Walla Walla Wine Rewind – 2010

Wow! That was fast. 2011 is already here. Let’s rewind and take a look at our southeast corner of Washington State.

The last count of wineries, based on the new wine maps by Tourism Walla Walla, is 103 wineries are operating in the valley and more than 1,800 acres of vineyards are part of our agricultural landscape. Sure – lately wineries have come and come, but usually very few go. Unfortunately, 2010 bought to a close, Yellow Hawk Cellars and Nicholas Cole Cellars. Yellow Hawk Cellars had been operating since 1998 and been known for their affordable Italian varietals. For Yellow Hawk partner’s, Tim Sampson and Barbara Hetrick, their decision to leave their business was based on taking advantage of their stationary condition and leave while the going was good. Their last day of business was July 3.

Mike Neuffer of Nicholas Cole Cellars will be known for his beautiful red Bordeaux-style blends affectionately named after the women in his family. Mike’s wines were founded on the belief that “great wines are made one vine at a time” and released his inaugural Bordeaux blend in 2001. Indeed it was a sad announcement to hear, just before Christmas, that he would be placing an indefinite hiatus on wine making and future vintages of Nicholas Cole and GraEagle wines. Mike relocated to Seattle to be with his children, Michele and Nicholas, after the loss of their mother, Susan, in August due to cancer. I wish Michael, his family and the Nicholas Cole Cellars staff all of my best.
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And they paired happily ever after

It’s all about contrasts — avoiding bad ones and embracing good ones.

There I was, gathering fruit and scrambled eggs on my plate at the Marcus Whitman Hotel breakfast buffet, when I happened to look up and say “Good morning” to a very familiar, yet out-of-town face.

It wasn’t just a face I had seen in passing, but someone I had actually seen on national television: Chef Jeffrey Saad, runner-up on Season Five of “The Next Food Network Star.”

Later that morning, Jeffrey would be our guest speaker at the Food and Wine Pairing seminar at the Wine Bloggers Conference, and he talked to me about his whirlwind trip to Walla Walla. Jeffrey is more engaging in person than on TV, as the audience experiences first … Continue Reading

Seattle Metropolitan’s Magazine Top 100 Washington Wines

Yesterday, the Seattle Metropolitan Magazine released their list of the Top 100 Washington wines by Sean P. Sullivan. Sean is the author of Washington Wine Report, an independent wine blog focused on Washington State wines.

It is pretty exciting to note that over half of the wines on the list are produced in the Walla Walla Valley. For a more detailed list with … Continue Reading

Double Back Home: Drew Bledsoe

Sear Away: The Bank and Get Grill Co.

The formula for good food is easy if you have a hot grill and a burning passion to serve the freshest vegetables and proteins. Chef Paul Freeman has definitely found the formula. Paul is an experienced French trained chef with over 15 years of catering experience. A fine balance of charisma blended with skill, and professionalism for his craft, equals a pleasurable meal. Watching Paul at the grill adds to the dining experience as he talks to his food and his guests using his own positive colloquialisms mixing greetings with kitchen terms such as “Sear Away.”

Growing up around agriculture, it was a natural for Paul to take his knowledge and perfect his grilling by using the finest meats and adding his “twist.” He also confides that when you are 19 years-old you discover that learning how to cook is a sure way to get a date.

Chef Paul would later introduce his cooking skills and his own twist on grilling while growing his business, Get Grill, at the Farmer’s Market in … Continue Reading

Discover Cooking with Lavender at Local Wineries!

The goddesses of wine and herbs must have stayed with me throughout the day as I later discovered two local Walla Walla wineries will be featuring Seattle author, foodie, gardner and lavender enthusiast Kathy Gerht this holiday weekend.

Kathy will be introducing her new book, Discover Cooking with Lavender at Isenhower Cellars and Three Rivers Winery this weekend. Kathy will have … Continue Reading

Don Carlo Vineyard: A chip off the old …

Spring Release Weekend dos and don’ts

It’s that time of year again, when we make our lists and we check them twice, trying to find out which wines are naughty or nice.  That’s right.  It’s Spring Release in Walla Walla!

We love our wine tourists from near and far.  We want you to get the most of your Spring Release Weekend.  Now, you have probably heard all of these tips from me before, but here are some easy Do’s and Don’ts to ensure a great weekend for you and everybody.

Do hydrate-hydrate-hydrate. Drink lots of water and your head will thank you for it.

Do eat a big breakfast.  This isn’t the time to be all dainty and munch on a granola bar.  You are going to need … Continue Reading

Merlot: Sideways & Sidetracked

The questions remains: Why did we take Hollywood’s dismissal of merlot literally? Many a wannabe wine snob took “Sideways” sullen leading man Miles Raymond seriously and shunned merlot. After all, it was Miles’ waxing poetic about pinot noir that got the girl, right?

Following the release of “Sideways” in October 2004, merlot sales dropped 2 percent while pinot noir sales increased 16 percent in the United States. About the same time, a few Washington state wineries that were known for merlot removed the grape from their portfolios. Some removed merlot from their vineyards and replaced this grape of Bordeaux origins with syrah or more of the popular cabernet sauvignon. The word on the vineyard street was, “Do not plant any more merlot.”

Now these drastic changes weren’t necessarily about how the wine consumer was feeling about merlot — it was more about the winemakers’ artistic style and how dramatically the weather had changed since the first merlot vines were planted in Washington in the early 1970s.

Washington state merlot started to gain popularity when it was first introduced and became our shining- star varietal in … Continue Reading

Show Your Support – We Love Washington Merlot!

Here in Washington State, and especially in Walla Walla, we really didn’t care what the sullen Merlot-bashing character, Miles Raymond from the movie Sideways, felt about one of our favorite wines.   We were secure enough about our position in the wine world, that it was obvious that Miles Raymond had never tasted a Merlot from Washington State.  So, the joke was on him!

Grab a couple of bottles or more of your favorite Washington Merlot and join us Thursday, March 25 from 5 – 8 pm PDT to show your support on Twitter!  Help us send a unified message around the Twitter Nation.  You can  Tweet from home, a local winery, a wine bar, or a restaurant.  Make it a party and gather all of your friends!  Through the night, you’ll be able to see what everyone is saying about Washington Merlot and you may be able to connect with other wine lovers enjoying the same bottle of Merlot!

Video after the break.

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Wine, dine, and learn at Waterbrook

It’s an oasis on West Highway 12.  The artfully designed buildings of Waterbrook is a haven for relaxation, whether it is indoors or out.   Waterbrook’s Tasting Room is contemporary, but still influenced by the natural setting of the Northwest.  From the many windows and glass walls,  one can soak in the views of the  large ponds,  pastures of native grass and the beautiful Blue Mountains.  If you time it just right you can catch a coral and lavender- colored sunset while sipping a glass of Waterbrook’s award-winning wine.

There’s a lot going on at Waterbrook.  Not only will you find an extensive list of wines for every palate and pocketbook, but on weekends you can enjoy the comfortable surroundings with a glass of wine and  small appetizer plates that are large on flavors.   Also available are goodies-to-go for an impromptu picnic, such as an assortment of gourmet crackers, cheeses, cured meats and local chocolates. … Continue Reading