We have been so busy tasting wine in the last couple of weeks that there hasn’t been time to write about it! Here is Part One of some notes about a few amazing Washington wineries that we visited recently. In alphabetical order:

Airfield Estates: It was our first visit to this Prosser winery and I can guarantee we will go back. Owner Mark Miller, who was entertaining, informative and passionate about his business, gave us a preview of the new releases, and we loved them all: 2007 Bombshell Red, 2007 Spitfire and 2007 Mustang, plus a Tempranillo that most definitely has kick! We also appreciated the winery tour and Mark’s stories about the photos in the Officers Club.

Alexandria Nicole Cellars: As members of this winery’s wine club, we frequently visit the Woodinville tasting room, but it’s always a treat when we can also stop by the unique tasting room in Prosser. The new releases, which we first tried at a Woodinville party the previous week, 2006 Syrah and 2005 Rock Star Red, were amazing, and a special blend for “wine club members only” knocked our socks off. (OK, it was 85 degrees and I wasn’t wearing socks. But you get the picture.)

Desert Wind Winery: We had never been to this Prosser winery either, but are we ever glad we did. The wines were rich and complex, and we spent way too much time in one of the most fabulous gift shops we’ve seen in a winery tasting room!

Gilbert Cellars: The new Yakima tasting room, which opened in August, seems more like a wine bar. It was hopping at all hours of the day and night for the entire weekend. And we just have to say that Gilbert’s new releases are even better than the last ones.

Come back later this week for Part Two of our recent experiences in Prosser, Yakima and Woodinville.

Cheers!