Now that I’ve caught your attention, mark your calendars immediately for a visit to Efeste Winery on Saturday (March 28), when 2006 Big Papa rides again (in other words, the 2006 vintage will be released). We had a taste yesterday and this big red velvety wine is definitely worth a trip to Woodinville. In addition to Big Papa, Efeste is releasing 2008 Evergreen Riesling and 2008 Feral Sauvignon Blanc. The March 28th party is from 12-5 p.m. and admission is free for everyone.

Named for the family patriarch (of course!), Big Papa is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from two of the oldest vineyards in Washington state, Kiona Estate (50%) on Red Mountain and Sagemoor (33%) on the banks of the Columbia River — their vines are more than 35 years old. The remainder of the grapes (17%) were harvested from Ceil du Cheval on Red Mountain.

I’ll blog more about the two white wines after the release on the weekend. We were only tasting reds yesterday, which means we also had another pour of Efeste’s magnificent Syrahs, 2006 Jolie Bouche and 2006 Ceidleigh. There were four of us – Dave, of course, and two friends from Canada/England, Kate and Peter – and two preferred Jolie Bouche and two preferred Ceidleigh. Once again, my initial assessment was confirmed – both wines are winners.

Also a winner is winemaker Brennon Leighton. Rumor is that this little Write for Wine blog from the Washington Wine Wench isn’t the only one to recognize his talents. Keep your eyes open and you’ll see lots more well-deserved attention given to Brennon and Efeste in the future!

Cheers!