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

While I was traveling, a new economic impact study about the Washington state wine industry was released, showcasing impressive statistics about the industry’s incredible growth and its positive effect on the economy.

According to the Washington State Wine Commission, which released the study, the state’s wine industry is valued at more than $8.6 billion annually in Washington state and more than $14.9 billion annually in the U.S. — approximately three times higher than a similar study conducted in 2007.

Here is some additional interesting information from the study:

• Since 2005, the number of licensed wineries in Washington State has more than doubled from 360 to 739 today.
• The state has also added more than 13,000 acres of vineyards during this time – from just over 30,000 acres (12,000 hectares) in 2005 to more than 43,000 acres (17,000 hectares) today.
• The industry supports nearly 30,000 jobs in Washington State and more than 70,000 jobs nationally, with wages of nearly $1.2 billion and more than $2.8 billion, respectively.
• The industry generates more than $237 million in annual tax revenues to the state of Washington and pays nearly $1.4 billion annually in taxes across the country.
• Each year, Washington State draws more than 2.4 million wine-related tourists, who spend nearly $1.1 billion in communities throughout the state.

Want to read more? The complete study, conducted by California-based Stonebridge Research, can be found at washingtonwine.org.

Cheers!

A day of double-takes comprised what I like to call our experience of “Washington in Washington.”

Dave and I were in Washington, D.C. at the same time as this state’s Washington Wine Commission held a trade and media tasting there.

Ryan Pennington, the Commission’s social-media-savvy PR director, saw my Facebook update that we were headed to D.C., so he kindly invited us to stop by the tasting event at the Rooftop Terrace at The John F. Kennedy Center.

Of course we went! The tasting area was packed, and we listened with pride as many D.C.-area wine experts, restaurant owners, media and wine enthusiasts extolled the virtues of Washington state wine.

And we laughed at the looks on the faces of several winemakers and winery owners when they saw us, out of context, in “the other Washington!”

“What are you doing here?” exclaimed Charlie Hoppes of Fidelitas, Mike White of Barrister, Lisa Baer of Baer, John Abbott of Abeja, Darcey Fugman-Small of Woodward Canyon, Jerry Riener of Guardian Cellars and Doug Long of Obelisco.

“We just happened to be in the neighborhood and heard some excellent Washington state wine was being poured here,” we replied.

We also had an opportunity to taste wine and talk to Daniel Wampfler of Dunham Cellars, Kristi and Lou Facelli of Facelli, Kim Bolander of L’Ecole 41, Debbie Hansen of Cougar Crest, and Mark McNeilly of Mark Ryan.

These were the wines we tasted and recommend (in alphabetical order):

• Abeja 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla ($52)
• Baer 2009 Ursa Red Bordeaux Blend, Columbia Valley ($39)
• Cougar Crest 2007 Estate Cabernet Franc, Walla Walla ($38)
• Dunham Cellars 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon XIV, Columbia Valley ($45)
• Facelli 2008 Barbera, Columbia Valley ($25)
• Fidelitas 2008 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain ($55)
• Guardian Cellars 2009 Gun Metal Red Bordeaux Blend, Columbia Valley ($37)
• L’Ecole 41 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla ($37)
• Long Shadows 2007 Feather Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley ($55)
• Mark Ryan 2009 Dead Horse Red Bordeaux Blend, Red Mountain ($52)
• Obelisco 2009 Electrum Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain ($65)
• Woodward Canyon 2009 Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington State ($54)

Frankly, I couldn’t say it any better than the Washington Wine Commission’s brochure:

“Washington State’s exceptional grapes reach their potential in the hands of extraordinary winemakers, who create bright and balanced expressions of our region with world-class wines.”

Cheers to Washington state winemakers!

I heart Hyatt hotels. A few weeks ago, I wrote about wine at my go-to hotel in my home town, Hyatt Vancouver. Then last week, we tasted wine in an amazing experience at the Grand Hyatt Washington D.C.

In fact, a funny thing happened on the way to the Grand Hyatt D.C. And it demonstrates the potential and the power of social media.

Shortly after arriving at the hotel, I received a message from Front Desk Agent Emanuel Lessey. He told me that he recently received an email from his sister with a link to my blog post about wine at the Hyatt Vancouver.

Emanuel has a sharp eye, in addition to a savvy business sense. And he gets social media.

He recognized my name on the his hotel’s guest list, and called to ask if we would be interested in a flight of local wine in Cure Bar & Bistro on the hotel’s main floor.

No surprise to you, I’m sure – the answer was yes, please.

Cure is a great, casual restaurant and bar that spans four floors, with high ceilings, an open fireplace, and stone and oak walls. The artisan cheese selection is almost as extensive as the wine list. We were treated to three wines from Barboursville Vineyards in Virginia, home to an incredible story as well as captivating wines.

Barboursville is located on the plantation of former Governor James Barbour, whose mansion was designed in 1814 by Thomas Jefferson, who also had a lifelong passion for fine wine. As it turns out, Jefferson envisioned a vineyard at this beautiful location, which finally happened more than 150 years later: in 1976, Gianni Zonin — 6th generation heir to a family wine enterprise active since 1821 in the Veneto — acquired the plantation.

Fast forward to April, 2012, when we enjoyed Barboursville Vintage Rose’, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay at Cure at the Grand Hyatt D.C., thanks to Emanuel Lessey.

The city had been hit with an unexpected heat wave, with 90 degrees that day, so we welcomed the cool Rose’ blend of Nebbiolo, Cab Franc, Cab Sauv and Merlot.

The Sauvignon Blanc was also refreshing, with aromas and flavors of grapefruit for me, although Dave got more of the tangerine and kiwi.

And if you prefer steel-barrel aging for a crisp Chardonnay, this one from Barboursville is for you.

Harun, who poured for us at Cure, was as knowledgeable about local wines as he was friendly. And a visit to our table by Cure’s popular and creative general manager, Ken Hood, added more insight into the wine list and the care given by everyone we met who worked at the Grand Hyatt D.C.

And then Emanuel took customer service one step further – by surprising me on my birthday, with a card from everyone at the front desk. Somehow, he found out that my birthday was taking place during our D.C. visit, and he helped make that day even more special.

So please join us in giving a round of applause to Emanuel and his sister, along with special cheer to Ken, Harun, the front desk staff and others at the Grand Hyatt D.C. We will return!

Cheers!

My last post was about wine from the north side of Washington state’s border; now we go south to Oregon. Actually, we’ll be traveling to Oregon wine country in August for the 2012 Wine Bloggers Conference, so this post is a prelude to some of the fine wines we will be writing about in a few months.

Cana’s Feast Winery is located in Carlton, Oregon, and to our surprise – and delight – produces an excellent Barbera, one of Dave’s favorite varietals.

Although the wine was produced in Oregon, this fourth vintage of Cana’s Feast Barbera 2009 is the first to be made exclusively from Coyote Canyon Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills region of Washington state.

After a few sips, we were not surprised to find out that Cana’s Feast ’09 Barbera won gold at the Winemaker Challenge International Wine Competition. A soft elegant red with rich fruit flavors, this lovely 100% Barbera paired well with our dinner of grilled halibut. Next time, we’ll serve it with Dave’s excellent spaghetti.

And yes, there will be a next time. Rich red in color, with a smooth finish, this ’09 Barbera showcases Washington state wine with an Italian flair. We’re looking forward to tasting many other Italian and Bordeaux varietals from Cana’s Feast.

(Full disclosure: This was a free wine sample from Cana’s Feast. As per our wine sample policy, we only write about wines that we like.)

Cheers!

Regular readers of Write for Wine know that I live in Seattle but I’m from Vancouver, and I occasionally write about B.C. wines. This is one of those occasions.

On two recent visits to my hometown, I stayed at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver and experienced two delightful B.C. reds – to my admitted surprise, considering that B.C. is known mainly for its fine whites.

First, 2008 Burrowing Owl Merlot: This rich wine was drinking nicely a couple of months ago, with aromas of dark cherry and cassis particularly noticeable. It was the best B.C. merlot I’ve tasted and equals some of our favorite Washington state merlots, hands down. Not surprisingly, it won a bronze at the prestigious San Francisco International Wine Competition 2011.

In fact, I was so pleased to find a fabulous B.C. red, that I’d like to try Burrowing Owl’s Cab Franc one of these days. And it just so happens that their 08 Cab Franc won gold at the same SF International Wine Competition.

We are heading to B.C.’s wine country in 2013 for the Wine Bloggers Conference, but if we get to Oliver before hand, Burrowing Owl is definitely on our must-see list. More than a winery, Burrowing Owl offers a restaurant and accommodations, overlooking 140 acres of picturesque vineyard. The “Guest House” contains 10 spacious rooms with fireplaces and private decks.

The second B.C. red that I tasted at Vancouver Hyatt a few weeks later came from Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Estate Vineyard. Jackson-Triggs, the most-awarded winery in Canada, is well-known for its Niagara (Ontario) wine.

But its award-winning merlots and cabernet sauvignons are made with grapes from B.C.’s Okanagan region, also near Oliver.

We tasted the latest release, a 2009 Black Series Merlot (formerly Proprietors’ Reserve), which was velvety smooth and silky at the same time. This wine is so new that it hasn’t been entered into international wine competitions yet, but my bet is on awards in the future.

If you’re looking for recommendations about B.C. whites, Washington wine expert Paul Gregutt gives full marks to “gems such as Sperling Old Vine riesling, Le Vieux Pin sauvignon blanc and Poplar Grove pinot gris.”

Cheers!

The Washington Wine Commission released fun facts about Washington wine at Taste Washington again this year, and we thought it would be fun to compare this year to last year’s facts:

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

• YES in 2011 and 2012

There are 730 wineries in Washington state and 350+ grape growers.

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

More than 30 varietals are produced in Washington state.

• In 2011, more than 60 (Interesting reversal!)

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

• Same order in both 2011 and 2012

The leading red varietals produced in Washington state are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cab Franc, Malbec, Sangiovese, Pinot Noir and Lemberger.

• Same order in both 2011 and 2012

The ratio of white-to-red wine is 55% white to 45% red.

• In 2011, the ratio was 54% white to 46% red.

The average hours of summer sunlight in Washington state: 17.4 hours per day, about two hours more than California’s prime growing region

• Surprising to many, the answer is YES in both years.

The annual rainfall is eight inches in eastern Washington (our state’s major grape growing region) and 48 inches in western Washington.

• YES in both years

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

For years, we’ve said if you only go to one Washington state wine event each year, Taste Washington is it. This year was no exception. We had a lovely day sipping our way through some of the best wines that Washington state has to offer. (We also spilled a lot, which is quite acceptable, along with spitting, at wine tastings.)

Every wine we tasted was a stand-out. But two were stellar to our palates: 09 Cabernet Franc from Barrister Winery and 07 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Boudreaux Cellars.

The other stand-outs were:

• Viognier: William Church Winery 2011 Viognier; Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2010 Crawford Viognier
• 2010 Sauvignon Blanc: Lodmell Cellars
• Cabernet Sauvignon: Va Piano 08 Cab Sauv; Fidelitas 09 Ciel de Cheval;  Barrage Cellars 08 Double Barrel; Otis Kenyon 08 Cab Sauv
• Cabernet Franc: Barrage Cellars 08 Outcast; Bartholomew 08 Cab Franc; Hard Row to Hoe 09 Estate Cab Franc
• Bordeaux Blend: Figgins 08 Estate Red; Long Shadows 07 Chester-Kidder Red Blend; Betz 09 Clos de Betz; Forgeron Cellars 07 Vinfinity
• Barbera: Heaven’s Cave 09 Two Degrees
• Tempranillo: Fall Line 09 El Otro
• Syrah: Efeste 09 Ceidleigh

And while all the food we tasted was delicious too, the winner (in our opinion) was Tulalip’s fried chocolate bread pudding with a bourbon carmel-vanilla milkshake. Sigh.

Cheers to the Washington Wine Commission and cheers to Washington state’s 730+ wineries!

Taste Washington weekend is here, and from all accounts we’ve heard, opening day Saturday was a huge success! See below for a sampling of tweets from our friends and colleagues. We’ll be there Sunday, so be sure to follow my live Twitter stream @WriteforWine.

A plan is necessary at Taste Washington, where there are more than 200 Washington wineries pouring from several bottles – and if you’re a Facebook fan or Twitter friend, chances are you’ll be offered a “little something special” from under the table.

Just be sure to spit or spill – it’s acceptable and appreciated. Enjoy the tasty bites from some of Washington state’s best restaurants. And please do take a cab!

We’re going to follow our plan from last year:

1. Taste Cabernet Franc
2. Taste new releases from wineries we know
3. Taste releases from wineries we are not familiar with
4. Last but not least, visit friends at wineries to say hello

Again, you can follow my tweets live from Taste Washington Sunday at @WriteforWine. Meanwhile, here are some tweets highlighting Saturday’s tasting and seminars:

@TasteWashington: The doors are open and the clinking of glasses can already be heard. Welcome to #TasteWA 2012! http://pic.twitter.com/1TqUOcIv

@WmChurchwinery: Headed to #tastewa? See u there right by the Viking stage..in the back this yr. search & u will find

@MsTerroir: #TasteWa check out @NWTotemCellars @GardVintners @WmChurchwinery @ForgeronCellars @TreveriCellars @grapegeek….+ more! #wawine

@44vines: It’s #TasteWA Visit me at Table 5B when you walk in @redmtnava

@lecole41: fantastic, glad everyone is enjoying the merlot ! #tastewa #seminar

@Forgeron Cellars: Ready to pour! #tastewa don’t forget to mention twitter & ’07 Vinfinity

@BlackPearlSEA: ’02 @colsolare Red. Get it before it’s gone! #TasteWA #WAwine

@SeattleMaven: @ElGauchoSteak Good gawd … you spoil me! #TasteWA http://pic.twitter.com/BorQSK7c

@WaWineReport: Make sure to check out the Northridge Vineyard table and other vineyard tables. #tastewa

@wild4wawine: @cougarcrest @tastewashington out of the park #wawine

@LaurelhurstWine: Sweet Decadence artisan chocolates pairing @TasteWashington come by booth 12A

@WinePeeps: Amazing! RT @TulalipResort: try our Fried Chocolate Bread Pudding and Bourbon Caramel-Vanilla Milkshakes at #TasteWA

Hope to see you Sunday at Taste Washington – come celebrate Washington Wine Month!

Cheers!

If you follow Write for Wine on Facebook or Twitter, you’ll know that I just spent a week in Seoul, South Korea for my job at a public relations agency. It was a first for me, and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect in terms of wine.

My friend Jaimie at L’Ecole 41 in Walla Walla told me their wines have been available in Seoul for six years, but I didn’t see them – or any Washington wines for that matter.

Then again, I didn’t get out much because I was, after all, there to work. (No, I’m not complaining at all – it was a wonderful and valuable experience, and I met some smart, fun people who work around the world at the same PR agency.)

I did participate in a delicious dinner featuring Korean BBQ, where the beef was grilled on the table and cut with scissors. It was the most tender beef I have tasted in my life – ever! But not one Washington wine was on the menu. I also checked the wine lists at restaurants in two major hotels, with the same result.

So you can imagine my surprise when I came home to find out that Washington wine and South Korea were in the news! An historic free trade agreement between the U.S. and Korea kicked in while I was gone, which removes a 15% tariff on wine.

As a result, according to news reports, wine exports from Washington state are expected to increase by 40-50% in the first year. That’s because Korean cuisine, which relies heavily on beef, just happens to pair nicely with the fabulous reds that are produced in our state.

So next time I visit Seoul, I’ll be able to savor a robust, rich Cab Sauv from Washington state with my Korean BBQ. I’ll definitely lift my glass to that!

Cheers!

Regular readers of this blog know we are major fans of Walla Walla wine. We don’t get to visit Walla Walla nearly as often as we would like, so when Walla Walla comes to Seattle, it’s a must-go-to event.

So I dashed out to SoDo during my lunch break to visit friends and have a few (very small) tastes at “Walla Walla Wine @SoDo Park” last week.

I could only visit a few booths, and I know I missed out on lots of wineries. I wish I could have stayed longer, but work beckoned me back.

Here are the wines I tasted and would definitely purchase:

• Abeja 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon – This fine Cab is blended with 4% Merlot, in John Abbot’s fashion of being true to the varietal and to the state.
• L’Ecole 41 2009 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon – I’ve been a major fan of this wine since the 2001 vintage.
• Otis Kenyon 2008 Syrah – It has that “In the Rocks” funk – yum!
• Watermill 2008 Cabernet Franc – if you love Cab Franc like I do, this is a must-buy.
• Woodward Canyon 2009 Estate Reserve – It won’t be released until summer but the potential is already magnificent.

There are many, many more excellent Walla Walla wineries – and we highly recommend you visit them in Walla Walla. Some of them have tasting rooms in Woodinville too.

Cheers!