It’s all about the Funks! Specifically, we are talking about Saviah Cellars’ incredible co-owner/winemaker Rich Funk; his talented son and viticulturist Jared Funk; captivating Funk Vineyard (and Stones Speak Vineyard) and some of the best funky wines from the Rocks District. But it’s important to note that Saviah Cellars also features a stellar lineup of wines from other vineyards. In short, the Funks are some of our favorite people in the Washington wine industry. And we have more Saviah Cellars wines in our cellar than any other brand. Read on for details of our recent trip to see the Funks, who also gave us a tour of some of their vineyards, and poured some of their impressive wines. Continue reading
Category Archives: Grenache
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.
Avennia Red Mountain
Superb winemaker Chris Peterson’s style remains consistent over the years, as we witnessed during our first time at Avennia Red Mountain estate winery last month. And we go back more than a decade. In 2012, we stopped by Avennia, then one of Woodinville’s newest wineries, and became immediate fans of Chris and managing partner Marty Taucher. At the time, we wrote that Avennia wines were “classic, complex, balanced, structured, true to varietal, and a showcase of the beauty of Washington grapes.” They still are. Read on for details of our visit and the wines we tasted.
Maltby
What a treat – we spent an afternoon with two exceptional Washington winemakers, John Bigelow of JM Cellars and Morgan Lee of Two Vintners Wines (et al) in April at their tasting rooms at The Vault in Maltby. Not surprisingly, their wines were exceptional and their stories kept us both intrigued and laughing at the same time. And we finally met Alice, Morgan’s sweet Black Lab, who has a stunning red wine named after her. We tasted that wine, along with several of Morgan’s mouthwatering Syrahs and his excellent Grenache Blanc, along with John’s stellar (and unreleased) Founder’s Reserve, and his amazing Grenache, Malbec, and two styles of Chardonnay. Read on for details.