacific Northwest but also the nation and the world. They knew they were hooked — and likely needed to get into the industry — when they started having pallets of wine delivered, which took over their garage.

“We wanted to get off the corporate merry-go-round,” Craig Leuthold said. “We always had a passion for wine, and we wanted to take that to a different level. We knew Washington was on the cusp of greatness, and everyone we met in the industry was so wonderful.

That excited us, and we knew we wanted to become involved in it.”

Their first foray into the business was becoming business partners in Cascade Cliffs, a small high-end producer to the west of Maryhill Museum near the town of Wishram, Wash. This whet their palates for what was possible, so the Leutholds began to look for where they could start their own business. They looked in Walla Walla, the Yakima Valley and beyond.

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But as they drove between Spokane and Wishram, they became entranced with the lower Columbia Gorge region and ultimately approached Maryhill Museum about building a winery on its property.

Because the museum is run by a nonprofit board, the two parties could never come to an agreement.

Meanwhile, Dan Gunkel had planted vineyards a mile to the west and already had all the necessary permits to build a winery, so the Leutholds took advantage and located their future there. They called it Maryhill Winery.

When one drives down lonely Highway 14, the location the Leutholds selected would not seem to be ideal, but it has turned out that way. Maryhill Winery is purposely just outside the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area and its strict construction codes.

It’s also an easy drive from Portland — less than two hours of freeway driving.

They opened in May 2001 with wines from the 1999 and 2000 vintages crafted by talented winemaker John Haw, who made his mark the previous decade at Sokol Blosser Winery in Oregon’s Dundee Hills.

Success came reasonably quickly. In 2004

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winery of the year

at the West Coast Wine Competition in Santa Rosa, Calif., Maryhill’s 2002 Zinfandel beat out more than 100 other Zins — all from California — to win best of class. This propelled Maryhill to the A-list of Washington wineries.

The Leutholds soon built a 4,000-seat concert amphitheater and began to attract top talent (this year’s concert series has been canceled while improvements are made to Highway 14).

Before long, Maryhill Winery was attracting more than 50,000 visitors per year, and the Leutholds continued to increase their production accordingly.

Meanwhile, instability came to the cellar, the key to any winery’s success or failure.

Haw left to become a consulting winemaker, so the Leutholds brought in a new winemaker, who didn’t end up fitting into the direction they wanted to go. He left, and they brought in their third winemaker, who also didn’t last long. In the summer of 2009, they found the right fit in Richard Batchelor, a New Zealand native who had been honing his winemaking talents in Napa, including Paraduxx and Hall wineries.

Batchelor took quickly to the Columbia Valley, producing stellar wines in his first vintage.

By 2010, he was ready to play, so he and the Leutholds embarked on the Vineyard Series, a group of nine vineyard-designated wines using grapes from throughout the vast Columbia Valley. They were universally spectacular.

The wines were made available primarily to Maryhill’s wine club members, and the Leutholds even remodeled their tasting room to create a special members-only area with great wines and amazing views of Mount Hood, the Columbia River and the Gorge.

Even with a difficult 2011 vintage, Batchelor expanded his offerings, which were released last year. They received rave reviews from wine professionals. Last summer, Maryhill was named winery of the year at the San Francisco International Wine Competition for its performance primarily with reds from the 2011 vintage.

Maryhill’s amazing year culminated when Great Northwest Wine named its 2011 Marvell — a Southern Rhône-style red blend

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winery of the year

using grapes from Rattlesnake Hills grower Joe Hattrup — its 2014 Wine of the Year.

But Batchelor and the Leutholds are far from satisfied as the awards continue to arrive (Maryhill has earned more than 1,000 wine competition medals in its first 14 years). Production is closing in on 100,000 cases, making Maryhill one of the 10 largest wineries in Washington — a state that now exceeds 800 wineries. Last year, more than 80,000 people visited the winery, and between customers and wine club members, Maryhill sells more than 20 percent of its wines directly to consumers, which is great for business.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is called Winemaker’s Red. At more than 46,000 cases, the blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Franc makes up about half of Maryhill’s production. It retails for $12 and is remarkable not only for its price but also its quality. In 2013, the wine won best of class at the uber-prestigious 6 Nations Wine Challenge in Australia, a competition featuring 600 wines from six wine-producing countries.

Batchelor now works with about 35 grape varieties from 26 vineyards.

“Richard likes the challenge,” Craig Leuthold said. “He isn’t intimidated by it all.

He’s having fun with it all.”

Leuthold said that while neighboring Oregon has built its reputation on Pinot Noir, Washington’s success is via its diversity, and he more than embraces that.

“I think there may be something there,” he said. “It seems like we do so many things well. Our diversity is our strength. The most fun part of making wine here is the diversity and the high-level of quality across the board.”

With Maryhill, the list goes on, from Carménère to Primitivo to Grenache to Cinsault.

It just introduced two new vineyard-designated Tempranillos (both of which earned our top “Outstanding!” rating in this issue).

“Most people who join wine clubs are reasonably sophisticated,” Leuthold said.

“So when they get an unusual variety, it gets them excited. People expect diversity from Maryhill, and the Vineyard Series takes that to a new level.”

This year, there is the expectation that Batchelor will release more than 60 wines, with the Vineyard Series expanding beyond WINEPRESSN W .C O M

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Maryhill owners Craig and Vicki Leuthold with winemaker Richard Batchelor

30 offerings. Even he and the Leutholds wonder if that might be taking things a little too far. But with the kind of success they’re enjoying, it’s hard not to keep pushing, to keep expanding, to find the boundaries.

Last year, Batchelor put 9,000 miles on his company vehicle just driving to various vineyards he works with. Part of this is the vastness of the 11-million-acre Columbia Valley and Maryhill’s remote location. But a lot of it is his need to make sure he’s getting the finest grapes.

And Maryhill is helping other wineries.

Just as Chateau Ste. Michelle brings success to Woodinville (and the state as a whole) and Leonetti Cellar is the nucleus of the Walla Walla Valley’s success, so too has Maryhill drawn attention and fans to the Columbia Gorge. As the primary source of visitors is Portland, wineries on both sides of the Co-

The tasting room at Maryhill 18

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winery of the year

FEATURE

lumbia River in Hood River, White Salmon, Lyle and The Dalles benefit from all of those wine lovers who are driving to Maryhill.

It is difficult to imagine Maryhill being quite so successful if the Leutholds had decided to put their winery in Walla Walla, the Yakima Valley, Woodinville or anywhere else but this seemingly desolate location overlooking the Columbia River. It’s a special place, and it’s even better because of Maryhill Winery.

Visitors to Maryhill Winery enjoy a game of bocce ball

How the Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year is chosen The Winery of the Year is selected based on longevity, quality, reputation, industry involvement, facilities and other considerations. A winery may win the award once.

WINEPRESSN W .C O M

Past Pacific Northwest Wineries of the Year 2014: Stoller Family Estate, Dayton, Ore. 2013: Chateau Ste. Michelle,

Woodinville, Wash.

2012: Thurston Wolfe, Prosser, Wash.

2011: Zerba Cellars, Milton-Freewater, Ore. 2010: Vin du Lac, Chelan, Wash.

2009: Wild Goose Vineyards,

Okanagan Falls, B.C.

2008: Dunham Cellars, Walla Walla, Wash.

2007: Elk Cove Vineyards, Gaston, Ore. 2006: Barnard Griffin: Richland, Wash.

2005: Ken Wright Cellars: Carlton, Ore. 2004: L’Ecole No. 41, Lowden, Wash.

2003: Sumac Ridge Estate Winery,

Summerland, B.C. 2002: Columbia Crest, Paterson, Wash.

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Visiting Maryhill Winery

Interns participate in harvest at Maryhill Winery

9774 Highway 14, Goldendale, Wash.

509-773-1976 Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. www.maryhillwinery.com

The patio overlooks the vineyard, amphitheater and the Columbia River 20

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C L E A RWA T E R C A N Y O N C E L L A R S

BY ERIC DEGERMAN

I

t’s a good thing Karl and Coco Umiker started young.

They’ve toiled as husband and wife/ viticulturalist and winemaker in their own private corner of Idaho’s wine industry since 2003, but these former competitive cyclists really found their cadence last year in some of the West Coast’s largest wine competitions.

“It seemed like every competition we entered, one of our wines took top honors,” Coco said. “We were the only winery the Pacific Northwest that had two wines in Great Northwest Wine’s top 25. We were on The Seattle Times top 50 list. We won a Platinum for our 2012 Carménère and a Double Platinum for our estate 2012 Merlot from Wine Press Northwest, and the year started when our 2011 Carménère got a gold at the San Francisco Chronicle. It was an amazing year in terms of awards. We look at it as confirmation that we’re on the right track."

And 105 years after the town of Lewiston voted itself dry, Clearwater Canyon Cellars is Wine Press Northwest’s Idaho Winery of the Year for 2015.

History, tradition and hard work are not lost upon the Umikers. They — along with the husband/wife team of Mike Pearson and Melissa Sanborn at Colter’s Creek Winery — are spearheading the petition for the establishment of the Lewis-Clark Valley American Viticultural Area, which is expected to be open for commenting this spring. Before Prohibition, this region included a 130-acre vineyard, then believed to be the largest in the Pacific Northwest.

“What has inspired us is really doing something different,” Karl said. “When we started the vineyard, there was nobody commercially growing grapes here, so when we would read up on the history of this area and what it 22

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Karl and Coco Umiker in their barrel room at Clearwater Canyon Cellars

Contributing Photographer Photo by David Witthaus, Northwest Media Productions

used to be, we thought, ‘Hey, this could be big!’ Unlocking the secrets and the potential of this place was really the excitement for us.”

And that’s why they take special pride in their Umiker Vineyard Merlot, the highest scoring Merlot in the 2014 Platinum. Their 2012 Estate Syrah and 2012 Renaissance Red

•••

Clearwater Canyon Cellars 1708 Sixth Ave. N. Suite A, Lewiston, Idaho 208-816-4679 clearwatercanyoncellars.com,

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winer y of the year A WA R D S — the latter a tribute to the return of the wine industry to the valley — also earned gold medals at the Idaho Wine Competition and Great Northwest Invitational. They also have Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay planted at 1,300 feet elevation among those 4 acres, which they could nearly double when the time is right.

“We’ve stuck with those core varieties because as a new growing area, we felt those needed to be proven first,” said Karl, who first planted the vineyard in 2003.

While they are working with their own fruit and a handful of local growers, Clearwater Canyon Cellars also relies on renowned growers in Washington such as Dave Verhey in the Yakima Valley and Dick Beightol at Phinny Hill in the Horse Heaven Hills. Ironically, they met their source for Carménère before they even began making wine. In 2003, both Karl and Coco were still on the University of Idaho cycling team when they happened to ride alongside Beightol.

“Dick and Paul Champoux have been amazing mentors over the years,” Coco said.

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“Our first pruning experience was with Paul, then we’d drink, have dinner and spend the night over at Dick’s house, and get up the next morning and go on bike rides.”

The fall of 2004, in particular, proved a turning point in Coco’s winemaking career as she worked at Whitman Cellars for Steve Lessard while taking classes from the late Stan Clarke at Walla Walla Community College.

One of her classmates was Beightol, who drove daily from Phinny Hill to learn how to be a better grower.

“It was an incredible time for me,” she said.

"I learned so much just by osmosis working with them, which included playing racquetball with Stan.”

When it comes to education, the Umikers are quite rich. Karl, a University of Arkansas chemistry graduate, earned his doctorate in soil science at the University of Idaho, where he led the club cycling team. Coco, who grew up in Boise as a competitive cyclist and spent summers on her grandfather’s farm in Lewiston, studied microbiology and biochemistry at Idaho before receiving her Ph.D in food

science at Washington State University.

The 2012 vintage was the first when neither had a job either teaching or doing research, and those Clearwater Canyon Cellars wines reflect that.

What started in 2004 with 300 cases in a Lewiston garage and eight partners has grown to 3,000 cases at their Port of Lewiston vinification facility near the Clearwater River.

They would sell more if they had more. In the meantime, they are happy knowing they’ve bought out all the partners, own their forklift and recently replaced their hand-medown Korean War-era tractor and handratcheted basket press.

“We were very young to have started a winery,” Coco said. “When we started this process, I was 20 and living in a trailer park and going to school, but we were really interested in wine. And obviously we had the science background.” is co-founder and CEO of Great Northwest Wine. Learn more about wine at www.greatnorthwestwine.com.

ERIC DEGERMAN

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T E L A YA W I N E C O .

BY ERIC DEGERMAN

E

arl Sullivan knows if he is to compete against California wines in the Boise market that Telaya Wine Co., must make wines that are worthy of attention — regardless of who in the Pacific Northwest grew the grapes.

“The best thing for Idaho is for us to make the best wine we possibly can,” he said. “If I bring in high-quality Washington grapes and make that sing, then my customers will have more faith in trying my wines made from local fruit. I have more customers than not who tell me, ‘Please don’t stop making Washington wines.’ ” Heck, many winemakers in Washington state can’t get the grapes that Telaya has bought from such renowned vineyards as Boushey, Champoux, French Creek and Gamache. And his early work with some of the Columbia Valley’s top sites prompted Wine Press Northwest to name Telaya Wine Co. as the 2015 Idaho Winery to Watch.

“I probably explain it more to people in the industry than the consumers,” Sullivan said with a chuckle. “Consumers are used to seeing ‘Columbia Valley’ or going to Walla Walla, which is an easy drive from Boise. It may actually make our sales process a little easier.

“Consumers are willing to give us a shot because they recognize Columbia Valley or some of the names we’re able to put on our bottles because of our growing relationships,” he added. “And the Idaho Wine Commission has been incredibly supportive of us before we even had Idaho fruit in our profile.”

Their flagship wine is a Syrah-based blend named Turas — the Irish word for “journey” — and their latest vintage is the most critically acclaimed botting in Telaya’s young history.

Last fall, the 2011 Turas ($30) earned praise from Sonoma County-based critic Dan Berger. Earlier this year, it also received a 90-point rating from a national magazine, marking the 24

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Telaya Wine Co., owned and operated by Earl and Carrie Sullivan.

Idaho Statesman Katherine Jones

first time a Telaya wine has cracked the 90-point plateau.

Sullivan and his wife, Carrie, earned the trust of Columbia Valley growers through their relationships with consulting winemakers Charlie Hoppes of Fidelitas on Red

•••

Telaya Wine Co. 107 ½ E. 44th St. Garden City, Idaho telayawine.com, 208-557-9463.

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winer y to watch A WA R D S Mountain and House, who left acclaimed Betz Family Winery to start a family and be a part of Idaho’s emerging wine industry. So Telaya relies on Washington for its top barrels of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Viognier.

“It’s a real challenge to ripen Cab most years in Idaho, and my customers like Cab,” Earl said. “We’re not hiding that. We’re proactively telling people, ‘We’re probably always going to do a Washington Cab.’ ” As the Sullivans became more confident with their winemaking talents, they began working more with Idaho fruit. Starting with the 2013 vintage, wines from the Snake River Valley make up about 80 percent of Telaya’s 2,500-case production. And most of their wine since starting in 2009 has been made in Garden City at the Cinder Wines production facility on 44th Street.

“We weren’t interested in burdening ourselves with debt so much that we couldn’t make the type of wines we wanted,” Earl said.

“It was a conscious choice to utilize somebody else’s facility in the short term, but it

also was a process of having access to winemakers who were willing to teach and had facilities they were willing to teach in.”

This spring, Telaya is poised to move its tasting room and Idaho wine production to another location in Garden City, a community anchored by the Boise area’s largest hotel — the Riverside. The Sullivans recently collaborated with the Riverside on a Valentine’s winemaker dinner that included a live music and a performed comedy.

“We love to throw an amazing party where people come and bring their friends, have a great time, stay too late and enjoy themselves to the point that when they walk out, they go, ‘Wow! That was so much fun that I can’t wait for the next one,’ ” he said.

The blend of entertainment, hospitality and acclaimed wines has grown Telaya’s wine club into a loyal 500 members, who’ve learned how to pronounced the winery’s name (tuh-LIE-uh), a word created by blend two of Earl and Carrie’s favorite places — the Teton Range and playa, the Spanish word for beach.

“We were down in Mexico taking some time off and realized our lives were not heading in the trajectory we wanted,” Earl said.

“We wanted to find something we were passionate about, which was wine.”

Their road began as sweethearts at Centre College in Danville, Ky. Earl graduated with a science degree and spent two decades in the pharmaceutical industry. Carrie (class of ‘93) went on to graduate studies in molecular genetics at Texas A&M and received her doctorate in veterinary medicine from Ohio State.

They’ve lived in Boise for nearly 15 years, only now they work as consultants in their respective fields. That allows them to walk vineyards, work in the cellar and spend time with their two young boys, who both are active in the business.

“This winery is our opportunity to teach our kids the work ethic we learned,” Earl said. is co-founder and CEO of Great Northwest Wine. Learn more about wine at www.greatnorthwestwine.com.

ERIC DEGERMAN

Our entire family thanks Wine Press Northwest, Eric & Andy, & our valued customers for the support and encouragement to get this far. We can’t wait to see the rest of the journey.

Where will Telaya take you next?

Do Thuras Chun!

(To your journey)

Open Thur-Sat 12-6 & By Appointment

(208) 557-9463 • telayawine.com 107 1/2 E. 44th Street • Garden City, Idaho W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

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B R A N D B O R G V I N E YA R D A N D W I N E RY

Terry and Sue Brandborg Contributing Photographer Christopher Pace

BY ERIC DEGERMAN

O

f all the wines they’ve made for themselves and others, the 2012 Ferris Wheel Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir best tells the story of Terry and Sue Brandborg.

“When someone comes into the tasting room in Elkton, Ore. and says, ‘If I’m going to taste just one wine, which wine should it be?’I tell them that one,“ Terry said. “This is the reason why we are here.”

On the other hand, that Pinot Noir from the recently established Elkton, Oregon American Viticultural Area is just one reason why Brandborg Vineyard and Winery has been named Wine Press Northwest’s Oregon Winery of the Year.

Last year, their prized Pinot Noir ($38) earned a Platinum in Wine Press Northwest’s year-end peer judging of gold medal wines, as 26

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did the 2013 Gewürztraminer ($18). Both earned their invite by merit of their gold medal at the World of Wine Competition in Southern Oregon.

His skill with cool-climate grapes grown in the Elkton AVA also showed earlier this winter with a gold medal for his 2011 Riesling at the Judgment of Geyserville, an annual conference of North American wine critics who meet in Sonoma County to judge many of the continent’s top examples of a specific variety.

Global climate change and more heat units do have the Brandborgs a bit concerned. “We had 1,866 growing-degree days in 2012,” Terry said. “In 2013, it was the first time we were over 2,000, when was it 2,087. And in 2014, we got totally flabbergasted when we finished with 2,442."

Brandborg has moved the needle globally for Elkton with Gewürztraminer. Eric Asimov, acclaimed wine critic for The New York Times, raved in a 2010 column about Brandborg’s 2007 Gewürz, which topped Asimov’s East Coast tasting of North American producers. And last year marked the second straight time Brandborg has received a Platinum with Gewürztraminer — and his third in the Platinum competition.

“I worked with Gewürz from the Anderson Valley when I was a home winemaker in the early ’70s, and I continued to work with that fruit up until we moved to Oregon,” he said.

“It’s still a bit of a hand-sell, but we get nice placements in restaurants and had some visitors to the tasting room who came in especially for Gewürz after tasting it at Le Pigeon in Portland."

At one point, Terry was making a large percentage of the wine produced in the valley at his vinification facility along Highway 38 in Elkton (pop. 170), as much as 15,000 cases for nine brands, but most of those folks have taken their production in-house. Last year, they processed about 10,000 cases. About 10 percent of that was Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for a client in Yamhill-Carlton.

“The Umpqua Valley saw huge growth from 2002 to 2007 when Sue and I moved here,” he said. “We were the eighth winery, and now we’ve gotten up to 24."

And Brandborg now is a second-generation winery. Sue’s daughter Kelsey Scarlett joined the business in 2010 after working at such places as Adelsheim Vineyard and Benzinger.

A couple of years later, Kelsey and Chris Pace of nearby Anindor Vineyards, who met while studying at the Southern Oregon Wine Institute, presented Terry and Sue with a granddaughter, Tilly.

“Now, maybe the only thing we miss about San Francisco is the diversity,” Sue said. “I W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

winer y of the year AWA R D S Noir in a gritty neighborhood in Richmond, Calif.

With all the continued success and acclaim for the Brandborgs in 2014, the year also will be remembered for the sudden passing of longtime friend and grower John Bradley.

“There’s still a hole,” Terry said after pausing for a moment. “John was such a unique individual and involved in everything in the community.”

But Bradley’s spirit lives on with grapes that contribute to the Brandborgs' awardwinning wines, most of them grown in and around the town of Elkton — less than 25 miles from the Pacific Ocean.

“We came to Elkton because we saw an opportunity,” Terry said. “I was first invited to attend the Steamboat Conference in 1994, remember our first year of working in the vineyard when it stays light to almost 10 p.m., and we were hungry but Tomaselli’s across the street closes at 8.

“There are more cultural opportunities here now,” she said. “We have tickets to the

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Umpqua Actors Community Theatre in Roseburg, which we go to as much as we can, and we host live music at the winery.”

Terry does miss working with Charbono, a French variety he earned a national reputation for during the days he also made Pinot

•••

Brandborg Vineyards 345 First St., Elkton, OR, 97436 brandborgwines.com

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Thomas and Kate Monroe, co-winemakers at Division Winemaking Company Contributing Photographer Carolyn Wells-Kramer, CWK Photography

DIVISION WINEMAKING CO

BY ERIC DEGERMAN

M

uch of the hip vibe pouring from Portland’s urban winemaking community seems to be emerging from the block of Division and Southeast 35th Place.

And while the name might signal something divisive, that’s not the feel Thomas and Kate Monroe have created. Rather, It’s just the opposite at their Southeast Wine Collective in Portland, and the exciting wines they’ve bottled as Division Winemaking Co. made them an ideal selection as Wine Press Northwest’s Oregon Winery to Watch for 2015.

“They have such a great attitude,” said Jacksonville grower/winemaker Herb Quady of Quady North, our 2012 Oregon Winery to Watch. "They are showing leadership through an example of openness and collaboration. Also, they're showing their wines in 28

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major markets. It's hard to imagine a greater representative for this vibrant wine scene.”

Last year, the Monroes grabbed the attention of judges at Wine Press Northwest’s Pinot Noir competition with the Division Villages 2013 Methode Carbonique Pinot Noir, a fun, fruit-forward, nouveau-style red created using whole-cluster carbonic maceration in cement. It was elegant and understated with its low alcohol (12.5%) and price ($19). It was one of five bottlings under their Villages brand, which include Chenin Blanc and Gamay Noir.

“They are typically not oak-aged, and we use concrete for those fermentations,” Thomas said. “We want them to be immediately drinkable and affordable.”

Their primary Division brand features single-vineyard wine with Pinot Noir, Char-

donnay, Gamay Noir, Cabernet Franc and several blends. They also produce bubbles, their Crémant de Portland Brut Urbanique made with Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc and Gamay Noir. Their background groomed them for Portland’s recent “Loiregonian” movement.

“Some friends of Kate’s family owned an estate winery in the Loire Valley that got us started on the road we are on,” Thomas said.

“I got burned out in the financial services industry, which was getting crushed in the 2008 economy, and we wanted to do something for the both of us that we could create using our skills.”

Kate, 33, a Colgate graduate with a background in event management and catering, was born in Bahrain, traveled the world and grew up in the Loire Valley, raised by her mother, who is from Madagascar, and British businessman father.

As newlyweds, the Monroes began to live their dream in the Loire Valley. Kate would translate their morning viticulture and enology lessons into English for Thomas, who found work in Burgundy.

“Those places really inspired what we do now,” Thomas said.

Thomas, 36, was raised in St. Louis and lured to the University of Denver by skiing.

He was working in finance for Wells Fargo and living in San Francisco when he met Kate.

It wasn’t quite love at first sight, but wine was their first common thread during a cruise in San Francisco Bay among mutual friends.

“There was no wine on this boat, only really (crummy) beer, and there was a bottle of wine sitting on the table downstairs in the cabin, so I opened it,” Thomas said. “I really got a proper talking to from Kate, and I immediately became intrigued."

Kate quipped, “I found him drinking my wine then, and he still opens bottles that he shouldn’t!"

Their first date included a bottle by Domaine Drouhin-Oregon, and the only wines poured at their wedding reception were from Oregon and Champagne.

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“It was Kate’s family who was really into wine and kept telling us about all the different Oregon wines,” Thomas said.

Soon after arriving in Oregon, Thomas worked on wines at Methven Family Vineyards while Kate joined the tasting room at Penner-Ash Wine Cellars. Their plan for Division stems from a business school project

by Thomas when he created a plan for an Oregon-based winery, but in reality it took capital from Kate’s father to get started.

“The first few years of this couldn’t have happened without Andrew’s help,” Thomas said.

By 2012, they created the Southeast Wine Collective. It features a tasting bar for four wineries, small plates and a neighborhood following. Combined production at the collective tops 8,000 cases. There are more than 20 grape varieties being worked with at their incubator, yet some of the labels produce fewer than 100 cases.

“We have 10 wineries at the collective, and we have a waiting list,” Kate said. “We didn’t expect to be that popular that fast.”

These days, the Monroes spend a fair bit of time on the road meeting with growers and their accounts across the country, allowing them to combine sales trips with skiing and “hippie concerts,” Thomas said. “We’re music nuts."

In Portland, they live just six blocks from the winery. Their constant companion is Butch Cassidy, the English Lab namesake for their Black Dog label.

The next year, the Monroes began in earnest with 320 cases under the Division brand from the 2010 vintage. Production from 2014 will top 3,000 cases as their distribution channels span the West Coast as well as in Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, New York, Alberta and Ontario.

“It’s amazing how it sneaks up on you,” Kate said. is co-founder and CEO of Great Northwest Wine. Learn more about wine at www.greatnorthwestwine.com.

ERIC DEGERMAN

•••

Division Winemaking Co. Southeast Wine Collective 2425 S.E. 35th Place, Portland, divisionwinemakingcompany.com sewinecollective.com 503-208-2061 W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

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Mike Stevens, Managing Partner at Brian Carter Cellars, and winemaker Brian Carter

Contributing Photographer Richard Duval, Richard Duval Images

B R I A N C A RT E R C E L L A R S

BY ANDY PERDUE

G

rowing up in Oregon, Brian Carter always had a fascination with science. Thanks to nurturing parents who encouraged his inquisitive mind, Carter made his first batch of wine when he was just 15 years old.

His parents “were part of the scotch-and30

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soda crowd,” Carter said. “My mom let me do what I wanted.”

That backfired once in an explosive way: Carter was making a batch of blackberry wine and filled the carboy a little too full, and the top blew during fermentation, sending a geyser of blackberry juice all over his mom's

kitchen. A purple stain remained on the ceiling for the next few years as testament to a hard lesson learned, but Carter's mother was good-natured about the accident.

Despite this minor setback, Carter was destined for greatness. Today, he is crafting some of Washington's most graceful and energetic wines, earning him the distinction of 2015 Washington Winery of the Year.

Carter graduated from Oregon State University in 1977 with a degree in microbiology.

Knowing wine was going to be in his future, Carter immediately headed in the only viable direction in the United States: to the University of California-Davis, where he earned a master's degree and went to work in the California wine industry.

By 1980, Carter was in the epicenter of the American wine industry: Chateau Montelena in Napa Valley. This was just four years removed from the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting, during which the Montelena 1973 Chardonnay was the No. 1 wine in a blind tasting of California and top French white wines. The tasting propelled the California wine industry into the global spotlight, and Carter was perfectly positioned to take full advantage.

Then he did something completely unpredictable and, to his fellow Napa Valley winemakers, utterly insane: He focused his gaze north to the nascent Washington wine industry.

Not only was he leaving the mecca of the wine industry for the wild west, but Mount St. Helens also had just erupted. Some of his fellow winemakers actually were concerned for his safety.

In 1980, Washington had barely a dozen wineries, and Carter became head of Paul Thomas, a new winery near Woodinville. He quickly raised the profile of the state wine industry. His 1983 Cabernet Sauvignon beat out famed Chateau Lafite-Rothschild in a New York judging, and his 1986 Chardonnay won the trophy for best wine at the Pacific W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

winer y of the year AWA R D S possible exception of Pinot Noir.”

For the past 35 years, Carter has prowled the vineyards of Eastern Washington's Columbia Valley, and he knows exactly what grapes he wants to craft into some of the New World’s best wines. He brings in 20 different grapes from the Yakima Valley, Wahluke Slope and Red Mountain.

Last year, Carter pulled off a remarkable feat: His wines earned best of show at three

different competitions. His 2011 Opulento, a Port-style dessert wine topped the Seattle Wine & Food Experience. And his 2009 Solesce, a Bordeaux-style red, was the best wine at both the Washington State Wine Competition and the Northwest Wine Summit.

Nobody thinks he’s crazy now.

Northwest Enological Society Wine Competition in Seattle.

By 1986, Carter decided to leave Paul Thomas to become a winemaking consultant.

He helped launch such wineries as Camaraderie, Hedges, McCrea, Randall Harris, Silver Lake and Soos Creek. Five years later, he took over winemaking for Washington Hills and Apex Cellars, teaming up with owner Harry Alhadeff. In 1993, he relocated to the Yakima Valley town of Sunnyside in a former dairy, where the pair made a formidable team.

By 1997, Carter had the itch to create his own identity, so he began Brian Carter Cellars as a side project. His first vintage was released in 2000, and two years later, he left Washington Hills to focus all of his efforts on his eponymous winery with managing partner Michael Stevens.

Soon, they opened their tasting room in the Hollywood Hills district of Woodinville, just up the street from Chateau Ste. Michelle.

Since launching his brand, Carter has focused primarily on blends, exploring Washington examples of European traditions.

These days, he makes red and white blends inspired by such regions as Bordeaux, the Rhône Valley, Tuscany, Spain and Portugal.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Carter said. “I can look around the world and see where great blends are made. Then I see if I can emulate them. It seems we can do almost anything, with the •••

Brian Carter Cellars www.briancartercellars.com 14419 Woodinville-Redmond Road N.E., Woodinville, 425-806-9463 W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

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Victor Palencia in his Walla Walla tasting room. cdk imaging Photo by Colby Kuschatka

PA L E N C I A W I N E C O .

BY ANDY PERDUE

W

ith every bottle of wine he makes, Victor Palencia’s belief in the American Dream strength-

ens.

His journey from being born in Michoacán, Mexico, to being recognized as one of the top young winemakers in Washington is equal parts arduous and inspiring.

For these reasons and more, Palencia Wine Co. is Wine Press Northwest’s 2015 Washington Winery to Watch.

Palencia was born in 1985. His father, seeking a better life, picked up his family and brought them to the United States in 1987.

They settled in the Yakima Valley town of Prosser, where he found work in mint fields, orchards and vineyards.

“It’s the best upbringing I could have had,” Palencia said. “My best memories are of getting up early with Dad to help in the mint fields.”

While a lot of high schoolers find after32

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school jobs at fast-food restaurants, Palencia headed to the vineyards. He began working for David Minnick, founder of Willow Crest Winery, when he was 14. The hard, honest work helped build the young man into one of the strongest at Prosser High School. The football coach began recruiting Palencia to play for the Mustangs — a perennial state power — but by then, he had a job in Willow Crest's cellar.

“I was too busy doing punchdowns to make it to practice,” he said with a laugh.

After graduation, Palencia became the first person in his family to go to college when he entered the Center for Enology and Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College.

He was able to attend thanks in part to a scholarship from famed Leonetti Cellar.

While he was attending school, he was given the opportunity to work at such Walla Walla Valley wineries as Zerba, Saviah, Basel and Sleight of Hand.

After graduating in 2005, Palencia headed

back home to work as assistant winemaker at Willow Crest. During this time, he landed on the pages of The New York Times, which wrote a feature on the young Hispanic winemaker who wasn’t yet 21 and, thus, couldn’t legally taste what he was making.

After two years at Willow Crest and a brief stint at nearby Apex Cellars, Palencia was hired by J&S Crushing, a custom-crush winemaking facility in Mattawa on the remote and arid Wahluke Slope. J&S is a partnership of grape growers Jack Jones and Dick Shaw, and as director of winemaking, Palencia now oversees production of more than 1 million cases of wine production annually.

Some of this is for Jones of Washington, an award-winning winery owned by Jack Jones (and our 2012 Washington Winery of the Year), while the rest is made for various large winery clients.

Palencia loves working at J&S, but he also knows he is destined for more. To fulfill his American Dream — and to honor his father’s sacrifices — he decided to put his own name on the bottle. So in September 2013, he created Palencia Winery. To do this, he headed back to Walla Walla, launching his brand at one of five incubator winery buildings on the east side of the Walla Walla Regional Airport.

He began with a mere 350 cases in 2013, and the wines were met with critical and consumer acclaim and quickly disappeared from store shelves. This year, he will produce a more robust 2,000 cases to slake the thirst of his growing legion of fans.

The wines are made at J&S Crushing, alongside the other client wines. Palencia lives in Richland, the midpoint between Mattawa and Walla Walla — and an hour’s drive to either. Paula Ramirez manages the tasting room, as well as a new tasting bar he opened last fall in Walla Walla.

He has created two labels for his winery.

The premium brand is Palencia, and on the W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

label is a drawing of his father digging with a shovel. His second, less-expensive wines are called Vino La Monarcha and depict the monarch butterfly on the label. This is especially significant for Palencia because the monarch butterfly begins its migration north from the mountains of Michoacán. It takes multiple generations for the butterfly to make the journey north and achieve its goals.

Palencia is reaching his goals at a young age, achieving far beyond what was thought possible for a migrant kid in the Yakima Valley. He also knows that everything he builds is on the shoulders of his father, who had the courage to seek out a better life for his children and the strength and fortitude to create the foundation.

“He is my hero.”

•••

Palencia Wine Co., 600 Piper Ave., Walla Walla, 509-522-8466, www.palenciawine.com

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NORTHWEST T EMPRANILLO // BY A N D Y P E R D U E PHOTOGRAPHY BY B O B B R A W D Y

W

hen we decided to put together a tasting of Pacific Northwest Tempranillos, we figured we might receive as many as 40 examples. That would be a nice, easy judging.

That we received twice that many is astonishing and speaks loudly about the state of the Northwest wine industry, namely that winemakers and grape growers are willing to take a chance and experiment with out-ofthe-mainstream varieties.

Tempranillo is a red grape most famously grown in Spain’s Rioja region. In nearby Portugal, it goes by the name Tinta Roriz.

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Though Tempranillo has been grown in California for about a century, it’s a relative newcomer to the Pacific Northwest. Mike Sauer, owner of Red Willow Vineyard in the western Yakima Valley, gets credit for planting the region’s first Tempranillo when he put a bit in the ground in 1993. He planted 40 vines as an experiment, just to see how it might grow in an area known for warm, arid summers and cold winters.

“We’re really pushing the southern Mediterranean limit here,” he said. “But it seems like we’ve survived reasonably well. I don’t remember it being frozen out.”

Sauer is perhaps best known for planting the first Syrah in Washington in 1986, and while he likes Tempranillo, he doesn’t see it as much more than a niche grape.

“It’s a novelty,” Sauer said. “I don’t see it ever competing with Syrah.”

Sauer’s assessment is correct, for even though we received a significant number of Tempranillos, the total case production was just 20,000 cases. Thus, most of these wines are being sold directly to wineries’ club members or at tasting rooms — and rarely at retail stores.

All of Sauer’s Tempranillo goes to Eight Bells, a boutique winery in north Seattle.

Owners Tim Bates, Andy Shepherd and Frank Michiels get just enough for a single barrel, and the resulting 25 cases sell quickly to their wine club members.

Interestingly, the soon-to-be-released Eight Bells 2013 Tempranillo finished atop this judging, and the 2012 also earned our top “Outstanding!” rating.

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WINE RATINGS 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.

In Oregon, Tempranillo arrived with Earl and Hilda Jones, who spent many years trying to find the right climate for growing their favorite grape. The moved across the country in 1994 from Florida, planted Tempranillo in 1995 near the Umpqua Valley town of Winston and made the Northwest’s first varietal W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

Tempranillo in 1997. The remarkable 2005 vintage allowed the Joneses to create Paramour — the continent’s first Gran Reservastyle Tempranillo. And they’ve released only one more bottling of Paramour since then, coming in 2009.

Today, the owners of Abacela produce no fewer than three delicious Tempranillos each year, and they have led a revolution of sorts in Southern Oregon.

In fact, of the 81 wines tasted, more than a third were from such Southern Oregon regions of the Umpqua, Rogue and Applegate valleys — all of this a direct result of the work done by the Joneses.

Meanwhile, Idaho’s Snake River Valley is showing its prowess with the Spanish grape.

Though just three examples were submitted, all of them earned our top rating. This should encourage expansion of the grape in the Snake River Valley’s arid, high-elevation vineyards.

We also noticed that of the 18 wines that

earned our top rating, three wineries earned two “Outstandings” each, showing that some winemakers have an obvious affinity for Tempranillo.

For this judging, we also asked for blends that included Tempranillo. We ended up with 72 wines labeled as Tempranillos, six wines that were blends, and three rosés made from Tempranillo.

Our judges for this tasting were: Heather Unwin, executive director of the Red Mountain AVA Alliance; Mitch Venohr, winemaker for Fidelitas Wines in Richland, Wash.; Gregg McConnell, editor and publisher of Wine Press Northwest; Richard Larsen, director of winemaking for Washington State University’s Wine Science Center; and Ken Robertson, columnist for Wine Press Northwest and a frequent wine judge throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The judging took place in early February at the Clover Island Inn in Kennewick, Wash.

Here are the results: S p r i n g 2 015 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t

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Outstanding Eight Bells Winery $32 2013 Red Willow Vineyard Tempranillo, Yakima Valley The oldest Tempranillo in the Pacific Northwest is grown at famed Red Willow Vineyard in the western Yakima Valley, and the owners of this small producer in Seattle — Tim Bates, Andy Shepherd and Frank Michiels — have crafted the best from our judging. It opens with aromas of ripe strawberry and oak undertones, followed by rich flavor of plump red and dark fruit, backed with hints of plum and chocolate. Round, well-managed tannins give this beautiful balance and a long finish. Most of this smalllot production will go to the wine club, so act immediately. (25 cases; 14.8 alc.)

Rio Vista Winery $32 2012 Tempranillo, Lake Chelan Owner/winemaker John Little is north of 36

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the Lake Chelan cutoff between Highway 97 and the Columbia River. He brought in grapes from the north shore of Lake Chelan, which is gaining a reputation as a region that can beautifully ripen Tempranillo. This opens with aromas of dark-toned fruit, toasted oak and a sprinkling of cocoa powder. It’s a rich, full and beautifully balanced red on the palate with flavors of red and dark fruit, sweet herbal notes and a gorgeous mouth feel. (150 cases; 14.3 alc.)

Upland Estates $28 2011 Tempranillo, Snipes Mountain Grape grower Todd Newhouse and winemaker Robert Smasne combine to craft one of the best Tempranillos in the Pacific Northwest. This beautiful example opens with aromas of dark cherry, horehound candy and a hint of oak, followed by bold, dark flavors of cherry pipe tobacco, blackberry, boysenberry and a bit of nutmeg. This wine will be released in the fall. (47 cases; 13.7 alc.)

College Cellars $22 2014 Anderson Vineyard Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley Tim Donahue and his students at Walla Walla Community College brought in grapes for the first time from Myles Anderson’s new vineyard east of town. This is a fresh, young wine with aromas of rose petals, cocoa powder, plum and dark cherry. On the palate, it is bright and racy with flavors of ripe raspberry and blueberry, all backed by supple tannins and rich acidity. (100 cases; 13.8 alc.)

Maryhill Winery $24 2012 Painted Hills Vineyard Tempranillo, Columbia Valley Winemaker Richard Batchelor continues his remarkable ability to craft superb wines for Maryhill. This new addition to his lineup comes from Art den Hoed’s vineyard near the Yakima Valley town of Mabton, Wash. It opens with aromas of fruit leather, raspberry, strawberry and blueberry. On the entry, rich W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

northwest tempranillo TA S T I N G R E S U LT S and plush flavors of blackberry and raspberry are backed by firm tannins and a lengthy finish. (235 cases; 14.6 alc.)

Raptor Ridge Winery $35 2013 Tempranillo, Rogue Valley Willamette Valley winemaker Scott Shull headed to the warm Rogue Valley for these grapes, which were grown at 2,000 feet in elevation at Folin Vineyard. The result is an intriguing and complex red with aromas of spicy oak, red cherry, white pepper, rose petal and crushed herb. Enticing flavors of strawberry, cherry and cedar are backed by pretty tannins. (220 cases; 13.8 alc.)

Sawtooth Winery $25 2012 Classic Fly Series Tempranillo, Snake River Valley Meredith Smith is crafting some of the most extraordinary wines in Idaho, and this Tempranillo shows what the future of the Snake River Valley could be with Spanish varieties. This opens with aromas of vanilla, chocolate and ripe red fruit, followed by bold flavors of cherry and huckleberry. It’s all harmoniously balanced between fruit, tannin and acidity and has a lovely finish. This wine also earned a unanimous double gold at the 2014 Idaho Wine Competition. (259 cases; 13.5 alc.)

Castillo de Feliciana $32 2012 Reserve Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley Chris Castillo crafts the wine for his family’s winery on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla Valley. The Castillo family originates in Spain, so Tempranillo is a special grape at this winery. This reserve-style red opens with aromas of dried leaf, mild oak and ripe dark fruit, followed by flavors of cocoa, purple plum and pomegranate. It’s all backed by rich tannins up front and a lengthy, impressive finish. (415 cases; 14.8 alc.)

Indian Creek Winery $22 2012 Tempranillo, Snake River Valley Bill Stowe has been crafting wines in Southern Idaho for more than 30 years, and his son-in-law Mike McClure produced this gorgeous Tempranillo. It opens with alluring aromas of sage, dried herbs, black cherry and ripe plum. On the palate, it is bold, dark and focused with flavors of blueberry, black tea and tobacco. It’s all backed by beautiful mouth-filling tannins and acidity. (200 cases; 13 alc.)

Burnt Bridge Cellars $35 2012 Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley Based in Vancouver, Wash., Burnt Bridge is a young winery with a bright future. This Tempranillo uses grapes from renowned Les Collines Vineyard in the foothills of the Blue Mountains. This is opens with dark-toned aromas of huckleberry, black pepper and moist earth, followed by rich, dark, delicious flavors of blueberry, Saskatoon berry, vanilla and pipe tobacco, all backed by moderate tannins and rich acidity. (74 cases; 14.6 alc.)

Maryhill Winery $28 2012 Sugarloaf Vineyard Tempranillo, Rattlesnake Hills Winemaker Richard Batchelor loves Joe Hattrup’s vineyards in the Rattlesnake Hills district of the Yakima Valley, and this Tempranillo from Sugarloaf further reveals what a special partnership this has become. Aromas of strawberry, Bing cherry, caramel and vanilla lead to flavors of bright red fruit, including raspberry, pomegranate and cranberry. It’s all backed by rich tannins that give way to a plush, lengthy finish. (272 cases; 14.2 alc.)

Vortex Cellars $24 2010 Reserve Tempranillo, Horse Heaven Hills Ed Wicklein brought in grapes from Coyote Canyon Vineyards in the Horse Heavens and aged his wine in oak for an astounding 42 months at his Woodinville, Wash., winery. The result is an alluring wine with aromas of ripe plum, black cherry, new leather, rich oak and milk chocolate. On the palate, this exudes flavors of elegant red and dark fruit, including cherry and boysenberry.

It’s dark and smooth on the finish. (150 cases; 14.2 alc.)

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Kriselle Cellars $35 2011 Tempranillo, Rogue Valley This small producer north of Medford, Ore., consistently is producing some of the most delicious wines in Southern Oregon, and this luscious Tempranillo is further testament. It’s a big, dark wine with aromas of blackberry, pipe tobacco and milk chocolate.

The flavors are rich and assertive with big tannins that play well with the fruit. (297 cases; 14.9 alc.)

Eight Bells Winery $32 2012 Red Willow Vineyard Tempranillo, Yakima Valley Mike Sauer has long been a pioneer of Washington viticulture, and he planted the first Tempranillo in the Northwest when he established these grapes in 1993. Today, all of the fruit goes to Eight Bells, a small producer near Green Lake in Seattle. This is a rich, bold wine with sassy acidity, rich tannin and balanced, persistent fruit on the finish. (25 cases; 14.8 alc.)

Life of Riley $28 2012 Tempranillo, Applegate Valley Winemaker Rachael Martin of Red Lily Vineyard named this delicious Tempranillo after her son Riley. It’s a gorgeous red with aromas of pipe tobacco, black pepper, dark cherry and moderate oak. On the palate, it opens with a rich entry followed by delicious red and dark fruit. It’s all backed by juicy, approachable tannins that lead to a lengthy finish. (225 cases; 14.3 alc.)

Fujishin Family Cellars $22 2012 Tempranillo, Snake River Valley Martin Fujishin is one of the rising stars in Idaho’s Snake River Valley. He is on the winemaking team at Koenig Winery and crafts his own label on the side. This luscious Tempranillo offers aromas of cherry pipe tobacco, rose petal, black cherry and purple plum. On the palate, it shows off luxurious flavors of strawberry, sweet herbs, cedar and plum. It’s all backed by silky tannins. (64 cases; 14.1 alc.)

David Hill Vineyards & Winery $30 2011 Tempranillo, Rogue Valley Winemaker Jason Bull brought in grapes from Southern Oregon to the winery west of Portland for this superb red. It opens with aromas of toasted almond, red plum, pencil shavings and pipe tobacco, followed by smooth flavors of black cherry, cola and cocoa powder. Its bright acidity and mild tannins make this a terrific food wine. (193 cases; 13.8 alc.)

Upland Estates $28 2010 Tempranillo, Snipes Mountain The oldest vines in Todd Newhouse’s vineyard were planted in 1917. His Tempranillo, however, was planted 90 years later yet the vines already are showing their ability to S p r i n g 2 015 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t

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produce superb fruit. This opens with aromas of black cherry, blackberry and spice, followed by bold flavors of rich, balanced dark fruit backed by richly structured tannins. (48 cases; 13.8 alc.)

Excellent Michael Florentino Cellars $24 2012 Tinto Fino, Columbia Valley This blend from a Woodinville, Wash., winery is heavy on Tempranillo, and it shows.

It’s a delicious red with aromas of ripe strawberry, dark cherry and mint, followed by round and supple flavors of luscious ripe fruit, dark chocolate and well-managed tannins. (220 cases; 14.6 alc.)

Plaisance Ranch $25 2012 Papa Joe's Private Stash Tempranillo, Applegate Valley The Applegate Valley near the California border is a bit higher in elevation and a bit cooler than the surrounding Rogue Valley, which makes for a longer growing season and fascinating wines. This example reveals aromas and flavors of ripe strawberry, rich raspberry and red currant, all backed by moderate tannins. (600 cases; 13.5 alc.)

T E M P R A N IL L O by the numbers

Here are some interesting statistics about this Tempranillo judging: ❧ Number of wines: 81 ❧ Wines rated “Outstanding!”: 18 (22.2%) ❧ Wines rated “Excellent”: 46 (56.8%) ❧ Wines rated “Recommended”: 13 (16%) ❧ Average price: $31 ❧ Total cases represented: 20,009 ❧ Average alcohol: 13.93% ❧ AVAs represented: 18. Rogue Valley (14), Umpqua Valley (13), Columbia Valley (12), Walla Walla Valley (8), Yakima Valley (8), Applegate Valley (4), Snipes Mountain (4), Horse Heaven Hills (3), Snake River Valley (3), Lake Chelan (2), Oregon (2), Rattlesnake Hills (2), Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley (1), Dundee Hills (1), Eola-Amity Hills (1), Southern Oregon (1), Wahluke Slope (1), Washington (1).

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Pleasant Hill Winery $32 2012 Garnacha-Tempranillo, Columbia Valley This small winery in the Cascade foothills town of Carnation, Wash., crafted this blend that is heavy in Grenache but still shows plenty of Tempranillo character. It opens with aromas of red cherry and dried leaf, followed by dark and delicious flavors of ripe red fruit.

(94 cases; 16 alc.)

Westport Winery $28 2011 Jetty Cat, Columbia Valley Coastal winemaker Dana Roberts blended together a number of red grapes, with Tempranillo playing a minor role in this wine. It shows off aromas and flavors of black cherry, ripe plum, mild oak and dark chocolate, all backed by plush tannins. (158 cases; 13 alc.)

Trio Vintners $26 2011 Les Collines Vineyard Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley Owner/winemaker Karen La Bonte didn’t have to travel far from her Walla Walla winery to bring in grapes from highly touted Les Collines Vineyard. It opens with aromas of mild oak, red cherry and a hint of raspberry, followed by rich, up-front flavors of rich red fruit, mint and a hint of blueberry. (225 cases; 13.8 alc.)

Kennedy Shah $42 2012 Reserve Tempranillo, Columbia Valley This is a label for Woodhouse Wine Estates not far from Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, Wash. This delicious Tempranillo reveals aromas and flavors of cranberry, cherry and red plum. It’s all backed by bright acidity and approachable tannins. (150 cases; 14.2 alc.)

Saviah Cellars $38 2012 Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley Longtime Walla Walla winemaker Rich Funk brought in grapes from three vineyards, including his own Funk Estate in the new Rocks District of Milton-Freewater. The resulting wine provides aromas of black raspberry, Bing cherry and leather, followed by clean, bright, elegant flavors of ripe red fruit backed by rich acidity. (95 cases; 13.8 alc.)

Tertulia Cellars 2009 Les Collines Vineyard

$32

Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley Winemaker Ryan Raber has crafted a delicious wine from Walla Walla grapes. It opens with aromas of walnut, dark cherry and new leather, followed by bold flavors of delicious dark fruit backed by ample tannins. (100 cases; 14.1 alc.)

Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards $29 2012 Timnah Bloc Tempranillo, Umpqua Valley Winemaker Stephen Reustle is revolutionizing Southern Oregon with the grape varieties he’s working with, including Tempranillo. This example offers aromas and flavors of leather, minerality, dark chocolate, caramel and black fruit. It shows off beautiful roundness through the lengthy finish. (300 cases; 13.9 alc.)

Raptor Ridge Winery $35 2012 Tempranillo, Rogue Valley Newberg, Ore., is a long haul from the Rogue Valley, but winemaker Scott Shull doesn’t mind the drive to bring in grapes this delicious. This red reveals aromas and flavors of cherry, new leather, black olive and maple syrup. It is loaded with bright acidity and modest tannins. (220 cases; 13.2 alc.)

Palencia Wine Co. $50 2013 El Viñador Tempranillo, Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley Winemaker Victor Palencia’s first effort with Tempranillo is a fascinating wine from the relatively cool Ancient Lakes region of the Columbia Valley. It opens with aromas of Rainier cherry, white pepper and a bit of oak, followed by ripe flavors of strawberry, raspberry and rhubarb. It’s all backed by wellintegrated tannin. (70 cases; 14.5 alc.)

Holloran Vineyard 2012 La Chenaie Vineyard

$22

— Tempranillo, Eola-Amity Hills Finding Tempranillo in the heart of Pinot Noir country is surprising enough, but discovering one this delicious is astonishing. It opens with aromas of blackberry, black cherry, sage and leather, followed by flavors of mint chocolate, ripe raspberry and cherry cordial. It’s all backed with firm tannins that are perfectly balanced with the fruit. (275 cases; 13.5 alc.)

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northwest tempranillo TA S T I N G R E S U LT S Castillo de Feliciana $18 2012 Rosebud Vineyard Tempranillo, Columbia Valley Rosebud is one of the classic vineyards on Washington’s Wahluke Slope. Because Castillo de Feliciana is a few feet onto the Oregon side of the Walla Walla Valley, it may not use the AVA name on its label. The resulting wine, however, is superb, with aromas and flavors of spicy oak, ripe raspberry and fruit leather, which are backed by moderate tannins. (600 cases; 14.7 alc.)

Valley View Winery $40 2011 Pioneer Reserve Tempranillo, Oregon The Wisnovsky family has been running this Southern Oregon winery for more than three decades, and winemaker John Guerrero has crafted a delicious Tempranillo. It opens with aromas of Rainier cherry, mild oak and black pepper followed by rich fruit and bold up-front tannins that are integrated with all the luscious flavors. (400 cases; 13 alc.)

Red Lily Vineyards $17 2013 Lily Girl Rosé, Rogue Valley Thanks to its bright red flavors and elegant acidity, Tempranillo can make a delicious pink wine, and this is an excellent example.

Aromas of strawberry and raspberry lead to bright, clean flavors of fresh red fruit, including pomegranate and red currant. (375 cases; 13.4 alc.)

Wilridge Winery $20 2012 Tempranillo, Yakima Valley Seattle attorney Paul Beveridge has long been crafting superb red wines, and this Tempranillo shows his prowess with the Spanish variety. This is a darker-toned example with aromas of black pepper, black cherry and ripe plum. On the palate, the rich entry leads to flavors of ripe blackberry. Well-integrated tannins provide just enough grip to provide rich structure. (184 cases; 13.5 alc.)

Zerba Cellars $45 2011 Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley Winemaker Doug Nierman crafts some of the Walla Walla Valley’s best wines, and he shows his abilities with Tempranillo. It opens with aromas of dark-toned fruit and pipe tobacco, followed by flavors of rich dark fruit, dark chocolate and black raspberry, all backed by stylish tannins. (279 cases; 14.9 alc.)

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Michael Florentino Cellars $28 2011 Tempranillo, Columbia Valley This Woodinville, Wash., winery has been coming on strong in recent years, and this Tempranillo further shows the talents of winemaker Bradley Sherman. This offers aromas and flavors of Rainier cherry, black pepper, green olive and a hint of oak. It’s round and luscious on the midpalate, leading to a finish backed by mild tannins. (175 cases; 13.9 alc.)

Red Lily Vineyards $60 2007 Estate Reserve Tempranillo, Applegate Valley Southern Oregon winemaker Rachael Martin has crafted a delicious and complex Tempranillo with aromas and flavors of black cherry, dark plum, a touch of oak influence and subtle spice. It’s all backed by juicy tannins and bright acidity through the elegant finish. (100 cases; 14 alc.)

Wind Rose Cellars $22 2013 Hunter's Red, Yakima Valley Olympic Peninsula winemaker David Volmut crafted this blend that is 75 percent Tempranillo with the balance Cabernet Sauvignon. The result shows off aromas of rich dark fruit, pipe tobacco and mild oak, followed by flavors of ripe strawberry, purple plum and rich cherry. It’s all backed by remarkable acidity and modest tannins. (80 cases; 15.1 alc.)

Abacela $36 2011 Barrel Select Tempranillo, Umpqua Valley Abacela’s Earl and Hilda Jones brought Tempranillo to Southern Oregon in the mid-1990s, and with winemaker Andrew Wenzl, they continue to craft some of the best around, as evidenced by this delicious example. Aromas and flavors of ripe strawberry, raspberry and mild barrel influence are backed by juicy tannins and hints of old leather. (731 cases; 13.7 alc.)

Red Lily Vineyards $35 2011 Tempranillo, Rogue Valley This producer southwest of quaint Jacksonville, Ore., focuses almost exclusively on Tempranillo, and winemaker Rachael Martin is dialing in her style across the board. This offers bright, spicy aromas of cherry, red currant and a hint of cranberry, followed by

rich, alluring flavors of bright red fruit, including Rainier cherry and pomegranate. It’s all backed by elegant acidity. (500 cases; 14.3 alc.)

Delfino Winery $26 2012 Tempranillo, Umpqua Valley One of the inspirations for Jim and Terri Delfino to grow grapes in Oregon’s Umpqua Valley were the delicious Tempranillos from Abacela. Today, they are following in the same footsteps, crafting delicious examples with aromas and flavors of dusty cherry, rhubarb, vanilla and rich red plum. (186 cases; 13.1 alc.)

Chateau Lorane $25 2008 Tempranillo, Umpqua Valley Owner/winemaker Linde Kester is a master at producing delicious wines from out-of-themainstream varieties. This luscious Tempranillo shows off aromas and flavors of mild oak, Rainier cherry, strawberry fruit leather and hints of blueberry, all backed by firm tannins and bright acidity. (125 cases; 13.6 alc.)

Upland Estates $28 2009 Tempranillo, Snipes Mountain This delicious Tempranillo from one of the smallest viticultural areas in Washington offers aromas and flavors of black raspberry, ripe dark cherry and even a hint of delicious blackberry. It’s all backed by firm tannins that give this wine sufficient weight on the palate to pair with rich meat dishes. (48 cases; 13.8 alc.)

Rio Vista Winery $32 2013 Tempranillo, Lake Chelan Owner/winemaker John Little has released this young and fun red using grapes from North Central Washington. It provides aromas and flavors of spicy cherry, ripe strawberry, a sprinkling of cocoa and raspberry, all backed by mild tannins and solid acidity.

(150 cases; 14.5 alc.)

Silvan Ridge Winery $24 2012 Tempranillo, Rogue Valley Silvan Ridge, one of Oregon’s oldest wineries (launched in 1979), reached into the Rogue Valley for this wine. The result is a wine with aromas and flavors of dark fruit, including black cherry, plum, boysenberry and caramel. Firm tannins back up all the

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fruit and lead to a delicious finish. (250 cases; 14.5 alc.)

Daven Lore Winery $29 2012 Tempranillo, Snipes Mountain Soil scientist Joan Davenport helped establish the Snipes Mountain AVA, and now her husband, Gord Taylor makes wines from the Yakima Valley region. This opens with aromas of red cherry, oak, black pepper and raspberry, followed by bright, fresh flavors of red fruit backed by mild tannins. (85 cases; 13.5 alc.)

Alexandria Nicole Cellars $55 2012 Destiny Ridge Vineyards Big Shot Tempranillo, Horse Heaven Hills Owner/winemaker Jarrod Boyle used estate grapes to craft this luscious Tempranillo. It opens with aromas of black pepper, Rainier cherry and pomegranate, followed by clean, bright flavors of red currant and backed with round, plush tannins that give way to a supple finish. (178 cases; 14.2 alc.)

Kennedy Shah $20 2011 Tempranillo, Columbia Valley

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Winemaker Jean Claude Beck crafts two Tempranillos for this label, which is part of Woodhouse Family in Woodinville, Wash.

This example shows off aromas and flavors of black pepper, raspberry, red cherry and fruit leather backed by round tannins, moderate acidity and a lengthy finish. (1,300 cases; 13.8 alc.)

Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards $39 2012 Winemaker's Reserve Tempranillo, Umpqua Valley Stephen Reustle is taking Southern Oregon to new heights in winemaking and viticulture, and he has put together this superb Tempranillo using estate grapes. It is a bold, exciting wine with aromas and flavors of spicy dark cherry, plum, raspberry and cocoa powder.

The rich, refreshing flavors lead to a delicious finish. (275 cases; 13.8 alc.)

Valley View Winery $24 2011 Anna Maria Tempranillo, Rogue Valley Winemaker John Guerrero created this rich and luscious Tempranillo that opens with

aromas of leather, moist earth, red cherry and a touch of vanilla, followed by bright flavors of cherry, raspberry, white pepper and herbal tea. It is a beautifully balanced red with plenty of length, and it also ranks as the large production of the variety in the judging.

(1,500 cases; 13.6 alc.)

Red Blanket $22 2011 Tempranillo, Rogue Valley This wine from Red Lily Vineyards near Jacksonville, Ore., uses a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon for structure and complexity. The result is a wine with aromas and flavors of strawberry, black cherry and kitchen spices. it’s all backed by mild, approachable tannins and a juicy finish. (775 cases; 14.1 alc.)

Abacela $23 2012 Fiesta Tempranillo, Umpqua Valley This fruit-forward and affordable Tempranillo already has earned a gold medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition in January and also has shown well in this peer-group tasting. Aromas and flavors of vanilla, Bing cherry and ripe strawberry are

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northwest tempranillo TA S T I N G R E S U LT S backed by bold yet approachable tannins.

(1,383 cases; 14.3 alc.)

Michael Florentino Cellars $28 2010 Tempranillo, Columbia Valley Winemaker Bradley Sherman blended in a bit of Grenache and Counoise to give this Tempranillo roundness and complexity. The result is a rich wine that focuses on red and blue fruits and is backed by bold, racy acidity.

(250 cases; 14.6 alc.)

Best Buy! Redd Brand $15 NV Tempranillo, Columbia Valley This delicious and affordable Tempranillo was made by winemaker Ryan Driver and is a second label for Tertulia Cellars in Walla Walla. It opens with aromas of black pepper, minerality, black currant and ripe strawberry, followed by flavors of cocoa powder, ripe

dark fruit and assertive tannins that lead to a bold finish. (220 cases; 14.1 alc.)

Chateau Lorane $25 2006 Tempranillo, Umpqua Valley This was the oldest wine in our Tempranillo competition, yet this wine from a longtime producer near Eugene, Ore., is hardly showing its age. It opens with aromas of maple syrup, ripe strawberry and mild oak. On the

Chateau Lorane $25 2009 Tempranillo, Umpqua Valley This complex red from Southern Oregon shows off stunning aromas and flavors of blueberry, huckleberry and red currant, all backed by hints of mild oak and firm tannins that are well integrated with all the fruit.

This is a delicious and lengthy wine. (56 cases; 13.1 alc.)

Jaxon Vineyards $27 2011 Tradición, Rogue Valley Winemaker Rob Folin blended equal parts Tempranillo and Garnacha to create a classic Spanish-style red. It’s a rich and succulent wine that reveals complex aromas and flavors of black truffle, moist earth, ripe plum and black tea. This is a young wine that will only gain complexity with a bit of time in your cellar. (196 cases; 13.7 alc.)

WildAire Cellars $28 2012 Ellis Vineyards Tempranillo, Rogue Valley This winery in northern Yamhill County reached deep into Southern Oregon for this Tempranillo. It’s a beautiful wine with aromas of minerality, pomegranate, red plum and cherry pipe tobacco. On the palate, it’s a big wine with rich red fruit backed by bright acidity and bold tannins. (50 cases; 14.9 alc.)

Girardet Wine Cellars $59 2012 Bush Vine Tempranillo, Umpqua Valley This longtime Southern Oregon producer used a different pruning method for this Tempranillo to achieve a different fruit profile. The result is a wine with fascinating aromas of dark fruit, sage and walnut, followed by bold flavors of black cherry and plum. It’s all backed by solid tannins that lead to a juicy finish. (73 cases; 13.8 alc.)

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palate, it offers flavors of big, up-front flavors of plum and black cherry, backed by a rich midpalate and good length. (76 cases; 13.5 alc.)

Northwest Totem Cellars $39 2011 Potlatch, Columbia Valley Though it doesn't necessarily say so on the label, this is a Tempranillo, though winemaker Mike Sharadin added just a dash of Syrah. The result is a complex red with aromas of ripe strawberry, dark cherry and most earth, followed by flavors of dark-toned fruit, including Bing cherry, blackberry and new leather, all backed by moderate tannins for a rich finish. (128 cases; 13 alc.)

and fruit leather backed by approachable tannins and well-balanced acidity. (196 cases; 13 alc.)

Recommended Ledger David Cellars $46 2010 Reserve Tempranillo, Rogue Valley This winery in Central Point, Ore., has crafted a delicious and approachable red with aromas and flavors of exotic dark spices,

dark-toned fruit and rich tannins. (60 cases; 14.7 alc.)

Jaxon Vineyards $27 2011 Tempranillo, Rogue Valley Here is a luscious and approachable Tempranillo with aromas and flavors of black cherry, pipe tobacco and plump red fruit backed by youthful tannins. (196 cases; 13.2 alc.)

Please see page 48

Delfino Winery $29 2011 Tempranillo, Umpqua Valley Using estate grapes from near Roseburg, Ore., this delicious wine reveals racy redtoned fruit aromas and flavors, including ripe strawberry, rich raspberry and cherry, as well as succulent spices backed by mild, approachable tannins. It's a beautiful and enjoyable wine. (201 cases; 13.4 alc.)

Best Buy! Tulip Valley Winery $13 2013 Off-Dry Tempranillo Rosé, Yakima Valley This luscious rosé has a bit of residual sugar at 1.5% that makes this a refreshing wine to enjoy with somewhat spicy foods such as chorizo. It opens with aromas of strawberry-rhubarb pie and bright spice, followed by clean, refreshing flavors of red currant and pomegranate. (100 cases; 12.5 alc.)

Martin-Scott Winery $24 2012 Tempranillo, Columbia Valley Owner/winemaker Mike Scott crafts a number of delicious wines at his facility in East Wenatchee, Wash. This Tempranillo offers aromas and flavors of mint chocolate, purple plum, blackberry and a hint of oak. It is a rich wine to pair with spicy meat dishes.

(86 cases; 13.5 alc.)

Jaxon Vineyards $19 2011 La Brisa Tempranillo, Rogue Valley Winemaker Rob Folin produced this affordable Tempranillo at his winery near Medford, Ore., to be enjoyed for any occasion. It's a rich and succulent red with aromas and flavors of blueberry, blackberry, black cherry 42

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FEATURE

silver bell winer y

LaConnor home to unique boutique winery

The tasting room at Silver Bell Winery in LaConner Contributing Photographer Zacchoreli Frescobaldi-Grimaldi

BY DAN RADIL

T

he French have a phrase for it: “vins de garage.” It originally applied to the wines of a rather rebellious group of 1990s winemakers – garagistes – who produced small lots of big, fruity, highalcohol wines that ran counter to the more reserved standards of the Bordeaux region.

Since then, the definition of garagistes has expanded to include most any hands-on, small production winemaker who specializes in artisan wines made to their liking…and, presumably, for a loyal fan base that appreciates the little guy.

Whatever the recipe – perhaps one part independent thinking, two parts attentionto-detail boutique winery – the husband and wife team of Alan and Diane Holtzheimer

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have taken Silver Bell Winery from the humble beginnings of their Burlington garage to a classy LaConner tasting room with great success.

Originally from Whidbey Island in the Puget Sound, the Holtzheimers took up residence in Burlington, Washington in 1995.

Since the early ‘90s, Diane had envisioned purchasing an old home with the plan of converting it into a bed and breakfast.

“I did not share with her that I had no interest whatsoever in this,” recounts Alan with a grin. “But during this time, I was thinking of a business that would be complementary to hers.” A casual acquaintance suggested that a winery might work well, and as the years progressed, the Holtzheimers “took the idea and ran with it,” first by developing a taste for wine and then by researching the ins

and outs of starting a winery.

“Alan is a research-aholic,” notes Diane. He purchased some home winemaking kits that, by his own admission, produced some horrible wines. The failed attempts were frustrating because, “to me, it was the equivalent of paint-by-numbers that should at least result in a drinkable wine…and it wasn’t. That sent me into the spiral of research,” Alan says. “I started buying every book that I could find, reading every web site that was out there, and asking questions of winemakers.”

One of the early problems he noted was, “…we needed to get good grapes. That was the biggest detriment to those wines. After we got the grapes things just snowballed from there.”

So what about the bed and breakfast? “By the time I was getting serious about making W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

silver bell winer y F E A T U R E

Silver Bell Winery owners Diane and Alan Holtzheimer

Contributing Photographer Zacchoreli Frescobaldi-Grimaldi

wine, in my mind the bed and breakfast was off the table,” Alan admits. “And I was OK with that,” Diane says with a smile. “This was a passion for him. I had never seen a spark in him (like this) until he started making wine.”

Like many boutique wineries, the Holtzheimers used their home garage as ground zero. “It really did, inch by inch take over the garage,” Diane notes. “I kept buying more and more equipment,” says Alan, “and at one point, Diane, who I knew was being patient with me, called me out on it. ‘That’s enough spending money on this hobby. Either start doing it as a business or sell this equipment.”

Diane’s version is slightly different. “You’re so passionate about this; just do it,” she recalls saying. “He was afraid to the make that jump and I was the influence (behind moving him forward).” In 2010 the Holtzheimers established and licensed Silver Bell Winery, derived from Diane’s vision to name the thenofficially-retired idea of the bed and breakfast as the Silver Bell Inn. Even with their initial production at only about 300 cases, the Holtzheimers quickly found that their garage winemaking facility •••

Silver Bell Wine 106 S. First Street LaConner, WA 98257 Hours: Saturday and Sunday, Noon to 6:00 pm Phone: (360) 757-WINE silverbellwinery.com W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

was bursting at the seams. So in his signature, need-for-research style, Alan spent the summer of 2012 looking for a larger, more visible tasting room before the two settled on their current LaConner location that opened in November of 2012.

“We just liked the vibe of LaConner,” says Diane, noting that the destination status of the town makes it especially popular for out-of-town visitors. “Our largest customer base is from Seattle,” she says, and the couple points out that the town has much to offer in terms of art galleries, bed and breakfasts, quaint shops and a huge variety of restaurants.

Silver Bell’s warmly appointed tasting room is conveniently located on the main drag of the town, just a stone’s throw from the Swinomish Channel that separates the mainland from Fidalgo Island.

In a sense, “this is my winery, her tasting room,” says Alan. “And one of the things we learned through this process is that we had very strong compliementary skills. She is extremely good at the…planning, the décor, the general feel of the winery and how we are presented to the public (right down to the labels). Basically everything outside the bottle is all her and anything inside the bottle is all me.”

“But I have the (discriminating) palate,” Diane laughs. “I’m his worst critic.”

Together, they’ve expanded their production to nearly 500 cases annually, with a

long-term goal of 2,000. “We’ve always envisioned making wines that we like and that’s still true today,” says Alan. “We love the single varietals,” notes Diane, and Alan agrees.

“Single varietal wines give you a better representation of the vineyard. There’s more ‘truth’ in a single varietal wine, but we’ve also experimented with some blends.”

From its inception, Silver Bell has produced a Syrah and a Pinot Gris and additional new, stand-alone releases include Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Grapes are sourced from a variety of Eastern Washington appellations such as Red Mountain, Rattlesnake Hills and Ancient Lakes and vineyards including Cave B, Artz, Dineen, Copeland, and Airfield Ranch.

Blends have also found a place at Silver Bell and current releases include a white Bordeaux-style, 50-50 combination of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc and a Syrah/Merlot/ Cabernet Franc red blend.

All of these wines have an understated, Eurocentric style about them; the result of the Holtzheimers strategy to pick the grapes early and avoid making “fruit bomb” wines.

They’re well-balanced, with good acidity and reserved fruit flavors and best when paired with the proper foods.

Silver Bell recently joined six other wineries from Skagit County and Camano Island to form the North Sound Wine Trail (northsoundwinetrail.com). Together, the wineries invite guests to visit the area’s historic towns, take in some picturesque valley and island scenery, and have the opportunity to enjoy good wines along the way.

As part of the consortium, the Holtzheimers can take pride in their winery and its increasing exposure and popularity within the region. It’s a successful, yet ever-evolving journey that’s come to fruition for this hardworking couple, and an inspiration for anyone who’s dreamed of taking a winemaking hobby from the family garage to a bona fide boutique winery.

DAN RADIL is a freelance wine writer based in Bellingham, Wash. Dan teaches wine classes at Bellingham Technical college, writes a wine column for the Bellingham Herald and produces a wine blog danthewineguy.com

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A WA R D S

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From page 42

$55 Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2013 Destiny Ridge Vineyards Big Shot Tempranillo, Horse Heaven Hills This is a young wine that is still coming around, but it shows plenty of promise, thanks to supple aromas and flavors of raspberry, vanilla, white pepper and Rainier cherry. It’s surrounded by smooth tannins. (183 cases; 14.4 alc.)

Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards $38 2013 Winemaker's Reserve Tempranillo, Umpqua Valley The warm 2013 vintage helped this young red reveal aromas and flavors of cherry-rhubarb jam, pipe tobacco and dried herbs backed by rich tannins and a hint of strawberry on the finish. (375 cases; 13.9 alc.)

Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards $29 2013 Timnah Bloc Tempranillo, Umpqua Valley This opens with aromas of mild oak, red cherry, raspberry and moist earth, followed by rich flavors of ripe strawberry, Rainier cherry and raspberry. It’s all backed by smooth, appealing tannins. (700 cases; 13.1 alc.)

Camaraderie Cellars $28 2010 Tempranillo, Yakima Valley This longtime Olympic Peninsula producer has crafted a bold and complex red wine with aromas of sage, mild oak, red cherry and ripe strawberry. Bold acidity and rich tannins give this plenty of structure. (477 cases; 14.3 alc.)

Tulip Valley Winery $20 2013 Tempranillo, Yakima Valley Tempranillo’s rustic nature makes it especially good with grilled meats and somewhat spicy foods, and this example surely qualifies, thanks to aromas and flavors of ripe raspberry, red currant and cranberry. It’s all backed by supple tannins and a dash of wild spice. (100 cases; 13.5 alc.)

Dynasty Cellars $28 2012 Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley This winery in Bellingham, Wash., uses terrific fruit sources in the Walla Walla Valley.

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that give this a lot of length. (120 cases; 14.2 alc.)

Tesóaria Vineyard & Winery $38 2012 Tempranillo, Southern Oregon This winery has tasting rooms in Roseburg and Portland, so it shouldn’t be difficult for Oregon wine lovers to find it and enjoy the aromas and flavors of cherry pipe tobacco, red fruit and hints of leather and moist earth.

It has a round and plump finish. (250 cases; 14.23 alc.)

Maragas Winery $28 2013 Tally Tempranillo, Applegate Valley This is one of the few wineries in Central Oregon, and this is just north of Bend on Highway 97. The grapes come from the fascinating Applegate Valley, providing aromas and flavors of spicy oak, black pepper, raspberry and Rainier cherry. This is a bright, crowd-pleasing wine. (231 cases; 14.2 alc.)

Icon Cellars $30 2012 Flamenco, Rattlesnake Hills Woodinville winemaker Jim Garner blended 70% Tempranillo with 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the result is a bold and delicious red with aromas and flavors of ripe raspberry and dark plum backed by juicy, mild tannins. (110 cases; 14.2 alc.)

Spangler Vineyards $35 2012 Tempranillo, Oregon Winemaker Patrick Spangler has crafted a delicious red wine with aromas of ripe strawberry, red cherry and black pepper. Bold tannins up front give way to a big finish. (286 cases; 13.3 alc.)

Abacela $60 2011 South East Block Reserve Tempranillo, Umpqua Valley The cooler 2011 vintage has resulted in some wines that are still trying to resolve themselves. It’s easy to see where this big red is going, thanks to aromas and flavors of spicy red cherry, red plum, sage and a hint of cola. (53 cases; 13.8 alc.)

Andy Perdue is The Seattle Times wine columnist and editor and publisher of Great Northwest Wine.

Learn more about wine at www.greatnorthwestwine.com..

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NORTHWEST WINE EVENTS MARCH 26-29 Taste Washington, Seattle. Washington’s signature wine event includes two days of public tasting and education at the CenturyLink Field Event Center. Tickets start at $90. Go to to tastewashington.org.

28 Capital Food and Wine Festival, Lacey, Wash. Northwest wines take center stage at the 26th annual fundraiser for St. Martin's University from noon to 9 p.m. Cost is $15. Contact 360-438-4366 or go to capitalfoodandwinefestival.com

APRIL 10-11 Celebration of Syrah, Troutdale, Ore.. McMenamins Edgefield Winery brings in winemakers and distributors from the Northwest and beyond for the 14th annual Syrah showdown.

Go to celebrationofsyrah.com 11-12 North Willamette Wine Trail Weekend. Gaston, Ore.. More than 20 members of the North Willamette Vintners group offer tastings, culinary samples, education and events.

Tickets start at $30. Go to nwvintners.org 11-12 Columbia Gorge Passport Kickoff Weekend. Wineries along both sides of the Columbia River participate. The weekend includes a winegrowers' fundraising dinner, pouring and auction for hospice. Tickets start at $25. Go to columbiagorgewine.com 12 Roll in the Shea, Newberg, Ore. Lynn Penner-Ash plays host to a 10-winery comparative public tasting of Pinot Noir from famed Shea Vineyard. Cost is $75. Go to pennerash.com.

24-26 Spring Barrel Tasting, Yakima Valley, Wash. This longtime annual event showcases more than 40 wineries and special seminars in the Northwest’s oldest appellation. Cost is $35. Go to wineyakimavalley.org.

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24-26 Astoria Warrenton Crab & Seafood Festival, Astoria, Ore. Sip wine from more than 40 Oregon wineries while enjoying seafood at the mouth of the Columbia River. This marks the event’s 33rd year. Go to oldoregon.com.

MAY 29-10 The Okanagan Spring Wine Festival. Okanagan Valley, B.C. It includes more than 100 events. Go to thewinefestivals.com 1-3 Spring Release Weekend, Walla Walla, Wash. Also known as “Leonetti Weekend,” this is one of two weekends when nearly every winery is open. Go to wallawallawine.com.

8-10 Spring Barrel Tasting, Spokane, Wash. Spokane wineries continue to open their doors to visitors on Mother’s Day weekend. Go to spokanewineries.net.

16 Northwest Corks and Crush, Puyallup, Wash. Wineries in Oregon and Washington pour and help fund services at MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital. Go to multicare.org/home/northwest-corks-crush.

23 Revelry on Red Mountain, Benton City, Wash. Wine country chefs and winemakers gather at Col Solare in support of the Auction of Washington Wines. Cost is $95. Go to auctionofwashingtonwines.org/events/revelry.

23-25 Memorial Weekend in Wine Country. Willamette Valley, Ore. More than 150 wineries participate in the 25th year of the event. Go to willamettewines.com.

JUNE 14 Savor Idaho, Boise. The Idaho Grape Growers and Wine Producers Commission puts wineries and restaurants on display for the seventh year at the Idaho Botanical Gardens. Cost is $45.

Go to savoridaho.org

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MATCH MAKER

Bunnell Family finds time is right in Prosser for

WINE O’CLOCK WINE BAR AND BISTRO STORY BY ERIC DEGERMAN // PHOTOS BY BOB BRAWDY

S

usan Bunnell’s husband has been one of the West Coast’s top winemakers for more than two decades, yet hungry wine tourists in the Yakima Valley probably know Wine o’Clock Wine Bar and Bistro more than Bunnell Family Cellar.

The relationship is so seamless that many diners don’t realize they actually stroll through the Bunnell tasting bar on their way to the bistro in Prosser’s Vintners Village.

It also explains why a web search for Wine o’Clock redirects to the home page for Bunnell Family Cellar.

“There are times when we’ll be at something like Taste Washington, and people will say, ‘Oh, these are wonderful wines. Where can I taste them at?’ ” Susan said. “I tell them, ‘Well, at our tasting room in Woodinville and our tasting room in Prosser. And they will say, ‘Oh, where in Prosser?’ ” At that point, Susan begins to share the story of Wine o’Clock, their 36-seat restaurant with a full-time staff, wood-fired pizza oven and patio dining that resumes each spring.

“Oh, I’ve been there!” they tell her.

It would be easy to sigh, but for a restaurateur, such recognition is not a bad problem.

“They don’t quite make the connection,” Susan said. “We don’t want to be a hard sell.

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People don’t come here to be sold like they would expect to in a tasting room environment. They want more of an experience, but we do have reminders that this is our tasting room.”

Understandably, the only wines available on the property are those made by Ron, whose career in California included such historic properties as Charles Krug, Beringer, Chateau Souverain and Kendall-Jackson.

He was recruited to Washington in 1999 by Chateau Ste. Michelle, where he spent a halfdecade as the red winemaker before launching Bunnell Family Cellar in 2005.

“One of the decisions a small winemaker has to make is ‘What is my focus?’ ” Ron said. “So we picked about a half-dozen growers that we knew we wanted to work with from my Ste. Michelle days and went off making Rhône wines. We’ve branched out a bit since then.”

Bunnell’s focus at Kendall-Jackson was Syrah, and the first releases under his eponymous new brand topped Wine Press Northwest’s 2006 judging of Syrah.

Six years later, when Wine Press Northwest revisited the variety, Bunnell Family Cellar again led the competition. Last fall, his 2009 alx, the Syrah cuvée he names after their son Alex, earned a gold at the Great Northwest

Invitational Wine Competition. And a year ago, two of his blends from Rhône varieties — the 2008 Lia and 2008 Vif — earned Outstanding! awards in Wine Press Northwest’s Red Rhône blend judging.

Based on that success, it’s difficult to choose one wine over another. That’s why the wine flight concept works so well. And considering how Ron and Susan met, the delicious marriage of Bunnell Family Cellar and Wine o’Clock seems intuitive.

Her culinary career at in the California wine industry began in the 1980s and included collaborating with Gary Danko, named California’s best chef by the James Beard Foundation soon after he left Sonoma for San Francisco.

“When I first met Ron, I was working with Gary at Chateau Souverain — that’s when it was owned by Beringer — and I was in charge of intercompany entertaining,” she said. “I would do all the food and menu pairings and wine pairings and keep track of the sales reps guests, as well as work as the dining room manager.”

Then she moved on to Domaine Chandon, a seven-year span that also included managing the dining room.

“It was sort of natural that when we decided to do the restaurant Ron put me in WINEPRESSNW.COM

MATCH MAKERS

Susan and Ron Bunnell

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Bunnell Family Cellar $24 2012 Hélène, Yakima Valley — 205 cases, 14.2% alcohol It often requires time and effort to explain blended wines to potential buyers, which is why the Bunnells want guests to sit down with some bistro fare and really get to know Hélène.

The Rhône-style blend of Viognier (60%) and Roussanne is from Art den Hoed Vineyard — a cooler site also known as Far Away Vineyard — near Grandview. The property spans about 250 acres along the lower stretches of the Rattlesnake Hills, sitting at about 1,300 feet elevation.

Hélène is a new addition to the Bunnell Family Cellar portfolio, and the eighthmonth program of neutral oak serves a purpose. There’s no hint of that subdued use of oak in the nose, which is filled with dusty apricot, lemon, starfruit and mineral notes. However, on the palate, those months in barrel create a marvelous texture on the entry, which carries flavors of apricot and pear, followed by a flourish of refreshing, food-friendly acidity.

And the label also shows a family touch, featuring a drawing of a flower by the Bunnells’ daughter Amelia.

All of the blends carry one of her drawings on the label, but the only other white wine in the Bunnell Family Cellar lineup is Fraîche, another Rhone-style blend that leads with Viognier, — only this includes Marsanne, Picpoul and Grenache Blanc.

There are several whites made under the Wine o’Clock brand, including Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and a dry Gewürztraminer. No whites fall under their RiverAerie brand, but Ron Bunnell recently released a wine as part of their partnership with Newhouse Family Vineyards. The 2013 Cottontop is made entirely from Aligoté off the Newhouse family’s Upland Vineyard plantings.

“You can probably count on one hand the number of wineries on the West Coast making Aligoté,” Ron said with a smile.

The Bunnell Family Cellar, Newhouse Family Vineyards and Upland Vineyard wines (made by Robert Smasne) are available at their shared BNU tasting room in Woodinville.

BNU Tasting Room, 19501 144th Ave NE, C-800, Woodinville, WA 98072, 425-286-2964.

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that position,” Susan chuckled.

Each side of the business is a family affair.

Susan’s mother, Paula Mauldin, helps out with the winery, the menu and caring for Ron and Susan’s children Alex and Amelia.

A niece, Julie Brown, spent several years working in the winery and the dining room before becoming an assistant winemaker for Precept Wine. Her duties included work on the Waitsburg Cellars portfolio.

“It’s been great for us to see her evolve and become a part of the industry,” Susan said.

Susan also groomed Jonathon Orona to serve as head of the Wine o’Clock culinary team, taking over for Laurie Kennedy when she left for the new Horse Heaven Saloon in historic downtown Prosser.

“He started with us as a line cook and cooked with Laurie for several years,” Susan said. “He’s an incredible team leader, and we work on the menus together.”

The continued success of Wine o’Clock is apparent when seeing the reservation list, and folks in the Tri-Cities and Yakima think nothing of making the 30-minute drive for lunch or an early dinner.

“It’s always surprising to us when we see people who come every six weeks or so who are from Seattle or Portland or Spokane because they are on business and traveling through,” Susan said. “And the entire wine community in Prosser has been incredibly supportive.”

The expert food-and-wine pairings developed by the Bunnells make such support easy, and for their Match Maker red wine assignment, they offered the Bunnell Family Cellar 2010 Grenache with a new dish that Orona’s team will roll out this spring — Braised Duck Leg with Vegetable Puree and Crème Fraiche.

“For our Grenache, I usually go duck or pork,” she said. “We love mushrooms with it, but this particular time, since this is a spring dish, I didn’t want to go wintery with mushrooms. And Grenache is very complex wine, it’s just that it’s lighter body. We wanted something with complex flavors so we went with a really long and slow braise to build complexity. And we worked with some root vegetables to pick up those earthier notes.

“Now, If I was working with a Barbera or Sangiovese, I’d go with a tomato-based braise, but we were thinking of something more toward umami,” she continued. “So we went with anchovies. For the duck, it’s the

leg and thigh portion, so it’s richer meat.”

A mainstay on the menu at Wine o’Clock is the Pear and Bacon Pizza, yet Susan still offered her recipe. Unless you have your own wood-fired pizza, you won’t come close to matching what Orona will place on your table.

“We’ve been doing it for six years, and it’s probably the most popular dish we do,” she said.

While she really enjoys Ron’s dry Gewürztraminer with that fruity and savory pizza, she opted for the 2012 Hélène — a new white released a year ago.

“It’s a Viognier-Roussanne blend, and I like the little extra body in it over the dry Gewürz,” she said. “It’s still a relatively dry wine. It’s got a little bit of fatness in the mouth from the neutral oak, but it’s not oaky at all. It’s more about the texture. But the acidity is still really nice and high, which is what I want because I’m looking for something that’s going to cut through the fat of the bacon.

“And we use an aged cheddar, and since the cheddar is still tart, we’re not worried about that getting flabby. And you’ve got that pear, which provides that sweet fruit.

Now we don’t use a really ripe pear. We use one that’s on the firm side. But you’ve got the pretty aromatics on the pear, particularly when it’s still warm out of the oven. I’m wanting a wine that’s more of those fruit aromatics, almost toward the floral.”

When dining, folks can order a single wine by the glass or bottle. For the maximum experience and education, however, they should order the suggested flight of wines with that meal.

“The wines are tagged so that everybody knows and can remember what they are tasting,” Susan said. “We offer food because we want people to spend time with Ron’s wines, and the best way to get them to really spend some time and see how the wine changes in the glass is to put some food in front of them.

“Evaluating the differences between tastes is not so difficult, and people are more comfortable doing that,” she added. “And when they leave at the end of the meal, they know which wines they like best.”

Occasionally, guests and wine club members can go back in time and sample from the Bunnell library that dates to 2004.

“Obviously, the staff has to be very, very WINEPRESSNW.COM

MATCH MAKERS

Braised Duck Leg with Vegetable Puree and Crème Fraîche Serves 6

Ingredients 2 tablespoons olive oil 12 “leg and thigh quarters” of duck (we are currently using Muscovy Duck from Grimaud, and they are fairly small birds. If using a large duck leg/quarter, you may only want one per person rather than two) 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons flour ½ cup diced leeks ½ cup diced carrots 2/3 cup diced celery root (if available, if not use 1/3 cup diced celery) 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed kosher salt to taste (1-2 teaspoons)

pepper to taste 6 large or 8 medium flat anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped (salt-packed are best, rinse well) 1 cup dry white wine 1 to 1½ cups homemade chicken stock

Directions 1. Create a beurre manié by kneading together 2 tablespoons soft butter and 2 tablespoons flour into a smooth paste. Use this to thicken the juices in Step 9.

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees 3. Select a heavy casserole or roasting pan with a lid, large enough to hold the duck legs. Sauté the duck in the casserole over medium high heat until well browned on all sides.

4. Remove duck and set aside.

5. Heat olive oil and butter in the casserole over medium heat.

Add leeks and vegetables and sauté until just softened.

6. Add back the duck legs, along with the garlic, salt, pepper and wine. Simmer for 2 or 3 minutes on high.

7. Add anchovies and stock, bring back to a simmer. Cover.

Place in the pre-heated oven. Cook for about 1 ½ hours, or until meat is extremely tender and can easily be separated from the bone with a fork. You will need to turn the duck every 30 minutes or so to keep it moistened in the liquids. If the juices become too reduced add up to an additional ½ cup of stock.

8. Remove duck to a baking sheet with a lip. Turn oven to 450 degrees. Place duck in the oven just long enough for the skin to crisp a bit, while finishing the sauce.

9. Place the liquid, uncovered, on the stove on high heat and bring to a low boil. Add the beurre manié in pea-sized bits to juices and continue to boil until the liquid is concentrated and reduced to the consistency of light cream. Sauce should be silky, but not thick.

10. Place the duck on a warm platter, stir any juices in the baking sheet into the sauce. Pour 1/3 of the sauce over the duck and serve the balance alongside.

11. We often serve this dish over a vegetable puree to absorb the juices. Our current favorite for duck is a mash of three quarters Yukon gold potatoes and one fourth sweet potatoes with crème fraiche folded in.

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MATCH MAKERS

Pear and Bacon Pizza Serves 4

Ingredients 2 cups of your favorite dough 2 ounces dry-cured thick bacon 3 ounces aged white cheddar, grated 1 Bosc or red Anjou, thinly sliced 2 ½ ounces grated aged white cheddar ½ ounce, sliced green onions 1 teaspoon green peppercorns 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns 1 teaspoon coriander seed 2 tablespoons semolina flour 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions 1. Work with your favorite pizza dough recipe, preferably one that can be stretched thin and is a fairly wet dough.

Don’t stress over the dough too much though; these toppings are even great over plain sourdough bread.

2. You’ll want to cook the pizza at as high a temperature as your oven allows

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(ours is 750 degrees – but even 500 will work). Preheat the oven with a pizza stone in it for at least 20 minutes.

Longer time equals a crisper crust.

3. We use kosher salt and a house spice mixture for this pizza. For the spice mixture, toast equal parts green peppercorns, pink peppercorns, and coriander seed in a shallow layer in a sauté pan over medium high heat, tossing often. When well toasted and fragrant, remove from heat..

4. When cool, grind in a spice grinder or a peppermill to a coarse grind.

5. For each 12- to 14-inch pizza, you want 2 ounces of bacon. Use a quality, dry-cured thick-cut bacon. We prefer the black pepper bacon from Fletcher’s.

Par-cook the strips by sautéing until about 2/3 cooked – still slightly soft.

Slice across into lardoons, about ¼-inch wide.

6. To assemble, place the unbaked crust on a pizza peel dusted with semolina.

This pizza does not have a sauce. Brush the edges (a border an inch or so wide) of the pizza crust with extra virgin olive oil.

7. Top the pizza with (in order): a) 3-4 ounces of thinly sliced slightly firm pear, b) grated aged white cheddar; c) 2 ounces bacon lardoons, d) sliced green onions 8. Add kosher salt and spice mixture lightly to the entire pizza. Be generous around the edge.

9. Use the peel to transfer the pizza to the stone in the preheated oven. Bake until “done.” You want the bottom of the crust to be crispy, the edges browned, and the cheese melted. If cooked too long, cheddar cheese will separate. It will taste fine, but it becomes greasy.

WINEPRESSNW.COM

MATCH MAKERS

Chef Jonathon Orona , head of Wine o’Clock’s culinary team with one of his specialty pizzas.

familiar with those older wines, so we do a lot of tastings with them,” she said.

Wine flights and dining are available from noon to 7 p.m. five nights a week, with dinner served until 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Wine tastings are held noon to 5 p.m.

“Even the people who aren’t having any wine at the time, I hope they still get an impression of us as a family and impression of our commitment to quality,” she said.

“Maybe the next time they are looking to

buy a wine, they’ll remember that place where they were really devoted to quality, where everything they made was handmade, and say, ‘I’m going to go back and try their wine on a different visit.’”

ERIC DEGERMAN is co-founder and CEO of Great Northwest Wine. Learn more about wine at www.greatnorthwestwine.com.

Bunnell Family Cellar $34 2010 Grenache, Columbia Valley — 130 cases, 14.2% alcohol If the latest stats are true, there was less Grenache harvested in Washington state in 2014 than in 2012.

For consumers, that’s a shame because it’s one of the state’s most food-friendly red wines.

Now, for those growing Grenache in the Columbia Valley, that reduced production makes it Washington’s most expensive grape variety, slightly ahead of Malbec.

According to the Northwest Regional Field Office for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average price per ton for Grenache was $1,674.

Final numbers will be published in July, but that marks a decrease of more than $200 per tons. Production stayed flat at 900 acres, off 100 acres from the 2012 vintage.

Prosser winemaker Ron Bunnell, who moved to Washington from California in 1999, shines with seemingly every Rhône grape he works with, including Grenache. The grape that’s native to Spain (where it’s known as Garnacha) and southern France can test a winemaker’s patience with its desire for heat and demand for extended hang time. That’s why it routinely finds its way into rosés or blends with other Rhône varieties such as Syrah and Mourvèdre.

Those wines often are referred to on the bottle as GSM. “I am always searching for better vineyards, and I’ve been fortunate to be at the right place at right time,” Bunnell said. “When I first started making Grenache, I felt like these wines were a little bit less full and complete than I’d like to be making. As the state got into new clones and plant material, I noticed a huge improvement.”

It’s no surprise that one of his top sources for Grenache is Dick Boushey’s renowned vineyard in the Yakima Valley. This 2010 bottling carries a theme of bright red fruit such as raspberry and red currant, amid a structure that leads with brisk acidity over mild tannin and finishes with Craisins. Those who enjoy Sangiovese should get to know Grenache. And while Bunnell does create some remarkable GSM blends, he saves his best barrels for this release.

“In 2010, which was a cool season, I thought this was the best Grenache I’ve ever made,” Bunnell said. “There’s been a lot of serendipity involved in getting to there, but it has worked.”

••• Bunnell Family Cellar & Wine o’Clock Wine Bar & Bistro bunnellfamilycellar.com 548 Cabernet Court, Prosser, WA 509-786-2197

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Spring Events!

Thurston Wolfe – Art and Wine featuring Elizabeth Freitag; she works with medium and acrylic. Mindy Clark’s art reflects the use of recycled materials. Carol VonStubbe a regular featured artist works with shadow boxes and Ed Maske with his Indian bracelets and necklaces.

The Bunnell Family Wine Bar, Wine O’Clock – Custom food and wine pairing menus by appointment, reservations recommended for an á la carte wining and dining experience.

March • 13-17 – Airfield Estates - St. Patrick’s Day Celebration – Come celebrate the luck of the Irish with a fun, festive wine tasting!

• 20 – Bunnell Family Wine Bar, Wine O’Clock – First day of spring dinner with live music.

• 21-22 – McKinley Springs Tasting Room – Grand Opening, Open Daily 11am – 5pm, featured musicians, horses in harness, Wine & BBQ pairings

April

• 14 – McKinley Springs Tasting Room – Celebrate International Syrah Day, 11am – 5pm • 17 – Milbrandt Vineyards – Brushes & a Bottle 6 pm • 17-19 – Airfield Estates Pre-Barrel Tasting Weekend – Join us for the debut of some new spring releases!

• 18-19 – Coyote Canyon Winery – Celebrate our Expansion, Open Daily 11am – 5pm • 25 – Milbrandt Vineyards – Booming Barrel Sale 9-11 am • 25-26 – All Wineries - Spring Barrel Tasting. Tickets available online at www.wineyakimavalley.org or check individual winery web sites for more details.

May

• 1 – Airfield Estates – May Day Fiesta - Enjoy great wine, delicious food by Guerra’s Catering, & live music by Cafe Blanco, 4-7pm.

• 8-10 – Airfield Estates - Mother’s Day Wine Tasting – Complimentary Wine Tasting for Mothers • 9 – Martinez & Martinez – la familia wine club release.

• 9 – Airfield Estates – Sips & Stems Flower Arranging Class - Enjoy an afternoon of learning to make a Mother’s Day Floral Arrangement, $45 per person, 2pm.

• 10 – Bunnell Family Wine Bar, Wine O’Clock – Mother’s Day brunch.

• 16 – Milbrandt Vineyards – Flower Potting Class with Buggirl’s Garden 1 pm • 30 – Airfield Estates - Wine & Watercolors – Invite your friends for a fun painting class using watercolors, 1-3:30pm.

• 30 – McKinley Springs Winery – Join us as we Celebrate International Chenin Blanc Day 11am-5pm

Please call or check individual web sites for more spring events.

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COLUMN

grapes of roth

BY COKE ROTH

Give Merlot some respect

T

his edition of Coke circumlocution, a somewhat harmless act of narcissism, addresses a grape variety deeply integrated into the northwest of the USA and the southwest of Canada; the much maligned, often criticized, however staple-for-usup-this-way, Merlot. Merlot has gone from being an obscure blending variety to a significant economic factor in Rogue Valley AVA of Oregon and the Idaho wine business. It’s the second most planted red variety in Washington and by far the most planted red in British Columbia.

Old guys love to tell old guy stories, sometimes as a thinly disguised attempt to compel respect: we love respect, however acquired.

Sometimes old guy rhetoric is intend to have someone benefit from the fun we had or the scar tissue upon which we sit. In either regard, I lack the willpower to refrain from a necessary digression about my old pal, Sparling W. “Bill” Preston. By rural legend, Bill was the Johnny Grapeseed of Merlot, being widely recognized as the first one to go beyond beta-testing.

In 1972, Bill was one of the initial mavericks that transformed a perfectly profitable alfalfa field into a vineyard, and Merlot, the unproven, unknown variety, was a formidable component. Bill, like others in the early 1970’s, had the row-crop farmer mental state: Formula for good hay/corn/spuds was gluttonous nutrition + heavy hydration = vigor = tonnage and quality, Baby! With winegrapes, not so much. But that vineyard, farmed in the wrong way and in the absolute wrong location according to viticultural gurus, was a game-changer with the ghost blending variety, Merlot. And Merlot took off like a Saturn 5.

Northwest Merlot soon became the darling of the industry. New-world-style winemakers found a dance partner with Merlot, having tons of Bing cherry and currant fruit. And winemakers craving the charm of old-world minerality and terroir could make wines resembling those of France. Merlot ripens earlier than most other reds, so there is some real winemaking flexibility in ripeness terms….sometimes.

Merlot is no piece of cake in the vineyard.

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Along with normal pestilence, Merlot isn’t as gives you a big hunk of freshly caught salmon winter hardy as Cabernet Sauvignon, for to grill (about $6,000 per lb. if you do the example. Consequently it has some greater investment to lb. calc.), tell me you don’t like variance on the “good year” thing; underthe Merlot now, Miles! Merlot was chefstanding the “good year” thing is a matter of preferred as a wine for pink fish and pink taste. I have found tendencies that the wines beast, like pork and veal. One of my all-time made from years with cold temperature spikes favorite wines, with or without foods, was disappoint those of us in the mood for a Kiona Merlot Rose’; scuttled when their red conversation-time Merlot, expecting a mouth- version got so good nothing was left to go ful of opulence. But down years overjoy those pink. Blast you, John and Scott Williams! of us in the mood for the “gimme another Now I am not so naive to think that the glass” drinkable. Gotta tell you, my new Merlot anyone drinks is 100% Merlot. All favorite thingwines need a little help ….cuddle bingefrom their friends.

While it can be structured Those watching Netflix who know me to bite back, with Merlot…way will tell you that I am a cool! Gentlemen: fan of augmentation, Merlot was back-shelved This can lead to in or out of the winery, rewards. as long as the resulting for years as a wine only According to product can be enused to soften Cabernet. that knucklehead joyed. The publisher Miles in the movie tells me this is not the Sideays, it Merlot wasn’t worth drinking. forum to engage other somewhat obvious, Excuse me if you know this, but Miles’ fave extremely tempting analogies to illustrate the was Chateau Cheval Blanc 1961; a wine from foregoing stipulation; suffice to say I think if the “Right Bank” of the Gironde River in another variety adds breadth to a Merlot, it’s Bordeaux, France, made from a blend of OK. If you ask your favorite winemaker, you Merlot. Yet, Merlot sales plummeted after will learn the original blender is still a popthis moron convinced the public Merlot was ular ingredient in your favorite Cab, where inferior. This movie showed exactly why no Merlot becomes the complementary seasonone should listen to anyone other than theming. selves. Certainly don’t take my advice.

I have this problem of being counter-clairIn the odd chance you do want to believe voyant…predicting what someone else likes is something I say: According to my personallya comparative long-shot to a roulette wheel developed-from-a-selective-memory, fabfor me. Accordingly, I have been pretty frugal ricated without a speck of authenticity, totally with suggestions for my readers (going out on bogus research conclusions; before the biga limb making that plural)… So, I will continscreen disparagement, Merlot was the favorite ue to refrain from wholesale name dropping. of a few credible groups….men, women and I will tell you that beefing up your Merlot chefs. In the 1980s, Merlot became as popular consumption is advisable, with or without as the guy showing up with a 6-pack after the beef. Distance yourself from Miles, turn up store closed. the fun with Merlot, friends and food, drinkWhile it can be structured to bite back, ing always in moderation, frequently.

Merlot was back-shelved for years as a wine COKE ROTH is an attorney who lives in Richland, only used to soften Cabernet. But grown Wash. He is an original member of Wine Press with muscle in mind, it can be a foot-to-theNorthwest’s tasting panel. Learn more about him at floor wine for times intended without food. www.cokerothlaw.com.

Move over, Cab Sauv!

When that neighbor with $200,000 worth of fishing boat/motor/fishfinder-gizmo/gear W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

2015 Award Winners 2015 SWEEPSTAKE AWARDS

PACIFIC NORTHWEST WINNERS BEST OF CLASS

SPARKLING SWEEPSTAKE

Canoe Ridge Vineyard 2013 Expedition

Gloria Ferrer 2010 Blanc de Blancs Carneros

Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills

Valley

Walla Walla Valley

College Cellars 2014 Red Boar Vineyard Muscat Ottonel, Walla Walla Valley

Firesteed Cellars 2011 Riesling, Oregon Gamache Vintners 2011 Cabernet Franc,

Parejas Cellars 2013 Albarino, Yakima Valley Samson Estates Winery 2014 Framboise,

WHITE SWEEPSTAKE

Columbia Winery 2013 Merlot, Columbia Valley

Columbia Valley

Puget Sound

ZD Wines 2013 Chardonnay California

Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2012 Destiny

Dance 2013 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley Dusted Valley Vintners 2011 Cabernet

Milbrandt Vineyards 2012 The Estates

Sauvignon, Columbia Valley Dusted Valley Vintners 2012 StoneTree Vineyard Petite Sirah, Wahluke Slope Eye of the Needle Winery 2012 Reserve Otis Vineyard Merlot, Columbia Valley Firesteed Cellars 2013 Rosé, Willamette Valley J & J Vintners 2012 Les Collines Vineyard Malbec, Walla Walla Valley Kiona Vineyards Winery 2012 Syrah, Red Mountain L’Ecole No 41 2012 Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Perigee, Walla Walla Valley Mercer Estates 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley Mercer Estates 2013 Sauvignon Blanc, Yakima Valley

Newhouse Family Vineyards 2013 Upland

Dr. Konstantin Frank 2013 Riesling Finger Lakes, New York

PINK SWEEPSTAKE Robert Hall Winery 2014 Rose de Robles Paso Robles

RED SWEEPSTAKE Sonoma-Cutrer 2012 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Founders Reserve Pezzi King 2012 Estate Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Row 14 Reserve

DOUBLE GOLD Ridge Vineyard Alderdale Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills Amelia Wynn Winery 2012 Cuvée, Columbia Valley Balboa Winery 2012 Eidolon Estate Malbec, Walla Walla Valley Balboa Winery 2010 Eidolon, Walla Walla Valley Basalt Cellars 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, $36 Blakeslee Vineyard Estate 2013 Riesling, Willamette Valley, Castle Rock Winery 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley DaMa Wines 2011 Lonesome Spring, Columbia Valley DaMa Wines 2012 Golden Ridge Merlot, Walla Walla Valley

DESSERT SWEEPSTAKE Debonne Vineyards 2013 Vidal Blanc Ice Wine Grand River Valley, Ohio

Eye of the Needle NV 12th Blend Red, Columbia Locati Cellars 2012 Mission Hills Estate Barbera,

Malbec, Wahluke Slope Vineyard Cottontop Aligote, Snipes Mountain

Pirouette 2012 Red Wine, Columbia Valley Portlandia 2013 Pinot Gris, Oregon Rolling Bay Winery 2012 Upland Vineyard Malbec, Snipes Mountain

Van Loben Sels Cellars 2012 Stillwater Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley

Waitsburg Cellars 2013 Cheninieres, Columbia Valley

William Church Winery 2012 Gamache Vineyards Malbec, Columbia Valley

Woodward Canyon 2012 Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington

GOLDS Boedecker Cellars 2012

Del Rio Vineyards 2012

Athena Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

Malbec, Rogue Valley

Milbrandt Vineyards 2012 Traditions Cabernet

Vineyards 2011 Malbec,

The Hogue Cellars

Applegate Valley

2013 Late Harvest Riesling, Columbia Valley Tre Nova 2010 Banatello Riserva Doebler Vyd Sangiovese, Wahluke Slope Trio Vintners 2011 Far Away Vineyard Mourvedre, Yakima Valley

Sauvignon, Columbia Valley Schmidt Family 2012 Stained Tooth Syrah, Nine Hats 2013 Riesling, Vineyards 2011 Soulea, 2012 Pont Brulé, Columbia Columbia Valley Columbia Valley Applegate Valley Valley Grace Lane 2012 Cabernet Nodland Cellars 2011 Schmidt Family Charles & Charles 2013 Sauvignon, Columbia Valley Seven Hills Avant-Garde Vineyards 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia King Estate 2013 Domaine Carménère, Walla Walla Valley Chardonnay, Applegate Valley Abacela 2012 Fiesta Valley Pinot Gris, Oregon North by Northwest Schmidt Family Tempranillo, Umpqua Valley Chateau Lorane Winery LaBrasseur Vineyard 2012 Dessert Riesling, Horse Vineyards 2013 Albariño, Airfield Estates Winery 2012 Quail Run Vineyard Heaven Hills Applegate Valley 2012 Riesling, Rogue Valley 2012 Merlot, Yakima Valley Carménère, Rogue Valley Pacific Rim Seven Falls 2012 Cabernet LaBrasseur Vineyard Amelia Wynn Winery Chateau Ste Michelle Winemakers 2012 Vin de Sauvignon, Wahluke Slope 2012 Dwelley Vineyard Merlot, & Dr. Loosen 2013 Eroica 2013 Late Harvest Viognier, Glaciere, Columbia Valley Rogue Valley Sokol Blosser 2012 Pinot Walla Walla Valley Riesling, Columbia Pebblestone Cellars Noir, Dundee Hills Ledger David Cellars Barnard Griffin 2014 Valley 2013 Ellis Vineayrds Viognier, Sokol Blosser 2013 Pinot 2011 Varner-Traul Vineyard Rosé of Sangiovese, Columbia Columbia 2012 Rogue Valley Malbec, Rogue Valley Gris, Willamette Valley Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, Raised by Wolves 2012 Martin-Scott 2012 South Stage Cellars Barnard Griffin 2013 Columbia Valley Needle Rock Montepulciano, Bad Moon Rising, Columbia 2012 Dolcetto, Rogue Valley Syrah, Columbia Valley Columbia Crest 2011 Valley Columbia Valley South Stage Cellars Basel Cellars Estate Walter Clore Private Reserve, Rio Vista Wines 2012 Martin-Scott 2012 2013 Riesling, Rogue Valley Winery 2010 Reserve Cabernet Columbia Valley Summit Vineyard Tempranillo, Spring Valley Vineyard Needle Rock Counoise, Sauvignon, Columbia Valley Columbia Crest 2013 H3 Lake Chelan Columbia Valley 2011 Nina Lee Syrah, Walla Basel Cellars Estate Chardonnay, Horse Heaven Robert Ramsay Cellars Mercer Estates 2013 Walla Valley Winery 2011 Estate Cabernet Hills 2012 Mason’s Red, Columbia Swiftwater Cellars 2011 Zephyr Ridge Reserve Franc, Columbia Valley Cougar Crest Estate Valley Chardonnay, Horse Heaven Syrah, Columbia Valley Basel Cellars Estate Winery 2013 Viognier, Walla Hills Robert Ramsay Cellars Swiftwater Cellars 2010 Winery 2010 Estate Claret, Walla Valley 2011 Phinny Hill Cabernet Mercer Estates 2013 Proprietary Red, Columbia Columbia Valley Cougar Crest Estate Viognier, Horse Heaven Hills Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills Valley Basel Cellars Estate Winery 2011 Cabernet Franc, Schmidt Family Michael Florentino The Hogue Cellars 2012 Winery 2010 Reserve Merlot, Walla Walla Valley Vineyards 2011 Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Cellars 2011 Primitivo, Walla Walla Valley Cuckoo’s Nest Cellars Applegate Valley Columbia Valley Valley Blooms Winery 2012 2013 Aromatíque, Oregon Schmidt Family Michael Florentino The Hogue Cellars 2013 Malbec, Columbia Valley Dancin Vineyards 2012 Vineyards 2011 Cabernet Cellars 2012 Tinto Fino, Genesis Riesling, Columbia Blooms Winery 2012 Danseur Syrah, Southern Sauvignon, Applegate Valley Columbia Valley Valley Syrah, Rattlesnake Hills Oregon Schmidt Family

LABEL

Inizi 2012 Calistoga Napa Valley Charbono

Burnt Bridge Cellars

Dusted Valley Vintners

Tsillan Cellars 2012 Malbec, Lake Chelan

Villa Catalana Cellars 2012 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

Villa Catalana Cellars NV Cascade Berry Fortified Wine Liquor, Willamette Valley

Watermill Winery 2012 Anna Marie Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley

Westport Winery 2012 Upland Vineyard Maritime, Snipes Mountain

Willamette Valley Vineyards 2013 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley,

Willamette Valley Vineyards 2013 Riesling, Willamette Valley

William Church Winery 2013 Viognier, Columbia Valley

William Church Winery 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley Zerba Cellars 2011 Wild Z, Walla Walla Valley