Todd Alexander, winemaker of Force Majeure, WeatherEye, The Walls, PÁŠXA Wines and his own label from Oregon fruit, Holocene, grew up in a little bit of everywhere — a fate of many whose parents served in the military. Born in Montgomery, Ala., he quickly bounced to Texas, Florida, Ohio and Arizona. He majored in history at the University of Arizona, with a minor in … [Read more...] about The Wines that Made Us: Château Rayas for Todd Alexander
Featured wines
Washington wine lovers should seek out big Petit Verdot
Of the six official red grapes of Bordeaux, the one that we not often see standing on its is the bold and burly Petit Verdot. Wine lovers, particularly those in Washington state, are delighted to see a growing interest in this rare variety. Little more than 1,000 tons are harvested each fall in Washington, and much of that ends up in Bordeaux and Meritage-style blends. … [Read more...] about Washington wine lovers should seek out big Petit Verdot
Dry pink wines extend rosé trend in Pacific Northwest
One of the hottest trends in Pacific Northwest wine country is dry, pink wines, a category that only seems to grow annually and shows no sign of slowing down. Indeed, across our region, it is easy to find more than 100 examples of pink wines being made in all styles. Fortunately, most are made in the dry style typical of southern France's Provence region, rather than the … [Read more...] about Dry pink wines extend rosé trend in Pacific Northwest
GSM among Washington’s most delicious blends
Among the most exciting developments in Washington wine country in the past decade is the rising interest in red Rhone varieties. This includes such grapes as Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Counoise, and a few other varieties. Syrah has developed a keen interest in Washington, becoming our third most-popular red grape and making some of the state's most interesting … [Read more...] about GSM among Washington’s most delicious blends
What goes into making an outstanding Northwest wine?
What goes into a great wine? That's a question we get on a regular basis (along with "What's your favorite wine?") The answer to the first question depends upon myriad aspects. The answer to the second is "Whatever is in our glass at the moment." We taste thousands of wines per year, and only about one in 10 earn our top "Outstanding!" rating. It comes down to a number of … [Read more...] about What goes into making an outstanding Northwest wine?