07/22/06
(Friday) - A Brave New World of Great WA Wine Experiences
Being located in the Seattle area we often get wrapped-up in Western Washington’s wine industry without taking the time to really appreciate what’s going on in other parts of the State. But, traveling around and visiting various wine country locations is just one of the great opportunities available to us as part of the growing Washington wine experience. Approximately two and a half hours east of Seattle & Woodinville there are a couple such experiences (unlike anything you can find in the Puget Sound) that you shouldn’t miss out on.
One is Saint Laurent Winery, located just outside of Wenatchee. While Wenatchee itself isn’t exactly a hotbed for wine activity/events there are several great opportunities to take advantage of in and around the city limits. Running through town, the Columbia River is the true lifeblood of this area’s wine industry, including the nearby Horse Heaven Hills AVA. It not only provides irrigation for all of the vineyards but also plenty of entertainment, in the form of walking & biking (on the adjacent pathways), picnicking, swimming and boating. Overlooking the river, on a hillside up from the valley floor, one winery is a shining example of a great Washington wine experience – Saint Laurent Winery. Located in growing area noted for cherries, Saint Laurent has everything from real working vineyards (which you won’t find in Seattle or Woodinville), beautiful grounds, a cozy little tasting room, friendly staff and an awe-inspiring view of the valley below. The next time you find yourself in the Wenatchee area definitely take the opportunity to visit Saint Laurent Winery. You wont want to miss out on the friendly atmosphere, beautiful grounds and very reasonably priced wines.
Just a few miles northwest of Wenatchee nestled in the central Cascade Mountains is the city of Leavenworth. Primarily known for its self-made Bavarian culture and events like the Tulip Festival and Oktober Fest, Leavenworth is also a great location for wine. Throughout town there are several wineries and wine tasting rooms visit, but if you have the time there is one winery located just 8 miles outside of town that is a must for any thirsty traveler. Boudreaux Cellars is one of the most unique wineries in Washington State. The product and passion of outdoorsman Rob Newsom, this man made winery (literally made by one man) can be found in the middle of the forest along Icicle Creek. And, while it can be difficult to find without solid directions the trip out is definitely worth the windy backwoods trek. Rob is one of the most inviting and friendly winemakers we have run into and what he has created for himself, and now for the rest of Washington State in the form of his wine, is nothing less than spectacular! Tastings are only available by appointment so call today. -MP
07/14/06
(Friday) - CSM,
Making Quality Wine Through Experience and
Innovation
There are some exciting things going on
over at Chateau Ste. Michelle these days.
Not only are their white wines garnering
some pretty high score including their 2004
Ethos Chardonnay (92 pts. Wine Advocate
& 91 pts. Wine Enthusiast), 2004 Canoe
Ridge Chard (92 pts. Wine Spectator &
92 pts. Wine Advocate), and 2004 Cold Creek
Chard  (91 pts. Wine Advocate), but their
red wines are really starting to come on
as well. This includes their 2003 Ethos
Syrah, which not only received scores of
94 and 90 points from Wine Enthusiast and
Wine Spectator but also managed to grab
Best of Show at the Central Washington Wine
Competition. Besides some of their standard
varietals and vineyard designated wines
CSM is also trying some new things this
year that may be worth checking out.
One such project is a new chilled red wine
called Cold Fiddle. Yes, that’s right,
we said a “chilled red”! Now’s
the time when all you wine purists should
be shaking your head in dismay. For all
the rest of you however, this new concoction
is just what the doctor ordered –
a red wine for a hot summer day! Made up
primarily of Syrah (89%) with some Muscat,
Cab Sauv, and Viognier, the 2005 Cold Fiddle
is fruity, refreshing and easy to drink.
Dubbed as “Chateau Ste. Michelle’s
refreshing new wine for those hot summer
days,” this wine, the brainchild of
assistant winemaker Brennon Leighton, is
meant to be enjoyed and not taken too seriously.
Unfortunately this limited production wine
is only sold at Chateau Ste. Michelle’s
tasting room and summer concert series,
so you’ll have to venture out to Woodinville
to pick some up. The 2005 Cold Fiddle is
also featured in WineCOW.com’s
Hot List of Cool Summer Sipper’s.
-JC & MP
07/06/06 (Thursday)
- The Washington
Wine Industry's Best Kept Secret
 Recently,
I was lucky enough stay over at one of the
Washington wine industry’s best-kept
secrets – Cave
B Inn. Poised 900 feet above the Columbia
River, right next door to the Gorge Amphitheatre,
Cave B Inn at SageCliffe is the only fully
integrated resort and winery in the Pacific
Northwest. Sitting in the middle of acres
upon acres of vineyards this fantastic resort
includes 30 guestrooms, a full service restaurant,
spa, tasting room (for Cave
B Estate Winery), driving range and
even an outdoor man-made lake for swimming.
Amongst the spacious guestrooms are 15 stand-alone
Cliffehouses, which offer  phenomenal
views of the Columbia River Valley with
floor-to-ceiling windows and terrace or
balcony. The Cave B Semillon is a great
Summer Sipper while relaxing on one of their
many overlooks in the afternoon heat! I
highly recommend looking into it and possibly
visiting for an afternoon, evening or overnight
stay. Unfortunately I forgot my camera so
you’ll just need to take my word on
the amazing views, accommodations and vineyard-scape.
-MP
07/01/06 (Saturday)
- Washington
Red's Featured in Recent Wine Spectator
If you haven’t seen the newest issue
of Wine Spectator magazine (July 31, 2006)
then you should definitely pick one up.
Inside is a feature on Washington State’s
red grape varieties and how they “dominate
among outstanding releases”. Of
the nearly 100 Washington wines that rated
outstanding (90 points or higher on the
Wine Spectator 100-point scale), since the
Nov. 15, 2005 issue, more than 80 are red
varietals or blends. And at the pinnacle,
where the wines rate 94 to 96 points, it’s
all red. The article goes on to feature
several of Washington’s premier wine
producers such as Cayuse, Quilceda Creek,
Spring Valley and Owen Roe (who actually
reside in Oregon but make several of their
wines using Washington grapes). Spectator
also mentions several additional wineries
that are now beginning to garner national
recognition for their premium wines including
Betz, Cadence, Di Stefano, Fort Walla Walla
and Novelty Hill. Chateau Ste. Michelle,
who (unfortunately) many believe to be a
mass producer of grocery store quality wine,
was also included due to their consistency
for scoring around 90 points for many of
their wines, including the Ethos line and
great Canoe Ridge Chardonnay (the 2004 release
scored the best chardonnay in this report
with 92 points). In addition to this article
there is also a follow-up feature on Bob
Betz, a former winecow.com
feature winery/winemaker, and his pioneering
influence in and around the Washington wine
industry. Read up and enjoy! -MP
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