William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

I continue exploring the white wine of Galicia, with reviews of two more Albariños. This summer I have been quite fixated on Albariño wines from Rías Baixas, today I provide more in depth wine and food pairings, in a slightly different direction from my earlier posts. As I've learned from the previous seven bottles of Albariño I've reviewed this summer, never assume about food pairings until you have actually tasted and paired. Wine and food pairings for these two Albariño wines of Galicia. My pairing menu for these two wines consisted of: 1. Saigon Salad - clean and crisp. 2. Whole Shrimp - sauteed in bacon fat and garlic. 3. Sliced Shrimp - served with a Thai Peanut Sauce. 4. Beef Dumplings - heated in a white wine, shrimp shell, bacon fat reduction sauce. 5. Watermelon - sliced. The Possibilities of Albariño from Rías Baixas. Tasting Notes: Valminor Edicion Especial 2017 - O Rosal Subzone The first wine is made by Adegas Valmiñor , located in th...

Another perfect wine and food pairing. Part of the discussion I have with guests, is how palates change over time. Mine certainly has. This year I've noticed that once again, I am enjoying Rosé more and more. I also share with my guests that a good food pairing will elevate both the food and the wine. Alone they are good, but enjoyed together, they can be so much more. Today I am sharing how well I enjoyed the Origium 2016 Garnacha Rosé by Bodegas San Valero . It was good, but was especially enjoyable with food. And it reinforced my viewpoint about elevated wine and food pairings. So very pleased with this wine and the dinner I prepared. Cariñena is the second Denomination of Origin (D.O.) of Spain. The regional capital, Zaragoza, is halfway between Madrid and Barcelona and just two hours from France. The climate is continental, Grenache, Tempranillo, and Macabeo are the predominant varieties grown, along with the indigenous Cariñena variety. Also grown are Merlot, ...

Oh mama...fantastic wine. My Pinot Noir drinkers often ask for recommendations of Oregon wines. Well, now added to my Strongly Recommended list is this Knudsen Vineyards 2015 Pinot Noir Estate Reserve, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon. It rocked! This wine came from their estate vineyard. Specifically, Block 1, Block 5 and Block 6, all French Dijon clone 777. Block 1 is the youngest part of the vineyard, planted in 2006 at a higher elevation of 755-840 feet, it provided added brightness, freshness and aromatic expression. 2015 was an extraordinary vintage. Growing conditions produced a stunning Pinot Noir from Knudsen Vineyards . Bud break was a month earlier than normal, with early warm weather. The growing season tapered off to normal by September, providing a break from the heat and the development of balanced, concentrated fruit for harvest. And it shows in this beautiful wine. Tasting Notes Color : Clear rim, pale ruby. Nose : Soft, strawberry skin, low ...

Recommended Cellar Candidate! Some of my wine friends have impressive collections of wine. After accumulating a few hundred bottles of wine, you will reach the point where you are not going to have enough time to drink all that wine. You are creating a legacy, an inheritance. And I hope you are choosing wisely. If you are beginning a wine cellar, you have the luxury of knowing each bottle and hopefully remembering which ones to drink when. If you are adding on to a large cellar of wine, it is likely you will ignore or forget about some of your many bottles. So you want bottles which should age gracefully. Note : I know people who only share bottles of wine with others, after they've peaked and faded away! "Hey, here's a bottle of 1999 Merlot. It's no longer showing well. And I've got a case of it. Enjoy." Don't be that kind of wine collector. Share your good wines with others. Like my good wine friends do. The Mullan Road Cellars 2014 Red Wine,...