Beyond the Bottle: November 2007 Archives

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November 29, 2007

Local Guidance for Holiday Barrel Tasting

If you're headed to Walla Walla this weekend for the annual Holiday Barrrel Tasting, I encourage you to visit Catie's blog, Through the Walla Walla Grapevine, and Amy's blog, amyrootvik.com. Both bloggers not only live in Walla Walla, but have been involved in the valley's wine industry for some years now. Catie has been writing about Walla Walla wine for over two years now, while Amy began blogging last December. Their blogs offer some useful guidance on how to get the most out of this weekend's event as well as providing insightful background on both established and new wineries in...

Posted by Thad at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 27, 2007

Review: Penner-Ash Wine Cellars

I could not have ended my tour of Yamhill County wineries in a better way than the experience provided at Penner-Ash Wine Cellars. This is a special place in so many ways, from the facility's thoughtful architectural design, to the connected experiences offered tasting Penner-Ash wine. I had learned about Penner-Ash while listening to the 3 Wine Guys, who recommended their wine during a podcast that featured four 2005 Oregon pinot noirs. After hearing their show, I was eager to visit the Penner-Ash winery and try some of their wines myself. Little did I know how this online discovery...

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

November 26, 2007

Walla Walla and Woodinville Wine Weekend Events

This weekend there will be two significant wine events in Washington state. In Walla Walla, the 12th annual Holiday Barrel Tasting will be held with over 50 wineries offering barrel tastes of upcoming releases on Saturday and Sunday. In Woodinville, the St. Nicholas Day Open House will be held with more than 30 wineries opening their doors to visitors on both days as well. For those planning to attend either event, I wanted to highlight the wineries I have visited in the last six months that provided experiences that went beyond the bottle to connect me to the who, what...

Posted by Thad at 03:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

WIDWD: Walla Walla Thanksgiving Weekend

What I Drank With Dinner (WIDWD) For the last five years, my wife's parents have hosted Thanksgiving dinner in Walla Walla. It has become an annual tradition to bring both sides of our family together to celebrate and give thanks, making this holiday a truly unique occasion. Moms, dads, brothers, sisters, and friends from both clans have come from near and far each year for this special gathering. As a result, an extraordinary bond has been established over the years between our respective parents and siblings. This year's Thanksgiving was yet another fun celebration, although it went by far too...

Posted by Thad at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 19, 2007

The Fruits of Paul Gregutt's Labors

Fall is always a busy time for wineries, with harvest bringing in the new vintage and the previous years' bottlings being released. It seems Paul Gregutt, wine columnist for The Seattle Times, has been just as busy crafting some enjoyable and insightful pieces on the Pacific Northwest wine scene. Terroir Is Not A Small Dog! - an excerpt from Paul's new book, "Washington Wines & Wineries", which should be a good read considering the witty approach he takes with this piece about Washington state vineyards. Acquiring A Taste - a recent cover story for the Pacific Northwest magazine's annual wine...

Posted by Thad at 01:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 18, 2007

New look, new feel

As you've probably noticed, I'm updating the look and feel of Beyond the Bottle in hopes of improving the design and navigation for the site. I decided to move back to a three column layout, as this offers a more manageable way to organize and highlight a growing list of Washington and Oregon wine bloggers on the left-side of the page. But my best intentions here may not align with your preferences, therefore please let me know what you think. Do you like it? If so, why? If not, what needs to change?...

Posted by Thad at 09:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 16, 2007

Review: Cana's Feast Winery

Every now and then, you stumble upon a winery in transition. Ownership has changed hands or a winemaker has been replaced. As a result, the winery name might have been switched and/or a new wine brand has been introduced. During my visit to Cana's Feast, I found it difficult keeping up with all the changes happening in this Carlton-based winery. In fact, the whole experience seemed very disorienting to me, leaving me confused and confounded as to who these folks were trying to be. See if you can keep up. Cana's Feast was formerly known as Cuneo. The wine...

Posted by Thad at 09:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

November 14, 2007

Review: Scott Paul Winery

It's hard not to miss the Scott Paul Wines facility, regardless of which route you take into Carlton. The winery and tasting room are housed in two circa-1915 granary buildings on Pine Street, one block south of Main. The photo above is the winery, which is located across the street from the tasting room. The smaller building housing the tasting room and offices has tremendous character inside and out, incorporating a variety of elements from the old granary, which offers a delightful setting to enjoy Scott Paul Wines. One of the first things you notice upon entering the tasting...

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

November 13, 2007

Review: Soléna Cellars

The next stop on my recent Oregon wine country tour was Soléna Cellars. I had enjoyed a bottle of Soléna 2005 Grande Cuvee Pinot Noir a couple of months back, therefore was eager to learn more about this outfit and try some of their other wines. Soléna Cellars maintains a spacious tasting room a block south of Main Street in downtown Carlton. On the day I visited, wine was being poured by Lisa, who did a great job sharing stories and answering questions. Right off the bat, I was impressed with the fact that Soléna Cellars provided complimentary tastes...

Posted by Thad at 01:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 12, 2007

Review: Anne Amie Vineyards

Anne Amie Vineyards, located in Carlton, Oregon, is the first winery I have visited as a result of being introduced via a wine blog. The blogosphere served not only as a means of discovery, but more importantly a way to connect me to the people and places that are behind Anne Amie. Before ever tasting their wine, I learned about this winery by first reading Craig Camp's blog, The Wine Camp, and then following this fall's harvest on the Anne Amie blog. During the last two months, Craig and other folks at Anne Amie have posted stories and photos...

Posted by Thad at 12:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 09, 2007

A Day in Oregon Wine Country

Yesterday, I had the chance to spend an entire afternoon in the Willamette Valley visiting wineries in Yamhill County. It was a great day, meeting friendly staff, visiting some picturesque places, and discovering some really good wine. I will be writing detailed accounts of my experiences in the coming week, but wanted to provide a quick rundown of the places visited. After a delicious lunch at Tina's in Dundee, I began my tour at Anne Amie Vineyards, then visited Soléna Cellars and Scott Paul Wines in downtown Carlton, moving on to Cana's Feast Winery, and finally ending my day...

Posted by Thad at 08:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 07, 2007

The Sanctity of the Family Dinner

A few weeks back I finished reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, a fantastic book that explores the dilemma facing all humans each and every day: what to have for dinner? Polan focuses his book on the American food culture, detailing the various food chains we depend on to fill our dinner plates or takeout bags (a fifth of all meals are consumed in the car). Polan's investigation led him down the industrial, pastoral and personal food chains, where he reveals the historical, political and economic forces that have shaped each. Best of all, he culminates his investigative reporting with a...

Posted by Thad at 09:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 06, 2007

Newly Discovered Northwest Wine Bloggers

During the last month, I have discovered a number of wine bloggers who are based in the Pacific Northwest. Many of these folks focus exclusively on Washington or Oregon wine, while others extend their writing to cover other regions in the US and rest of world. In general, I find it much more interesting and insightful to read about the local wine scene from folks who actually live here and experience it firsthand, rather than the multitude of folks who merely blog about how our wines taste and should be scored. Besides their common geography, these local wine bloggers share...

Posted by Thad at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

November 05, 2007

A Toast to Pappa Rosso

You may recognize Bob, aka Pappa Rosso, from a Washington wine event or the tasting room at Isenhower Cellars in Walla Walla. I wanted to write about Bob for several reasons, all of which focus on how he celebrates wine in a way that clearly distinguishes him from others. First, I believe Bob is the benchmark when it comes to tasting room managers. He is truly unique when it comes to connecting folks to the wine he pours. Second, Bob's been a terrific teacher and mentor to me. Over the last decade, my knowledge and appreciation for wine has...

Posted by Thad at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

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November 29, 2007

Local Guidance for Holiday Barrel Tasting

November 27, 2007

Review: Penner-Ash Wine Cellars

November 26, 2007

Walla Walla and Woodinville Wine Weekend Events

WIDWD: Walla Walla Thanksgiving Weekend

November 19, 2007

The Fruits of Paul Gregutt's Labors

November 18, 2007

New look, new feel

November 16, 2007

Review: Cana's Feast Winery

November 14, 2007

Review: Scott Paul Winery

November 13, 2007

Review: Soléna Cellars

November 12, 2007

Review: Anne Amie Vineyards

November 09, 2007

A Day in Oregon Wine Country

November 07, 2007

The Sanctity of the Family Dinner

November 06, 2007

Newly Discovered Northwest Wine Bloggers

November 05, 2007

A Toast to Pappa Rosso

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