William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

April 5th and 6th is Taste Washington Seattle This two day event is described as the "Ultimate" wine experience. There will be far too much going on for me to describe here, follow the link to learn more and buy tickets. Stop by the Washington Wine Ambassador booth on Sunday and say hello - I'll be working the booth on and off all day. When I have time, I'll post my comments on the event afterwards. Of course I'll find some time to do a little tasting too. But how to choose from all 200+ wineries? Learn more about this event here: http://www.tastewashington.org/ Cheers!

Stonecap Monson Family Estates Syrah 2005 Columbia Valley This was supposed to be another white wine post. By now, you may realize my penchant for Washington Syrah . SO you may understand my eagerness to sample the Stonecap 2005 Syrah . This wine was cellared and bottled by Goose Ridge Vineyards, Richland , Washington. I have a lot of respect for Goose Ridge wines. Naturally I was curious about this new label. I opened the wine, had a short glass, and closed it again for three days before drinking it again. Screw caps do come in handy sometimes. What was it like on day one? When I first opened the wine, it had a distinct tomato soup nose - extremely vegetal , with a touch of celery. Not my speed, which explains why I ignored it for three days. Day three, or is it day four? Today I was immediately impressed by the glorious deep purple color, inky purple, the color of the Syrah of my dreams. Thankfully, the strong vegetal aroma has gracefully retired, replaced by the subtle arom...

This is one of the few white wines I have reviewed. With the lengthening days and warmer temperatures, I'm getting that good old white wine feeling. This is my first of three white wine reviews. Today I grabbed a bottle of Covey Run 2006 Chardonnay, Quail label, to enjoy with dinner; Medite rranean salad (lettuce, dates, sunflower seeds, feta cheese, oil and vinegar - yes, that is the salad in the picture and one of my plates - I use some of the pottery I make) and Roman style chicken. The wine was priced right and I have fond memories of visiting the former Quail Ridge/Covey Run tasting room, back when they had a public tasting room. Dinner was excellent! The chicken came out tender and delicious, complemented by the salad and the wine as hoped. This Covey Run Chardonnay is tasty but not over the top. The nose has apple, pear and bread, a soft mouth feel, pleasantly buttery, and finishes with some creamy vanilla ( I have to admit that there is more going on in this glass than I c...

HYATT 2004 Syrah Yakima Valley In 1986 I moved to the Columbia Valley. Hyatt Vineyards released their first wines in 1987, which was the time I began taking wine more seriously – having local wineries is a wonderful motivator. Hyatt was one of my favorite wineries to visit in the Zillah, Washington area. Somewhere along the way, I stopped visiting the winery and stopped purchasing their wines. Last week I found a bottle of Hyatt 2004 Syrah at the local grocer, reasonably priced too. I would not hesitate to recommend this wine to anyone looking for a decent Syrah. From the picture you may notice that a synthetic cork was used for closure (hard outer casing and dense cellular center). I was greeted by a heady aroma when I first opened the bottle - which made me think of a more expensive wine. Unfortunately, the flavor did not match the aroma. After I gave the wine an hour to breathe, some tasty flavors emerged; unfortunately, the rich aroma had receded. But, the wine was enjoyable the fi...