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Remains of the Day: Wine-drenched observations gathered from the floor at Taste Washington 2013

By Bob Silver on Posted in Events, Wineries

In no particular order, a handful of notes and observations swept up from the floor of the 2013 version of Taste Washington.

Taste Washington is a great opportunity for wineries to show off something new. Here’s one that stuck with me – the sleek, elegant new labels from the Brothers Rawn at Two Mountain.

Not Rick Small

Talk about sartorial splendor: Rick Small, Woodward Canyon’s fearless leader, rocked a hip, back-facing cap atop his clean-shaven head while working Woody’s booth. Gotta love a bald man with style! Honorable mention in the wardrobe department went to Serge Laville from Spring Valley, who was smartly dressed in a plaid shirt and plaid sport coat. It takes a Frenchman to pull that off, n’est pas?

The sublime spicy fried pickles from Relish Burger Bistro. Who knew?

Favorite wine that I met for the first time at 2013 Taste Washington? Easy pick – 2010 Cab Sauv from Double Canyon. Big honkin’ fruit from Horse Heaven Hills, wonderful structure and balance. A sister property to Oregon’s stellar Archery Summit, Double Canyon is destined to become a very big deal among us lovers of Big Reds.

Did someone say Big Reds? Obelisco delivers plenty of them from its estate vineyard on Red Mountain. But I was smitten by Doug Long’s chardonnay. It was one of several excellent whites that rose to the occasion on Sunday.

Did someone say rose? No, someone said rosé, rosé, rosé! Ross Andrew, Cote Bonneville, L’Ecole and a host of others poured their new Rosés. Just another sign that spring has arrived in Washington.

I didn’t catch the seminar that celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Yakima Valley AVA, but I loved the major-league props for Avennia from star industry blogger W. Blake Gray. (Aren’t familiar with Blake Gray? You should be – here’s a Q&A I did with him earlier this year.)

Rock-star somm Rajat Parr from Mina Wine Group (aka RN74 in Seattle) recently emphasized the importance of storytelling within a wine’s brand. The best story I heard all weekend is attached to Obelisco’s high-end red blend. Nefer III. It involves Egyptian beauty on the inside and out, clay pots marked for vineyards and vintages, and so on. Talk about a great way to make a brand memorable.

Speaking of RN74, general manager Eric Perlin worked the restaurant’s booth Sunday on the show floor. It was a bit of a swan song – Perlin moves this week to San Francisco, where he’ll be opening a new restaurant for the Mina Group. Under Perlin’s guidance and aided by the steady hand of lead somm Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen, RN74 has quickly become the epicenter of the wine/food scene in Seattle.

My vote for wine of the day: Cote Bonneville’s astonishing 2011 Riesling, sourced from their home turf at DuBrul Vineyard.

How fun to see Ted Baseler light up when he talks about 14Hands, Ste. Michelle runaway hit in the value-priced category. And why not – it’s perhaps the nation’s hottest wine brand.

I chuckled as one prominent winemaker tried to talk his way past security after he presented at one of the morning seminars and couldn’t find his badge amidst all of the stuff he was carrying. It was one of those ‘don’t you know who I am’ moments. I realize security is critical at any event involving alcohol, large crowds and the WSLCB. But a few of the gatekeepers were a little over the top – sort of like TSA screeners on steroids.

I stopped by the booth at Guardian Cellars to say hi to Jerry Riener. But he and his wife Jennifer had more important matters to deal with on Sunday – the birth of their first child, Josephine Isabelle.

Like any large trade event, Taste Washington swirls with bustling activity. If you stopped for a moment, what did you see?

  • Well, over there was Steve Warner moving from booth to booth to chat with the individual winemakers. More than 220 wineries attended the Big Show, and it was great to see the wine commission’s chief work the room.
  • And over there was Greg Harrington pouring through a bunch of library selections at the Gramercy booth. “I wasn’t sure what we were going to pour this weekend, so I just started grabbing stuff out of the library,” he said.
  • And over there was Rob Newsom holding court out in front of the Boudreaux table. “I just sold 28 cases of wine to a Canadian buyer,” Rob told me. “He asked me, ‘How much of your wine should I buy?’ and I said ’28 cases.’ He said ‘Fine.’ I should have said 100.”

Sunflowers & cider at Finnriver

Cider is the hot new thing in the Northwest beverage scene, and Sunday’s cider seminar, led by the irrepressible Jamie Peha, was outstanding. Memorable moments: That first, luscious sip of apricot cider from Tieton Cider Works and renewing a love affair with Finnriver’s Artisan Sparkling Cider, which I first enjoyed several years ago at the Finnriver TR in Chimacum. (Editorial aside: Looking for a great short trip on a spring Sunday? Visit the Finnriver Farm & Cidery, then hit the nearby Sunday farmer’s market in Chimacum Corner.)

My taste buds are still reeling from the mind-blowing gazpacho from Tablas Woodstone Tavernas. They claim it only has six ingredients – tomatoes, cukes, green bell pepper, salt, cumin and olive oil – but I’m sure there was some crack thrown in. Nothing else could have made it so addictive.

And of course, my vote for wine of the day: Cote Bonneville’s astonishing 2011 Riesling sourced from their home turf at DuBrul Vineyard.

Finally, I don’t even want to think about all the wineries, winemakers and industry friends that I intended to visit, but didn’t – mostly due to bad planning and poor time management on my part. Good intentions are like … well, you know, and we all have them.

However, Taste Washington’s two-day format lends itself to a much more leisurely experience and I’m definitely signing up for the full weekend in 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

Heading to Taste Washington? Here’s how to make the most of the experience, part 2

By Bob Silver on Posted in Events, Wineries

That’s right, fellow wine lovers. Taste Washington, the mother of Washington wine events, is just a couple of days away. The format is simple – two days of education, socializing, great food and glorious wines at the Century Link Events Center. Last week I tapped the expertise of Washington wine’s head honcho for advice on how to how to best enjoy Taste WA. Here’s what Steve Warner, president of the Washington State Wine Commission, had to say.

Today’s offering polls the masses – a sampler of advice from some of the winemakers and media that will be attending the Big Show. Hey, these guys are professionals so they have to know what they’re doing, right? I’ve sorted their advice into different buckets, the first of which, appropriately, is the spit bucket.

Bucket No. 1 – SPIT, dammit!

“SPIT,” says Zach Brettler of SYZYGY and Anne Schafer of áMaurice, making the point emphatically in capital letters. Others are a little more verbose.

“Spit. If you spit, you can taste more wine, which is the point,” says W. Blake Gray, who writes the outstanding Gray Report and will be a panelist on several seminars this weekend. “You can get drunk easily enough when you’re ready, but it’s more fun to keep fresh longer by taking a little taste, swishing it around your mouth and spitting it out. It still tastes pretty good.”

“Don’t try to see too many wineries; you will never see them all,” says Ron Bunnell of Bunnell Family Cellars. “Spit! Don’t try to drink all the wines. That can be disastrous. Eat! Taste WA has an incredible array of restaurants, more than almost any other wine event of its kind. Drink … plenty of water! Above all, have fun!”

Two Washington wine legends, Rick Small of Woodward Canyon and Gordy Venneri of Walla Walla Vintners, took this whole spitting thing a little farther.

“Hydrate, even if you spit!” Small says. “Drink water throughout the entire event, and then go enjoy dinner in one of Seattle’s many great restaurants.”

“If you want to try a lot of wines ask for a small pour and don’t be afraid to spit on some of the wines,” Venneri says. “You can’t taste them all if you drink everything without spitting.”

And if this whole spitting thing worries you from a social etiquette perspective, fughggedaboutit, says veteran NW wine journalist Chris Nishiwaki.

“I know it is counter to proper table etiquette you’ve been taught,” Nish says. “At wine events spitting is actually the polite thing to do.”

Or you can dump – as in swirl, sniff, taste, spit and then dump the remainder of your glass into the spit bucket. “Dump, dump, dump,” advises Matt Rawn of Two Mountain.

Bucket No. 2: Plan in advance

Nearly all of the experts agree: Plan the work and work the plan.

“Go both days,” says Tom Glase of Balboa Winery. “There are so many wines and so much food that you really need two days. And having a plan and sticking to it is also helpful.”

Glase’s recommendation: Target 20 wineries to visit during the show. “Sure, it’s a lot, but probably doable if you have food and water,” he says. “Don’t try and do them all. Palate fatigue will keep you from the truth.”

Advance planning can make a huge difference at Taste Washington.

Ron Bunnell agrees. “Plan out a course through the hall that will get you to your favorite wineries first. Remember, the most popular and ‘cult’ wineries often pour out early. Pick maybe 15-20 wineries for this first assault. Take them in order, progressing across the hall. During this progression, make notes on wineries you would like to visit on the return journey. Hey, it’s all good exercise.”

Matt Rawn suggests a slightly different approach. “Be like Phish and ‘Bounce around the Room,’” he says. “The stupid hall typically is arranged in alphabetical order so it can be confusing. Start wherever and wander. Listen to the other attendees as to what is blowing their hair back and don’t be afraid to go try a suggestion.”

Plan ahead, recommends Yashar Shayan, superstar somm who formerly was wine director at The Willows Inn on Lummi Island and now is launching a new venture at ImpulseWine.com.

“A few days before Taste WA, go to their website and look at the list of participating wineries and other vendors you might be interested in,” Shayan says. “Make a game plan of which ones you want to go to for sure.  Ask yourself which ones are going to be most popular and get to them first before the lines build up and they run out of the good juice.”

“Check the list of participating wineries and create a schedule,” advises Ashley Bruton of Skylite Cellars. “Give yourself a plan of attack or else you may find yourself making circles or worse missing those wineries you don’t normally have a chance to taste on the West side.”

“Have a couple goals for the event, otherwise it kind of all blurs together,” says Clive Pursehouse of Northwest Wine Anthem. “Think about goals that you’d like to come away from Taste Washington with, and “buzzed” probably shouldn’t be on that list.”

Bucket No. 3: Expand your horizons

Open your eyes to new experiences at Taste WA.

“You already know your favorites, so why pay $85 to taste them again,” Matt Rawn says. “Instead, why not incorporate new (to you) wineries into your repertoire?  There are a lot of really, REALLY good wineries in the state … both well known and unknown.  Use this as a chance to educate yourself on us and where we are from, but educate us on what you like.  Basically, step out of your comfort zone; you may be surprised!!

“Don’t just go around trying all the same wineries you’ve already had and know are good,” Yashar Shayan says. “Go and try some you’ve never heard of. If you run into some friends or acquaintances, be sure and ask them if they’ve had anything they feel is a ‘must’ try.  I’ve do this all the time, and I’m surprise at how often I’ll get the same answer from a lot of different people, and I figure if multiple people are raving about it, then that’s one worth trekking to!”

“It’s impossible to try all the wines and the tendency is to go for the popular and/or expensive producers,” Chris Nishiwaki says. “Fight that urge and try wines you haven’t tried before. There will be wines at Taste WA that will not be available elsewhere. Take advantage of the opportunity.”

Bucket No. 4: The random bucket

“Ask questions and engage. Wineries are more than happy to pour, but it’s nice to know people aren’t there just to get drunk on ‘free’ wine.” (Matt Rawn)

“We stopped attending a few years back. It is a drunk-fest, in our opinion.” (Anonymous winemaker from Eastern WA)

“Don’t go and start tasting on an empty stomach, especially if you’re not one for spitting.  Sample a few snacks first, before hitting up the vino.” (Yashar Shayan)

Bucket No. 5: Matt Dodson’s mom

A whole bunch of winemakers, bloggers and media folks respond to my call for advice, and perhaps my favorite responses came from Matt Dodson, the assistant winemaker at Alexandria Nicole Cellars. Well, not from Matt, technically. But from his mom.

Mother knows best when it comes to Taste WA!

“My mother asked me what I was doing on the computer before we ate dinner, and then offered some advice of her own,” Matt says. “It’s interesting since she is more on the consumer side and I was thinking of it from an industry standpoint.” So, without further ado, take it away, Mom:

“So many wines, so little time … so pace yourself.”

“It’s like taking a wine tour without needing to drive your car and spend money on gas.”

“There’s no way you can try everything and still have taste buds left at the end of the day.  So focus on wines you’ve never heard of or never had before.”

“300 wines and 200 restaurants … I’ve died and gone to heaven!”  (Actually, there are more than 225 wineries pouring north of 800 wines and 60 restaurants. But who’s counting, Mom, particularly after the first hour.)

“Sip and spit, sip and spit.  You’ll last longer that way!”

“Talk to the winery staff manning the tables.  You learn a lot about wines and they are such nice people!”

“Have fun. Wine and food is about enjoying yourself, so just go with the flow.”

Etcetera , Etcetera, Etcetera

Want more? Check out Taste WA previews on Washington Wine Report, Northwest Wine Anthem and Wine Peeps.

Heading to Taste Washington? Here’s how to make the most of the experience, part 1

By Bob Silver on Posted in Events, Interviews

It’s Washington Wine Month, the annual state-wide promotion of Washington’s wine industry. The month is loaded with all kinds of wine-related events topped off by Taste Washington.

Taste Washington is the nation’s largest single-region wine and food event. More than 225 wineries and 60 restaurants fill up CenturyLink Field Event Center for two days of wine, food and education. This will be my 10th Taste Washington and I still find it a little intimidating – where to go, what to do, which wines to taste, and on and on. So I figured I’d ask the experts for advice.

Steve Warner is president of the Washington State Wine Commission, the outfit that markets the Washington wine industry and co-produces Taste Washington in conjunction with Visit Seattle. I asked him for advice on how best to enjoy the event.

Steve, what advice would you give people so they can best enjoy Taste Washington?

There are many ways to enjoy Taste Washington depending on what you hope to get out of the event. One great way to start is to attend seminars. On Saturday we are offering a great seminar for wine newcomers called “Intro into the World of Wine.” This seminar will be great for anybody who wants to become more familiar with Washington State wines before tackling the Grand Tasting. For the veteran wine fan, check out “WASHINGTON vs. The World!” on Saturday or the celebration of the Yakima Valley 30th Anniversary on Sunday.

We’ve designed the space so there are plenty of places to rest and pace yourself. Tasting wine for 3 or 4 hours straight is challenging, so I recommend that people enjoy the great restaurants and exhibitors as well.

If you’re on Twitter make sure to follow the #TasteWA hashtag for advice from fellow attendees – that’s where you’ll hear about the hidden gems around the event.

If you’re serious about your wine tasting, you can take notes on the best wines you find. But the easiest way to remember what you taste and like is to snap pictures of the wines you like with your phone

What’s new / different this year at Taste Washington?

For the first time ever, we have included some non-wine seminars. One such seminar, “Cure what Ales ya!”, combines a master beer sommelier with our 2013 Washington State Wine Restaurant of the Year, Visconti’s.

If you’re on Twitter make sure to follow the #TasteWA hashtag for advice from fellow attendees – that’s where you’ll hear about the hidden gems around the event.

Mike Kelley will share his wisdom about beer and charcuterie pairing; a skill that will always come in handy when you’re hosting parties. We also have a cider and cheese pairing seminar
on Sunday this year to celebrate all the great ciders in Washington State.

We also have more restaurants this year than ever before and we’ve added some great hotel packages to make it easy to stay for the entire weekend. You can add your Taste Washington tickets onto to your hotel room through the website as well (and also avoid Ticketmaster fees!)

Are there any specific areas or exhibits that you’d like to recommend?

One feature we’ve been doing for a few years, and it continues to grow (no pun intended), is the vineyard area – a group of wine grape growers will be there pouring wines from different wineries all made with their fruit. It’s a great chance to explore “terroir,” the sense of place you get from where a wine is grown. It all starts in the vineyard!

Also check out all the terrific AVA associations that will pouring wine from their local wineries. It’s a great place to chat with experts if you are looking to plan a trip into wine country this year. At least nine regional groups will be pouring – stop by and see them!

And of course there is the ever popular oyster bar and dessert bar. Both areas have a wine tasting feature highlighting wines that pair especially well with these foods.

It’s virtually impossible to taste all of the wines available at Taste Washington. What are some good strategies for tasting over one or two days?

Well, there are more than 225 wineries and each winery usually brings 3 wines, plus all the wines at the dessert bar and white out oyster bar so in reality there are more than 750 wines to try at the event – and we definitely don’t recommend trying them all!

Plan what you are most excited to see in advance of the event – the wines being poured are all posted on the website and the entire event program will be posted a week before the event so you can check out who will be there and what they are bringing to sample. Maybe you just want to check out the new releases of your favorite wineries, meet the winemakers from some of your recent favorites, or maybe you are on a quest to try the new guys – either way you can make a list of things to see before you go.

The two-day general admission pass is really a great value. For only $45 more than the one-day general admission ticket you get to go an extra day. Maybe do all whites on Saturday and all reds on Sunday? Or tackle the first half of the alphabet on day one, and the second on day two. I will say that Saturday is bound to be the busier day, so if you can only go for one day, consider attending on Sunday.

And remember – “it’s hip to spit!” You don’t need to finish every wine you are poured. Taste responsibility and you’ll end up finding some great wines that you even remember the next day!

Next week on WA | Wine | PR: More advice from the pros – winemakers and media offer their advice on how to enjoy Taste Washington.

 


Some wineries understand how to use CRM to win customer loyalty, but sadly, some don’t

By Bob Silver on Posted in Marketing, Wineries

Hang around the tech sector long enough and you’ll eventually hear someone talking about CRM – customer relationship management. It’s a big deal – as in a nearly-$10-billion-annual-industry big deal.

Tech companies are fanatical about CRM and wineries could learn a lot from that fanaticism. Case in point: My recent experience with Winery A and Winery B.

I’m on Winery A’s mailing list. They contacted me well in advance of shipping my annual order and then kept me informed with some stock emails as the shipping date drew closer, including a more personal email on the day that it shipped.

It arrived several days later and that same afternoon, I received an email from the sales manager saying that the wine had been shipped that week and my CC had been charged. I dashed off a note of thanks and quickly received a personal response thanking me again for my order and saying that they look forward to seeing me on my next visit.

Classic CRM – prompt, personal and engaging. My takeaway? ‘They care about me.’ That translates into loyalty. I’m going to be a customer for a long time.

Winery B recently had a very compelling offer on some nice everyday wine. I’m not on their mailing list, but it was a terrific opportunity to put some of their juice in my cellar. So I went in for a case. Their sales team engaged me by email when I made the order and the case arrived a few days later. But that’s when they dropped the ball.

Winery B had me right where they wanted me, yet failed to convert a layup. My takeaway? All they wanted was my check.

No contact to ensure that my order had arrived. No email asking if I was pleased with the wine or the service. And no attempt to engage me to be a repeat customer. Winery B had me right where they wanted me, yet failed to convert a layup. My takeaway? All they wanted was my check.

CRM isn’t easy. It takes commitment, energy and time. But in a tough competitive marketplace loaded with excellent product, wineries can’t afford not to be doing it.

Want to learn more about customer relationship management? Take an hour and listen to Shep Hyken’s webinar on the Cult of the Customer. He offers a list of 10 strategies to build an amazing customer experience. Winery B, are you listening?

 

‘Tis the season for wine tasting events. What do you, the consumer, want at a tasting experience?

By Bob Silver on Posted in Events, Marketing, Wineries

The spring season of tasting events is upon us here in Washington State. Among the events competing for your heart, palate and wallet include:

Numerous red wine & chocolate events in Yakima Valley, Rattlesnake Hills, Lake Chelan, Whidbey Island, Bainbridge Island and the Woodinville Warehouse District, just to name a few.

Seattle Wine & Food Experience

Taste Walla Walla PDX

Wenatchee Wine Week

Taste Walla Walla SEA

And then there’s the big kahuna, Taste Washington

And all of that is just in February and March. The onslaught of spring release events at multiple regions, communities and individual wineries starts in April across the state, beginning with the Cayuse weekend April 5-7 in Walla Walla.

Which ones are you planning to attend, and why? How do you decide which event(s) to attend? What makes for a great wine tasting event from a consumer perspective?

 

 

2013 Sunset wine competition only in its second year, but you can’t deny its powerful PR potential

By Bob Silver on Posted in Events, Magazines, Media Relations, Public Relations, Wineries

If you’re a Washington winemaker and you’re planning to enter the 2013 Sunset International Wine Competition, time is ticking. Entries close March 8, which means you have just less than 30 days to submit your entries.

There are dozens, if not hundreds of wine competitions to choose from and some are certainly older, established and more prestigious. But from a public relations standpoint, I doubt any wine competition can match the horsepower of this one, just based on demographics and reach of the magazine. Consider:

  • Sunset is one of West’s dominant media brands – 4.6 million readers, 1.1 million online visitors per month and more than 30,000 event attendees annually.
  • We drink a lot of wine out here in the West – more than 60 million glasses per week, and 10 million of those are consumed by Sunset readers. The magazine’s stats department determined that Sunset readers are 106 percent above average for being heavy consumers of wine.
  • We also buy a lot of wine. Westerners are 35 percent above the average affluent adult for spending $3,000 or more on wine in the past year.
  • Nearly all of Sunset’s subscribers are wine drinkers (96 percent), but perhaps most importantly those readers are more than 80 percent above average for influencing consumers’ buying decisions about wine.

In short, not only do Sunset subscribers buy and drink a lot of wine, but they are super influential in how other people think about and ultimately purchase wine. The numbers make a compelling case to enter this contest, and you can read more about them here.

This is only the contest’s second year, but Sunset’s wine editor Sara Schneider is enthusiastic about its trajectory.

“The nature of wine competitions in general tends to encourage the more mass-produced wines to enter,” she told me last week. “And our lineup the first year out did include a quorum from the big wine companies in the West. But it also included a genuinely exciting cross-section of small-production, artisan wines from talented winemakers who have their own hands on the product from first to last.”

Schneider has corralled a who’s who of industry glitterati as judges, and she believes that is another element that makes this contest special.

… a badge of honor from Sunset will, by the very nature of its reputation and brand, carry much more clout with your consumers and will be much more likely to influence their opinions and buying decisions …

“The integrity of our competition is really fueled by our judges,” she said. “The caliber of wine industry pros that got excited about our program even as we were developing our plans, and committed two days to come to Menlo Park to judge for us, was truly heart-warming. And most are coming back this year. They believe in Sunset, and in the value of tasting and evaluating wines blind, for results that wineries can use.”

“Results that wineries can use” strikes me as a key phrase here. It’s one thing to hang a plaque in the tasting room from a competition in Indianapolis, for example. But a similar badge of honor from Sunset will, by the very nature of its reputation and brand, carry much more clout with your consumers and will be much more likely to influence their opinions and buying decisions, IMHO.

Finally, Schneider says the company is committed to increasing the events and promotions surrounding the competition, not the least of which is promoting the database of winners at Sunset-branded events and through the magazine and web site. Last year’s list is here, and it’s great to see the representation from Washington wine.

As winemakers ramp up their marketing efforts during this shoulder season, this seems to be one competition that definitely should be in the marketing budget.

Boost your blogging in 2013: This free seminar can help

By Bob Silver on Posted in Blogging, Events, Public Relations

Want to turbo-charge your blogging efforts in 2013? Then this seminar, “Getting Organized with your Blogging,” may be just the ticket.

The seminar will cover the following:

  • The importance of an editorial calendar and how to set one up;
  • How to schedule posts;
  • Using listening tools, such as an RSS reader, Flipboard and Zite:
  • Ideas for posts you may not have thought of:
  • How other bloggers are doing it.

The seminar is produced and sponsored by LexBlog, the leading authority of blogs and social media tools for the legal industry. (Yep, I said ‘legal industry.’) But these guys know their stuff and the advice is applicable to any blogger – legal, wine or otherwise.

If you’re a winemaker or wine industry marketing / PR person who is thinking about content marketing in 2013 (and who isn’t?), the session will be worth your time simply to learn how to use Flipboard and Zite.

The seminar is Thursday and the best news – it’s free.

(Full disclosure: LexBlog is a client of Silver Strategic Communications.)

 

Remember, it has two Ms … like dummy!

By Bob Silver on Posted in Editing, Events

Talk about irony. While checking out the upcoming Symposium for Professional Wine Writers at Meadowood Napa Valley, I ran across a prominent spelling error smack dab in the middle of registration page.

They say the devil is in the details and when you’re pitching a pricy conference to journalists, nothing undercuts your credibility faster than silly mistakes, particularly in the era of automatic spell check.

To be fair, ‘accommodate’ and its derivatives (accommodation, etc.) are commonly misspelled. During my first week of my journalism career, a grizzled copy chief gave me a spelling lesson I’ve never forgotten. “It’s easy to spell accommodate,” he told me as he corrected my mistake. “It has two Ms … like dummy.”

This year’s symposium, the ninth annual, is Feb. 19-22, and the speakers’ line-up and agenda look terrific. Perhaps at the 10th annual, they’ll include a session on spelling.

 

Observations for a new year: Washington wine regions I’m thinking about in 2013

By Bob Silver on Posted in Uncategorized

If you know me, you know this – I’m a huge fan of the wine scene in Walla Walla. The valley has been our go-to wine region in Washington State ever since Mary Sue and I took our first trip there in 2002. We now make the trip at least two times a year, as much to spend time visiting with friends and enjoying golf, cycling and other activities as we do visiting the 100+ wineries. It’s a seductive place – so much so that we’ve often fantasized about making a permanent move to Walla Walla from Bainbridge Island. (Can you say ‘aspirational goal?’)

But just as man cannot live on bread alone, the true lover of Washington wine can’t live on one region within our fair state. With that in mind, here are three Washington wine regions that I’m keen on following in 2013. Think of them as regions to watch.

Yakima & Zillah

Sure, Yakima and Zillah don’t have the sex appeal of Walla Walla, but the area seems to be gaining some new energy as a wine destination. Some new places to stay and dine are popping up in and around Yakima, and you can be there in a couple of hours from downtown Seattle, which makes for a doable day trip as long as you remember to bring along a DD.

 

The tasting room at Two Mountain Winery: This is how they roll.

There’s plenty of cool stuff happening at individual wineries. Big Phil Cline of Naches Heights Vineyards opened a new destination tasting room late last year and Southard, located in Selah, has generated some incredible buzz for a new winery. Dinnen, Cultura, Ramseyer and Two Mountain have become ‘must-stops’ in Zillah, but there are plenty of wineries located on that same exit of I-82.

Yakima Valley is celebrating its 30th year as a wine region, and there’s likely to be all kinds of fun stuff this year associated with the anniversary. Wine Yakima Valley, the region’s marketing organization, is a great resource for events and activities.

Woodinville

Ask some of your casual wine pals if they’ve ever visited Woodinville for a wine getaway and you’ll be surprised how many of them have never made the trip.

But there’s a sense of revitalization in the air in 2013 and it’s emanating from the region’s marketing organization, Woodinville Wine Country.  Jamie Peha, Washington wine’s energizer bunny, has stepped in as the group’s interim director and is driving a new marketing plan designed by Steve Burns, the godfather of Washington wine promotion. They’re busy retooling the events – St. Nick’s featured a totally new format last December and Passport, the spring event, likely will be reinvented. It’s going to be fun to watch this year.

Woodinville now has so many wineries – nearly 100 – that you truly need a couple of days to visit the distinct areas. We spend a lot of time around the Hollywood Schoolhouse round-about at JBookwalter, Ross Andrew and Pepper Bridge, and Gorman, Zerba Cellars and Otis Kenyon across the street. Or we head down the road to the warehouse district, where we’re particularly fond of Obelisco Estate, Bunnell and Robert Ramsay. And no trip to the ‘Ville is complete without a stop at Ste. Michelle, the state’s flagship winery.

Will Woodinville replace Walla Walla as Washington State’s premier wine destination? The potential is there, and 2013 might be the year.

Bainbridge Island

Okay, stop smirking and consider the fact. Bainbridge currently has eight wineries, and five of them have tasting rooms within walking distance of the ferry. Island scuttlebutt suggests that several new ones could open later this year.

Perhaps more importantly, the island has become a foodie’s paradise, with four top-notch fine dining restaurants (Four Swallows, Marche, Hitchcock and Café Nola) and some great local spots like San Carlos, Treehouse Café and Harbor House Pub. Toss in a handful of killer bakery/coffee houses, one world-class ice cream shop, and a couple of excellent small inns within walking distance of the ferries, the food and the wine, and you’ve created a very compelling destination.

But wait, there’s more. Thousands of tourists visit Seattle each year who might like to add a little wine tasting to their itinerary, but don’t have the time to head east, even to Woodinville. Washington’s ferry system, annually one of the state’s top tourist attractions, delivers thousands of these visitors to the island for day trips. With some clever marketing and positioning, Bainbridge Island could easily build a reputation as western Washington’s top wine destination.

Which wine regions are you visiting this year in Washington State? I’d love to hear.

Coming soon: Washington State wine trends I’ll be following in 2013.

Observations for a new year: Washington wineries I’m thinking about in 2013

By Bob Silver on Posted in Wineries

A new year is always ripe with possibility and anticipation, and 2013 is no exception. Over the next few days, I’ll m going to share things I’m looking forward to following this year in Washington wine. Without further ado, let’s start with some individual wineries. Ready, set, go!!

Washington wine predictions 2013Eight Bells – The Eight Bells boys are doing some really good stuff with Mike Sauer’s Red Willow fruit over in the Roosevelt/ Ravenna neighborhood. Plus, they embody the concept of ‘urban winery.’ Where else can you go wine tasting and then head down to Montlake to tailgate at Husky Stadium, all in the same neighborhood?

Watermill – Impeccable estate fruit, first-class production facility (they have their own bottling line) and a new winemaker – Noah Fox Reed, formerly assistant winemaker at Northstar. Noah takes over for Andrew Brown, who is going to focus on the company’s rapidly expanding cider operations, Blue Mountain Cider. This will be the first full season, so to speak, with Noah guiding the wines. He did a great job with Merf at Northstar – I’m looking forward to seeing what he can accomplish at this hidden gem of a winery in Milton-Freewater.

Charles Smith – I’m really interested to see what Charles and Brennon Leighton cook up with their new Chardonnay project.  Ditto for the Charles & Charles project in light of the recent investment by Trinchero Family Estates.

Rolling Bay & Amelia Wynn: I’m a big fan of the home team here on Bainbridge Island, and two of them caught my attention toward the end of 2012. Alphonso deKlerk seems to be hitting his stride at Rolling Bay Winery and Paul Bianchi is doing some beautiful wines at Amelia Wynn. Paul’s Sangiovese, sourced from Red Mountain, will stand up to any sangio in the state, IMHO.

Mannina Cellars – Totally flying below the radar in Walla Walla, Don Redman routinely knocks it out of the park at Mannina Cellars. His Cali blend is particularly compelling. Drinks like a $40 bottle, is a steal at $22 and you can find it from time to time at $18. Recent Spectator score: 93 pts. Any questions?

Alexandria Nicole – Jarrod Boyle, aka The Big Mon, usually has a whole bunch of interesting stuff up his sleeve. Example: Noble Rot, the fascinating wine-beer collaboration with Dog Fish Ales. I’m guessing that’s just the tip of the iceberg and we’ll be hearing more fun stuff from ANC in 2013.

I’m guessing … we’ll be hearing more fun stuff from ANC in 2013

Mark Ryan – No secret that Mark is putting out some excellent wines, but I’m more interested to see how his Walla Walla venture works out. I think he’s the first Woodinville winery to make the reverse commute and open a second TR in Walla Walla. Most people are going the other direction. Will others try it? Maybe we’ll find out in 2013.

Avennia – The buzz around Avennia is well deserved. Marty and Chris released their Rhones in late 2012 to great fanfare. The Bordeaux blends go public at their release weekend Feb. 9-10 in Woodinville. You’ll want to make sure this one’s on your calendar.

Stevens – Tim is crushing some late harvest Viognier, literally as we speak. Yowza!

This is one man’s impressions, and hardly an exhaustive list from the state’s 750+ wineries.

Now, tell me – which wineries have your attention going into 2013? I’m all ears, and would love to hear them.

Coming soon – thoughts and observations about WA wine regions I’m thinking about in 2013.