In conjunction with the Wine Bloggers Conference (WBC) in Walla Walla this June, WineCHATr is holding a campaign with a special prize: an all-expenses-paid road trip for 12 bloggers, who will wine and dine their way across Washington state.

Aptly called WBC-or-Bust: Road to Walla Walla, this promises to be an overall amazing Washington wine experience – and all you have to do to enter is put a banner on your blog and occasionally blog about Washington’s wine industry. Full contest details are on the WBC-or-Bust website. (Full disclosure: I’m a supporter/ judge.)

And if the easy-to-enter rules haven’t grabbed your attention yet, have a look at this itinerary:

•  Day 1-June 23: Seattle & Woodinville Wine Country: The day starts in Woodinville with a food & wine pairing at Chateau Ste. Michelle and a Grand Tasting at Willows Lodge, followed by lunch at Barking Frog. Then it’s back to Seattle for a palate refresher at Pike Brewery near the historic Pike Place Market. After an afternoon break, enjoy a spectacular dinner at the Waterfront Seafood Grill.
• Day 2-June 24: Leave Seattle in the morning and head east over the Cascade Mountains toward beautiful Washington Wine Country. But first, stop at CaveB Inn for brunch along the picturesque Columbia River Gorge. From a farm-sponsored luncheon among the vines of DuBrul Vineyard, to a Yakima Valley Grand Tasting to a Walla Walla Vintners Pizza Social, the day will be packed with an exceptional Washington wine experience.
• Day 3-June 25 (Start of the Wine Bloggers Conference): You’re now in Walla Walla with a deeper understanding of Washington’s thriving wine industry. Additional activities will be announced.
• June 27: Return trip to Seattle with stops along the way (TBD)

There’s plenty of time left to qualify - the campaign concludes at the end of April with the announcement of the 12 winning bloggers. So what are you waiting for? Start blogging! Cheers!

That happened to us with the wines of L’Ecole No 41, the third-oldest winery in Washington state. We first visited the winery in the old school house in Lowden, near Walla Walla, in April 2007. A few months later, this blog was born and one of my first posts, titled Who knew that “back to school” could be so much fun?, described a L’Ecole tasting at Vino Bello.

Almost three years later, we reunited with our wonderful old friend when L’Ecole sent us some bottles of current releases to sample. What a school reunion – we tasted five wines and they were all magnificent! (I would say they received an A, but that’s too corny!)

First, the two 2006 blends, Apogee and Perigee. Regular readers of this blog know I’m a big fan of Bordeaux blends. And these two wines truly demonstrate what can happen when you combine old-world style and elegance with new-world grapes.

2006 Apogee blends grapes from Pepper Bridge Vineyard: 46% Cab Sauv, 42% Merlot, 8% Malbec and 4% Cab Franc. When Pepper Bridge fruit is used, wines tend to be highly structured and bold. Suffice it to say we loved 2006 Apogee! But … my palate loved 2006 Estate Perigee even more.

That’s because 2006 Estate Perigee is heavier on the Cabernet: 56% Cab Sauv, 35% Merlot and 10% Cab Franc. Perigee is a blend of fruit from the oldest blocks of L’Ecole’s Seven Hills Vineyard, “renowned for its rich elegance, seductive aromas and complex, silky finish.” Yes, those are the words on the bottle, and I couldn’t describe it better myself. Of the five wines, Perigee is my favorite.

By the way, L’Ecole No 41 is a partner in the 220-acre Seven Hills Vineyard, along with Leonetti Cellar and Pepper Bridge Winery.

Since we were so pleased with these two bottles from L’Ecole, we decided to continue trying their other offerings. Next up, 2006 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – dense dark fruit with a spicy finish – and oh my – this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is on sale now for $28 a bottle! This is an excellent value for all Cab lovers.

We then moved onto 2007 Estate Syrah, 100% Syrah from three blocks in Seven Hills Vineyard. If you prefer rich, robust, big and earthy Syrahs, this one is for you. One sip and you’ll see why this Syrah was awarded 90 points from Wine Spectator, 91 from Wine & Spirits and 92 from Wine Enthusiast. We paired it with a savory roast, which was perfect. But in the summer, it will most definitely accompany our barbeques.

Finally, we also enjoyed the 2007 Estate Merlot; interestingly 81% Merlot was blended with 11% Cab Sauv and 8%Cab Franc, which gave it a unique rich and complex flavor.

These five wines underline why Wine & Spirits honored L’Ecole No 41 as a regional Winery of the Year for eight consecutive years, achieving status in the magazine’s Hall of Fame. From a marketing perspective, the winery also has a great tag line: “Think Walla Walla – Drink L’Ecole.”

I suspect our reunion with this winery is going to last a long time.

Cheers!

We also attended a party for Efeste’s new releases of their fabulous Syrahs, Jolie Bouche and Ceidleigh, and at Full Pull Wines, we experienced a preview taste of the new — and amazing — Block 17 Syrah from Alexandria Nicole Cellars.

Add in a first visit to the recently opened restaurant/wine bar Sip Seattle this weekend, where Fidelitas Cab was as wonderful as promised. And next week, JM Cellars is releasing the last of their 2007 reds: the popular Tre Fanciulli, Cabernet Sauvignon (Red Mountain), and Boushey Vineyard Syrah.

In other words, there is lots to blog about – and I will, so please watch for it! The last couple of months have been more than busy, but it’s time to starting writing often again!

Cheers!

This event showcases 40 jury-selected Oregon craft wineries and benefits the Indie Wine Foundation, a non-profit organization to preserve and sustain the art of craft winemaking.

In March, a jury of renowned wine experts, celebrity chefs and journalists will gather in Portland to evaluate the entries. To qualify, the wineries must produce only 2,500 cases or fewer each year. The selected wineries will be announced on April 2.

At the May festival, 15 of Portland’s top chefs will prepare tasty bites to pair with the wine. And to make it even more interesting, the festival has partnered with Hotel Vintage Plaza to offer a special indie wine package that includes wine-flight certificates at Pazzo Ristorante.

Even though the festival doesn’t occur until May 8th, tickets are on sale now – which should tell you something about this popular event! General admission tickets are $75 per person for a tasting glass, festival passport and access to pours from all wineries and food from all featured restaurants. You can also follow indiewinefest on Twitter.

Hope to see you there!

Cheers!

Where to start? With wines, of course – Seattle Food & Wine Experience offers more than 1,000 wines from 10 different countries, including pours from 25 Washington wineries, 15 Oregon wineries and 50 California and International wineries. You can see who is pouring on the event’s website.

In addition, there will be gourmet samples from chefs and restaurants, including Campagne, Ray’s Boathouse, Earth & Ocean, Andaluca, Ponti Seafood Grill, John Sarich of Chateau Ste. Michelle, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Hunt Club, Pearl Bar & Dining, Cicchetti Kitchen and Bar, Artisanal Brasserie and The Artisanal Table, Salty’s on Alki, Copperleaf Restaurant, Blackfish, Pike Place Brewing Company, TASTE Restaurant, Maximus-Minimus, Frost Doughnuts and Beecher’s Cheese.

Oh, and did I mention there will be a Starbucks Coffee and Music Lounge, and an Artisan Beer garden, featuring regional and international breweries and cider companies?

The cost is $49 per person. A portion of proceeds will benefit Beecher’s Flagship Foundation, which gives support to non-profit organizations that provide education about the benefits of all-natural foods.

And then there’s this nice opportunity too: Ticket buyers will be entered into a drawing for the chance to win a wine touring package for 10provided by Butler Transportation.

Hope to see you there!

Cheers!

Rod was in his element, standing by the barrels and discussing winemaking with the wine tweeps – a captive audience indeed! Leslie was also chatting with everyone and discussing social media – again the Twitter-addicted audience was captive.

And then we were treated to a pre-release tasting of William Church’s 2008 Malbec – wow! I’ve tasted it a few times, starting when it was still in the barrel, and it definitely has the wow-factor! We also tasted a pre-release of their second Cabernet. While it was still a wee bit tight, it is so absolutely promising. We absolutely adored their 2005 Cab; my sister kept a bottle that I gave her and I’m hoping she’ll open it when we’re back visiting her in Vancouver.

These are the wonderful tweeps who also gathered at William Church:  @YasharSeattle @Shona425 @WABrokers @nwwineandre  @DivaTink @winebeerWA @beanfair and @NWwines. (I, obviously, was there too @WriteforWine)

Cheers!

These are the wonderful tweeps who gathered at ANC: @Shona425 @WABrokers @nwwineandre @YasharSeattle @SeattleWineGal @DivaTink @winebeerWA @beanfair @NWwines @incrediblechef and @Smalllot. (I, obviously, was there too @WriteforWine)

To our surprise — because frankly, we invited ourselves – Kathie, our friendly and knowledgeable host at Alexandria Nicole Cellars, had set up a beautiful table for us and asked Rob from Russell’s to pair his tasty treats with ANC wines. The wine was flowing and the pairings were delicious. What an event!

We tasted 2008 Sauvignon Blanc,’08 Crawford Viognier, ’08 Shepards Mark, ‘07 Merlot, ‘07 Syrah, ‘07 Quarry Butte, ‘06 Cabernet Sauvignon,  and an ‘08 Syrah Ice Wine. Looking at tweets today, the 2007 Quarry Butte was the favorite – not surprising since ANC just won a gold award for it at the San Francisco Chronicle’s Wine Competition - one of the premium wine contests in the country. In fact, ANC won awards for all eight of the wines they entered into the 2010 competition – and 4,900 wines were entered!

For more details about our tweet-up: NWWinesandRE posted more on her blog and several people posted photos of the tweeps, the wonderful wine, and the fine food:

• http://tweetphoto.com/8401835
• http://twitpic.com/xfbus
• http://twitpic.com/xfidg
• http://twitpic.com/xf9sy
• http://twitpic.com/xf5tm
• http://twitpic.com/xf4r6
• http://twitpic.com/xeze2
• http://twitpic.com/xey82
• http://tweetphoto.com/8401584

Cheers!

But, not surprisingly, the majority of our wines in December and early January came from Washington state. Here they are, in alphabetical order, in case you’d like to try them in 2010. (Note: Some of them, unfortunately for us, are already sold out.)

• Airfield Estates: 2007 Merlot
• Alexandria Nicole Cellars: 2007 Mr. Big Petite Sirah and 2007 Quarry Butte
• Boudreaux Cellars: 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
• Chateau Rollat Winery: 2007 Sophie de Rollat
• Efeste: 2006 Jolie Bouche and 2006 Ceidleigh Syrahs
• Gilbert Cellars: 2007 Cab Franc
• Heaven’s Cave: 2007 Barberra “Two Degrees”
• Page Cellars: 2007 Red Zepplin Cab Franc
• William Church Winery: 2006 Bishop’s Blend and 2007 2 Spires
• Woodhouse Family Cellars: 2004 Dussek Cabernet

We look forward to new releases and library wines from Washington state and Napa Valley in 2010! Happy New Year!

Cheers!

Special thanks to (in alphabetical order):

• Airfield Estates: We were delighted to hear that our friends at Airfield Estates in Prosser are opening a tasting room in Woodinville in 2010, so that more people can experience their wine. Winemaker Marcus Miller, his father/owner/grape grower Mike Miller, and assistant general manager Amy Sonnichsen were wonderful hosts on our visits to the winery. Mike heralded us with incredible stories about the airport hangar and its history, while Marcus and Amy enthusiastically took us behind the scenes during crush. We’re big fans of their Bombshell Red and the Aviator, to name just a couple.
• Alexandria Nicole Cellars: Mr. Big Petite Sirah is a favorite in our house, and there are a dozen other beyond-excellent ANC wines too! Don’t just take our word for it – ANC won KING TV’s Best Winery in Western Washington and many other awards in 2009. A special shoutout to Jarrod and Ali Boyle and the wonderful people, such as Kathie Statler, in the tasting rooms in both Prosser and Woodinville. And props to the ANC wine club, Vida Johansen and her crew, for the incredible club parties and special features that members enjoy.
• Efeste: Our hardest decision at Efeste is whether we prefer Jolie Bouche or Ceidleigh, because both Syrahs are so luscious. And then there’s Big Papa and Feral and the list goes on. In addition, Efeste throws such terrific events that we actually faced rush-hour traffic from Seattle to Woodinville to attend one of their week-night parties. Everyone associated with Efeste is so much fun – from Brennon Leighton (winemaker) to all the owners — Daniel and Helen Ferrelli, Kevin and Angie Taylor and Patrick Smith.
• Gilbert Cellars: We first met Sean Gilbert at an event called Sexy Syrah at Salty’s a couple of years ago. His winery – and his wines – have exploded since then. Gilbert Cab and Cab Francs are definite must-haves for our special dinners. Gilbert Cellars tasting room is also a wine bar and a must-stop for us in Yakima and/or on the way to Prosser and Walla Walla. Sean and his promotion/sales manager Anders Zwartjes have shared stories and glasses with us in the last couple of years – and we look forward to more.
• JM Cellars: We’ve been fans of Tre Fanciulli and Bramble Bump Red for a few years now. But in 2009, we also fell in love with JM’s Sauvignon Blanc – an amazing feat since we rarely drank white wine before we discovered this beauty.  And while we’re just getting to know John and Peggy Bigelow, we’ve been big fans of Paige and Lisa in the tasting room as long as we can remember. Beyond fans, we consider them friends.
• Page Cellars: Rothelle Page has been warm and welcoming to us from the first day we met her, and her winemaker husband Jim has created some unique wines that we love including Red Zepplin Cab Franc and Preface Cab Sauvignon. Plus their band, Nice Legs (as in wine legs), rocks the house at events and features son Brett Cummings on saxaphone. 
• William Church Winery: From an amazing Malbec to some incredible blends, we always have a bottle of William Church on hand in our house. Owners Leslie and Rod Balsley are truly a delight – a combination of talent, fun and smarts. They’re also winning the hearts and minds of local bloggers, holding tweetups and blogger gatherings with barrel tastings and syrah meatballs to line up for! Winemaker Rod, along with assistant winemaker Marcus Rafanelli, create exceptional wines and with Leslie, turn their events into a wonderful experience.
• Woodhouse Family Cellars: From Bijal and Sinead Shah to winemakers Tom Campbell and Jean-Claude Beck, we’ve always been made to feel like part of the Woodhouse family. We’re huge fans of Dussek Cab, which is also a favorite of my sister in Vancouver. And then there’s the velvety Darighe – we’re hoarding vintages of this opulent wine!

We also want to say Happy New Year to our new friends at Goosecross Cellars, David and Colleen Topper. We spent hours talking to them about wine and social media when we were in Napa Valley last May – and we know we’d see them frequently if we lived closer. David and Colleen are fantastic – and their wines, made by Geoff Gorsuch, frequently grace our table. We opened their rich Cab Franc over the holidays and started our New Year’s Eve celebration with their artisan AEROS. A visit to their Napa winery is an experience we recommend to anyone headed that way in 2010.

So Dave and I thank all of you for sharing your wines and your stories with us. We lift our glasses to you - Happy New Year … and play it again in 2010!

Cheers!

I’m happy to report that Cheese Ambassador’s American Artisanal Collection arrived, and we have now tasted three types of hand-crafted cheese. All I can say is wow! Oh, okay, of course I’ll say more!

Over a few days, Dave and I nibbled our way through aged Gouda from central Wisconsin, 3-year-old Cheddar from Pennsylvania and cave-aged Blue from southern Minnesota. This trio of cheeses featured completely different textures and flavors and, naturally, we paired each of them with wine from Washington state. What a taste sensation! Wow!

I highly recommend that if you love cheese, like I do, please look at The Cheese Ambassador’s website. In addition to the American Artisanal Collection, there’s also a Mediterranean Cheese Course Collection with Tipsy Goat cheese from Spain, Port Salut from France and Piave from Italy.

And each cheese collection includes tasting notes, food & beverage recommendations and serving tips — which makes these collections excellent for entertaining guests or as a unique gift. And if you shop now, there’s 25% off a $50 purchase.

Cheese and wine – mmmmm!

Cheers!