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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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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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October 30, 2007

WIDWD: Brian Carter Cellars 2004 Tuttorosso Yakima Valley

What I Drank With Dinner (WIDWD) After several delicious dinners paired with less than inspiring Washington wines last week, I was starting to feel like the Rockies in their World Series struggle against the Red Sox. Although the Rockies were swept in four games, I had more bottles of Washington wine to try even after going 0-4. I couldn't have asked for a better way to get out of this wine slump than opening a Brian Carter Cellars 2004 Tuttorosso Yakima Valley. It was an absolutely fantastic wine. We opened the Tuttorosso last night while celebrating a friend's birthday...

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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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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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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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September 09, 2007

Review: Chatter Creek Winery

There's probably no other winery in Woodinville Wine Country offering as many wines for a $5 tasting fee as Chatter Creek Winery. It seems they are either fully committed to satisfying your thirst or just want to ensure you experience the full gamut of their wines. On the Saturday I visited, they were pouring two white and seven red wines. Tasting fees are refundable with a wine purchase. They also served bread and cheese at not charge. The Chatter Creek tasting room is located in an industrial area of Woodinville north of downtown. As mentioned in my post about their...

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September 07, 2007

Review: Covington Cellars

Covington Cellars is owned and operated by David and Cindy Lawson, who named the winery after their hometown, Covington, WA. David, the winemaker, and Cindy, the tasting room manager, opened the winery in 2002. I had a really good time tasting their wines, experiencing their winery and hearing the stories Cindy shared during my visit. Their winery is located north of downtown Woodinville in what appears to be an industrial complex. Their close neighbors include Chatter Creek Winery, Stevens Winery and Ross Andrew Winery, who all suffer equally from a setting that suggests a self-storage facility. Even still, it is...

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September 06, 2007

Review: Brian Carter Cellars

Brian Carter Cellars is a fun place to enjoy and discover new wine. Located south of downtown Woodinville, Brian Carter Cellars maintains a temporary tasting room near the construction site that will become Woodinville Village. This new residential/retail/wine community will be home to four boutique wineries, with Brian Carter opening a brand new facility sometime in late 2008. Their tasting room offers outdoor seating and plenty of room inside at the tasting bar. The place was busy when I arrived, with folks seated at all of the outdoor tables, clearly enjoying the beautiful weather with their wine. The tasting room...

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September 05, 2007

Review: Novelty Hill-Januik Winery

What an incredible facility Mike Januik and his design team have created at the new Novelty Hill-Januik Winery. This extraordinary winery makes its older, more established neighbors look staid and stale. Novelty Hill-Januik was clearly designed to encourage visitors to linger, allowing one to connect to Mike's wines in ways that extend beyond the bottles being poured at the tasting room bar. In fact, it is a place one should dedicate an hour or more to slow down, relax and enjoy the setting, the people, the food, and of course, the wine. From the parking lot, the concrete exterior can...

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September 03, 2007

Touring Woodinville Wine Country

On Saturday, I decided to head east to Woodinville Wine Country, where I ended up visiting half a dozen wineries. Overall, I had a really good time discovering new wines, meeting nice folks, and learning more about these wineries. You can expect to see reviews of each winery in the week ahead. In the meantime, here are few quick highlights from my visit. All wineries were well staffed with knowledgeable folks eager to answer questions and ensure your glass was full. With the notable exception of Novelty Hill-Januik, most of the wineries I visited were housed in industrial or nondescript...

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May 16, 2007

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...

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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...

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