Eric Walport grew up on his family cattle ranch in Southern Oregon's Applegate Valley, and the aerospace engineer has returned from Southern California with wife, Amy, and their young daughter to farm and grow grapes. This early effort as vintners is charming, an eclectic blend of Syrah (50%), Merlot (25%) and Pinot Noir as dark cherry, Marionberry pie, vanilla and oak spices … [Read more...] about Walport Family Cellars NV Twisted Vines Red Wine, Applegate Valley, $35
Outstanding
Laissez Faire 2018 Red Table Wine, Snake River Valley, $18
Melanie Krause and Joe Schnerr of acclaimed Cinder Wines near Boise continue show their talented resourcefulness with the everyday Laissez Faire program. Their latest edition pulls in Sangiovese (48%), Mourvedre (24%), Merlot (14%) and Tempranillo from Williamson and Sawtooth vineyards. They keep this pleasing, well-made and approachable, thanks in part to aging the lots for … [Read more...] about Laissez Faire 2018 Red Table Wine, Snake River Valley, $18
Crescent Hill Winery 2017 Glennallyn Private Reserve Gewürztraminer, Okanagan Valley, $21
Teresa Wiseman and her winemaking husband Russell carry on the legacy of Crescent Hill Winery in Penticton, British Columbia as a tribute to her late father, Glennallyn, who used Gewürztraminer to establish this family vineyard in 1980 near Skaha Lake. Lychee, spice and grapefruit play across its nose, popping up again and backed by surprisingly bright acidity on the palate … [Read more...] about Crescent Hill Winery 2017 Glennallyn Private Reserve Gewürztraminer, Okanagan Valley, $21
Barnard Griffin Winery 2018 C’est le Vin Rosé, Washington, $7
Rob Griffin, the dean of Washington winemakers, practically wrote the book on how to transform Sangiovese in the Columbia Valley and turn it into a gold-medal-winning rosé. The 2018 vintage is no exception. It earned its first gold medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition in January and repeated at the Cascadia. This time, the family chose to enter its canned … [Read more...] about Barnard Griffin Winery 2018 C’est le Vin Rosé, Washington, $7
ICAN by Mercer Wine 2018 Rosé, Washington State $7
The family behind Mercer Estates in Washington's Horse Heaven Hills rightly promotes their new ICAN line as a unique entry in the canned wine scene because this vessel is resealable and the plastic ring around the pour spout means there's no metallic taste on your lips. That makes this slender and sturdy yet lightweight aluminum canister ideal for the beach, the pool, a … [Read more...] about ICAN by Mercer Wine 2018 Rosé, Washington State $7