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

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!

Back in June, 2010, I wrote a blog post about how we wanted to visit Maryhill Winery, known for its breathtaking views of the Columbia Gorge and very good value-priced wines. Another year has gone by, and try as we did, we could not get there in 2011. I was so busy traveling for my “day job” that I couldn’t make as many winery trips as we had hoped.

Thankfully, we still had an opportunity to taste some of Maryhill’s wines, even though we didn’t make it to the winery, which is the state’s 15th largest in terms of production (80,000 cases) and located on the Washington-Oregon border.

We recently tried three samples that were sent to us:  2006 Syrah Proprietor’s Reserve ($20), 2006 Sangiovese ($18) and 2007 Zinfandel ($22). (You can find newer Maryhill releases; we waited for more than a year before tasting these ones.)

The 2006 Syrah Proprietor’s Reserve received 92 points from Robert Parker, along with a Double Gold for Syrah under $20 in the 2009 Seattle Wine Awards and a Gold from the 14th Annual Northwest Wine Summit 2009. More than two years later, we could see why this rich and silky Syrah is a winner. We enjoyed it with a savoury stew; it would also pair nicely with a hearty roast.

The 2006 Sangiovese paired perfectly with Dave’s delicious spaghetti, but it would have worked well with barbeque ribs, pasta or pizza too. More than a year after its release, this medium-bodied wine exhibited an earthiness that we weren’t expecting, with cherry, orange peel and mineral on the palate often associated with Sangiovese.

The 2007 Zinfandel  was crafted for “pure palate pleasure.”  Fruit-forward and jammy, with a deep ruby color, this wine has character. We nibbled on strong, stinky cheese, a perfect match for this dry red.

Although we waited to taste these wines, we hopefully won’t have to wait too much longer to visit the winery. It’s a new year, and hopefully 2012 will be the one!

Cheers!

“Vars & Sundry” is an old wire service term that refers to various and sundry news stories that don’t necessarily fit in with other stories. So it seemed a fitting title for this blog post, which is about a number of wine samples that were sent to us from different wineries. They come from Washington state, of course, British Columbia, California and New Zealand.

L’Ecole No. 41 2008 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: Regular readers know that L’Ecole 41 is one of our favorite wineries in Washington state, and this rich, layered Cab Sauv exemplifies why. This is a classic  — 100% Cabernet Sauvignon blended from several premium vineyards into one fine juice, sip after sip.

This robust red is showcased beautifully by the new elegant label unveiled by L’Ecole 41 earlier this year. If you missed the story about the new label, be sure to read it – and you’ll understand how this wonderful Walla Walla winery has grown from a small family-run favorite to one known as an enduring, sophisticated creator of quality wine. ($29)

Gnekow Family Winery 2005 Old Vine Zinfandel Reserve, Lodi:  Located about an hour from Napa Valley, Gnekow prides itself on producing wines that showcase the grapes from the region. This 05 Zin is drinking nicely, a mellow but jammy wine with structure and the complexity that comes from old vines. ($25)

Mission Hill Five Vineyards 2009 Cabernet Merlot Bin 88: This beautiful winery in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia is a pioneer in Canada’s wine industry. This is a medium-bodied, everyday wine that could be paired nicely with any red meat dish. ($17)

Stoneleigh Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010: We loved this refreshing New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with prawns on the deck during the warm weather. Bursting with grapefruit and citrus flavors, we were not surprised to discover it won gold at the International Wine Show in 2010. ($14)

Thanks for the samples! Cheers!

What a great weekend – Friday is Canada Day and Monday is the Fourth of July! And the weather is sunny, which means wine on the deck and BBQ’ing.

First, Dave and I wish all our Canadian family and friends a Happy Canada Day today. Tonight, we shall sip on both white and red wine (the colour of the flag) in your honour.

Then on Monday, we wish all our American family and friends a wonderful Fourth of July. In your honor, we plan to start with white wine on the deck, moving to a robust red later with some blue steak (the color of the flag).

What wines will you be drinking this holiday weekend on both sides of the border? Sauv Blanc, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Marsanne, Riesling, Chard? Cabernet, Cab Franc, Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, Zinfandel, Primitivo, Counoise or perhaps a nice Bordeaux blend? Let us know in the comments below.

We hope your holiday is wonderful and safe.

Cheers!

Margot & Dave

We’ve had the pleasure of enjoying many, many wonderful Washington 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 Washington wines that we’ve celebrated in the last couple of months, and recommend – plus three of our Napa Valley and Sonoma faves too!

• Alexandria Nicole Cellars 2008 Destiny Bordeaux Blend
• Betz Family Winery 2007 Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon
• EFESTE 2006 Jolie Bouche Syrah
• Fidelitas 2005 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
• Fielding Hills 2005 Cabernet Franc
• Fielding Hills 2007 Cabernet Franc
• Forgeron Cellars 2006 Zinfandel
• Gård Vintners 2007 “Twenty Six” Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
• Gilbert Cellars 2007 Estate Malbec
• Goosecross Cellars 2005 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)
• L’Ecole 41 2001 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
• Michel-Schlumberger 2008 Cochons Sauvages Zinfandel (Sonoma)
• Ross Andrew 2006 Syrah-Cab Blend
• The Woodhouse Wine Estates 2005 Darighe Bordeaux Blend
• Titus Vineyards 2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley)
• Va Piano 2008 Walla Walla Valley Estate Merlot
• William Church 2008 Two Spires Syrah-Cab Blend

Wait – there’s more! For my list of favorite wines at Taste Washington, see my post in Seattleite Magazine.

Cheers!