Best Buy! The vineyard source for this wine is one of the teaching vineyards for Walla Walla Community College, and it is at the Walla Walla Regional Airport, less than five minutes' drive from the college. Vineyard instructor Jeff Popick and winemaker Tim Donahue lead the students in growing the grapes and making the wines, and this Sauvignon Blanc is terrific - and a great … [Read more...] about College Cellars 2012 Clarke Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Walla Walla Valley, $12
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Abiqua Wind Vineyard 2012 R.S. Gris Estate Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, $12
Best Buy! Pinot Gris is firmly Oregon's No. 1 white wine grape, having surpassed Chardonnay in 2000. This winery east of Salem offers this small-production Pinot Gris that reveals aromas of spearmint, lemon, clove and green apple, followed by flavors of bright Granny Smith apple flavors, mint and lime. Pair this with halibut topped with mango salsa. Rating: … [Read more...] about Abiqua Wind Vineyard 2012 R.S. Gris Estate Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, $12
Apex Cellars 2011 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $15
Best Buy! Longtime Yakima Valley winery Apex Cellars is now owned by Precept Wine in Seattle and has a tasting room at the Winemaker's Loft in Prosser, Wash. This yummy and affordable white reveals aromas of green apple, lime and pineapple, followed by clean, refreshing and bone-dry flavors of Asian pear and apple. Rating: Recommended Production: 2,000 cases Alcohol: … [Read more...] about Apex Cellars 2011 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $15
House Wine 2011 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $10
Best Buy! Chardonnay is the No. 1 wine grape in Washington, though that doesn't always mean it's great. Well, this is the exception. This Precept Wine label that was originally created by the indomitable Charles Smith of Walla Walla is known for its great prices. But this also delivers in the glass as one of the best Chardonnays we've tasted recently. It opens with aromas of … [Read more...] about House Wine 2011 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, $10
Abiqua Wind Vineyard 2011 Chloe’s Breeze Müller-Thurgau, Willamette Valley, $12
Best Buy! At one time, this white grape was the most-planted variety in Germany (Riesling has since reclaimed the title). The variety was created in the 1880s by Dr. Hermann Müller in the Thurgau region of Switzerland. It is a cross of two varieties: Riesling and Madeleine Royale. It is a superb cool-climate variety that is planted west of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon, … [Read more...] about Abiqua Wind Vineyard 2011 Chloe’s Breeze Müller-Thurgau, Willamette Valley, $12