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Great Northwest Wine

News, reviews and info about the wines of Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Idaho

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Ken Robertson

Love at first sip, thanks to Wente Vineyards

August 7, 2023 by Ken Robertson 3 Comments

The warmth of a grandmotherly California woman and the allure of the Wente family’s wines tasted during one afternoon were all it took to turn me toward a life of chasing after great wines. Since that day at historic Wente Vineyards — now roughly 50 years ago — when my brother Greg and I tasted through the wines under her tutelage, I’ve been in love with good wine. Wente … [Read more...] about Love at first sip, thanks to Wente Vineyards

Swirl, Sniff & Sip: Bottle conditioning creates wines worth waiting for

April 9, 2023 by Ken Robertson Leave a Comment

A handful of Washington’s longtime winemakers are veering away from marketing expectations that red wines should reach retail outlets by the time they’re about two years old. Because the Northwest rather recently emerged as a major wine grape-growing region, grape growers and wineries already faced economic pressure to repay loans to cover costs of what’s typically a … [Read more...] about Swirl, Sniff & Sip: Bottle conditioning creates wines worth waiting for

Don’t overlook Northwest white blends

January 21, 2023 by Ken Robertson Leave a Comment

Stroll down the aisles of any Northwest wine shop, liquor store or supermarket, and you’ll encounter shelves loaded with red wine blends. In the past decade, they’ve become so prolific and popular that at any regional wine competition, they outnumber every other category of entries. White blends, on the other hand, are downright scarce. For example, in the recently concluded … [Read more...] about Don’t overlook Northwest white blends

Swirl, Sniff & Sip: Winemakers blend to improve on nature’s bounty

November 14, 2022 by Ken Robertson Leave a Comment

When a wine is labeled a blend — no matter whether it’s red, white or rosé — the label offers a journey into a labyrinthine world of choices a winemaker makes to craft a wine that aims to be superior to the sum of its parts. Washington state’s longest-tenured winemaker, Rob Griffin of Barnard Griffin in Richland, says he believes he “does more blending than most,” because he … [Read more...] about Swirl, Sniff & Sip: Winemakers blend to improve on nature’s bounty

Sniff, Sip, Swirl: Holmes family unveils Arneis on Red Mountain

July 23, 2022 by Ken Robertson 3 Comments

About 40 years ago, I was chatting with a then-young winemaker about why he remained in Washington state rather than returning to his native California. “Washington is the Wild West of winemaking,” he told me.  He stayed because he wanted to be part of a frontier spirit that was looking ahead to see what could be done here, find out what wine grapes would grow here … [Read more...] about Sniff, Sip, Swirl: Holmes family unveils Arneis on Red Mountain

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Wine of the Week

Indian Creek Winery 2022 Dry Rosé of Syrah, Snake River Valley $20

August 25, 2023

Latest Wine Reviews

Iris Vineyards 2021 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $24.99

Arenness Cellars 2019 Les Collines Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley $44

Ashlyn Wines 2021 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, $20

Revelation by Goose Ridge 2022 Rosé, Goose Gap, $18

Liberty Lake Wine Cellars 2020 Touriga Naçional Reserve Red Wine, Red Mountain $55

Montinore Estate 2021 Reserve Müller-Thurgau, Tualatin Hills, $35

Bells Up Winery 2020 Titan Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley $46

Wine Cruises & Safaris

National Geographic partners with Food & Wine magazine for 2024 wine cruise series on Columbia, Snake rivers

Cruising the Rhine and Moselle with Wit Cellars

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Grapes

VineLines Dispatch gallery: ‘I go where they grow’ as 2023 harvest begins

My long, strange trip with Viognier

British Columbia wine industry prepares for widespread replanting

May’s heat pushes much of Northwest wine country ahead of hot 2015 vintage

Unique approach to ice wine leads to win for Nederend, Koenig Vineyards

Food

Match Maker: King Estate Winery rising stars combine for elevated restaurant experience

Match Maker recipe: Corn Agnolotti with Chanterelle Mushroom, Roasted Corn, Black Truffle and Citrus Brown Butter

Match Maker recipe: Beef Ribeye with Uni Butter, Pacific Dulse and Lobster Glace

Match Maker: Thiessen puts his brand on WW with Walla Walla Steak Co.

Match Maker recipe: Chocolate Crémeux Tart with Cocoa Nibs and Hazelnuts

History

Washington wine leaders back HistoryLunch in Seattle

Love at first sip, thanks to Wente Vineyards

Merit, heritage surround helpful Meritage concept

L’Ecole N° 41 Winery develops lesson plan in history for Walla Walla

A historical tasting of L’Ecole N° 41 Winery’s first 40 years at the Schoolhouse library

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