Walla Walla takes a walk on the wild "Christmas Carol" side

Some of my readers may not know that I am also a regular contributor to Walla Walla Lifestyles, a magazine about the valley's people, wine and food. In fact, some of you may not know about the magazine at all. It is distributed 11 times a year through subscription with the Walla Walla Union Bulletin.

This particular article, I have received many kind emails and comments and thought it was worthy of sharing once again. Thank you.

I love this town, and having lived here all my life, I have lots of fond memories of Walla Walla before it became a wine destination.

I’m also a big supporter of business, especially our local wineries. The positive things that that industry has done for the area are innumerable — creating full-time jobs not least among them. But not everyone feels this way.

Local citizens, expressing their opinions at city council meetings, in letters to the editor, and especially on Facebook, seem to feel that the local wine industry — evidently flush with money — should pay to fix street potholes, resurrect the privately owned Blue Mountain Mall, and build a public swimming pool.

Some anti-wine industry folks have even posited that the city’s fining of the downtown purple mollusk was driven by the wine industry, and followed it with the inevitable “I wish Walla Walla was the way it used to be.”

In the holiday spirit, my gift to the community is that, for one evening, these folks get their wish during a long winter’s nap — to clearly see Walla Walla “as it used to be,” and then to visit it in a future where no wineries were thriving. Just like Ebenezer Scrooge, who got to walk with the ghosts of Christmas past and future, perhaps they will come to see the error of their ways.

If you lived in Walla Walla 30 years ago, you will remember the way Walla Walla “used to be.”
Continued

Walla Faces: Fusion - 2006

It's been no secret that when I reach for a bottle of wine, I typically grab a Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet Franc. However, recently I have been screwing the ol' cork screw into the corks of many red blends. Glorious red blends that have no shame or tradition and can be fused with the sacred Bordeaux and the renegade Rhone. To me, a blend is often telling of the winemaker and of his or her style and craft. Somehow if that blend tasted excellent to the winemaker's palate, and I trust and know the winemaker, the blend is often a winner and a winner to celebrate as with each vintage and with each blend, you will never taste another bottle of wine like that again.

Walla Faces Fusion is one of those wines. Are you familiar with Walla Faces? When you walk into their tasting room on Main Street in Walla Walla, you immediately are taken with all of the happy faces that greet you, not only the staff, but the colorful and whimsical faces that surround you on canvas.

Candice Johnson is the featured artist of Walla Faces. She lived in Paris, France and it is there where she developed her painting style apprenticing under several well known Parisian artists. Candice began to create "Tetes," which is the French meaning for "heads" - small portraits of heads or in this case, faces - Walla Faces.

The label for the Fusion blend are the "tetes" of Candice's brother and sister-inlaw, Rick and Debbie Johnson, owners of Walla Faces.

It was a year ago when I first visited this Bordeaux-style red blend fused with Cabernet, Merlot and Cabernet Franc from the Walla Walla Valley. As I revisit it a year later, there is still the nose that is so prominent of Walla Walla terroir - aromas of autumn leaves smoldering in the Walla Walla Valley, like the fragrance of a cigar box, and big red ripe orchard fruit of cherries and dried dark plums. I noticed this time there were even flakes of sediment going on. (Note: We love sediment. It's a good thing.) The color of this blend now has a slight copper tinge - very slight.

You'll find on the back label of Walla Faces Fusion that Rick and Debbie found each other over 10 years ago and they work best as one - a Fusion. Cheers ~

Substance Un-Abuse

Whether you were an A student in chemistry or flunked the class, one is still drawn to the distinctive black and white wine labels of periodic tables resembling chemical elements. However, as you get closer you notice that the "chemicals" involved are those of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay.

In 2007, Jamie Brown and Jason Huntley of Waters Winery and Greg Harrington of Gramercy Cellars, both wineries located in Walla Walla, teamed up to launch their idea of an affordable wine, Substance, that would catch the eye of wine newbies and aficionados alike. In 2009, Wine Business Monthly named Substance one of the year's Top 10 Hot Small Brands. Besides the attractive and clever packaging, the wine is also meant to educate, just like in chemistry classes. However, this time with much more enjoyable homework.

Last spring I tasted through the wines with Substance winemaker Jamie Brown. The first thing that struck me was these wines, were not only affordable ($20), but each wine showed off its varietal character in its truest form. The wines were not soft or half-heartedly resembling the variety, but each wine was - - well - - of substance. Another aspect of these wines were the opportunity for a wine lover to taste some of the more interesting and hard-to-find varietals such as Tempranillo, Malbec and Counoise.

Whether these wines are used to understand each individual grape variety or casual sipping, I would even recommend them for a dinner party. The wines of Substance are not only an icebreaker and worthy of great conversation, but also very food friendly.

Also read: Pure and Solid Character: Substance Wines At the time of that posting, some of the Substance wines were not available as many of the more "exotic" wine varietals sell out quick. Tempranillo, Malbec and Counoise are now available.

“The Composer” - Rasa Vineyards Riesling 2009

There's a reason why Riesling is on the rise in Washington State, especially when they taste as wonderful as "The Composer" produced by Rasa Vineyards located in Walla Walla.

Riesling, with strong roots from Germany, has been planted in American vineyards since the 1800s. In fact, it was one of the first grape varietals to be grown in Washington in the early 1970's.

This aromatic white grape has gone in and out of fashion, and at times even resulted in fluctuations of acreage. The finest Rieslings are grown in Germany, Austria, Alsace and believe it or not, Washington State. At this time there are over 4,404 acres of Riesling planted in the state. Riesling produced from Washington grapes can range from dry to sweet, with even a few vintages of Late Harvests and Eisweins.

The "Composer" Riesling is produced from some of the oldest vines in the Columbia Valley AVA (planted in 1974), the Bacchus and Dionysus Vineyards at Sagemoor Farms located near Pasco on the southwest slope facing the dramatic views of the Columbia River below. These two sibling vineyards are separated by a small dirt road. So when the Naravane brothers, Billo and Pinto, of Rasa Vineyards winery were offered access to some of this old vine fruit, they couldn't say, "No." And we Riesling lovers are grateful for their nonresistance.

The nose of "The Composer" is rich with heady aromatics of pear, pineapple and floral, with slight undertones of mineral and petrol. It quenches the palate with its bright and crisp acidity, yet giving layers of fresh orchard fruit - apples, peaches and pears. The sweetness is delicate (1.6% residual sugar), not cloying, while leaving the palate with a lingering clean finish. I sat and pondered "The Composer" for a long time, from the nose to the finish, as it is a very expressive and complex Riesling. Beautifully done. Applause.

Trio, Duo and now Solo: Trio Vintners Sold

In the ever-changing, ever-evolving wine world of Walla Walla, it was announced yesterday that the first winery to fly the incubator coop has been sold.

Trio Vintners was the first winery to take flight from the Port of Walla Walla's winery incubator and landed at the historic Drumheller Building making a tasting room on the Second Ave side this last summer. Founders and winemakers, Denise Slattery and Steve Michener have sold the winery to Karen La Bonte'. Karen was a former co-owner of Patit Creek Cellars in 2008, when she and Ed Dudley purchased Patit Creek Cellars from the original owners and founders located in Dayton, WA. Dudley is now the sole owner of Patit Creek Cellars.

The original owners of Trio Vintners; Denise, Steve and Tim Boushey started their winery adventure in 2006 and were one of the first to launch at the Port of Walla Walla's winery incubator program at the city-county airport area. In time, the trio built a 1500 case production of more unique and limited releases such as Sangiovese, Mourvedre, Tempranillo and even Zinfandel. They would eventually build their brand, Trio Vintners, to be named "Hot Small Brand of 2008" by Wine Business Monthly. Last year the winemaking husband and wife team, Steve and Denise, found themselves as the "Dynamic Duo" when Tim left the trio.

My best to the new solo vintner, Karen La Bonte' of Trio Vintners and hopefully Denise and Steve will stick around the Walla Walla area and possibly find themselves a niche in the wine industry. They are truly two people that add in making Walla Walla a better and more interesting place.

Walla Walla Wine Rewind - 2010

Wow! That was fast. 2011 is already here. Let's rewind and take a look at our southeast corner of Washington State.

The last count of wineries, based on the new wine maps by Tourism Walla Walla, is 103 wineries are operating in the valley and more than 1,800 acres of vineyards are part of our agricultural landscape. Sure - lately wineries have come and come, but usually very few go. Unfortunately, 2010 bought to a close, Yellow Hawk Cellars and Nicholas Cole Cellars. Yellow Hawk Cellars had been operating since 1998 and been known for their affordable Italian varietals. For Yellow Hawk partner's, Tim Sampson and Barbara Hetrick, their decision to leave their business was based on taking advantage of their stationary condition and leave while the going was good. Their last day of business was July 3.

Mike Neuffer of Nicholas Cole Cellars will be known for his beautiful red Bordeaux-style blends affectionately named after the women in his family. Mike's wines were founded on the belief that "great wines are made one vine at a time" and released his inaugural Bordeaux blend in 2001. Indeed it was a sad announcement to hear, just before Christmas, that he would be placing an indefinite hiatus on wine making and future vintages of Nicholas Cole and GraEagle wines. Mike relocated to Seattle to be with his children, Michele and Nicholas, after the loss of their mother, Susan, in August due to cancer. I wish Michael, his family and the Nicholas Cole Cellars staff all of my best.

It was musical chairs when it came to Walla Walla wineries. Amavi Cellars built an ultra-modern facility on Peppers Bridge Road and Gramercy Cellars will be moving into Amavi's old facility on North 13th. Bunchgrass Winery reopened with additional partners after being closed for awhile. Trio Vintners moved out of the incubator facility at the airport and Corvus Cellars moved in. Trio Vintners can now be found at their new tasting room at 102 S. Second Avenue. Ash Hollow Winery left their Second Street address to move to the airport and Mackey Vineyards moved in. SuLei Cellars opened up a tasting room on Second Ave, in addition to their winery at Beet Road. Sinclair Estate Vineyards opened a tasting room on Main Street.

This spring, Tero Estates in Milton-Freewater announced their open house and new releases located on the old Windrow Vineyard as well their purchase of the Flying Trout label leaving founder/winemaker Ashley Trout more time for production. Tim and Lori Kennedy opened their new tasting room in Milton-Freewater naming their winery and vineyard after Lori's grandfather, Don Carlo. In the mean time, Jan and Doug of Tero Estates, Tim and Lori of Don Carlo and Mike and Penne of Locati Cellars announced their move to the neighboring tasting rooms at the Marcus Whitman Hotel on Second and Rose Streets (a great neighborhood).

And also in that 'hood, Trey Busch of Sleight of Hand Cellars announced he would be leaving his Second Street tasting room as he broke ground for a new facility to be opened in the spring of 2011 on JB George Road. Now the guess is, who will move into that spot? Whew! Have I forgotten anyone? In the meantime, there are other new winery moves on the horizon, but at this time I am sworn to secrecy.

Speaking of moves, like the great pioneer spirit, "Go West Young Men" and that's what they did. About a half-dozen Walla Walla wineries from A - Z (Amavi to Zerba) opened second tasting rooms in the growing wine villages of Woodinville near Seattle. Reason? To increase sales and to go where the dollars and people are. It is still on the board on what the impact will be to those wineries and in fact, impact on those wineries remaining in the Walla Walla Valley. Will Walla Walla lose that tourism from the West they have relied on and will those second tasting rooms be diluting their customer base?

In January Cayuse Vineyards announced that after 13 years of releases on their usual first weekend in November, the 2010 November’s Cayuse release date would be cancelled and moved to April 2011. This announcement left us wondering what would happen to the independent Fall Release Weekend that Walla Walla wineries had based their weekend around Cayuse. Will they drop their usual weekends and follow Cayuse around or stand on their own?

A new fangled thing called, "Social Media" came-a-knocking at the Walla Walla wineries and it was embraced. The first Twitter Taste Event to promote awareness of Washington Merlot was held at Otis Kenyon Tasting Room. Later we would rally around with our cell phones and laptops again while drinking wine at the Olive Marketplace twittering like crazy promoting all Washington wines and then again this fall at Amavi Cellars and Seven Hills Winery promoting Washington Cabernet.

It's no secret that Walla Walla is a hidden little destination and during the week of June 21 eight miles of old U.S. Highway 12 was re-opened after it was tucked, plucked, widened and realigned, but the new highway's "cosmetic surgery" caused problems for several wineries. Wineries such as Bunchgrass, Cougar Crest, Glencorrie, Long Shadows Vintners, Skylite Cellars, Reininger, and Three Rivers, located on the "old" stretch of highway, were no longer on the GPA and it couldn't have happened at an inconvenient time, as over 300 wine bloggers and industry people were coming to town - -

Unattractive whining, crying, screaming, kicking and breath holding (don't look at me) took place during discussions about where the 2010 Third Annual North American Wine Bloggers Conference would be held. The last two years Napa Valley/Sonoma in California had been host but event coordinators were looking for a new environment. The Washington Wine Commission threw their hat in the ring on behalf of Woodinville. Sure, Woodinville is close to a cosmopolitan area and has plenty of tasting rooms - - but where were the grapes? In Walla Walla, of course! With the assistance of the Elizabeth Martin-Calder, former Executive Director of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance, she reeled them in and the conference was a sell out! In fact, the largest to date. Walla Walla Wine Alliance, Tourism Walla Walla and the Downtown Foundation went over and above to show our guests a wonderful time. What it meant for the Washington State Wine industry was a new awareness of Washington wines, as well as an increase in their role in the wine social media world.

A month after the successful North American Wine Bloggers Conference,the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance announced that Elizabeth Martin-Calder resigned her post after more than four years as Executive Director. The WWVWA has yet to fill this position.

And then there was crush ... no wait. Not yet. And then there was crush ... Nope. Not quite yet ... hold on ... hold on ... and then finally - - there was crush. There was precipitation and then there was heat and then a small window came about to get the grapes in before frost. There were many a winemaker feeling a mix of a welcome challenge and a small bit of confusion. My guess? 2010 will be a banner vintage, but with a small production.

Many Walla Walla wineries received awards and accolades, in fact Washington State as a whole received an abundance. Walla Walla's Gramercy Cellars was named Food & Wine magazine’s "Best New Winery in America." Tamarack Firehouse Red Columbia Valley 2008, Waterbrook Merlot Columbia Valley Reserve 2007, and Doubleback Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley 2007 made the Wine Spectator's Top 100 wine list. The WS gave the highest scores (97 points) ever to Charles Smith Royal City Syrah 2006 and to Cayuse Armada Vineyard Syrah 2006. In fact, the WS also devoted their cover and pages to the wines of Washington State.

The following wines found their way on the Wine Enthusiast's Top 100: Long Shadow's Poet’s Leap Riesling 2009, Rulo Syrah 2007, Woodward Canyon Chardonnay 2009, Buty Sémillon-Sauvignon-Muscadelle 2008, Abeja Merlot 2008, and Dowsett Family Celilo Vineyard Gewürztraminer 2009. Dr Jay Miller of Parker's Wine Advocate was also very generous with the many deserving wines of Walla Walla.

Fall Release weekend came and went and before we knew it, it was Holiday Barrel Tasting/Macy's Christmas Light Parade which has always been held the first weekend of December. Movement about the town seemed slower than previous Holiday Barrel Tasting Weekends. There were the usual concerns about the weather, of course. Hey, it’s winter, right? It was also a big weekend for WSU Cougar and UW Husky rivals to once again face each other at the long-standing Apple Cup. There were also concerns that Seattle-ites may have forsaken the frosty wine country of Walla Walla to stay home and visit St. Nick and the Woodinville “strip-mall” wineries instead. This may have been a convenient choice for many since a few of the Walla Walla wineries also have tasting rooms in Woodinville.

2011 will be another exciting year for the wine industry of Walla Walla and many questions will be answered. Will Woodinville and Walla Walla give each other the hairy eyeball as to who will change their holiday weekends? Will the WWVWA ever find an Executive Director? What winery will move to Second Street? What winery will move to Woodinville and what winery will leave Woodinville? Will the wineries follow the new Cayuse weekend again and again ...? What winery will move in 2011? Stay tuned to these answers and more as the Walla Walla Wine World Turns.

Here's to a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. Cheers!

I'm Dreaming of a Wine Christmas in Walla Walla

Yes. I am still here.

When people ask me what the most important thing about "owning" a blog, I tell them, "Be consistent."

Uh oh, I haven't followed my own rule very well. My reason? The last couple of months I have been out of sorts. I am such a creature of schedules and routines and somewhere, in the last couple of months, I have misplaced them and now trying to develop new ones. You see for the last 10 years I worked for a law office and had my routines and definite schedules. Now I am no longer stuck in a small office area manning eight phone lines with little hope of stretching my legs and maybe catching a bathroom break. Lunch? At 2:00 pm - - maybe. No longer am I keeping track of 15 people. No longer am I listening to potential client's insurmountable problems and pairing them with the right attorney. No longer am I the office guard dog deciding who gets to see the great and powerful Wizard, Dorothy. Now I have a new boss - - me. My new boss is trying to find her way.

There is so much I want to blog about and I don't know where to start. The last four months have been busy! In September I visited the wineries of Leavenworth, Chelan and Wenatchee. It was a wonderful weekend spent with 12 other wine bloggers from Washington State. In October I spent a weekend as a guest of Maryhill Winery, along with two other wine bloggers and a handful of travel writers, at the Columbia River. We toured the area, as well as Hood River. Later in October I was asked to be a judge for the 2010 Idaho Wine Competition held at Ste. Chapelle Winery in Caldwell. I have my list of highlights of the Walla Walla Holiday Barrel Tasting, complete with photos.

In the last four months I have tasted several Walla Walla wines from the many wineries, besides other wines from Washington, Idaho and Oregon and at least a hundred-plus imports. Oh yes, then I took on the project of remodeling a building in downtown Walla Walla - - and now that building holds a wine store. In the mean time, I am still here and every day I think I am going to sit down and blog. And when I finally find time, a spell of writer's block takes over. Oh sure, I have several topics to blog about, but when I look at my keyboard I feel paralyzed. Can't explain it, but it happens.

A new year is upon us and so is a new resolution. I am woman (a Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman), hear me roar. Blogging blogs too big to ignore!

One of the joys of the holiday season is the opportunity to say thank you. Thank you for reading me since 2005. May you dream of a Wine Christmas.

From Rome to Walla Walla: Secco Italian Bubbles

Yesterday I had the pleasure of visiting with one of Walla Walla's newest residents - Ginevra Casa Smith. Oh sure, the Smith name sounds familiar right? Ginevra (left) and sister Olivia moved from Rome, Italy to the United States where they settled in Colorado. Not only did they pack their bags for their destination, but they packed their history, enthusiasm and passion for wine. Ginevra went to work as an Italian Wine Specialist for a Colorado distributor for four years and Olivia found a place in the wine business, as well. It was a natural for the two of them, with their strong backgrounds in wine, to dream about a wine project of their own.

Soon Ginevra became a new bride and honeymooned in Veneto with her new groom. Oh, and her groom is also a winemaker - - Walla Walla's Charles Smith. Now does the name "Smith" sound familiar? Together the honeymooners discovered wine, as well as sparkling blends in Italy.

Ginevra reminded me about the recent changes to Prosecco laws in Italy. Only the producers in the DOC and DOCG zones are now allowed to call their wine, "Prosecco." Sparkling wines produced in the IGT designation now have to call their sparkling wines, Glera - the name of the white grape variety mainly cultivated for use in Italian sparklers. The term "Prosecco" will be used to identify the region, just like the Champagne region in France, and also the sparkler will be produced with the Glera grape.

What does this mean? It means that if you are not in the Prosecco region and you are not using the Glera grape, blending the Glera grape or making a Rosé sparkler, you cannot use the name,"Prosecco."

So what's Italian girls suppose to do when they can no longer have their favorite Italian bubbles? Well, they make their own! And that is exactly what Ginevra and Olivia did. Ginevra and Olivia kept their Italian tradition alive by creating their own brand, "Secco Italian Bubbles!" And when I asked Ginevra if it was okay to mention Charles when it came to her business, she was delighted to tell me how Charles was instrumental in suggesting that Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) be used in their rosé blend.

"Secco Italian Bubbles" are fun, sexy and food friendly sparklers from Northern Italy. Secco white is a blend of the 60% Pinot Bianco and 40% Prosecco (Glera). It is crisp with fruit and floral notes and finishes dry with a light herbal note. Secco Rosé is not only pretty in the glass, but very swoon-worthy. The blend of 60% Prosecco and 40% Pinot Nero tickles the nose with aromas of roses and then tickles the mid-palate with "fizzy" cherries and berries. Seriously? I had a glass of the Secco Rosé for lunch. Oh yeah and with a chocolate cookie. See? I told you these sparklers were food friendly. Secco Italian Bubbles are luxury wines with affordable price tags.

Ginevra is charming so please take the opportunity next Wednesday, December 15 to meet her at Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman from 5-7 and sample for yourself these fun and flirty Secco Italian Bubbles.

Walla Walla Holiday Barrel Tasting and Treasure Maps

These are treasure maps of wineries leading you to an abundance of jewels such as gold chardonnays, ruby red merlots and purple amethyst cabernets. They are comprehensive maps of the area’s wineries together mapping out over a 100 wineries in the Walla Walla Valley, including Milton-Freewater, Oregon and Dayton in Columbia County, Washington.

Tourism Walla Walla partnered with the city’s Geographic Information System group to create the map, while Michele Rennie, Tourism Walla Walla’s board chair, gathered the list of wineries along with their addresses and phone numbers. The maps should never be obsolete because as new wineries pop up in the valley, as they often do, the city’s GIS group can immediately update the maps.

These four two-sided maps are conveniently divided into concentrated areas of wineries including: Downtown Walla Walla, Eastside, Westside, Southside and Oregon. Also included on the maps are major hotels and B&B's.

The colorful maps are printed on tablet like tear-sheet forms and available at the Tourism Walla Walla Visitor Center, as well as the hotels, B&B’s and the Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce. Also, they are very easy to locate and print from Tourism Walla Walla’s website in PDF form.

Holiday Barrel Tasting starts today and the release of these new maps will make it convenient for tourists, and even locals, to have a better understanding of what to realistically plan for, driving and timewise, when visiting the wineries. Also, speaking of Holiday Barrel Tasting, check out what the wineries have in store for you at the Walla Walla Wine Alliance - - and don’t forget the Annual Macy’s Christmas Parade of Lights on Saturday at 6:00 pm. I cannot think of a better way to get in the holiday spirit than a visit to Walla Walla.

Remember to eat well, hydrate well and discover a new wine that you have never tried before. Cheers!

NewAir Wine Cooler is Cool!

Let's say that after the Holiday Barrel Tasting in Walla Walla this weekend you finally get home to discover that you bought a lot of wine! Now, you have to remove the vacuum cleaner out of the closet to stuff all of those bottles of wine into. The only problem is the closet is right next to the furnace.

Chances are you spent a little bit of cash to buy a nice collection of assorted wines from the various wineries in Walla Walla. Keeping wine at the proper temperature is imperative if you want to keep the same true aromas and flavors that gave you the reason to buy the bottles of wine in the first place. If you keep wine at too cool of a temperature, you can risk the flavors being lost. Too warm? The aging process can speed up and actually "cook" the wine.

So let's talk wine coolers - - and no I am not talking about the bottle of adult soda pop with a little bit of so-called wine in it from the 1980's. I'm talking about a cool place to store your wine in. Late summer I was on the hunt for a little wine cooler. I wanted a wine cooler that I could keep just a few bottles cool and one with dual temps with two separate compartments - one for white and another for red wines. It was important that I have a cooler with a slim style that would fit in a corner and most of all, one that I could pick up and move easily with my old arthritic fingers and useless thumbs.

Bacchus the God of Wine must have heard my wish as Stephanie from Air n Water Inc. came to my rescue. Stephanie generously offered to send me a thermoelectric wine cooler as a sample to check out for my very own!

The wine cooler was delivered to my door and the first thing I noticed, and very surprised, how light it was, weighing in around 45-50 lbs - - the weight of a case of wine. It was the perfect size for me to haul to its permanent place. I was sent NewAir Model #AW-210ED. The wine cooler is a simple, but attractive, black cabinet with stainless steel trimmed handles on dual doors with dual temperature zones. Perfect to keep a separate selection of red and white wines at different temperatures.

The capacity is 21 bottles and the actual cooler size is 32 1/4" (H) x 13 1/2" (W) x 20" (D). I did notice that the racks are designed more for Bordeaux-shaped bottles, but after removing one or two of the handy racks, I was able to stuff the cooler with lots of bottles of bubbly.

One of the biggest features that I really like about the NewAir AW-210ED, besides being compact, is the duel temps. The cabinet's upper and lower zones are independently refrigerated allowing me to chill two different types of wine at once. The control settings were easy for me to operate with a touch button panel with a very visible LED display. One more thing - - it is quiet and doesn't vibrate. This little unit just sits in the corner and does its thing. It is reasonably priced at $285.99, but I believe there is a price break going on for the holidays.

Keep you and your wine cool, calm and collected with this great little wine cooler from NewAir.

A Renegade Thanksgiving with Wine

I know your type. You're the one who is so predictable about what wines you are going to serve at your Thanksgiving table. You are about as predictable as those little marshmallows you top on your sweet potatoes. Or perhaps I am giving you too much credit when I say, "wines." If I know you, it is usually just one bottle of wine. I also know that you have perused through the Family Day and Women's Circle magazines at the grocery check-out trying to figure out what wine goes with turkey. Oh what a surprise! The magazines both agree that the only wine to go with turkey is Pinot Noir. However, this year the journalist is really living on the edge as she suggest to her readers to impress their friends and family with a "fresh" wine - a Beaujolais Nouveau.

Oh wait! You're thinking. "I have seen the Georges DuBoeuf Beaujolais Nouveau, but it was a 2009 and on sale in a grocery cart in the center of the wine aisle. I will get that instead of the 2010. It's got a little age on it ... "

Okay, listen up you silly pilgrim. Thanksgiving is about the bounty, right? Traditionally, this day was a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. Today, Thanksgiving is a time to, not only celebrate our harvest, but to express thanks and gratitude for all of the special peeps and possessions in our lives.

Thanksgiving is the time to be bountiful in the foods we bring to the table (well, except Aunt Ginny's green bean mushroom soup casserole. I can never find the mushrooms). So why should we scrimp and scrooge on the wines? Don't just put one wine glass at each place setting, place two - - or even three.

Bring out the bubbles and bring out several! Bring out bubbles from France, Italy, Spain and Domestic. Bring out all of the colors of the bubbles from golden, pink and "black" (sparkling shiraz).

The turkey is willing and ready to be paired with Rosé. It's so pretty and pink and perfect for those red wine lovers who are seeking a lighter version. In Walla Walla we have rosé produced from Cabernet Franc, Mourvèdre, and Sangiovese. And speaking of Sangiovese, the sage, thyme, onion, and sausage in your turkey dressing is made for Sangiovese.

Come on live a little, bring a bottle of Walla Walla Merlot to the kitchen and make a reduction sauce out of it that you can later toss in the cranberry compote or even the wild mushroom gravy. What you say? You make a cranberry jelly and then mold it in the shape of a can? Well, drizzle a bit of cooled Merlot redux over the jelly and you won't be sorry. And while you are in the kitchen making a reduction sauce, be sure and pour a glass for the chef. You'll need it when your least favorite cousin's girlfriend and her mother show up uninvited.

Alright! So the magazine says you need Pinot Noir for Thanksgiving, but why stop at just one bottle. Explore the world of Pinot Noir and grab a couple of bottles from different regions.

A bottle of Riesling or even Gewürztraminer can take you from the turkey to the pumpkin pie depending if the wine is dry or off-dry. An acidic white wine will cut the fat on the palate from the deep-fried turkey, while the off-dry will make for a yummy accompaniment with the pumpkin pie or gingerbread. Explore some other whites as well, such as Viognier or blends. Chardonnay will pair well with a smoked turkey and again, add a little Chardonnay to the broth when making gravy.

Bring out the "Stickies" (late harvest and ice wines) and Ports to finish the meal. And while you are at it, bring out some cigars from the humidor, as well. Hey, why not? Cigars are about the most civilized thing to smoking the peace pipe. And my point for this rant?

Break from the one bottle of Pinot Noir tradition and be a renegade. Embark on a quest from the norm like the original pilgrims. Pilgrims Priscilla and John Alden didn't have fried onions from a can to put on a green bean casserole nor did they have marshmallows to put on the sweet tubers at the first Thanksgiving feast in 1621. Through the years these recipes have been published in newspapers and magazines and have become a big part of family traditions. These casseroles are a symbol of our bounty. If you are an expert, or even a novice lover of the grape, make wines another symbol of your bounty.

Crush happens in the fall and what a perfect time to celebrate the end of wine country's harvest with wine at Thanksgiving. Cheers!

WineTrails of Walla Walla by Steve Roberts

Author Steve Roberts did it again. Steve is best known for his popular book, WineTrails of Washington that arrived in 2007. It is a comprehensive guide for visiting Washington's wineries. The book became a best-seller in 2009 and now in its fourth printing. Along the way, came two other guidebooks, WineTrails of Oregon and WineTrails of Idaho (Yes, Idaho. They have more than 40 bonded wineries). I was so excited to hear from Steve earlier when he informed me he had a new book ready to be released this month - "WineTrails of Walla Walla."

WineTrails of Walla Walla is much more than a guide for uncorking your memorable wine tour. This 250 page book contains plenty of detailed photos, wineries listings, but also lists lodging and restaurants. One of the many things about the winery guide I found so handy, yet so clever, is that each of the wineries locations are listed in five separate distinct "trails" about Walla Walla: WineTrail West, Downtown WineTrail, Airport WineTrail, WineTrail East, and WineTrail South. There is also a listing for "Apointment-Only Wineries."

And when I say WineTrails of Walla Walla is more than a guide, it also gives some wine history, wine labels, tasting notes on the varietals, winery amenities, "sipping and cycling," wine touring with kidlets, wine tasting etiquette, and shopping and recreation listings. There are even pages to jot your own wine notes. Steve says the book is the most advanced book yet.

This last Saturday I was excited to meet with Steve at the shop. I had lots of questions for him (and of course, I made him sign my copy of WineTrails of Walla Walla first).

W5: Why Walla Walla - of all of the tourist locations, why did you choose this little place that is so tough to get to?

SR: Whenever I visited I would hear accents – American accents, foreign accents – and I realized that Walla Walla had become a destination of sorts. The fact that I needed to book a hotel room well in advance on event weekends also informed me that wine lovers enjoyed going to Walla Walla. Then when Sunset Magazine named Walla Walla as one of America’s top wine destination, that crystallized it for me. Couple that with the fact that the Valley offers so much in terms of places to stay, places to eat and things to do, I realized that a guidebook was screaming to be written.

W5: How many times have you visited Walla Walla?

SR: For my first book, WineTrails of Washington, I made a dozen trips to capture the wine scene. However, that was back in 2007 and the industry has proven to be more than organic – it’s changing all the time. Thus, when it came time to do the research for WineTrails of Walla Walla I knew I had my work cut out. (W5 note: Steve also says that he isn't ready to leave his Seattle home, but he feels that Walla Walla is his "home away from home." To quote him: "She's like a mistress and a not so secret lover.")

During the winter and spring of 2010, I made 17 separate weekend trips to Walla Walla from my home in the Seattle area. Four hours and twenty minutes each way – thank God for Sirius Radio! Incidentally, I know that change is a constant in the wine industry and especially in the Walla Walla Valley. Therefore, the book has a companion website at WineTrails NW that keeps pace with the changes (or at least I try to) and I am committed to updating the book on a regular basis.

W5: Do you feel that places close by, like Walla Walla, are becoming more important to the traveler, especially with the economy and how air travel has become uncomfortable and not as desirable?

SR: Yes and not just for the so-called culinary traveler. Most folks that I meet in the tasting rooms are not connoisseurs of wine – they might go wine tasting a few times a year and typically buy wine for their evening meal. From Spokane, Boise, Portland and Seattle it is less than a five hour drive to get to Walla Walla and it makes for a fun weekend getaway. I understand that for most travelers, Walla Walla is not a day trip. However, the fact that the Valley offers so much in the way of amenities makes it a pure joy to experience. I don’t have statistics on it but I suspect that most visitors to Walla Walla are not first time visitors – they are repeat offenders because they know that they can experience amazing wines and great cuisine in small city splendor.

W5: Small city splendor. I could not have said it any better. Thank you Steve.

Hang On To Your Hat. It's Nine Hats from Long Shadows

If you are familiar with Long Shadows Vintners in Walla Walla, then you probably know that the winery is a group of famous winemakers from around the world who have been producing highly rated wines from Washington State fruit since their first releases in 2003. The names of the Long Shadows wines are: Feather, Pirouette, Pedestal, Sequel, Saggi, Poet's Leap and Chester Kidder.

If you are familiar with the wines then you probably know these famous winemakers include California winemakers Randy Dunn (Feather) and Agustin Huneeus (Pirouette), Michel Rolland (Pedestal) owner of Pomerol's Chateau Le Bon Pasteur, Australian John Duval (Sequel) formerly of Penfold's Grange, Ambrogio and Giovanni Folonari (Saggi), and German Riesling producer Armin Diel (Poet’s Leap). Also, local resident Walla Walla winemaker, Gilles Nicault (Chester Kidder).

So if you have a few extra barrels of highly rated Long Shadow's 2007 vintage hanging around, such as their Sangiovese, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, as well as an additional Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec, what'cha suppose to do? You make a damn good red blend out of it. You know - - something that you can hang your hat on.

And that's exactly what Long Shadow's did. "Nine Hats" is a blend of 60% Cabernet, 15% Syrah, 11% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. Of course, if you have had any of the Long Shadows red wines, then you know they are big and ripe, and "Nine Hats" is no different. A mouth of dark fruits such as cherries and plums appear with flavors of espresso, cocoa and a bit of ye' ol' cigar box. This blend almost leaves that signature, "Yup this is a Washington wine" on your palate.

"Nine Hats" is the best of Long Shadow's with an affordable price. In the mean time, I have been staring at the label thinking there is one extra Derby. The red Derby in the middle of the label has to belong to Allen Shoup, himself, the founder of the Long Shadow's partnership and also one of the founding fathers of the Washington wine industry.

We tip our hats an' raise our glasses.

My Credibility As A Wine Blogger

Yesterday, a respected wine writer wrote on his personal blog wondering now that I have started a new commercial enterprise, how will it impact this wine blog? He is wondering if my "transparency and credibility" will suffer and will this wine blog become more of a tool for commerce and less of a passionate calling?

At first thought, I was going to post my resume for the last thirty-years, stamp my feet and give all of the reasons why my credibility shouldn't suffer. Then the more I thought about it, I decided that I didn't need to explain myself. Just like my wine blog started in the beginning, I will let my readers decide its path. If there comes a day I no longer have any readers, then I guess we will have our answer on my credibility.

Wine blogging has been a hobby and in fact, one of my hobbies. I enjoy "collecting." Depending on my mood, sometimes I collect Depression glassware or 1900's-1920's furnishings. Sometimes I might collect rose bushes, vintage purses and perfume bottles or miniature grizzly bears hand carved out of stone or wood. One of my collections happens to be several old and worn biographies of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States. In fact, a photo of ol' TR hangs on the wall above the computer that I write this very blog on. Here is an old quote of Teddy's that rather sums it up for me.

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

Take a Stroll to Nicholas Cole

Stroll up Main Street in Walla Walla and on the corner of Main and Palouse streets you will find Nicholas Cole Cellars. The winery is very much about family and it shows in the name of the winery and the wines - even the majestic gold "NC" insignia resembles a crest which often stands for history and heraldry of family generations.

Owner and winemaker, Mike Neuffer took a thoughtful approach when naming his winery after his son and daughter, Nicholas and Michele Cole. The beautifully named artisan winery is devoted to complex and concentrated red wines. The first release for Nicholas Cole Winery was a 376 case production of a 2001 Bordeaux-style blend, a Claret, which immediately put the winery on the Walla Walla map. Production of this blend was later increased with the next vintage and Mike changed the wine's name to "Camille," in honor of his grandmother. The arrival of other bold and elegant wines, named after family members, continued.

Jeanie Inglis-Chowanietz, general manager of Nicholas Cole strolled me through the wines:

Camille - 2005: This is the wine that started it all for Nicholas Cole. A blend of 45% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Petit Verdot. It is rich and silky with notes of milk chocolate and spice.

Michele - 2006: "Rich and Ripe" are the two words to describe this classic blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Petit Verdot. Smells like an autumn evening in the Walla Walla Valley. Black fruit of plum and cherries show off with hints of cocoa and cigar box.

Dauphiné - 2006: Like the name, this wine is stunning. A sophisticated Rhone-style wine of 100% Syrah. Dark and smoky with notes of blueberries, espresso and spice. Reminded me of brunch in a snowed-in cabin with a menu of blueberry waffles, bacon and a double espresso latte.

Juliet - 2006: Unfortunately this wine is now sold out. Boo-hoo! Named after Mike's sister, this wine may be elegant, but it is super! Super Tuscan, that is. 53% Sangiovese, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot. Spicy!

GraEagle RedWing - 2006: Mike has the right touch with his blending. 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc, 18% Merlot, 6% Syrah, and 3% Petit Verdot. An affordable wine for $25, yet it doesn't taste so "affordable." It tastes like a million bucks!

Estate Reserve - 2005: Last, but certainly not least. This wine is the "million-dollar baby" with a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot from the Neuffer Estate Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley. Only 200 cases were produced of this instense and complex blend. A mouthful of chocolate cherries and rich cherry liquor. Velvety.

Visit Nicholas Cole's tasting room and check out the recycled, yet attractive, barrel stave paneling. Once you taste the wines you will understand why their motto is: Great wines are made ‘one vine at a time.’

Walla Walla Fall Release Weekend

In Walla Walla, for the last 29-years, the first weekend in November has long been known as the Walla Walla Wine Auction Weekend. Then in the last nine years, the weekend had an added dimension as it became the "Cayuse Vineyards Release Weekend." Basically it's this - - unless you know about "the list" or on the "waiting list to get on the list" or on "the list," this Cayuse list didn't mean anything to you.

However, what it meant to the wineries in the Walla Walla Valley, it meant: crush is over (well, not this year), polish up your building, clean the purple gunk out of your fingernails, bring out your new releases and smile because there are a whole lot of wine lovers in town! And after they are finished picking up their wines from Cayuse, they still want to find some more wineries to visit. This weekend is now known as our "Fall Release." And wouldn't you know, Cayuse Vineyards has changed their annual weekend to next spring instead.

But no frets my pretty, as there are plenty of things to do in Walla Walla and the wineries are bringing out some of their finest, showing off their newest and even have some special events planned. Now, I know I can give you my annual do's and don'ts such as: eat well, hydrate-hydrate-hydrate, don't try to do a 25-wineries-in-a-day marathon and brag about it to the last 12 wineries you visited, put the cell phone away when visiting a winery (let your secret service people take care of it since you are so damn important) and yada-yada-yada ...

However, read and get Walla Walla wine educated and make your own list, since there is no list to either be on or not be on. Which means is this - discover some of the latest wines and wineries who have recently been given medals, points and accolades. And please also remember this: just because a winery or a wine doesn't have the medals, points and accolades, doesn't mean they are not worthy to seek out. It takes a lot of time and work for the wineries to get their wines to those who give out medals, points and accolades. I mean, the wine fairy just doesn't magically show up at night and place a medal on the wines. If it were only that easy ...

Enjoy the weekend.

Seven Hills Winery - One of the Originals

Fall Release in Walla Walla is just around the corner. Many wine enthusiasts are taking note of the newest wineries around the valley and adding them to their list of wineries to seek out. But while you are making a list, don't forget to visit and re-visit some of the originals in the valley.

Seven Hills Winery is one of those "originals" in the Walla Walla Valley. The winery was established in 1988 by Casey and Vicky McClellan (Vicky - right photo). In 1982, Casey joined his father in planting the original Seven Hills Vineyard, which has since expanded with new owners and known as one of the ten greatest vineyards in the world. One has to wonder if Casey realized at the time he was participating in Walla Walla wine history in the making.

Seven Hills Winery has helped put Walla Walla on the map with their Cabernet, Merlot and other Bordeaux-style red varietals. The McClellans now have 20 acres of vines adjacent to the famed Seven Hills Vineyard. In addition to their estate wines, they also produce vineyard-designated wines from other celebrated vineyards in the Columbia Valley and Walla Walla AVA's. Surprisingly, they also produce a Pinot Gris with fruit from Oregon.

The winery and tasting room is located downtown Walla Walla in the historic Whitehouse-Crawford building at 212 North 3rd Ave. The old woodworking mill and furniture factory was built in 1904 and in 2000 the old brick building was remodeled to house, not only Seven Hills Winery, but also the popular Whitehouse-Crawford restaurant. Visitors to the winery and the restaurant can view the working barrel room from the large glass windows.

This weekend add one of the originals to your list and taste the newly released vintages from Seven Hills Winery:

Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, Red Mountain Vintage Red - 2008

Pentad, Walla Walla Valley Vintage Red Wine - 2006
Carmenere, Walla Walla Valley - 2006

Cheers!

Trick 'r Treat! What's in my bag?

Halloween and Thanksgiving are my two favorite holidays. I think it has to do with the weather. I love the turning of the leaves, the fall colors and the rich sweet and smoky smells around Walla Walla. It has to be the "big kid" in me, because I love decorating for Halloween. Unfortunately, this year decorating for Halloween totally escaped me. I typically put out a collection of black cats (besides my two fat real ones, Crosby and Nash) and a smattering of pumpkins here and there. Sometimes I even invite a few "witches" over for a cup o' tea and some "lady fingers" (Umm - okay. More like glasses of vino - blood red, of course). But between my latest project I finally looked at the calendar and realized that Halloween was in a few days. Oh HELL, there's always next year.

In the mean time, I did take the time to put together a collection of wines that are purr-fect for Halloween.

Fetish "The Watcher" Shiraz - 2008 from the Barossa Valley, Australia. The label reminds me of something from the Blair Witch Project. The little crafty twigs and feathers hanging from the trees in that movie were a bit eerie, but other than that, the movie was a snooze fest. However, "The Watcher" is far from a snooze. It's vibrant! A medium-weight shiraz that is juicy and shows off dark fruit of blackberries and plum. Bits of white pepper and white chocolate surprises you and then leads you to a long finish. It's a wine that you can cellar for awhile.

Moselland Zeller Schwarze Katz Riesling (aka "The Black Cat from Zell") - 100% Riesling from Germany. A typical and affordable riesling with a fruity nose. The flavors are crisp and fresh showing off the typical Riesling acidity. Hints of lemon and apple show off a bit. Hey, this is a no-brainer. It's an affordable German riesling, but it truely is about the bottle. A collector's item for cat lovers and the kitty comes in different colors.

Thirsty Pagans Communion Red - 2005 If you are a local wine enthusiast, then you know these three notorious thirsty pagans from Walla Walla - Jeanie, Rob and Crandall. Their red blend, from the Alder Ridge Vineyard, is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Malbec, and 5% Petit Verdot. The fruit is hand-picked and hand-sorted. They personally remove all bats, bugs, leaves and sticks. In other words, no MOG. No dear ones, MOG is not a Latin word or a fancy scientific viticulture word. It just means: Material Other than Grapes. How does it taste? Dark, spicy and smoky. What? You think the name is a little controversial? Of course it is! And yer point ...?

Razor’s Edge Cabernet Sauvignon - 2008 From McLaren Vale, one of Australia’s renowned wine regions, famous for producing some the best wines in the world. Razor's Edge wines are gaining a reputation from Parker and the WS as being a best buy and value for the quality. This dark bloody cabernet offers an array of harmonious flavors including black currant, beetroot, cloves and roasted chestnut. Integrated and finely grained tannin structure. It "cuts deep" into the palate.

Have a fun, but safe Halloween. BOO!

The Battle Begins: Initiatives 1100 & 1105

The battle isn't just about proponents and opponents, but also just the battle of trying to understand these issues. I haven't seen an initiative yet that makes the language very clear. It is often so twisted that what you think you may be voting "yes" on, you really just voted "no" - - or vice versa.

Here are copies of the original initiatives filed (pdf):
Initiative 1100
Initiative 1105

Proponents of these initiatives feel that Washington state needs to get out of the liquor business. With the state out of the liquor business proponents of these initiatives feel the consumers will be provided with fair prices, more buying options and convenience.

Opponents of these initiatives feel that if passed, deregulation will cut over 1,000 union jobs across the state. They feel it will dismantle a system that generates over $300 million for important state and local services, besides increasing the availability of liquor to minors.

How could these initiatives affect the local wineries in the Walla Walla Valley, you ask? Here is a letter I received today.
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Dear Friends,

Washington State has become the testing ground for a major new push by chain store retailers to test their political and economic clout by using the citizen’s initiative process. After losing their court battle to strip the Washington State Liquor Control Board of their mandate to regulate alcohol sales two years ago, Costco and other giant retailers are trying to circumvent this court decision by using the initiative process via Initiative I-1100.

Afraid of losing control of their own industry, distributors and manufacturers of hard liquor have also usurped the initiative process, and are promoting their own version of getting rid of the Washington State Liquor Control Board’s regulatory authority by introducing I-1105.

Both of these initiatives would allow any retailer of wine or beer to also sell hard liquor, increasing the potential number of hard liquor retailers to over 5,000, from the current 315. Yes, the current system probably results in liquor being more expensive than it would be if it was sold in gas stations and grocery stores, but a lot of the increased cost is due to taxes that the state uses to help cities and counties provide essential services. In this economy, does our state really need to lose that revenue? It would have to be made up by taxing something else, or giving up some of our already stretched public services. And why? So these huge retailers can increase their profits!

The other important issue that the promoters of these two initiatives don’t mention in their well-funded advertising, is that they both want to get rid of what is called “tied-house” rules. These rules prohibit manufacturers and distributors of alcohol from giving incentives (bribes) to retailers in order to influence their purchasing choices. These rules prevent large, wealthy companies like Gallo, Franzia, or Sutter Home, from offering free goods, free advertising, and paying for shelf space for their products at retailers like Costco, QFC, Safeway, Fred Meyer, etc. Small wineries and breweries without the money to compete, would lose sales. Eventually the consumer would only have the large, international brands to choose from as shelf space is auctioned off to the highest bidder.

For small, family owned wineries, breweries, and retailers, the tied house rules help level the playing field, making it possible for us to compete with the mega-companies. They are one reason why Washington consumers can proudly say that we have 700 wineries across the state that have some of the highest quality wine in the world.

We urge you to vote “NO” on I-1100 and I-1105. Both of these initiatives will harm Washington’s small wine and beer producers, causing many of them to close because they can’t compete with the bribes offered by huge international suppliers. The Washington State Liquor Control Board rules have been arrived at after more than 75 years of Post-Prohibition experience. I-1100 and I-1105 would get rid of them merely so that already huge companies could make even more money. Is that why we have the initiative process?

Thank you for taking the time to read this lengthy letter. These issues are not simple, but the bottom line is: Should we let the initiative process be used by big companies to help them get even bigger?

Sincerely,
Debbie and Dave Hansen
“Mom” and “Pop” of Cougar Crest Estate Winery

Debbie later points out to me:

We certainly can’t count on getting all our information on the issues from the sponsors of the TV advertisements. Those ads only cover 1/8th of the issues involved and are certainly skewed toward the sponsors of the initiative. I contend there is a lot more at stake here than just the economics of the tax base. The issue of viability for companies that aren’t billion dollar, multi-national corporations, is also at stake. There are many small businesses and their employees at stake as well, not just the employees of the state liquor stores. Of the 700+ wineries in Washington, if you look at the smallest 690 of them, you will see they are very small businesses, certainly not able to compete financially with the big wine companies of the world that will be aggressively pursuing the Washington wine market if either one of these initiatives passes.

To me the main issue is this: There are some very large, wealthy retailers who want to become even larger and wealthier, and they have written and sponsored these initiatives in order to do so. They are stirring a tempest in a teapot in order to cover their main motives. Will we the people be able to see through the dustup in the teapot and say no, we don’t want our initiative process used to increase the profits of big corporations? We need to be questioning why do we need this initiative and who are the big beneficiaries? The difference in the taxes, where they come from and who pays them, is nothing compared to the extra profits to be made by these large corporations. Follow the money; who are the really big beneficiaries here???
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My wine blogging peers, respectively, have given their opinions. John of Wine Peeps has been "agonizing and analyzing" while Sean of Washington Wine Report "boiled it down and boiled it down again." I would advise wine consuming readers to please read each blog and while you are reading, do take the time to check out what the Wine Spectator has to say about these issues, as well. Last, but not least, the Seattle Times says, "Yes" and the Seattle PI says, "No." (Note: it is important to have just one glass of wine, not two, while reading these opinions so that you don't get even more confused.)

Most important? Please vote on Tuesday, November 2. If you don't vote, you don't get a voice.

Revisit Old Friends with Friends: L'Ecole No. 41 Apogee and Perigee

The autumnal equinox is a reminder there is something going on in the sky that is bigger than all of us. It's about the changes of our planets. The sun crosses the celestial equator and moves southward in the northern hemisphere. This year the equinox coincided with a Harvest Moon - - and it was just last week the moon wasn't totally full, but it was hovering above the closest center point of the earth, which is referred to as a Perigee.

You don't have to have a telescope or wait for night to fall to take in a Perigee or even an Apogee (the opposite of Perigee, when the moon is at the greatest distance from the center of the earth). You can visit either celestial occurrence anytime you wish.

L'Ecole No. 41 Apogee - 2007: This single vineyard red is sourced from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard, known for it's premier fruit throughout the state of Washington. Apogee is a Bordeaux-style wine with a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 6% Malbec, and 4% Cabernet Franc. Since it's first release in 1993, this proprietary blend has been known for being aromatic with touches of spice, cigar box and the rich earth that is so unique to the Walla Walla Valley. Dark stone fruit of cherry and plum with a hint of black currant cassis rounds out the mouth. No matter the vintage, Apogee has shown to be an exceptional age-worthy wine.

My recent tasting of the Apogee - 2007 was a reminder to me of previous vintages that was shared around memorable and special occasions.

L'Ecole No. 41 Perigee - 2007: Once again, another single vineyard (estate) red, but with fruit sourced from the Seven Hills Vineyard, located just 10 miles south from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc went into this Bordeaux-style blend. The Seven Hills Vineyard was one of the first commercial vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley AVA. It was planted in 1980 and later expanded in 1989. The average elevation is around 900 ft. - - high!

I stuck my nose deep into the glass bowl of Perigee. The nose reminded me of the autumnal air in Walla Walla. It was smoky and earthy. The liquid on my palate was velvety and smooth and almost melted like a rich chocolate-covered cherry. Just a hint of spice to remind me it was there, but finished once again with notes of milk chocolate, cherry cordial and the smell of rich earth. If I had tasted this wine out of town, it would indeed remind me of home - Walla Walla.

I typically don't rate wines, but every so often I will find a wine from the Walla Walla Valley that I will label as "swoon-worthy" and indeed - - Perigee made me swoon. Beautifully done.

Short days with moon-filled nights are slowly announcing themselves. For me, these autumn and winter months are for entertaining, such as holidays and just evenings to "hunker-down" from the winter elements with family and friends. L'Ecole's Apogee and Perigee are wines that are meant for these special evenings.