Posts tagged with 'Terra Blanca'

Drinking The Nectar Never Felt So Good

  • Posted on January 20, 2011 at 10:31 pm

by Phil Anderson
This is the fifth in a series of articles aimed at acknowledging the importance of local wine bars and shops.  Every decent city has them!  Right?

The last submission I highlighted a small little Deli in Hayden, Idaho which is stocked full of quality wines but lacking in web presence.  THIS will be the exact opposite.  Well, not TOTALLY opposite. 

Josh Wade knew what his target was when he started tweeting on Twitter and providing his status updates on Facebook.  His goal was to get a strong enough following so that he could open his very own wine bar in Spokane, Washington.  So, Josh tweeted, updated and posted, and then did it some more…and some more….and then he threw in some interviews and then tweeted and updated and blogged some more. 

A couple of weeks ago was the culmination of months upon months of hard work and perseverance and the net result was the grand opening of Nectar Tasting Room, a calculated spin-off of his wine blog of the same name.  Josh HAS the quality AND he has the web presence.

By Definition Nectar means, ”the life-giving drink of the gods”, which I rather like.  If that’s too esoteric for you, then simply understand that Nectar means, “any delicious drink”.  And that is what Josh is serving up, delicious drinks, the Nectar, if you will!

I had a chance to visit Nectar Tasting Room recently and discovered 30 wines by the glass offered ALL of the time.  If somebody would like to try one of the 30 wines and the bottle is not open, then open it shall become.  To keep track of all these wines by the glass you simply have to look at the menu…which is an iPad.  There are four of them there.  Social media started this so why not continue to use technology to the fullest!  The room is a decent size and it’s clean and contemporary.

The 30 different wines are produced by five different wineries including, Anelare Winery, Hard Row to Hoe, Northwest Cellars, Skylite Cellars and Terra Blanca, all Washington wines.

I tasted five wines, one from each of the wineries.  I had a non-vintage Pinot Noir from Hard Row to Hoe, a Northwest Cellars 2005 Merlot, a 2008  Skylite Cellars Rosé from Sangiovese, a 2007 Syrah from Anelare and a 2008 Late Harvest Chenin Blanc from Terra Blanca.

All had their pros and cons, as is typical when wine tasting, but my top two were the Rosé from Skylite and the Late Harvest Chenin Blanc from Terra Blanca.  The Rose was certainly a European style with a mustiness on the nose that included prunes and raisins.  It was absolutely delicious!  Not as crisp as some Rosé’s tend to be.  The Late Harvest Chenin Blanc had a delightful blend of peaches and flowers on the nose and it was VERY tasty. 

To open a business in this economical climate, no less, a wine bar, is a risky venture to say the least.  The location seems to be in a good place so hopefully Nectar Tasting Room can sustain a healthy business until the Summer rolls around when it will be a little easier.  If you are in the Spokane area you should really try to make it over to Nectar Tasting Room.

As per tradition it is time to make some predictions for this weeks NFL Conference Championship games.  By DEFAULT, I pick the Jets to defeat the Steelers.  I can’t stand the Steelers and their quarterback, in my humble opinion, is overrated.  How ’bout, 23-14.  Gary Vaynerchuck will be pleased I’m choosing the Jets as well.  If you watch ANY of his epidodes, you know he’s an obnoxious Jets fan that hopes to someday own that team.  Oh, obnoxious in a GOOD way, Gary. 

On the other end, how can you NOT pick the Packers over da Bears?  Rogers is playing out of his mind and they are on a major roll, plus the Bears just up-ended my Seahawks, so still not too happy with them.  The score will be 30-17.  There you have it, the Jets versus the Packers in the Super Bowl in Dallas in 17 days.

I will write before THAT however to give you my Super Bowl prediction.  Until then, thank you SO much for reading and bottoms UP!

Taste Washington Takes On A Whole New Meaning

  • Posted on June 22, 2010 at 12:39 am

By Phil Anderson

In the month of June “Taste Washington” has taken on an entirely new meaning for me.  To start, on June 6th I completed the Hat Trick of pouring at the White Out Table at Taste Washington! Spokane for the third year which is held at the Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Washington.  This year we had double the white wines to pour.  These are all supposed to be wines that pair well with seafood, which is good because our White Out Table was immediately following the Anthony’s Seafood bar which boasted muscles, clams and oysters (oh, my!).  With their plates full of fresh seafood, people continued on to us hoping to find a great wine to pair with their delicious seafood.

Phil Anderson (that's ME!) pouring at the White Out Table at Taste Washington! Spokane!

The past two years we poured between 20-25 white wines but this year we were around 40-45 ranging from your standard whites that pair well with seafood to a Rose or two and even a sparkler.  There was a Terra Blanca Chardonnay that was quite delicious; of course, the Ryan Patrick Naked Chardonnay, as well.  Gifford Hirlinger brought a Pinot Gris for us to pour so that was kind of cool, because that was one of our favorite stops in Walla Walla last November.

One thing that was interesting was just the Friday before I had stopped in the tasting room at Jones of Washington in Quincy, Washington, to taste some of their wines on my way back home from Wenatchee.  We actually enjoyed their Chardonnay and a Rose of Syrah that Friday night, with the Rose of Syrah REALLY standing out and hitting the spot with outstanding mouth feel.  And come Sunday, there was that same Chardonnay from Jones of Washington so we could really add some insight for people when they had questions about that wine, since we weren’t given ANY tasting notes this year.

Yvonne Swanberg, General Manager of San Juan Vineyards (left) and Vivian Flanagan, co-owner of Ryan Patrick Vineyards.

A highlight of the evening was when I got to venture out among the masses to taste and visit and I went directly to Ryan Patrick Vineyards’ booth to introduce myself to Vivian Flanagan (and it turned out Terry Flanagan, as well) and it turned out they were right next to San Juan Vineyards’ booth!  You might remember Yvonne and San Juan Vineyards from the previous two years when I went on and on about their Madeleine Angevine.  We poured that again as well as their Siegerrebe, which I STILL cannot pronounce to save my life!  I tasted a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Ryan Patrick that was wonderful and a Cabernet Franc from San Juan Vineyards that would stand up great with a juicy steak.

It’s always a pleasure to see Jill from Townshend Cellars and I said, “hello” to her and Marlene from Woodward Canyon told me she reads this blog all the time, which I am very grateful for.  Now, if I can only find the time to write more than once a month!  (Remember, last year I was a complet failure at this point of the year.  I vow not to let that happen again!)

Some other reds that stood out during the evening were Five Star Cellars Super Tuscan Red, a Tempranillo from Kana Winery, Hedges Family Estate Red Bordeaux Blend, Robert Karl Claret and Forgeron Cellars Syrah.  You just can’t taste every wine at the event but every year I give it my best go!

This year we stayed at the hotel which was wonderful.  The room was extremely comfortable and it was such a luxury not to pack everything in the car and then drive an hour back home after tasting wine for four hours and then helping to break down for another two.  Personally, I think we’ll do that every year from now on.  Click here to watch a short video of Taste Washington! Spokane and look for me pouring at the white out table in the upper left hand corner (bald dude!) at about the 2:08 mark and at the end!

As for the rest of the “Taste Washington” scenerio, I will be partaking in the North American Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla this weekend, preceded by the WBC or Bust Road to Walla Walla tour, sponsored by Wine Chatr, that I won a seat on because of this very blog.  It starts Wednesday and we will arrive in Walla Walla on Thursday night.  I am going to do my very best to blog about each of the days’ activities, but there are no guarantees!  I can’t begin to tell you all of the things that are lined up for the journey to Walla Walla and then the conference once we get there.

And lastly, I have just entered TWO (count ‘em, TWO) contests with a blog that ALSO won a seat on the WBC or Bust trip, Another Wine Blog and at Andrea Wine.  The first one is for a set of The One wine glasses developed by Master Sommelier Andrea Immer Robinson and the second contest is by that same Master Sommelier that developed The One wine glasses as she is giving away a trip to Napa Valley!  If you are going to enter those two contests, as well, I wish you luck! 

Remember, if you really DO like drinking wine you should absolutely show your passion by “liking” drinking wine on Facebook (it’s kind of like becoming a fan but then they changed it!).  Everyday you’ll find a little tid bit about wine and you can share your OWN general wine thoughts, as well!

So, until Wednesday night, ciao for now and remember, bottoms UP!

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!

Enough Already, Sheesh!

  • Posted on June 13, 2009 at 9:15 pm

OK, enough, already!  I have sat down probably ten times to write this next post only to have life hit me in the face in one way, shape or form.  I understand life has it’s priorities but, seriously, you have been waiting to hear about that Cabernet Franc with the pot roast (it was phenomenal!  Shelly has started making a pot roast with a different recipe and it’s just so moist and tasty and the Cab Franc went very well with it) as well as learn about legs.  Well, sadly, that was five weeks ago. 

So this is what I’ve decided to do:  Completely start over.  Yep, that’s right.  Well, not the whole column/blog but we’re going to forget about legs for THIS post and just clean up what’s been going on and then go on from there.  OK?  Good, I was hoping you’d be in agreement with me.

I want to start off commenting on an issue regarding a recent blogger that made a statement regarding a major league baseball player recently.  He made a negative statement as fact that directly put into question his ethics.  The player took the high road which is consistent with the class in which he conducts himself.  The issue is regarding bloggers and how they casually write whatever they want to without worrying about any consequences. 

I have five different blogs (you can see a list on my Phil Anderson Enterprises site) but I also have a background in writing and journalism.  Shelley and I seem to debate on the importance of having a few mistakes here or there in a blog.  I think it’s vitally important to put together the best blog you can, written the best you can and grammatically correct.  It also must include facts.  Sure, opinion is great and that’s exactly what you’re getting with this site as I tell you what my general wine thoughts are regarding the wine we’re drinking.  I don’t, however, claim to be an expert in wine but what I’m learning I am passing on to those who are starting from square one.

I guess what I’m saying is you are going to get the most factual information regarding wine that I can give you.  If I’m wrong, I would welcome and encourage anyone to correct me.  When I give negative feedback on certain wines I try not to do it in a vindictive way.  Will I be perfect?  No.  But I am looking forward to adding more and more people to my growing membership of wine lovers and my promise is to be as accurate as possible with wine facts while teaching about the wonderful world of wine.  And I will try to be concise, effective and entertaining. 

So, enough about that.

Here’s what I’m going to do.  I have a mounting pile of wine bottles that I was going to write about.  I had my little notes on each one and I have been eager to get going on them.  However, I had a little mishap in the form of washing my pants that contained ALL of my notes on these wines.  Ooops….  Or as Homer would say, “DOH!”  So this is what I’m going to do so that I know to re-taste these wines and give you my opinion on them:  I’m going to list each one.  Boring?  Maybe.  But it will help me to try them again.

Here goes, with the reds first.

Maryhill 2005 Proprietor’s Reserve Zinfandel; HC 2006 Merlot from Charles Smith Wines; Rodney Strong 2006 Pinot Noir (which was a gift and I’m mad I lost the notes!);  Ryan Patrick Vineyards 2005 Barbera; Portteus 2007 Rattlesnake Red.

The whites are Ironstone 2007 Obsession Symphony; Coeur d’Alene Cellars 2007 No. 6 White; Starborough 2007 Sauvignon Blanc; Villa Maria 2008 Sauvignon Blanc; Oyster  Bay 2008 Sauvignon Blanc; Pacific Rim NV Dry Riesling; Terra Blanca 2005 Viognier; Festival ’34 2007 Chardonnay; Milbrandt Vineyards 2006 Riesling.

And, lastly, one of Shelley’s most favorite Rose’s, Montes Cherub 2008 Rose’ of Syrah.

My oath to you is to not let life get in the way of my passion regarding this site!  I am not going to let life bully me!  I am in control and I am the boss! 

I feel better, thank you.

Now, next Sunday, a week from tomorrow, which will be Fathers Day, Shelley and I will be pouring at the “White Out” table at the 2009 Taste Washington-Spokane.  Last years event taught us about Madeleine Angevine (see my post in mid-March and mid-April).  Who knows what we’ll find this year.  The “White Out” table is right next to the Anthony’s Oyster and Seafood Bar.  We will start pouring around 2:40 (I think) so if you’re there come by and say “hello” to us!

I will try and take great notes on all of the wine we taste that day.  Usually I can only muster about 20 wines; Shelley is about ten.  But it’s so much fun and I can’t wait for that day to come. 

Until the next post, bottoms up, and thank you for reading!

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