Wine Press Northwest Winter 2011/2012 issue

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02 Columbia Gorge Hotel 12/2/11 2:52 PM Page 2

03 CorkWest ad 11/28/11 7:43 PM Page 3

6 Wine NoseVision, food will drive NW wine

8 A Distant PerspectiveRiesling key to Washington’s reputation

10 Northwest EdgeOils make most out of wine grapes

12 Swirl, Sniff & Sip2011 shaping up as miracle vintage

14 Urban Sips12 steps, 9 hats and a crazy aunt

16 Poet LaureateBeyond the Crush

18 10 Things to Do21 Northwest Wine Events22 Northwest Wine News74 Grapes of Roth

So you want to be a wine judge

DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

Winter 2011/2012Vol. 14, No. 4

WINE PRESSN O R T H W E S T

30 Boise, a wine lover’s guideThere are plenty of places for wine lovers to visit while in theIdaho capital.

42 David AdelsheimLongtime Oregon winemaker celebrates 40 years in amid vines.

50 Platinum AwardsFind out which gold medal wines went on to receive Platinumawards in our annual Best of the Best in the Great Northwestcompetition.

64 Gourmet To GoAndrae’s Kitchen in Walla Walla serves up wine-friendly cuisinethrough a take-out window.

COVER STORYOn the cover: The Idaho Capitol building in Boise hasundergone major restoration efforts in recent years.

This page: The Boise Depot was once a stop on theUnion Pacific Railroad Company’s line. Now it’s amuseum and event venue.

Story begins on Page 30.

Photos by Jackie Johnston

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WINTER 2011/2012 • WINE PRESS NORTHWESTWINEPRESSNW.COM 5

Wine Press Northwest is for those with an inter-est in wine — from the novice to the veteran. Wefocus on Washington, Oregon, Idaho and BritishColumbia’s talented winemakers and the wineries,vintners and restaurants that showcase Northwestwines. We are dedicated to all who savor the fruitsof their labor.

Publisher: Gregg McConnell

Editor-in-chief: Andy PerduePhone: 509-582-1405Fax: 509-585-7221E-mail: [email protected]

Managing editor: Eric DegermanPhone: 509-582-1404Fax: 509-585-7221E-mail: [email protected]

Salish Sea correspondent: Jon Bauer

Tasting panel: Winnie Alberg, Kristine Bono, KateMichaud, Justin Michaud, Mike Rader, KenRobertson, Coke Roth, Dave Seaver, Paul Sinclair,Eric Degerman, Andy Perdue

Master facilitator: Hank SauerFacilitator: Daniel Skorski

Page designer: Jackie Johnston

Columnists: Jon Bauer, Dan Berger, Teri Citterman, Braiden Rex-Johnson, Ken Robertson, Coke Roth

Poet laureate: Jordan Chaney

Contributing photographer: Jackie Johnston

Ad sales:Parker Hodge, 509-585-7257E-mail: [email protected]

To subscribe: Subscriptions cost $20 U.S. per yearfor four issues. Mail check, money order or creditcard number and expiration date to address belowor subscribe securely on our Web site.

Subscriptions and customer service: Hildanna Gerlach, 800-538-5619e-mail: [email protected]

Letters to the editor: We encourage your thoughtsand comments about our publication and aboutNorthwest wines in general. Write to us at theaddress below.

Fresh Press: Find fresh reviews of recently releasedNorthwest wines. The free weekly PDF can bedownloaded at winepressnw.com/freshpress

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Address:333 W. Canal DriveKennewick, WA 99336

© 2011 Wine Press NorthwestA Tri-City Herald publication

WINE PRESSN O R T H W E S T

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COLUMN the wine knows

WINE PRESS NORTHWEST • WINTER 2011/2012 WINEPRESSNW.COM6

Since returning to the family winery in 1997, JohnBookwalter has constantly been pushing himself andreinventing the business his parents started in 1983. In

these fast-changing times, Bookwalter has shown how cre-atively disrupting himself not only launches him forward butalso can drag along a region and an industry that is, at times,reluctant to follow.

Eight years ago, Bookwalter changed his tasting room to asit-down affair. The idea was get people to slow down andenjoy the wine, rather than belly up to a bar and taste quicklybefore moving on to the next winery. He knew that if hecould slow the pace, he should be able to provide a betterexperience for wine lovers. That experience would be morelikely to turn them into fans.

He brought in couches and overstuffed chairs, redecoratedthe winery and basically changed the atmosphere into some-thing more relaxed. Soon, he began to offer cheese plates andother small bites. He stayed open later (most wineries close at5 or 6 p.m.) and offered live music four nights a week.

This fall, Bookwalter took his business to a whole differentlevel by basically turning his winery into a restaurant, called J.Bistro. He has hired Kristin Swaggart, a young chef who hasalready garnered regional and national acclaim and whosefocus is on keeping her ingredients as fresh and local as pos-sible.

“Farm to table” has become a nice catch-phrase in the lastcouple of years, signifying a shift by chefs who want to createan experience that is uniquely local. Bookwalter is especiallyexcited about what he and Swaggart will be able to accom-plish in the heart of Washington’s Columbia Valley, whichhappens to be one of the most diverse agricultural regionsanywhere.

“I think we’re as well positioned as any community in thecountry,” he said confidently.

In the spring, Bookwalter will put in some raised bedsbehind the winery to give Swaggart even more options forfresh herbs and vegetables.

Creating a restaurant inside a winery is nothing new in thePacific Northwest. Wineries in British Columbia have beendoing this for the better part of a decade, with about twodozen in operation seasonally or year-round. Washington wasa bit behind in this area but has been catching up in a hurry,thanks to several wineries around Lake Chelan, as well asCave B in George, Chateau Faire Le Pont in Wenatchee,Westport in Aberdeen and Tagaris, which is a neighbor toBookwalter. Oregon has also begun to take advantage of thetrend, with such wineries as Cana’s Feast and King Estateamong those jumping in early.

Bookwalter sees it as a natural extension to his business. Infact, he thinks it is much easier for a winery to open a restau-rant than just about anybody. In his case, he already has theinfrastructure of a modest commercial kitchen, a staff that is

focused on service and, of course, a built-in wine list. Hismain additional cost is kitchen staff.

“There is an opportunity for all of us to become foodbased,” he said of the Washington wine industry. “Lodging,food and wine: These are the three things that drive winetourism.”

The quality of Northwest wine is no longer in doubt,thanks to the industry’s growth and accolades at regional,national and global levels. With that, the quality of the winerybuildings themselves have improved dramatically. Look atKiona and Col Solare on Red Mountain, Bookwalter says, orCave B. The culinary experience now needs to catch up withthe quality of the wines, especially in the wide-openColumbia Valley.

Because the foundation of the Washington wine industry inthe ’70s and ’80s was based on agriculture rather thantourism, the experience has been genuine but not alwaystourism-friendly, lacking in high-quality restaurants and lodg-ing.

But that is quickly changing, thanks to folks likeBookwalter. Eight years ago, he turned his business upsidedown by creating the coffee lounge atmosphere. Today in theTri-Cities — a community of more than 200,000 people —Bookwalter is a go-to spot for people who want to gettogether for a glass of wine or an informal meeting. Eightyears ago, he was the first to have a winery that was comfort-able and relaxing to just hang out in. Eight years ago, some inthe industry probably thought he was a bit crazy. Now, he’sseen as a pioneer.

And don’t think for a second that Bookwalter plans tostand still and admire what he has accomplished. That’s notin his DNA.

His winery sits on 10 acres of land. When the winery wasbuilt and five acres of wine grapes were planted, there wasn’tmuch nearby. Now, he’s surrounded by shopping centers andhousing developments, and an interstate exit feeds a steadystream of cars right past the turnoff to his winery. There arefive wineries within a mile.

Bookwalter has started to take out some of the vinesbecause, frankly, the location isn’t good for growing grapes —“It’s a great spot to tell when everyone else will get frosted,”he quipped — and the best use is as a wine-and-food campus.He’s added bocce courts and created an outdoor event areawith additional parking. He has plenty of room to expandwithout having to purchase an extra square inch of land.

Bookwalter has been running the family winery for nearly15 years now, and his reality is finally catching up with hisvision. Expect that kind of vision to drive the Northwest wineindustry forward.

ANDY PERDUE is editor-in-chief of Wine Press Northwest.

Vision, food will drive NW wine

BY ANDY PERDUE

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Old World wine areas are often defined by the grapesthat are legally permitted to grow in each region.There may be a vine or two of Syrah in Burgundy,

but the red wine of the district is, by law, Pinot Noir.Thus does the word terroir take on a vital meaning. We

acknowledge the style differences between a Savigny-les-Beaunes and a Gevrey-Chambertin, and we cherish the differ-ences. This doesn’t encourage people to compare them.

New World wine regions are thus left with an image issue.Is our terroir (we assume we have such a thing, too) asimportant as those they have in Europe?

Among the problem of defining terroir here is the ratherhaphazard way we permit wine grapes to grow. As democraticas we are, we allow anyone to plant anything anywhere theyplease, leaving the entire idea of terroir up to interpretation.

Where is this going? It’s about the future of Washington asa world-recognized wine-growing region. And it starts withothers that have already achieved that global image. LikeBordeaux, Napa Valley, certain regions of Australia,Marlborough, Barolo, Tuscany and a half-dozen more.

Most such exalted images were built, first, on one grape’sultimate success, and then on the fact that other wines beganto take hold as exemplary and worth paying attention to.Napa started with success with Cabernet Sauvignon and thengained recognition for other wines, such as Sauvignon Blanc,Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and even Petite Sirah.

Washington, however, sits at a crossroads.To be sure, those who have followed the success of the

state as a world-class wine producer would argue (with agreat deal of justification) that Merlot is the state’s top grapevariety. So many superb examples of it have been offered tothe world in the last 25 years that almost no one who knowsthe Washington wine industry would deny the vital impor-tance of that grape.

You could also make a case for the iconic-ness of Cabernet,another for Meritage-type wines, for Syrah, and so forth.

But for me, the greatest achievement of Washington as awine-producing state thus far has been the astonishing suc-cess across the board of Riesling.

A few winemakers know this (others do not), but moreimage-building for Washington has been done with thisGermanic grape than ever could be achieved by any redwine. And there are good reasons for that.

As great as many Washington red wines are, there are loadsof pricier competitors, and as scores are being handed out,many of the scoring publications take into account the pricewhen they finally settle on a number. (Yes, they do!)

And the one area that has pushed Washington into the

world’s spotlight is Riesling, irrespective of price.To that point, a tale that shocked world Riesling experts:At a Riesling conference staged by Chateau Ste. Michelle a

couple of years ago in Woodinville, a blind tasting of dryRieslings was staged for all attendees. Not even the winemak-ers, who were on the dais, knew which wine was which.

At one point, one wine was highly praised by a lot of theattendees including German winemakers for the astoundingvarietal character and its unique terroir that gave the wine adistinctive character that simply couldn’t be European. Andno Australian claimed it.

But Wendy Stuckey of the host winery knew it was herwine. No big deal. She is a skilled taster. There were a lot ofexcellent wines on the dais.

What was a shock was when someone asked the price ofthe wine. Most of the other Rieslings had been in the $25-$40range. Stuckey, almost embarrassed by the question, said thewine sells for $10 and can be found for $6.99.

So to answer the obvious, unspoken question:Washington’s future as a great wine-growing region muststart with this simple fact: Riesling is a great grape far moreworthy of accolades than it has ever gotten, and Washington(along with a few other still yet-to-be-fully-recognized wineregions) can compete with the best.

How many people get it? Thus far, not many. Even theimage-builders in the glossy wine magazine game don’t oftenget the fact that what’s happening in the Pacific Northwestwith Riesling is a dramatic move worthy of attention.

At the moment, however, we have a chicken-and-egg ques-tion regarding the greatness of Washington Riesling. The factthat a wine that is as great, in the view of dozens of theworld’s Riesling experts, as a Ste. Michelle Riesling could sellfor $10 a bottle almost begs the question.

Why is this wine priced the way it is? Because Ste. Michellecan make more than 1 million cases of it, it is all superb, butthus far the U.S. consumer has yet to discover its greatness.

And to raise the price to indicate its quality would merelyreduce its sales. Significant promotion of Riesling as a world-class grape could help. So can promotions such as this pastyear’s Summer of Riesling.

Until Americans get Riesling, however, Washington willhave to limp along making outrageously great Riesling thatsells for a fraction of what it ought to.

DAN BERGER is a nationally renowned wine writer wholives in Santa Rosa, Calif. He publishes a weekly commen-tary Dan Berger’s Vintage Experiences(VintageExperiences.com).

Riesling key to Washington’s reputation

BY DAN BERGER

COLUMN a distant perspective


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COLUMN northwest edge


As those of us who dutifully recycle our wine bottles,compost our kitchen scraps and drive fuel-efficient carswell know, it’s not easy being green.

But one Yakima Valley company is taking what many mightconsider trash — the pomace, or crushed seeds, skins andstems left over after grapes are pressed to make wine — andturning it into a culinary treasure.

AprèsVin, which translates from French as “after the wine,”is a small, family-owned business that produces an amazingarray of pure varietal grape-seed oils and flours. The processbegins when wine pomace is collected from select wineriesin Eastern Washington. The seeds are carefully separated,dried and cold-pressedin European expellerpresses to producehealthy grape-seed oils(high in antioxidants,vitamin E and phyto-chemicals) with dis-tinct colors and flavorsthat mirror the winevarieties from whichthey’re produced.

Think Riesling oilwith light, grassy, citrusnotes, while theChardonnay flavorskews buttery, round and creamy. Merlot is bolder, with dis-tinct dark cherry, cocoa and Scotchlike flavors; CabernetSauvignon is darker and even more hearty. The cleverlynamed Mélange à Trois blends Chardonnay, Merlot andCabernet Sauvignon oils.

In addition to the single-varietal oils and blends, AprèsVinmakes infused varieties such as Lime Riesling and RoastedGarlic Chardonnay (the company’s two most popular fla-vors).

The Chardonnay Fumé flavor is smoked over Chardonnaygrape vines.

I was particularly taken with the Chipotle Merlot oil, whichgoes down mild and fruity, then develops a definite back-of-the-throat burn. Same sensory experience with the lusciousCabernet Poivré, flavored with black pepper. It’d be greatdrizzled over a prime cut of charred-on-the-outside/rare-in-the-middle filet mignon.

Use the oils as you would a fine extra-virgin olive oil, atroom temperature in dips, vinaigrettes, marinades andsauces. With its high smoke point, grape-seed oil is perfectfor sautéing, stir-frying and grilling.

Grape-seed flour — in flavors of Riesling, Chardonnay,Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon — is another byproduct ofthe pomace, milled from the compressed grape-seed solids

(technically called “press cake”) after the oil is released. Ican’t wait to incorporate these gluten-free flours into mybaked goods for added color, texture and unique flavors, notto mention healthful antioxidants.

AprèsVin was started in 2007 as a “retirement project” bythe husband-wife team of Eric Leber, 62, and Lori Ramonas,60, who met as first-year graduate chemistry students at YaleUniversity.

It seems destined that Leber, a Washington native andretired chemistry professor, would somehow end up workingclosely with winemakers. His father, Ted Leber, was one of

the original 10 Associated Vintners.This group of amateur winemakersproduced the first premium varietalwines in Washington in the 1960s,and the winery was the predecessorof Columbia Winery. The swirly “AV”on AprèsVin’s labels is the same logothat first appeared on AV’s wine bot-tles.

On the company’s comprehensivewebsite you’ll find creative uses foreach oil. Add the Chipotle Merlot oilto salsa for a fiery kick, or whisk itinto vinaigrette to pair with fatty fish,such as wild Northwest salmon.

Enticing recipes such as SunnysideChardonnay Biscuits or Merlot-Kissed Crab Cakes with LimeRiesling Aïoli abound.

But I was particularly taken with the recipe for BiscottiVino, the traditional Italian dunking cookie updated with theaddition of both AprèsVin Cabernet Sauvignon Grape-SeedOil and Flour and flavored with fresh thyme, red-pepperflakes and lemon peel.

Imagine pairing this savory biscuit with a bracing glass ofNorthwest Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris.

AprèsVin’s 12.7 ounce bottles run $25. Call 509-531-1293 orgo to www.apresvin.com. The products also are available inselect Washington and Oregon QFC stores; at specialty storesand wineries in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana andCalifornia; at the Prosser, Richland and Walla Walla farmersmarkets and Oil & Vinegar stores nationwide.

It’s easy being green with AprèsVin products — good forthe earth, good for your health, good for local wineries —and good tasting to boot!

Braiden Rex-Johnson is a Seattle-based cookbook author,food-and-wine columnist and blogger. Visit her online atwww.WithBraiden.com.

Oils make most out of wine grapes

BY BRAIDEN REX-JOHNSON

With the holidays fast approaching, one of AprèsVin’s color-ful gift packs would make a tasty and thoughtful gift.

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COLUMN swirl, sniff & sip


Throughout late summer and fall visits to the region’s wineries, I reg-ularly heard wine industry officials fretting over the cool year and a har-vest they anticipated would be of lesser quality and quantity. Nowthey’re starting to talk as if they expect the 2011 vintage to offer someexcellent wines. What happened?

Growers and winemakers, despite hoping for warmerweather, knew early on they would face trouble in late sum-mer and fall. For example, when my wife and I visitedVictoria, B.C., during the third week of July, we saw vineyardswhere the newly formed grapes were BB size and smaller,and some vines still did not have much fruit set.

Pat Spangler of Spangler Vineyards in Southern Oregon’sUmpqua Valley said in his area near Roseburg, he counted 22days in 2009 when the temperature reached past 100degrees, with a high of 112. In 2011, there were only six daysover 100 degrees, with five of those days all clustered in ashort eight- or nine-day period.

Observations like Spangler’s convinced many in the indus-try that they had to change their strategies for the 2011 har-vest. Their tactics included dropping a substantial part oftheir fruit — up to 40 percent, he said.

The decision had to be made early, with the lesser clusterscoming off soon after veraison, when the bright green grapesbegin to turn color. “If you don’t do it early enough, it’s of noparticular value,” said Rob Griffin, owner and winemaker atBarnard Griffin in Richland, Wash.

Growers also stripped more leaves from the vines than usualto expose the remaining grapes to more heat and sunlight. Ina warm year, those leaves stay on to protect the grapes fromtoo much sun. Those who didn’t take tough measures to helptheir grapes ripen later found wineries refused to take tonsand tons of grapes that did not make their quality standards,several winemakers across the region told me.

“I rejected a lot of fruit,” Spangler said, noting one batch ofMalbec he was watching simply stuck at 19 brix and wasunusable for his red wine program.

Spangler and his Umpqua Valley neighbor Stephen Reustleof Reustle - Prayer Rock Vineyards both also sprayed nutri-ents onto their vines that helped raise sugar and improve pHlevels. For Spangler, that bumped some Cabernet Sauvignonfrom “on the edge” to satisfactory levels.

“If you didn’t do the work in the vineyard, you could endup with a lot of unripe grapes,” he added.

Still, “we let this stuff hang and hang and hang,” he said,echoing what other winemakers around the region reported.

That doesn’t mean the winemakers will have an easy job asthey craft the 2011 vintage, said Griffin, who started makingwines in Washington in 1977.

“It will take craft and attention this year,” the veteran wine-maker added. Folks who are used to making big, fat wines andhave little experience with anything else “could be in trouble.”

“People will have to think a little bit,” he said.Those who do the job right will be rewarded because in

the white wine grapes of 2011, he has seen excellent fruitand really good structure. And he believes the Merlot will bevery good as well. The Cabernet Sauvignon looks a littlegreen and will require careful handling.

Spangler said he’ll work to minimize the green tanninsfrom the grape seeds, which aren’t as ripe this year, andreplace it with more mellow tannins from judicious use ofoak. Keeping fermentation temperatures down and carefulblending with the other Bordeaux varieties also will help.

Among the positives that winemakers see from the cooleryear — more aromatics and floral notes, plus higher acidsthat will make the wines of 2011 long lived and offer greateraging potential. The vintage will not be producing high-alco-hol fruit bombs that lose their luster in just a few years.

Griffin expects most of the vintage will end up with analcohol content of 12.75 to 13.5 percent instead of 14.5 to15.5 percent from the grapes grown in his region this year.

In the Umpqua, Reustle estimated alcohol will be in thehigh 12 percent range to the “low 13s.” “And I’m not afraid ofthat,” he added.

In fact, he’s looking forward to trying to make wines that aretruly memorable from the grapes of 2011. He noted that just afew days before he had tasted a Spanish Gran Riserva from1964 that was “11.8 percent alcohol and it was marvelous.”

He foresees “great, intense fruit (in) long-lived wines thatage very well.”

Spangler agreed: “We could have some awfully goodwines.”

Springtime 2012 will offer consumers a peek at this year’swhites and perhaps bring an unexpected bonus. Some ofthose red wine grapes that didn’t make it into the big reds like-ly will begin showing up as well — as rosé wines, perhaps evencrafted from such dark grapes as that rejected batch of Malbec.

They may offer a tantalizing preview of what’s to comewhen the big reds of 2011 make their anticipated debut inspring 2013.

Wine words: Beaujolais Nouveau

As you read this, the 2011 edition of France’s famous redwine made in Beaujolais from Gamay grapes should still be inthe wine world’s newsletters. Each year, it makes its officialdebut on the third Thursday of November, with major mar-keting campaigns plugging the first official release of eachvintage’s first red wine. If you acquire some, drink it soon.It’s not a wine to age, so if it didn’t get drunk with yourThanksgiving turkey, put it on the Christmas table. For itsFrench winemakers, it’s a cash cow. No expensive oak agingand the money starts flowing within a few weeks of harvest.

KEN ROBERTSON, a Wine Press Northwest columnist sinceits founding, is a retired newspaperman who has been sip-ping Northwest wines and writing about them since 1976.

2011 shapes up as miracle vintage

BY KEN ROBERTSON

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COLUMN urban sips


12 steps, 9 hats and a crazy aunt

BY TERI CITTERMAN

Season’s greetings! I hope this finds you well and you’resurviving the holidays. It may feel like awhile sinceyou’ve heard from me, but I can assure you, it’s not

because of Writer’s Block.First, I will say Suzy and Sammy are well. Suzy is continually

adding to her collection of Nine Hats and becoming quite theGandy Dancer. Sammy is obsessed with magic, and if I hearanother Abracadabra, I might just hang myself. Did I mentionI’ve been on edge?

Well, this may explain why.The big news is we have a few additions to our household.

Yes my beloved husband’s Aunt Eve, along with her same-sexlover Siduri and their tattooed cat, Righteous, have come to livewith us. Indeed, you read that correctly.

How did this happen, you wonder? I’m still wonderingmyself.

At Thanksgiving, my dear husband mentioned how nice itwould be to be closer to family. Unlike me, he was serious,and his mother caught Desert Wind. She said his aunt was liv-ing in a Rough House and looking for a new adventure. Iagreed that she was welcome; having no idea this wouldbring her to our Second Floor.

Sam suggested she come stay with us — “as long as youwant.” I kicked him repeatedly under the table, as she enthu-siastically accepted, then mentioned she’d be bringing hercompanion and their Jetty Cat.

My Sam was on a roll and suggested we make a familyvacation out of helping her move. So two weeks later, in wepiled into the rented RV and off we drove on the Open Road— our 509 area code becoming a distant speck in therearview. We headed to Cadaretta, Miss., a mere 2,200 milesfrom home.

Many days later, we pulled into a campsite behind the gatesof Little Bear Creek, located in the middle of nowhere.

It wasn’t Pleasant Hill — but it wasn’t as bad as I expected.My mind quickly changed that night when a trip to the publicrestroom left me running for my life!

As I carefully walked with my flashlight, I came face to facewith some Wild Eyed crazy Howling Wolfe. I don’t know what itwas exactly, but its Sinister Hands were clawing at me, and Ibarely got away. The next day, as I sought refuge in the localpost office, I noticed The Wanted sign for that same terriblecreature. Apparently, The Alibi was believable, so the crazy isstill at large.

Speaking of crazy, on the way home, Aunt Eve insisted wepick up Crazy Mary who was hitchhiking to Dead Canyon.

“Really Sam? Really? With the kids in the car?” Eve assured me they knew her and we wouldn’t be taking a

Chance. Against my judgment, the lady with The Swagger board-ed the RV and went straight for my husband. She perched in

the captain’s chair and began flirting with Sam, calling himCommander Comet among other things.

Did I have a problem with this? Oh, you bet I did! “In yourFlying Dreams,” I yelled. I might have overreacted, but from theback of the bus, I launched the only thing I could find. AFlying Trout hit her smack dab between the eyes. Call me aBully, but I felt like Rough Justice was served.

I soon learned the biggest issue with Sam’s aunt was notthat she and Siduri went well beyond displaying public affec-tion.

No, the biggest issue was that they believed that overshar-ing was underrated. Apparently, last year at Cana’s Feast, shedescribed a Masquerade party where the two of themdressed as Two Dancers — wearing only a leaf to cover theirZhoo Zhoo.

Well, I don’t know what that means, but I’m sure it’s notappropriate for children. Most of what she says is inappropri-ate, but boy, that doesn’t stop her. And now my children arestarting to pick up bad habits. Just last week, little Sammyasked if he could be Shackled under Waters. “Umm, Sam — aword?”

Little Suzy tells me she wants to get a Tatt and be a RollerGirl! This is not my sweet little Angel Vine! This is The Dissidentunder the influence of Aunt Eve. Behind Sam’s preciousaunt’s back, I’ve taken to calling her the Praying Mantis. I don’tfeel I need to explain why.

Admittedly, I’m trying to hold it together by embracing thespirit of the season. The kids are busily decorating andsinging the Twelve days of Christmas, while the broads try tostick to their Twelve Step program.

Suzy, with a lingering trace of innocence, insisted we builda manger in the front yard and shower the baby Jesus withgifts. While this is not exactly my cup of tea, I tried to be agood sport. Fresh out of Gold, I wrapped up a bottle of Mirthand tossed it next to the baby.

Tis the season to spread good cheer and the only way I canmanage is by taking a page from Santa’s playbook. Foxy RoxyVixen will be leading the sleigh tonight, and no doubt, Santawill be Five Star Cellars to the wind. I plan to follow his lead.

I wish you all a happy and healthy 2012.

Cheers!

With sass and attitude, TERI CITTERMAN is a Seattledweller and an eager wine enthusiast. She is the author ofthe latest edition of Best Places to Kiss in the Northwest andthe Northwest Wine Journal. She writes An Urban Sip WineBlog at anurbansip.com.

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COLUMN poet laureate


A red man usually I amrolling in the sheets withmy scantily clad petit faithfulsmashing grapes between our teethin a dream state high above sleeplost in purple mountains and fruited plainswhere desire has me wakeful

though I fell asleep beneath the flowers

in this case, one day under an umbrellaa sleazy little Riesling came drizzling bya sweet but dry apple of my eye, a fair pearunparalleled with legs that paired perfectlywell with my goblet cause I’m a grape goblinwith fangs that feast on the fruit of the fleshso pardon my Kama

I can explain!

I’m losing my marbles darlin’Your legs are two Greek Pillarsclimbing high into white heavens,they flirt with the Gods,you’re a green-eyed Goddess,a firecracker scarlet starletlip-stick on the collar withbonfire hair and pink andpeach freckles speckled sexilyfrom head to toe, a sweetheartthat’s hard to wallow with…

Your legs have walked all theway from Austria, they deservean applause and the wine tastersare surely a flooded audienceI just want to be lost in the storm of your bralost in the vineyards’ thralls witha young fly virgin from Germanylaced from toe to waist in laces from Alsacea French maid made to bathe in a golden lakefor goodness sakes she sparkles with greatness

you could say I’m high on her winetasting

You don’t understand!

your puckered lips, your blown kissesare a smoking pistil you’re a smokingmistress on Red Mountain holding aCuban rolled stogie smoking beneath your nosewith nylon-legs crossed in full body language andcrisscrossing your heart, good God you’re hot!

En fuego, I’ll dance the tango with youSenorita in rain right as golden Sangria!Mama Mia, I need to decant I’m pantingthe soul of Italy in my riddles playing a fiddleskipping along singing a silver man’s songsipping kerosene from a canteen as thissleazy little Riesling honey-coats tongue!

Give me a chance!

I want to wrap you in a hammockknap you in the sack and find you napping softlyin the lap of Napa Valley slowly disrobingto lightning and thundering rolling in the coverslike Riesling lovers so much so that I’ve beenlabeled a drunk intoxicated by your loving

I love her lush lashes how they rise up likeMarilyn Monroe’s skirt after a gust of steam blaststhe model in a bottle or the actress I want to sipfrom my mattress I’m a maverick after it and she’s ahigh maintenance balancing act that’s constantlyon my conscience, noble rot or spoiled bratI have no other choice but to nickname you Constance

It’s not my fault!

You’re smashing, a hoot, I get a kick out of youa laughing spasm, a grape-gasm for the grabbinga berry special double entendre your namea winemaker’s mantra so come fly with Sinatra

What more can I say?!

Forgive me…

I’m a Brut and you’re a rare but fair-skinnedChampagne, a high-yellow red-bone crush so bustyand buxom that the buttons are busting off yourbottle of bubbly, you’re a bottle of lust for theguzzling the loveliest trouble that’s alwaysripe for the tussling — could you blame me?

No more excuses!It’s better to stick with the truth.You are simply the cutest fruit to have ever seduced me.

Jordan Chaney is a spoken-word poet who lives in theheart of Washington wine country. His first book isDouble-Barreled Bible, and he has released Mighty Peasanton MP3 and CD.

Beyond the crush

BY JORDAN CHANEY

16 Poet Laureate 11/30/11 11:17 AM Page 16

17 Sunshine Wine ad 11/30/11 1:46 PM Page 17


WINE COUNTRY activities

BY ERIC DEGERMAN

If we help you make a pleasing selec-tion for a great bottle of wine toopen at dinner or take to a holiday

occasion at a friend’s house, then we’vedone our job.

Looking for a restaurant that supportsNorthwest wines? What about lodgingthat partners with a nearby winery?

Here is a list of ideas to help youenjoy the holiday season and fight thewinter doldrums.

1Classy, yet cheesy. A great way forwine-loving Yanks to cap off a tourof the Okanagan Valley is to swing

into the Super Duper grocery/gas stationin border town of Oroville, Wash.

Why? It doesn’t look like much fromthe outside, yet it features a remarkablelittle selection of cheese at rather lowprices.

PlaceTile Designs offers an ideal wayto help youshare thesedelectableswith familyand friends.This Atlantacompany waslaunched in1999 byKristinBowen, whocreated erasa-ble ceramicplace cards touse at her wedding reception.

She found a niche, and she’s sincerolled out a variety of stylish reusableproducts, including items for wine bot-tles and cheese displays. A set of fourScroll CheeseTiles ($30) allows you towrite the cheese info on the marker andgently push the pointed end into thewedge. Upon further review, the winelover likely would prefer the VineCheeseTiles set in egg white (as shown).

The box includes a pen and will slip intothe drawer of your china hutch. Go toplacetile.com.

2Yo ho ho and a bottle of wine. Leaveit to Westport Winery in Aberdeen— our 2011 Washington Winery

to Watch — to create another adventureinto the world of wine.

The Roberts family restaurant is openfor lunch daily, and on New Year’s Eve,will play host to its latest mystery dinnertheater, titled “Dead Man’s Chest.”

Cost is $35, with reservations required.Volunteer actors are needed, and dress-ing for dinner in costume is encouraged.Weigh in at westportwines.com.

3Grenache and ganache. February hasbecome more than just ValentinesDay for wine lovers. It’s more and

more about chocolate. On Feb. 3-4, the Mount Rainier gateway

town of Enumclaw, also home to the KingCounty Fair, will celebrate its fourth annu-al Enumclaw Wine & Chocolate Festival.

More than a handful of Puget Soundchocolatiers and about 30 wineries —most from east of the Cascades — areexpected to pour. A ticket costs $20, andthat’s good for both days.

Go to enumclawchocolatefestival.com.

4Valentines Day treasured. As theIdaho wine industry matures, spe-cial weekends in the Treasure

Valley and Snake River Valley such asValentines Day are becoming more pop-ular.

Last year saw a record-setting numberof wineries open their doors for theweekend of roses and sweets.

Attractions included the Cupid’s Barrelof Love photo booth at Indian CreekWinery, chocolate tastings at SawtoothWinery, live music and a dessert bar atSyringa, and Woodriver Cellars offereddinner, live music, a winery tour and

tastings with the winemaker. And down in Glenns Ferry at Carmela

Vineyards, their on-premise restaurantserved Valentines Day dinner specials,including fresh Alaskan King Crab legsand prime rib.

For updates, go to idahowines.org.

5Catch the cam. Looking to learnmore about the inner workings at awinery?

Earlier this year, owner Robb Bell andhis team at Cathedral Ridge Winery inHood River, Ore., launched their RealWinery Webcam.

The broadcast goes live on alternatingWednesdays, starting at 11 a.m. Emailyour question, and winemaker MichaelSebastiani will address it during thebroadcast.

This season, the sessions included budbreak, bottling, fermentations and barreltastings.

See for yourself at cathedralridgewinery.com/LiveCam.php.

6Gain some Experience. The SeattleFood and Wine Experience beganin the fall of 2008 near the home

of the Seahawks (CenturyLink FieldPavilion).

Now, it’s held Feb. 26 at SeattleCenter Exhibition Hall, near where theSuperSonics played. The event gathersup more than 30 Northwest wineries,20 area chefs, beer, cider, distilleriesand live music. The chefs will be offer-ing demonstrations and providing smallbites throughout the afternoon.

This year, Oregon is the featuredwine region. A to Z Wineworks, R. Stuart and Rex Hill are among theWillamette Valley wineries scheduled topour.

Ste. Chapelle will be representingIdaho. The Washington wineries includeAirfield Estates, Badger Mountain,Chateau Ste. Michelle, Chinook, Covey

great things to doin Northwest wine country10

18-21 calendar 11/30/11 3:11 PM Page 18


WINE COUNTRY

Run, Desert Wind, DiStefano, Forgeron,Hightower, Kiona, Milbrandt, Treveri,Trust, Waterbrook and Woodinville WineCellars.

Cost is $49, and proceeds go to TheGiving Grapes Foundation, which offersfinancial help to those in the serviceindustry. Go to seattlefoodandwineex-perience.com.

7Wine, art and sand. One of theNorthwest’s most romantic spots— Cannon Beach, Ore., — ties

many attractions during a five-day peri-od just before spring.

The Savor Cannon Beach Wine &Culinary Arts Festival runs March 8-13,and among the highlights is the Oregonvs. Washington Wine Throwdown.

Participating chefs include those fromEcola Seafood Restaurant and Market,Newmans at 988 and EVOO CannonBeach Cooking School.

Another supporter is Dean Reiman,who will sponsor tastings and celebrat-ing the 35th anniversary of The WineShack — one of the Northwest’s oldestand most supportive wine retailers.

Hank Sauer, Wine Press Northwest’smaster facilitator, hopes to avoid atsunami evacuation this time around.And I hope he makes a return trip intoBruce’s Candy Kitchen for me.

Wade into savorcannonbeach.com.

8More than apples and apricots. TheWenatchee Valley continues totrade orchards for grape vines, and

the growing number of wineries prompt-ed Foothills Magazine to create the NorthCentral Washington Wine Awards.

For example, the Wenatchee WineWeek is back for 2012, and it will runMarch 18-24. Last year’s events includeda cheese pairing seminar.

The final day starts downtown with theMarch Madness Wine Walk. For $20, youget a souvenir glass and 15 tastes of winewhile shopping downtown stores. (That’sa $5 savings from the 2011 event.)

That evening will feature seminars,pourings at two wine shops and wine-maker dinners at downtown restaurants.

Go to wenatchee.org to harvest moreupdates on participating wineries, shopsand restaurants.

18-21 calendar 11/30/11 11:25 AM Page 19


WINE COUNTRY

9Have wine, will tote in style. Leavingthe office with a sample or two orthree has been handled more dis-

creetly the past few months, thanks tothe Sachi Vino Insulated Wine Tote.

They come in three colors and twosizes — two- and three-bottle bags —and the sleevesare wide enoughfor one shapelyvessel of coolbubbly to snugglein and retainenough chill forthe ride home.The nifty zip-pered pocket willhold a wine keyand other accoutrements.

The Sachi ($29) can be carried usingits adjustable shoulder strap. And if I getteased about modeling “a wine purse,”that jokester’s glass stays empty.

Zip over to sachi-bags.com.

10Passing the bar. The LocalVine in Seattle caters to winedevotees with a coffee shop

approach at its two wine bars —Capitol Hill and University Village.

Among the amenities are a fireplace,free Wi-Fi, small plates and more than100 wines by the glass — many ofthem from Northwest icons. It’s inter-esting to note that co-owners SarahMunson and Allison Nelson both haveMBAs from Harvard, and the former isa Master of Wine candidate.

Continuing education is important tomost folks, and TLV offers classes year-around at the Capitol Hill branch. TheirCheese and Wine Pairing (March 10)and Wines of the Pacific Northwest(March 24) should be most interesting.Classes cost about $65 with reserva-tions required. Go to thelocalvine.com.

� What is your favorite thing to do inNorthwest wine country? Send yourideas to [email protected].� Editor’s note: Three items in thisissue’s “10 Things to Do” column got onour radar because they first were sub-mitted to our free online Wine Events.calendar. Have a Northwest wine itemto post? Go to winepressnw.com/events.

18-21 calendar 11/30/11 1:53 PM Page 20


events WINE COUNTRY

January6-8 and 13-15 Winterfest, Chelan, Wash. Wineries in the state’s youngest appella-tion join the Chamber of Commerce for the 26th annual event, which is on con-secutive weekends. Go to lakechelanwinterfest.com.13-14 Oregon Wine, Food and Brew Festival, Salem. This fairgrounds event includesa wine competition. Call 866-904-6165 or visit oregonwinefoodbrewfest.com.14-22 Winter Okanagan Wine Festival, Sun Peaks, B.C. The 14th celebration hasbeen rebranded and goes beyond ice wine. Call 250-861-6654 or go to owfs.com.21 Wenatchee Valley Winter Wine Gala, Wenatchee, Wash. The ninth annual fund-raiser for the Wenatchee Valley Museum features regional wineries and chefs.Call 509-888-6240 or go to columbiacascadewines.com.24 Taste B.C., Vancouver. Four Seasons Hotel plays host to the 18th annual fund-raiser for B.C. Children’s Hospital. Provincial wineries, restaurants, cheese andchocolatiers help. Call 604-739-7801 or go to tastebc.wordpress.com.28 Gifts from the Earth, Seattle. The South Seattle Community CollegeFoundation showcases its culinary arts and wine program by pairing celebritychefs with state wineries. Call 206-934-5809 or go to southseattle.edu.

February3-4 Portland Seafood & Wine Festival. This multiple sclerosis fundraiser brings 50wineries to the Oregon Convention Center. Go to pdxseafoodandwinefestival.com.3-4 Enumclaw Chocolate & Wine Festival. About 20 wineries return to the EnumclawExpo Center. Call 360-615-5626 or go to enumclawchocolatefestival.com.4 St. Joseph’s Art & Wine, Kennewick, Wash. The 16th annual fundraiser for St. Joseph’s Parish and School features regional wines, restaurants, artists andmusicians. Cost is $60. Go to stjoesartandwine.com.7-10 Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers Convention, Kennewick, Wash.Growers, winemakers and vendors throughout the Northwest convene at theThree Rivers Convention Center and Toyota Center for the 15th annual meetingand trade show. Call 509-782-8234 or visit wawgg.org.11-12 and 18-20 Red Wine & Chocolate Tour, Olympic Peninsula, Wash. Memberwineries on the peninsula and islands pour it on over two weekends and PresidentsDay. Cost is $30. Call 800-785-5495 or go to olympicpeninsulawineries.org.18-19 Red Wine and Chocolate, Yakima Valley, Wash. More than 50 wineries in theheart of the Northwest’s oldest grape-growing region pair their wines with choco-late. Reserve ticket is $35. Call 509-965-5201 or go to wineyakimavalley.org.21-22 Oregon Wine Industry Symposium, Portland. Enology, viticulture and businessmove to the Oregon Convention Center. Go to symposium.oregonwine.org.23-26 Newport Seafood & Wine Festival, Newport, Ore. The 35th annual event fea-tures more than 50 wineries. Call 800-262-7844 or go to newportchamber.org.26 Seattle Wine and Food Experience. Seattle Center plays host to a premierNorthwest event including wines from Washington, Oregon and Idaho, more than20 chefs and live music. Cost is $49. Go to seattlewineandfoodexperience.com.

March27-March 3 Classic Wines Auction, Portland. This 28th annual fundraiser forPortland-area children sells out months in advance. It features winemakers andrestaurants on both sides of the Columbia. Call 503-972-0194 or go to clas-sicwinesauction.com.3 Greatest of the Grape, Canyonville, Ore. The oldest wine event in the Northwestcelebrates its 42nd anniverary and pairs Southern Oregon wineries with restau-rants at Seven Feathers Casino. Cost is $75. Go to umpquavalleywineries.org.9-11 McMinnville Wine & Food Classic, McMinnville, Ore. This 19-year-old event lands atthe Evergreen Space Museum. Cost is $15. Call 503-472-4033 or go to sipclassic.org.

18-21 calendar 11/30/11 3:12 PM Page 21

NORTHWEST W INE


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22-27 FOB 11/30/11 11:27 AM Page 22

NORTHWEST W INE


BY JON BAUER

Why Huston Vineyards has namedtwo of its wines Chicken Dinner Redand Chicken Dinner White isn’t too dif-ficult to figure out; the young wineryowned and run by Gregg and MaryAlger is on Chicken Dinner Road near

Caldwell,Idaho.

The AlgersplantedHuston’s firstvines in 2007,Gregg Algersaid, andoffered itsfirst vintage in2008, a PrivateReserve Redof 100 cases,which quickly

sold out, mostly to friends and area wineenthusiasts.

This year, Huston has built on that byopening its tasting room in April andreleasing a 2009 Merlot and a ReserveChardonnay, in addition to two blends,the Chicken Dinner White and ChickenDinner Red.

Made by winemaker Melanie Krause ofCinder Wines, the red and white blendswere well received and good sellers,Alger said. The 2010 white, which hasalready sold out, is a snappy blend ofRiesling, Muscat and Viognier that moreclosely resembles a Sauvignon Blanc, hesaid. The red is a blend of CabernetSauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, which hedescribed as a delicate red with lots offruit on the front and a light finish.

The Algers chose the Huston name tohonor the late 18th century farmingcommunity of Huston where the vine-yard and winery is located.

So how did the road come to benamed “Chicken Dinner?”

“Usually what we tell guests who cometo the tasting room is that we can’t tellthem the story; they have to buy a bottleof wine,” which tells the tale on the back

label. And usually, they relent, and tellthe story, anyway.

Across Chicken Dinner Road fromHuston Vineyard is an 18th century two-story farmhouse, currently owned by afriend and neighbor who uses the his-toric structure for his farm’s office. Andit’s that neighbor, a man in his 80s, whotold him the story.

Just at the change from rail to automo-biles, the community of Huston waseager to see its roads upgraded fromwagon-wheel-rutted dirt roads to morevehicle-friendly oiled roads, so Idaho’sgovernor was invited to the farmhousein Huston for dinner, and was directedto the home by an arrowed sign thatread, “Chicken Dinner.”

“The governor was lobbied for a betterroad, I’m sure, with a nice bottle ofwine, and the road was oiled and thename stuck,” Alger said.

But there are other versions of thestory, Alger admitted.

“It’s funny how people will come inand say, ‘That’s not the right story,’ ” hesaid.

Boise Co-op Wine Shop employee LeilCardoza, who was told the story while incollege, has heard other explanations,including that the chicken dinner wasmeant to ply a county road commission-er. As the commissioner was eating din-ner, Cardoza said, he was also offered anorganized helping of dust through anopen window as cars and a truck droveup and down the road.

Either impressed with the demonstra-tion or put off by the blatant lobbying,the road commissioner named the roadChicken Dinner.

But considering his neighbor’s con-nection to the farmhouse involved andthe family, Alger is inclined to go with hisneighbor’s telling.

Travelers, including many headingalong Highway 55 to the ski slopes north,have developed a relationship withChicken Dinner Road, Alger said, evenstopping to take pictures of themselves

in front of the road sign. It’s a conversa-tion piece and a fun bit of local history.

And Alger recommends continuing thedebate over a bottle of Chicken Dinnerwine, preferably with a chicken dinner.

Nom de vine: Stories behind wine names

Why did the Chicken Dinner cross the road?

22-27 FOB 11/30/11 3:13 PM Page 23

HAR VEST REPORT


BY WINE PRESS NORTHWEST

While this year has been coined a “miracle harvest,” the2011 growing season is one that the Pacific Northwest wineindustry won’t want to relive.

And yet, most winemakers already are raving about thewines they will bottle.

They readily credit not only the preparations made all sum-mer long in the vineyards, but also Mother Nature. She camethrough down the stretch and provided near-perfect growingconditions, allowing for a remarkable come-from-behind vic-tory, particularly in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

“We had some late streaks of weather that were absolutelybeautiful, and that fantastic stretch is what carried us,” saidKen Wright, one of Oregon’s most acclaimed Pinot Noir pro-ducers.

Bob Bertheau, head winemaker for Chateau Ste. Michelle,brought in grapes between Sept. 19 and Nov. 9.

“If we’d gotten a freeze like we did in 2009, that wouldhave been a whole different story,” he said.

Tonnage was off for the second straight year for much ofthe Northwest. In Washington, early season projections forcrop levels being down 20 percent across the state held true.

In some respects, the 2010 vintage provided some guide-lines for the 2011 season, especially in the Walla Walla Valleywhere autumn freeze events affected the subsequent vintage.

For example, production in Walla Walla Valley dipped about30 percent in 2010 because vines didn’t get a chance to hard-en off before a mid-October Arctic blast in 2009.

On Nov. 23, 2010, another hard freeze resulted in wide-

Northwest sweats out miracle harvestChad Johnson of Dusted Valley Vintners in Walla Walla holds Viognier and Syrah clusters from the winery’s estate Stoney VineVineyard. (Chelsea Tennyson/Dusted Valley Vintners)

Day in the Life of Washington WineOn Oct. 13, Wine Press Northwest and about 50 Washington

wineries and vineyards coordinated the inaugural “Day in the Life ofWashington Wine” event. Wineries and vineyards from across thestate sent in photos taken that day.

We wanted to share some of the best in this article. For morephotos and a story from the project, go to winepressnw.com.

22-27 FOB 11/30/11 11:28 AM Page 24

spread winter damage. In fact, somesites in the Horse Heaven Hills — par-ticularly portions of famed ChampouxVineyards — were forced to take chain-saws to their vineyards.

Washington

Woodward Canyon Winery, amongthe Pacific Northwest’s most active andinformative with its Twitter feed,announced Sept. 15 that its harvestbegan with Sauvignon Blanc. That was aday earlier than 2010 but three weekslater than in 2009.

At Reininger Winery in Walla Walla,the red grape harvest began Oct. 3 withMerlot from Bacchus Vineyard nearPasco, Wash.

“This is actually going back to the wayit used to be,” said Chuck Reininger. “Iused to help out at Waterbrook forabout 10 years before I started, and alot of times, harvest didn’t start untilthe third week in September. It’s beenabout a decade since we’ve seen that.There are a lot of new wineries thathaven’t experienced this phenomenon,but my advice to them is to get used toit. We’re going back to the old weathertrends.”

For the second straight vintage, wine-makers were marveling over Merlot andthe lower alcohol.

“This reminds me of why we likeMerlot in Washington so much,” saidRob Griffin, owner/winemaker ofBarnard Griffin in Richland. “The wineswill be more European in style. Theyhave crisper, leaner, more food-friendlybalance that, frankly, I prefer.”

Bertheau, the Ste. Michelle winemak-er, said, “This year, it was about as goodas we could have hoped for inWashington. It didn’t rain much the lastthree weeks. Overall, Mother Naturewas extremely kind to us.”

Indeed, there was no “game over”freeze event as there was in 2009,which began the current stretch ofthree problematic vintages inWashington.

“On Oct. 14-15, in 2009, we weredone with harvest,” Reininger remem-bered. “This year, on Oct. 13, we’rekind of just getting going.”

While 2011 will create some unusualissues in the winery for many, the ingre-dients are there for some remarkablylong-lived wines.

“There will be more fun with Syrah,but it will be a little more refined,”Reininger said. “Syrah in the last decadehas had a tendency to be more in yourface. Bigger. Jammier. And it’s nice tolet the Chardonnay hang a little morebecause of the lower sugars, which willmean lower alcohols. But it’s been real-ly scary with all the rain. This is Mother

Nature, and this is where the real wine-making decisions come into play.”

Rick Small, Woodward Canyon’sfounding winemaker, has a well-deserved reputation for creating someof the Northwest’s most age-worthywines. This year, he crushed his firstred grapes on Oct. 14 with Syrah fromChampoux Vineyard. He wrapped upNov. 5 with Cabernet Sauvignon fromLes Collines Vineyard in the Walla WallaValley.

“This vintage reminds me most of

HAR VEST REPORT


ABOVE: Father Daniel Barnettof St. Patrick Parish in Pascoleads the annual harvestblessing at Gordon BrothersVineyards. Owner JeffGordon, in the red coat,observes. (Katie GordonNelson/Gordon Brothers)

LEFT: Leah Waaramaki, assis-tant winemaker, inspectsMadeleine Angevine grapesat Whidbey Island Winery’svineyard near Langley.Sangiovese the cat assists.(Greg Osenbach/WhidbeyIsland Winery)

22-27 FOB 11/30/11 3:17 PM Page 25

1984 followed then by 1991 and 1993,”Small noted. “The wines are sure to bedifferent, but they will be good fromgood producers. I believe I told some-one else that the wines will be morelike the wines we used to make 25 yearsago; like Left Bank Bordeaux possibly.”

Oregon

At Ken Wright Cellars in Carlton,there seems to be genuine excitementabout his latest crop of Pinot Noir.

“I’m actually really surprised at thedepth of color, and the profile is red toblue fruit, rather than black fruit,”Wright said. “These are very pretty —more soprano than basso this year —but they will be gorgeous, clean wines.”

Sam Tannahill, founder of A to ZWineworks and chairman of the OregonWine Board, called it “a miracle harvest.”

“Two weeks ago, we were literally inthe bottom of the ninth inning, tworuns behind with two out,” he said inmid-October.

Season-long preparations by vineyardmanagers allowed the grapes, particu-larly the fickle Pinot Noir from cooler

sites with volcanic soils, to take fulladvantage of the ideal conditions.

“It was a matter of being patient andletting the fruit hang, but the fruit hadto be absolutely flawless to not let it beaffected by rot,” Wright said. “The birdswere not as much of a problem thisyear as last, and the foliage looked bet-ter than last year. The vines were betterand stronger than last. In the end, itwas a great year for us.”

In terms of tonnage, “We were aboutwhere we expected to be, where weaverage about 21⁄4 tons per acre overall,”Wright said. “The natural crop level washuge, looking at 6-7 tons an acre, sothinning was more of a requirementbecause it was cooler, and everybodygot that. Nobody pushed MotherNature or they would have been foolishbeyond belief.”

Wright likened this vintage of PinotNoir to that of 1991, which also was lateand cool.

“When we’ve gone back and tastedthrough the 1990s, ask any winemakerwho was in the valley — those 1991wines surprised everyone and sur-

passed the ’94s, ’98s, even the ’92s,”Wright said. “They really became com-plex within a couple of years.”

Consecutive nights of near or below-freezing temperatures on Oct. 25-27affected several regions in theNorthwest, including Southern Oregon.

“Three straight days of frost. Notgood,” reported Roseburg winemakerPat Spangler. “Anything low or evenremotely sensitive is likely done for theyear. Everything is being picked now, nomatter how ripe it was.”

The Indian summer conditions andthe canopy management allowed many,but not all, to avoid botrytis cinerea, afungus that can gather on wine grapes.

And the squadrons of hungry migra-tory birds were not nearly as problemat-ic in 2011 as the previous year, whenoverall tonnage was off 22 percent.

British Columbia

As was the case in Washington,Sauvignon Blanc became the first vari-ety taken in the Okanagan Valley, and LeVieux Pin in Oliver began Sept. 14 andwrapped up Nov. 7.

At Pentâge Wines near Penticton, har-vest began Oct. 3 — which was six daysearlier than in 2010 — and concludedNov. 14.

Five days later, wineries were out har-vesting for ice wine. It was the second-earliest harvest of grapes for ice wine,behind only the Nov. 5, 2003, collecting.

There are 875 tons of grapes left outfor ice wine harvest, the largest in B.C.history. And Summerhill PyramidOrganic Winery was the first to be certi-fied by government officials, harvestingfrom 9:30 p.m. Nov. 19 until 12:30 a.m.Nov. 20. That’s when temperaturesreached minus 9 Celsius (16 degreesFahrenheit).

Tonnage was up over 2010, and wine-makers noted that Cabernet Sauvignon,Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir lookimproved over the 2010 vintage.

According to a summer report byLynn and John Bremmer of MountKobau Wine Services in Oliver, there are210 licensed wineries in the provincepursuing grapes from a total of 9,866acres planted. The Bremmers also

HAR VEST REPORT


Merlot is pumped over at Long Shadows Vintners near Walla Walla. The aeration isgood for a healthy fermentation. This Merlot came from Dionysus Vineyard north ofPasco and is destined for Long Shadows’ Pedestal label. (Gilles Nicault/LongShadows Vintners)

22-27 FOB 11/30/11 11:29 AM Page 26

noted there are 864 vineyards in B.C.,and 24 growers have plans to createnew wineries in the next few years.

Idaho

Winemakers and grape growers in theGem State probably had the easiesttime of any in the Pacific Northwest,primarily because what they learned in2010 helped them in 2011.

For example, the bud break in lateApril put the vines several weeksbehind, so vineyard managers madeadjustments that resulted in 10-15 per-cent smaller crop than 2010.

Idaho also largely escaped the winterdamage that devastated some portionsof Eastern Washington and powderymildew didn’t pose much of a problem.

The Halloween frost did abbreviateharvest for most of the 43 wineries andthe state’s 1,600 acres of vines.

HAR VEST REPORT


Bins are washed after a long day of harvest at Red Willow Vineyard in the Yakima Valley. Washington’s first Syrah was plantedhere in 1986, and the iconic hilltop chapel is one of the state’s most famous landmarks. (Mike Sauer/Red Willow Vineyard)

Grape grower Paul Champoux oversees Merlot harvest at Champoux Vineyards inWashington’s Horse Heaven Hills. (Judy Champoux/Champoux Vineyards)

22-27 FOB 11/30/11 11:31 AM Page 27

F IND A W INE

WINE PRESS NORTHWEST • WINTER 2011/201228

Find a wineLooking for a good bottle ofwine? Use our handy flowchartto find a wine reviewed in ourweekly Fresh Press newsletter(winepressnw.com/freshpress)

START HEREGrape

or otherfruit?

Red,White

or Pink?Paying in

Loonies orgreenbacks?

Jazzor

country?

Other fruit

Pink

Red

White

Red

RedGre

enba

ck

Loonie

Jazz

Country

Gra

pe

Whi

te

Camas PrairieRaspberry

MeadGlenterra2010

Estate Rosé

Mannina Cellars2010

Maddily Rosé

Farm Girl2009White

Nodland Cellars2010

Bebop Riesling

28-29 Find a wine.qxd 11/30/11 1:54 PM Page 28

F IND A W INE

WINE PRESS NORTHWEST • WINTER 2011/2012 29

Dinner withgoddess,godless

orDoris Day?

Animal,Vegetable

orMineral?

Payday orday beforepayday?

Superstitious?

Day before

Mineral

Vegetable

Animal

No

Yes

Pay

day

Godless

Goddess

Doris

Roller Girl2009

Jammer Red

Arbor Crest2008

Dionysus

PattersonCellars 2008Syrah Sirah

StoneCap Wines2010

Chardonnay

1/2 Ass2010

No. 4 White

Road 13 Vineyards2008

Jackpot Pinot Noir

Cold Springs Winery2007

Astrology Merlot

Col Solare2007

Red, $70

Hard Row to Hoe2010

Sauvignon Blanc

Pine & PostNV

Red, $6

28-29 Find a wine.qxd 11/30/11 3:54 PM Page 29

BoiseA wine lover’s guide

WRITER JON BAUERPHOTOGRAPHER JACKIE JOHNSTON

et’s get this out of the way: Unless we’re talk-ing about a side dish, we’re not spendingmuch time on Idaho’s potatoes, famous or

not.

“The potatoes are great, but we’re a lot more thanpotatoes here,” Idaho Wine Commission ExecutiveDirector Moya Shatz Dolsby told Wine Press Northwestmagazine during the Idaho Wine Competition in Octoberat Ste. Chapelle Winery.

Boise and the Treasure Valley offer wine travelers agreat base from which to explore Idaho wine. In additionto wineries and vineyards to explore, Boise is a bustlingcollege town, with a rabid following for its Boise StateBroncos football team, a diverse restaurant scene, bike-friendly streets, the Greenbelt trail along the Boise River,skiing at nearby Bogus Basin, a Saturday farmers mar-ket, diverse cultures that includes a Basque community,the Idaho State Historical Museum, other arts and cul-tural museums and beautiful parks.

L

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Idaho has seen explosive growth in its wine industry,going from 11 wineries in 2002 to its current tally of 43.The federal government designated Idaho its firstAmerican Viticultural Area region in 2007, covering theSnake River Valley. And an application is under consider-ation for a second AVA for the historic growing area nearLewiston, Shatz Dolsby said.

As the number of wineries has increased, a greaterpercentage of them now depend on winemakers andvineyard managers with training and experience in mak-ing good wine, said Leil Cardoza, inventory manager ofthe Co-op Wine Shop in Boise.

Just a few years ago, Idaho could boast of only onewinemaker, Greg Koenig, trained at the University ofCalifornia at Davis’ vaunted viticulture program. Now,

Cardoza said, Idaho has several with educations fromDavis and other respected programs as well as previousexperience under other prestigious winemakers.

Idaho continues to put more acreage in wine grapeproduction and is still exploring its potential. Idaho hasshown success with Riesling and Chardonnay and nowwith Rhône varieties Mourvèdre, Syrah and Viognier, aswell as Malbec, Sangiovese and Tempranillo, ShatzDolsby said.

“That’s one of the things about the Idaho wine industry;it’s so new and so small, we don’t even know what wecan do best yet,” Shatz Dolsby said.

Throw in restaurants, wine bars and wine shops equallyexcited about what lies ahead for Idaho wines, and itsounds like a good reason to visit.

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Boise-areaWineriesCinderCinder, housed in a nondescriptwarehouse in Garden City, justwest of Boise, provides a goodexample of the standing ofIdaho winemaking, young butbrimming with quality and thedrive and talent to succeed.

Winemaker Melanie Krauseand husband Joe Schnerr, whomarried in 2006, started Cinderas part of the UrbanWinemakers Cooperative withtwo other wineries sharing facil-ities at the Garden City ware-house. The other wineries, asintended for the incubator coop-erative, have moved on, leavingCinder to grow and expand.

While Cinder is relativelyyoung, Krause, a Boise nativeand a Washington StateUniversity graduate withdegrees in biology and Spanish,has impressive experience invineyards and winemaking,including several years with Ste.Michelle Wine Estates as avineyard technician and assis-tant red winemaker at its CanoeRidge Estate facility nearPaterson. With Schnerr workingin the Boise area as a chemist,Krause began looking foropportunities in Idaho.

The soils and climate of theSnake River Valley AVA offersimilarities to what Krauseworked with in Washington.

“We were convinced wecould make world-class wine inthe Snake River Valley,” Schnerrsaid. “And what Melanie learnedin Washington has served herwell.”

But any loyalty toWashington ends with theknowledge. Cinder uses fruitonly from Snake River Valleyvineyards. Krause surveyedIdaho vineyards in 2006 before

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Cinder winemaker Melanie Krause

3 Horse RanchVineyards ownerMarthaCunningham

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making her first wine for Cinder.Taking note of the soils, micro-climates and slopes and devel-oping a “sexy farmer’s tan,”Schnerr said of his wife, Krausewas convinced she could getwhat she needed close to home.

About 2,500 cases from the2010 vintage were produced,and Schnerr expects the wineryto continue to expand produc-tion.

While the winery makes itshome in a warehouse, the interi-or is more chic than you mightexpect, with clean design lines,dramatic lighting and stacks ofoak barrels behind a metal andglass bar for tastings. And theCinder name is explainedthrough framed representationsof the Snake River Valley’s vol-canic soils in which thegrapevines grow.

Contact: 107 East 44th Street,Garden City, 208-433-9813,www.cinderwines.com

Hours: Friday throughSunday, noon to 5 p.m.

Fraser VineyardWine Press Northwest’s 2011Idaho Winery of the Year, FraserVineyard, produces award-win-ning wines from CabernetSauvignon, Petit Verdot andPetite Sirah and Viognier.

Bill Fraser, a fourth-generationIdahoan, and his wife, Bev, work

with grapes at their Boise wineryfrom their estate vineyard inCaldwell that they planted in2003, and from other SnakeRiver Valley vineyards. CabernetSauvignon, Merlot and PetitVerdot are planted on 5 acres attheir Caldwell vineyard, whichalso can be visited and has apatio available for rent for events.

Downtown: 1004 La PointeStreet, Boise, 208-345-9607,www.fraservineyard.com

Hours: Open Saturdaysthrough November, noon to 3 p.m. and by appointment.

PériplePériple Wines, next to Cinder inGarden City, ignores borderswhen it comes to making wines.Angie Shaltry Riff’s first winewith the Périple label, a 2007Russian River Pinot Noir, wasstarted in California and truckedin barrels to Boise. The Idahonative, who trained in Californiaunder the famed Helen Turley,also uses grapes fromWashington’s Red Mountain,Horse Heaven Hills andColumbia Valley and Oregon’sWillamette Valley.

Contact: 107 1/2 E. 44thStreet, Garden City, 208-941-5641, www.periplewines.com

Hours: By appointment.

3 Horse Ranch VineyardsGary and Martha Cunningham

thought they were looking fororchard property to begin theirsecond careers.

Looking for land in nearbyEmmett, “We saw people tearingout their orchards,” GaryCunningham said. “This is afantastic growing region, but theexpense of harvesting and com-petition from Washington andChina was making it hard tomake a living growing fruit. Ifthey were tearing out orchards,we told ourselves we better lookat other options.”

The other option was growingwine grapes and making wine.

The couple found 1,600 acresin the hills north of Eagle andnorthwest of Boise and 14 yearsago began planting their vine-yard. Having started with 3acres each of Cabernet Franc,Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot,Gary Cunningham now cares for44 acres of USDA-certifiedorganic grapes that includePinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc,Viognier, Roussanne, Grenache,Malbec and Syrah, planted onhillsides from rootstock fromFrench vineyards. With 450more acres suitable for planting,Cunningham has plans forexpansion.

Greg Koenig, who has hisown winery and distillery inCaldwell, is the winemaker for 3 Horse Vineyards, with offer-

ings that include Malbec,Cabernet Sauvignon, a Syrah-Mourvèdre blend, Roussanne,Viognier, Riesling, a rosé andVivacious, a blend of Viognierand Roussanne. The wineryproduces about 10,000 cases,with plans to increase to 12,000cases in 2012.

Gary Cunningham is thevineyard manager, keeping aneye on the grapes but alsokeeping in mind what he findsin the soil. His decisions onwhat to plant are driven by howa particular variety responds tothe soil and minerals.

The winery’s homey tastingroom overlooks a stream-fedgreenbelt below one of thegrapevine-studded hills. Birdsflit through the garden and vine-yards, and Martha Cunninghamkeeps a tally of bird sightingson a tasting room whiteboard.

From the start, the coupledecided not to use pesticidesand fertilizers in the vineyard,but it wasn’t until they saw aUSDA booth at a county fair thatthey realized they were halfwayto earning certification as anorganic vineyard, MarthaCunningham said.

The Cunninghams encouragea natural balance and sustain-ability by nailing up nestingboxes for kestrels and releasingladybugs and lacewings.

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The bugs and birds earn theirkeep by controlling unwantedpests.

“The birds are a great signalthat you’ve got ripe fruit,” GaryCunningham said, and he waitsto put up his netting to protectthe grapes until he hears fromthem. “I hear the birds talking,‘I’ll wait until you’ve got ripefruit for me.’”

Contact: 5900 Pearl Road,Eagle, 208-863-6561, www.3horseranchvineyards.com

Hours: Wednesday throughSunday, noon to 6 p.m. and byappointment.

SyringaMike Crowley, owner and wine-maker for Syringa Winery inGarden City, has always been acollector, starting with sportsmemorabilia and later wine.

The wine collecting soon ledto sharing his interest withfriends.

“I share everything I enjoywith my friends,” Crowley said,who then began to think aboutmaking his own wine. ButCrowley didn’t leap in without

preparation. His winemakingskill has developed methodical-ly, studying winemaking, goingback to school at Walla WallaCommunity College and findingapprenticeships at other winer-ies, including work as a cellar-master with Walla WallaVintners and later SawtoothWinery in Nampa in marketing.

Crowley began making hisown wine in 2004 in a sharedfacility with Cinder and Vale,now in Caldwell, then broke offas intended two years ago tooperate independently.

Crowley produces about 900cases in his urban winery. Hiscurrent offerings include aSauvignon Blanc, a FuméBlanc, a Primitivo and a bottledbut unreleased blend ofCabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,Syrah and Primitivo, all fromSnake River Valley vineyards.

The Syringa name is doublymeaningful for Crowley. Syringais Idaho’s state flower, which isfeatured on Syringa bottles, butit’s also the name of his late sis-ter’s niece and is a tribute to hislate sister’s memory.

Contact: 3500 Chinden Blvd.,Garden City, 208-433-1616,208-440-1616, www.syringawinery.com

Hours: Thursday throughSaturday, noon to 7 p.m. andby appointment.

Snake River Winery Scott DeSeelhorst’s Arena ValleyVineyard in Parma ranks amongthe most picturesque in thePacific Northwest, and his well-appointed BoDo tasting roomhas become a centerpiece for thecity’s First Thursday celebrations.

His list of award-winningwines includes single-varietybottlings of Barbera, BlauerZweigelt, Grenache, Malbec,three styles of Riesling,Tempranillo and even TourigaNacional.

Tasting room contact: 786 W. Broad St., Boise, 208-345-9463,www.snakeriverwinery.com

Hours: Tuesday throughSaturday, 10:30 a.m. to 7:30p.m., Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.Closed Mondays.

Woodriver CellarsWoodriver Cellars, whose 2008Cabernet Franc won double goldand best red wine at the 2011Idaho Wine Competition, is atrue destination winery northwestof Eagle, offering a handsometasting room and bistro with livemusic on the weekends and abeautiful grounds, banquet facili-ties and private rooms for wed-dings and other celebrations.

Woodriver winemaker NeilGlancey has been making winesfor more than 15 years andemphasizes the use of hand-picked fruit from the winery’sestate vineyards, small-batchfermentation and aging inFrench oak barrels, which hesays results in quality “fromground to glass.”

Among the wines Woodriveroffers are Chardonnay, sparklingChardonnay, Riesling, Merlot, ameritage, a Cabernet Sauvignon-Malbec blend, Tempranillo and aPort-style dessert wine aged inwhiskey barrels.

The winery’s tasting room andbistro offer a menu of smallplates, cheeses and Woodriver’s

34 WINE PRESS NORTHWEST • WINTER 2011/2012 WINEPRESSNW.COM

Mike Crowley, Syringa owner andwinemaker, pours for wine lovers who arrived by tour bus.

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wines by the glass and wine-pairing events on Friday andSaturday evenings. Paintings andphotographs by local artists arefeatured throughout the lodgelikeroom. The winery also offers abocce ball court outdoors.

Contact: 3705 N. Highway16, Eagle, 208-286-9463,www.woodrivercellars.com

Hours: Tuesday, 2 to 6 p.m.;Wednesday and Thursday, noonto 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday,noon to 10 p.m., Sunday, noonto 6 p.m. Closed Mondays.

HotelsHotel 43Billing itself as Idaho’s BoutiqueHotel, Hotel 43 offers 112rooms, the Floating Feather dayspa, Metro Café, Chandler’sSteakhouse and is centrallylocated in downtown Boise.

Contact: 981 Grove St.,Boise, 800-243-4622 ,www.hotel43.com

Modern Hotel and BarA stylishly updated and modern-ized former Travelodge with 39rooms and suites, Modern Hotel

and its bar will allow you to getinto a Mad Men frame of mind.

Contact: 1314 W. Grove St.,866- 780-6012, www.themodernhotel.com

Grove HotelA AAA Four-Diamond-ratedhotel, the Grove offers Emilio’sRestaurant, The Bar and TheZone sports bar. The hotel isadjacent to the CenturyLinkArena and Boise ConventionCenter in downtown Boise.

Contact: 245 S. Capitol Blvd.,208-333-8000, www.grovehotelboise.com

Owyhee Plaza HotelA downtown Boise landmarksince 1910, the Owyhee, pro-nounced oh-Why-hee andnamed for the Owyhee mountainrange, offers 100 guest roomsand its Plaza Grill.

Contact: 1109 Main St., 208-343-4611 or 1-800-233-461,www.owyheeplaza.com

Idaho Heritage B&BListed on the National Registerof Historic Places, the IdahoHeritage was built in 1904 for

merchant Henry Falk. The B&Boffers six rooms and suites,including the Governor’s Suite.

Contact: 109 W. Idaho St.,Boise, 208-342-8066,www.idheritageinn.com

Boise Guest HouseNear downtown, the BoiseGuest House offers six boutiquesuites, each with a private bath-room and full kitchen.

Contact: 614 N. Fifth St.,208-761-6798,www.boiseguesthouse.com

Wine shopsBoise Co-op Wine Shop If you’re looking for a particularbottle of wine, be it from theSnake River Valley or RhôneRiver Valley, you’re likely to findit among the more than 3,500selections at the Boise Co-opWine Shop.

A part of the Boise Co-op indowntown Boise since 1984,and four years ago moving intoits own building across theparking lot from the main co-op,the wine shop offers one of thelargest selections of Burgundies,

Bordeaux, Champagne andGerman Rieslings in the region,said inventory manager LeilCardoza. Count on finding winesfrom Australia and New Zealand,Austria, France, Italy, Canada,South America and California,as well.

Northwest wines get theirdue, with more than 120 selec-tions each from Washington andOregon and 90 from Idaho.

The wine shop offers freetastings each Friday from 4:30to 6:30 p.m. and each Saturdayfrom 2 to 4 p.m.

And its website offers recom-mendations from the staff andnews about new releases.

Contact: 915 N. Eighth St.,Boise, 208-472-4519,www.boisecoopwineshop.com

Hours: Monday throughSaturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.;Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

TastingsTastings is a relative newcomerto Boise, open since June 28,said owner Jay Beard, whoadded you’ll most likely to catchhim mopping the floor.

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Woodriver Cellars winemaker Neil Glancey

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The wine shop offers morethan 600 labels, of which Beardsaid a third are Northwest wines,including many from Idaho.

The wine shop also has awine bar that offers a rotatingmenu of six whites and six redsby the glass, as well as a menuof small plates, such as cheese,fruit and other wine-friendlynibbles. The wine selection atthe bar typically has a theme,such as Washington wines, hol-iday wines or whatever strikesBeard’s fancy.

Beard has brought in Idahowinemakers for special tastingevents, including FraserVineyard’s Bill Fraser andSawtooth’s Bill Murray. Thespecial events on Wednesdayand Fridays have been wellattended, Beard said.

“We blew the doors off theshop,” he said.

Contact: 2447 Apple St.,Boise, 208-385-9463,www.tastingsboise.com

The Basque MarketLocated on Boise’s BasqueBlock, and across the streetfrom the Basque Museum andCultural Center (www.basquemuseum.com), the BasqueMarket offers a selection ofwines from the Basque regions

in Spain, Portugal and southernFrance, as well as wines fromBasque families in Chile.

Owner Tony Eiguren offersBasque staples, hard-to-findspices, olives, meats andcheeses and other deli itemsfrom Spain and Portugal andlocal producers and cookingequipment including paella pans.

Tapas are available daily fromnoon to 3 p.m., and from 4 to 7p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday andFriday, which can be enjoyedwith a bottle of wine.

Contact: 608 W. Grove,Boise, 208-433-1208, www.the-basquemarket.com

Hours: Monday throughSaturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Erickson Fine WinesErickson offers extensive lists ofNorthwest wines, includingmore than 60 selections fromIdaho, as well as wines fromArgentina, Australia, California,Chile, France, Germany, Italy,Austria, Japan, New Zealand,Spain and Portugal.

Contact: 150 E. Riverside St.,No. 120, Eagle, 208-938-3698,www.ericksonfinewines.com

Hours: Monday throughThursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.;Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to8 p.m.; Closed Sunday.

Bueno Cheapo VinoBueno Cheapo calls itself ahappily complex but easy-goinglittle wine shop.In addition to a wine club, theshop also offers frequent wineclasses, $25 for one person or$40 for a couple, offered at thewine shop. The class covers thevineyard side of winemaking aswell as how to taste wine andidentify qualities and flavorsand pairing wine with foods.

Contact: 770 S. Vista Avenue,Boise, 208-336-1930,www.buenocheapovino.com

Hours: Monday throughSaturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.;Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

RestaurantsCafé VicinoRichard Langston and SteveRhoades opened Café Vicinonearly five years ago, whenBoise’s restaurant scene was ata stage of development similarto Idaho’s wine industry.

“From a professional level,it’s had its ups and downs,”Langston said. “But the changeshappening the last five yearshave been phenomenal. It’sbeen great to get to know thegrowers and producers and see

them all grow and change.”Vicino is a relatively small

fine-dining restaurant in down-town Boise with 17 tables.

“It’s all European andMediterranean-inspired,”Langston said. “We sometimesget pigeon-holed as Italian, butthere’s also a Provençal Frenchand Spanish influence.”

The Treasure Valley is a pro-ductive agricultural area, whichhas allowed Langston to createdishes that incorporate anincreasing amount of locallygrown and raised foods, includ-ing produce, chicken and arti-sanal cheeses, includingRollingstone chevre, made inParma. Idaho, not Italy.

A sample meal: We’re inIdaho, after all, so let’s start withfreshly made Yukon gold potatochips dusted with truffle salt,then a fresh beet andRollingstone chevrè salad onmixed greens with an orangevinaigrette. Then for an entrée, aProsciutto-wrapped MatthewsFarm chicken breast on crispypolenta with a golden raisin andgrappa sauce.

It’s fare that calls for a glassor wine, which Vicino offerswith more than 20 offerings bythe glass and scores more by

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Red Feather Lounge

Old wine bottles in display at Boise Co-op Wine Shop

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the bottle. Washington, Idahoand Oregon are well representedas are California, Italy, France,Spain, Portugal and Argentina.

“Wines are a big deal for us,”Langston said.

In his 18 years in Boise, aftermoving from the San FranciscoBay area where he studied andworked as a chef, Langston saidhe’s watched Idaho’s wineindustry develop and grow andsees promise in the many rela-tively young wineries in theBoise area and Snake RiverValley.

“It’s come from almost noth-ing 18 years ago, to offering somany different wines. And thequality of wines being producedhas gone up and continues toimprove as the growers andwinemakers figure out what’sgoing to do well.”

Wineries, such as nearbyCinder and Fraser Vineyards,are doing great things withSyrah, Tempranillo, Malbec,Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot, hesaid.

“And that’s great for mebecause it complements mystyle of cooking,” he said.

Contact: 808 W. Fort Street,Boise, 208-472-1463,www.cafevicino.com

Hours: Open Mondaythrough Friday for lunch,Monday through Saturday fordinner. Reservations recom-mended.

BardenayBardenay, in Boise’s historicBasque Block, has taken theconcept of the brewpub a stepbeyond beer. Each of Bardenay’sthree Idaho locations distills therestaurant chain’s own spirits.The Bardenay in nearby Eaglemakes gin. The restaurant inCoeur d’Alene makes vodka,and the Bardenay in Boise dis-tills rum. All three spirits andother spirits and a long list ofwines from around the globe,U.S. and Northwest, are servedat each location.

Walk into the Boise restau-rant’s main dining room and barand the first thing you’ll noticeis a glass-encased distillery, itsgleaming metal pots and pipesstanding like a massive pipeorgan in a sanctuary.

“It’s definitely the center-piece,” said Cindy Limber, winedirector for Bardenay.

Bardenay, which celebratesits 12th anniversary thisDecember, offers as many as 30wines by the glass, 24 of whichare kept “under gas” in a long

glass-faced winekeeper displaybehind the bar. The winekeeperkeeps oxygen away from thewine, extending the length oftime a bottle can be kept open,allowing for a greater selectionby the glass.

“It’s also a nice way to dis-play the bottles,” Limber said.

Along with a helpful menuthat describes styles of winesand makes food and wine pair-ing suggestions, the staff atBardenay is also skilled at offer-ing recommendations.

Asked about a particular pair-ing she enjoys, Limber suggest-ed the charbroiled salmon filletwith sun-dried tomato butterand a crisp white.

The Northwest is well repre-sented on Bardenay’s wine list,with selections by the glass orbottle from Washington andIdaho.

“We emphasize the Northwestas much as we can, especiallyIdaho,” Limber said.

Contact: 610 Grove Street,Boise 208-426-0538, www.bardenay.com

Hours: Open Monday throughFriday for lunch and dinner, andSaturday and Sunday forbrunch, lunch and dinner.

Bella AquilaYou’d expect a Napa Valleytransplant to include a healthynumber of Napa Valley andCalifornia wines on the wine listfor his family’s restaurant, whichwill mark its third year in March.

Chad Cooper, partners withparents Bill and Ellen Cooper inEagle’s Bella Aquila restaurant,does give more than a nod toNapa Valley, but he also recog-nizes the quality he can findcloser to his new home.

“Napa Valley wines are repre-sented on the list, but we alsohave a number of Idaho andNorthwest wines, 20 percent ofthe list. And then another 20percent is Italian,” he said.

Cooper made particular noteof the wines being made byFraser Vineyard, as well asCinder, Koenig, Sawtooth,Woodriver and 3 Horse RanchVineyard. That’s a bottle of 3Horse Ranch that Chad Cooperis holding in his photo on therestaurant’s website.

Bella Aquila’s kitchen is ledby longtime Treasure Valley chefDavid Knickrehm, whose menuoffers Italian-inspired appetiz-ers, including pizza, pasta andentrees of seafood, chicken,beef, veal, pork and lamb.

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Bardenay’s distillery

Hotel 43

Martini madewith Bardenay’sgin.

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Samples from the menu: Anappetizer of suppli, agedFontina-stuffed risotto cakes,fried and served with marinaraand basil oil; and entrees ofScallops Christian, sautéed seascallops in a Champagne-Parmesan cream sauce; andVitello Saltimbocca, vealscaloppini stuffed with prosciut-to and fresh sage.

While it hasn’t been an easytime for restaurants in general,Cooper said, the scene is healthyin Boise and Eagle, helped byCalifornia transplants and nativeIdahoans who are equally knowl-edgeable and appreciative ofwhat is offered by the valley’srestaurants and wineries.

“”I’m in heaven up here,”Cooper said.

Contact: 775 S. RivershoreLane, No. 100, Eagle, 208-938-1900, bellaaquilarestaurant.com

Hours: Open Mondaythrough Saturday for lunch,Monday through Sunday fordinner and Sunday brunch.

Red Feather Lounge &Bittercreek Ale HouseNestled side by side, the RedFeather Lounge and BittercreekAle House share ownership aswell as an ethic that focuses onserving as much from local

growers and producers as possi-ble. Red Feather’s menu lists nofewer than 40 local foodproviders with colorful namessuch as Peaceful Belly, Lava LakeLamb and Gregarious Gardens.

And if that isn’t enough to getthe message, take a closer lookat the beer and wine menu:Along with identifying the brew-ery or winery and its AVA, youlearn where it’s made and howfar away it is. The wineries clos-est to Red Feather include FraserVineyard at a half-mile andCinder and Periple at 2.6 miles.

You can expect the season todictate the menu, but a recentoffering included choices suchas a grilled kale Caesar salad;lox and cucumbers; pizza withbasil and mozzarella and heir-loom tomato sauce; a spicyLava Lake Lamb burger; chickenin wine with polenta and roastedcarrots; and confit pork belly,served with pickled fruit,cilantro and ginger sauce.

During the warmer months,you can dine on the sidewalkthat fronts a bustling but pedes-trian- and bike-friendly EighthStreet, home to the Saturdayfarmers market. Inside, thedécor is modern and rich,including the downstairs Red

Feather Cellar for parties of 10to 18, where you can dine sur-rounded by bottles of wine.

Those who want to enjoy alocal wine or beer and reducetheir carbon footprint at thesame time can take advantage ofthe Low-Power Happy Hour,weekdays from 4 to 6 p.m. Thelights are lowered and candlesare lit for a late afternoon that isenergy-saving and romantic.

Contact: 246 N. Eighth Street,Boise, 208-345-1813,bcrfl.com/redfeather

Hours: Daily, 11 a.m. to close.

Berryhill & Co.Chef and restaurateur JohnBerryhill was the celebrity cheffor Boise TV station KTBV forseveral years and now runsBerryhill & Co., as well as thePlan B Lounge and Bacon (seebelow).

Berryhill’s list offers severalIdaho wines, including selec-tions from Bitner Vineyards,Cinder, Fraser, Koenig, Cinder,Snake River Winery, Ste.Chapelle and Woodriver Cellars.

A sample of the menu, whichfeatures many local growers andproducers: a spinach and cran-berry salad, available withBerryhill’s own bacon; and aSalmon Creek Farms pork chop,

braised in herbs, fennel andartichoke and served with a pre-served lemon ragout over whiteTuscan beans.

Contact: 121 N. Ninth St.,Boise, 208-387-3553,www.johnberryhillrestaurants.com

Hours: Open Monday throughSaturday for lunch and dinner.Open Sunday for brunch only.Reservations recommended

Cottonwood GrilleOpen since 1999 and with viewsof the Boise River, theCottonwood Grille offers a winelist with some 200 selections,including many from theNorthwest and California, withmore than a dozen by the glass.

Along with menu selectionsof pasta, fish and shellfish,poultry, pork, beef and lamb, therestaurant also serves freshgame, including Black Canyonelk, buffalo, duckling and grilledpheasant.

Contact: 913 W. River Street,Boise, 208-333-9800, www.cottonwoodgrille.com

Hours: Open Mondaythrough Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m.to 9 p.m.

Angell's Bar and GrillOpen since 1981, Angell’s Bar

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There are several outdoor cafes in downtown Boise.

Bella Aquila’s fresh pasta.

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and Grill offers a full list ofwines from the Northwest,California and Europe, as wellas Fraser Vineyard andCalifornia’s Coiled “Sidewider,”a Snake River Valley Syrah.

A sampling of the menu: aprawn martini with Pacific whiteshrimp and sliced cucumber,lime and Ancho tomatillo sauce;prime rib with tempura orcoconut prawns and tamarindmarmalade sauce; grass-fedlamb rubbed with lavender,juniper, garlic and olive oil anda mint, black currant and Portreduction.

Contact: 999 Main Street,Boise, 208-342-4900,www.angellsbarandgrill.com

Wine barsSalt Tears Coffeehouse andNosherySalt Tears, serving breakfast,lunch and dinner, offers a shortlist of wines, including a coupleof Boise entries, includingCinder’s rosé and Periple’sSomething Red blend and itsPinot, made by Napa winemakerLeslie Preston, an Idaho native.

Contact: 4714 W. State St.,Boise, 208-275-0017,www.salttears.com

Hours: Monday, 6:30 a.m. to

8 p.m.; Tuesday throughSaturday, 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.;Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Twig’s CellarTwig’s serves small plates, sal-ads, pizzas and desserts andoffers more than 22 wines bythe glass, including Snake RiverValley Merlot from HustonVineyards and bottles from Vale,Fraser and Périple. A good bet:Potato Twigs, hand-cut potatoeswith blueberry catsup.

Contact: 816 Bannock St.,Boise, 208-344-8944,www.twigscellar.com

Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 4 to10 p.m.; Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m.;Closed Sunday and Monday.

Grape Escape Wine BarContact: 800 W. Idaho St., Ste 100, Boise, 208-368-0200.

Hours: Monday throughThursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.;Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to mid-night; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

BreakfastBaconA companion to Berryhill & Co.restaurant, Bacon offers what youhoped for: bacon. This breakfastand lunch place, which also canwhip up a bloody Mary, offersseveral styles of specially made

bacon. Recent offerings includedKurobuta herbed bacon, choco-late bacon, maple rosemarybacon, smoky cumin bacon,turkey bacon and even tempehbacon. Good bet: Eggs andBerryhill bacon, served with salsafresca, roasted potatoes and.

Contact: 121 N. Ninth St.,No. 102, Boise, 208-387-3553,www.johnberryhillrestaurants.com

Hours: Open Monday throughSaturday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. andSunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Goldy’s Breakfast BistroThere’s a bustling big-city vibe inthis two-floor diner within eye-shot of the state Capitol. Be pre-pared for a short wait, and theydon’t take reservations. Localroaster Dawson Taylor suppliesthe coffee. Good bet: Eggs withSalmon & Dill Hollandaise onEnglish muffin.

Contact: 108 S. Capitol Blvd.,Boise, 208-345-4100,www.goldysbreakfastbistro.com

Hours: Monday throughFriday, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.,Saturday-Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

La Vie En Rose Bakery andBistroLocated in the historic and

iconic IdanHa Hotel building, LaVie En Rose’s European bakeryand bistro offers breakfast andlunch and a case stocked withdelectable pastries, cakes andtarts. Good bet: a smokedsalmon and cream cheese fritta-ta.

Contact: 928 W. Main St.,Boise, 208-331-4045,www.lavieenrosebakery.com

Hours: Open Tuesdaythrough Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5p.m. Closed Mondays.

Moon’s KitchenMoon’s Kitchen, a downtownBoise fixture since opening in1955, is a classic diner offeringhearty breakfasts and lunches ataffordable prices.

Contact: 712 W Idaho St.,Boise, 208-385-0472,www.moonskitchen.com

Hours: Open Monday throughSaturday, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. �

JON BAUER is Wine PressNorthwest’s Sal ish Sea cor respondent.The Northwest native has a quarter-centur y in the newspaper business andlives in Mount Vernon, Wash.JACKIE JOHNSTON , a freelance pho-tojournalist, is a regular contributor andthe page designer for Wine PressNorthwest. Her Web site isWineCountryCreations.com

boise


Locals don’t mind the wait getting into Goldy’s for breakfast. Sundaybrunch at

Berryhill & Co.

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WINE COUNTRY: PROSSER

WINE PRESS NORTHWEST • WINTER 2011/2012WINEPRESSNW.COM 41

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FEATURE

WINE PRESS NORTHWEST • WINTER 2011 / 2012 WINEPRESSNW.COM42

David Adelsheim has been making winein the Willamette Valley for 40 years.

Adelsheim Vineyard is in the ChehalemMountains in Newberg, Ore.

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FEATURE

WINE PRESS NORTHWEST • WINTER 2011 / 2012WINEPRESSNW.COM 43

Forty years ago, DavidAdelsheim didn’t have much ofan inkling of what he was get-

ting into. He didn’t expect to bethought of as a wine pioneer, that’sfor sure.

“It was a leap of faith, to say theleast,” he said with a gentle laugh.

Today, the founder of AdelsheimVineyard is celebrating somethinghe didn’t think about when hebought a few acres of land back in1971: four decades in the wine busi-ness and a reputation as one of theindustry’s guiding lights.

“In 1971, a lot of people were try-ing out farming for the first time,”he said. “There was a revolutionaryspirit that said you could do whatev-er you wanted.”

In 1971, Adelsheim and his then-wife, Ginny, purchased land inOregon’s Chehalem Mountains nearNewberg. They brought in PinotNoir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay andRiesling vines from California andplanted them in 1972. Six years later,he made 1,300 cases of wine andlaunched one of Oregon’s firstwineries. Today, he farms 232 acresof vineyards and produces 40,000cases of wine.

Adelsheim spent his early years inWashington, D.C., and Minneapolis,but his family moved to Portlandwhen he was 11. With no back-ground in farming or winemaking —just a love for wine — theAdelsheims dived into a business

that, frankly, was new for many onthe West Coast. Oregon’s winemak-ing history went back barely adecade, and the industry was sosmall, it could define itself over din-ner.

“There were six to 10 familiesinvolved,” Adelsheim said. “And wecould sit around a table and have aconversation about how to make awine industry out of thin air. That’swhat the beginning of theWillamette Valley wine industry wasall about: a fantasy about a futurewithout practical experience.”

The folks around the table includ-ed such names as Erath, Lett, Ponzi,Sokol Blosser and Adelsheim. Today,they are considered the pioneers,giants who built the foundation foran industry and a path for others tofollow.

Adelsheim said the mid-’60s tomid-’70s was a time of enlighten-ment for the West Coast wine indus-try, when people began to under-stand and get excited about wine forthe sake of quality, not just to makemoney.

“That was particularly true inOregon, where there was no historyof growing grapes,” he said. “Thewhole approach in Oregon wasabout the quality of wine. Grapeswere necessary to get to the wine,so we slowly learned about viticul-ture.”

Those were heady days, he said.And painful.

“We were certainly among themost naive,” he said with a laughthat can only come with distancefrom hard lessons. “We had no back-ground in growing grapes or mak-ing, selling and marketing wine.Over time, we’ve had to learn aboutall of them.”

Back then, everyone broughtsomething to the table. Dick Erath,for example, had an expertise in viti-culture, and he also knew how towork with financial institutions.Adelsheim had been a sommelierprior to getting into the wine indus-try, so he knew his way around thefood industry.

“I had a bit more clarity on howrestaurants and distribution workedand was able to help on some ofthat,” he said. “I was also willing toput in work on wine label regula-tions and clonal importation.”

Everybody, he said, was helping tocreate a greater good for the entireindustry.

“It was about the people in thebusiness,” he said. “It was about thecollaboration everyone was able toprovide. We each brought a range oftalents.”

After Adelsheim put his vines inthe ground, he began thinkingabout what to do with the resultinggrapes, so he turned to “Papa Pinot,”David Lett, who is credited withplanting the first Pinot Noir in theWillamette Valley in 1965.

“I worked with David in 1973 and

ADELSHEIMOREGON PINOT PIONEER STILL GOING

STRONG AFTER FOUR DECADESBY ANDY PERDUE � PHOTOS BY JACKIE JOHNSTON

DAVID


FEATURE adelsheim


looked to him for a range of helpwith stylistic advice,” he said. “Ourfocus on style and balance is relatedto what he did.”

That same year, Adelsheim andLett worked together to craft regula-tions that would set aside the bestvineyard land in the northWillamette Valley. With the help of

the YamhillCounty plan-ning direc-tor, theywere able toprotect hill-sides frombecominghousingdevelop-ments.Today, thosehills growsome of the

world’s most exciting Pinot Noir.Several judgings and tastings over

the next decade would put Oregonon the global wine map and forcethe Old World to take notice. In themid-’80s, the Drouhin family ofBurgundy purchased land andlaunched Domaine Drouhin Oregonin the Dundee Hills. TheInternational Pinot Noir Celebrationsoon followed, and suddenly the lit-tle industry was growing up.

Adelsheim and others never envi-sioned today’s Oregon wine indus-try.

“I’m not sure we knew what doinga good job would look like or whatthe industry would become,” hesaid. “I would not have predicted it.”

He said the uniqueness of thenorthern Willamette Valley drewtoday’s industry here — “idealismabout growing Pinot Noir and notdoing it the way it’s done inBurgundy and California.” He addedthat Oregon was not content withsimply growing wine grapes andcrafting wine. Instead, the industrycontinued to evolve and grow, tocreate ways for wine lovers to expe-rience Oregon wine rather than sim-ply drink it.

Adelsheim said that the wineindustry’s growth and success hasled some to lose that personaltouch. But for every winemaker whogets caught up in distancing himselffrom the consumer, 15 more arehungry to take his place.

“It’s difficult to envision ourfuture,” he said. “We don’t want it tobe Napa Valley, and we don’t want itto be Burgundy. We want it to be theWillamette Valley. We want to hangonto that collaborative aspect. Thathas led this upstart place with littleor no reason to exist.”

He describes Oregon as tiny com-pared with Washington and “off thechart” compared with California. Yetthe quality of the wines — and theirsubsequent importance amid winecritics and consumers alike —makes Oregon way bigger than itssize would otherwise indicate.

The six American Viticultural Areasthat carved the north WillametteValley into smaller pieces a half-decade ago are a natural part ofOregon’s wine evolution, he said,describing them as one part sophis-tication and one part “nerdism.”

“For all the detractors who thinkthere are huge numbers of peoplewho are not ready for that detail, Ithink it’s another reason to be excit-ed about Oregon wine,” he said. “Itstarts setting the fine details apart,which is exciting.”

Adelsheim is no longer the wine-maker for his eponymous operation— he leaves that to winemaker DavePaige and cellarmaster Gina Hennen.He co-owns the winery with Ginny— they divorced in 2007 after a longseparation but remain on goodterms — and Jack and Lynn Loacker,who have been involved since 1994,a year before they began plantinggrapes on nearby Ribbon Ridge.

Depending on what the vintagegives, Adelsheim will produce any-where from 16 to 22 different wines,everything from single-vineyardPinot Noirs to Chardonnay andAuxerrois. The focus on Pinot Noirwill continue to drive Adelsheim —

and Oregon — forward, he said.“We love playing with as many

white varieties as we can plant,” hesaid. “We love the two acres of Syrahhere. But that’s all fiddling aroundthe edges.”

He said Adelsheim Vineyard hasgone from being evenly splitbetween whites and reds to two-thirds red — and that gap will onlywiden as the focus narrows on PinotNoir.

“We need to keep our focus onthat variety and get even better atfinding blocks and pieces of blocksthat are extraordinary and should bekept separate,” he said. “Our grapegrowing and winemaking teams arein the running for the best in thenorth Willamette Valley. Our goal isto do everything even more consis-tently and to identify those placesthat we should be keeping separate.We’re trying to deliver somethingthat reflects what comes out of thevineyard with the least amount ofdistraction from winemaking, albeitwith a stylistic bent that leads us inthe direction of balance and ele-gance. Naively, that’s where we start-ed out — and that’s ultimatelywhere we’ve stayed.”

At 68, Adelsheim has no thoughtsof retiring, though he is involved infewer of the details.

“I’m pretty confident that we’remaking the best wine we’ve evermade without me being there withthe day-to-day decisions. I’ve plantedvines, built wineries, been the wine-maker, sold wine, done the books,done the taxes — and I eventuallyrealized that the people I’ve hiredwere better at those jobs than I couldever be, so I rely on them to makethe day-to-day decisions, which letsme focus on the future.” �

ANDY PERDUE is editor- in-chief of Wine PressNorthwest. Reach him at 509-582-1405 [email protected] JOHNSTON , a freelance photojournalist, is aregular contributor and the page designer for Wine PressNorthwest. Her website is WineCountryPhotos.com

GETTINGTHERE

ADELSHEIM VINEYARD

16800 NE Caulkins LaneNewberg, OR 97132503-538-3652www.adelsheim.comOpen 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.daily.


adelsheim FEATURE


A bee sips some nectar from a lavenderblossom at Adelsheim Vineyards.

David Adelsheim


WINE COUNTRY: WALLA WALLA VALLEY


40- ... Label ads 11/29/11 9:49 PM Page 46

WINE COUNTRY: WALLA WALLA VALLEY

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WINE COUNTRY: SPOKANE, IDAHO & SOUTHERN OREGON

For more reviews of recently released wines, check outwww.winepressnw.com/freshpress

Recent releases fromSpokane, Idaho and

Southern OregonExcellent. Coeur d’Alene Cellars2008 McKinley Springs VineyardCabernet Sauvignon,Washington,$28. Because Idaho and Washington do notshare an American Viticulture Area (yet),Idaho wines that use Washington grapesmay not use the appellation of origin, in thiscase, the Horse Heaven Hills. Setting asidethis bureaucratic silliness, this is a deliciouswine from what is now recognized as amongthe best places in Washington to growCabernet Sauvignon. This example from aNorth Idaho producer opens with aromas ofclassic black currants, boysenberries, blue-berries, vanilla and intriguing minerality. Onthe palate, it offers flavors of red-toned fruitsbacked with leather, tobacco, vanilla, spiceand French press. We see this pairing nicelywith Londonbroil, beef au jus or herb-crust-ed lamb. (209 cases,13.9% alc.)Recommended. Wood RiverCellars 2008 Estate Cabernet-Malbec, Snake River Valley, $25. There’s a greeting of black cherry and blackolive, followed by herbaceous aromas ofmint and plug tobacco that hint at the pres-ence of Cabernet Franc in this blend. On themedium-bodied palate comes more fruit,leading with Van cherry and cassis. It’sbacked by flavors of cola, chocolate, hore-hound and lots of minerality, giving it a solidplace at the table with hearty soups andbeef casseroles. (250 cases, 12.5% alc.)

Outstanding! Arbor Crest WineCellars 2009 Three VineyardsSyrah, Columbia Valley, $18.Here’s another head-turning red fromSpokane winemaker Kristina Mielke-vanLöben Sels, and her melange from Bacchus,Conner Lee and Stillwater Creek vineyardsmakes for a blackberry monster nearly frombeginning to end. Aromas also hint atMarionberry, blueberry tea and shoe leather.Open the mouth and imagine a spoonful ofblackberry pie filling, followed by boysenber-ry, black cherry, bittersweet chocolate andblack olive. The balance of acidity with cran-berry skin tannin prevents it from offeringtoo much of these good things. Suggestedpairings include huckleberryinfluenced ribsand duck breast. (715 cases, 13.8% alc.)

Outstanding! Nodland Cellars2010 Bebop Riesling, ColumbiaValley, $16. This young Spokane, Wash., wineryreleased some stunning reds earlier thisyear, and Tim and Tracy Nodland’s diversityshows with this deliciously jazzy Riesling.There’s inviting fresh fruit cocktail aromaswith peach, green apple, lychee, grapefruitand facial powder. The flavor profile openswith kiwi fruit, peaches and mango as thesweetness (2.2% residual sugar) sits on thepalate before pink grapefruit arrives for bal-ance. Enjoy with Tex-Mex, Thai or otherspicy foods. (112 cases, 11% alc.)


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49 Caliber Wine Pack ad 11/28/11 7:49 PM Page 49

THE BEST OF THE BESTIN THE GREAT NORTHWEST

12th AnnualPlatinumJudgingSTORY BY ANDY PERDUE

For the past dozen years, wehave invited wineries to submittheir gold medal winners to

compete in what we call “the Best ofthe Best in the Great Northwest.”

And every year, it’s a chance for usto not only figure out what some ofthe greatest wines in the PacificNorthwest are, but also to get a big-ger picture on trends in our region.

One trend that has continued isthe greatness of Gehringer BrothersEstate Winery. The family operationjust over the Canadian border nearOliver, B.C., again dominated thePlatinum Judging, winning an aston-ishing six awards. Through the 12years of this competition, the winery

run by Walter and GordonGehringer has won 25 Platinums,the most by any winery in the PacificNorthwest.

The two top wines of the judgingwere from Washington: Kiona’s 2008Lemberger from estate RedMountain grapes and Jones ofWashington’s 2010 Viognier, whichused estate grapes on the WahlukeSlope. Kiona had the top wine inour inaugural Platinum Judging in2000 for a Cabernet Sauvignon.

For Jones of Washington, this capsa superb year for winemaker VictorPalencia, who won a dozen goldmedals around the country, includingseveral best-of-class awards.

TAST ING RESULTS

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Here are a few other story linesfrom this year’s Platinum:

� Chateau Ste. Michelle,Washington’s oldest winery, wonthree Platinums this year, includingthe No. 3 wine in the competition.In 12 years, CSM has won 14Platinums.

� Barnard Griffin in Richland,Wash., won two Platinums.Winemaker Rob Griffin has nowearned 18 Platinums through theyears.

� Winemaker Robert Smasne wasresponsible for four Platinums in ourcompetition. He won one under hisown label (Smasne Cellars), but he

also made the three Platinum win-ners for Skylite Cellars in Walla Walla.

� Also winning two Platinumseach were: Maryhill Winery,Covington Cellars, Dunham Cellars,Northstar, Hard Row to HoeVineyards, Tsillan Cellars andWatermill Winery.

� Through the first 11 years ofthe Platinum, just one Idaho winehad won a Platinum.That changedthis year, as two Gem State winesearned that distinction.

� We judged 25 Rieslings, andwines from each of the fourNorthwest regions (Washington,Oregon, British Columbia and

Idaho) earned Platinums.� There are some great bargains

to be found in the Platinums thisyear, as 15 wines were priced at $15or less. In fact, the top three wineswere $17 or less.

This year’s Platinum Judging wasconducted at the Clover Island Innin Kennewick, Wash., overlookingthe Columbia River that is so impor-tant to the Northwest wine industry.

Our judges were: Kristine Bono ofCol Solare on Red Mountain; ParksRedwine of Atlanta, Ga., and ownerof the Northwest Wine Summit com-petition; Doug Charles, owner ofCompass Wines in Anacortes, Wash.;

TAST ING RESULTS



Dr. Thomas Henick-Kling, directorof viticulture and enology forWashington State University; JayDrysdale of Enotecca Winery andResorts in Oliver, B.C.; KenRobertson, Wine Press Northwestcolumnist; Coke Roth, Wine PressNorthwest columnist; and DaveSeaver, Wine Press Northwest tastingpanelist. (Note: Bono and Drysdaledid not judge wines from theirwineries. Additionally, Charles sells afortified wine as a negoçiant, and hedid not judge that wine.)

All wines were tasted blind, mean-ing the judges did not know theproducer or the price.

DOUBLEPLATINUM/BEST

OF THE BEST

Jones of Washington $172010 Estate Viognier, Wahluke SlopeWinemaker Victor Palencia has had a heck of ayear, and this is the cherry. This opens with aro-mas of oranges, limes and minerality, followedby flavors of mangoes, papayas, Crenshaw mel-ons, hints of roses and even lemon bars, alongwith a long finish of luscious orange Creamsicleand utterly amazing acidity. There’s a nice ten-sion of sweetness and acidity that makes thisespecially intriguing. Won double gold at theSeattle Wine Awards. (406 cases, 13.9% alc.)

Best Buy!Kiona Vineyards Winery $122008 Lemberger, Red Mountain In

Washington, nobody has made Lembergerlonger or better than Kiona. In fact, a fewyears ago, Kiona made two styles, but the ver-sion from its estate grapes was so distinctiveand delicious, winemaker Scott Williamsdecided to just stick with this one. And it’s agreat example of the variety, with aromas ofVan cherries, mint and smoke, followed by abeautiful mouth feel that reveals flavors ofcherries, black pepper, cedar and red berries.Make this your go-to barbecue red. Won goldat the Los Angeles International Wine &Spirits Competition (best in class) and PacificRim International Wine Competition. (3,400 cases, 13.5% alc.)

DOUBLEPLATINUM

Best Buy!Chateau Ste. Michelle $92010 Harvest Select Riesling, ColumbiaValley In just its second year in release afterreplacing the popular Indian Wells Riesling,this sweeter wine already is a big hit — andhuge production wine — for the world’slargest producer of Riesling. There’s anintriguing subtlety in the nose that requires abit of concentration to fully appreciate, andthe complex flavors are laden with rich, ripefruit. Despite the sweetness (4.98% residualsugar), it isn’t over the top, thanks to cleans-ing acidity that brings beautiful balance andprovides a full range of really cool complexity.Won gold at the Northwest Wine Summit,Washington State Wine Competition, FingerLakes International Wine Competition (doublegold), Monterey Wine Competition, San DiegoInternational Wine Competition (double gold)and Indy International Wine Competition(double gold). (170,000 cases, 10% alc.)

Quady North $192010 Pistoleta, Rogue Valley Owner/wine-maker Herb Quady took equal parts

Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier for thiswhite blend from Southern Oregon grapes.This opens with succulent aromas of citrusand tropical fruit, including pineapples, limesand orange zest, followed by luscious flavorsof apples, oranges, pineapples and stonefruit. It’s a dry, crisp, bright white wine thatstill provides a bit of delicious creaminess onthe midpalate. Won gold at the NorthwestWine Summit. (100 cases, 12.5% alc.)

Sokol Blosser Winery $382008 Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills One ofOregon’s oldest producers continues to craftits finest wines, as this Pinot Noir reveals.Longtime winemaker Russ Rosner used most-ly estate grapes from the Dundee Hills tocraft this delicious and complex Pinot Noir. Itopened with fascinating aromas of sweetherbs, rich earth, wet gravel and black truf-fles, followed by flavors of ripe raspberries,violets and mushrooms. One judge describedit as “the rock star of the day because itbrings the whole package.” Earned“Outstanding” in Wine Press Northwest PinotNoir judging. (6,308 cases, 14% alc.)

Best Buy!Sawtooth Estate Winery $92009 Riesling, Snake River Valley One ofIdaho’s largest and oldest producers has craft-ed the first non-ice wine to win a Platinumaward from the Gem State, and it’s a beauty.Winemaker Bill Murray used grapes from theestate Sawtooth and Skyline vineyards andblended in just a touch of Muscat to providean additional level of complexity. It opens witharomas of apricots, limes and apples, followedby balanced flavors of grapefruits, oranges andcrisp apples. A bit of residual sweetness (2%)enhances the flavors and texture, all of whichis beautifully balanced with Idaho’s famousacidity. Won gold at the Northwest WineSummit. (1,521 cases, 12.3% alc.)

Best Buy!L'Ecole No. 41 $142010 Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley Fewwinemakers on the West Coast take this clas-

TAST ING RESULTS platinum



sic variety seriously, but owner/winemakerMarty Clubb has had a soft spot for CheninBlanc for many years. In fact, L’Ecole hascrafted a Chenin since 1987. For this wine,Clubb brought in Yakima Valley grapes fromvines planted in the late 1970s. The resultingwine opens with aromas of cloves, lemonzest, cinnamon and peaches, followed by fla-vors of green apples, quinces and JollyRancher candy. Crisp acidity provides plentyof length. Won gold at the Northwest WineSummit and Washington State WineCompetition. (2,160 cases, 13.5% alc.)

Otis Kenyon Wine $302008 Syrah, Walla Walla Valley Despitesome pessimism about selling Syrah, thisgrape remains one of the most popular, basedon the number of entries we received — andthis was the best of the bunch. The grapes forthis Syrah from a small but highly regardedWalla Walla winery came from Patina andStellar vineyards. It is a classic WashingtonSyrah, opening with aromas of black pepperand blackberries, followed by a palate that isloaded with dark fruit, including blackberries,plums and blueberries. It’s a long, lingeringwine that should pair nicely with braisedmeats. Won double gold at the Seattle WineAwards. (586 cases, 14% alc.)

Steppe Cellars $252008 StoneTree Vineyard Malbec,Wahluke Slope Talk about synergy. Thegrapes for this superb Malbec were grown byTedd Wildman, and the wine was crafted byhis wife, Anke Freimuth-Wildman at thisYakima Valley winery. This shows off a won-derful earthiness on the nose, as well as floralnotes, plums and plump boysenberries. Onthe palate, this opens with flavors of ripeplums, black licorice, vanilla, boysenberriesand even a hint of cinnamon. While it has themuscularity of a Malbec, the winemakershowed a deft touch with oak. Won gold atthe Long Beach Grand Cru and Seattle Wine

Awards (double gold). (90 cases, 14% alc.)

Mount Baker Vineyards & Winery $202008 Proprietor’s Limited Release Malbec,Yakima Valley One of Washington’s northern-most wineries, Mount Baker is in the pictur-esque Nooksack Valley not far from Bellingham.The grapes for this tremendous Malbec camefrom Crawford and Lonesome Spring vineyardsin the Yakima Valley. It opens with aromas ofrich, ripe, dark berries and minerals, followedby powerful flavors of cherries, cola, blackber-ries, earth and black pepper. There’s a complexand intriguing tension between the fruit, tanninand acidity that makes us think this will onlyget better with a few years in the bottle. Wongold at the Dallas Morning News WineCompetition. (353 cases, 13.7% alc.)

Covington Cellars $352008 Cabernet Franc, Columbia ValleyThis small Woodinville, Wash., producer usedgrapes from three appellations — RedMountain and Walla Walla and Yakima valleys— to craft this superb and complex Cab Franc,a red grape that remains underappreciated.This version should win over fans, however,thanks to its sexy aromas of black cherries,boysenberries, oregano and chocolate. On thepalate, it’s an intense wine with flavors ofdried cherries, vanilla, chocolate and blacktea. Its astonishing complexity lasts through-out the memorable finish. Won gold at theIndy International Wine Competition andSeattle Wine Awards. (334 cases, 14.3% alc.)

Chateau Ste. Michelle $502007 Artist Series Meritage, ColumbiaValley This is winemaker Bob Bertheau’smost collectible wine, and he focuses a lot ofenergy and superb fruit to craft an amazingred blend. Using grapes from estate CanoeRidge, Cold Creek and Indian Wells vineyards,he expertly blended Cabernet Sauvignon(56%) with Merlot (37%), Malbec (6%) andPetit Verdot. It opens with aromas of cherries,chocolate, black currants and crushed leaf,followed by flavors of cranberries, cherries,black licorice, chocolate and Bing cherries.

Minerality, tannin and toasted oak help makethis a complete package. Won gold at the LosAngeles International Wine & SpiritsCompetition, Seattle Wine Awards (doublegold), Dallas Morning News WineCompetition, Monterey Wine Competitionand Critics Challenge International WineCompetition. (2,200 cases, 14.5% alc.)

Tsillan Cellars $282008 Lakeside Vineyard Bellisima Rossa,Lake Chelan Dr. Bob Jankelson envisionedthis gorgeous winery on the south shore ofLake Chelan, and his estate grapes are payingoff in tremendous ways. Shane Collins’ amaz-ing blend leads with Syrah (80%) and isrounded out with Merlot (16%) and CabernetSauvignon. The result is a wine with aromasof black licorice, fresh dates, cherries andblack currants, followed by opulent flavors ofdark chocolate, ripe boysenberries and vanil-la, all backed with rich tannins and ampleacidity that create intense and amazing depth.Won gold at the New World InternationalWine Competition (best in class), SeattleWine Awards, Washington State WineCompetition, Northwest Wine Summit andTri-Cities Wine Fest. (520 cases, 15.3% alc.)

Coyote Canyon Winery $222010 Albariño, Horse Heaven Hills Thefolks at this Yakima Valley winery and HorseHeaven Hills vineyard have this Spanish vari-ety dialed in. In fact, the 2009 version of thiswine won a Platinum last year, and this stepsup to a unanimous Double Platinum, anastonishing feat. This opens with aromas of abaked peach pie, followed by flavors oforange marmalade, pears and melons. Thebright acidity is balanced with 1.5% residualsugar, creating a delicious and harmoniouswine. Won gold at the Washington State WineCompetition. (483 cases, 13.9% alc.)

Willamette Valley Vineyards $452008 Hannah Pinot Noir, Willamette ValleyIn the past few years, this large winery nearSalem has been focusing more of its effort oncrafting high-end single-vineyard Pinot Noirs.

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All of winemaker Forrest Klaffke’s work paidoff in this wine, which uses grapes from avineyard in the northern Willamette Valley.The nose opens with a whiff of mint, followedby layered aromas of spices, violets, cola andcherries. On the palate, it reveals flavors of DrPepper, black cherries, black licorice andchocolate, all impressively balanced with mildtannins and bright acidity. Won gold at theOregon Wine Awards. (96 cases, 13.5% alc.)

Skylite Cellars $282006 Syrah, Columbia Valley RobertSmasne is an omnipresent winemaker inWashington, and he crafted this superb Syrahusing grapes from the Yakima and Walla Wallavalleys. It’s a consumer-friendly wine with aro-mas of allspice, blueberries and huckleber-ries, followed by flavors of black currants, cur-rants, fresh figs and just the right amount ofoak. Won double gold at the Seattle WineAwards. (112 cases, 13.9% alc.)

Thurston Wolfe $252008 Reserve Petite Sirah, Horse HeavenHills Owner/winemaker Wade Wolfe basicallypioneered this Rhône variety in Washingtonand has been so successful with it, he’sbranched out with this vintage with a bottlingthat separated the best barrels. Wolfe usesgrapes from Zephyr Ridge, one of his favoritevineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills, and it’s areal crowd pleaser, opening with aromas ofcocoa powder, boysenberries, mint andgraphite. On the palate, it is loaded with com-plex flavors of black cherries, ripe dark berriesand a hint of pleasing gaminess. The fine-grained tannins expertly back up the massivefruit, and the oak balances everything beauti-fully. Won double gold at the Washington StateWine Competition. (50 cases, 14.6% alc.)

Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery $502010 Minus 9 Ehrenfelser Icewine,Okanagan Valley Last year, this Oliver, B.C.,winery topped our Platinum Judging with aRiesling ice wine, and this year, it repeats witha unanimous Double Platinum using the rareEhrenfelser grape (a cross of Riesling andSilvaner). This is a thick, exotic, viscous, over-

the-top dessert wine that shows off aromas ofhoney and ruby red grapefruit, followed byrich flavors of poached pears and bakedapples topped with vanilla and cinnamon.There’s nothing subtle about this rich,refreshing ice wine. Won double gold at theIndy International Wine Competition. (280cases, 13% alc.)

Dusted Valley Vintners $282008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla WallaValley The boys at Dusted Valley have done itagain, making the top Cab in our judging of 37gold medal winners. The grapes came fromfour vineyards, leading with Dusted Valley’sestate Sconni Block, and this blends in a bit ofMerlot, Cab Franc and Malbec. On the nose, itleads with aromas of red plums, tobacco leafand toasty oak. On the palate, this wine ismore than just berries. It’s a beautifullyframed wine with flavors of ripe dark fruitbacked with solid but not overbearing tannins,making it a harmonious wine. Won gold at theSan Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.(700 cases, 14.7% alc.)

Best Buy!Kramer Vineyards $15NV Celebrate Müller-Thurgau, Yamhill-Carlton District The Kramer family beganmaking this delicious bubbly in 2002 fromestate grapes. It’s a fun, exciting wine thatreveals surprising complexity. It opens witharomas of minerals, Spanish almonds andpineapples, followed by flavors of ripe pearsand tropical fruits. The residual sugar is 4%,but it finishes dry, thanks to the bright bub-bles. On the midpalate, it is creamy andfrothy, giving way to flavors of starfruit onthe finish. Earned “Outstanding” in WinePress Northwest’s sparkling wine judging.(260 cases, 10.5% alc.)

PLATINUMHard Row to Hoe Vineyards $222010 Sauvignon Blanc, Yakima ValleyOwner/winemaker Judy Phelps is crafting

some delicious wines on the north shore ofLake Chelan, as evidenced by this wine usingYakima Valley grapes. In fact, this is a fieldblend of Sauvignon Blanc (90%) and the rareMuscadelle de Bordelaise from LonesomeSpring Ranch near Red Mountain. It’s amouthwatering wine with aromas of ripepears and herbs, followed by enticing flavorsof clean, bright tree fruit. Won double gold atthe Washington State Wine Competition. (200cases, 13.8% alc.)

Buty Winery $252009 Semillon, Sauvignon & Muscadelle,Columbia Valley Caleb Buty already haspacked in 21 vintages into his relatively youngcareer by working harvests in Washington,New Zealand and South Africa. He used tech-niques learned in New Zealand for thissuperb blend that leads with Semillon (65%)using grapes from the broad Columbia Valley.It opens with aromas of gooseberries, star-fruit, pears and apples, followed by flavors ofMeyer lemons, green apples and a squeeze oflime. This wine will taste so good with searedscallops. Won double gold at the Seattle WineAwards. (850 cases, 13.9% alc.)

Best Buy!Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery $152010 Classic Ehrenfelser, Okanagan ValleyBrothers Walter and Gordon Gehringer learnedtheir trade in Germany before returning toBritish Columbia. Today, their white wines aresome of the most astonishing we have had theprivilege to taste. This wine uses the rareEhrenfelser grape, a cross of Riesling andSilvaner that serves Gehringer well for this drytable wine as well as a succulent ice wine. Thisopens with aromas of pears, passion fruit andorange zest, followed by intriguing flavors oftropical fruit, melons, ginger and light spices.It’s a dry wine that will pair perfectly with hal-ibut, baked oysters or scallops. Won gold at theLos Angeles International Wine & SpiritsCompetition (best in class). (3,000 cases)

Carlton Cellars $202009 Seven Devils Pinot Noir, WillametteValley Dave Grooters was lured to Oregon




from the East Coast by his love for Pinot Noir,and he learned his craft while working withKen Wright, both in the winery and the vine-yard. This is a Pinot Noir that is easy to lovenot only for its quality but also its value.Grooters loves the Oregon Coast and namedthis wine for a region near Coos Bay. Thewine opens with aromas of dark, purple fruitand violets. On the palate, it reveals flavors ofcloves, black licorice, black truffles, ripe darkfruit and bittersweet chocolate. It’s a big, deli-cious wine. Won double gold at the OregonWine Awards. (1,440 cases, 14.3% alc.)

Skylite Cellars $472007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon,Columbia Valley Sometimes, a wine justneeds a little more time. Such is the case withthis red blend from a Walla Walla Valley win-ery. A year ago, it earned its way into thePlatinum Judging and earned a gold from ourpanel. This year, it got in again and showed abit more time in the bottle was all it needed.Consulting winemaker Robert Smasne usedgrapes from three vineyards (RiverRock, BellaTerra and Pepper Bridge) with great expert-ise. The wine shows off aromas of cherries,coffee and chocolate, which lead to flavors ofred and black fruit, all backed with deliciousdark chocolate. There’s plenty of tannin, butit’s all perfectly offset with ample fruit andacidity. (100 cases, 13.5% alc.)

Cadaretta $502008 Windthrow, Columbia Valley TheMiddleton family has long been in theWashington timber industry, and it namedthis wine for a term referring to trees thathave been uprooted by the wind. It’s aSouthern Rhône-inspired blend of Syrah,Mourvèdre, Counoise and Grenache usinggrapes from the Walla Walla Valley, WahlukeSlope and Horse Heaven Hills. It opens witharomas of vanilla, cherry cola and huckleberryjam, followed by smooth, velvety flavors ofblack currants and huckleberry juice. Theresolved tannins are fully integrated with theripe fruit, producing a harmonious mouthfeel. Won gold at the Seattle Wine Awards.

(110 cases, 14.6% alc.)

Watermill Winery $282007 Estate Petit Verdot, Walla WallaValley In 2007, Andrew Brown took over aswinemaker for this Walla Walla Valley produc-er and immediately picked up where consult-ing winemaker Rich Funk left off, crafting anamazing red wine from a rarely utilized grape.The fruit for this wine comes from McClellanEstate Vineyard near Seven Hills on theOregon side of the valley. This wine openswith luscious aromas of boysenberries, blue-berries, blackberry compote and black pep-per. The palate reveals flavors of Belgianchocolate, cloves, black cherries, graphite,cedar and black tea, with just a hint of minton the rich finish. Won gold at the OregonWine Awards. (96 cases, 14.7% alc.)

Walla Walla Vintners $242009 Sangiovese, Columbia Valley ThisWalla Walla Valley winery has a long history withSangiovese, and this is one of its finest efforts.In addition to 80% Sangiovese, it also includesSyrah (12%) and Malbec, both of which provideample backbone and complexity. This openswith perfumy aromas of rose hips, white pep-per and red currants, followed by flavors ofcherry candy, cedar, pepper and blueberries.This is a dense wine with hints of minerality inthe background. Won double gold at theSeattle Wine Awards. (797 cases, 14.2% alc.)

Northstar Winery $412007 Merlot, Columbia Valley Ste. MichelleWine Estates created this winery in the mid-’90s with the goal of making some of thefinest Merlot in the world. That focus pays offannually, and this wine is no exception.Winemaker David “Merf ” Merfeld used grapesfrom 14 different vineyards and blended in abit of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot tocraft a well-rounded and complex wine. Itopens with aromas of big, beautifully ripeblueberries and spice cake, followed by rich,succulent flavors of black cherries andleather. The restrained tannins provide justthe right amount of structure to back up thefruit. Won gold at the Grand Harvest Awards,

Critics Challenge International WineCompetition and Seattle Wine Awards.(11,500 cases, 14.7% alc.)

Basalt Cellars $242007 Merlot, Columbia ValleyThe Clarkston area in southeasternWashington has a long history of grape grow-ing and winemaking, but all that ended withProhibition and didn’t reappear until BasaltCellars opened its doors in 2004. The grapesfor this wine — which include 11% Cab —come from three vineyards, leading withWillard Farms in the Yakima Valley. The result-ing wine opens with aromas of hibiscus andBing cherries, followed by flavors of moistearth, spice, sweet chocolate and ripe cher-ries. It’s beautifully structured throughout.Won gold at the San Francisco Chronicle WineCompetition. (224 cases, 14.2% alc.)

Covington Cellars $452007 Syrah, Columbia Valley If you haven’theard of Covington Cellars before, now is thetime to give it some attention, seeing as itearned Platinums for both of the wines itentered this year. The grapes for this small-production wine came from five vineyards,including Smasne, Kestrel, Kiona, Seven Hillsand Olsen. It opens with aromas of cocoa,tobacco leaf, violets and blueberries, followedby hedonistic flavors of youthful dark fruitthat melds with hints of tar and a touch ofoak. Won double gold at the IndyInternational Wine Competition. (93 cases,14.4% alc.)

Tsillan Cellars $282008 Lakeside Vineyard Reserve Syrah,Lake Chelan This is one of the most decorat-ed wines of 2011, winning gold medals at nofewer than seven competitions. Well, add aPlatinum to the mix, Dr. Jankelson. The grapescome from estate grapes on the south shoreof Lake Chelan, providing further evidence ofthe viticultural opportunities of this emergingregion. This wine opens with aromas ofchocolate, black olives, blackberries and huck-leberries, followed by massive flavors of blackcurrants, black tea, blueberries, huckleberries,

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toast and caramel. Won gold at the SanFrancisco Chronicle Wine Competition (dou-ble gold), Los Angeles International Wine &Spirits Competition, Grand Harvest Awards,San Diego International Wine Competition,Seattle Wine Awards, Northwest Wine Summitand North Central Washington Wine Awards.(411 cases, 15.2% alc.)

Watermill Winery $282008 Estate Cabernet Franc, Walla WallaValley Using grapes from McClellan EstateVineyard on the Oregon side of the WallaWalla Valley, family winemaker Andrew Brownhas crafted yet another superb wine. This is100% Cabernet Franc, and it’s a beauty,thanks to aromas of black cherries, ripe rasp-berries and American oak spices. On thepalate, it shows off chocolate overtones andflavors of Montmorency cherries and crowd-pleasing oak. It’s a seamless wine with food-friendly acidity that lifts the wine from first sipto the lengthy finish. Won gold at the SeattleWine Awards. (238 cases, 14.7% alc.)

Dumas Station Wines $322007 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, WallaWalla Valley Winemaker and vineyard man-ager Jay DeWitt planted the grapes for DumasStation’s estate Minnick Hills Vineyard in thenorthern Walla Walla Valley in 1999. Thosevines are paying off with superb wines,including this intriguing Cabernet Sauvignon.It opens with aromas of olives, chocolate,sweet herbs, black cherries and vanilla, fol-lowed by beautifully integrated flavors of opu-lent dark fruit backed with velvety, fine-grained tannins. Won double gold at theSeattle Wine Awards. (511 cases, 15.3% alc.)

Woodward Canyon Winery $492008 Artist Series #17 CabernetSauvignon, Washington Owner Rick Smalland winemaker Kevin Mott take great advan-tage of estate grapes from ChampouxVineyards, as well as dabs from Spring Creek,Woodward, Sagemoor and DuBrul for thissuperb Cab. It opens with aromas of huckle-berries, violets and plums, followed by hedo-nistic flavors of big, dark fruit, black licorice

and well-integrated oak. Even under blindconditions, this stood out as a reserve-styleCab that should find its way into collectors’cellars. Won double gold at the Seattle WineAwards. (2,273 cases, 15.3% alc.)

Skylite Cellars $472007 Reserve, Columbia Valley Consultingwinemaker Robert Smasne blended threeBordeaux varieties for this superb red wine.He leads with Malbec (51%), followed byCabernet Sauvignon (33%) and the rareCarménère. The result is a beautifully layeredwine with aromas of dark fruit backed withearth. On the palate, the well-integrated fla-vors of ripe, dark berries meld with moderateoak, all backed with gripping tannins thatshould serve this wine well for the long haul.Won gold at the Northwest Wine Summit,Grand Harvest Awards and Finger LakesInternational Wine Competition (doublegold). (152 cases, 13.9% alc.)

Koenig Vineyards $202009 Riesling Ice Wine, Snake River ValleyIn the first 11 years of the Platinum, just oneIdaho wine had ever made the cut. This year,two more earned the distinction, and allthree have been Rieslings. Greg Koenig, whomakes wine for several valley producers, usedfrozen grapes from Williamson Vineyard forthis delicious dessert wine. On the nose, itreminded our judges of a pineapple upside-down cake, and on the palate, it was resplen-dent with flavors of caramel and peach crum-ble. It’s all backed with acidity we usually onlysee in British Columbia ice wines — a greatcompliment indeed. This won gold at theIdaho Wine Competition and Northwest WineSummit. (302 cases, 11% alc.)

Best Buy!Domaine Ste. Michelle $13NV Extra Dry, Columbia Valley One of theunsung heroes of Washington winemaking isRick Casqueiro, who manages to annually craftmore than 300,000 cases of bubbly that isworld class and affordable. How he does it is abit of a mystery, but who cares? This is hissweetest wine at 2.3% residual sugar (the

name is an anomaly that can be blamed onthe French) and is made primarily withChardonnay, with 12% Pinot Noir. It revealsaromas of cinnamon, lime, pear and apple, fol-lowed by delicious flavors of starfruit, pineap-ples, lime zest and ripe peaches. Beautifullybalanced, this will complement a wide rangeof foods, starting with spicier fare. Earneddouble gold at the San Francisco ChronicleWine Competition. (51,919 cases, 11.5% alc.)

William Church Wines $222010 Viognier, Columbia Valley Two yearsago, the 2008 version of this wine won aunanimous Double Platinum from us (as wellas a Platinum for its Malbec), and it hasrepeated the feat here. Using grapes fromConner Lee Vineyard in the Columbia Basin,Rod and Leslie Balsley have crafted a Viognierthat opens with succulent aromas of lemon-grass and minerals, followed by flavors ofgrapefruits and oranges with a lingering spritzof lemon juice. It has surprising amounts ofacidity, which would lead us to pair it withseafood. Won double gold at the Seattle WineAwards. (300 cases, 13.8% alc.)

Best Buy!Cuckoo's Nest Cellars $152009 Aromatique, Oregon Bryan Wilsonwent to California after graduating from theUniversity of Oregon and eventually workedhis way back home. He’s now the winemakerfor Foris Vineyards in the Rogue Valley, andthis is his own label, which he started in 2006.This is a blend of Viognier (67%) andGewürztraminer, and it is aptly named. Itopens with aromas of orange zest, spices andsandalwood, followed by rich flavors of honey,spice and ripe oranges. It’s a dry white that isfull of zip. Won gold at the Oregon WineAwards. (142 cases, 14.3% alc.)

Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery $162010 Gewürztraminer-Schönburger,Okanagan Valley Schönburger is a younggrape as far as vituculture goes. The cross ofPinot Noir with Chasselas and MuscatHamburg has been around only since 1979.The Gehringers successfully blend it with




Gewürztraminer to make a wine that has a bitof sweetness (1.2%) and plenty of fruit. Itshows off its Muscat and Gewürztraminer ori-gins with aromas of lychee, apple pie spice andpink grapefruit. On the palate, it could be mis-taken for an Alsatian wine with flavors of galaapples, lemons and oranges. The acidity iseverything one would expect from a Gehringerwine. Won gold at the Indy International WineCompetition. (550 cases, 13.2% alc.)

Best Buy!Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery $152010 Private Reserve Riesling, OkanaganValley How ridiculously consistent is thiswine? This is the third consecutive Platinumfrom the last three vintages. Walter andGordon Gehringer use grapes from GoldenMile Bench, which gets afternoon shadingthat helps retain all-important acidity. Theresulting wine opens with aromas of melons,citrus and floral notes, followed by flavors oftropical fruit topped with sweet spices. It’s along, beautifully textured wine. Won gold atthe Indy International Wine Competition.(850 cases, 13.1% alc.)

Madrone Mountain $242009 Starthistle Cuvée, Oregon This win-ery in Southern Oregon pays tongue-in-cheektribute to a noxious weed that has invaded itsvineyard. This is 100% Riesling and 100% deli-cious. It opens with a hint of pleasing petrolon the nose, followed by aromas of ripe apri-cots and peaches and freshly sliced lime. Onthe palate, it’s a harmonious wine with flavorsof apples and lemons and bracing acidity thatbalances the mild (1.5%) residual sweetness.Won gold at the Finger Lakes InternationalWine Competition. (325 cases, 10.7% alc.)

Best Buy!San Juan Vineyards $142010 Les Vignes de Marcoux VineyardRiesling, Yakima Valley San Juan Vineyardsreaches into the western Yakima Valley forthese grapes, which come from the lesser-known sibling to Red Willow Vineyard.Obviously, it’s a great site for Riesling. Thisopens with succulent aromas of oranges, apri-cots and peaches, followed by off-dry flavorsof fresh-off-the-tree apples and lemon bars.Won gold at the Riverside International WineCompetition. (217 cases, 12.4% alc.)

Best Buy!Silver Lake Winery $102009 Chardonnay, Rattlesnake Hills Oneof Woodinville’s oldest wineries expandedinto the Yakima Valley a few years ago andbrings in some of its best fruit from theRattlesnake Hills. This Chardonnay is assuperb as it is inexpensive, a great combina-tion in these economic times. The aromasreveal little in the way of oak, as the fruit isquite expressive and includes nectarines,sweet apricots and Key limes. On the palate,it’s on target with delicious flavors of pineap-ples, pink grapefruit and green apples. Itsacidity is almost Rieslinglike. Won gold at theWest Coast Wine Competition and Seattle

Wine Awards. (1,000 cases, 13% alc.)

Barnard Griffin $172010 Orange Muscat, Columbia ValleyRob Griffin is anything but boring, especiallywhen it comes to experimenting with out-of-the-mainstream varieties such as this rare ver-sion of Muscat. This opens with aromas ofclassic oranges and orange blossoms, as wellas cloves and honeysuckle. On the palate, theorange theme continues, with flavors oforange honey and Mandarin oranges, as wellas hints of vanilla spice. Its pleasing aciditybeautifully balances the 5.7% residual sweet-ness. Earned an “Outstanding” in Wine PressNorthwest’s judging of unusual white wines.(300 cases, 12.1% alc.)

Best Buy!Arrowleaf Cellars $142010 Bacchus, Okanagan Valley Namedfor the Roman god of wine, this grape varietywas created in Germany by crossing Müller-Thurgau with Silvaner and Riesling. It’s grownprimarily in Germany and England, but it alsoshows up in cooler areas of the PacificNorthwest. These grapes are grown north ofKelowna, B.C., around the 50th parallel. Theresulting wine is fresh and lively, with extro-verted aromas of lemons and apples, followedby mouthwatering flavors of peaches andoranges. Won gold at the Indy InternationalWine Competition. (780 cases, 12.2% alc.)

EdenVale Winery $252005 Pear House Collection ReserveSyrah, Rogue Valley This winery nearMedford, Ore., is on property that is consid-ered the birthplace of the state’s commercialpear industry. It’s also proving to do well withwine grapes, as evidenced by this superbSyrah. This opens with aromas of blacklicorice, orange zest, dried cranberries andmint, followed by flavors of plum jam andmint, all backed with bright acidity and mod-erate tannins. Won gold at the Oregon WineAwards. (660 cases, 16.2% alc.)

Milbrandt Vineyards $552007 Sentinel Northridge, Wahluke SlopeThis Bordeaux-style red is named for SentinelGap, the dominant geological feature justnorth of the Wahluke Slope through which theColumbia River flows. The grapes come fromthe Milbrandts’ 92-acre Northridge Vineyard,and the wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon(63%), Merlot (25%), Petit Verdot (6%) andMalbec. It shows off aromas of cranberries,pomegranates, smoke and spice, followed byapproachable flavors of black cherries, blacklicorice, huckleberries and strawberry-rhubarbpie. Won golds at the Washington State WineCompetition, Dallas Morning News WineCompetition and Seattle Wine Awards (doublegold). (400 cases, 14.3% alc.)

Sinclair Estate Vineyards $402008 Pentatonic, Walla Walla Valley Nofewer than seven vineyards contributedgrapes to this superb red blend. It leads withCabernet Sauvignon (68%), as well as Merlot(21%), Malbec (5%) and a bit of Syrah. Itshows off aromas of black leather, cranber-ries, blueberries and sweet spices, followed

by balanced and creamy flavors of ripe darkplums, blackberries, black currants and butterrum. Won double gold at the Seattle WineAwards. (175 cases, 14.4% alc.)

Saviah Cellars $302007 Petit Verdot, Walla Walla Valley RichFunk is no stranger to top awards, includingPlatinums, as this is his fifth since 2004. Hebrought it grapes from McClellan Vineyardnear Seven Hills on the Oregon side of theWalla Walla Valley and crafted a rare PetitVerdot. It opens with aromas of black cherries,mint and smoked meat, followed by grippingflavors of blackberries, black licorice, blackcherries and black currants. He shows a defttouch with the oak and tannins in this harmo-nious wine. Pair with venison or other gamemeats. Won gold at the Washington State WineCompetition. (190 cases, 14.7% alc.)

Best Buy!Maryhill Winery $122010 Viognier, Columbia Valley A few yearsago, Maryhill won best in show at the vauntedNorthwest Wine Summit for a Viognier, thefirst time a white wine earned that honor.Winemaker Richard Batchelor continues thetradition of great Viognier from this ColumbiaGorge destination winery. It opens with aro-mas of Creamsicle, pineapple and lemon zest,followed by creamy flavors of baked appleturnovers and lemon bars. Won gold at theInternational Eastern Wine Competition (dou-ble gold/best in class) and Indy InternationalWine Competition. (3,463 cases, 14.4% alc.)

Best Buy!Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery $152010 Classic Auxerrois, Okanagan ValleyThis white wine grape is rarely seen outside ofAlsace, but this sibling to Chardonnay is growna bit in British Columbia and Oregon.Gehringer has made a superb wine from it foryears; in fact, this is its third Platinum for thisvariety. It opens with aromas of apricots anddried pineapples, followed by delicious flavorsof apples and pears, all backed with brightacidity. It’s a beautifully made wine that is per-fect with shellfish. Won gold at the Los AngelesInternational Wine & Spirits Competition (bestin class). (1,350 cases, 13.3% alc.)

Brandborg Vineyard & Winery $382008 Ferris Wheel Estate Vineyard,Umpqua Valley In 2001, Terry and SueBrandborg found what they believe to be oneof the great, unheralded locations in Oregon togrow Pinot Noir: the tiny Umpqua Valley townof Elkton. This wine from estate grapes certain-ly furthers the claim. It opens with aromas offresh plums, cranberries, raspberries and greentea, followed by flavors of raspberries and otherhigh-toned red fruit that reminded us of theDundee Hills, as well as black tea. Earned“Outstanding” in Wine Press Northwest’s PinotNoir judging. (280 cases, 13.3% alc.)

J. Daan Wine Cellars $202008 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley Justinand Megan Van Vanten own and operate thissmall winery in Oregon’s ChehalemMountains, and they’ve now impressed ustwice with this wine. It opens with aromas of

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boysenberries, raspberries and cedar, fol-lowed by lengthy flavors of ripe red berries,cherries and cranberries. This has great struc-ture and should continue to mature anddevelop for another decade. Earned“Outstanding” in Wine Press Northwest’sPinot Noir judging. (475 cases, 13.8% alc.)

Chateau Ste. Michelle $282008 Canoe Ridge Estate Merlot, HorseHeaven Hills It’s been 20 years since Ste.Michelle began putting grapes on CanoeRidge, which overlooks the Columbia River inWashington’s Horse Heaven Hills. And thegrapes tended by vineyard manager Mimi Nyehave gained acclaim for their quality and playa key component in Bob Bertheau’s wines.Here, estate Merlot takes center stage andreveals aromas of leather, chocolate and Bingcherries, followed by complex flavors of ripe,expressive black fruit backed by textured tan-nins. Won gold at the Long Beach Grand Cruand Seattle Wine Awards (best in class).(7,000 cases, 14.5% alc.)

Fort Walla Walla Cellars $322007 Merlot, Walla Walla Valley This down-town Walla Walla winery is named after a his-toric regional landmark, and that history alsois revealed on the label. In this case, we’reeven more excited about what is inside thebottle. The grapes come primarily from highlyregarded Les Collines Vineyard, with PepperBridge and St. Clare contributing. It openswith ripe aromas of plum jam, cooked cher-ries, black tea and black olives, followed byflavors of blueberries, Marionberries andbright cherries. The tannin management isimpeccable, and the acidity perfectly balancesthe wine. Won gold at the Seattle WineAwards. (572 cases, 13.8% alc.)

Benson Vineyards Estate Winery $262007 Syrah, Lake Chelan Scott Bensoncrafts the wine for his family’s destination win-ery on the north shore of Lake Chelan anduses estate grapes that further reveal thefuture of this nascent region. We loved thebrighter, lighter style of this Syrah, whichrevealed aromas of raspberries and boysenber-ries. On the palate, it’s also not a behemoth.Rather, it is elegant in style, revealing its fruitrather than shoving it in your face. Rich aciditywalks the wine through a lengthy finish. Wongold at the North Central Washington WineAwards. (277 cases, 14% alc.)

Kontos Cellars $302008 Syrah, Walla Walla Valley WinemakerCameron Kontos follows in his father Cliff ’sfootsteps (Fort Walla Walla Cellars). He usedgrapes from Les Collines and Pepper Bridgevineyards to craft a superb Syrah. This opens

with aromas of boysenberries, vanilla bean,dark chocolate and white pepper, followed byflavors of boysenberries, Marionberries, coffeeand graphite. The tannins ride shotgun, min-gling alongside the fruit from first sip throughthe lengthy finish. Won double gold at theSeattle Wine Awards. (150 cases, 14% alc.)

Burning Desire $452008 Estate Cabernet Franc, Lake ChelanThis reserve label for Hard Row to Hoe focus-es on grapes from near the winery’s locationon the north shore of Lake Chelan. HusbandDon Phelps grew these grapes, and wife JudyPhelps crafted the superb wine. This wasamong the most complex wines we encoun-tered amid the Cabernet Francs, opening witharomas of Guatamalan cardamom, earthiness,dark fruit and a chocolate Tootsie Pop. On thepalate, it’s a big, young wine going places. Italready reveals flavors of mint, chocolate, deeplayers of cherries and raspberries on a bed ofmild tannins, bright acidity and modest oak.Won gold at the Finger Lakes InternationalWine Competition. (100 cases, 14.5% alc.)

Maryhill Winery $172008 Cabernet Sauvignon, ColumbiaValley Craig and Vicki Leuthold have built anamazing operation, and their winery on theedge of basalt cliffs overlooking the ColumbiaRiver Gorge has become one of the top desti-nations in Washington wine country.Affordable wines like this are the foundationof their success. This superb Cab opens witharomas of Van cherries, ripe strawberries,raspberries and milk chocolate, followed byelegant flavors of blackberry jam and freshlybrewed espresso. Won gold at the NorthwestWine Summit, Washington State WineCompetition and Seattle Wine Awards (dou-ble gold). (1,914 cases, 13.5% alc.)

Buried Cane $252008 Heartwood, Columbia Valley TheMiddleton family on the Washington coast isperhaps best known for Cadaretta, a high-endwinery in Walla Walla. This is its value tier, andHeartwood is a new red blend for the labelthat leads with Syrah (78%). With the additionof Grenache, Mourvèdre and Counoise, it is aRhône-style blend, and it sings. It opens witharomas of mint tea, oregano, blackberries andspice, followed by flavors of vanilla extract,roasted coffee, blackberry, black licorice andchocolate. Won gold at the Seattle WineAwards. (514 cases, 14.1% alc.)

Spangler Vineyards $382008 Petit Verdot, Oregon Since takingover the old La Garza winery near Roseburg,Ore., Pat and Loree Spangler have turnedtheir now-eponymous operation into one of

the leading wineries in Southern Oregon. Andthey are not afraid to try something unusual.This opens with aromas of black olives, ripedark fruit and pencil shavings, followed by fla-vors of juniper berries, blueberries and darkchocolate. It’s a big wine without being over-powering, thanks to well-balanced fruit andtannin. Won gold at the RiversideInternational Wine Competition and PacificRim International Wine Competition. (130cases, 14.5% alc.)

Kyra Wines $182009 Purple Sage Vineyard EstateDolcetto, Wahluke Slope Winemaker KyraBaerlocher uses the Italian Dolcetto grapefrom her 100-acre estate Purple Sage Vineyardon the warm Wahluke Slope for this superband rare Washington wine. It is a beautifulexample of the grape, with aromas of rosepetals and big, purple fruit, followed by grace-ful flavors of black cherries, blueberries andsweet chocolate. Won double gold at theSeattle Wine Awards. (118 cases, 14.2% alc.)

Westport Winery $352009 Going Coastal SparklingGewürztraminer, Washington This wineryon the Washington coast has a lot of fun com-ing up with clever names for its wide variety ofwines, but there’s also a lot of quality insidethe bottle. This is a delicious sparkling winethat opens with aromas of pears, starfruit andpear butter, followed by flavors of yellowgrapefruits and a creamy mouth feel. Thiswine has a fair bit of residual sweetness (3%),which is expertly balanced with the brightbubbles. Earned an “Outstanding” rating dur-ing Wine Press Northwest’s sparkling winejudging and gold at the Northwest WineSummit. (204 cases, 11% alc.)

Best Buy!Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery $152010 Dry Riesling, Okanagan Valley Usingestate grapes from the west side of theOkanagan Valley, Walter and GordonGehringer have crafted a bone-dry Rieslingthat is startlingly delicious. The 2007 versionof this wine won a Platinum three years ago,so this is yet another successful repeat for theGehringers. It opens with outstanding aromasof minerals, apples and floral notes, followedby bright flavors of slate, minerals, limes andapples. It is steely and elegant through thelengthy finish. Won gold at the All CanadianWine Championships. (1,000 cases, 13.2% alc.)

Goose Ridge Vineyards $182009 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley TheMonson family owns the 1,600-acre GooseRidge Vineyard, one of Washington’s largestvineyards. While most of the fruit goes to

FACTS2011 PLATINUM JUDGING

BY THE NUMBERS

��Entries: 409��Double Platinums: 20 (4.8%)

��Double Platinums and Platinums:

81 (19.8%)

��Double Golds: 155 (37.9%)

��Golds: 130 (31.8%)

��No medals: 43 (10.5%)

��Average alcohol: 13.7%

��Average price: $26.68

��Total cases represented: 2,458,947

��Wineries/labels represented: 163

��Viticultural areas represented: 25.


platinum TAST ING RESULTS


other wineries, winemaker Kendall Mix keepssome for the estate winery. This screams“Chardonnay!” from the first whiff, whichreveals aromas of pineapple, mango, butter-scotch and toast, followed by a creamy mouthfeel that includes flavors of butterscotch andlemon pulp. Won double gold at the SeattleWine Awards. (1,800 cases, 14% alc.)

Left Coast Cellars $182009 Left Bank Pinot Blanc, WillametteValley This 100-acre vineyard and estate win-ery is just west of Salem near the Eola-AmityHills, and it has added an on-premise café,one of the first such operations in Oregonwine country. Winemaker Luke McCollom hascrafted a delicious Pinot Blanc — the often-overlooked “third Pinot” of Oregon. It openswith aromas of slate, fresh linen and lime, fol-lowed by flavors of Key lime, lemon, ripe pearand wet stone. Won double gold at theOregon Wine Awards. (198 cases, 13.6% alc.)

Cardwell Hill Cellars $232009 Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette ValleyThis small producer in the southernWillamette Valley has crafted a nicely pricedpremium Oregon Pinot Noir. It opens withexotic aromas of leather, spice, gaminess andboysenberries, followed by complex and livelyflavors of red raspberries and bright cherries.It should pair beautifully with braised meats,veal or mushroom-laden dishes. Won gold atthe Northwest Wine Summit. (3,881 cases,13.2% alc.)

Ded.reckoning $25NV Ded Man's Chest 15 Year Tawny,Columbia Valley The label is owned by DougCharles of Compass Wines, a wine shop inAnacortes, Wash. It was made by DonTownshend of Townshend Cellars nearSpokane, who blended and aged the winebetween 1990 and 2000. The average age ofthe wine, thus, is 15 years, and it’s a classictawny, with aromas of dried currants, raisins,dates and walnuts. On the palate, it reveals fla-vors of toffee, butterscotch, oranges, datesand chocolate-covered cherries. Won doublegold at the Seattle Wine Awards. (100 cases,20% alc.)

Oliver Twist Estate Winery $182010 Patio Passion, Okanagan Valley Thisyoung winery is on the Black Sage Bench,perhaps the most venerable spot in theCanadian wine industry. This slightly off-dryrosé is made with Merlot, and it strikes a deli-cious balance between minerality and fruit.On the nose, it reveals aromas of strawber-ries, cherries and even oranges with just awhisper of smokiness, followed by flavors ofrhubarb and strawberries. It should pair nice-ly with dark turkey meat or barbecued ribs.Won gold at the All Canadian WineChampionships. (387 cases, 13.7% alc.)

Erath Winery $502008 Prince Hill 115 Pinot Noir, DundeeHills Dick Erath planted Prince Hill Vineyardoutside his home in 1983, and it’s now one ofwinemaker Gary Horner’s favorite sites. Itopens with aromas loaded with red currants,cherries, strawberries and vanilla, followed by

flavors of raspberries, ripe strawberries andfresh figs. Traces of smoke, earth and minerali-ty wend their way through the wine, andeverything is backed with modest tannins andexciting acidity. Earned “Outstanding” in WinePress Northwest’s Pinot Noir judging. (236cases, 13% alc.)

Aubichon Cellars $382009 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley This lit-tle winery in Dundee crafted a superb PinotNoir in just its third vintage using grapes fromthe Dundee Hills and Chehalem Mountains.Winemaker Jim Sanders shows off his skills bymaking a wine that is Euro in style with lay-ered, funky, forest floor components that arebalanced with cherry and raspberry fruit. Itspalate is impressive, thanks to balancedcreaminess that makes it equal parts complexand approachable. Earned “Outstanding” inWine Press Northwest’s Pinot Noir judging.(251 cases, 14.5% alc.)

Dunham Cellars $282006 Syrah, Columbia Valley This is wine-maker Eric Dunham’s fifth Platinum for thisvariety, having won for his 2000, 2001, 2004and 2006 (the latter for his Lewis Vineyard-des-ignated version). Two of those — the 2001 and2004 — were unanimous Double Platinumsand the top wines in the competition. In otherwords, Dunham makes some crazy good Syrah— and this one is a relative bargain. It openswith aromas of smoked bacon, black olives,black papper, horehound and pencil shavings,followed by flavors of ripe blackberries andblueberries. Won gold at the Northwest WineSummit. (1,647 cases, 14.6% alc.)

Reustle - Prayer Rock Vineyards $382009 Reserve Syrah, Umpqua ValleyStephen and Gloria Reustle crossed the coun-try to grow grapes and make wine inOregon’s Umpqua Valley, and in just a fewshort years, the Reustles have establishedtheir winery as one of the most exciting inthe state. The grapes for this wine came fromestate grapes and reveal aromas of blackber-ries, black pepper and dark chocolate. On thepalate, they show off flavors of espresso, milkchocolate, black licorice, black olives and aroasted meat characteristic. This won goldmedals at the Monterey Wine Competitionand San Diego International WineCompetition. (236 cases, 14.3% alc.)

Market Vineyards $392008 Dividend Syrah, Columbia ValleyThis boutique winery in Richland, Wash., usesstock market terms to name its offerings andeven goes so far as to have a “Bull Market”and “Bear Market” for its two wine clubs. Thewines are crafted by Charlie Hoppes, so it’sno surprise to see this wine here. This Syrahopens with aromas of ripe plums, porcinimushrooms and espresso, followed by flavorsof Marionberries, boysenberris and blacklicorice. Won gold at the Seattle Wine Awards.(91 cases, 14.9% alc.)

Barnard Griffin $172009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia ValleyThis is the seventh Platinum for a CabernetSauvignon that Rob Griffin has earned over the

years. Thus, it’s no surprise to see this wineamid the best wines of 2011. This opens witharomas of black currants, blackberries and ripedark plums, along with notes of vanilla andsweet spices. On the palate, this is loaded witha menagerie of ripe dark berries, includingblackberries, blueberries and boysenberries.This is a drink-now red. Won gold at theWashington State Wine Competition (bestred). (7,800 cases, 13.8% alc.)

Davenport Cellars $242007 Continuity Red, Columbia Valley Ayear ago, this wine was qualified in the 11thPlatinum Judging and earned a double gold.This year, it became eligible again, and thatextra year in the bottle was the difference.Davenport is a small producer in Woodinville,and this was its first vintage. The wine isequal parts Cab and Merlot, along withMalbec, Cab Franc and Petit Verdot. It openswith aromas of mint, cherries, loganberriesand herbs. On the palate, it again shows offintriguing minty notes, as well as red-tonedfruit. Won double gold at the Seattle WineAwards. (198 cases, 14.8% alc.)

Dunham Cellars $202008 Lewis Estate Vineyard Riesling,Columbia Valley Though this famous WallaWalla winery is best known for its Syrahs andCabs, it also produces a number of whitewines, including this vineyard-designated effortfrom its favorite spot in the Columbia Valley.This wine opens with intriguing aromas ofpetrol, as well as green apples. On the palate,it shows off more petrol with apricots andsteely minerality. Everything is backed up withbracing acidity. Won gold at the NorthwestWine Summit. (672 cases, 12.9% alc.)

Northstar Winery $602007 Merlot, Walla Walla ValleyWinemaker David “Merf ” Merfeld blendedCabernet Sauvignon (16%) and a touch ofPetit Verdot (6%) to round out the edges ofthis beautiful Merlot from the Walla WallaValley. It opens with aromas of black cherries,chocolate, black tea and blueberries, followedby mouth-filling flavors of blueberries andripe plums. There’s a certain richness to thiswine, thanks to youthful tannins and exuber-ant acidity. This Merlot still has plenty of lifein it. Won double gold at the Seattle WineAwards. (400 cases, 14.7% alc.)

Smasne Cellars $352008 Lawrence Vineyard Block 3 Syrah,Columbia Valley Winemaker Robert Smasnefocuses in on a special block of Syrah on theremote Frenchman Hills near Royal City,Wash., for this wine, and it is a beauty. Itopens with aromas of huckleberries, blueber-ries, black pepper and chocolate. On thepalate, it reveals flavors of Marionberries,huckleberries, blueberries and cola. Its beau-tiful texture carries the flavors through thelengthy finish. Won gold at the West CoastWine Competition. (94 cases, 13.9% alc.) �

ANDY PERDUE is editor- in-chief of Wine PressNorthwest.


WINE COUNTRY: YAMHILL COUNTY

26421 NW Hwy 47, Gaston, OR 97119503-662-4509

Open by appt. & holiday weekendswww.adeawine.com

16425 SE Webfoot Rd., Dayton, Oregon(503) 868-7359

Open for tasting 12-5 weekends & by appt. weekdays

Excellent.Kramer Vineyards 2010 Rosé ofCarmine Little Red, Yamhill-CarltonDistrict, $18.Kramer, one of Oregon’s oldest producers, isbased in the northern Yamhill County town ofGaston. It is, to our knowledge, the only wineryin the Northwest producing wines from theobscure Carmine grape, which is a cross ofCabernet Sauvignon, Carignane and Merlot. Thered version of this wine is known at Kramer as“Big Red,” so this rosé is nicknamed “Little Red.”It is loaded with aromas of strawberries, rasp-berries, red licorice and pie cherries, followed bybright flavors of watermelons, Meyer sweetlemons, Jonagold apples and cherries. It islaced with acidity, making this versatile foodwine perfect with roasted turkey, grilled scallops,spaghetti and meatballs

Outstanding! Erath Winery 2009 Bishop CreekPinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton District,$50. Gary Horner makes vineyard-designate PinotNoir from five American Viticultural Areas, andhis standard barrel program of 40% new

For more reviews of recently released wines, check outwww.winepressnw.com/freshpress

Recent releases from Yamhill CountyFrench oak for 15 months seemingly providesalluring sweet spice and roundness to eachproject. Here, it helps imparts notes of DrPepper, toffee and cinnamon Red Hots to thetheme of black currant jam, strawberry pie,cherry cola and fresh-cut rhubarb. This maybe the most hedonistic of the 2009 collection,but there’s ample acidity for traditional PinotNoir pairings of poultry and salmon. (98cases, 14.5% alc.)

Recommended. Erath Winery 2010 Dion VineyardPinot Gris Rosé, ChehalemMountains, $22.Despite a difficult vintage, Gary Horner stillmanaged to create this rarity in the PacificNorthwest — a pink from Pinot Gris. It’s clos-er to coral in color, and the nose gives offnotes of peach, pink grapefruit, watermelon,Asian pear, lime and strawberry with no signsof the partial barrel aging. It’s a serious drink,built to be lively, fresh and quite dry with fla-vors of yellow grapefruit, watermelon rind,unripe strawberry, minerality, a touch of tan-nin and impressive acidity. (229 cases, 13%alc.)


40- ... Label ads 11/29/11 9:51 PM Page 60

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40- ... Label ads 11/29/11 9:52 PM Page 61

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Enjoy our authentic ItalianCuisine, friendly atmosphere and

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Visconti’s RistoranteItaliano

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Chicken Currypaired withDunham Cellars’2009 Lewis EstateVineyard Riesling.The ChickenCurry is on themenu at Andrae’sKitchen.Unfortunately, the wine is not.

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The chalkboard next to a smallmetal tip bucket serves up aheaping sense of pride for

Walla Walla chef Andrae Bopp.It reads simply, “AK’s Burger

Counter 4,840 as of today.”“That’s not just 4,840 burgers

made from beef right here in theWalla Walla Valley,” Bopp said. “It’salso 4,840 servings of local toma-toes, 4,840 times we’ve used localonions, local bacon, pickled localcucumbers and 4,840 times we’veused the local bakery. All of theingredients are sourced locally,which is pretty cool.”

Resourceful is just one way todescribe Bopp, which rhymeswith “pope.” And while WallaWalla appears to be the finaldestination for this St. Louisnative, his high-profile mobilekitchen doesn’t appear to behis last business move.

Would you believe a drive-through window and sit-down seating in a mini-mart? If all works out, lookfor Bopp inside the CenexConvenience Store at thecorner of Rose and Ninth.

“It would give us a year-round location that’s notweather-dependent. Herewe are now, standing out-side in a hail/blizzard/rain-storm,” Bopp said with achuckle.

He’s not complaining,

though. That Mississippi-built foodtruck has been a tremendous vehi-cle for his growing catering busi-ness.

“It’s pretty damn busy here,” hesaid. “It’s the busiest intersection inWalla Walla, which is kind of nicebecause it gives us great visibilityand great access. People can veryeasily, park and eat inside. It’s agood spot.”

Even though Bopp, 46, never hashad a brick-and-mortar location in

Walla Walla, visibility hasn’t beena problem for this accomplishedsocial network user to cook up.He uses Facebook, Twitter andemail to communicate with hisfollowers, a list that includesmany Walla Walla winemakers.

He accepts reservationsonline for his popular La PorteBrune project, a series ofNorthwest “underground”dinners. Guests sign up inadvance, knowing only thedate and the city. Theyreceive an email shortlybefore the dinner inform-ing them of the exact loca-tion.

“They are not so under-ground anymore since I’mall permitted up,” he said.“Basically, they are glorifiedwinemaker dinners that I’mpreparing right out of thetruck.”

Ah, the truck.

On wheelsWalla Walla chef goes mobile

BY ERIC DEGERMAN PHOTOGRAPHS BY JACKIE JOHNSTON

W I N E

Dunham Cellars $202009 Lewis Estate Vineyard Riesling

—1,137 cases produced, 12.4% alcohol

This wine serves as a remarkable exam-ple of how a young winemaker and a

new vineyard can grow together to makeeach other stand out.

In 1999, Eric Dunham got in virtually onthe ground floor of Lewis Vineyard as Ken,Betty and Ken Lewis Jr. planted it just theyear before.

Their 80-acre vineyard near Prosser hasthe advantage of 1,200 feet elevation inthe Rattlesnake Hills and produces stun-ning results with red and white wines.

Now, about half of the Lewis Vineyardfruit goes to Dunham Cellars, which receivedWine Press Northwest’s Pacific NorthwestWinery of the Year award in 2008.

Over the years, multiple vintages ofLewis Vineyard Syrah have earnedPlatinum awards in Wine PressNorthwest’s best-of-the-best competition.This fall, the 2008 Lewis Estate VineyardRiesling was just the latest Dunham wineto earn a Platinum.

And that Riesling would indicate asmooth transition at Dunham Cellars. Duringthe winter of 2008, Dan Wampfler left Ste.Michelle Wine Estate’s winemaking team atColumbia Crest to spearhead the efforts atDunham Cellars. The arrival of the MichiganState grad frees up Eric Dunham to serve asthe director of winemaking.

The popularity of their house style, andthe variety in general, prompted theDunhams to double their production ofRiesling for the 2009 vintage.

Judging by the success of this pairing,this current vintage might be showing evenbetter with a bit more acidity. It’s built andlabeled as an off-dry Riesling with its resid-ual sugar hovering just above 2 percent.

The rich mouth feel and level of sweet-ness, held up by just enough acidity,makes it an ideal pairing partner for spicyfare with Asian or Spanish influences. Itbrings a tremendous amount of orchardfruit from beginning to end, featuring aro-mas and flavors of pear butter and bakedapple turnover, backed by jasmine, honey-suckle and just a bit of petrol.

Dunham Cellars, 150 E. Boeing Ave.,Walla Walla, WA, 99362, 509-529-4685,www.dunhamcellars.com


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“It started on a wild night of drink-ing in Seattle with friends,” Boppsaid with a smile. “A guy throws anewspaper article across the table tome about the food truck business inL.A., and they said you should just

do this. I said, “In Walla Walla?” Andthey said, “Yeah, in Walla Walla!”

After forking over $80,000, the 81⁄2-foot by 18-foot trailer came with50 cubic feet of refrigeration, a 6-foot range, a 24-inch charbroiler, a24-inch flattop grill and a 40-pounddeep fryer.

He rolled out AK’s in Walla Walladuring the 2010 grape harvest, firstnear the airport across fromDunham Cellars. Then came invita-tions from downtown to set up at

the tony Corliss Estates and then theupscale Marcus Whitman Hotel.

“We do lunch Monday throughFriday, usually somewhere close totown,” Bopp said. “On the week-ends, we travel to wineries — mostlysouth of town since there reallyaren’t a lot of food options there —so we’ll set up at Dusted Valley,Sleight of Hand and Saviah and pro-vide lunch to wine tourists.

“That’s during the day,” he contin-ued. “On the evenings, it’s wine din-

R E C I P E S

Chicken Curry with Jasmine RiceServes 4

6 boneless chicken thighs, diced2 tablespoons canola oil

Salt and pepper, to taste1- 2 cups Curry Sauce (see recipe below)4-5 cups cooked Jasmine rice

1 bunch green onions, sliced1⁄4 cup peanuts, chopped

1. Season chicken with salt and pep-per, and sauté in the canola oil untilgolden brown and cooked through.

2. Place in bowl and toss with currysauce. Place over the rice and top withgreen onion and peanuts.

Curry SauceMakes 2 cups

This curry sauce will work with allforms of seafood and shrimp as well asby itself for vegetarian purposes.

1 onion, minced2 garlic cloves, minced1 teaspoon butter1 teaspoon tomato paste3 tablespoons Wondra® Flour1 cup coconut milk3 cups vegetable stock1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled and

chopped1 Red Delicious apple, peeled and

chopped1 banana1 tomato, peeled and seeded5 tablespoons curry powder2 curry leaves, 1 stalk lemon grass,

2 sprigs thyme, bundled together withstringSalt, pepper to taste

1. Sweat onions and garlic in butter.2. Add paste and cook out.3. Add Wondra and stir in.4. Add remaining ingredients and

simmer for 90 minutes. Remove herbsand place remainder in blender. Blend,strain and season with salt and pepper.

MATCH MAKERS

Andrae Bopp’s latest culinary venture is afood truck he’s called Andrae’s Kitchen,most often located in Walla Walla.


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ners — both private and public —and catered events.”

On Memorial Day, he trucked AK’sto the Gorge at George for theSasquatch! Music Festival. InOctober, he hauled it to West Seattlefor a “chowdown” competitionamong more than 20 food trucks.

It’s been quite a transformationfor Bopp from his eponymous,French-inspired restaurant just acouple of blocks from the Idahostate Capitol in Boise. In 2006,

Andrae’s earned an “OutstandingNorthwest Wine List Award” fromWine Press Northwest. A few monthslater, Bopp won two awards fromthe Washington Wine Commission,one of them for Best Out-of-StateWashington Wine Program.

“I love the Walla Walla Valley andthe guys who are making winethere,” he declared in his Summer2007 profile as a Match Maker.

He still has a soft spot for thatBoise restaurant, using the stylized

R E C I P E

Duck Confit with Arugula andBlackberry Vinaigrette

Serves 4

Duck confit:6 duck legs, fat scored1 bunch rosemary1 bunch thyme

12 garlic cloves, minced8 shallots, minced

Kosher saltCracked black pepper

11⁄2 quart duck fat

Blackberry vinaigrette:1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil2 garlic cloves, minced

1-2 shallots, minced1 pint blackberries2⁄3 cup white balsamic vinegar1 teaspoon sugar2 tablespoons mint, chopped1 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon white pepper1⁄2 cup canola oil

Salad:4 cups Arugula1⁄2 cup toasted walnuts

Salt and pepper, to taste2 duck breasts, seared, chilled, sliced1⁄2 cup Parmesan Reggiano, shredded

Prepare the duck confit:1. Place legs, herbs, garlic and shallots

in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pep-per. Pack into a dish and cover tightly.Refrigerate 24 to 72 hours.

2. Remove and brush off mixture.Place scored side down in a sauté panand cook over medium heat until crispyand fat is rendered.

3. Place legs in roasting pan and coverwith duck fat. Place in oven at 275°F for4-5 hours or until meat pulls off bone.Remove, strain duck fat and reserve.

Prepare the blackberry vinaigrette:1. Sauté garlic and shallots in olive

oil. Add berries and cook for 1-2 min-utes. Deglaze with the vinegar.

2. Place mixture in blender and addsugar, mint, salt and pepper. Slow addcanola oil. Strain and adjust seasoning.

Prepare the salad:1. Toss arugula, walnuts, duck confit

and vinaigrette with salt and pepper.2. Plate and place sliced duck breast

on salad. Top with the Parmesan.


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“A” that appeared on the door as thelogo for AK’s.

Despite his mobile kitchen, don’tmake the mistake of viewing Boppas a hobo or winery roadie. The for-mer competitive cyclist graduatedfrom the French Culinary Institute inNew York City, worked at severalManhattan hotspots and still returnsto the Big Apple for inspiration.

But when it came time to start outon his own, Bopp chose Boise overWalla Walla because he wasn’t sure ifWalla Walla couldn’t support anotherfine-dining restaurant.

After five years, he learned Boisewasn’t ready, either. He moved toWalla Walla and switched careers.His close friends at Dusted ValleyVintners — Corey Braunel and ChadJohnson — created a position forhim.

“They gave me a shot to come inand work harvest, and that turnedinto a full-time job for a couple ofyears as an assistant winemaker,”Bopp said. “I was doing a little cater-ing on the side, and pretty soon itturned into a little more cateringthan winemaking. I told them, ‘Hey,I’ve got to get back into thefood business,’ which theyknew was coming.”

In his previous Match Makerappearance, Bopp featuredAlaskan halibut via sous vide,the only time in the 14-year his-tory of the food-and-wine pair-ing profile that a chef hasdeployed the French tech-nique of vacuum-sealingfood in a bag with season-ings. Ironically, that dishincluded a smoked WallaWalla sweet onion purée.

Now, with AK’s, Bopp ishelping to remove pre-tense from the wine cul-ture.

“That’s our goal — togive people really qualityfood at a fair price,” hesaid.

The Chicken Curry($8), made with jasmine

rice and green onion, paired deli-ciously with the Dunham Cellars2009 Lewis Estate Vineyard Riesling.

Asian-influenced cuisine is a natu-ral match for off-dry Rieslings, andthis carries enough acidity to bal-ance its own sugar (2.3%). The fruitprofile of the Dunham Riesling fea-tures orchard fruit and subtle bakingspices, which transitions nicely asthe Golden and Red Deliciousapples incorporate into Bopp’s currysauce.

The other Match Maker wine wasthe Cadaretta 2008 Syrah, and itallowed Bopp to address anotherdebate surrounding wine and food.

“I get a lot of people ask me aboutpairing red wine with salad,” he said.

So he offered his Duck Confit onArugula. That rich meat, backed byshredded Parmesan cheese, thenutty interplay of the arugula andwalnuts, and thin drizzle of hisblackberry vinaigrette complement-ed the brambleberry accents of theCadaretta Syrah. The wine’s brightacidity made the balsamic vinegarcomponent a virtual nonfactor.

Bopp posts the AK’s menu online,and while it changes frequently,Chicken Curry with Jasmine Ricehas become a standing item.

And as of Dec. 1, wine touristswho fly out of Walla Walla onAlaska Airlines/Horizon Air cancheck one case of Walla Wallawine for free. Cadaretta andDunham Cellars are among themore than 70 participatingwineries.

Andrae’s Kitchen, c/o CenexConvenience Store, Rose &Ninth St., Walla Walla, 99362,509-572-0728,andraeskitchen.com, laportebrune.com, Twitter@AndraesKitchen. �

ERIC DEGERMAN is Wine PressNorthwest’s managing editor. Have a sug-gestion for a future Match Maker? E-mailhim at [email protected] JOHNSTON , a freelance photo-journalist, is a regular contributor and thepage designer for Wine Press Northwest. Herwebsite is WineCountryPhotos.com

W I N E

Cadaretta Wines $352008 Syrah, Columbia Valley

—582 cases produced, 14.8% alcohol

For generations, the Middleton familyhas operated a large-scale forestry

operation based in Hoquiam, Wash., withservice along the West Coast.

They appear to be in the Washingtonwine industry for the long haul, too.

In 2005, they launched their Walla Wallawinery, naming it after their lumberschooner that was conscripted into serviceduring World War II.

They also are partners in the ArtifexWine Co., with Norm McKibben of SevenHills Vineyard and continue to develop a150-acre vineyard nearby.

The Middleton Family Wines labels inWashington — Buried Cane and Cadaretta— are made by Larry Cherubino and BrianRudin. (The Middletons also own vineyardsand Clayhouse Wines in Paso Robles,Calif., which they created in the 1990s.)

Rick Middleton Jr., made a serious startby hiring rising star Virginie Bourgue asCadaretta’s first winemaker, and she alsohelped with the early plantings before leav-ing to launch her own label.

Their young Southwind Vineyard — firstplanted in 2008 — is coming on line, sothey turned to Pepper Bridge and thehighly regarded StoneTree Vineyard on theWahluke Slope for this berry, juicy Syrah.

Rather than deliver a jammy and volup-tuous blackberry bomb, Cadaretta’s thirdvintage of Syrah leans toward a theme ofMarionberry and dark black cherry, loadedwith allspice, vanilla bean and Cabrettagolf glove leather.

Skillful use of 100 percent French oak,most of it new, did nothing to rob the fruit.And the wine shows delicious balance withacidity leading the away as the tannins sitin the background like a pair of well-worncotton pajamas.

And the Middletons rapidly establisheda reputation with their Washington portfoliofor Syrah. The Buried Cane 2007 Syrah($15) earned a rare Double Platinum andwas voted the Best Syrah in Wine PressNorthwest’s 2010 year-end PlatinumJudging.

Cadaretta Wines, 1102 Dell Avenue,Suite B, Walla Walla, WA, 99632, 509-525-1352, cadaretta.com


MATCH MAKERS

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Duck Confit with Arugulaand BlackberryViniagrette (aka MeatSalad) served withCadaretta Wines’ 2008 Syrah.


WINE COUNTRY: COLUMBIA GORGE


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WINE COUNTRY: PUGET SOUND & WESTERN WASHINGTON

For more reviews of recentlyreleased wines, check out

www.winepressnw.com/freshpress

Recent releases fromWestern Washington

Excellent. Westport Winery 2010Bella, Washington, $33. Our reigning Washington Winery to Watch isnow up to 33 different wines, and here’s itsmost expensive still wine, a tribute to the leadcharacter in the Twilight series that’s set onthe Olympic Peninsula. Dana Roberts takes arather novel approach with his blend ofBarbera, Merlot, Primitivo, Refosco,Tempranillo and Syrah, and it’s a very freshand fruity wine. Aromas and flavors bring atheme of blueberry, Montmorency cherry, redcurrant and pomegranate. Its fruity approach,nice acidity, low tannin and near absence ofoak is akin to a Chianti and should pare wellwith light Italian fare. It also would serve as agreat introductory red wine for those new towine. (562 cases, 12% alc.)

Recommended. Westport Winery2010 Swimmer's Last Syrah,Washington, $27. Coastal winemaker Dana Roberts uses a cur-rent of bright acidity to carry the structure ofthis lighter-styled Syrah. Fresh boysenberry,blueberry taffy, black olive, pink peppercornand cured meat accents are finished by a popof loganberry. (204 cases, 12% alc.)


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WINE COUNTRY: TRI-CITIES & RED MOUNTAIN

For more reviews of recentlyreleased wines, check out

www.winepressnw.com/freshpress

Recent releases fromthe Tri-Cities and

Red MountainExcellent. Gordon BrothersFamily Vineyards 2010 EstateGewürztraminer Ice Wine,Columbia Valley, $37.Tim Henley’s winemaking for this began withharvest on Nov. 24, and 26 weeks of fermenta-tion left him with a whopping 31% residualsugar. Those looking for dessert in a glass canend their search here, which starts with aro-mas of a fuzzy and sweet apricot, backed bypeach, tangerine, baked apple, candied grape-fruit peel, honey and Mister Lincoln rose. Therich and syrupy palate brings more bakedapple, honey and lychee flavors with candiedpineapple in the finish. (38 cases, 7.1% alc.)

Excellent. Fidelitas Wines 2008Champoux Vineyard Merlot, HorseHeaven Hills, $50. From perhaps the state’s most prized vine-yard comes a robust Merlot that provides anaromatic greeting of black cherry, blackberry,blueberry, violets, coffee, caramel and darkchocolate. The palate comes loaded withblack cherry, tar and charcoal, which are fol-lowed by more dark chocolate and coffee. Inthe finish is a pinch of allspice and brightcranberry acidity. (192 cases, 14.4% alc.)


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Pacific NorthwestWine Clubs

ELLENSBURG WINEWORKS WINECLUBSWe offer 2 wine programs to suit your wine

preference and budget. A quarterlyWashington-only wine club, 6 btls $200-

250/shipment and a monthly or every-other-month international club 2 btls/shipment.

www.ellensburgwineworks.com 509-962-VINE (8463)

WashingtonGreater Seattle Area

CITY CELLARS FINE WINES, 1710 N.45thSt., Seattle. (206) 632-7238. Tues.-Sat.11-7;Sundays 12-5. www.citycellar.com. Fridaytastings 5-7. “In the heart of Wallingford.”

GEORGE’S WINE SHOPPE, Kelsey CreekShopping Ctr., 15015 Main St. Ste 115,Bellevue, WA 98007. Wines for every taste!Open Mon.-Sat. 10-6. 425-644-7723www.georgeswineshoppe.com

Tacoma Area

WINE BANK, 7017 27th St W. UniversityPlace, WA 98466. Voted Best Wine Shop inPierce County. Saturday tastings. Discountwine club. Now carrying the best CraftBeers. 253-564-1101. Sign up for our emailnewsletter. www.winebankup.com

Olympic, Kitsap Peninsula, SanJuans

COMPASS WINES, 1405 Commercial Ave.,Anacortes, WA. 360-293-6500; fax: 360-588-1895. Extensive collection of rare & collecta-ble wines. Wine storage. Only 2 blocks fromthe marinas. Dockside delivery available.compasswines.com

Central Washington

ELLENSBURG WINEWORKSBottle shop and wine bar. Themed wine tast-

ing every Friday & Saturday. Artisancheeses, meats, olive oil and more. WE

SHIP!www.ellensburgwineworks.com

509-962-VINE (8463)

Spokane

VINO! A WINESHOP, where you don't needto know a lot about wine. Join our discountbuying club or our "Wine of the Month Club."Wine tasting every Friday & Saturday. Jointhe fun at 222 S. Washington St., Spokane,WA 800-826-5674, 509-838-1229www.vinowine.com

OregonGreater Portland Area

BRENTWOOD WINE COMPANY — Internetfine wine weekly auctions. The Northwest'slargest buyer of fine wine. Consignment optionwhere you set the price or outright purchase.For free appraisal, email wine list: [email protected] (503) 638 WINE • www.brentwoodwine.com

Oregon CoastTHE CELLAR ON 10TH, Astoria. Corner of10th & Marine Dr. Finest selection of regionalwines. Wine bar; weekly tastings; storage; gifts.(503) 325-6600 • www.thecellaron10th.comE-mail us: [email protected]

Experience the Northwest’s Best Wine Store• Over 5,000 wines • Discount prices• Free local delivery • We ship UPS

• Call for free mailer• Private wine lockers • Secured access

• Climate controlled • Convenient location

2700 Fourth Avenue SouthSeattle, WA

(206) 682-7374 • (888) 682-WINEwww.esquin.com

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Ed. note: Beginning with this issue, Coke Roth will sharestories — mostly true — from his adventures in tastingNorthwest wine over the past five decades.

Other than being asked the origins of my name (longstory, another time), I most frequently get asked howI became a wine judge.

Prior to entering law school at the age of 40, I ran the Tri-City branch of Roth Distributing Co., a multigeneration beerand wine wholesale operation. From the time I was a tyke,wine quality aspects intrigued me, so a life-long marriageoccurred between my occupation and recreation.

There was foreign study in Germany during my junior yearof college, working for Gallo just after my undergraduatestudies, a gentle nudge from my wonderful father and mem-bership in the Sigma Chi fraternity (actually, that was primari-ly beer). All seem to be the most likely reasons why I couldnot get my nose out of a glass.

However, I suppose the formal beginning came in 1976when Bob Wing, wine competition superintendent of the NezPerce County Fair in Lewiston, Idaho, invited Washingtongrape grower Maury Balcom and me to be wine judges at thefair. I was so honored because I was going to be a rock star atthe Nez Perce County Fair.

Dressed in a paisley tie and orange plaid bell bottompants (lookin’ groovy), I sat with the other judges at class-room-style tables, in a building with a door 30 feet from thebovine barn. The wines in brown bags were displayedbehind us on shelves. A couple of feet in front of us was aflimsy rope, to keep the mosh pit of onlookers in their ownzone.

As we were thoughtfully tasting through wines that rangedfrom Cabernet Sauvignon to dandelion, a man — a very largeman — leaned over the rope and yelled “Yur judgin’ maawaaaahn!” He was dressed in bib overalls, tipping the scales80 pounds heavier than the grand champion hog, a chain sawin hand and a toothless grin. He leaned back and said,“Hopin’ ya lahk it,” and it was not by coincidence that wedid, the olfactory distraction from the bovine barn notwith-standing. It was a pea pod wine, emerald green in color, withperfect balance and varietal character. A gold medal — withor without his compelling presence.

So, you wanna be a wine judge? Be careful what you wishfor.

While it is enviable, it is not easy. It is, indeed, cool being awine judge; the paid-for trips, the deluxe accommodations,terrific food, fun people and great wines all invoke jealousyfrom the wine-drinking crowd. Judging a couple dozen winesat the Nez Perce County Fair is mere child’s play comparedwith the 100-200 per day you normally expect at a large com-petition; my personal record was 237, and if you don’t spit allthe wine out, you’ll be napping by noon.

I advise people to never get too impressed with one winecritic, rather believing a panel of judges is a better quality fil-ter. I know more than the average bear about wine, but noone can tell you what you like. A typical wine panel consistsof food, sales, media and technical people, and only whenthe stars align do you get medals. Indeed, the system is notperfect. And panels don’t catch it all, either.

The night before one international judging in Canada, wejudges were at a little Italian restaurant drinking expensiveItalian wine. A fellow judge spotted one wine on the menu, ascrew-top $7, liter-size bottle from Chile. Unbeknownst tous, the next day our hands-down prejudging favorite wasentered into the competition, and every judge voted nomedal, including me.

So, the old “time and place” lesson was learned at a rela-tively young age: Wine competitions have the same blemish-es as any of the other indicators except that there may besome chance that not all of the same judges will make thesame mistake at the same time.

Most of the wine judges I have met during my 36 years ofrunning and judging wine competitions have vast experiencein food and wine. The best wine judges are those who do notplace too much emphasis on their own likes and dislikes, butrather use the time-and-place memory skills to balanceorganoleptic acuity with subjectivity.

Whenever and wherever I judge, I remember the followinganalogy: Cindy Crawford has a mole on her face, and actorGeorge Clooney has a hairy back (I assume). The point is, ifyou concentrate on only those small blemishes, you are miss-ing out on a lot of fine horse flesh. Accordingly, the best winejudges do not overemphasize small faults in a wine; instead,they understand that the sterile and sometimes fatiguingatmosphere of the judging table must be weighed in favor ofthe wine.

Wine will be consumed with friends, over dinner or other-wise enjoyed by consumers who are not bothered by themole. Moreover, good wine judges are not afraid to move offof their original position. My good friend and fellow WinePress Northwest columnist Dan Berger and I will frequentlygo from a bronze to a gold based on a retaste and compellingarguments by our talented counterparts.

In closing, you can use particular indicators from colum-nists and wine competitions as rough guidelines on what youwant to drink. However, the guy in the paisley print tie andorange plaid bell bottoms advises you to be your own judge.I advise you to drink wine you like in moderation — fre-quently.

COKE ROTH is an attorney who lives in Richland, Wash.He is an original member of Wine Press Northwest’s tastingpanel. Learn more about him at cokerothlaw.com.

So you want to be a wine judge

BY COKE ROTH

COLUMN grapes of roth

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Documents

Wine Press Northwest Winter 2011/2012 issue