Posts tagged with 'merlot'

Celebrating A Loved Ones Life

  • Posted on July 19, 2010 at 7:42 pm

Lloyd celebrating his 86th birthday at The Cedars Floating restaurant in Coeur d'Alene, ID, September of 2008.

By Phil Anderson

This column started out, and has continued to be, about general wine thoughts.  After all, that is why I named this blog the way I did.  But this post will be a little more subdued.  Shelley and I have been together, off and on, for awhile now and I’ve had the privilege to get to know her family during that time, but nobody more than her father, Lloyd. 

He lived with Shelley for over four years and was instrumental, in various ways, in her leaving her nursing job at the hospital and starting an online support website for those taking care of their aging loved ones or parents.  She has rapidly become one of the foremost experts in the field of caregiving for seniors.  Her goal when her Dad came to live with her was to keep him OUT of an assisted living facility and now that goal has turned into a passion to help others that are in the position SHE was in to do the same if that is what they desire.

Last September he passed away at the age of 88.  Because he wanted his remains to be scattered over Christopher Lake, which is about a half hour North of Prince Albert in Saskatchewan, Canada, we had to wait until just recently because the lake had already froze last year.  The logistics of getting a boat out on a lake to spread ashes when the lake is actually ice was too much to manage.

For four years I played three hand Cribbage with Shelley and her father, Lloyd, nearly every night while sipping wine.  We had to dilute his wine about a third with water because he refused to quench his thirst with water so he usually finished his wine rather quickly (we learned this the hard way).  His famous saying was, “Water is to wash with not to drink!” 

Shelley and her father, Lloyd, bidding winter goodbye in April of 2009.

Lloyd had a knack for picking out the subtle nuances of a wines characteristics that amazed Shelley and I, even though he might have trouble remembering names of close family members or even what we did an hour before.  He DID enjoy his wine.

He also enjoyed Marilyn Monroe.  Certainly that is no surprise; many men of his generation had a special fondness for her.  He would have calenders, wall hangings and other things with the image of Marilyn Monroe.  He combined his love for wine and his “crush” for Marilyn Monroe by drinking, when the opportunity presented itself, a Napa Valley wine called, Marilyn Merlot.

Marilyn Merlot is produced and bottled by Nova Wines of Oakville, California.  What started out as just some fun with a group of friends in 1981 spiraled into a cult wine.  According to their website Marilyn Wines traces its origins to 1981, when a small group of friends started making wine at their home near St. Helena, in Napa Valley. One evening in 1983, over dinner and a bottle of homemade Merlot, the concept of “Marilyn Merlot” was born. The wine enjoyed a good deal of popularity around the valley and was often donated to charity auctions and given as Christmas gifts.  To learn more about the journey of Marilyn Wines just click here.

I had found, and purchased, a bottle of the 2003 Marilyn Merlot for Lloyd about five years ago.  Often I would ask Shelley if “this” night would be a good night to open that bottle with her Dad but the occasion never seemed to be right.  This is EXACTLY what Open That Bottle Night is all about, isn’t it! 

Well, his health continued to deteriorate and it seemed apparent that he would not be enjoying this bottle of Merlot with us.  After his death, the bottle sat motionless in the pantry.  When a date surfaced on when we would be making the trek up into Canada to honour (that’s the way Canadians spell honor) Lloyds life I suggested we bring the bottle of Marilyn Merlot up with us and enjoy it as we spread his ashes onto Christopher Lake.  Shelley agreed and that’s what we did yesterday morning.

Shelley and her family prepare to scatter Lloyds ashes into Christopher Lake just after toasting his life with a 2003 Marilyn Merlot.

The weather certainly wasn’t conducive for this event, nor did it cooperate!  Windy and frigid was the lake air as the pontoon boat waited for the arrival of our group.  There would be a total of 13 family members.  We had glasses for everybody.  As the Last Post played from my iPod through the boats’ stereo system we poured about 2 ounces of the 2003 Marilyn Merlot into each glass, passing them around.  Shelley’s son, Tyler, was chosen to gently pour Lloyds remains from a ceramic vase into the chilly waters of Christopher Lake, where Lloyd had spent so many summers of his life playing.

As Shelley put it, “It was the best event of the weekend.”  Although each function honored Lloyd well, the barbeque the day before at Jill and Gerald’s house and the actual memorial service following the boat ride on Sunday, this really was a special moment, for a special person, with a special wine.

It had been a long weekend, full of sadness yet fond memories.  Family members that hadn’t seen each other for many, many years were reunited because of Lloyd.  Two full days of emotions.  As we made our way into the hotel room last night, after it was all over, I looked over to Shelley, showing her what was left of the bottle of the 2003 Marilyn Merlot, and said, “Care to finish the rest of this with me?”  The answer was, of course, “Of course.”

I pried the cork (with a replica of Marilyn’s lips on two sides of the cork) out of the bottle and poured a decent glass for each of us.  We swirled and smelled and sipped.  Shelley noticed the beginnings of brown showing up on the edge of the wine as it started showing its age. 

The wine had some alcohol in the nose but it smelled and tasted delicious with hints of prunes, raisins and soft dark cherries.  It had structure and a lingering finish.  But, honestly, it could have tasted horrific and we both would have loved it anyway.  Thankfully, it was the perfect way to peacefully close the book on Lloyd, her father.

As I was doing research on this wine I found out what it sells for now.  I paid about $35 US dollars for the bottle in 2005 and now you can purchase it for a mere 100 bucks at Marilyn Wines.  To me, Shelley and her family, it was worth MUCH more than that.

Thank you for the years Lloyd, although too few, and may you Rest In Peace.

Remember, you can join the many people who like drinking wine by joining the drinking wine fan page on Facebook!  We’d love to have you…

As always, thank you for reading, and remember, bottoms up and enjoy each swallow to the fullest.  You never know when it will be your last glass.

A Busy June Translates Into Many More Columns!

  • Posted on May 23, 2010 at 3:37 pm

By Phil Anderson

Hello and welcome again to some more little, general wine thoughts that have poured into my head, like a great wine!

As you know I entered the WBC or Bust:  Road to Walla Walla contest for wine bloggers that live and blog outside the state of Washington aBOUT Washington State wines.  (If you glance to the left of where you are reading right now you will notice the big WBC or Bust badge.)  This contest was sponsored by Wine CHATr, and they are actually in my blog roll on the left as well.  As it turns out I have been named as one of the 12 citizen bloggers that have won a seat on the bus traveling from Seattle to Walla Walla!  I am so excited to be going on this trip and my thanks and gratitude goes out to all the judges that voted for me because of what they read in this blog!  Thank you!  I really appreciate it!  (OK, enough exclamation points.)

The reason Walla Walla is the destination is because that is where the  2010 North American Wine Bloggers Conference - the premier conference for new media and the wine industry, will be held.  This three day symposium brings a unique opportunity to learn about and discuss the intersection of wine with the world of new media including blogging, social media, and more.

As you will recall, I wrote about a weekend get-a-way to Walla Walla back in November that completely floored me.  I had never visited Walla Walla and completely enjoyed myself.  This will be my second trip back and I can hardly wait.  To see a list of winners and an itinerary of the trip just go to the WBC-or-BUST: Winners Anounced page.  Some of the highlights will be lunch at The Barking Frog after a Woodinville grand tasting at Willows Lodge, a food and wine pairing experience at Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, a winemaker’s dinner at The Waterfront Grill on the Seattle waterfront (go figure), brunch and wine tasting at the Cave B Inn and a Yakima Valley grand tasting in Prosser, Washington, just to name a few!  Just writing this makes me excited AND wanting to have a glass of wine!

As I move backward in the month, I would be remiss not to mention the high school graduation of my daughter, Tabitha.  It’s been a long journey with it’s ups and (many) downs but she looks to be on track to graduate which will make me very proud of her.  That is in the middle of the month.

The first weekend of June, just two weeks from today (!) Shelley and I will, once again, be pouring at the white out table at Taste Washington! Spokane.  We will be pouring between 20-25 white wines that pair very well with seafood.  They station us clerverly right AFTER the Anthonys Seafood Bar.  What I’ve noticed the past couple years is that people make a beeline toward the seafood bar and then, naturally, they stop off at our table to say, “hi” and grab a white that will go with their food.  If you are able to make it to Taste Washington! Spokane this year, it is on June 6, from 5:00-8:30 PM at the Davenport Hotel in downtown Spokane, an absolutely stunning hotel property, to say the least.  It is mandatory that you stop by and say, “hello” to me and Shelley as I would really like to meet you! 

Last week I had the opportunity to taste 15 (yes, I know, that’s alot!) wines at the Olive Crest Cheers to Kids Wine Tasting Event to Benefit Olive Crest of Eastern Washington.  There were three tables set up that were pouring wines that were included in the cost of the ticket and one additional table that poured five premium wines for an additional cost.

I’m not going to mention all of the wines that I tasted because it would be laborious and boring but I will mention a few that I thought were sensational.

One was a Tempranillo from Finca L. Estacada out of Australia that was fabulous.  Rich and earthy and very luscious.  A Merlot from Terra Blanca was also very good.  A Cabernet Sauvignon from Jones of Washington (a winery I just drove by the other day but it was too late to stop in!) and a Claret from Robert Karl were also worth noting for their depth and complexity.

At the premium table I tried four out of the five that were available, choosing to exclude the Rombauer Chardonnay (because I know it to be VERY oaked).  Of the four I tried three stood out and were magnificant:  Woodward Canyon’s Artist Series Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags’ Leap Petite Syrah (which I thought was supposed to be spelled Sirah) and Dunham Cellars Pursued By Bear (which has a special story behind it…).

One wine that jumped out at us was Pacific Rim’s Framboise which screams raspberry.  The notes say intense and that merely scratches the surface.  You can put this on ice cream as a topping if you’d like and it would be marvelous.

If you “like” drinking wine you should transfer that “like” over to Facebook as I write almost daily about almost anything to do with wine.  And remember to come by and say, “hi” to me at the white out table at Taste Washington! Spokane on June 6th.  Until then, thank you so much for reading and remember, bottoms up!

Running Into A RockWall Tongue First

  • Posted on May 19, 2010 at 1:44 pm

By Phil Anderson

Omak, Washington.  Not a place you would think to look for a quality wine.  Or is it? 

Upon a local recommendation I seeked out and found RockWall Cellars in the phone book and realized it was only 3.2 miles from my hotel.  After phoning the winery I was told the tasting room had closed for the day.  Bummer.

The person on the phone said he would call the owner to see if he would come open up the tasting room and I said that would be great.  After five minutes my cell phone buzzed and, sure enough, I could come up to the tasting room right away. 

“What great customer service,” I thought.  I ALREADY like them!

Owner and Vintner of RockWall Cellars, Doug Sheets, pours a glass of 2008 Off The Wall in the tasting room at RockWall Cellars.

Owner and Vintner of RockWall Cellars, Doug Sheets, pours a glass of 2008 Off The Wall in the tasting room at RockWall Cellars.

Little did I know what I was about to walk into.  The tasting room was simply decoratated but comfortable.  Doug Sheets introduced himself as the owner and vintner of RockWall Cellars and asked me what I wanted to start with. 

After taking a look at 19 (yes, 19!) different wines to taste I started checking off the ones I wanted to try and still came up with 13.  I tasted four different whites, including their 2008 Dry Riesling, 2008 Auxerrois, 2008 Chardonnay and their 2008 To Di For–Lula, which is a blend of 55% Gewurztraminer and 45% Riesling.

It became quite apparent from the first taste that this was a good idea to look these guys up.  I liked all of the whites I tried.  The Chardonnay uses light oak and it had perfect balance of oak and fruit along with a very floral nose.  Their top selling wine is their To Di For–Lula blend which I found delightful.  Interesting profile, however.  Do you remember those felt pens that are designed for kids that have fruit fragrances in them?  I got that in the nose, strawberry to be exact.  And on the palate I detected a bit of petrol, which I understand is not probably something one would look for in wine but it didn’t detract from the wine.  It was very interesting to be sure.

While I was tasting the To Di For–Lula, Doug told me of the story behind the name.  Lula was his Great Grandmother and she inspired the naming of this wine.  He also mentioned that the winery has only been around a couple of years and he owns it with his partner and sister, Diana Mock. 

DSC_0055 005

Pinot Noir grapes growing across the street from the RockWall Cellars tasting room.

The next wine I tasted I had never heard of and that was Auxerrois.  I was very intrigued.  He poured it and as I was sipping it I stared out the front door of the tasting room gazing at the sprinklers watering the Pinot Grapes just across the street.  As the sun hit the water coming off the sprinkler it had a magical look to it.  The Auxerrois had a slightly pungent nose and, for a white, had some body to it.  It was very interesting and I’m glad I tried it.  I look forward to doing some more tasting of this “off the beaten path” white varietal.

Doug then found out I am rather partial to reds and turned the tasting sheet over to reveal 11 different reds that they pour.  I realized then I should probably learn to spit, but concluded now was not that time.  I tasted ALL of his reds and gave each a very good score.  I tried RockWall Cellars’ blends including Off The Wall, To Di For–Eddie (named after his Great Grandfather, naturally), To Di For–Amore (probably named for the love his Great Grandparents had for each other!), Generation and Second Generation.  I also tried their varietals including their Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Merlot and Reserve Merlot.  RockWall Cellars also makes a Port style wine that they call Foch Lore, which is made from 100% Marechal Foch, aNOTHER varietal I had never heard of before. 

It would have been rude had I not tried their Foch Lore and that’s exactly what I did.  It was marvelous!  It was SO good!  This was the first time I actually smelled AND tasted tobacco in a wine.  This had it on the nose and at the front of the palate.  I know it sounds odd to say something that smells and tastes of tobacco would be good.  I don’t like black licorice but when those profiles show up in a red wine I like it.

The wine that I purchased was RockWall Cellars’ 2008 Off The Wall red blend which has Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Marechal Foch in it.  It had a FANTASTIC nose which I immediately fell in love with…pepper, smokey, licorice.  There was a LOT going on.  It also had a very long finish.  I can’t wait to open this up and try it with a steak because I think this will be fantastic.

My very favorite wine from RockWall Cellars, however, came from a varietal that I don’t often enjoy this much and that was both their 2007 Merlot and their 2007 Reserve Merlot.  I gave my highest marks to both but they were actually both quite different.  Their Merlot had an outstanding nose and I there was plum in the taste.  Doug didn’t have a bottle of the Reserve Merlot open but he felt compelled to open one for me.  Although I didn’t expect that because it WAS after hours, after all, I was extremely thankful for him offering this and I accepted, with great anticipation, his pour.

This Reserve Merlot is sold for $47 a bottle, by far the most expensive of RockWall’s collection of wines.  The Off The Wall blend that I purchased was only $16 a bottle, a virtual steal for what you get.  Everything about the Reserve Merlot was smooth…the nose, the taste, the mouthfeel.  It was a bit tight at the very beginning but it opened up quickly and wonderfully.  I caught a little bit of chocolate on the nose, as well.  One of my very favorite wines to date.  Spectacular.

RockWall Cellars only produces about 1,200 cases of wine a year so you won’t likely find them in your favorite wine store.  One of the major benefits of stopping by wineries to taste their wines is that you are likely going to taste something brand new because stores and restaurants just cannot stock ALL of the wines made in the world.  What you CAN do, however, is call them right away and sign up for their wine club or, at the very least, get on their mailing list.  This WILL be my next wine club that I join, without a doubt.

I am SO happy that I took the time to stop by RockWall Cellars in Omak, Washington, and taste what they’re making.  If you have tasted their wine, or when you do, let me know what you think by writing a comment about it below.  And if you like drinking wine but aren’t yet a fan of drinking wine on Facebook, you can click here and sign up today…like right now. 

As always, thank you for reading (sorry this was such a long post) and, until next time, bottoms up!

Thank Goodness Ryan And Patrick Were Born!

  • Posted on April 28, 2010 at 11:40 pm
Toni getting herself prepared to pour Ryan Patrick Vineyard wines for me in the tasting room located in Leavenworth, Washgington.

Toni getting herself prepared to pour Ryan Patrick Vineyard wines for me in the tasting room located in Leavenworth, Washgington.

By Phil Anderson

For many, many months we have been drinking a particular un-oaked Chardonnay, naked Chardonnay if you will.  Each time we buy it we open it, drink it and say, “This is just really good wine!”  The amazing thing is that this wine costs UNDER $8 a bottle AND you can find it in most stores in their wine section.  Let me see…easy to find, easy on the pocket book and EASY to drink.  Sounds like a great combination, yes? 

Ryan Patrick Vineyards is doing it the way a winery should do it.  They are single family and estate winery with three vineyards located in central Washington State near the banks of the Columbia River and is ideally located to assure the successful growth of top quality grapes.  They grow Bordeaux varietals as well as their Chardonnay, naked and clothed (with oak).  Terry Flanagan, and his wife Vivian, own the winery and vineyards and sons Ryan and Patrick serve as the inspiration for the company’s name.  Terry says, “Our goal has always been to produce limited quantities of reserve quality wines at affordable prices.”  Their first vintage was just 10 years ago, 1999.

I visited their tasting room recently and Toni, who was behind the bar, treated my like a V.I.P.  It was a delightful time.  Right next to their tasting room, located in Leavenworth, Washington, is a fine meat and cheese shop called Cured at Visconti’s (Visconti’s Ristorante is located right up the stairs) selling old world salami and market cured meats as well as fine cheeses.  We sashayed over to pick up some samples of things that might go with their wine and came up with porcini, cacciatore, elk jerky and an assortment of different cheeses thanks to Randy Nichols, the helpful man behind the counter.

The first thing that touched my lips was my old friend, their 2008 Naked Chardonnay which is fermented totally in stainless steel tanks at cool temperatures.  No oak touches this wine ever and it is so refreshing!  This has literally turned into our house white wine in the past year.  They made just under 4,000 cases of this vintage but have continued to increase producion over the years because of it’s popularity, and it will soon push to near 6,000 cases.  My notes didn’t get too specific with this wine other than to say, “Still love it!”  Crisp and clean–just delicious.

 Ryan Patricks 2007 Estate Chardonnay was actually a nice surprise with a touch of oak that was not too overbearing.  It had good balance and a little bite on the finish.  Certainly a nice alternative to their Naked Chardonnay.

 I tasted their 2006 Barbera, which was earthy and smokey with some pepper on the nose, their 2006 Syrah, their 2007 Rock Island Red and their 2008 Rose.  I have to say, I really enjoyed the Rock Island Red, consisting of 50% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc, but what surprised me was their Rose.  It was absolutely delicious!  Very floral on the nose as well as strawberries.  Perfect for a nice summer afternoon that rolls into a nice summer evening.  It is made with Syrah and it is sensational.

I didn’t get the opportunity to taste their 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve as it was basically sold out and they’re down to just about three cases left, just enough to stick in their library.  I couldn’t quite get Toni to open a bottle.  Can’t say I blame her for not opening one but I DID try…can’t hurt to try, right?

I know I’ve seen the Rock Island Red at the Costco in Coeur d’Alene.  The Naked Chardonnay is everywhere around where I live.  If you can’t track these down call Ryan Patrick Vineyards and have them send you a bottle of each.  Don’t forget the Rose!  Like I said, the Naked Chardonnay is under eight bucks, usually, and the Rose is $11 while the Rock Island Red will pull $18 from your money clip. 

I really don’t care how you do it, just do it.  These guys are trying to make a good wine for inexpensive and I, for one, am liking the results.

I want to thank all of the people who have become fans of wine on Facebook (or have now “liked” wine on Facebook).  I can’t tell you how thankful I am that you take the time to read this simple little wine blog and have taken the energy to join wine on Facebook.  I hope that you continue to enjoy my scribes here at General Wine Thoughts.  I am toying with the idea of changing the name to something more catchy, more hip, more….more something I don’t really know.  

Any suggestions?  Any comments?  Please don’t hesitate to click on “comments” at the bottom of this post.  Until next time, keep it real, keep the beat and BOTTOMS UP!

Stemilt Fruit Growers Now Includes Grapes For Wine!

  • Posted on April 22, 2010 at 9:21 pm

By Phil Anderson

My travels have recently brought me to Wenatchee, Washington.  As has become habit, I’ve sought out wineries first instead of the work that originally brought me here.  That’s ok, noboby has to know that!  The first winery I happened upon was Stemilt Creek Winery.

Roni greeted me with a warm smile as I entered the tasting room in the heart of downtown Wenatchee.  From the very start of the convesrsation she let me know of the history of the Mathison family and how they started growing quality fruit on their Stemilt Hill homestead just after the turn of the 20th century.  They have now grown into one of the worlds largest producers of quality fruit including apples, pears, cherries, peaches, nectarines and blueberries. 

Until 2002.

That is when they decided to add grapes to their repertoire.  Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot, to be specific.  I had the pleasure of tasting all these with the exception of the Syrah.

What I found very interesting was that Stemilt Creek Winery didn’t produce a white wine.  No Chardonnay.  No Reisling.  No Viognier.  Only red, which would make my friend Les Sargeant very happy.  What I also thought was interesting is that none of these wines had many tannins; at least no harsh tannins.  They were all very ready to drink, very smooth, had personality, character and depth.  I found the Merlot to be complex and very rich with a hint of plums on the nose.  The Cabernet Franc also had a very rich nose and a hint of raisins on the palate.  The Cabernet Franc runs $28, their Merlot $14, and the Syrah $20.

My favorite wine was their 2005 Stemilt Hill Red which consisted of 63% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Syrah.  Winemaker Jan Mathison, with her husband Kyle keeping an eye on the vineyard, hit a home run with this blend.  It was lovely with cherries on the nose and palate.  I enjoyed this wine so much I asked how much it was, thinking it must be pushing $30.  To my astonishment it was only $14!  How could I NOT get a bottle?  And since I had no answer to the just asked question, I had no choice but to purchase a bottle and now I look forward to tasting it with a luscious steak.

Roni went on to explain that their winery produces less than 1,400 cases of wine a year which qualifies them as a boutique winery.  What that also means is that their wine is not so easy to find in your favorite wine store.  What I would suggest is to visit them at their tasting room in Wenatchee or in their just opened tasting room in Leavenworth, Washington, which is a very cute Bavarian themed village.

If you can’t visit the winery then the next best thing is to become a Stemilt Creek Winery wine club member because that is likely the only way you’ll be able to taste the quality wine that the Mathison family has taken so much pride to produce.

Don’t forget, if you’re not yet a fan of wine on Facebook, it’s not too late to become one by clicking here.  As of this writing I’m at about 90 fans so I need an additional 35 to become the official wine fan page of Facebook. 

As always, thank you SO much for reading and remember, bottoms up!

With Their Collection of Quality Washington State Wines These Guys Have ‘Dunham’ Right!

  • Posted on April 12, 2010 at 12:10 pm

To date, one of the best wine trips we’ve taken was the trip to Walla Walla last fall.  On that trip there was a short list of wineries that I wanted to make sure we visited and Dunham Cellars was on that list.

Eric Dunham, the winemaker at Dunham Cellars, which is located in Walla Walla, WA, has been making wine for about 15 years and the buzz surrounding Dunham Cellars wines seem to always be, like wine in a glass, swirling.

I’ve had the opportunity to taste wines from Dunham Cellars periodically over the past years.  Like I said, when we visited Walla Walla last November we made their tasting room a priority and didn’t regret it, having also bought a barrel top lazy susan from there that still sits on the island in our kitchen.

I was introduced to Trutina about a year ago when I had the pleasure of enjoying a juicy filet mignon at The Metropolitan Grill in Seattle and a friend of mine brought a 2005 Trutina from Dunham Cellars.  Trutina is Dunhams Bordeaux style blend and their 2005 consisted of 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 13% Syrah and 5% Cabernet Franc.  It paired wonderfully with the steak and I will always remember that dinner with great friends, including Dunham Cellars’ Trutina.

Recently we had the luxury of tasting the newest vintage of Trutina, the 2006.  The blend was a bit different this go around as it had 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 48% Merlot and 3% Syrah.  It has recieved high scores from wine reviewers everywhere which led me to buy this having high expectations.

We served this with rib eye steak, which Shelley prepares to perfection each time, and it paired wonderfully with it.  There was rich raspberries on the nose and black pepper and plums on the taste. 

This is a good spot to write about one of the things I enjoy most about tasting wine and that is the experience.  When you purchase a wine that you are looking forward to drinking, THAT is when the experience begins for me.  You make the conscious decision to choose a particular bottle of wine, in this case it was the Trutina, bring it home and set it on the counter.  As the steaks are marinating you glance over to the bottle, wanting to open it, but withstanding the temptation.

FINALLY, you get to open it, but you still have to WAIT a bit before you pour.  In this case, we let it stand for about a half hour and then poured a small amount in each of our glasses.  That is when the experience really starts taking hold.  We swirl the juice, looking at the color and consistency.  THEN, we gently, albeit eagerly, put our nose in the glass to see what we smell (hmmm, that doesn’t sound right.  We don’t ’smell what we see’, why do we ’see what we smell’?  Just wonderin’…).

This can take anywhere from a minute to 3-4 minutes depending on what we’re getting on the nose and the conversation that takes place.  FINALLY, after ALL of that, we get to actually taste the wine.  We slowly taste the wine, swishing it around in our mouth, trying to make contact with each part of the tongue, bringing in air to mix and activate the tastes within the wine…..and swallow.  All of that build-up for a swallow of wine!

After the initial taste we usually dish up and enjoy the meal with the wine.  The sadness comes with the last sip of the wine.  As I swirl the last sip, usually about ten minutes or more, I smell it often, seeing if I can tell any changes to the nose of the wine since I first opened it.  I finally, slowly, take the last sip, let it rest in my mouth until the last possible moment and then……I swallow it.  Reality sets in as I realize the wine is now gone.  It is truly a sad moment.  The only consolation is knowing I will once again be able to enjoy another bottle of wine, probably the next night.

With the Trutina, this was the case as I was very sad when it was all over.  I will wait with frustrating patience until I once again get to go through the process of tasting a bottle of wine.

That is what wine lovers “get” to go through when tasting wines.  Not all wines carry this long experience with them, but the ones that do are so fun because of that.  I hope you’ll get the opportunity to visit Dunham Cellars in Walla Walla.  If you can’t go THERE then bring them to you by purchasing a bottle of their wine.  You won’t be disappointed!

One more thing to note about Eric Dunham is he has collaborated with Kyle MacLachlan to produced a Cabernet Sauvignon under the Pursued By Bear label.  There are two vintages for sale, the 2005 and 2006, which both earned a 91 point rating from Wine Spectator.  If you don’t recognize the name, Kyle MacLachlan, perhaps you will better recognize the name, Orson Hodge, as the character he plays on Desperate Housewives.  Both those wines will run you about $65 a bottle.

You might have noticed that I’ve been writing about Washington Wines a lot recently, which is true.  I’ve been leaning heavy on Washington Wines because:

A)  They’re SO good and SO close and SO good.  And…

B)  …I’m trying to win a seat on the the road to Walla Walla to attend the annual Wine Bloggers Conference in June.  You’ll notice a badge at the top of the column on the left, just below where you sign up to be a member of General Wine Thoughts (which, why haven’t you done THAT already?) that is for the WBC or Bust contest.  It is sponsored by WineCHATr.com and I really want to win a seat on that trip because they will be stopping at all sorts of wineries from Seattle to Walla Walla and it will be a great opportunity to meet and talk with people in and around the world of wine.

And lastly, before I go, I want to ask you, “Are you a fan of wine?”  If you answered ‘yes’ to that then are you a fan of wine on Facebook?  If NOT, then just click here and you TOO can become one!   Thank you!

Until next time, bottoms up and thank you SO much for reading this!

Townshend Cellar Revisited

  • Posted on April 1, 2010 at 3:46 pm

As I’m writing this it is, in my opinion, a national holiday–April Fools Day!  This morning in the Coeur d’Alene Press, on the front page, there was an article that reported that President Obama had just passed another bill, to help in the ease of American’s stress.  It reported that Obama, on April 15, 2010, from 6am-4pm will replace ALL of the water in ALL of the faucets of America with wine!  Click here to read the article.  I had quite a laugh!  Especially when I saw that the reporter was named April Fuhl!

Sooooo, with that setting the table for another post about wine, here we go!

Nearly a year ago I wrote a post that described our visit to the Townshend Cellar tasting room.  I recently was able to visit Townshend again to see what they were pouring and, once again, Jill Rider was at the ready.

I was able to taste a number of different wines this time.  Among them:

2007 Sauvignon Blanc, 2008 Viognier, 2005 Syrah, 2002 Merlot, 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 Lemberger, 2007 Malbec, Tempranillo and their non vintage T3 Rose, Red Table Wine, Pink Table Wine and their Vortex.   The Tempranillo consisted of both the 2005 and 2006 vintages, which I purchased to taste more in depth at home.

I am seeing a trend in what I like the most from Townshend Cellar.  Their Viognier is always good and this time was no exception.  I purchased a bottle to have before dinner that particular night.  Nectarine and floral notes in the nose gave way to a very fulfilling and refreshing taste.  Delicious!  This is a perfect wine to start the evening with, especially in the summer or on a warm day.

Another trend I’ve found is their Syrah.  It was a favorite of mine in the past and this time didn’t disappoint as well, with dark cherries on the palate.  I bought a bottle of this as well and we are still waiting to open it.  It will likely be paired with a steak which, now that I’m writing this, am hoping will be this evening!

Lastly, I bought a bottle of their Pink Table Wine.  This pretty little pink blush is delicately sweet with aromas of strawberry and cherry and flavors of strawberry, apricot and peach.  Shelley enjoys a good rose from time to time and this one was very satisfying.

Townshend Cellar has just made their T3, which is their non vintage Bordeaux blend, available in stores, as it used to only be available for purchase at the winery or at a restaurant.  It sells for under $20 which is a bargain for what you get.

If you’re ever around the Green Bluff area of Spokane, I would encourage you to take time to say hello to Jill in the Townshend Cellar tasting room.  And tell her Phil says, “hi”.

Until next time, bottoms up!

Arbor Crest Is A Little Slice Of Heaven

  • Posted on March 17, 2010 at 4:35 pm

I’ve had the opportunity to visit Arbor Crest Wine Cellars, in Spokane, Washington, three times now and each time it is worth remembering the visit.  Built in 1924 by Royal Newton Riblet, the three-story Florentine house is surrounded by an arched gatekeeper’s house, sunken rose garden, open-air pagoda, terraced flower and herb gardens, and a life-sized checkerboard.  Arbor Crest Wine Cellars purchased the National Historic Landmark in 1985.  Kristina Mielke-van Loben Sels is the winemaker and is the second generation of the Mielke family to oversee Arbor Crest.  She came from Ferrari-Carano Vineyards and Winery in Napa and Sonoma, California, one of my favorite wineries from California.  She is married to experienced viticulturist James van Loben Sels, which makes them quite the tandem at Arbor Crest.

During my past visits I’ve experienced music on a sweltering afternoon at Arbor Crest, where they hold live music events each Sunday in the summer, sipping on their Sauvignon Blanc and swing dancing to great music.  I’ve also took out-of-town family members up for a taste of Eastern Washington’s summer and Eastern Washington’s wine.  This last time I went up all by my lonesome to taste some of Arbor Crest Wine Cellars newer vintages.

This time I was the only one in the tasting room and Shelby greeted me with a friendly hello followed by a warm smile.  The one thing I have noticed about the wine industry, with very few expceptions, is that everybody is just so nice.  Oh, sure, I’ve occasionally ran into snobs or people that just don’t want to be doing what they’re doing, but not very many.  This stop was no exception.  Shelby was knowledgable about the wine she was pouring and very easy to talk with. 

I tasted six of their wines this day.  Among them, their Sauvignon Blanc from Bacchus Vineyard, Sangiovese from Wahluke Slope Vineyard, Cabernet Franc from Conner Lee Vineyard, Petite Sirah from Wahluke Slope Vineyard, Malbec from Wahluke Slope Vineyard and Dionysus Meritage Red blend.  Arbor Crest does not grow their own grapes or have their own vineyard other than what you see when you drive in, which is used, according to Shelby, only for their sparklers.

A couple of the wines prompt extra mention.  Their Sangiovese was very warm with an extra zing on the end.  There were rich aromas of plum.  I am not normally a fan of Sangiovese because of the lack of nose and just a bland taste.  I have tasted some $100 a bottle Chianti’s that are 100% Sanviovese that I just didn’t really like until they started blending them with Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon.  The Sangiovese’s that Washington is producing seem to have a much more defining nose, I’ve noticed.  In fact, we just tried a Maryhill Sangiovese that was very similar.

The Arbor Crest Sangiovese sells for $18 a bottle which makes this a great value.

One that sells for a bit more ($45 a bottle) but I STILL consider a great value is their Meritage Blend Dionysus.  I rated this VERY GOOD.  It consists of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec.  This wine packs a punch and has good depth with many personalities.  There were tannins in this wine, to be sure, but not too tongue ripping.

Next time you’re in Spokane and want a unique experience head on up to the crest of Spokane and visit Arbor Crest Wine Cellars and enjoy the breathtaking view to go with your choice of wine.  And when you do, write me to tell me what you thought of it!

Until next time, thanks so much for reading and bottoms up!

Knipprath Cellars Is Doing It Right

  • Posted on March 3, 2010 at 10:45 pm

I recently had the pleasure of visiting one of Spokane, Washington’s most unique wineries, Knipprath Cellars.  The winery is located in an old schoolhouse.  It’s very quaint, though a bit chilly the day I visited.  I was greeted at the top of the stairs by Sinay, who was manning (or in this case, womanning) the tasting room this particular day. 

I knew very little about Knipprath Cellars except that there WAS one, so I asked many questions and Sinay answered them one by one.  I found out that Knipprath Cellars is a family owned winery that just celebrated ten years of being a full time winery.  All in all I tasted 13 different wines including Roussanne, Syrah, Tempranillo, Merlot and a whole slew of dessert wines, which seems to be their niche.

Of the typical wines I really liked the 2007 Tempranillo and the 2006 Merlot. 

The Tempranillo was very good with some prune on the back of the tongue.  They combined fruit from both the Lodi (California) and Columbia Valley (Washington) Appelations, which I find very interesting.

The Merlot was also very good, with peppery notes.  I have found pepper to be a mainstay of wines I really like.  This would REALLY pair well with smoked cheeses!  Yum!

Although I DID enjoy their Pink, which is a Rose of Merlot (it was very swishy, not that I even know what that means!), the 2003 Matrix Port, which had black licorice flavors with a hint of nuttiness, and the NV Positron Port, which was very rich, I liked the LaV (pronounced, “La Vee”) Dessert Wine and Au Chocolat! the most.

The LaV Dessert Wine is fabulous!  My notes say, “Wow!”  I could have written, “Pow” as well.  Full on vanilla in this dessert wine that is absolutely wonderful.  I bought a half bottle of this to surprise Shelley and had it waiting for her with a bath I ran for her one night.

The other is a perfect fit with the LaV Dessert Wine, Au Chocolat!  Obviously, THIS one is heavy on the chocolate.  As I tasted this it got better and better as it opened up in my glass.  I would recommend either of these two if you like after dinner dessert wines at all.  I’ve only recently began to enjoy these wines and the more I try ‘em the more I like ‘em.

It would be worthy to note that I tried their Coffee Port even though I really am NOT a coffee drinker (I have never even had a cup of coffee in my life!).  It had a wonderful nose but not such a good taste.  Then Sinay did something interesting:  She added a small amount of the LaV Dessert Wine to the Coffee port and that REALLY softened it up to where I liked it better.  It is probably still something I wouldn’t drink if I had the choice, not because it’s not good, but because I just don’t like the taste of coffee.  I know, what’s wrong with me?  If you asked my daughters they would tell you the list is long! 

Knipprath Cellars will be one of the featured wines at the 6th Annual Poverty Bay Wine Festival in Des Moines, Washington this weekend, March 5, 6 and 7.  I certainly wish I could attend this gala event but since I will be heading into that area the following weekend for my Dad’s 70th birthday celebration I don’t think it’s going to happen. 

But that doesn’t mean YOU shouldn’t go and taste some Knipprath wine.  Or, when you’re next in Spokane, cozy up to the tasting room bar in the old schoolhouse and try some very warm, soothing dessert wines from Knipprath Cellars as well as their other wines.  You’ll be glad you did.

Thank you again for reading and bottoms up!

Walla Walla Wine Wine Time Time

  • Posted on January 20, 2010 at 4:07 pm

Yes, I know, it’s a silly heading.  Walla Walla actually uses that tag line of repeating words to market their wine region.  So I borrowed it.  We were fortunate enough to be able to experience the Walla Walla wine region not too long ago and, although we expected good things I don’t think we were quite prepared for what we got. 

The wine being produced in Walla Walla is sensational.  Even the juice that wasn’t great was still good.  Walla Walla is located due South of Spokane, Washington in the Southeast corner of the state.  It’s about a 262 mile drive from Seattle and 158 miles from Spokane.  This was our first time in Walla Walla and it was beautiful.  We had great weather as the sun was out.

We were able to visit eleven wineries:  Woodward Canyon Winery, L’Ecole No 41, Gifford Hirlinger, Beresan Winery, Balboa Winery, Basel Cellars, Trio Vintners, Kontos Cellars, Dunham Cellars, Cavu Cellars and Waterbrook.

Our first stop was at Woodward Canyon where we were met by Kellie Berg, the tasting room manager, who was extremely friendly and nice to us.  I tasted six of their wines with my favorites being their 2008 Burgundy styled Chardonnay, NV Columbia Red Wine (52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 14% Syrah), Artist Series #15 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (which actually had a bit of Syrah and Merlot in it) and 2006 Estate Red.   The best value of the bunch was the NV Columbia Red Wine, which at $20 is a true bargain.

The following day, while having breakfast at the Hotel, we met a couple who live in Coeur d’Alene named Jen and Mark.  They were also visiting Walla Walla to taste wine.  We found out they go to the same church as we go to, Lake City Community Church.  Small world–but I wouldn’t want to paint it. 

As we made our way out for another day of wine tasting we were joined by my friend, Aaron Pang, who ran the valet company I was a part of for many years in Seattle, as he now lives with his wife in Walla Walla.  We were impressed with two wineries, Basel Cellars and Gifford Hirlinger.

Basel Cellars Estate Winery is located on a bluff overlooking their vineyard and the surrounding area.  It is absolutely beautiful.  They have a huge tasting room and we were lucky enough to meet Becky Basel, one of the owners of the winery.  We tasted nine different wines there including, but not limited to, Claret, Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Carmenere. 

The two that knocked our socks off were the 2005 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, which is 100% of that varietal, and the 2007 Carmenere.  I love Cabernet Sauvignon and this one was delicious.  But the one that caught our attention was the Carmenere.  As you know, I don’t fancy myself as an expert in wine, but it has certainly become a passion of mine.  I had not heard of Carmenere before and when I found out it was one of the SIX Bordeaux varietals I was shocked.  I thought there was only FIVE Bordeaux varietals. 

The Carmenere grape, I found out, was wiped out many, many years ago (like around 200 years ago) and the French decided not to replant it.  It did make it’s way to Chile and Argentina and those vines somehow made their way to Walla Walla.  This 2007 Carmenere was sensational, with bell pepper on the nose and a lot of richness and depth.

Gifford Hilsinger Winery

Gifford Hilsinger Winery and Tasting Room.

Our last stop of the day was Gifford Hirlinger, which is run by one man who wears many hats, Mike Berghan.  He was SO down to earth.  We were the only ones in the tasting room at the time, the sun was setting and it was a picturesque view outside the very contemporary building. 

The winery is right on Washington/Oregon state line, which is why he named one of his reds Stateline Red.  We tasted the 2007 version of this which was 50/50 Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.  Most all of the juice he makes is from his vineyard with the exception of his LV.  The 2007 uses 90% Napa, California Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Walla Walla Merlot.  That one had a lot of tannins.  He also makes a wonderful Petit Verdot, which was blended with 11% Merlot, and is VERY good.

The barrel top lazy susan we brought back from Dunham Cellars.

This is the barrel top lazy susan we brought back from Dunham Cellars.

The last day’s highlights were Dunham Cellars where I actually tried ten of their wines.  Dunham has won many awards for their wine over the years as their quality is exceptional.  We purchased a barrel top with a lazy susan that we use in our kitchen.

We also enjoyed our stop at Trio Vintners, a small, new winery, located in the airport district of Walla Walla.  There we ran into our new old friend, Carmenere once again.  This time, we had to bring a bottle back home with us, which we have yet to open.  I will write about that for sure when that happens.

On our way out of town we made a “quick” stop at Waterbrook where Shaun “forced” us to stay for God only knows how long.  In all seriousness, the ONLY thing that I didn’t like was the fact they had the Seattle Seahawks on the big screen losing aNOTHer game.  The upside of that was it only made me want to try yet another one of their wines.

This was the only stop in our weekend that had a complementary tasting, and they didn’t skimp on how many wines they opened, either, as 15 were offered to try.  I didn’t try them all but I did taste nine of them.  My favorite was their 2005 Meritage which had a very nice nose and was delicious.  They also make a Sangiovese Rose which was nice as we’ve been sampling Rose’s as of late.  Waterbrook Winery is producing more wine than all but two wineries in the state of Washington.  What impresses me is they can produce that much wine and still put out a quality product. 

Even though I only elaborated on a handful of wineries we visited we did not have a bad experience in any of them.  To a winery, the people were friendly and knowledgeable.  The great thing about tasting wines in a tasting room is that if they are busy you make conversation with the people you are with while enjoying new experiences in wine.  If they’re NOT busy, you can tap the person behind the counter for information about the winery, winemaker, the history of the winery and so forth. 

So, as this new decade has started so has my resolution to produce more blog posts than the end of last year.  I know I’ve already written about that before but this time I mean it because, after all, it’s a resolution.  I HAVE to do it!

Also, I am very excited and pleased to announce that I am putting together a telesummit for early fall that will teach people about wine from square one.  When I started learning about wine I noticed it can be very intimidating and if I hadn’t been a person that doesn’t really care what people think of me, I might not have gone forward with learning about wine like I have. 

The world of wine is huge.  Wine has never been more popular than it is today and people in all walks of life are wanting to learn more about wine.  With that being said, I am compiling a group of experts that I will interview about wine.  Each will cover a topic and they will likely include the following:  Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc (the three big whites), Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir (the three big reds, at least to me), labels (and how to read them), off the beaten path whites, off the beaten path reds and wine etiquette, among other topics.  If you are somebody or know of somebody who would like to start learning about wine keep visiting General Wine Thoughts for more information!

Also, if you have something that you want to know about, write a comment on this blog or e-mail me at aphilip369@aol.com or direct message me on Twitter. 

Also, for those of you that have stuck with me through last year, I want to thank you.  The first “real” blog I wrote was on January 19th of last year.  This one marks the start of 2010 and it promises to be even better.  As you might recall I made predictions for both of the NFL Conference Championship games and I was 50%.  This year I will make yet another prediction for this weekends games.  In the AFC, I have to say, it’s hard to go against the Jets since they are the Arizona Cardinals of this year and Gary Vanerchuck lives and dies with the Jets.  I do, however, have to go with the Colts winning in a very close game.  The Jets defense will keep it close.

On the other side of the league the Saints will beat the Vikings 48-13.  I know that sounds extreme but Favre just makes me want to….well, never mind.  Saints win.  The Colts versus the Saints in “The Big Game” (I don’t want to get fined by the NFL for using the other term when I haven’t paid to use it!).

Until next time, bottoms up and thank you SO MUCH for reading!

Top