Write for Wine: It's Wine O'Clock Somewhere!

We don’t often write about events, but this one is important. Rockin’ Sips is an annual fundraiser held by Efeste for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).

This event was originally inspired by heartbreak, when Efeste owners Kevin and Angela Taylor learned their five-year-old son, Joe, was diagnosed with leukemia. Thankfully, five years later, Joe completed his treatment – and the fundraiser has turned into a celebration.

According to Angie, ”We are so grateful to LLS for bringing medical advances so far along in making this blood disease and treatment a story of survivorship, not just for our family but the thousands of others.”

Between Rockin’ Sips and Tough Guy wine, named in honor of Joe, Efeste has raised more than $57,000, with support from its community of friends, colleagues and wine enthusiasts. (Beer drinkers are also welcomed at Rockin’ Sips.)

Seattle cover band, the Slacks, are headlining at the event, which also features raffles and a silent auction in addition to wines and beer from Rôtie Cellars,Côte Bonneville, Sparkman Cellars, Treveri Cellars, Pike Brewing, and Black Raven Brewing Company.

The fundraiser will be held at 4:30 p.m. on June 8 at the winery in Woodinville.

Tickets are available at the winery tasting room or online — they cost $35 until May 24, and then increase to $45.

Well, what are you waiting for?

Cheers!

We finally decided to open our beautifully engraved bottle of 2008 Red Wine from Barrage Cellars – Kevin Correll’s featured wine of 2011 Taste of Tulalip, the annual wine and food extravaganza at Tulalip Resort.

Kevin’s 2008 Red was originally known as Stealth, a new wine label in honor of his and Rebecca’s beloved dog, Murphy — a gorgeous chocolate Lab, known for his playfulness and surreptitiousness around the wine barrels.

“Stealth,” a red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cab Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot, sold out almost immediately. We weren’t surprised to hear this news, because we’ve never met a wine from Barrage Cellars that we didn’t like, or more often, love.

Back in 2011, with the announcement that Barrage Cellars was honored as the official winery partner of Taste of Tulalip, Kevin rebottled what little remained of Stealth and renamed it ”Murphy’s Blend.” He and Rebecca lovingly poured the nectar into engraved bottles that were featured at the event.

We bought a bottle there, and later wished we had purchased more.

But we decided to hold off on opening it; the bottle is so pretty, and filled with wine that we knew would be so, so pleasing.

But last night, we did it – we uncorked the bottle, and raised our glasses to Murphy (who is now romping around in doggy heaven with our beloved retrievers, Sam and Shadow) and also to Kevin and Rebecca, whom we are happy to call our friends.

Cheers to friends, dogs and fabulous wine!

P.S. We’re keeping the bottle!

In the dark, damp winter months, it’s all about the reds. But with a spate of warm weather in Seattle in the last few weeks, out pop the whites too! Here is a list of red, white and rosé wines that have recently graced our glasses.

2011 JM Cellars Bramble Bump White: A blend of Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvingon Blanc and a touch of Semillon, winemaker John Bigelow calls this crisp beauty a “Conundrum.” Not surprisingly, the 2010 vintage was named “Editor’s Choice” by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. We enjoyed this refreshing summer sipper with prawns on the deck.

2011 Bernardus Sauvignon Blanc: We first tasted this bright wine on a recent trip to Carmel for my birthday. There are some fine wines being crafted in the Carmel Valley, and this one was one of our favorites because it shows classic Sauv Blanc characteristics.

2012 Obelisco Red Mountain Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé: This amazing summer sipper was jointly created by winemakers Doug Long from Obelisco and Kevin Correll from Barrage Cellars. You will find it to be unlike anything you’ve ever expected or experienced in a Rosé. Unfortunately, only a small quantity was produced, so we recommend you head to Woodinville to pick up some quickly.

2010 L’Ecole 41 Candy Mountain Vineyard Red Wine: L’Ecole released this red blend as part of their 30th Anniversary celebration. Candy Mountain is adjacent to our favorite Red Mountain; this seductive wine — a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon and 43% Merlot —  is just one of many reasons why L’Ecole has been named “Winery of the Year” for 11 consecutive years by Wine & Spirits.

2010 William Church Cabernet Sauvignon: This standout wine has what we like to call the WOW factor. But don’t just take our word for it! The winemakers of Woodinville judged this beauty as the winner of the 2013 Golden Grape Best Cabernet Award. Very impressive!

2009 Alexandria Nicole Cellars Destiny: When I walk into ANC’s Woodinville tasting room, they know to bring out this luscious blend. That’s because year after year, it’s been at top of my list of stellar ANC wines – and it’s a long list! Winemaker Jarrod Boyle calls Destiny “voluptuous” – and for good reason. This vintage is Cab-Sauv based (67%), with equal parts Cab Franc and Merlot (10% each), plus 8% Malbec, and rounded out by a touch of Petit Verdot and Carmenere.

2010 Forgeron Cellars Zinfandel: On Facebook, I used the term “beauty in a glass” to describe both ANC’s Destiny and Forgeron’s Zinfandel. We have not tasted a Washington state Zin that comes even close to Marie Eve Gilla’s creation, which blends 77% Zinfandel and 23% Primitivo. This is one powerful wine that cried out to be paired with Dave’s zesty spaghetti. Delicious!

We recommend all of these seven wines — the whites and Rosé in warm weather, and the three reds with BBQ burgers or steak.

Cheers!

You always know summer is around the corner when Chateau Ste. Michelle starts selling tickets to its amazing Summer Concert Series. This year’s lineup of renowned musicians provides something for everybody, including jazz, rock, blues and contemporary music.

The 2013 lineup features Pat Benetar and Berlin, Lyle Lovett, Chris Isaak, the Gipsy Kings, Counting Crows, Steve Miller Band, Gladys Knight & the O’Jays reunion, and two nights of Harry Connick Jr.

The series begins on June 15 with a live broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor and wraps up with Chris Isaak on Aug. 24 (a few weeks earlier this year).

There are two months’ of options on the concert calendar along with answers to any questions you might have about how to prepare for, and what to expect from, an outdoors concert.

We had such a wonderful evening at the Moody Blues concert two years ago and listening to Bonnie Raitt  last year; we are looking forward to another special time this year. We highly recommend you do the same.

Tickets are now on sale at Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Wine Shop and through Ticketmaster.

What are you waiting for?

It’s a wonderful way to spend a lazy summer evening of music and wine on the beautiful grounds of Chateau Ste. Michelle.

Who knows, maybe a peacock will even join you! We saw this one at Ste. Michelle last year – beautiful!

Cheers!

What an unexpected and pleasant surprise a few weeks ago to see Seattle temperatures hit almost 70 degrees — in March! You know what that meant … time to sit on the deck with a glass of white wine.

Our wine of choice for the deck – and later to be paired with salmon barbecued on a cedar plank — was Carlton Cellars Proposal Rock 2011 Sauvignon Blanc. Crisp, elegant, refreshing, with strong notes of grapefruit, pear and citrus rind — perfect!

You might recall that I went on a tour of Carlton, Oregon wineries with friends after the 2012 Wine Bloggers Conference in Portland last summer. Fondly nicknamed “Blitz Carlton,” you can read about it here and here.

One of the bottles I brought home from Blitz Carlton was that same Carlton Cellars Sauv Blanc, knowing Dave would also enjoy it because of the strong grapefruit flavors.

He also enjoyed the story behind the name and label.

In 1999, Carlton Cellars co-owner Dave Grooters proposed to his future wife and winery parter Robin at a stunning spot at Neskowin on the Oregon Coast. Only later did Dave learn this place is actually known as Proposal Rock! Surprise!

Look at the label of Proposal Rock Sauvignon Blanc (above). See the two people? What a great story!

Dave Grooters is more than Carlton Cellars’ co-owner, grower, and winemaker. He is a storyteller, and his enthusiasm about the wines and the labels is enchanting.

He and Robin honor the Pacific by naming each wine for a special place on the Oregon coast, illustrated by really cool label art. On the right is the label from Carlton Cellars 2011 Canon Beach Pinot Gris, which I described last summer as “the crispest Pinot Gris in Oregon.”

Looking forward to visiting Carlton again next month!

Cheers!

This is a continuation of our random thoughts from Taste Washington, held March 23-24 in Seattle. To start at the beginning, please read Part 1 first.

Another perennial favorite, 2010 Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon, from Betz Family Winery, continues to showcase how this grape shines in Washington state.

Smart thinking from Col Solare — at their booth, they offered an educational (and tasty) experience of how wine develops over the years, with a side-by-side tasting of the 2007 and the 2003 vintages.

Somehow, we were lucky enough to taste Cooper Wine Company‘s stellar 2008 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon. This standout wine wasn’t on the tasting list provided when we arrived at the event.

Thank you to all our friends who poured us a little-extra-special something from under the table!

Speaking of friends, Bob Silver noted in his blog WA|Wine|PR that the Double Canyon 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon was “the favorite wine that I met at 2013 Taste Washington.” He described it as “Big honkin’ fruit from Horse Heaven Hills, wonderful structure and balance” – so you know we’ll be checking this wine out in the near future. Our palates are similar to Bob’s – he’s never steered us wrong with his many recommendations over the years.

Efeste‘s 2009 Big Papa is drinking so well right now that we need to get to Woodinville to pick up more, stat! Just one taste underlined why Washington wine expert Paul Gregutt described this beauty as capturing the best of Washington in a single bottle.

As expected, we enjoyed JM Cellars’ 2010 Longevity and 2010 Tre. We can’t wait until May, when John Bigelow’s 2012 Red Mountain Sauvignon Blanc is released. We savored a pour at Taste Washington, and indeed, this wine demonstrates the true characteristics of the grape. A perfect summer sipper on the deck!

Another favorite was Sparkman Cellars 2010 Kingpin Cabernet Sauvignon, also sourced from Red Mountain. I adored Sparky’s tasting notes: “Will develop for many years and last well past the end of the world.”

There were so many more wineries that we did not have the time (or fortitude) to visit! And then there was the food!

The standout restaurant booths that we visited were Anthony’s Pier 66, Murray’s Cheese, Ivar’s, Relish Burger Bar, RN74, Sullivan’s Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Sweet Treats, The Yellow Leaf Cupcake Company and every restaurant from Tulalip.

Did you go to Taste Washington 2013? What were your standouts?

Cheers!

Washington state produces excellent wine. Period.

That is our main takeaway from Taste Washington, held March 23-24 in Seattle.

That is certainly not a new or revolutionary thought on Write for Wine. We were major advocates of Washington wine for years before this blog was created in 2007. But, frankly, the winemakers and vineyard producers just keep getting better and better with each passing year.

First, kudos to Washington Wine Commission for creating such an organized event at the massive exhibition hall at Centurylink Field. Year after year — for 16 years, to be precise — this well-oiled machine produces a crowd-pleaser that introduces newcomers to the best wine and food in the state and also provides new experiences to annual attendees.

Taste Washington is an incredible taste sensation, with pours from more than 225 Washington wineries and bites created by 68 local restaurants. There were so many standouts; here is the first part of our random thoughts from the Super Bowl of Washington wine events.

Best surprise – an outstanding Obelisco 2012 Red Mountain Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé, created by winemaker Kevin Correll from Barrage Cellars in conjunction with Doug Long from Obelisco. We are headed to the Obelisco tasting room in Woodinville to buy some of this amazing summer sipper before it sells out!

Ditto for Doug’s superlative 2010 Nefer 111, which demonstrates how incredibly well Washington grapes can be transformed with a Napa Valley style. This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain fruit sourced at Obelisco Estate Vineyard. We don’t frequently purchase 3-bottle sets, but we are going to make an exception for this stellar wine.

And speaking of Barrage, the 2008 Double Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon is drinking really well right now! We loved it when it was first released, and now, simply wow.

Still on the Cab Sauv track, we were fortunate to taste Gorman Winery‘s 2009 Albatross Red Mountain, a powerful blend of 80% Cab Sauv and 20% Petit Verdot, which received 94 points from Wine Enthusiast. This one is a beauty, which we’re also going to buy before all of it gets snapped up!

With a Parker rating of 92 points, the Adams Bench 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon V is a polished vibrant red that we are pleased to add to our list of favorites. It was recommended to us by William Church winemaker Rod Balsley, whose 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon has been winning awards all over the place!

By the way, Rod’s William Church 2010 Cab Sauv has just been released, and we can’t wait to taste it. This standout Cab is the winner of the 2013 Golden Grape Best Cabernet Award, judged by the winemakers of Woodinville, which is pretty impressive.

Somehow, we missed Barrister‘s 2010 Cabernet Franc, which has been a favorite in past vintages. But we tasted the delightful full-bodied “Burning Desire” Estate Cab Franc from Hard Row to Hoe, which is consistently fabulous year after year.

We also missed pours from Forgeron Cellars, Fidelitas and Gilbert Cellars – but we know from past experience that wines from all three typically rock!

There were so many random thoughts from Taste Washington, this blog post will continue – come back soon to read about the rest of our favorite pours and bites at this Super Bowl of wine events.

Did you go to Taste Washington 2013? What were your standouts?

Cheers!

Every year, The Washington Wine Commission releases fun facts about Washington wine at Taste Washington, and we thought it would be fun to compare this year to previous years:

FACT: Washington state is the second-largest premium wine producer in the United States (after California).

• YES in 2011, 2012 and 2013

FACT: There are 750 wineries in Washington state and 350+ grape growers.

• In 2012, there were 730 wineries & 350+ grape growers.
• In 2011, there were 700+ wineries & 350+ grape growers.

FACT: More than 30 varietals are produced in Washington state.

• The same was true in 2012. In 2011, more than 60
• Editor’s note: Interesting reversal!

FACT: The leading white varietals produced in Washington state are Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Viognier, Semillon and Chenin Blanc.

• YES in 2011, 2012 and 2013

FACT: The leading red varietals produced in Washington state are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cab Francv and Malbec.

• In 2011 and 2012, three additional leading red varietals were listed: Sangiovese, Pinot Noir and Lemberger.

FACT: The ratio of white-to-red wine is 50.3% white to 49.7% red.

• In 2012, the ratio was 55% white to 45% red.
• In 2011, the ratio was 54% white to 46% red.
• Editor’s note: Very noteworthy to see how the ratio has evened out over the years.

Additional information in 2013:

• Wine Production: 12 million cases
• Record Harvest: 2012 with 188,000 tons
• Estimated winery sales: $437.64 million
• Estimated retail & restaurant sales: $135.782 million
• Estimated distributor sales: $37.34 million
• Full-time equivalent wine-related jobs: 30,000 in Washington state; 70,000 nationwide
• Wine-related wages paid: $1.5 billion in Washington state; $2.8 billion nationwide
• Total economic impact on Washington state: $8.6 billion
• Total economic impact on U.S. economy: $14.9 billion

We hope you enjoyed these factoids as much as we did!
Cheers!

Taste Washington, the Super Bowl for the Washington state wine industry, kicks off March 23-24 with something for every wine enthusiast. It’s also a perfect place for newbies to learn, without fear, about the wonderful world of wine, Washington style. And then there’s the food.

Specifically, Taste Washington features more than 225 Washington wineries and 68 local restaurants.

No wonder that the Washington Wine Commission and Visit Seattle, annual producers of the event, promote it this way: “Taste Washington. Drink. Eat. Learn.” Indeed, Taste Washington is billboarded as “the nation’s largest single-region wine and food event.”

The weekend begins with Saturday seminars to educate your palate. The wine will also be flowing at these educational experiences:

• Introduction to the World of Wine
• Cure What Ales Ya!
• RIEDEL Glass Tasting
• Washington vs. The World!
• All Mixed Up – The Art of Blending
• Yakima Valley 30th Anniversary
• Join the Cider Revolution

Sunday features the Grand Tasting. Like any Super Bowl, you need to plan to stay ahead of the game. It’s easy – you can download a copy of the event program and start planning which wineries and restaurants to visit.

We organize our tasting route in advance every year. One year, we decided to only taste pours from wineries or wines that we had never before experienced. Another year, we decided to only drink Cab Francs.

Here is more information to help organize your weekend: Participating wineries | Vineyards |Restaurants | Hotels | Exhibitors | Tickets |

There are various price tiers for the event, which is being held at the CenturyLink Field Event Center:

VIP Tickets – One day $145, two days, $185; For this price, your receive one extra hour to enjoy Taste Washington before the crowds arrive; access to the Barrel Room, an exclusive VIP lounge presented by Tulalip Resort Casino; VIP swag bag and special giveaways each day during the VIP hour.

General Admission — One day $80; two days, $125

Seminars — Held over two days, these range in price from $25-$75 dollars

We hope to see you there!

Cheers!

We’ve headed into the season of major wine events, so it was particularly timely to receive an email from Hedges Family Estate titled, “Rules for Attending a Wine Festival.”

Not only was it timely, the words rang true according to several winemakers we’ve talked to over the years.

It’s also pretty funny.

So props to Hedges Family Estate – enjoy!

Rules for Attending a Wine Festival

by Hedges Family Estate, Red Mountain, WA

• Don’t tether your wine glass to your neck.
• Don’t pinch your fingers and say, “Just a little.”  Dump it if you don’t want to finish it, but I’m going to pour as much as I damn well please.
• Don’t violently lift your glass mid-pour and say, “That’s enough.”  Same deal as above.
• Don’t say, “Give me the biggest thing you have.”  This isn’t NASCAR.
• Let “smooth” take the day off from your vocabulary… the whole day.
• Don’t shove.  I mean… really.
• Don’t say you hate Merlot. We all saw Sideways. Guess what: Miles didn’t want to drink Merlot because it reminded him of his ex-wife. That bottle he drank in the end—his most precious bottle—had a ton of Merlot in it.
• Don’t tell every winemaker about the winery that was down the street while you lived in Lodi.
• Don’t ask how the wine scored… ever.
• Do wear a “Wine’er, Dine’er, 69’er T-shirt.
• If you are going to wear one of the those little food trays that has a cutout for your glass, you better be damn sure you are cool enough to wear it.  Note: no one is that cool.
• Over-buff late thirties guy: Don’t try to impress your date by contradicting me.  You’re going to fail.  Yeah, try me.
• Don’t lick your glass… pig.
• Don’t talk about your sulfite allergy.  There is a good chance you have no idea what you’re talking about.
• Don’t dump into the water pitcher.  And always look before you drink out of it.
• Practice spitting at home; it will come in handy.
• Don’t talk about the legs after you swirl the glass.  Here’s a tip: the legs don’t matter.
• Don’t take your heels off and puke in the lobby.
• Don’t ask what the most expensive wine on the table is.
• Keep the rim of your glass food free.
• If you proclaim that you don’t like white or rose, we will make fun of you when you walk away.
• NO Perfume!  And go light on the lipstick, honey.

Do you have any tips or rules to add?

Cheers!