William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

Tonight is the January Virtual Wine Tasting. Ready for Virtual Tasting. My tasting notes and feedback from the virtual tasting. I encourage you to join us when you can. The January Virtual Tasting wine was the Stonecap 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley . This wine retails for around $10 and is widely available in Washington. The tasting took place on Wednesday January 30th from 7-8 pm PST. Tasting Notes: In general, my fellow tweeters and virtual tasters were no big fans of the label, except that it was easy to spot on the shelf (there's value in that).  Someone tweeted that the 2011 label is better. At first, some herbal notes on the nose, menthol in background, pencil shavings, cherry, bit earthy/mushroom. After 30 minutes, some lovely big, Bing cherry on the finish. Not too dry, not too  bright, with a medium finish. Bit of espresso vapor appeared too, and some green tea and mushroom in that palate. After 45 minutes, a hole opened mid-palate. After 2

photo: Scott Southard. Southard Winery Sugarloaf red wine reviewed. I met winemaker Scott Southard last year at Taste Washington Seattle! His wines impressed then and they continue to impress today. You don't know Scott Southard and his wines? It is time you did. The Southard family winery is located in Selah, Washington, across the street from their estate Riesling vineyard. I recently visited Scott at the winery, there was a lot of snow on the ground. Where's Selah, Washington? Selah is just minutes from downtown Yakima. It was easy to find. Scott has an extremely educated palate and preference in wine. This fact was obvious to me on the first taste of the Southard 2010 Sugarloaf vineyard Yakima valley red wine. I raved about this wine with friends and even shared a glass or two. They loved it! photo: Southard 2010 Sugarloaf Vineyard Yakima Valley Red Wine Tasting Notes: This wine was tasty on opening; it had caramel, cherry and sage on the nose, with a cle

Washington Wine Report (Sean Sullivan) hosts the monthly virtual tastings. The January Virtual Tasting wine is the Stonecap 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley . This wine retails for $8 and is widely available. The tasting will take place on Wednesday January 30th from 7-8pm Pacific. What you need to do to participate is: 1. Buy this month’s wine from a local retailer or direct from the winery. 2. Have a twitter account. 3. Tweet your comments about the wine on Twitter between 7 and 8pm Pacific on the specified date using the hashtag #stonecap. For those on Twitter, follow @wawinereport. I began attending these virtual tastings last year. Truly a lot of fun and another way to connect with like minded souls. Good sensory and palate exercise too. For my tweets, follow @wild4wawine. photo: Sean Sullivan Well deserved congratulations to Sean Sullivan! Sean Sullivan of Washington Wine Report has accepted a Contributing Editor position at Wine Enthusiast . Congratul

Originally known as the Washington Wine Restaurant Awards, since 2003, this award program, is now known as the Washington State Wine Awards. My previous post , I listed the award winners along with personal thoughts and photos. All of the award winners were acknowledged for how well they promote Washington Wine.       Photos: McCaw Hall at Seattle Center. This years event was held on Monday, January 14th at Seattle Centers, picturesque McCaw Hall , home of the Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Seattle Opera.     Kyle Johnson, Purple Star (left) and Javier Alfonso, Pomum Cellars (right) I was pleased at how well Washington wine was represented at this ceremony. I am continually impressed by the people who have the passion for making wine in Washington. It's not only the wonderful, delicious juice in the bottle that maintains my excitement for Washington wine, it's the people pouring that lovely juice and the stories they share. I am not asking to be entertained,

This week I attended the Washington State Wine Awards in Seattle, Washington. On Monday, January 14th,  McCaw Hall  in Seattle, Washington, fourteen Washington state businesses and individuals were recognized within their industries.  Once again, Washington wine was in the well deserved spotlight, but from a different angle. The Washington State Wine Awards honors industries and individuals who raise the profile of Washington wine. I look forward to sharing the stories of some of these people. note: If you are a Sommelier, please contact me, I would appreciate the opportunity to interview you for future posts (email william@wild4washingtonwine.com thank you). A large crowd was in attendance. Tension was palpable. This was my first time attending this award event. All of the award winners were acknowledged for making a difference in promoting Washington wine. Bravo, that is something I can stand behind and encourage more to emulate. Bonus, I now have a list of restau

Start the year with Alderbrook Resort & Spa and Hedges Family Estate!  On Sunday, January 20, Alderbrook Resort & Spa will host a dinner featuring six Hedges Family Estate varietals alongside dishes that thoughtfully highlight the Pacific Northwest’s iconic flavors. Alexander Hedges will be in attendance. Dinner will feature six mouthwatering courses ranging from vanilla caramelized pear salad to porcini crusted venison. Each dish will be served with a red or white Hedges wine to complement its specific flavors -  you can view the menu here. What: Hedges Winemaker Dinner Where: Alderbrook Resort & Spa , 7101 East State Route 106, Union, WA 98592 Date: Sunday, January 20, 2013 Time: Social begins at 6:30 p.m., dinner begins at 7:00 p.m. Cost: $119 per person Reservations: (360) 898-5500 Availability is limited. I have not stayed at the Alderbrook Resort & Spa, but they did invite me to attend this Hedges Winemaker Dinner. While I cannot attend, this t

The Washington State Wine Awards (formerly known as Washington Wine Restaurant Awards), established in 2002, recognizes industry leaders that exhibit strong support of Washington wines and high professional standards in wine service. After 10 years of honoring restaurants, this year’s ceremony will shine a spotlight on nominees and winners from the retail, tourism, distributor and wholesaler sectors, as well. An estimated 500 attendees will include wine buyers, sommeliers and influential tourism players, among others. In addition to the short awards ceremony, attendees will have the opportunity to engage with several dozen Washington State wineries and taste their wines. The Washington State Restaurant , Retailer and Tourism Champions of the Year are the most prestigious awards, while the Washington State Wine Grand Award seeks to commend those individuals and organizations that designate menu and wine list space for Washington wines and provide continual promotion, sal