Beyond the Bottle: May 2007 Archives

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May 30, 2007

Review: Basel Cellars Estate Winery

Driving up to the Basel Cellars mansion-turned-winery, I expected to be received with pretension and high-brow attitudes. Instead, I was treated with good old Southern hospitality from their winemaker, Trey Busch, a native of Atlanta, Georgia. Trey just happened to be in the tasting room on the day I visited, which made my experience at Basel Cellars really fun. If it weren't for my chance meeting with Trey, I wouldn't have left Basel Cellars feeling connected to their wine in a way that went beyond the bottle. With each sip I took of the 1 white and 6 red wines...

Posted by Thad at 02:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 24, 2007

Washington Wine Highway Event

The 2nd annual Washington Wine Highway event is being held this weekend in Woodinville. This event is a great way to go beyond the bottle and connect with dozens of wineries and winemakers from around the state. I attended last year's gathering and found it to be one of the more enjoyable tasting events held in the Seattle area. The venue on the grounds of Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville is a much better setting for a tasting event than being inside some cavernous exhibition hall. In fact, nothing beats being outside on a nice spring day tasting a broad...

Posted by Thad at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 23, 2007

Do you know what you're drinking?

Over the past few years, more and more folks have been putting down their forks and asking, "what am I eating?". The impact of mass produced food has certainly reduced prices at the grocery, but these savings come at an increasing cost in terms of public health risk. Remember the contaminated spinach and peanut butter that showed up in groceries across the nation? With good reason, it now appears wine consumers should be asking, "what am I drinking?". The Seattle Times featured an interesting and informative article entitled, "What's in your wine — and should they tell you?". Reading this...

Posted by Thad at 11:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 16, 2007

Andy Perdue's Video Quest

The other day while searching on the term "northwest wine" in the podcast section of the iTunes online store, I was pleasantly surprised to find a collection of wine videos produced by Andy Perdue of Wine Press Northwest. Andy is editor-in-chief of Wine Press Northwest and has been a fixture in the Pacific Northwest wine industry since the quarterly magazine's launch in 1998. He also writes a blog called The Wine Knows, which appears to be a more personal extension of his work at the magazine. Here's what I like about Andy's videos: they easily connect you to the people,...

Posted by Thad at 07:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Washington Wine History Lesson

Any study of Washington wine history must include Chateau Ste. Michelle, the state's oldest winery. Chateau Ste. Michelle is not only responsible for putting Washington state on the map, but continues to serve as a rising tide for the rest of the industry. Although I am not a frequent consumer of their wines, I admire them because of their contributions to the state's wine industry. For example, they serve as host to the annual Washington Wine Highway event, which features over 70 wineries and 50 restaurants from around the state. If you enjoy sampling wine and good food outdoors, then...

Posted by Thad at 03:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 09, 2007

The Wine Bar Advantage

When I can't get out to connect to the people and places making wine in the Pacific Northwest, where do I turn? Or when I want something different from the experience provided in a winery or at a tasting event, where do I go? A local wine bar! Seattle has been fertile ground for wine bars over the past few years. In fact, I was surprised to see how many new places have sprung up after reading an article entitled, Wine of the Times, in Seattle Metropolitan magazine. I've had the opportunity to dine at a variety of wine bars...

Posted by Thad at 12:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 08, 2007

Review: Pepper Bridge Winery

A few months back, I was grilling steaks for dinner and decided to open a bottle of Pepper Bridge 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon. I had not tasted a Pepper Bridge wine before, therefore was excited when someone gave me a bottle to try. A very generous gift considering this bottle retails for $50. From the first sip before dinner, throughout our meal, and then afterward, my wife and I were really taken with this wine. We were pleasantly surprised that it wasn't your usual high alcohol fruit bomb, like many Washington cabernets made from Columbia Valley fruit. The fact that this...

Posted by Thad at 04:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 03, 2007

Winery Reviews and Ratings

Whenever I visit a winery, the one thing I look for more than anything else is a connection to the wine beyond the bottle. What makes this connection happen? Stories. Stories about the people and places behind the wine I am sampling. The more unique and understandable the stories being shared, the better the winery experience for me. This connection is what ultimately determines whether or not I would recommend a winery to family, friends or you. It also influences what I buy. In fact, I would much rather visit a winery that serves mediocre wines but offers a deep...

Posted by Thad at 04:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Review: Three Rivers Winery

The Three Rivers Winery is a large outfit (by local standards) that was built to accomodate sizable groups, including busloads of folks. Three Rivers clearly goes beyond the tasting room experience by offering a reception area for meetings/conferences, a 3 hole golf course and summer concerts. Unfortunately, Three Rivers reminds me too much of the stereotypical large, impersonal winery experience: a big tasting room with an overflowing gift shop featuring clothing, glassware, books, cds and packaged food. It just seems over the top in terms of trying to sell anything and everything associated with their wine, brand and related accessories....

Posted by Thad at 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Review: Woodward Canyon Winery

About 12 miles west of Walla Walla on the main highway into town, you’ll find Woodward Canyon Winery. The tasting room is located in an old farm house, which provides an appropriate setting for one of the state’s earliest wineries. Opening the door to the farmhouse, I was immediately greeted with a friendly welcome by Sarah, the person behind the bar. The tasting room takes up most of the first floor of the house, with plenty of space to walk around and enjoy your wine. This is a shop focused on selling wine, with few, if any, of the traditional...

Posted by Thad at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Review: Reininger Winery

Reininger Winery is located about 6 miles west of Walla Walla on Highway 12. This winery is housed in two former potato sheds, which were renovated into a nice facility with a comfortable tasting room. On the Monday I visited in early April, the new tasting room was nearly finished, providing a much larger expanse with beautiful pine flooring reclaimed from the old potatoe sheds. This new addition, which will offer a view of acres of wheat fields, will serve as a nice spot to try Reininger wines, including those under their other label, Helix. The tasting room features some...

Posted by Thad at 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Review: L' Ecole No 41 Winery

On Highway 12 going to Walla Walla, you'll find L'Ecole No 41 winery just outside the town of Lowden. Like the other wineries on Highway 12 coming east into town, L'Ecole is a frequent stop for folks traveling to Walla Walla. And this Monday visit was no exception, with about a half dozen cars in the parking lot. L'Ecole No 41 is named after the school house in which it is located. It is a beautifully restored building that was originally constructed in 1915. L'Ecole produces about 30,000 cases each year, making it one of the larger wineries in the...

Posted by Thad at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 02, 2007

Welcome to Beyond the Bottle

Hello! With each bottle of Pacific Northwest wine you consider buying or enjoy drinking, there are a variety of stories that can be shared from people and places throughout Washington and Oregon. That's why I decided to create this blog, to share these experiences with other wine enthusiasts who, like me, are seeking a deeper connection to wine beyond that provided in the bottle. I have been seeking this connection, the heart and soul of Pacific Northwest wine, for over ten years now as I have traveled throughout my home state of Washington and the surrounding region. My travels...

Posted by Thad at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

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May 30, 2007

Review: Basel Cellars Estate Winery

May 24, 2007

Washington Wine Highway Event

May 23, 2007

Do you know what you're drinking?

May 16, 2007

Andy Perdue's Video Quest

Washington Wine History Lesson

May 09, 2007

The Wine Bar Advantage

May 08, 2007

Review: Pepper Bridge Winery

May 03, 2007

Winery Reviews and Ratings

Review: Three Rivers Winery

Review: Woodward Canyon Winery

Review: Reininger Winery

Review: L' Ecole No 41 Winery

May 02, 2007

Welcome to Beyond the Bottle

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