Ste. Michelle-trained Melanie Krause is the winemaking talent behind Cinder Wines near Boise, but she and her husband Joe Schnerr developed this second label to become a Tuesday night wine in an Old World-style, not only for consumers but also themselves. So they make this in a fruit-forward, bright style each year. This release leads with Sangiovese (60%) and supported by … [Read more...] about Laissez Faire 2015 Red Table Wine, Idaho, $16
Panther Creek Cellars 2014 Winemaker’s Cuvee Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $30
The flagship Pinot Noir bottling by Tony Rynders for Oregon’s rejuvenated Panther Creek brand encompasses four growing regions and six vineyards, including the large Wildewood and Loubejac plantings influenced by the Van Duzer Corridor near Monmouth. There’s a slightly hedonistic approach to this darker Pinot Noir, starting with aromas of black cherry and blackberry with … [Read more...] about Panther Creek Cellars 2014 Winemaker’s Cuvee Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $30
Clore Center presents second annual ‘History Through the Vines’ dinner
PROSSER, Wash. — Five of the most important winemakers in the Washington wine industry, Brian Carter, Rob Griffin, Kay Simon, Betsey Wittick and Wade Wolfe, will share the spotlight Friday, March 3 for second annual History Through the Vines Dinner at the Walter Clore Wine Culinary Center in Prosser. The evening will pay tribute to 40 years of vines and wines with a … [Read more...] about Clore Center presents second annual ‘History Through the Vines’ dinner
DaMa Wines 2013 Grenache, Columbia Valley, $38
This year, Mary Tuuri Derby celebrates the 10th anniversary of DaMa Wines, and she continues to show the promise of Rhône varieties grown in the Yakima Valley by Lonesome Spring Ranch. The Benton City, Wash., vineyard run by Colin Morrell has been the source for the popular DaMa Nation GSM blend, but here the focus is all on his Grenache. Harvest took place Oct. 11 at 26 Brix, … [Read more...] about DaMa Wines 2013 Grenache, Columbia Valley, $38
Wahluke Slope forms backbone of Washington wine industry
Follow the Columbia River up through the middle of the state, and you'll run into the Wahluke Slope, an 81,000-acre American Viticultural Area that serves as the backbone of the Washington wine industry. Approved as an official AVA by the federal government in 2006, the region has long been home to vineyards. Today, about 9,000 acres of grapes are grown on the 13-mile-wide … [Read more...] about Wahluke Slope forms backbone of Washington wine industry