We attended a wine club release party last weekend at Alexandria Nicole Cellar’s new tasting room in Woodinville, and it was one of the best events they’ve had there yet! The music by Butch Harrison and his band was amazing — the absolute best version of Van Morrison’s Moondance that I have ever heard. The chicken with tzadziki and mini-cheeseburgers were scrumptious. The atmosphere was fun — and Jarrod Boyle, winemaker extraordinaire, his charming wife Ali (aka Alexandria Nicole), his wonderful, warm mom Vida (head of the wine club) and Kathy, the hard-working, entertaining wine club manager (in the Woodinville tasting room) kept the party hopping. (Maybe we’ll meet Jarrod’s dad when we’re in Prosser this weekend.)

But the real star of the party was, of course, the wine. There were three releases — each with Jarrod’s unique footprint. The 2006 Rock Star Red is an elegant, smooth and distinctive wine that showcases the winery’s Destiny Ridge Estate Vineyard. Rock Star Red is a bold blend of co-fermented Syrah, Viognier and Grenache. The 2005 Syrah is an Estate wine that is rich and velvety, sourced from four distinct vineyard blocks at Destiny Ridge. And if you prefer white wine, the 2007 Reserve Viognier is crisp and clean, with layers of character.

Alexandria Nicole Cellars just closed their wine club at 1000 members and renamed it “Club 1000.” However, notably, they are taking names on a waiting list, plus they have a new wine club opening soon.

And in case you missed it, we are heading to the Yakima/Prosser area for a brief visit to some of our favorite wineries in that region. So come back to the Write for Wine blog in the near future to hear about our trip!

Cheers!