09/26/07
(Wednesday) - High scores equal Walla Walla tourism dollars...duh!
For all of you economic buffs out there...Karl Storchmann, an economics professor at Whitman College in Walla Walla, just released a study of how much economic impact the wine industry has had on the areas hotels and restaurants.
"Drawing on quarterly hotel and restaurant revenue data for all 38 counties in Washington State ranging from 1995 to 2006 we find that critical wine points of 91+ indeed affect the county's tourism industry," reads the paper. "About 5 percent of Walla Walla's restaurant revenue and almost 30 percent of all hotel revenue is linked to the local wine industry. That is, the local wine industry is becoming increasingly important for the accommodation industry..." - WineBusiness.com
A lot of this seems pretty common sense but one interesting finding is the direct correlation between increased economic performance and wine media scores of 91 points or higher. Who said scores don't mean anything?!?! As any winemaker, or Walla Walla county, will tell you, they mean cash!
The full study can be found on Whitman College Economic Department's working papers website.
-MP
09/20/07
(Thursday) - Long Shadows named Winery of the Year
Food and Wine magazine recently named Long Shadows “Winery of the Year” as part of their 2007 American Wine Awards - October 2007 issue. Founded by former Stimson Lane CEO Allen Shoup, Long Shadows is a wine venture/winery devoted to producing ultra premium Washington wines in partnership with famous winemakers from throughout the world. All of the wines use fruit sourced exclusively from Washington State vineyards and are produced at their state-of-the-art facility located in Walla Walla.
-MP
09/17/07
(Monday) - New Wine Spectator Scores - Two Outstanding & One Best Buy
In the recent October 15, 2007 issue of Wine Spectator three Washington wines were featured as being "Outstanding" or a "Best Buy". 90-94 Outstanding: a wine of superior character and style. 85-89 Very Good: a wine with special qualities.
92 points – K 2005 Cougar Hills Syrah, Walla Walla Valley ($45)
92 points – K 2005 The Beautiful Syrah, Walla Walla Valley ($50)
87 points, Best Buy – Columbia Crest 2003 Two Vines Merlot-Cab, Columbia Valley ($8).
-MP
09/12/07
(Wednesday) - Bob Betz Named Winemaker of the Year
We at WineCOW.com would like to congratulate Bob Betz, of Betz Family Winery, for recently being named Winemaker of the Year by Sunset Magazine. Bob is not only one of the smartest and most talented winemakers around but also one of the nicest. For anyone that knows him you’ll agree when I say that the humility Bob shows for his winery’s success is a rare thing in the wine industry. As is the care and excruciating attention to detail that he puts into both his wines and winery. Bob is a great family man and friend as well. We look forward to his continued success and the national attention he brings to the Washington Wine Industry. Read more about Bob Betz on WineCOW.com. -MP
09/11/07
(Tuesday) - Woodinville Release Weekend
If you’ve ever been to a wine release party then you know it’s a great time to visit a winery. If you haven’t then trust me…it’s fun! Release events provide more of a social atmosphere than a normal tasting day.
The wineries stay busy pouring samples of newly available wines, as well as other current or future releases, in a bustling environment full of excited wine drinkers. And often times they also offer up some great food to go with the wines.
Sometimes only those customers who preorder wine are invited, or the winery chooses to charge a tasting fee, but in Washington many of the release events are open to the public to enjoy at no charge. But hopefully you’ll be respectful and buy something for the hospitality.
This last weekend three exceptional wineries in Woodinville celebrated with customers the release of their newest wines – Betz Family Winery, Mark Ryan Winery, and Stevens Winery. Here is how they went:
Betz Family Winery- Betz is rarely open to the public, so it’s always a treat when they open their doors and share what has come to be known as some of the best wine in Washington State. Bob Betz, recently named winemaker of the year by Sunset Magazine, makes incredible wines of structure and flavor in the French style. This release included his Southern Rhone blend Bésoleil and three 2005 Syrahs including La Serenne, La Côte Rousse, and a new limited reserve Chapitre 3. If you weren’t on the ball and came late however, you would have left empty handed because all of these wines sold out! The event itself was fairly low key with a light mingling of guests meandering around the open winery enjoying wine, cheese and even some olive oil.
Mark Ryan Winery- Besides being known as one of the best new wineries of Washington, Mark Ryan has also become infamous for their great wine release parties. This past weekend was no exception, but luckily the crowds were considerably smaller than they usually are due to the football games. The dark interior, painted walls and punk rock artwork help to create more of a studio type atmosphere, which really helps to accentuate the party side of their release to which people flock…but the great wines probably don’t hurt either. The wines being released included the 2005 Dead Horse, Long Haul, and new Water Witch blend, as well as a 2006 Chardonnay. And as always the food was exceptional with thin crust pizza and other assorted goodness. Besides the fact that the wines are great, and don’t stay around very long, a Mark Ryan release party should be a must for any local wine patron.
Stevens Winery- Last but certainly not least was Stevens, the only winery not open to the general public, who instead opted to keep their release private for those lucky customers with a Golden Ticket. No, people weren’t being tempted with candy bars. This was much much better. Only people who placed a preorder for the new reserve Cabernet, StevensXY, received the elusive golden ticket. However, this is completely understandable given their limited space and small production amounts. Those lucky soles who used their ticket to gain entry were treated to three wines, including the reserve Cab, the new 2005 Blacktongue Syrah and Stevens AThought, a 2006 Sauvignon Blanc. Steven’s also cloaked the winery in darkness to create more of a art gallery type party, which is fitting since Tim Stevens is an artist and design’s all of the winery’s labels. The food was quite good this time as well!
Well that’s it for release weekend. If you didn’t make it out to enjoy the wine and merriment then I definitely recommend getting on some mailing lists and keeping posted for the next round of events, which should come up again later this winter. -MP
09/02/07
(Sunday) - Exceptional Washington Wines as rated by Wine & Spirits
Several Washington wines were featured in the new October 2007 Wine & Spirits magazine for being exceptional examples of their type (90-94 pts).
White
91 pts – Alexandria Nicole 2006 Viognier, Columbia Valley
Red: Bordeaux-style Blends
94 pts – Cadence 2004 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, Red Mountain
93 pts – Alexandria Nicole 2004 Destiny Red, Horse Heaven Hills
93 pts – Cadence 2004 Bel Canto, Red Mountain
93 pts – Fall Line 2004 Red Mountain
93 pts – Leonetti 2004 Reserve, Walla Walla Valley
92 pts – Betz 2004 Clos de Betz, Columbia Valley
91 pts – Cadence 2004 Tapteil Vineyard, Red Mountain
90 pts – Fall Line 2004 Horse Heaven Hills
Red: Cabernet-based Blends
90 pts – Tamarack Cellars 2005 Firehouse Red, Columbia Valley
Red: Cabernet Franc
91 pts – Tamarack Cellars 2005 Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley
Red: Cabernet Sauvignon
93 pts – Leonetti 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley
92 pts – Betz 2004 Pere de Famille Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley
91 pts – Tamarack Cellars 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley
90 pts – Seia 2005 Clifton Hill Vineyard Syrah, Wahluke Slope -MP
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