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Food & wine writer Chris Nishiwaki shares his obsession for wineries around the Puget Sound every week in an informative column, including a recommended wine in his "Pick of the Week".Vine & Sun is the second label for Woodinville producers Barons V. But make no mistake about it, this is no junior varsity wine. Consulting winemaker Matthew Loso crafts a muscular Cabernet Sauvignon blend with some Merlot that gives the wine a round and fleshy mid-palate. The structure, complexity and layers of black currants, black cherries and blackberries are suggestive of a wine more luxurious than its $18 price tag. Smoke, spicy oak, graphite and a touch of stony minerality complement the showy fruit qualities. Pair this wine with the wokked luc lac filet mignon with organic arugula and…
As the Woodinville wine industry has grown, its signature "Passport to Woodinville" spring wine tour has shrunk in attendance. With most of the Woodinville wineries already open on most weekends, the novelty of tasting wines throughout the city during Passport to Woodinville has been lost. The trend has left many in the Woodinville wine industry wondering about the relevance of the wine tour. “As Woodinville has grown up as a wine destination the model for Passport to Woodinville has changed,” said Mike Sharadin, vice president of the board of directors of Woodinville Wine Country, the local …
The husband and wife team of Brett and Denise Isenhower, retired pharmacists, moved to Walla Walla in 1998 and started making wine in 1999. Ten years later, they opened a tasting room at 15007 Woodinville-Redmond Road in Woodinville. The end of 2009 is also when they harvested the fruit for this wine.The Isenhowers source fruit from some of the best vineyards around the state. Their 09 Sangiovese comes exclusively from the Desert Hills Vineyards in the cool north part of the Yakima Valley. It is the cool weather that helps retain the acidity that defines Sangiovese.This Sangiovese features …
More than 30 tasting rooms are participating in Passport to Woodinville this weekend, but others are opting out this year, either just opening their doors separately or hosting separate events. Those that are open but not part of the event will charge a separate wine tasting fee not covered by the Passport cost. So be sure to check your passport carefully to confirm the participating wineries, or check the complete list in this article. The Passport to Woodinville runs 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Below is a list of wine open houses or wine release parties through the end of May. …
Kestrel Vintners winemaker Flint Nelson co-ferments Syrah and Viognier in the style of Cote Rotie in France’s Northern Rhone region to produce a floral, seductive and juicy Syrah. The blend is 93 percent Syrah and 7 percent Viognier, all from the proprietary Kestrel View Estate Vineyards. The Viognier gives the wine its distinctive aromatics of orange zest, Clementine, violets and lavender. Flavors of blueberries, plums, prunes and raspberries dominate the palate complemented by hints of espresso, vanilla and baking spices. The soft mid-palate and juicy finish complete this wine. With …
Ron Bunnell has made wine at some of the largest wineries in the country, including California giant producers Beringer, Chateau Souverain and Kendall-Jackson. Now making wine at his Prosser-based family winery, Bunnell Family Cellar, Bunnell is turning to the more intimate confines of Woodinville's Warehouse District. Bunnell will be opening a tasting room during the Passport to Woodinville weekend, April 21-22. The new tasting room, sandwiched between Hestia Cellars and the tasting room for Kestrel Vintners, will also house the tasting rooms for Newhouse Family Vineyards and Upland Estates…
Redmond's Cliff and Diane Otis’ progression in the wine industry has been gradual and deliberate. It has been of Olympic proportions, making a major move every four years. The Otises initially invested in Woodinville-based Matthews Estate in 2004. In 2008 they bought out founder Matthew Loso. Now, in 2012, they bought out business partners Jim and Dawn Rubstello, who initially invested in Matthews Estate in 2001, to become the sole owners of the winery. The deal was finalized March 30. The next stage of Matthews Estate and its ultra premium winery, Tenor, involves the entire Otis family, …
A rosé is not just a rosé anymore. Long maligned by its poor reputation based on the sweet version of White Zinfandel mass-produced by wineries such as Beringer Vineyards in Napa Valley, more rosés are now made in the food-friendly dry style. In wine regions across the world, including Washington, the Loire Valley, Provence, Tavel, Tuscany, Rioja and even California, quality rosés are produced. Rosé is often released young, sometimes months after it was harvested. That means right about now in time for the Easter feast. The soft tannins and berry fruit qualities common in rosé counter the …
Major wine consumer events have become a rite of spring. An embarrassment of food and wine event riches is upon us (see list below), and experienced event organizers have wise advice lest you be embarrassed at such events. Jamie Peha gave birth to TASTE Washington — considered the mother of all Washington wine events — when she worked for the Washington Wine Commission from 1994 to 2005. TASTE Washington was initially a wine-trade-only event. Peha, the marketing manager at the time, created the consumer event in 1998. It hosted about 50 wineries at The Paramount Theatre in downtown Seattle. …
News earlier this week that Rudy Kurniawan, a wine broker who had sold up to $1.3 million in bogus wine at prestigious wine auctions, was arrested by the FBI got me thinking about how local wine consumers can be assured that the wine they are buying is legitimate. The simplest and most effective advice is to get to know your local boutique wine shop staff or wine steward at supermarkets. There are many specialty stores and supermarkets with extensive wine selections on the Eastside. Pete’s Wines, Grand Cru Wine Shop and George’s Wine Shoppe in Bellevue, The Olde Wine Store on Mercer Island, …
The Golden Grape Awards is the competition for winemakers, of winemakers and by winemakers. Organized by Willows Lodge wine directors Matt Davis and Jennifer Schmitt, it is the only major wine competition in the state judged exclusively by winemakers who are also competing. “We didn’t want the competition to be about the judges,” Davis said. “We wanted to make it about the winemakers. You can’t do this anywhere else. Since we are in Woodinville the winemakers are our neighbors.” Darby Winery won for best Syrah with the 2010 Darby Winery “Aunt Lee” Syrah and The King’s Cup for the highest …
The beginning of March marked the beginning of Washington Wine Month — not that some area retailers and restaurants noticed. They question the value or significance of the twice-a-year promotion, and many will not participate this year. "It doesn’t all of a sudden spark a lot of sales for us,” said Adam Bernstein of The Grape Choice in Kirkland. “It doesn’t bring a lot of interest. If we are going to do something it has to really spark interest.” Tom Cottrell of Bellevue’s Grand Cru Wine Shop said most of his customers turn to him for special deals on wines from around the world, including …
Cynthia Daste left Woodinville Wine Country last year after a 4 1/2-year stint as the promotional organization's executive director. But she's still promoting local wines. Daste has helped create Artisan Producing Wineries of Woodinville to promote wineries based in Woodinville, versus wineries with tasting rooms in Woodinville but making their wines elsewhere. The new organization will start with three events a year. The first will be the Spring Barrel Tasting on May 20. Participating wineries include Convergence Zone Cellars, Davenport Cellars, DiStefano Winery, Elevation Cellars, Hollywood…
The Washington Wine Commission has hired pharmaceutical industry executive Steve Warner as its new executive director. Warner will start March 12, replacing Robin Pollard, who left the Commission at the end of 2011. “I could not be more excited about joining the Commission and the industry at this particular time in our evolution,” Warner said in a statement. “We have tremendous opportunity ahead of us, and I look forward to working with our state’s growers and wineries to realize our full potential as a unified industry.” Warner was a managing director for Merck based in Bucharest, Romania. …
Champagne, more specifically pink Champagne or Rosé Champagne, is a suggestive and seductive choice on the most romantic holiday of the year. It is associated with celebration, luxury and romance. The gentle tickling of the bubbles and the soft pink hue suggesting femininity give a wink to romance. Pink Champagne spurred Deborah Kerr and Cary Grant’s relationship in An Affair to Remember, raising the bubbly’s reputation as a romantic elixir. In real life, Grant was married briefly to Dyan Cannon, a Tacoma native and West Seattle High School and University of Washington graduate. Kerr and …
The First Friday Wine Walk series kicks off on Friday, Feb. 3, from 5 to 8 p.m. at locations throughout downtown Issaquah. First Friday Wine Walks are also scheduled for March 2 and April 6. Nardone Winery, Kana Winery, Zerba Cellars, Lodmell Winery, Smasne Cellars and Castillo de Feliciana will be pouring wines at locations around Issaquah, including ArtByFire, artEAST Art Center, First Stage, Illuminate, Museo Art Academy and Thrive. Wine tasting locations are open to guests of all ages. Wine tasting is strictly for guests 21 and over. Tickets are $20 in advance, including six 2-ounce …
By the time you read this I will have turned 40 years old. I will be celebrating four decades on earth this month, almost half of it drinking wine. Do the math. I was born in 1972, not a particularly spectacular vintage anywhere in the wine world. Finding a wine from my birth year has been a struggle. With the aid of some friends I eventually found interesting wines from the 1972 vintage. What if you don’t have friends in the wine industry? There are other alternatives. There are many local resources, including the many wineries in the state. It will require some research and advance …
Blueberries, smoke and wet stone dominate the bouquet of this classic expression of Walla Walla Syrah. Layers of fig, blueberries, plums and pine nuts on the palate lead to a juicy citrus, orange zest finish make the 2008 Otis Kenyon Syrah, Walla Walla our pick of the week. The 2008 Otis Kenyon Syrah is a natural wine to pair with a barbecue chicken dish such as the Jack Daniels barbecue chicken pizza at Village Wines. Rich grilled meat flavors echo the smoky qualities of the wine. The rich barbecue sauce is balanced by the surprisingly racy acidity in this Syrah. The Wine is typically …
After the mad rush of mad wine deals to celebrate the holiday season and close out the year comes the hangover. Some wine retailers and restaurants will lick their wounds, rest and prepare for February and the celebratory Valentine’s Day. “All the way through Christmas and New Year, it’s great for cash flow. It’s really fun,” said Nick James, marketing and sales director at Mark Ryan Winery in Woodinville. “January is the time to recollect and prepare for the coming year.” However, if you know where to look, January is the ideal time to order wine out, or stock up on wine with deals aplenty …
Wine is the utilitarian and versatile gift for all seasons. As the season of giving peaks with Christmas, consider giving a more unique and creative gift for the wine lover in your life. Let the Cork Dork guide you through a range of gift options for wine lovers--other than wine. For the ambitious wine collector in your life, remodel your home to include a private wine cellar with the help of Apex Wine Cellars in Bellevue. Collectors can spend in the tens of thousands of dollars. If your budget is more modest you can rent a locker at Wine Storage Bellevue for under $100 a month. There are …
