Best Buy! Fiona Mak’s rosé house — inspired in part by her trips to the French Riviera — relies on Pinot Gris for her “Summer” program, so she submitted her two most recent vintages. Both merited gold. Here, its theme of starfruit and cantaloupe creates an appealing sense of fleshiness on the midpalate that’s whisked away with a racy burst of blood orange, lemon zest and … [Read more...] about SMAK Wines 2020 Summer Rosé, Columbia Valley $18
Wine reviews
Sidereus Vineyard & Winery 2021 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley $25
The plantings of the late Jim Witte live on in this bottling from A Blooming Hill Vineyard fruit by longtime Willamette Valley winemaker Jason Bull. Ruth and Skip Tarr recently took over the 20-year-old site just south of Cornelius, Ore., and have relaunched the brand as Sidereus - Latin for stellar. Their site in the Chehalem Mountains made up most of this bottling. It’s a fun … [Read more...] about Sidereus Vineyard & Winery 2021 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley $25
Youngberg Hill Winery 2018 Natasha Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $60
The oldest daughter of the Baileys, Natasha, is the namesake for this 7-acre block established at 600 feet elevation near McMinnville, Ore. During the 2018 vintage, the blend of Pommard (60%) and Wädenswil (40%) clone Pinot Noir came in the cellar on Oct. 4 with a level of finesse at 23.1 Brix before spending 14 months in a barrel program of 34% new French oak. The result is a … [Read more...] about Youngberg Hill Winery 2018 Natasha Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, $60
A peek at the WSU Wine Science Center
RICHLAND, Wash. - Washington State University's Wine Science Center is largely completed, and the director of viticulture and enology is looking forward to moving in. The Wine Science Center is a $24 million facility being built in the heart of Washington wine country, less than a mile from the Columbia River. Thomas Henick-Kling, who oversees the university's winemaking and … [Read more...] about A peek at the WSU Wine Science Center
These Northwest wineries make Cab far from drab
On the eve of Wine Press Northwest magazine's peer-judging of more than 140 entries of Cabernet Sauvignon made in the Pacific Northwest, Great Northwest Wine takes a moment to look back at some of the best Cabs our panel has tasted during the second half of 2012. Judging of 140 Northwest Cabernet Sauvignon set for Jan. 24 The Bordeaux grape variety long has been deemed to … [Read more...] about These Northwest wineries make Cab far from drab