We always make our first stop in Walla Walla at L’Ecole 41‘s historic schoolhouse, to visit talented winemaker Marcus Rafanelli and taste impressive L’Ecole wine. We also always enjoy seeing Marcus, whose skill and love for WA wine shines. Last month, we tasted 12 of his wines; half were tank samples because his team was bottling that week. L’Ecole is one of the most honored wineries in WA, and has generated national and international accolades for producing superior quality wines.
Category Archives: Candy Mountain
Upchurch
We always try to stop at Upchurch Vineyard when we travel to Red Mountain. Our first visit was on April 1, 2021. We returned last month, and the views are as gorgeous as Chris Upchurch’s wines. We met winemaker James Stickey, who poured seven incredible wines – a rosé, a white, and five reds — priced between $26-$150. For example, Upchurch produces a stellar Sauvignon Blanc. Moreover, Upchurch is the only Red Mountain winery to receive a perfect score from the Wine Advocate. Read on for more details.
Taste WA 2023
It’s back! Taste WA 2023 is going to be epic. For two decades, we have called this festival “the Super Bowl of Wine Events.” It’s the country’s largest single-region wine and food extravaganza. So what are you waiting for? Taste Washington is around the corner, and you do not want to miss this explosion of tastes, fun and education on March 6-13 in Seattle — especially because organizers understandably cancelled the in-person activities for three years because of the pandemic. In addition, some early bird pricing is available if you get tickets soon.
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Merlot Month
October is the 9th annual global Merlot Month, and what better way to celebrate than with the grape that put L’Ecole on the map in 1983. Therefore, we opened two 2018 wines crafted by L’Ecole: white-label Walla Walla Valley Estate Merlot and black-label Columbia Valley Merlot. However, these two are very different, and not just their price point. First, they come from different vineyards. Next, they feature unique blends. Above all, they are both delicious. Read on for details.