The Weekly Wine

News from the Washington Wine Industry:

• California's Inside Bay Area covers some of Washington's wine highlights, specifically Cave B's quest to become a pioneer of destination vineyards.
• Chateau Ste. Michelle might pour local, but they've got their eye on the big leagues, says the Seattle Weekly.
• With the Portugese cork barons landing in Yakima, it was only a matter of time before the bottle makers came to the state.
• The numbers don't lie: Wine drinking not just a fad. 21% of American wine drinkers purchasing Washington wines.

Events:

• Taste of the Nation hits Seattle Center on July 20th to help stamp out child hunger.
• The Seattle Wine Society teams up with South Seattle Community College on August 5th for a Food and Wine Festival, benefitting Fare Start.

Feature - The Future of Washington Wines

As of 2006, the winery and vineyard business in Washington state is very robust. There continue to be new wineries opening on a weekly basis, and wine grape production in 2005 was a record 116,760 tons. The question of "How high?" is a valid one, particularly in a region where the dotcom bust of the late twentieth century is still a fresh memory.

As America's second largest premium wine producer (after, you guessed it, California) the question may not be whether Washington can keep producing more and more wine, but whether they can produce a variety of quality wine for an ever-increasingly knowledgeable and savvy consumer.

Consider that three AVAs were established in Washington in the mid 1980s, then there was not another until Puget Sound AVA in 1995. Since 2001 5 more AVAs have been added, and there are at least two more in the works over the next few years. Just today the Rattlesnake Hills AVA (near the Yakima Valley) had officially been recognized as the state's ninth wine grape growing region.

Waiting in the wings are two other regions seeking appellation status. The Chelan area in north-central Washington and the Ancient Lake region near Moses Lake in central Washington.

This continuing "carving up" of the vast Columbia Valley AVA most likely represents a new facet of Washington wines to come. Instead of select varietals and a wide array of blends from the "Columbia Valley", these smaller appelations will compete against each other and tout the specific conditions of their areas, perhaps not unlike certain regions of France and Italy that are specifically known for certain wine grape types. The winner, in the end, will be the consumer.

IF the consumer(s) materialize, and more importantly, stick around. The wine industry in Washington has historically gone in cycles, as consumer taste, economic conditions, and most importantly the bold winemaker visionaries, ebb and wane. Is it possible that this new crop of vintners are the offspring of winemakers who turned consumers away from mellow/sweet table wines in the 1970s, and introduced fine, varietal table wines? And can these visionary winemakers hold the notoriously short attention span of American consumers?

The only thing for certain is that the wine industry will need to be a bold and dynamic, and embrace technology without overlooking the traditions and practices of winemaking that have sustained it for thousands of years.

Wine Review - Bainbridge Winery Muller-Thurgau

Puget Sound is not really a phrase that conjures up "wine country" in most peoples' minds, especially outside of the area. It is, rightfully so, known as a damp region, even if the amount of rainfall received in Seattle ranks it around 40th overall in the United States, among larger cities.

Fortunately the Olympic Mountains create a mild rain shadow effect, and in this shadow it is possible to grow wine grapes with some success. The grapes tend to be from the Rhine region of Germany, grapes that can excel in mild, wetter conditions. As well, most of the rain falls during the dormant season for the grape vines, and there is little risk of long, hard freezes.

There are over 30 bonded wineries currently in the Puget Sound AVA (est. 1995), most producing wines from grapes imported from the sunnier side of Washington state. One winery that has been producing wines from grapes in the area since 1981 is Bainbridge Winery. I was excited to try a wine from grapes that grew up in the same environment that I had myself. The wines from Puget Sound can be difficult to find, even in Seattle.

The wine:

Bainbridge Island Vineyards and Winery,
2003 Muller-Thurgau, Puget Sound, WA
Alcohol: 11%
Retail (approx): $11.98

This Muller-Thurgau was a very light white, clear and clean. The aroma was subtle, an unexpected sake or cooked basmati smell that was intriguing, and very dry. On the tongue it had an acidic bite, which is to be expected in a wine from a relatively wet region, and an interesting tart/green apple flavor.

Our meat course consisted of pork/pesto roulatta, and if you're familiar with the old "pork chops and applesauce" cliche, you can probably guess that the wine and meat complimented each other well. The pork accentuated the tartness of the wine, something the wine needed as the flavors weren't fairly pronounced on their own.

This was the wine's slight undoing (admittedly, at our hands) with the rest of the meal. The cous-cous and asparagus were neutral as such that the wine took on an almost flavorless quality. This wine really needs something heavier to cut through, a cream sauce over pasta, perhaps. On lighter, low fat fare, it was too dry and unassuming.

In an attempt to rescue the wine (and our taste buds) we tried it with blue cheese for dessert. While a tart apple and blue cheese together is fantastic, once again we mis-guessed on the pairing. The cheese was too pungent and clashed; a creamier and more subtle cheese would be appropriate, I think.

My wife and I felt the wine was too mellow and dry for our tastes. It was best with the pork, and would probably be a refreshing choice with heavier foods. I would say the mildness of the wine, in this respect, reflects the environment of the Puget Sound region. I'm not fully convinced yet that this AVA has the weather to produce truly outstanding wine grapes.

1.8/5

Wine Review - Maryhill Zinfandel

Zinfandel may be considered America's truly original wine grape. The name conjures up many different images to many people, most likely associated with California table wine, or even the dreaded White Zin.

Maryhill Winery is Located in the Columbia Gorge AVA, a dynamic area along the Columbia River spanning the border of Washington and Oregon, where the cool marine air of the Pacific meets dry air from eastern Washington. The AVA is relatively small, with less than 10 wineries currently, but offers stunning views of the Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood to the south.

In nearby Goldendale, there's even a life sized replica of Stonehenge.

The wine:

2003 Maryhill Zinfandel, Columbia Gorge, WA.
Alcohol: 15.5%
Retail (approx.): $16.99

Lamb is a suggested meat for pairing with Zinfandel, so we opted for a Greek feast (for two) to try along with the wine. Being as it was Friday night, (which is officially Take Out Night for those who don't know), we hit up our local Greek restaurant for lamb gyros, lemon fries with feta, and "Piperies Yiemistes", a roasted red pepper stuffed with garlic, olive and feta.

Pre-meal taste revealed a medium red color, and the aroma was distinctly raspberry, with a touch of spicy/peppery tones. On the palate, there was a deep cherry under tone, and the acids popped neatly on the tongue, with a lingering finish.

With the lamb gyro, the sweetness of the wine was brought out, and the high alcohol content was noticeable. The pita didn't do much to enhance the wine, in retrospect having lamb on skewers would compliment the wine more than overshadowing it with the bread did. As well, the fries - even dressed up in fancy Greek clothing - were neither here nor there with the wine.

Add some vegetables on that lamb skewer, I think, because the roasted red pepper was fantastic with the wine. The wine cut through the feta, garlic, olive stuffing neatly, and overall the stuffed peppers really brought out the sweet complexity of the wine, enlivening the overall personality of this Washington red.

Maryhill's Zinfandel proved to me that Washington wine could at least hang with what is arguably California's State Grape. It's a pleasant wine that has a tendency to get lost with starchy, bland foods, and really excelled with grilled meats and vegetables. Sign this wine up for duty at your next summer BBQ.

3.9/5

Wine Review - Kiona Vineyards White Riesling

Wine is, inherently, a social drink. And while it certainly is fun and appropriate to have your wine with a romantic meal, it's also a good idea to bring together some friends, cook up a blockbuster meal, and have a little wine to get things going.

It was time to take the wine review on the road.

A Saturday night birthday dinner at an ocean bungalow was the occasion, and a Riesling was my choice for the wine. Spicy tortilla soup and chicken burritos presented a unique challenge, at least for me, as I wasn't quite sure what sort of white wine could handle the spice factor. I figured something lightly fruity was in order, something maybe a bit dry. Something from the arid climes of the Red Mountain region of eastern Washington.

The wine:

2005 Kiona Vineyards White Riesling
Red Mountain, WA.
Alcohol: 12%
Retail (approx.): $10.98

The Red Mountain AVA is a subset of the Yakima Valley AVA, which is in itself a subset of the Columbia Valley AVA. You would imagine that there is something special, at the very least dynamic, about such a (relatively) small parcel of land. The AVA was established in 2001, and averages only 6-8 inches of rain a year. Could such an arid land provide a white wine to tame the Mexican food?

The wine had a light white color, and very subtle aromas: Floral, a hint of peach, maybe even a bit of light oak. On the palate it was a little spicy, but also very crisp in flavor, with a light body. Prior to eating I was a little afraid that the spicy overtones might clash with the spiciness of the tortilla soup and chicken burritos, but on the contrary the wine was refreshing and light with the food, and complimented it nicely.

I generally think of white wine grapes as growing in cooler, crisper environments, and while Red Mountain is fairly arid, the close proximity to the Yakima river provides more than ample irrigation. As well, the relatively high elevation (Red Mountain vineyards average somewhere between 500-1500' ft.) allows for cool fall nights, just what a Riesling needs to live up to its full potential.

Admittedly, this was the first time I'd had wine with a Mexican meal. But this fine and reasonably priced Kiona Riesling convinced me that it wouldn't be the last.

3.4/5

Wine Review - Wind River Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

In an attempt to review at least one wine from each AVA in Washington state, I broke a personal rule: I would try to review as many different types of wines before I repeated. Then it dawned on me: Why shouldn't I review two of the same types of wines, but from different areas? Character is character, and each is unto its own.

Also, trying to find wine from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA for the particular meal I wanted to make proved to be tricky.

Horse Heaven Hills is a new AVA, established in 2005. It is bordered by the Yakima Valley AVA to the north, and the Columbia River to the south provides moderate temperatures. The steep, silty loam hillsides provide good drainage, and a wide elevation range of 200-1800 feet make it possible to grow a wide variety of grapes there under varying conditions.

The meal I prepared was the Chicken Marsala that I postponed in favor of pizza in my previous review. It really wasn't as time consuming as I had remembered, although getting the timing of the sauce down with the rest of the meal is pretty integral. My sauce had to wait, and got a little reduced. That's why I'm learning to be a wine maker and not a chef.

The wine:

2003 Wind River Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon,
Horse Heaven Hills, WA
Alcohol: 13.5%
Retail (approx): $21.98

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of, if not the, most popular red table wine grapes, most likely because of its versatility. This vintage was a nice brick red color, and had a sweet berry aroma ("jammy" was how it was described on the label, and I would agree with that) that suggested a full body. The flavor was indeed jammy, and the wine was indeed full bodied and quite nicely balanced, and not overpoweringly sweet.

And boy did it ever love our Chicken Marsala. The chicken really seemed to tame the wine, creating a fantastic balance: Like anything done well, you didn't notice the components as much as you did the sum, and the wine made me look better by improving the flavor of the chicken. A true compliment, these two.

Our only side dish was a heaping helping of asparagus topped with a little olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and a salt/mixed spice combination. The wine took to the olive oil just like it did the Marsala sauce; versatile, this wine. A lot of red wines wear out their welcome with me after a glass or two, but this one would be welcome for two glasses and beyond.

This Cabernet Sauvignon lived up to its "King of the Grapes" claim, and as Cab Sauv also ages well, I was tempted to head back to the wine store and grab another bottle for "the cellar". As a testament to the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, this wine rated even higher with my wife and I than the Columbia Signature Series reviewed below, and was $15.00 less to boot. Highly recommended!

4.8/5

Wine Review - Cavatappi Sangiovese

The Sangiovese grape is the primary component of Chianti (at least 90% of any given Chianti more often than not), and has a reputation of having a hard time ripening, which can lead to inconsistency depending on where the grapes were grown. Our mission this time around was to see how this Sangiovese from the Yakima Valley stood on its own.

Lest you think that it's all fancy meals and wines every night at the Bunker household, we decided to bring food in and keep it real with some Zagi's pizza. I had ambitious plans to make my mean Chicken Marsala, but it was a work night, and also workout night, and hey why not?

The Cavatappi Winery is located in Kirkland, WA, and specializes in Sangiovese and Nebbiolo wines. Their grapes come from Red Willow Vineyard, located in the Yakima Valley.

The Yakima Valley AVA was established in 1983, the first of all the Washington state AVAs. Unlike other AVAs in the Columbia Valley, the soil is alluvial backup from nearby Lake Lewis, from during the Missoula Flood period. It has a (relatively) cooler climate than the surrounding areas, and currently is home to over one third of Washington's vineyards.

The wine:

2003 Cavatappi Sangiovese, Yakima Valley, WA
Alcohol 14.1%
Retail (approx): $9.95

Italian food turned out to be the right choice for this Tuscan grape. The wine had a nice ruby red color, and a mellow berry aroma to it. On first taste, it had a medium body, and mild fruity flavors; we were reminded of a blended "red table wine", which would explain its large role in Chianti, a wine that has probably logged more hours with Americans serving Italian meals than any other wine in the past 30 years.

As such, and as predicted, it went very well with the pizza. Fortunately Zagi's allows you to buy pizza by the (very large) slice, and we were free to experiment a little. With a plain cheese slice the wine held its own, but it was pretty apparent that the wine didn't have enough distinct and crisp flavors to elevate either slice or wine above anything beyond passable. Next we kicked up the spice with a slice that had some sort of spicy pepper, olive and sun dried tomato on it. The pizza was really spicy, and while the mellow wine did balance it out a bit, we were reminded of why you generally don't order wine (especially red wine) with your Mexican or Thai food.

I went traditional with the third slice, straight up pepperoni (my wife gives me no end of grief for always ordering pepperoni), and the more moderate spiciness of the meat complimented the wine very nicely, and vice versa. I had a flashback to the "red wine" you'd order at a simple pizza parlor back in the day, although the Sangiovese was a notch above, to be certain.

The last and champion piece was a specialty slice that wasn't on their menu (Zagi's likes to give the pizza slingers some leeway with the per-slice pizzas, a fantastic idea), one that was topped with a garlic olive oil sauce, gorgonzola, fresh tomato, and marinated bell peppers. Our mouths about fell off from glee at this combination. The wine cut the olive oil just right, and was a smash balancing out the piquant (or "stinky" if you prefer) flavor of the gorgonzola. But then considering that both cheese and wine come from Northern Italy, this shouldn't be too surprising.

For the post meal chocolate test, we reverted to snob mode and had some chocolate that friends sent us from Switzerland for Christmas. The Frey "Mandomiel" (that's almond/honey/nugat in English) went quite well with the wine, which was the opposite of our previous experiences. It had just enough character to bring out the berry in the wine; I think in this instance a simple milk chocolate would have given us a bland mix, as we saw with the plain cheese pizza.

Lesson learned: This Sangiovese is step above your average red table wine, but definitely should be handled under the same circumstances, food-wise. Avoid anything overly plain or overly spicy, but a little spice and/or a flavorful cheese (I'm thinking lasagna or the like) will really bring out the quality of this finicky grape.

3.6/5

Wine Review - Columbia Winery Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon

Aadmittedly, this wine is a little more top shelf than the Bunker household is used to. We tend to keep it below $20 a bottle if possible. Less than $15 is even better, and hey less than $10? That's perfect. Some times you have to splurge, though.

And I'm not going to splurge on a wine without tasting it first. So it was off to Woodinville Wine Country, or more appropriately Woodinville Winery Country, since most if not all of the wines made there come from Columbia Valley grapes in eastern Washington.

The Columbia Valley is Washington's largest AVA, covering nearly a third of the state's land mass, and is characterized by the presence of the Columbia River, which provides not only ample irrigation, but also consistent air and water drainage. It was established in 1984, and is currently Washington's best known AVA. The wide variety of grapes available in the area provides many opportunities for blending, and thus you'll always see a majority of wines in the store with "Columbia Valley" on the label.

The wine:

1999 Columbia Winery Cabernet sauvignon, David Lake Signature Series, Sagemoor Vineyard, Columbia Valley, WA.
90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot
Alcohol 13.5% by volume
Retail (at the winery): $36.99

To anchor the meal, we decided to stick with the red wine + red meat = good rule, and picked veal. (I know, I know.) Since the cutlets were pretty thin, we bolstered the meal with butternut squash, some roasted red potatoes and broccoli.

The wine was a nice deep red, with what looked to be a medium body. The aroma was mainly raspberries, sweet but also a bit of tartness to it. A pre-dinner taste confirmed the medium body, and the wine proved to be a bit spicy, with a little oak - overall it had very well-balanced flavors, worthy of the David Lake signature on the bottle. I wouldn't expect any less from someone who could well be considered Washington's premiere winemaker.

With the veal, which was pan-seared with capers, lemon, and artichoke hearts (and a little chicken broth), the wine was a nice compliment. Not great, but nice. I would suspect that the wine would cut a good cream sauce - something a little contrary to the wine itself to make it stand out. The butternut squash confirmed this notion, as the wine really shined against the creaminess of the squash. As well, the wine complimented the olive oil/rosemary starchiness of our roasted red potatoes. The broccoli, well, was broccoli.

We decided to give the wine our soon-to-be-patented after dinner chocolate test. We'd picked up some Plantations "Arriba" dark chocolate with quinoa (of all things) in it. Unfortunately, as with our previous wine, the dark chocolate with added flavor clashed. So we brought out the trusty plain milk chocolate, which once again proved reliable in enhancing the wine's flavor, as opposed to overpowering it.

Bottom line: Was the wine worth the $36.99? Honestly, we wouldn't have bought it without tasting it at the winery first, and obviously we were sold from the first sip. This is a nicely balanced vintage wine, to be sure. We knew from the second it hit our tongues.

4.5/5.0

Wine Review - Forgeron Cellars "Red Table Wine"

Lately, Walla Walla wines have become expensive. I'm not going to lie to you, I would like to drop $50.00 on a bottle of wine, but unless it's a special occasion, forget it. But I did want to try something from the Walla Walla AVA, and I was lucky enough to find something for less than $15.00.

It was a non-vintage table wine.

Not only weren't the grape types listed, there wasn't even any indication of what types of grapes, and in what proportions, were in the wine. Surely a $16 bottle of wine could deliver, despite its shadowy origins, right?

For the price, you'd expect that the wines from the Walla Walla region contained something...special. Perhaps some certain soil type or climate anomoly produced grapes of superior quality. Or was it that the area attracted only top notch winemakers? From what I knew, I bet on the latter.

The Walla Walla AVA was established in 1984, so there is a bit of history there. (Of course the French would scoff at 20 years as being any sort of history.) The soil in the Walla Walla AVA is a sedimentary sandy loam, not unlike what you'd expect in the rest of the Columbia Valley encompassed AVAs, however the climate is a bit different in that the rainfall is unusually high for eastern Washington (19" annually) due to the proximity of the Blue Mountains, but at the same time it receives a typically high rate of 3000 average growing degree days.

The wine:

Forgeron Cellars "Red Table Wine"
Walla Walla, WA
Alcohol: 13.8%
Retail (approx.): $14.99

As you would expect from anything labeled "Red Table Wine", the color was a dark, dark red, and the nose fairly balanced. Mellow, with a berry and oak aroma that hinted, not so subtly, at a full body. And it was a full body. The berry flavor was balanced and mellow; the sort of wine you would serve if you had a larger dinner party and weren't quite sure of the tastes of your guests. This wine isn't going to offend anyone.

On the flipside, most red table wines come off as functional at best, and this one was a definate step above. The age old question, 'Does it taste better because it's priced higher, or is it priced higher because it tastes better?' did cross my mind, but because I was skeptical going in (not even a vintage year?), I will conclude that the grapes were of a higher quality.

Also, it did not come in a half gallon jug.

We chose the wine because it was a "throw it together at the last minute with what we have on hand" dinner. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat, and rolled around prosciutto, feta cheese and spinach.

In this instance the chicken was merely the vehicle, and the salty influence of the stuffing complimented the the big flavor and sweetness of the wine, and cut straight through the full body.

The brussel sprouts represented well for a vegetable, topped with a salt/spice mix. Brussel sprouts seem to have a very faint sulphur quality, which matched nicely with the sulphur overtones of the wine, overtones you usually don't notice with a red.

Forgeron's Red also finished nicely with a dark chocolate (I'm not going to lie, it was a Hershey bar), and contrary to what we've found in the past, the bitter chocolate and full, sweet wine was better than usual.

The wine proved to be a fine hub to what was a hastily put together meal. I suppose the lesson here is that if you're going to throw some random ingredients together, and serve a table red with it, spending a little extra on the wine will elevate what might be an otherwise mediocre meal.

I'll give credit to the winemaker(s) in this instance.

3.3

Wine Review - White Heron Cellars "Mariposa Vineyard Red Wine"

This estate bottled, red wine blend from the upper Columbia Valley area of Quincy, Washington is a product of the small but proud Mariposa Vineyards, owned and operated by Cameron and Phyllis Fries. The blend consists of 24% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Malbec (Cot).

The wife and I decided to give it a try on a dreary January afternoon -- a late lunch to lift the spirits. The label on the wine suggested pairing it with salmon, red meat, pasta, and/or chocolate.

We opted for an Oregon Country ribeye steak from CasCioppo Brothers Meats. If you're not getting your meat from a butcher, consider that the prices are similar to that of a grocery store, but the cuts are better and the experience far more fulfilling. Call me a meat snob if you like, but recall that for centuries people bought their meat from an independent butcher. Forgoe one-stop convenience for quality, I say.

With the steak, we had wheat pasta (you might as well get some fibre with your calories), mine tossed with pesto, my wife's with a fresh, crushed tomato/marinara sauce. Both with a little fresh parmisean on top.

And now, the wine:

2000 "Mariposa Vineyard Red Wine"
White Heron Cellars, Columbia Valley, WA.
Alcohol 13.5% by volume
Retail (approx.): $15.00

This dark cherry red wine had a spicy, berry aroma with a bit of oak. My wife seemed to detect an astringent quality to it as well. A pre-meal taste confirmed the aromas: the flavor was heavy on berries, and maybe a bit spicy as well. Sweet and mellow, and low on the acidic and tannic, with a medium body. About what you'd expect from a blended red wine.

With the steak, the wine mellowed out quice nicely, and the berry flavors were brought out. We also tried the steak topped with a homemade steak sauce (1 part ketchup, 1 part worcesterchire sauce, garlic powder to taste - highly recommended!), but the acidity of the tomato base really amplified the astringent/acid quality of the wine. I would recommend having your steak plain, or maybe with some crumbled bleu cheese.

The wine complimented my pasta with pesto nicely, the oil in the pesto seemed to make the berry flavor jump out, and gave it the wine a nice, pronounced tannic finish. The tomato based sauce on my wife's pasta, however, only amplified an astringent (or as she described it "nail polish") flavor.

For dessert we first tried some Chukar Cherry (out of Prosser, WA) dark chocolate cherries. While delicious on their own, the chocolate covered cherries were overpoweringly sweet in comparison to the wine. We tried again with some milk chocolate, and the slightly more bitter and milky flavor complimented the wine perfectly, giving it a smoother taste and amplifying the berry flavor.

The "Mariposa Red" is a definite step up from your average red blend, a nice mix that seemed to work well with certain flavors but not with others. You should be mindful of which foods you pair it with; it has definite personality and thus clashes with certain foods. Avoid tomato/tomato-based foods with this one.

(3.8/5)