Did the Wine Spectator Eat Crow Paired with a Glass of Blush from the Osteria L'Intrepido Menu?

In Portland, Oregon last week at the meeting of the American Society for Wine Economists, a presentation was given by wine writer, Robin Goldstein. Apparently, he performed a "sting operation" on the Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards. In summary:

1. A fake restaurant was created - Osteria L'Intrepido.
2. Location of fake restaurant was in Milan, Italy.
3. A website for fake restaurant - Osteria L’Intrepido was designed.
4. A wine list was built using the lowest scoring Italian wines from the Wine Spectator magazine.
5. Fake restaurant enters Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards.
6.TA-DAAAA!!! Fake restaurant wins "Wine Spectator Award of Excellence!"

At this time the Wine Spectator hasn't said much other than it was an elaborate hoax. They have only acknowledged this on their WS Forum, their chat-message board - nothing front page at this time. However, I have to rebuke a comment on the forum from James Molesworth, Senior Editor of the WS. "This is the problem with the 'blogosphere'. It's a lazy person's journalism. No one does any real research, but rather they just slap some hyperlinks up and throw a little conjecture at the wall, and presto! you get some hits and traffic..."

James, I would like to give the Wine Spectator the benefit of the doubt until all of the facts are in. In the mean time, don't bottle all of the blogosphere together with one cork. That kind of defensive response is often typical if guilt is involved. So, let's not shift blame on everybody else and let's keep with the topic at hand, shall we? Besides, if blogging is a lazy person's journalism, then why does the WS participate in the blogosphere and why am I blogging for free?

Last but not least, if Goldstein's "research" proves to be with merit, then wineries and winemakers may ponder the credibility of their scores from the Wine Spectator and especially those scores below 90 points that have influenced and turned away wine sales from the high-point driven wine consumer.

The Best Washington State Sangioveses

The September issue of Seattle: The Premier Seattle Monthly reports their guide of the Best Washington State Sangioveses of 2008 - - and four out of the five Sangioveses listed, four are produced in the Walla Walla Valley Appellation:

1. Yellow Hawk Cellars – Walla Walla
2. Mannina Cellars – Walla Walla
3. Trio Vintners – Walla Walla
4. Walter Dacon – Shelton
5. Stella Fino – Milton-Freewater, OR (WA/OR Border - fruit sourced from Walla Walla Valley Appellation)

The article points out that some of the first wines in Washington State were made by Italian immigrants. And what the article didn't point out that Walla Walla, where the majority of their picks come from, definitely has deep Italian roots since the late 1850’s. And by the end of 1915, over 120 Italian families established their produce “truck” gardens in the Walla Walla Valley, which many of their grandchildren continue to cultivate today. Sangiovese is the noble red grape of Tuscan wines and today there are over 200 acres of Sangiovese planted making it the sixth most grown grape in Washington. The other day I was asked which grape will Walla Walla be especially known for? Merlot? Syrah? Perhaps, one day it will be Sangiovese.

And - - it just so happens, besides at their wineries, Mannina Cellars Sangiovese and Trio Vintners Sangiovese can be purchased at: Walla Walla Wine Woman. Do I know how to pick great Sangiovese or what?

jimgermanbar

The most important thing I have to say is: it’s a good thing jimgermanbar is located in Waitsburg and I actually have to plan the 18 mile road trip ahead of time or I could oh-so-easy become a barfly (And yes, you read it right: it’s jimgermanbar. I didn’t forget to add spaces or caps as per spell checker).

bar·fly / ˈ'bärˌ?flīi/ • n. (pl. -flies) inf. a person who spends much time drinking in bars.

For awhile, I was thinking I first met owners Claire Johnston and Jim German last year when I was assigned to write an article about jimgermanbar for the Northwest Palate magazine's "Recent Openings" column, but later I remembered meeting them one Sunday afternoon when I was working at a local winery. Claire and Jim came in to sample the wines and introduced themselves to me. They were located in Walla Walla at the time and Jim was bartending for Whitehouse Crawford. I remembered how this personable couple made my day.

There are several things that keep drawing me back to jimgermanbar. The first and most important thing is Jim and Claire. Every time I enter their bar, I am met by both with a warm greeting as if entering their living room with an invitation for a special evening. The atmosphere is far from pretentious with an artsy, yet simple Mediterranean taverna-feel in the century-old building that was once the former Waitsburg Odd Fellows Hall. What also adds to the ambiance is the customers - a varied blend of Waitsburg locals, tourists and even local winemakers.

The other things that keep drawing me to jimbermanbar is that everything is fresh, from the house smoked meats to the tinctures and herbs used in the drinks. Jim is a purist and you won’t find blended floofy-frothy-frizzy-disco-‘tini drinks behind his bar. What you will find are traditional cocktails prepared using recipes from decades ago, such as real martinis made with gin or vodka and accessorized with house-brined olives or an artful twist. One of my favorite cocktails produced behind Jim’s bar is the French 75, named after a piece of WWI artillery. Last month, I discovered that sitting at the bar is the best view of the house. I was able to watch Jim perform his cocktail art, learn about various liquors and watch him methodically "muddle the mint" for fresh Cuban-style mojitos using fresh mint from Claire’s herb garden. From that bar stool, I also watched Jim light the candles at dusk, which illuminate the back bar wall, as if it was a ceremony greeting the dark.

As you enter the bar, attached to the left wall are two large rolls of butcher paper that lists the daily menu of seasonal "Etruscan Snacks." I think between myself and my dining companions there isn’t anything on that menu that we haven’t ordered. One of our favorites is the various toppings for the crostinis, such as the rich sofrito or Claire’s fresh picked lovage and sweet onion pesto to the house smoked pork tenderloin and baked organic polenta topped with marinara and basil pesto. And you can’t leave without finishing the evening with a "Super Happy Clairecake" - a moist and tasty cupcake frosted with one of Claire’s artful designs.

Now there is one thing that might make a Walla Walla wine connoisseur gasp - - there is not one bottle of Walla Walla wine or any domestic wine in the house. GASP! The wine list is a thoughtful selection of European wines from sparklers to ports. In fact last Friday, we sampled a new assortment of Georgian wines from Russia. Even as one of the biggest fans of Walla Walla wines, I love the jimgermanbar wine selection as Jim brings wines to the area that I might not try on my own - - and if you are going to be a true wine connoisseur, one should broaden their wine miles. And speaking of miles, the 18 miles to jimgermanbar are miles worth traveling for.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #48 - Back To Your Roots

The theme for the 4th Birthday of Wine Blogging Wednesday (#48) is "Back To Your Roots." Our WBW founder and this months host, Lenn Thompson of Lenndevours, asked us to dig deep to our “roots” and take a look back into our wine-drinking history. He has asked us to pick one of the wines from the beginning of our wine journey, taste it again and tell our readers about it.

This theme got me to thinking about my roots with wine. Of course, it started with my father’s fermentation projects and later my wine repertoire would encompass such fine domestics such as Spanada, Annie Green Springs, and I thought I was really living when a fancy-shaped bottle of Lancers adorned the dinner table during my youth (note sarcasm). However, in the mid-1970's my palate peaked and became interested in something much better - - something I could enjoy within my budget, but a wine that was worthy of paying attention to - - something I could enjoy socially wearing more formal attire and a wine that could be served for dining.

In 1967, American Wine Growers began a new line of premium vinifera wines called “Ste. Michelle Vintners” under the direction of legendary California winemaker and consultant Andre Tchelistcheff. Ste. Michelle Vintners planted its first vines in Eastern Washington in 1972 and the rest seems like history, considering it wasn’t that long ago. In 1974 I would taste a vintage of Cabernet Sauvignon and it made me take a second look at Lancers and through the years I took a third, fourth and several looks later at this wine. Chateau Ste Michelle wines have always been my "go-to wines" when I wanted a wine that was easily accessible and affordable. These have always been solid wines that have typified what the varietals should taste like. To newbie wine drinkers and when I am out of town looking for an affordable wine with no surprises, my motto is: When in doubt, go Ste. Michelle.

Thirty years later, I would return to the 2004 vintage of Chateau Ste Michelle Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. With one sniff of the aroma there's no doubt this is Washington fruit. Aromas of bramble berries, vanilla and cocoa came through with a touch of cigar box. The tannins from the dark Cabernet Sauvignon grape were there, but easy and approachable. The mouth was round and full of dark fruit, but this every day Cabernet Sauvignon could stand next to some of the best Washington wines. For me, this wine is a great everyday sipper and it pairs well with bites of hard salami and cheese, spaghetti and meatballs, a local drive-in burger or a grilled steak. And it works quite well with a decadent chocolate dessert or even a chocolate candybar.

Chateau Ste. Michelle has received some of the highest accolades in the industry, including “American Winery of the Year 2004” from Wine Enthusiast Magazine

Four Wine Questions For: Gary Vaynerchuk

When I started this new blog feature “4WQ4", an article where I would feature four Q&A with a “celebrity” in the wine industry, of course Gary Vaynerchuk was one of the first I contacted. I was delighted when he responded with a "yes!" The following month I met Gary at Taste Washington in Seattle. I was pleasantly surprised to meet a very soft spoken, sweet natured man who greeted me with a warm hug and a kiss on the hand. Of course, I was expecting his webcast persona - - a persona that has developed into a following of countless fans and who indeed is changing how we look at wine.

Known as GaryVee, Vaynerchuk is the co-owner and host of Wine Library TV located in New Jersey. We are captivated by him as he "sniffy-sniffs," spills wine as he shoves the wine glass at the camera to show the color, spits in the dump bucket, plays with his action figures, shrieks with an unpretentious approach about wine and rants about his favorite team, the New York Jets. He's also developed a new, but very untraditional wine vocabulary when it comes to describing wines (Thomas Jefferson is rolling in his grave): "bringing the thunder," "oak monster," "blueberry scratch 'n sniff," and "poo." He'll even eat dirt and chew on grass to get the point across on how a particular wine tastes. GaryVee is encouraging and educating new generations (known as "Vayniacs") from educating the palate to understanding the technical side of wine. And his webcast isn't the only place he's been seen or heard: Wall Street Journal, New York Times, NPR, ABC Nightline, Ellen DeGeneres Show, and even Late Night with Conan O'Brien - - to name a few.

In May 2008, he released his first book, Gary Vaynerchuk’s 101 Wines Guaranteed to Inspire, Delight, and Bring Thunder to Your World. He reveals his favorite 101 wines that he has tasted around the world as well as bringing to the pages his unique voice about the subject - wine.

Shortly after we met, I discovered yet another side to GaryVee: his fans are very important to him, no matter where he is in the world and no matter how busy he gets. GaryVee goes out of his way to keep in touch (but really Gary, it was 4:00 am in India and you should have been resting to recover from jet lag...) and since we first met, we've been keeping in touch ever since. There is no doubt that other "Vayniacs" will share with you the same as I have - - Gary is loyal to his fans. And now on to "4WQ4:"

W5: Quite often on "The Thunder Show, AKA Wine Library TV, the Internet's most PASSIONATE wine show," you promote Washington wines over those of California, especially. Why are you so excited about Washington's wines and what do they have that California wines don't?

GV: When I was the primary wine buyer for Wine Library my career was often focused on searching for the next big thing and staying ahead of the curve, anticipating the next trend. So part of me is always going to be excited about a "changing of the guard" type of scenario. That being said, I've had a lot of great Washington wines that brought some serious thunder, both on and off camera, and I do feel like Washington has a more than a dark horse chance to become the premier wine growing region in the US.

W5: Washington State is famous as the home of Microsoft and grunge rock, of the Seahawks and the Space Needle. What's your favorite nerdy-but-rocking, losing-but-monumental "ridonculous" Washington wine and why?

GV: Well I've made no secret of the fact that I'm extremely fond of Rob Newsom's Boudreax Cellars Cabs. I had the great fortune to taste Rob's wine on Wine Library TV without knowing anything about him or the wine going in. I love to taste wines in that kind of a situation. The wine absolutely floored me... I called it a "transition wine", the kind of wine that changes the way you think about a region. He sent me the next vintage to try, and I made it the #10 wine in my book. So he's doing something awfully right, at least for my palate. And I wouldn't go so far as to call Rob nerdy, but he does blend wine from grapes sourced from about 14 different vineyards! We met last April at Taste Washington, and he's a piece of work. A displaced Southerner who quit everything to make world class wine in the middle of nowhere in Washington state? I'd say he and his wines fit the bill for your question.

W5: Do you see the Washington State wine industry developing a reputation for specific varietals like syrah or riesling in the same way "Ore-GON" is especially known for their pinot noir, or will Washington's reputation grow across the wine board?

GV: An interesting question. My hope is that growers in all different regions will experiment with different varietals to uncover what thrives in their unique terroir. It's certainly not written anywhere that one and only one grape must be the hallmark of a particular region, but it seems to speed up the recognition process when specific varietals take the lead. I'm honestly not sure how that will play for WA.

W5: Points, points, points. It's all about points, but more and more informed wine peeps say they hate them. Why can't we just get rid of wine scores and let people trust their own palates?

GV: Well you know how I feel about this, I am a total hypocrite. On the one hand I hate the way ratings impact people's thought process about wine. On the other hand I am a sports guy and competitive and I like to assign a number, and there is a demand out there for scores, whether we like it or not. The most important thing will always be tasting notes... if you read a description that talks about prominent mango flavors and you know you love mangoes, what difference does it make if the wine got 85 points or 91? It's possibly a wine you'd enjoy. Of course, you might try it and not taste Mangoes at all. It's so personal and subjective. If I have one mission with Wine Library TV it's to have people try different things and develop the ability to trust their own palate as you suggest. It takes time to learn about your own palate and trust it though, it really does.

(For a sample of GaryVee and Wine Library TV, check out Vay-ner-chuk on Washington State turf: WLTV Show #440 )

The 89 Project

I have recently been asked to join up with some of my wine blogging comrades to explore an age old wine question (or at least since Robert Parker designed the point system) - - what is really the difference between a wine that has been given 89 points and a wine with 90 points? It's just one point people - - ummm - - like $9.99 instead of $10. Is the score of 89 a kiss of death to a perfectly well crafted bottle of wine? So far, this project has already started with a bit of controversy (being referred to as wannabe wine critics - ahem Steve Heimoff), but of course done with a friendly exchange.

The 89 Project will not only be exploring the 100 point system of evaluating wine, but also posting about perfectly wonderful wines that received 89 points. And can you believe there are silly people out there that won't go near a winery that has only scored 89 points on their wines? Now if you "wannabe" talking "wannabe wine critics," this mindset of people I refer to as "wannabe wine aficonados." Or people that will walk into a winery and ask which wines received 94+ points and purchase them without even sampling the wine first? WHA...? Doesn't anybody trust their own tastebuds anymore?

So check out the 89 Project and feel free to comment. It's all about tossing some thoughts around, having some fun and no, it won't change the wine world, but if it gets one person thinking...

Quarterback Opens Doubleback

"In a small town you don't see much happen, but what you hear makes up for it."

A few weeks ago I received a press release regarding Drew Bledsoe's new wine project, Doubleback Winery. Bledsoe, a native of Walla Walla, was an All-American quarterback at Washington State University and was the No. 1 selection in the 1993 NFL draft. He played for 14 years in the NFL with the New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys before retiring in 2007 to his current home in Bend, Oregon. In the mean time, Bledsoe hasn't forgotten about his strong Walla Walla roots. He recently announced the launch of Doubleback Winery. Bledsoe is joined in this venture by a childhood friend, Chris Figgins of Figgins Enological and if that name is familar to you, the Figgins family has also won national and international acclaim for their ultra-premium wines of Leonetti Cellars. Figgins will serve as consulting winemaker for Doubleback.

Doubleback crushed in 2007 and will release their first wine, an ultra-premium Cabernet Sauvignon, in 2010. This Cabernet was produced using fruit from various well-known vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley. Bledsoe also announced his estate vineyard site, McQueen Vineyard, which was planted in the spring of 2008 and located near some of the most famous vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley, including Seven Hills.

Shortly after I received the press release, I noticed newspapers from around the state had already latched onto the news. I wanted to post something a bit extra about this exciting news - something more...and there it was. Like the press release, it also arrived in my email folder. Photos! At least a dozen photos of the McQueen Vineyard and the site for the Doubleback Winery were there! A nice surprise from a faithful reader who is also involved in the Walla Walla wine industry(but who has also requested to remain anonymous). In fact, he stopped by the other day to hand me the above quote. I thought it fitting about Walla Walla and especially this particular bit of news. Thanks faithful reader! You're right...what we hear makes up for it.

Popeye is going to love this - Spinach & Walla Walla Wine!

For you spinach lovers, and even the not-so spinach lovers, here's a recipe that will get everyone eating their spinach. Chef Caren, of Green Gables Inn in Walla Walla, sent me this recipe for Spinach ala Caren. I love this recipe she created, as she uses Walla Walla ingredients as well as featuring Riesling from Trust Cellars.

Spinach ala Caren

1 lb clean and well drained fresh leaf spinach (curly or baby spinach may be used)
2 small shallots (finely diced)
4 oz Thundering Hooves Cottage Bacon or Italian pancetta (diced)
1 TBSP olive oil
1 cup Trust Cellars Riesling (and don’t forget an extra cup or more for the chef's glass)
1 TBSP Walla Walla Sweet Onion Mustard - Dill flavor

Saute two diced shallots and diced Cottage Bacon (or pancetta) in a large skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil. After shallots are sweated clear and bacon is crispy, add one cup of Trust Cellars Riesling into the warm skillet of shallots and bacon to deglaze the pan (and pour the second cup or more of Trust Cellars Riesling into the chef's glass). Reduce the shallot, bacon and wine mixture to half, then stir in one tablespoon of Walla Walla Sweet Onion Dill Mustard. To this mixture, add the fresh spinach and toss lightly. Leave spinach in the pan just long enough to sweat it, leaving the spinach with a nice crunch. No soggy spinach! Salt and pepper to taste. Yummy!

Also, congratulations is in order to Chef Caren for her award winning Walla Walla Sweet Onion savory cheesecake that she recently entered in the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Festival!.

(At this time, Trust Cellars is sold out of Riesling, but there's a few bottles available at Walla Walla Wine Woman - - oh, and so is the Walla Walla Sweet Onion Mustard!)

Fast Food and Drive-Thru Wines

In a recent newsletter from Nat Decants, there's an article about fast food and wine. Natalie MacLean, noted wine writer and award winning author, cleverly suggests to us to consider a list of wines that she feels has a “drive-thru” philosophy. I love her idea of pairing fast food with drive thru wines, but Natalie - - I am going to have to stand on my soap…I mean my Walla Walla Sweet Onion box and dispute some of your suggestions.

Just because we are chowing down to a meal of go-to-greasy-goodness doesn’t mean we have to forsake our good taste in wine. The list of wines labels that were suggested in the article were: E&J Gallo, Lindemans, Jacob's Creek and Yellow Tail - - to name a few. I feel we can still pair good wines with fast food and keep within the same price range of some of the above mentioned wines - - and even better - - make those wines from Washington State.

This afternoon I went dropped by a local supermarket and purposely priced the 750 ml bottles of “fighting varietals” against some of the wines from Washington State. And what I found was dollar for dollar there wasn’t much of a price difference between what I could refer to as - - well if I were a “mean girl” - - I would say, “swill” against many quality value wines produced in Washington State. To name a few of those value Washington wines: Chateau Ste Michelle, Columbia Crest, Covey Run, Hogue and Sageland. And add to that grocery store list some Walla Walla originals, such as wines from Magnificent Wine Company (the familiar House Red) and Waterbrook. Both local based wines are what I would say value hasn’t forsaken quality. Hmmm…for some reason wine consumers often forget that Washington State is the second largest producer of wines in the US - - and most important, quality and consistency amongst the wineries from large volume to “mom & pop” remain high. You don’t see any jugs of Washington wines lining the bottom of the grocery store shelves – ahem.

Now if you want to kick your wine up a notch pairing with fast food, you can look to the many reasonably priced wines from Walla Walla. Sure, we admit that the majority of the lower priced table blends from Walla Walla are in the $15 – $20 range and so what? One can spend more than that buying a couple of chain store cheap crust pizzas with all of the toppings, adding extra cheese and extra “meat-sa – meat-sa” - - so why skimp on your wine? Table blends are available from Dunham Cellars, Forgeron Cellars, L'Ecole No. 41, Lowden Hills and Mannina Cellars to name a few. There are also Walla Walla wineries that offer a complete line of wines with excellent value such as those from Balboa, Dama, Rulo, Dusted Valley’s Boomtown label and Reininger’s Helix label.

Nat Decants also suggests that the list of wines with the drive-thru philosophy are consistent and dependable (consistent and dependable about what? Yuk?) and unlike the more complex wines with tannins designed for cellaring. The article also points out that the listed high volume wines (Yellow Tail et al) do not have much subtlety or delicacy of flavors that might be overwhelmed by greasy fast food. Natalie…Natalie…Natalie – come hang with me in Walla Walla and I'll show you how to shop for Walla Walla wines! Why should we forget hearty and complex wines because we're going to drink them with a cheeseburger and fries? You make that sound like a bad thing! If you’ve ever tasted a local cheeseburger from the Ice Burg or Fast Eddy’s Drive-ins, they make for perfect pairings with the rich, yet approachable, red table wines from Walla Walla! And the plus side - - not only are these quality wines of value and approachable now, one could still put a few cellar years on them - - if they want. Cellaring those tannins do not have to be a bad thing.

When pairing wine with fast food, one doesn’t need to bend over and scrape the bottom of the grocery store shelves for a jug-o-plonk. Stand tall! Be proud and reach for a Washington wine and even better, one made in Walla Walla! Who cares if you are secretly eating behind closed doors (...and with the drapes shut, waiting ‘til dark to dump the fast food sacks in the neighbor's garbage...don't ask me how I know this...) stuffing your pie-hole with two all beef patties and special sauce with sesame seeds attached to your buns while having it your way with a King (or a dairy owning Queen) including a guy named Jack whose head is shaped like a ping-pong ball and lives in a box! If it rings your taco bell, all is fair as long as you pair these greasy paper bagged delicacies with a decent wine!

The supermarket roasted chicken is delicious with one of the local Chardonnays. A Riesling is the perfect pairing with an assortment of Chinese take-out entrees. A pepperoni pizza screams for a Merlot table blend or Sangiovese. A chilled summer rose’ from the Walla Walla Valley takes the heat out of the spicy bean burrito, beef taco or chicken quesadilla. And splurge when eating fried chicken from a Colonel, reach for that bottle of sparkling wine from Washington State or a Walla Walla Roussanne. A bacon cheeseburger, mocha blueberry milk shake and a glass of Syrah is waiting for you!

So, once in a while it’s okay to exhange the "jug of wine, a loaf of bread and thou..." for (with apologies to Omar Khayyam) "...a bottle of wine, a cheeseburger and thou (or even alone) beside me singing in the Wilderness – O, Wilderness were Paradise enow!”

A Bordello Barbeque

This week Walla Walla Village Winery released their new Cabernet Sauvignon table red blend, Bordello Red - a Cabernet Sauvignon blend with 9% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Franc. It's a fun label with the history of the bordello where their tasting room now resides (see Liven Udes).

Besides making wine for his family's winery, Joel Clark's other talent is cooking. I hear this makes the best BBQ beef sandwiches. I know at my house, Chez W5, we will be trying this recipe - -SOON!

Smoked Bordello Brisket

1 full Beef Brisket (5-8 lbs)

Marinade:

1 Cup Walla Walla Village Bordello Red Table Wine
2/3 cup juice of Blood Orange
1/3 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/3 Cup Water
1 Tbl. Kosher Salt
1 Tbl. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
10 Garlic cloves – crushed
6 whole Bay leaves
Hickory, Cherry or Mesquite Chips

Combine marinade ingredients and brisket in large zip loc or baking dish large enough to hold brisket and marinate 12-24 hours.

Ready smoker for a cooking temp of 200-220 degrees, begin to soak wood chips.

Remove brisket from marinade and bring to room temperature in sink, allowing the excess liquid to drip off. Remove garlic pieces and bay Leaves from marinade and discard the used liquid. From the fatty side of the brisket cut small a small slit approx. ½” – 1” deep and insert crushed garlic cloves. Make sure slit does not penetrate all the way through the brisket. Repeat process a few inches apart until all garlic is inserted into the brisket.

Generously salt and pepper all sides of brisket prior to smoking. Evenly disperse bay leaves on the fatty side of brisket. The bay leaves can also be inserted into the brisket for more flavor extraction.

Smoke brisket fat side up. Allow approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes per pound of brisket or until cooked through. Allow brisket to rest 20 – 25 minutes before serving.

Follow manufacturer suggestions for your smoker for the amount of wood chips to be used.

Bordello Red can also be purchased at Walla Walla Wine Woman

Wine Blogging Wednesday #47 - Brought To You By The Letter "S"

Erin and Michelle at the Canadian wine blog Grape Juice would like us to regress a bit into our childhood - - in fact, they would like us to go back to the years of Sesame Street. However, for me to regress back into my childhood, we are talking about Captain Kangaroo, Sky King, Howdy Doody and The Mickey Mouse Club featuring Annette. But no matter the generations, I do appreciate their reasoning: "...when things were simple, creativity was encouraged and the whole world seemed like a new and exciting place just waiting to be explored...as adults and wine lovers, with stress and the occasional sense of imposed snobbery, we sometimes lose that pure, indescribable ability to have a little fun..."

So needless to say, the theme for Wine Blogging Wednesday #47 is "Brought to you by the letter 'S'." The word beginning with “S” must be directly related to a bottle of wine whether the S starts with region, appellation, producer, varietal, style, winemaker, etc and that’s the only rule.

As most of you know, the letter "S" isn't really my thing. I am all about the "W," but I will be a good sport and give this Wine Blogging Wednesday, the old Sesame Street try.

From Sleight of Hand Cellars in Walla Walla, located on Second Street, I selected for you a Syrah! Can you say "Sy-rah," boys and girls? Now this isn't just any Syrah, it happens to be a micro-cuvee from four very special barrels of Syrah hand-plucked from some of the oldest Syrah vines in Washington State. The 2006 Levitation Syrah, named for a magic term because Sleight of Hand Cellars is all about magic, reminds me of the traditional Syrahs from Northern Rhone in Franse (I know - - I know, it's France. But just checking to see if you are paying attention). This Syrah is not a simple sip - - it is spicy, yet subtle. Strong tannins for splendid aging, but supple, sensual, sexy and soft on the tongue. (Ooops! Can we say those words on Sesame Street?) Why, this Syrah is simply magical! A succulent and scrumptious food pairing as a reduction sauce on selected seared meat, if you want to sacrifice a bottle. (Did I mention that the winemaker's name is Trey Busch, but he would meet his soon-to-be partners, Sandy and Jerry Solomon in Sun Valley? Que Sera-sera!)

But sorry to say - this soaring-through-the-sky Syrah from Sleight of Hand, located on Second Street in Walla Walla, is SOLD OUT! But you can shop at the Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman because she still has some bottles of this Syrah available for sale. See - - at least the "W" will always come through for ya, even though this is brought to you today by the letter, "S."

A Legend in the Washington Wine Hall of Fame

It's marked on my calendar - a rather bitter-sweet reminder that this is the weekend Stan Clarke, who I referred to as my "wine guru," would be posthumously inducted into the Legends of Washington Wine Hall of Fame at Prosser, WA. All last week I struggled on what more I could write about Stan Clarke without it being maudlin. Afterall, the Stan I knew wouldn’t have liked that continued sentiment very much, if any sentiment at all. He would prefer I talked about him in the content of Lemberger wine, the Grateful Dead or the time he showed up at my house with 100 lbs of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and exclaimed, "Surprise! You're going to make wine." However in my lack of words, Mary Hopkin, Tri-City Herald staff writer captured it perfectly:

Stan Clarke likely would be embarrassed to know he's being inducted into the Legends of Washington Wine Hall of Fame.

But for his family, it's an honor for the humble, low-key viticulturist and teacher who died in November.

...Clarke became associate director of the Walla Walla Community College Center for Enology and Viticulture, combining his love for teaching, winemaking and grape growing.

He was always sunny and upbeat, and even in the dead of winter would be wearing shorts and a Hawaiian shirt -- his uniform of choice.

Often his socks didn't match ...'If people want to judge me on whether my socks match, I don't think I want to know them'

Liven Udes?

What? What is that word, this "liven udes?" It's printed on the bottom of this new wine label. Is it a Swedish pickled fish that you serve at Christmas time in a sour cream sauce? A garment that you wear under your lederhosen? A Latin word inscribed over a court house door? What on earth is Liven Udes? Hmmm - - I wonder what it means...?

Walla Walla Village Winery, favored by air guitarists everywhere, will soon release their new red blend, named Bordello Red! This 2005 table red was inspired by Walla Walla’s infamous Madame, Josephine "Dutch Jo" Wolfe. In the early 1900's Madame "Dutch Jo" ran a bordello on the second floor in what is now the tasting room of the Walla Walla Village Winery building. The label will still feature the very recognizable Walla Walla Village Winery sun designed especially for them by rock and roll artist Stanley Mouse. Does the brick on the background of the label happen to look familiar? If it does, then you were hanging out at the old McFeely's Tavern and Hotel too much.

So how does this soon-to-be-released wine taste? Well, here’s what the back of the label says regarding this predominantly Bordeaux-style red: "Bordello Red is a voluptuous, titillating blend that will penetrate your palate and leave you lusting for more." Heh-heh (in my best Beavis of Beavis and Butthead voice), they said, "penetrating..."

Anywhooo - - stay tuned for the release date and more about Bordello Red from Walla Walla Village Winery and it will also be available through me, The Walla Walla Wine Woman.

(Pssst - - have you figured out what liven udes means?)

Happy Fourth of July!

Here's to a day of potato salad, hot dogs on the grill and fireworks. If you live in Walla Walla or perhaps visiting the area, chances are great you will be enjoying some Walla Walla Sweet Onions in your potato salad and even sprinkled on your grilled burgers and dogs. You'll probably take delight in the naturally sweet, dark red and juicy Klicker strawberries over ice cream or your favorite shortcake recipe. Of course, you will have an excellent assortment of Walla Walla wines to enjoy with your bbq and later everyone will find their favorite seat "in the house" to watch the public firework display. For me, these holidays force me to slow down, maybe get caught up on few house and yard projects and most of all, make the day about family and friends.

It was on July 4, 1776, we claimed our independence from Britain and what we now understand to be "Democracy" was born that day. Every day thousands leave their homeland to come to the "land of the free and the home of the brave" so they can begin their own "American Dream." And that American Dream is what the US wine industry is all about. In California, settlers from Spain, Mexico, Hungary and Italy brought their vines and winemaking skills to the new world. In Walla Walla, we are witness to many young French winemakers who left the old world to follow their dreams of claiming a chief winemaking position or perhaps owning a winery in America, as in France those positions are usually left to generations of the family chateau.

In America, we take our liberty for granted - - after all, that's what America is all about - - an earthly paradise, a land of riches and abundance, where the natives led lives of simplicity and freedom. Unfortunately, something that can be as simple as choosing a bottle of wine from a different state appellation in America is not so simple anymore. It seems as if our "American Dream" in the wine industry now has barriers and borders that we are not allowed to cross. The wine consumer in Kansas, Missouri, Tennesee and many other states in America will never know what a wine from Walla Walla tastes like especially in the comfort of their own home. Unless they visit the area, they will never be able to discover other wines as long as we have federal regulations that restrict wine shipments between the states in America. We definitely want and should have "wine without borders."

"The best way to enhance freedom in other lands is to demonstrate here that our democratic system is worthy of emulation" - - Jimmy Carter, 39th US President

The Grape Way of the Internet

Did you know that everything you need to know about wine is right at your fingertips, as long as your fingertips are placed on the keyboard and not always wrapped about the stem of your glass? So, what do you want to learn today? Want to read several wine blogs at once? Alltops Wine lists some of the top fifty wine blogs in the world (and yes, you will find Through the Walla Walla Grape Vine listed) and if you want to over-dose on more wine blogs, check out Scrugy, AlaWine.Com and a new one coming your way - - the Weekly Wine Round-Up!

Looking for a simple way to review wine, search for wines and find out what others have to say about wines, then get Cork’d and Snooth'd (I promise it's not as painful as it sounds). Great wine doesn't have to be hard to find when you use Vinquire. And if that isn't enough, you can also search for wines, share wines, make a wish list, write a review and read more wine blogs at Adegga - the Social Wine Discovery.

Is food and wine pairing more your thing? Curious about new restaurants, looking for a new recipe? You'll find it on the internet by signing into Culination and Food Buzz.

Are you sitting in Kansas or New Jersey and pissed off that you can’t get any Walla Walla wines shipped to you and don't understand why? Read about the ever-changing wine shipping laws at Wine Without Borders. Then after reading these laws, brought to you by friends of the Wine and Spirit Wholesalers of America whose selfless intent is to "protect the children from using their credit cards and buying $50 bottles of wine online," (which the intent is about as safe and selfless as Michael Jackson volunteering as a playground monitor) then vent your frustrations about these unconstitutional laws at Free The Grapes.

Are you in the wine industry or a wine blogger and want to do a bit of networking, follow industry discussions and find out the latest wine news scoop? Check out the Open Wine Consortium. Maybe you just want to make some new wine friends and find other wine lovers in your area who want to profess their love for Fume Blancs, Plonks d' Blancs, Chateau Lafite Poo-Foofery-Phoo and Blue Nun, then Must Love Wine is your social wine network.

Want to keep an inventory of your private wine stash and remove it from the dog-earred spiral notebook you stole from your kid? List your inventory and find out what others have to say about the wines and best of all - - do it for free at Cellar Tracker and VinCellar.

Curious about what the best of the best enophiles are chatting about? Want to spy on conversations of wine bloggers and others in the wine industry, then you'll find them at Facebook, Twitter and Pownce. Send them a virtual cupcake to let them know you've been there. I prefer the red velvet ones, myself.

And last but not least, maybe all you care about is learning about wine and being entertained at the same time. I recommend that you watch Wine Library TV. View this guy "swishy-swish," spit in the dump bucket, and then yell with an unpretentious gonzo approach about wine, while cheering and ranting about the New York Jets.

(And trust me, I haven't even begun to bring to you all of the grape sources out there - - they are endless and ever-growing! In fact, I welcome my wine internet comrades to please list some of their favorites and self-promote in the comment section - - if they're not posted above. So don't be saying I'm never nice...Cheers!)

That Which We Call A Walla Walla Rosé...

One of my favorite places to visit is not too far from my house, in fact it's the deck from my living room. It’s a quiet place where I can sit on one of two rocking chairs I purchased during a visit in Tennessee. These oak chairs, with woven seats and backs, were handcrafted by a Tennessee family that's been making rocking chairs for 150 years. Between the two chairs is an old Hungarian oak wine barrel. On the head of the barrel, I have placed a large round glass table top. It makes the perfect table for my evening glass of wine and my morning cup of coffee. On the deck is an assortment of clay and ancient cement pots filled with summer annuals. There's a bird house hanging, that has actually housed some birds and a delicate sounding wind chime. But the best part is below the deck. It's framed with an assortment of rose bushes. This time of the year the fragrance from the roses waft up to the deck and it makes for a relaxing setting away from phones and computers.

Gertrude Stein said, "A rose is a rose is a rose." But when I think of my rose garden, I can’t help from thinking about rosés - - the wonderful summer sip that fills a glass in pastel shades of pink, red, peach or even lavender. Rosé, rosado, or rosato are fragrant and delicate wines made for the red wine lover who wants a taste of the red grape, but looking for the light crispness of a white wine - - making it a perfect summer sipper.

Two perfect summer sippers are those rosés from Trio Vintners and Trust Cellars. Tres Rosé is the second release of rosé from Trio Vintners and is made using the saignee method. The juice is free run from their Boushey Vineyard Sangiovese, including 50% Mouvedre from the Den Hoed Vineyards and then co-fermented in stainless leaving about 2% residual sugar. The nose of this dark rosé reminds me of grandma’s kitchen when she baked summer cherry, berry and rhubarb pies. Dominant flavor of pomegranates with a hint of cinnamon makes this a wine to be enjoyed while watching a Walla Walla sunset and especially with backyard entertaining. A spicy pairing with bbq ribs or if you can resist from opening it before Thanksgiving, a bottle must be saved for the turkey.

Cabernet Franc is one of my favorites and I especially "s_w_o_o_n" when I find a rosé produced with that peppery grape. And such a rosé is from Trust Cellars. Cabernet Franc was especially picked just for this rosé and produced using the traditional rosé pressing method and fermented dry. This isn’t a "sissy" wine, so don’t let the delicate shade of this pink nectar fool you. The wine is full and round with flavors of fresh picked cherries and apples, which continues on to a finish of cinnamon and allspice. Again, another great summer sipper to relax with on a cool Walla Walla evening, like I do on my deck. It pairs well with fresh picked salads like spinach and strawberry salad with a poppy seed dressing or something spicy like Cajun style catfish.

English playwright and politician, Richard B. Sheridan said, "Won't you come into the garden? I would like my roses to see you."

I say, "Won’t you come into the Walla Walla Wine Woman garden? I would like these rosés to see you."

Coming Soon - - Kontos Cellars!

Cameron Kontos shares some exciting news with me! Cameron and brother Chris will soon be opening their new winery, Kontos Cellars. The winery will be located in a new building at the Port of Walla Walla winery incubators at the airport. They are hoping to be in their brand-new winery later this summer.

Their wines will be bottled under two different labels - Kontos and LeeVeLooLee. Single varietals such as Merlot and Syrah will be under the Kontos label and blends will be bottled with the LeeVeLooLee label. Both labels adorn the beautiful dragonfly. To celebrate the new opening, the LeeVeLooLee Gossamer White may be released at the same time and later the Alatus Blend will be released in December. This winery is off to a good start and has some good roots planted as Cliff Kontos, father of Chris and Cameron, is co-owner of Fort Walla Walla Cellars and Cameron is the assistant for Marie-Eve Gilla, winemaker at Forgeron Cellars (with teachers, like Marie and Cliff, the Kontos brothers are bound to have great wines). Stay tuned for future plans!

Tertulia Cellars Newest Release - It's A Girl!

Ryan Raber, winemaker at Tertulia Cellars and his wife, Aline have announced their first and newest release - Sofia Guida Raber. She was born June 17th 2008 at 10:35 am. She is 7 lbs. 10 oz, and 20 inches long. Ryan says, "Sofia has dark hair like my wife and big feet like me." Mom, baby and of course, daddy are doing well.

Meanwhile back at the winery: The new facility is finished! Tertulia Cellars has bottled and labeled the rest of the 2006 wines. Ryan has opened a few bottles and they recovering well from bottle shock. As Ryan says, "Imagine being forced through a hose into a bottle and corked, you might be in shock too!" Ryan, are you talking about the wine or the new delivery?

I'll be looking forward to tasting the August release of the Sobra - 2006, a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 15% Malbec and 7% Petit Verdot. Best wishes to Ryan, Aline and Baby Sofia!

The Language of Wine Snobbery 101

Last week, columnist Joel Stein of the LA Times wrote an article regarding wine descriptions, The Language of Wine Snobbery. At first, I hesitated to blog this as if Joel Stein needs more attention brought to his article. The article itself was a bit transparent and like many youngsters' motives with such outbursts as this one: bad attention is better than no attention at all.

Now what provokes me to express my opinion is that the LA Times didn’t publish my comment regarding Stein’s article. Apparently Stein feels: “When wine drinkers tell me they taste notes of cherries, tobacco and rose petals, usually all I can detect is a whole lot of jackass.” To which my response to Joel Stein’s article: all I could detect was a whole lot of jackass.

Now, let me also say that I would agree with Stein in a few instances. Nothing chaps my jackass when I read wine descriptions that say such crap as “obsequious little fruit pixie coursing through pillowy tannins...dreams of unicorns flying over rainbows...” makes me want to throw up in my mouth a little. However, when I read terms such as cherries, tobacco, green peppers and even banana cream pie, these are all legitimate terms. An example: with a chardonnay, you might detect flavors of banana cream pie. Of course, the phenols that have been extracted from the grape skins and stems during crush are also found in bananas. Buttery and caramel aromas and flavors (and sometimes creamy texture) result from the malolactic fermentation and notes of vanilla and toasty pie crust comes from the treatment of the oak barrels. Flavor of green pepper is often found in wines such as Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc due to the chemical, pyrazine and this chemical is prevalent in fresh bell peppers; asparagus, peas and of course, these grape varieties.

I really began to see red, and not just any red - - in fact, I saw a deep blackish, inky Walla Walla Valley Syrah-red with notes of blueberries, bacon, and tar... when he started dissing on UC Davis professor Ann Noble who created the Wine Aroma Wheel. Bad ju-ju and karma come your way Joel Stein - may your gen-x video game turn into a deck of “Go Fish” cards and you dream of boomer Birkenstocks instead of Sex and the City satin Manolo Blahniks. Rule #1 in wine descriptions: Don’t be messin' with Dr. Noble. She taught me everything I know about sensory evaluation.

Last, but not least of the insults about wine language, Stein says: “So from now on, wine drinkers, you get to mention three things you smell in a wine, max.” My response to this sentence is perhaps what nailed my comment from being accepted to the LA Times list of comments:

"Speaking as a wine drinker and wine writer, if Stein thinks I should be limited to only three things I smell in a wine, then it would be wise that I remain limited to three things I smell about this article - -

Joel, you suck."