William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

Which wine closure system do you think will dominate the wine industry? Do you like natural cork or do you think screwcaps are the way to go? What is your opinion on synthetic cork? If you are like me, you've had this discussion many times. The issue of closure is not as simple as you may think. With a variety of options for closing a bottle of wine, it is natural to have biased opinions about which technology is best. This is no simple topic to discuss. Much chemistry is involved and I'm no chemist. We'll take a look at the type of closures currently in use and I'll express some biased opinions about them. Real Cork: We're talking oak cork here, fresh, woody, clean, renewable, wonderful cork. Natural cork is the traditional method for closing a bottle of wine. It protects and seals and even allows some air and moisture to pass. Natural cork is something I've grown fond of. I enjoy the ritual of opening a bottle of wine, especially when I have specta

Here's a date now on my calendar, Saturday, October 6, 2007 Savor the Art, Wine and Art Auction This event combines Art ("Art") and Wine ("Wine"). Two of my favorite subjects. Savor the Art 2007 will be at Terra Blanca Winery in Benton City. Guests will be greeted with a souvenir wine glass and a taste of wonderful wine. A "Broadway" style welcome will great guests for an elegant exhibition unique to Eastern Washington. Chef Frank Magana will provide gourmet appetizers focusing on the bounty of the area. In a unique silent auction and limited live auction, pairings of wine, wine country experiences and art will be featured as guests sip and sample. More entertainment precedes the live auction. Tickets are $40 per person and can be purchased here, www.wineyakimavalley.org/events/eventsD.asp?evid=284 . Join me on October 6, 2007 from 7:00 - 9:30pm at Terra Blanca Winery, 34715 N. Demoss Rd. Benton City, WA. Following is a list of winery and artist partne

Just a quick note that I'm still here. Several posts to create when time permits. <--Matt showing us the progress of the Riesling clusters. Veraison - Vineyard Club Seminars Véraison is a French term, but has been adopted into English. The official definition of véraison is "change of color of the grape berries." Véraison signifies the change from berry growth to berry ripening in grapevines. Last month was "veraison" at Two Mountain Winery in Zillah. We did cluster thinning of "our" row of vines. We each have a section of Syrah and Riesling to manage. Afterwards we enjoyed some lovely wines back at the winery as well as some delicious spring rolls. Lucky us, Matt even shared some unreleased, pulled from the barrel 2005 Syrah... Absolutely delicious. I'm looking forward to the 2005 release - put it on your list. I have some topics to share after I wrap up a couple of other projects. Cheers!