October is International Merlot Month!

#MerlotMe all month long.

I'm starting #MerlotMe month with three stunners from Walla Walla, Washington.

In 2012 the month of October was declared International Merlot Month. This year, more than 100 Merlot producers from all over the world are joining together to celebrate this lovely wine grape variety.

We're using the hashtag #MerlotMe to make it easy to find wine reviews. Since I'm just back from the 2018 Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, I'm starting my Merlot tastings and reviews with three lovely Walla Walla wines.

Blind tastings every month at the Clore Center.

Personally, my passion for Merlot was reignited this January. I hosted a Merlot blind tasting at the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center, which made me fall in deep like all over again. There's something about Merlot and it's varied styles which pleases and purples.

Merlot Statistics

Merlot sales are up! (Nielsen)
Merlot is one of the top four most purchased red wines in U.S. restaurants (Winemetrics)
California Merlot consumption in the U.S. was 19 million cases in 2017 (The Wine Institute)
Merlot is the third most popular California red wine sold in the U.S. (The Wine Institute)
Consumers are buying more "luxury" Merlot ($20 +) with sales up 10% (IRI 52 week data 5/20/18)
Merlot is Washington states second most popular wine grape variety, after Cabernet Sauvignon
Washington state has 9,071 vineyard acres planted to Merlot (as of 2017)

Follow Along

You are invited to follow along as we taste and share our Merlot wine experiences all month long. You can join in by sharing your positive Merlot experiences too. Use the following social media handles:

Twitter @MerlotMePlease

Instagram @MerlotMe

Facebook @MerlotMeOfficialPage

I hope you re-discover Merlot all over again, just as I did this year.

Cheers!

Review: Sho Chiku Bai, Unfiltered Sake

Last month in Seattle, I purchased a bottle of Nigori sake at Uwajimaya. Uwajimaya is one of the largest Asian grocery retailers in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been visiting Uwajimaya for almost 40 years. When I was much younger, I’d buy model ship and plane kits, Japanese comic books (manga) and I never left without at least one steaming Humbow in hand. Today I buy the manga for my son; while I still enjoy the tasty steamed Humbows, now I never leave without at least one bottle of Sake in hand. Uwajimaya has a terrific selection of imported sake. This most recent visit, I left with a bottle of Sho Chiku Bai Nigori sake. Nigori sake is generally the sweetest of all sakes, with a fruity nose and a mild flavor, making a great drink to complement spicy foods or as a dessert wine. Typical sake is usually filtered to remove grain solids left behind after the fermentation process; however Nigori sake remains unfiltered, resulting in a cloudier beverage. Before serving, the bottle must

Spirit Review: Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine White Lightnin' @OleSmoky

Today I have crossed the line from wine to spirits. At 100 proof the Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine is definitely turning up the volume (ABV 50%). "Moonshine, white lightning, mountain dew, hooch, and Tennessee white whiskey are terms used to describe high-proof distilled spirits, generally produced illicitly...The word "moonshine" is believed to derive from the term "moonrakers" used for early English smugglers and the clandestine (i.e., by the light of the moon) nature of the operations of illegal Appalachian distillers who produced and distributed whiskey." Source Wikipedia My family is no stranger to Moonshine. That is, my great-grandfather and grandfather were not strangers. Evidently the family occasionally produced their own spirits on their Oregon ranch. My grandfather told me about his younger brother getting into his dads stash with predictable results. Grandmother also told me stories about midnight runs and secretive deliveries d

Col Solare Cabernet Sauvignon. The style has changed.

“There is something special going on at Col Solare." In mid-June 2022, I began working for Col Solare winery on the Red Mountain AVA in Washington state. The Red Mountain AVA and Col Solare are famous for stunning Cabernet Sauvignon. That I knew going in. We are not here to make more wine... We are here to showcase place. At the end of June 2022, Col Solare winemaker Darel Allwine retired. Darel had been winemaker since 2013. Prior, he had been Col Solare assistant winemaker for Marcus Notaro. Marcus had been Col Solare winemaker when the Red Mountain facility opened and was winemaker before we had our Red Mountain facility. On July 1, 2022, Col Solare assistant winemaker, Stephanie Cohen, was promoted to Col Solare winemaker. I was present for this change. It was the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one. Col Solare is the third winery I have worked for. I chose well. Often, I am asked by Col Solare guests, as I was last week, “Tell me about Col Solare. Who are you

William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

Search This Blog