New Discoveries Spring Forth

February 2016 – Denise and I attended the “Walla Walla Wine at McCall Hall” tasting in, Seattle, Washington.  We discovered some wineries that we had never heard of before and really enjoyed their wines.  We decided at that time, in the spring we would make a point to go visit these new discoveries and see if they would become some new favorites.

Not long ago Denise and I set off on a spring day to Walla Walla, Washington to visit our dear friends Michael and Coralee.  We were so excited about this visit because we had a list of newly discovered wineries and couldn’t wait to share.

We had two full days of tasting and here is just a sample of what we experienced.

Tertulia Cellars – www.tertuliacellars.com

2015 Estate vineyard Rose’ – old world style rose with a light salmon color and dry finish.  I loved the way they described how they got the color for the wine.  “In the time it takes to drink 2 beers, that’s how we determine the press time.”  Nice but not overly dry.  A must have for the summer.

2015 Whistling Hills Viognier – I personally love Viognier and so I enjoyed this very floral wine.  Lots of pear, peach and some mineral notes.  Just what I would hope for.

2014 Riviere Galets Estate Vineyard Grenache – layered with complex fruit notes of berries and rhubarb.  Denise found the nose full and moves the palate.  Would be great with pork tenderloin.

a’ Maurice Cellars – www.amaurice.com/

2015 Viognier Columbia Valley – very fresh and fruity

2015 Viognier /Marsanne Boushey Vineyard – honey-floral taste.  Great balance

Henry Earl Estates – www.henryearlwines.com

2012 Merlot – definitely a combination of plum, mineral and blackberry aromas.  Loved the nose and the wine was good too.  As I’ve said before I’m not a huge fan of Merlot but even I could enjoy this one.

2012 Malbec – loved this one.  We had it at the show back in February and it didn’t disappoint this time either.  Lots of robust spices but very mild tannins.  Really like this one. 100% Malbec.

2010 Homesteader – blend – merlot, cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot, malbec and cabernet franc. – very fruity and does have tannins on the finish.  It’s a great wine for a hearty meal.

JJ Vintners - www.jandjvintners.com

2012 “4 Boys” Red Blend – a nice red blend for the table

2010 Cabernet Sauvignon – nice rich and rounded.  Great with pizza

2013 Les Collines Riesling – nice and fruity.  Not too sweet but just right.

These are just some of the wineries that we visited and tried for the first time.  But we also had a “special” moment.  I know that many of you who have visited Walla Walla have probably gone to Pepper Bridge Winery and have enjoyed their wines.  Well, can you believe it but neither Denise nor I had ever been there.  In fact, I don’t think I have ever tasted their wines until this visit.  I know, I know “how could we not have had their wine before?”  They are very popular and you do see them on the wine list of fine dinning establishments.  Well, needless to say we did go see them.  In fact, we visited with the tasting room manager, Mark Hester and somehow ended up on a personal tour of the winery from the owner Norm McKibben.

Norm gave a great tour and really let us see the amazing operations that they have.  You would be awe struck at how clean and organized this winery is.  Norm’s winemaker and partner, Jean-Francois Pellet is the responsible party for all this great organization.  He is a Master Winemaker.  Come to Pepper Bridge and you will taste first hand just how good he is at his craft.

As all good things do, our trip ended too soon.  But before I go I would like to mention two other wineries we visited, Mark Ryan Winery and Tempus.  Great wines and definitely a must visit.  Last but certainly not least in our hearts, we did finish our visit at our favorite winery, Dumas Station in Dayton.  I still hope we can talk Jay into bottling that amazing Petit Verdot he has in the back room.  And if ever any of you need a place to stay please consider our friend's VBRO www.vrbo.com/456769

Till next time……Cheers!  LaDonna

Wine Tasting and Water

During our trip to the Willamette, the tasting room attendant at one of the Winery’s first poured us some club soda upon our arrival.  This was great, we just had a fantastic brunch and the flavors still lingered on our palates.  The club soda worked well at neutralizing our taste buds to receive the grape we were about to taste.  This got me thinking about waters and how to use them to improve our wine tasting experience.

Still water or Acqua Panna, which is Italian, these are best for tasting the following:

*White wines

*Barrel Aged White Wines

*Sparkling Wines

*Red Wines that are light and subtle

San Pellegrino is Italian, Perrier is French and both carbonated water which make for softer smoother bubbles which complement the tasting of:

*Rose’ wines with high alcohol content

*Young red wines

*Red wines that are full and mature

*White wines that are full bodied

The difference between these bottled carbonated waters and club soda is the bubbles. Club soda contains bicarbonate of soda and carbon dioxide which make large bubbles.

Any water that you drink during tasting should never be iced or too cold which will numb your taste buds.

Remember to never use water to rinse out your glass during tasting, always use a splash of white wine swirl around the glass then dump out…this and other tip you be sure to check out on our WLW tips tab.

Cheers!

Denise

Willamette Valley-Fire, Volcanic eruptions, Earthquakes, Floods and coastal effects…..sounds like the makings of a new disaster movie however it is actually the makings of some great soil for one of the largest AVA in Oregon, extending from Portland to Eugene. Many factors contribute to a wines flavor, mostly what happens in the cellar however one of the elements is the soil the grapes are gown in.

The Cascade mountains on the East and Coastal mountain range to the West with low hillsides, which make up the 6 AVA (American Viticultural Area) regions in Oregon; Dundee Hills AVA, Chehalem Mountains AVA, Ribbon Ridge AVA, Eola-Amity Hills AVA, McMinnville AVA, Yamhill-Carlton AVA. This trip, we went to Newberg and Dundee area, here are some places we visited that will hopefully inspire you to visit this region too.

August Cellars-Family owned with a tasting room situated at the edge of 42 acre farmland of English Walnuts, Italian Prunes and Pinot grapes. August Cellars is must see for some finely aged wines and varity of offerings for this region in which you mostly taste Pinot's.

2009 Chardonnay-Willamette Valley AVA. Brilliant balance of fruit with expressive and unique finish.

2011 Dry Gewurztraminer-Willamette Valley AVA. Well balanced fruit with a touch of spice.

2012 Pinot Gris-Yamhill-Carlton AVA.  Honey and fruit glide smoothly and effortless thru the pallet.

2007-Pinot Noir-Aubre Vert Vineyard, Chehalem Mt AVA. Soft fruit with all the pieces that develop into something special.

2010 Baco Noir- Umpqua Valley AVE. I got fresh oysters on the nose right off!  Slow roasted fruit and vegetable richness, excellent wine to serve with BBQ.

2006- Mare'chal Foch-Willamette Valley AVA Hybrid grape which is bold and earthy.  Pairs well with Chanterelle mushrooms and game meats.

Four Graces- Charming old farm house renovated as tasting room, out buildings and outside space for bringing a lunch and sample some great wine produced with sustainable farming practices.  My favorite was the Small Batch #2 Pinot Noir 2013, for it complex flavors and finish which will get better with age.

Adelsheim Winery-Pioneers of the Oregon wine business and a true visionary. Adelsheim website has a nicely done video of their history, worth watching before you make a trip to this region. Their wines show true craftsmanship, quality and passion for fine wine. 

2014 Catlin’s Reserve Chardonnay- We fell in love with this fruit forward Chardonnay with lingering fresh finish.

https://www.adelsheim.com

White Rose Estates- The tasting room manager spent a good time with us explaining their process of Neo-Classical Winemaking.   A must see for the breathtaking view and education on their winemaking process.

Argyle -Beautiful new tasting room that is built on the spot of early hazelnut process plant, which is now where they craft their wines. This new space offers a relaxed way of offering tasting choices as flights. The House flight offered a Brut, Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir.  The Pop flight gave you choice of three different Brut's with one of them a Rose, which was excellent. The Diamond flight is all Pinot Noir offerings, these flight choices offer something for everyone.  I purchased the 2013 Nuthouse Pinot Noir for it's rich fruit and long finish.

Traveling the region, here are some recommendations for lodging and food:

Lodging: Inn at Red Hills

 http://innatredhills.com

Breakfast/lunch/dinner -Babica Hen (in same building as Inn at Red Hills)

http://babicahencafe.com/dundee

Lunch- SubTerra

http://subterrarestaurant.com

Dinner- Recipe (be sure to make reservations)

http://www.recipenewbergor.com

Cheers!

Denise

Walla Walla Wine Tasting at McCall Hall

Another great year of wine is upon us and Denise and I kicked it off by attending the “Walla Walla Wine Tasting at McCall Hall” on Monday evening (February 8^th).  This was our first time attending this event and it did not disappoint.

Forty-five wineries were pouring.  We sampled a few old favorites but enjoyed new ones we had never tried before. 

Five Star Cellars – 2011 Syrah – I tried this Syrah with duck and it was fantastic.  Food really brought out the flavors.

Foundry Vineyards – 2013 Chardonnay – This chardonnay was done in steel.  The fruit really shines.

Henry Earl Estates – 2012 Malbec – Very unusual Malbec.  Light with little to no tannins.

Kerloo Cellars – 2013 Les Collines Syrah – Great Syrah!  Can’t wait to visit them.

Tempus Cellars – 2013 Evergreen Vineyard Riesling – A nice refreshing Riesling.  Not too sweet but also not dry, just right!

These are just a few of the wineries we tasted at the event. I’m looking forward to attending this event again next year.  It was worth the ticket price and coming out on a work night.  Cheers! LaDonna

Good Bye 2015……..Hello 2016

The last few hours of 2015 are upon us….and what an amazing year it has been.  2015 was a fantastic journey for both Denise and I and we are thankful to all of you who support and follow us as we explore the world of wine.

We started 2015 at the Seattle Food and Wine Experience in Seattle, Washington.  We love this event and already have our tickets for 2016. If you have never been to this type of event, you need to try this one.  It sets the bar high for all others.  Some of the best restaurants of Seattle are there and the wine, beer and spirits are unbelievable. 

Spring 2015 found us headed to Walla Walla.  Our dear friends Michael and Coralee open their home and hearts to us several times a year and each visit is so special.  Walla Walla valley has a rich history in agriculture.  Michael always prepares some of the best meals from local food and we always have amazing wine adventures.

If you have never visited Walla Walla before, come and experience what this small community has to offer.  There are numerous wineries to check out and some of our favorites are….Dumas Station, Tranche, Tero, El Corazon and Mackey.  We have lots of others that we enjoy but the list is too long so you will just have to come and see it all for yourself.

Summer time found us busy with family and friends.  We enjoyed Rose’, Chen Blanc and other whites while the lazy warm days of summer lasted.  In fact, the summer lasted well into late Sept/Oct.  It was truly one of the best summers we have had in a long time.

Early September found us at the “open house” for Isabella Grace Winery in Maple Valley, Washington.  A former retired co-worker of ours owns Isabella Grace with her husband and by special invitation only; we were able to sample their new wines of the season.  They produce lovely wines and it is a great pleasure to meet up with friends and savor the day.

September had us back in Walla Walla and the crush of 2015 was just beginning.  We love walking into a winery with the smell of grapes fermenting in the large vats. It was still warm out, so we were able to sit out on the decks or verandas and enjoy a nice glass of wine and talk the hours away.  We discovered a couple of new wineries that surprised us such as the “Results of the Crush” and visited some old favorites just so we could catch up with friends and see how their summer was going.

Fall found us busy again with family and friends and of course Halloween.  All the wine we had collected during the year, we were un-corking and oh how delicious it was.  Before we knew it Thanksgiving was upon us and soon Christmas.  So I decided to take a little vacation in early December and off to “The Gorge” and Walla Walla I went.  I had never experienced Walla Walla in late fall/early winter so this was a new adventure for me.  The Walla Walla wineries host the “Holiday Barrel” tasting weekend on the first weekend of December.  The wineries were all decked out in holiday lights and greenery and magic was definitely in the air.  (Check out our photo tab for pictures)  Tasting at Dumas Station in Dayton, Washington was extra special because Jay created a blend on the spot and it was absolutely fantastic.  He is truly one of the great vintners in the valley.

Our last adventure of 2015 found Denise and I at the Charles Smith tasting room in Georgetown (suburb of Seattle) and the Holiday Tasting Event at Laurelhurst Winery a week before Christmas.  We had visited Charles Smith’s other winery, K Vintners in Walla Walla, earlier in the fall but now we were able to sample the Charles Smith line.  Wonderful wines!  The lady who did our pouring was very knowledgeable and went the extra mile and allowed us to sample other wines that were being produced on site.  I would highly recommend a visit to them.

We also headed to one of our local favorites and that is Laurelhurst Winery.  They are part of a local group of wineries in the Georgetown suburb that open their doors every second Saturday of the month for tasting.  They also have the holiday tasting event every December.  As usual their wines are wonderful.  One of their most popular wines is their Malbec.  It is so popular they had sold out but we have high hopes for 2016 and I can’t wait to try it.

As you can see Denise and I had a fun year.  Again, we thank all of you who support and keep us inspired.  As we say good bye to 2015 and hello to 2016 we know that it holds a promise of special times with our families and friends, good wine and excellent adventures…..Happy New Year!  Cheers! LaDonna

Screw, Natural, Synthetic and now the Zork and the Vinolok!

I have asked wine makers about their choice in corks, most of them use the natural cork because of tradition and the craftsmanship they put into their product they want to see this thru to the cork.  However, with all the choices now and the cost of losing a bottle to “cork” contamination other choices have gained popularity and  are due some consideration.

Natural Cork

Natural Corks benefits the wine aging by letting small amount of air into the bottle. Your bold wines and reds benefit from the oxygen that the cork allows in development of all the wonderful flavors that make these wines so drinkable and approachable.

A natural cork though can dry out, go bad or let too much air into the bottle and the biggest problem…being “Corked” which is a very expensive loss.

Agglomerated Cork

This cork is made from cork dust and glue….although food safe, do you really want this in contact with your beautiful wine?  Agglomerated cork are not meant to be in bottles that are intended for aging, this cork is only good for wine intended for drinking six months after bottling. There are some brands of Agglomerated cork  that wine makers are turning to in order to save them on the cost of losing their wine which they feel is a better choice. You will see the stamp on the cork (diam5, daim10) which this company gaurantees purity, longer time in bottle and reduction of loss due to cork taint.

1+1 Cork

This is a combination of agglomerated cork center with whole natural cork ends. These are only intended to last up to 4 years.

Synthetic Cork

When you see a plastic cork my first thought is (after breaking all my wine openers) why would the wine maker spend all his time, energy and craftsmanship into making their wine and then go with synthetic for the cork?

 A synthetic cork prevents “cork taint” contamination and they are cheaper, they don’t expand or contract which makes it so they keep a tight seal.  This is also what makes it so it does not allow for oxygen, which with a natural cork allows the reaction during aging that gives so much of the flavor.  Some even say the synthetic cork, which is made from petroleum based plastic, can give off chemical taste.

Screw Top

Wine snob move over the screw tops are on the rise!

The Screw top is great for the young wines that don’t need to age to be great and there is less chance of spoilage due to being “corked”.  The screw top is what I look for when camping, hiking or picnicking to make it easier to open the bottle and less stuff to pack.

They have perfected the screw cap to allow for some oxygen ingress. The Stelvin screw cap has a reputation for being one of the best.

Vinolok

A Vinolok cork is a 100% natural glass seal, popular in Europe; very expensive however provides a good seal to prevent “cork” contamination. Has no impact on flavor or aroma which will perfectly hold the aroma and terroir articulation. This is pure class!

Zork

The Zork is a peal and reusable no corkscrew needed closure, which makes it good for camping, hiking and picnicking.  The Zork maintains the seal of the bottle so no “cork” taint however as mentioned before the oxygen is part of the beauty of aging wine for more flavor.

Next time you open a bottle, take a good look at the type of cork the wine maker used and decide for yourself.

Cheers!

Denise

Tranche Cellars

We first discovered Tranche Cellars at the Gig Harbor Wine Festival,  we immediately put it on our list of Winery’s we needed to visit in Walla Walla.

This Estate Winery and tasting room is beautifully done, from the concrete fermentation eggs to the large stainless tanks and rolling hills of grapevines, this is a winery that is a must see.

Their spring release “Rhone Series” was perfect for this long hot summer.

2014 Pink Pape

 A blend of Cinsault, Counoise and Grenche.   Beautifully done, soft with a stunning array of flavors.  Really harmonious,  with excellent length for a Rose’.

2012 Slice of Pape Blanc

Roussanne, Voignier and Marsanne.  Elegant and refined with ripe fruit notes with balanced flavor. Dry, lingering easily and generously on the finish.
2011 Slice of Pape

Grenache, Mouvvedre and Syrah.  Striking complexity, with richly layered fruit, ending long and well focused finish.
2013 Pinot Gris;

Simply delicious. With fresh fruit, tropical notes and well-defined acidity.  Has a great balance and expressive elements which wakes you up on the finish.

I am looking forward to trying more of their diverse portfolio of well thought out wines.

Cheers!

Denise