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

Unfortunately, we had to miss the live Don & Sons wine tasting on Twitter yesterday because it was held during the work day on the west coast. But we tasted through the wine samples after work, and wanted to share my notes.

First, these wines arrived in sample sizes from the TastingRoom.com, which I wrote about in October, and meant that we had an opportunity to taste six wines without having to open large bottles.

These wines were produced from grapes in vineyards all over California’s appellations – here is our order of preference (remember, your palate might prefer different wines than we do):

1. 2011 The Crusher Petite Sirah, Clarksburg 2010 ($18)
2. 2010 Project Paso Red Blend, Paso Robles ($15)
3. 2009 Philosopher’s Blend, Napa Valley ($40)
4. 2010 B Side Red Wine Blend ($30)
5. Don & Sons Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast  ($21)
6. 2010 B Side Cabernet Sauvingnon, Napa Valley ($30)

Our favorite was The Crusher, and judging from our colleagues tweets from the weekend’s event, this opinion was shared by many. If you’re never tried Petite Sirah before, The Crusher is a good place to start. Sourced from grapes in California’s Sacramento Delta, this is a rich multi-layered wine that would pair nicely with lamb or steak – and its price point is less than $20.

Project Paso would be a great wine for the holiday table or to take to a party – jammy, spicy and cheerful, this blends many grapes: Grenache, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Merlot, Zinfandel, Tempranillo, Malbec, Barbera and a touch of Touriga Nacional. Although we’re not huge Grenache fans, we really loved this $15 beauty.

The full-bodied Philosopher’s Blend has a Cabernet Sauvignon-base and small quantities of Merlot and Petite Sirah, a rich combination of fruit, chocolate and smoky notes. This is the most expensive of the six wines at $40.

The B-Side wines also captured our attention. The $30 Napa Valley Red Blend features five different grapes in a lush, rich, complex and balanced combination. The Cab Sauv ($30) is not a typical Napa Valley wine; we’d like to revisit this one again. It seemed a bit harsh at first tasting, but we suspect it would smooth out with a bit of decanting.

We had the opportunity to receive and taste the 2010 Pinot Noir at the 2012 Wine Bloggers Conference in Portland last summer. This is a medium-bodied Pinot is fruity but has depth, a good value at $21.

These samples were given to us by the winery. You can buy the full bottles on sale this month on the  Don & Sons website.

Cheers!

There is no doubt in our minds that some food-and-wine pairings are spectacular, creating a “wow factor.” We have experienced this explosion of flavors at winemakers’ dinners and at many special restaurants.

That being said, we are also strong believers that people should have whatever varieties of wine they want, including for special occasions. Our preference for Thanksgiving happens to be robust red wines – some with a bit of funk, such as 2009 Reynvaan In the Rocks Syrah, and some that are rich and smooth, such as 2009 Doubleback Cabernet Sauvignon, which we experienced for the first time at Taste of Tulalip last weekend.

In addition to those two beauties, here are the wines (in alphabetical order) that we are considering opening this Thanksgiving – all are from Washington unless otherwise noted:

• Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2010 Mr. Big Petite Sirah
• Avennia 2010 Sestina
• Barrage Cellars 2009 Outcast Cabernet Franc
• Burrowing Owl 2009 Cabernet Franc (B.C.)
• Cooper Wine Company 2008 Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
• Efeste 2009 Big Papa Cabernet Sauvignon
• Fidelitas 2008 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
• Forgeron 2009 Primitivo
• Gilbert Cellars 2010 Cabernet Franc
• Goosecross Cellars Howell Mountain Cabernet (Napa Valley)
• Guardian Cellars 2009 Gun Metal Red Bordeaux Blend
• Hall 2006 Hall Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)
• JM Cellars 2009 Margaret’s Vineyard Estate Red
• K&M Wine 2009 Cuvee (Oregon)
• Ken Wright Cellars 2007 Abbott Claim Pinot Noir (Oregon)
• L’Ecole 41 2008 Perigee
• Long Shadows 2007 Feather Cabernet Sauvignon
• Mark Ryan 2009 Dead Horse Red Bordeaux Blend
• Northwest Totem Cellars 2009 Qo-ne’
• Obelisco 2009 Electrum Cabernet Sauvignon
• Plumpjack 2008 CADE  Cuvee Cab (Napa Valley)
• Seven of Hearts Wine 2010 GSM (Oregon)
• Seven of Hearts 2010 Chateaux Figareaux Cabernet Franc (Oregon)
• Tinhorn Creek 2010 Cabernet Franc (B.C.)
• Va Piano 2007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
• William Church 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon
• The Woodhouse Wine Estates 2006 Dussek Cabernet Sauvignon

What’s on your list of Thanksgiving wines?

Cheers!

It’s that time again – our favorite wine event of the year – the annual Harvest Party in the Vines, held by Alexandria Nicole Cellars at their Destiny Ridge Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills in central Washington.

Let me tell you, Ali and Jarrod Boyle know how to throw a party! This is our fourth, and we just keep having more and more fun each year.

This event is so well planned – from the special hotel rate at the Marriott in Richland, to the party buses to take us on the 45-minute drive to the Estate vineyard, to the amazing “surf and turf” menu created by awesome chef Frank Magana. In addition, there’s live music and harvest hoopla, including a skeet-shooting contest, wine balloon toss, grape stomping, barrel rolling and much more.

And let’s not forget the incredible wines. ANC’s Estate Vineyard, Destiny Ridge, contains 263 acres of planted vines with 23 varietals. Believe me, 23 varietals is huge in Washington state:

White Wines: Crawford Viognier, a2 Pinot Gris, Shepherds Mark southern Rhone white blend, Sauvignon Blanc, Late Harvest Riesling, Cabernet Franc Rosé.

Red Wines: Quarry Butte Red Table Wine, Gravity Merlot, Alderdale Cabernet Sauvignon, a2 Cabernet Sauvignon, Estate Syrah, Jet Black Syrah.

In addition, wine club members (like us) can also enjoy:

White Wines: Reserve Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne.

Red Wines: Block 17 Syrah, Destiny Bordeaux Blend, Member’s Only, Grenache, Mackay Duck Press Red, Lemberger, Malbec, Rock Star Red, Tempranillo, Mr. Big Petite Syrah, Primativo

We became wine club members in 2007, the same year I started this blog and when ANC first moved to Woodinville. Over the years, Ali and Jarrod became our good friends. But it all began with the wine.

Cheers!

We love Washington state wine. So to us, every month is Washington Wine Month. But there is an official month to celebrate this state’s amazing wines – March — and it comes with its own website and promotions from participating wine shops, tasting rooms, restaurants and hotels.

In honor of Washington Wine Month, here is a list of some of our favorite reds (in alphabetical order).

We are really looking forward to tasting new releases from these wineries and trying pours from wineries that are new to us too at Taste Washington, the Super Bowl of wine events, March 31-April 1.

We hope to see you there!

Cheers!

We’ve had the pleasure of enjoying many wonderful Washington, Oregon and California wines lately – and in a less-busy world, I would write separate posts about each of them. Unfortunately, busy is my middle name these days.

So here is a list (in alphabetical order) of wines that we’ve celebrated in the last couple of months – they are sourced from Washington grapes, unless noted otherwise:

• 21 Grams 2008 Red Blend
• Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2008 Destiny Bordeaux Blend; 2007 Mr. Big Petite Sirah
• Barrage Cellars 2007 Outcast Cabernet Franc; 2007 Double Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon
• Beresan 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
• EFESTE 2008 Big Papa Cabernet Sauvignon; 2009 Eleni
• Erath 2008 La Nuit Magique (Oregon)
• Fidelitas 2007 Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
• Fielding Hills 2008 Cabernet Franc
• Goosecross Cellars 2007 AEROS (California)
• JM Cellars 2009 Margaret’s Vineyard Estate Red
• Northwest Totem Cellars 2008 Qo-ne’ Cab Franc blend
• The Woodhouse Wine Estates 2006 Dussek Cabernet Sauvignon
• Woodward Canyon 2007 “Artist Series” Cabernet Sauvignon
• Va Piano 2008 Walla Walla Valley Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
• William Church 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

Happy New Year – may your best day of 2011 be your worst day of 2012! We hope you had a wonderful holiday season and are ready to delve into ’12!

Cheers!

Glamour + Camping = Glamping – and that’s what we’re doing at Destiny Ridge Vineyard, where the estate wine begins for Alexandria Nicole Cellars.

A night under the stars — which, by the way, light up the sky in an extraordinary show that you’d never see in the city —  in a vineyard that overlooks the Columbia River in central Washington. Gorgeous!

So what does glamourous camping really mean? A large canvas tent with a luxurious queen-size bed on a Persian carpet, a down duvet, towels, a French Press coffee pot, mugs, dishes, a mini-refrigerator, an air-conditioning unit and a space heater. And don’t forget the enclosed, roofless shower, a propane barbecue on the deck, a propane fire pit to sit around a campfire and — of course — sip on award-winning Alexandria Nicole wines.

The tough choice is which wine to drink – perhaps the amazing 2009 Crawford Viognier during the warm days and the just-released rich and distinct Mr. Big Petite Sirah in the cooler evening. Or maybe the perennial favorite Quarry Butte? Or the refreshing Sauvignon Blanc? Or — well, here’s the list – you decide!

By day or by night, the views are spectacular.

No mobile phone. No laptop.

Goin’ glamping!