William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

"How are you going to standout? You must have a distinctive terroir. That's the story, it's about the place. It's not the producer." Steve Robertson, SJR Vineyards   Steve Robertson, SJR Vineyards, at Force Majeure construction site. The Vision for the Future of Northwest Wines Last month I attended the 2018 Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, Washington. Wines were impressive as expected, and I was introduced to many talented winemakers. What I did not expect, was to have a new jolt of excitement for and about the future of Northwest wines. There are some cool things percolating inside of the Walla Walla Valley AVA. Mentally, my thinking towards Washington wine is merging with thinking about Oregon wine. We share three AVA’s ( Columbia Gorge, Columbia Valley and Walla Walla Valley ), numerous vineyards, the Columbia River and many talented and passionate growers and makers. Last month, this view was re-enforced by Steve Robertson of SJR Vineyards...

Category: Delicious Wine and Food Pairings Since last year, I have found myself drinking more sweet white wines. And not with or as dessert. I've become quite fond of pairing sweet and medium sweet white wines with lunch and dinner. Not any sweet wine will do. You need a quality wine with complexity, sugar yes, but the wine also needs balanced acidity to match with the food. And the wine must be tasty too. I'm referring to the sweet white wines of Bordeaux, France. Sweet Bordeaux wines deepen in color with age. Sweet Bordeaux white wines are made with a combination of Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes.These wines are quite sweet, with balanced acidity, so many of these wines can be long lived in the wine cellar, even decades. As these wines age, you will notice that their color deepens to a beautiful deep gold. Even though these are age worthy wines, they can be quite approachable and food friendly when young. Yes they can. Tasting and pairing th...

Transformed by my first visit to Catalonia. I shared with an acquaintance this summer, who is a little lost in life, that, " When I was in Catalunya two years ago, it was the first time I felt like I found a place where I belonged. It was as if I had finally found home. That's the kind of place I believe you are seeking." The Catalan people, their beautiful language, delicious cuisine and their world class wines, all felt familiar, but somehow forgotten. While I was there, I realized that a part of me was missing, and I found that essential part of me in Catalunya. I now consider Catalunya the home I did not know. The home I yearn to return to. Somehow. Today, I am sharing my sentiments toward Catalunya, vi Català (Catalan wine), my desire to return and a bit about what I have learned and wish to experience. “Wine brought me to Catalunya, wine will likely bring me back.”  Visiting the village of Gratallops in Priorat, Catalunya. Where is Catalunya? Catalo...