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Main

August 07, 2008

Winery Recommendations

Here is an expanding list of Pacific Northwest wineries that have gone beyond the bottle by connecting tasting room visitors to the people and places behind their wines. This alphabetized list contains the places I would recommend (3 corks), highly recommend (4 corks), or found truly exceptional (5 corks) in terms of exceeding specific criteria. Washington Winery Recommendations: Amavi Cellars Basel Cellars Brian Carter Cellars Chatter Creek Covington Cellars Dama Wines Fort Walla Walla Cellars Isenhower Cellars L'Ecole No 41 Novelty Hill-Januik Pepper Bridge Reininger Seven Hills Winery Tertulia Cellars The Tasting Room Trust Cellars Whitman Cellars Woodhouse Family Cellars...

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Posted by Thad at 08:52 PM | | Comments (0)

August 06, 2008

Review: Walla Walla Vintners Winery

If you visit the Walla Walla Vintners web site, you will be treated to a great story detailing how Myles Anderson and Gordon Venneri got their start in winemaking and eventually founded the 8th winery in Walla Walla. You will also read about their generous support of other winemakers, having lent space, equipment, and know how to a variety of folks who are now part of the Walla Walla Valley winemaking fold. This generosity extends to Myles and Gordon's involvement with the Institute for Enology & Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College. However, if you visit their winery, you...

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Posted by Thad at 08:04 PM | | Comments (2)

July 30, 2008

IPNC 2008: Connections, Context, and Community

For me, the measure of a good wine experience is how often and to what degree you reflect on it afterward. Since returning from IPNC 2008, I have been thinking a lot about what I gained from attending this event. If I were to distill it down to just a few themes, then IPNC for me was all about connections, context, and community. Connecting to People and Places I heard it said many times during the weekend, that it is the wine that brings folks to IPNC, but it is the people that make it special. That was clearly validated...

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Posted by Thad at 08:00 PM | | Comments (0)

July 27, 2008

IPNC: Day Two, Part Two

IPNC Northwest Salmon Bake Dinner The second half of Day Two at IPNC followed a similar sequence to Day One, with several seminars, special pourings, alfresco tastings, and dinner. Mid-afternoon, I dropped by a book signing featuring Tyler Colman, Ph.D., a.k.a. Dr. Vino, and several other authors. Tyler, whom I met earlier in the day, publishes a popular wine blog and has recently released a new book entitled, Wine Politics: How Governments, Environmentalists, Mobsters, and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink. I am looking forward to reading Tyler's book, which combines two of my favorite topics. Along with the book...

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Posted by Thad at 07:07 PM | | Comments (2)

July 26, 2008

IPNC: Day Two, Part One

IPNC Sustainability Without Sacrifice Seminar Today is the second and last full day at IPNC. It began with two wine seminars indoors and was followed by lunch outside on the lawn. In keeping with the theme of this year's IPNC, the two seminars focused on sustainability in the vineyard and winery. Both sessions were moderated by Andrea Robinson with a panel of special guests commenting on the various wine flights in front of us. The first session featured Jasper Morris, wine expert and writer, and Dominique Lafon, of the Burgundy estate, Domaine des Comtes Lafon. Dominique spoke about his...

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Posted by Thad at 02:05 PM | | Comments (0)

July 25, 2008

IPNC: Day One, Part Two

IPNC Grand Dinner What an amazing evening the first night of IPNC has been... It started with the al fresco tasting event, featuring dozens of producers from around the world pouring recent and past releases of pinot noir. As much as these types of tasting events offer a useful cross-section of wines, I find it challenging to really enjoy wine in this setting without food. The cocktail wines always show well, while the food friendly wines struggle. Following the tasting reception, we all came together for "The Grand Dinner", with a variety of wines and vintages being poured throughout...

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Posted by Thad at 10:38 PM | | Comments (0)

IPNC: Day One, Part One

IPNC Vineyard Tour and Winery Lunch What a terrific first day at IPNC. I got started at 8 am joining Craig Camp of the Wine Camp Blog for breakfast. Craig is clearly the man when it comes to blogging about the Oregon wine scene. It was a lot of fun meeting him, chatting about wine and the Web, as well as being introduced to some folks he knows. After breakfast, several hundred attendees gathered on Linfield's commencement green for the opening ceremonies. After a welcome from the president of Linfield College and comments from special guests, each of the...

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Posted by Thad at 04:11 PM | | Comments (0)

July 24, 2008

Pre-IPNC Dinner at Lemelson Vineyards

On the eve of IPNC kicking off tomorrow, more than a dozen wineries in the McMinnville area are hosting dinners tonight. I had the good fortune of selecting the pre-IPNC dinner event at Lemelson Vineyards winery, which ended up being an incredible evening of amazing food, delicious wine, and best of all, good company. Before getting into too much detail, I want to share something fortuitous that happened earlier today on my journey from Seattle to the Willamette Valley. While driving south, I was listening to the radio when Garrison Keillor came on with The Writer's Almanac, his daily feature...

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Posted by Thad at 09:57 PM | | Comments (3)

July 22, 2008

Review: Seven Hills Winery

When it comes to running a tasting room, there are wineries that get what it means to provide a truly connected experience. And then there are those that clearly don't. The folks at Seven Hills Winery get it, for their tasting room is one that provides strong connections to the people and places behind their wines. Seven Hills Winery is located in the historic Whitehouse-Crawford building in downtown Walla Walla. Their spacious tasting room offers a wide bar with views into the winery's barrel room. The restored wood plank floors, high ceilings, exposed beams, and brick walls provide a...

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Posted by Thad at 07:19 PM | | Comments (0)

July 13, 2008

Review: Trust Cellars

While in Walla Walla over the Fourth of July, my father-in-law, Bob, a.k.a. Pappa Rosso, suggested I check out Trust Cellars. Then Catie, the Walla Walla Wine Woman, urged me to stop by as well. As a result, it quickly moved to the top of my list of wineries to see during that weekend. The Trust Cellars winery and tasting room is just a short drive south from downtown Walla Walla. It is located in a small building situated on the outskirts of a sizable vineyard. Trust shares its tasting room with Chateau Rollat, another start up winery, which...

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Posted by Thad at 08:31 PM | | Comments (0)

July 09, 2008

Review: aMaurice Cellars Winery

àMaurice Cellars is located east of downtown Walla Walla on Mill Creek Road. It is next door to Walla Walla Vintners and just down the road from K Vintners and the Abeja Inn. Along the lane leading to the winery, rows of lavender greet you, which were in full bloom on the Saturday afternoon I visited. The winery is housed in a temporary structure (there are plans to build a larger complex) next to the 13 acre estate vineyard planted in 2006. àMaurice, is a family-owned and operated winery, named after Maurice Shafer, the father of founder Tom Shafer,...

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Posted by Thad at 05:44 AM | | Comments (0)

April 09, 2008

Isenhower Cellars: Team Terroir

While in Walla Walla weekend before last, I had the opportunity to stop by Isenhower Cellars to visit with my father-in-law, Bob, who works in their tasting room. For full disclosure, I have no financial or business interest in this winery, just a connection through family. It was an opportune visit, in that they had recently started pouring some of their new releases. At the same time, it was a very inspiring visit, for Isenhower Cellars has clearly set a new benchmark when it comes to focusing on terroir. While tasting through their new wines, I noticed how the...

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Posted by Thad at 07:38 PM | | Comments (2)

April 03, 2008

Tertulia Cellars: A Social Approach

A few miles south of downtown Walla Walla amongst acres of wheat fields, a new colorful winery has arisen. Tertulia Cellars is a place that stands out amongst its peers in terms of architecture and design. From the outside, one is immediately struck by the bold multi-colored building as a place that might be taking a different approach to the winery experience. Walking inside only confirms what these folks have brought to the Walla Walla Valley: a place designed to be a social gathering around wine. The approach Tertulia Cellars is taking with their tasting room is in keeping...

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Posted by Thad at 09:13 PM | | Comments (0)

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...

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Posted by Thad at 10:46 AM | | 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...

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Posted by Thad at 11:11 AM | | 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...

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Posted by Thad at 03:56 PM | | 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...

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

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...

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Posted by Thad at 09:24 AM | | 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...

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Posted by Thad at 12:55 PM | | 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...

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Posted by Thad at 01:15 PM | | 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...

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Posted by Thad at 12:40 PM | | 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...

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

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...

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

October 31, 2007

Time to Visit a Few Wineries

With today being the last day of October, I turned my attention to the topics covered in this month's posts. With the exception of an Oregon winery review, a book report, and a shout out to other Washington wine bloggers, most of October's writing was focused on what my wife and I ate and drank at our dinner table. I had not realized until now how much of the past month had focused on "What I Drank With Dinner" (WIDWD). It is definitely time to visit some wineries! I am going to try to get out to Woodinville or south...

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Posted by Thad at 03:09 PM | | Comments (1)

October 18, 2007

Review: Lange Estate Winery and Vineyards

While on a business trip to Portland earlier this week, I decided to break away in the afternoon and visit a few wineries in the Dundee/Carlton area. I had planned to stop by several wineries, but due to traffic, stoplights, and slower speed limits in the Willamette Valley, found the common 5:00 pm closing hour quickly approaching. My primary target had been Carlton, where the Anne Amie winery is located, but upon arriving Dundee at 4:30 pm, I realized that time would allow for just one visit. Fortunately, a signpost appeared pointing the way to the Lange Estate Winery and...

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Posted by Thad at 12:47 PM | | Comments (2)

October 10, 2007

How Every Winery Should Blog About Crush

As you may recall from a previous post on Craig Camp, I am a big fan of The Wine Camp Blog. Besides being one of the few, if only, bloggers in Oregon, Craig also happens to be president of Anne Amie Vineyards. Since joining Anne Amie in 2004, he has been working to transform this estate winery into a leading producer of Oregon pinot noir. Along the way, it's clear Craig is going to change the way wineries connect to their customers online. Over the past month or so, I have been following Craig's posts on crush at Anne Amie...

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Posted by Thad at 06:06 PM | | Comments (4)

September 25, 2007

Washington wineries going beyond the bottle

With the official arrival of fall, Washington wine country will see more folks visiting to taste new releases and experience the harvest season. I thought it might be useful to list the state's wineries that went beyond the bottle to connect me to the who, what and where of their wines. Of the twenty wineries and tasting rooms visited these last few months, the following places (in alphabetical order) received either a four (highly recommended) or five (exceptional) cork rating: Amavi Cellars (Walla Walla) Basel Cellars (Walla Walla) Brian Carter Cellars (Woodinville) Covington Cellars (Woodinville) Dama Wines (Walla Walla) Fort...

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Posted by Thad at 10:20 AM | | Comments (0)

September 20, 2007

What wineries do you enjoy visiting?

In The Seattle Times today, I was delighted to see a column entitled, "Winery fans toast top choices for tours". Readers describe their best experiences touring wine country in the Pacific Northwest, with most of the favorites located in Washington state. I am excited to hear these stories, as they provide a good list of places to visit in the coming months. What struck me the most in reading this list was the emphasis folks placed on the quality of staff, service, and setting. The quality of wine certainly counts for a lot in one's experience, but most folks...

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Posted by Thad at 08:57 AM | | Comments (0)

September 18, 2007

Review: The Tasting Room - Wines of Washington

One of the things my wife and I enjoyed most about traveling around northern Italy was visiting an enoteca to taste the local wines. At each place visited, we could find a variety of wineries represented with dozens of tastes to choose from and sample. There were also light snacks or bar food to complement whatever you were drinking. It was just a wonderful way to discover and enjoy wine. I had always thought this concept would do well in the US, especially here in Washington state. After recently visiting The Tasting Room in Pike Place Market, I have...

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Posted by Thad at 10:42 AM | | Comments (0)

September 12, 2007

Review: Woodhouse Family Cellars

The Woodhouse Family Cellars winery is located in an industrial business park southwest of downtown Woodinville. But don't let that dissuade you from paying them a visit to sample their wines. This family owned and operated winery has taken strides to make you feel welcome in their unique setting. The raised herb gardens leading into their tasting room are a nice touch, as this would otherwise be a rather drab entrance. When you enter the tasting room, you can't help but feel really small due to the cavernous warehouse space. With an adjoining commercial kitchen, it's clear this winery was...

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Posted by Thad at 05:46 AM | | Comments (0)

September 10, 2007

Review: Matthews Cellars

Ever been to a winery that was so busy the focus became "fill 'em up and get 'em out"? That's the unfortunate experience I had at Matthews Cellars on a recent Saturday. To be fair, their small tasting room located south of downtown Woodinville was completely packed with folks spilling outside into the lawn. The three servers working that day were clearly "in the weeds". They could have used an extra hand from Matt Loso, owner and winemaker, who was nowhere to be found. As a result, the place was more like a busy bar scene, with little, if any,...

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Posted by Thad at 06:34 AM | | Comments (0)