Grenache has been grown and made in Washington for decades, but the variety is a bit on the tender side when it comes to cold winters, so it has never caught on in a big way. However, with the surge of interest in Rhône-style reds and whites in recent years, growers and winemakers are finding places to grow Grenache successfully. One of these areas is Snipes Mountain, an … [Read more...] about Smasne Cellars 2010 Upland Vineyard Grenache, Snipes Mountain, $34
Archives for May 2013
Northwest restaurants, wineries welcome Copper River salmon today
SEATTLE — Thirty years ago today, Jon Rowley got Seattle hooked on Copper River king salmon. "I was a former Alaska fisherman, and I made it my business back then to know how to get the Copper River salmon to Seattle," Rowley told Great Northwest Wine. Almost immediately, his work benefited restaurants in the Puget Sound and the folks who plied the waters of this 300-mile … [Read more...] about Northwest restaurants, wineries welcome Copper River salmon today
Erath Winery 2010 Pinot Noir, Oregon, $19
This is one of the most abundant and widely distributed Pinot Noirs made in Oregon, a wine whose production has gone up dramatically since Ste. Michelle Wine Estates purchased Erath a few years ago. Thus, this is a wine that does a lot of missionary work for Oregon, carrying the message of its Pinot Noir across the country and even around the world. It opens with aromas of … [Read more...] about Erath Winery 2010 Pinot Noir, Oregon, $19
Maryhill Winery 2010 Northridge Vineyard Primitivo, Wahluke Slope, $32
For many years, Primitivo and Zinfandel were considered to be an identical grape. Now research shows they are both clones of a Croatian variety known as Crljenak Kastelanski. Primitivo has a long, illustrious and mysterious history - and a myth has been perpetuated that it was the wine served at the Last Supper. The grapes for this superb wine come from the arid Wahluke Slope, … [Read more...] about Maryhill Winery 2010 Northridge Vineyard Primitivo, Wahluke Slope, $32
reWine Barrels 2010 Syrah, Rogue Valley
reWine Barrels is a company out of Salem, Ore., that refurbishes wine barrels for a fraction of their original cost. The company shaves, toasts and cleans each barrel for less than one-fourth the cost of the original French oak barrel. This wine was made in a reWine-refurbished barrel as a test to see how it performs, and we tasted this under blind conditions alongside 11 other … [Read more...] about reWine Barrels 2010 Syrah, Rogue Valley