Taste Washington! How I will Review 29 Wineries and 103 Wines

This year I am approaching my Taste Washington reviews differently.

Instead of lumping wineries together by region, I will review each winery I visited individually. The posts will be in alphabetical order by winery name. I will include as much information as my notes, photos and winery provided information allows. This approach will take more time, but will present a better view of each winery and winemaker I visited with at Taste Washington! 2012.

* (update: My list is now posted along with links to wine and winery reviews.)

About Taste Washington! Seattle

Last weekend, the nation's largest single-region wine and food event occurred in Seattle, Taste Washington! At this event 225 Washington wineries poured over 800 wines, and more than 50 Northwest restaurants served specially prepared food. This was the 15th annual Taste Washington! in Seattle, Washington.

For the first time, Taste Washington (Taste) was produced by Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau as a result of a new partnership with the Washington State Wine Commission. Some of the changes at this year's Taste? Taste was expanded to two days, wine seminars were held over the same two days as Taste at the CenturyLink Field Event Center. This change in venue made it easier for seminar attendees to visit with wineries afterward. Several of the wineries I spoke with appreciated having two days to visit with customers, trade and media. Taste seemed less frenetic to me this year and crowds more manageable.

niconico.com interviewing David LeClaire of wineworldwarehouse.com

Washington Wine Facts

Appellations: There are 12 American Viticultural Areas (AVA's) in Washington State: Yakima Valley, Walla Walla Valley, Columbia Valley, Puget Sound, Red Mountain, Columbia Gorge, Horse Heaven Hills, Wahluke Slope, Rattlesnake Hills, Snipes Mountain, Lake Chelan, Naches Heights.

Washington AVA's

Varietals Produced: 30+
Leading White Varietals: Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Viognier, Semillon, Chenin Blanc.
Leading Red Varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Sangiovese, Pinot Noir, Lemberger.
Ratio of White to Red: 55% white to 45% red
Number of Wineries: 730 (year 2011)
Wine Production: 12 million cases*
Record Harvest: 2010 with 160,000 tons
Total Economic Impact on Washington State: $3 billion*
Average Hours of Summer Sunlight: 17.4 hours per day
Annual Rainfall Eastern Washington: Eight inches (20.32 cm) (the grape growing region)
Annual Rainfall Western Washington: 48 inches (121.92 cm)

*According to Economic Impact Study performed by MKF Research using 2006 data.

Learn more by visiting the following resources:

Once all the individual winery reviews are posted, I will post my entire list of recommended wines with links to the relevant posts. * (update: My list is now posted along with links to wine and winery reviews.)

Many thanks to the Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Washington State Wine Commission and everyone who made Taste Washington a success.

Cheers!

Review: Sho Chiku Bai, Unfiltered Sake

Last month in Seattle, I purchased a bottle of Nigori sake at Uwajimaya. Uwajimaya is one of the largest Asian grocery retailers in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been visiting Uwajimaya for almost 40 years. When I was much younger, I’d buy model ship and plane kits, Japanese comic books (manga) and I never left without at least one steaming Humbow in hand. Today I buy the manga for my son; while I still enjoy the tasty steamed Humbows, now I never leave without at least one bottle of Sake in hand. Uwajimaya has a terrific selection of imported sake. This most recent visit, I left with a bottle of Sho Chiku Bai Nigori sake. Nigori sake is generally the sweetest of all sakes, with a fruity nose and a mild flavor, making a great drink to complement spicy foods or as a dessert wine. Typical sake is usually filtered to remove grain solids left behind after the fermentation process; however Nigori sake remains unfiltered, resulting in a cloudier beverage. Before serving, the bottle must

Spirit Review: Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine White Lightnin' @OleSmoky

Today I have crossed the line from wine to spirits. At 100 proof the Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine is definitely turning up the volume (ABV 50%). "Moonshine, white lightning, mountain dew, hooch, and Tennessee white whiskey are terms used to describe high-proof distilled spirits, generally produced illicitly...The word "moonshine" is believed to derive from the term "moonrakers" used for early English smugglers and the clandestine (i.e., by the light of the moon) nature of the operations of illegal Appalachian distillers who produced and distributed whiskey." Source Wikipedia My family is no stranger to Moonshine. That is, my great-grandfather and grandfather were not strangers. Evidently the family occasionally produced their own spirits on their Oregon ranch. My grandfather told me about his younger brother getting into his dads stash with predictable results. Grandmother also told me stories about midnight runs and secretive deliveries d

Col Solare Cabernet Sauvignon. The style has changed.

“There is something special going on at Col Solare." In mid-June 2022, I began working for Col Solare winery on the Red Mountain AVA in Washington state. The Red Mountain AVA and Col Solare are famous for stunning Cabernet Sauvignon. That I knew going in. We are not here to make more wine... We are here to showcase place. At the end of June 2022, Col Solare winemaker Darel Allwine retired. Darel had been winemaker since 2013. Prior, he had been Col Solare assistant winemaker for Marcus Notaro. Marcus had been Col Solare winemaker when the Red Mountain facility opened and was winemaker before we had our Red Mountain facility. On July 1, 2022, Col Solare assistant winemaker, Stephanie Cohen, was promoted to Col Solare winemaker. I was present for this change. It was the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one. Col Solare is the third winery I have worked for. I chose well. Often, I am asked by Col Solare guests, as I was last week, “Tell me about Col Solare. Who are you

William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

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