William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

A refreshing white wine to combat your summer fatigue. It’s finally hot this summer, and the heat has me craving chilled white wines. Last week I was at the fourth annual Wine Bloggers Conference and one of the distributors kindly gifted me a bottle of 2010 La Côte Blanche Chardonnay Macon-Villages, which is from the South of Burgundy (Bourgogne) France. The wine has a consumer friendly varietal name of “Chardonnay” printed on the label. And yes, it tastes to me of un-oaked Chardonnay. The La Côte Blanche is bright, tart, with citrus, lemon, and some toast on the nose; I found this wine easy to drink and very refreshing, particularly on a sizzling summer afternoon. It was a pleasure to enjoy this wine with chicken fried rice and just picked garden peas. At first taste this wine appears quite light, it is that well balanced, you’d not guess it has 13% alcohol. The luminance of this white Burgundy complimented my meal wonderfully. This is a very enjoyable summer wine which will fla...

Todd Godbout of Virginia Wine TV @vawinetv Opening Day of WBC11. The 4th Annual Wine Blogger Conference (#WBC11) is proving to be an exceptional event. Nothing has disappointed and some new boundaries have been crossed. That's a good thing. It's 30 minutes past midnight in Virginia, I have not slept, since 4 AM PST on Thursday! But I'm still trucking along with a few grabbed winks. Monticello was a true treat, even with the heat and humidity and all the sweating (I have some great video I'll share sometime soon). I'm feeling stretched and challenged. Always good in my book. Love meeting passionate winemakers - and Virginia has them. It's such a rush embracing so many wines, and personalities. Everyone has an interesting story to tell. Photos, videos and text to follow when I can. FYI: the OMNI Charlottesville Hotel has been a fantastic host! I love my room and the service - they are spoiling me. More soon? Maybe, so much going on in 9 hours. Follow ...

L'Ecole 2006 Syrah a Lovely Treat. A lovely, lovely Washington Syrah. Last week I was camping in the mountains with my son and his Boy Scout troop. It may be summer in the Columbia Valley, but in the Cascades it's still spring - as in cold and wet. After a week of sleeping in a small tent, in the same warm, but increasingly aromatic sleeping bag, lacking the pleasure of wine, it was a joy to return home. My dear wife had a bottle of L'Ecole No. 41 Syrah waiting for me. She knows me so well. This is an elegant Syrah with blueberry and black cherry, it has an inviting dark purple color, medium body and a lucious finish with pleasant spice. Well balanced tannin and acid.This wine is drinking extremely well now. I enjoyed this wine so much, I did not want to share it with food. Perfect for a special occasion or just because you love Syrah. Recommended. Alcohol: 14.8% Blend: Syrah 95% and Grenache 5% Since I did not buy this wine, I do not know what my wife paid for ...

Can’t you smell that smell, Ooooh that smell? Runners’ preparing for a marathon must train, train, train; they must stay fit, a proper diet is important, appropriate equipment essential and an athlete must be focused on winning. I’m preparing for the Wine Blogger’s Conference in Charlottesville, Virginia. Do I have a preparation routine?

The 2011 Wine Blogger Conference (WBC11) starts this week. A lot of wine information is going to be tweeted and blogged from Charlottesville, Virginia. I’m looking forward to contributing to that wealth of wine information. It’s exhilarating to attend an event like the Wine Blogger Conference. This year the conference sold out at 325 seats. What an amazing opportunity to learn and share with other wine bloggers from around the world. WBC10 Meet the Sponsors - Foodista and Catavino. Last year I attended the third annual Wine Blogger’s Conference (WBC10) in Walla Walla, Washington. It was an inspiring and educational event which motivated me to write more. Since then, I’ve made many new friends in the wine industry. WBC11 will be an unmatched occasion to learn about and discuss wine as it relates to the world of new media; blogging, twitter, social media, and video. I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge of wine and building new relationships. Stay posted, I’ll be sharing ...

Spanish wines shall always have a special meaning for me. Author: William Pollard Do you remember the last time you visited with your best friend? The meal you shared, the place, the wine? This is a self-indulgent post, but I’m sharing it because the sentiment and revelation are sincere. And I need to sleep at night. I have an obsession with Spanish wines. I don’t talk of it, but I have wondered to myself, "Where does this attraction come from?" Could there be an underlying impulse which draws me to the Iberian Peninsula? Some clarity emerged recently while reading .  “Twirled on a fork and lifted to the mouth, they whisper secrets. This, you tell yourself, is a flavor one shouldn’t speak of.”  Anthony Bourdain,  Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook One of my Father’s Day gifts was the book “ Medium Raw ” by Anthony Bourdain. I’m fond of how Mr. Bourdain puts words together. His style is in a word, "picante"...

I wrote my first snooth.com article about wine tasting in Richland, Washington. It's a full day itinerary packed with wine, food and outdoor recreation. Here's the link if you have not seen it . All my best! William Pollard

Feeling a bit pressed for time this month, I could not resist sharing with you my Wine of the Week pick a little early; enjoyed too many iced café mochas this evening, and I’m wide awake, buzzed. Goose Ridge 2009 Estate Bottled Chardonnay.

A successful union of elements. Tom O’Neil has been making wine for about 25 years in Washington. He interned with Chateau Ste. Michelle and was assistant winemaker at Milbrandt Vineyards. He opened his Richland, Washington winery, Thomas O'Neil Cellars , on April 15, 2011. I sampled the original bottling of 2009 Fusion in April, which quickly sold out. May 15th, Tom bottled a new blend of 2009 Fusion (Fusion 2.0). Thomas O'Neil Cellars 2009 Fusion 2.0.