It’s official: Walla Walla is Syrah country

For the better part of 15 years, the wineries of the Walla Walla Valley have been building a reputation for Syrah, Washington’s third-most-planted red wine grape.

And build a reputation they have. Our blind judging in February of 147 Syrahs proved that, with 11 of the 17 top-ranked wines coming from the Walla Walla Valley.

In the past, one criticism of Walla Walla Valley wineries is that they use grapes from outside of the region, relying on fruit from the broad Columbia Valley instead. While that was true as recently as five years ago, it is not so today, as seven of those 11 top wines used Walla Walla Valley grapes.

“I love Syrah,” said Chad Johnson, co-owner of Dusted Valley Vintners. “It is definitely one of our focuses.”

Johnson and co-owner Corey Braunel have made as many as five different Syrahs under their Dusted Valley label (and another with their Boomtown brand). While they have backed off slightly from … Continue Reading

Walla Walla music scene lets you shimmy with your chardonnay

“On my last visit, in 2005, a half-dozen wine-tasting rooms dotted Walla Walla’s small city center. Now, close to 30 have elbowed their way into downtown, with more than 120 wineries blanketing the valley, as Walla Walla has earned a reputation as perhaps the most prestigious of Washington’s 12 winemaking districts.

‘It’s a small town, but it has this momentum to it, meaning the wine industry, the culinary (scene), and now a legitimate night scene on weekends,’ said Andrew Holt, of Tourism Walla Walla.”

• 
• Source: Nwsource
• Via: Seattle Times

Originally published March 3, 2012 at 7:00 PM | Page modified March 4, 2012 at 7:33 AM A growing live-music scene in wine-tasting rooms is fueling a livelier nightlife in Walla Walla. WALLA WALLA – We could bop to the live blues music coming from Charles Smith Wines long before we got inside the door.

Read more at: seattletimes.nwsource.com

Best of the best: Winners from the 12th annual Platinum Judging

In November, we conducted our 12th annual Platinum Judging, what we have dubbed “the best of the best in the Great Northwest.”

Last week, we shared some of the top wines from British Columbia’s Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery, which won six Platinums in the 12th competition. This week, we will look at some of the best wines from Washington, Oregon and Idaho, along with brief descriptions.

Wines are eligible to enter the Platinum if they from the Northwest and have won gold medals in any of about 35 professionally judged competitions around the world. We bring in top judges from … Continue Reading

Walla Walla Valley wineries hold Holiday Barrel Tasting

Area wineries will crack open barrels of their newest and future reds and whites Friday-Sunday for the annual Holiday Barrel Tasting. More than 70 of the Valley’s wineries will be decked-out for the holiday season.

Whether it is a locally catered spread, the “Battle of the Soups,” or local hand-crafted chocolates, each winery will offer something special for its guests. Winemakers will be on hand to introduce their new wines as well as future wines still in the barrel. Visitors can be the first to enjoy the new vintage and take home a selection of wines. A downloadable event guide is available at wallawallawine.com/submit-event/holiday-barrel-tasting.

Cultured foods from many cultures make for happy digestive tract

The closing of October marks the end of the Walla Walla Farmers’ Market for the year, so I made sure to attend the last Saturday market. It was a picture perfect autumn morning — brightly colored leaves, azure-blue sky and everyone dressed in warm hats and puffy jackets.

Off in the corner of the market, an old white truck had its tailgate down. Inside were beautiful giant green cabbages, larger than I had ever seen before. Alongside them lay gorgeous purple cauliflower, just as big and stunning.

“Better get some before they’re all gone!” Amiee, the market manager, told me.

I don’t know if you’ve ever actually cut up a cabbage and realized how a little bit goes a long way, but a standard grocery store cabbage in our house can last us a few weeks worth of soup, coleslaw and sauteing. And this guy, at least three times the size of … Continue Reading

An American fall classic, and we ain’t talking World Series here

As we move into fall the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting colder. Admit it, what you really want is something to warm the body and soul without having to spend hours sitting watching and stirring pots and pans, right?

This week we bring you one of our favorite family recipes that is sure to excite even if the name does not.

This is a great meal that you can get a lot of mileage out of all week long and with very little effort.

It’s called pot roast. Yes, pot roast. Plain and simple.

It is one of the classic American dishes you either love or hate. Most of those I’ve had in my life have been rather blah, unfortunately.

But once I learned how to cook and do it properly, things seemed to change for the pot roast.

Gone were the dry chewy bits of meat and that rather bland sauce (aka “gravy”) and the … Continue Reading

L’Ecole’s newest wines praised

Wine columnist Paul Gregutt says the newest wines comprise a sizable portfolio of diverse and superbly well-crafted releases that speak to the maturity and overall excellence that characterizes the top tier of Washington wines.

The newest wines comprise a sizable portfolio of diverse and superbly well-crafted releases that speak to the maturity and overall excellence that characterizes the top tier of Washington wines. Rarely if ever flashy, and generally priced below comparable offerings, even from Washington, these expressive wines take careful note of the character and complexity of their various appellations and vineyards. They are particularly enjoyable for their use of old-vine fruit, and the overall elegance and polish of the blends.

 

Read more about what Gregutt has to say about L’Ecole. (Seattle Times link)

Marty Clubb and Allen Shoup discuss new L’Ecole look:

Walla Walla Valley Farmers’ Market serves up cooking classes

The Walla Walla Valley Farmers’ Market is taking a hands-on approach to cooking with fresh seasonal produce.

A series of cooking classes using local items will run every other Saturday through the duration of the market, said Manager Beth-Aimee McGuire.

The classes take place across the street from the market at Someone’s in the Kitchen, 132 W. Rose St. The three-hour classes begin at 9 a.m. and cost $30 per person. Participants meet in front of Someone’s in the Kitchen and will trek to the market to pick up a variety of seasonal ingredients.

Participants sign up via email — sitkwallawalla@mac.com; telephone — 240-6388; or in person at The Green Spoon, 13 E. Main St.

Featured produce throughout the series will change for each class.

On the produce menu for the rest of the classes: Sept. 10 — eggplant, cauliflower, plums; Sept. 24 — tomatillos, radish, carrots, blackberries; Oct. 8 — leeks, potatoes, beets, melon; Oct. 22 — winter squash, winter Walla Walla Sweets, spinach, apples.

No need to also swelter in the kitchen during those hot days

Blending of art and wine creates Foundry ‘sculpture garden’

The ultimate pairing of art and wine has been masterfully coordinated in an enclosed courtyard at Foundry Vineyards.

On a calm warm day artist Squire Broel pushed open the towering metal gate that leads into the “sculpture garden,” welcoming visitors to the space off 13th Avenue and Abadie Street that’s both an outdoor gallery and winery respite. Museum meets tasting room.

Inside the rich dark wood slats of fencing where tightly packed pavers make up a giant patio surrounded by a meandering stream of compacted gravel, at least seven sculptures from internationally known artists have been thoughtfully positioned, along with hefty planter bins full of young greenery. Tables and chairs set up throughout the space offer restful spots for guests to sip and to drink in the art at the same time.

The vision, Broel explained, is a meeting place of the two worlds, where creativity and thoughtfulness are the common bonds.

“We want this to be a place that extends that dialogue about art and wine,” he said.

Broel, a painter, sculptor and Walla Walla resident whose own pieces are on display inside Foundry Vineyard’s white stucco tasting room, partnered with … Continue Reading

Tacoma professor pens book on global wine market

When he toured Napa Valley 30 years ago, Mike Veseth never imagined writing an authoritative book on global wine economics.

But an encounter on that visit to America’s most famous wine region changed the course of his life when a winemaker on the Silverado Trail struck up a conversation with Veseth. The winemaker discovered he was an economics professor and began peppering him with questions on how the fragile economy would affect his business.

“A famous winemaker taught me to think about wine in economic terms and to consider that supply and demand sometimes matter as much as climate and soil when it comes to what’s in my wineglass,” Veseth wrote in the opening chapter of “Wine Wars: The Curse of the Blue Nun, the Miracle of Two Buck Chuck and the Revenge of the Terroirists,” which was released last week.

Veseth, an economics professor at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, began thinking about writing “Wine Wars” a few years ago and launched a blog called “The Wine Economist” (www.wineeconomist.com).

“That’s been great,” he said. “I can try out ideas and get all sorts of feedback. Writing the blog helped me to … Continue Reading