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Holiday Barrel Tasting in Walla Walla - Dec 1 & 2
2007-11-28 16:23:00
Yup, Holiday Barrel Tasting this weekend in Walla Walla and what can I say about this event that hasn’t already been said?For more information definitely check out Walla Walla Wine Alliance. They provide a list of the participating wineries, hours and tasting fees. Heather at Walla Walla Wine News gives a summary of her "must see" wineries.Check out what a couple of my wine blogging colleagues have to say about the weekend. Andy at The Wine Knows gives his list of recommendations. Most of the wineries on Andy’s list are newer wineries to consider, besides your personal favorites.Thad at Beyond the Bottle gives a list of his personal recommendations of Walla Walla wineries he has visited in the last six months. Thad also gives suggestions on how to survive wine tasting weekend. Such as: eat solid meals, drink water, spit wine...Umm..., so listen to Thad’s suggestions... yeah, you know who you are you limosine-riding-people. You may have a designated driver, but it doesn't mean...
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Happy Thanksgiving!
2007-11-21 16:31:00
Can anybody recommend a Walla Walla wine that pairs well with Triscuit, Vienna Sausage stuffing and donut garnish?Tomorrow, we will have an assortment of local wines to choose from. I will even have the canonical bottle of Pinot Noir (Stoller from Willamette Valley) standing by for the turkey. I will report back next week on the line-up of what Walla Walla wines we consumed. And no - - we won't be making Pilgrim Ray's stuffing. Instead it will be a traditional sage-celery-onion stuffing. Sometimes I leave the recipe as is or sometimes I add cashews and/or sausage. This year it will be sausage. Thank goodness I picked the sage yesterday from my herb garden before the frost hit it this morning. I decided not to do a full turkey. Bought a breast and a couple of turkey legs, free-range of course. All will be brined using Alice Waters Chez Panisse brine recipe. Been using that recipe for awhile now. A keeper! After brining over night, my sis, Chefy Chefferton will put on her grillardin...
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Red Wine Headache Discussions Give Me A Pain In The... umm...Head!
2007-11-16 16:40:00
Every time I hear someone utter, "I only drink white wine because the sulfites in red wine give me headaches." And of course, the first thing I want to say is, "You dumb door knob (my apologies to you smarter door knobs - don’t bother sending me hate mail)! There are more sulfites in a glass of white wine than red and further more, there are more sulfites in your entire body than any single bottle of wine! No wonder you’re such a big pain in the...!"But - - I don’t say that. Instead I smile and calmly try to give some friendly sulfite education, but usually it's too late. Once those naysayers of sulfites in wine get fixated on the mis-lead and uninformed subject, there is no turning back for them.Back in the early 80's I took a wine mini-course and tour at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodenville, Washington and I remember then our tour guide informed us about those red wine headaches. We were told most headaches were caused from the natural histamines found in fruit and vegetab...
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Homie Makes Wine - Drew Bledsoe
2007-11-15 16:11:00
On October 23, I wrote a blog regarding celebrities opening up their own wineries, Celebrity Wine - Porn, Sports and Rock 'n Roll! And it just so happens a celebrity with strong roots from Walla Walla, is starting a winery here in the Valley. With Walla Walla being the Washington state capital of world class wines, it seems only natural that homies-done-good come back to open their own wineries. Retired NFL player, Drew Bledsoe is opening up a small (under 250,000 liters) winery, Flying B Vineyards. It appears at this time, Flying B Vineyards wine will be produced at Artifex Wine Company. Artifex, located at the former Crown Cork and Seal Building, is a winery that offers custom crush services here in the Walla Walla Valley. I remember attending many home games when Bledsoe was playing football for Walla Walla High School. At Wa-Hi, he was a letterman not only for football, but also basketball. I would continue to watch Bledsoe at home games while he was attending Washington State ...

Cabernet Sauvignon - Head of the Class
2007-11-13 16:19:00
I love Cabernet Sauvignon . It seems to be my "signature" wine and when in doubt - I go Cabernet. Now, its not that I don’t drink other red wines. I do. In fact, sitting on my kitchen island last week was a bottle of Cotes du Rhone and a bottle of Spanish Rioja. One likes to be prepared for visitors and most of all, my daily "heart medicine" as prescribed by the doctor (boy, was he preaching to the choir when he told me to start drinking a glass of red wine a day). I love the red table blends, cuvees and some of the hard to find single varietals like Malbec, but I usually find my way back to Cabernet Sauvignon.Last week I had an opportunity to taste three newly released Cabernet Sauvignons that just happened to have a lot in common - all three Cabernets were produced in the Walla Walla Valley, all three are of the same vintage - 2005, and most of all -- all three Cabernets were produced by three winemakers that were my viticulture/enology classmates! It was exciting for me to taste...
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WHAT? There’s nothing to do in Walla Walla?
2007-11-09 16:34:00
I have heard this comment for over 45 years and then some. And every time I hear those words, frankly speaking - - it makes my butt ache. And chances are those doing the complaining have a numb butt because they're not motivated enough to get off their dead bum and find something to do. Even before the wine boom, there was always something to do in Walla Walla - - if you took the time to look.Just alone this week, where else in a small town of 30,000+ can you stop for a plate of spaghetti at a downtown deli, listen to live jazz during dinner and then head out to a lecture given by Salman Rushdie? In Walla Walla you can. And if you haven't noticed, none of the events have anything to do with the promotion of Walla Walla wines (Of course, if you are a wine lover and you add Walla Walla wine to your evening of events, it’s the icing on the cake).Whitman College and Walla Walla University always have public lectures going on with stimulating speakers. The colleges, including Walla W...
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Precious Wine Diamonds
2007-11-06 16:34:00
Yesterday, there was a message on my voice mail. It was from my sister's friend. She was concerned about the creamy lavender-grayish colored residue that was on the bottom of the wine cork from a bottle of red wine she had just opened. In fact, she noticed the residue inside the bottle lip as well. "What is this stuff?" she asked, "I don't think it is anything bad because the wine tastes excellent, but I was curious. Am I going to die if I drink this wine?"Good news! She isn't going to die from drinking the wine! That "stuff" has a name - tartaric acid. Tartaric acid is an organic acid that naturally occurs in several plants, especially found in grapes. It can take form of a creamy residue, tiny crystals or flakes. You can place it on your finger tips and it will dissipate from the heat from your body. Taste it and it has the familiar taste and texture of "Sweet Tart" candies, but without the sugar. When the creamy residue dries on the bottom of the cork from a red wine, it will ...
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Malbec in Walla Walla
2007-11-05 16:53:00
In France, it is often labeled as Côt and primarily used as a blending grape in Bordeaux. In Argentina, it is their signature grape and often labeled, “Malbec k.” In California, it has typically been a minor player and used as a blending grape in their Meritage® or other Bordeaux-style blends. But in Washington State - - it is finding a home and if the predictions are true, we are going to see more of this dark red grape in the state and not limited as a blending grape, but produced as a single varietal. Malbec loves the soil in Washington state as the climate and soil composition are similar to France.Malbec is a medium to full-bodied wine and often very jammy in flavor. Usually flavors of dark fruit comes through, such as plums and blackberry. The tannins are there, but not so much like a Cabernet Sauvignon - - a bit tighter. And because this wine is often a bit rustic, it pairs well with the same type of "homey-style" foods such as - spaghetti, pizza, sausages, beef tacos, c...
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Happy Hallo-wine!
2007-10-30 15:52:00
It’s Trick 'r Drinking time. If you’ve been a consistent reader of this blog you know I am all about pairing food and wine together. I love this time of year in the Walla Walla Valley and I love Halloween. And the question I have is - - what kind of candy to hand out to the little ghouls and goblins? Every year varies. If I am in my healthy self-righteous diet mode then I will give out candy I do not care for (so I won't be snacking on it). If I am in my "I don't give a bat's ass-gimme-chocolate, then I will give out the good stuff. And when I say good stuff I mean candy like Three Musketeers and Hershey bars. Of course, while I am waiting on the lil' monsters to ring the door bell, I need to be sipping on a little wine. So what kind of wine pairs with Halloween candy?Candy Corn: Chardonnay makes for a good pairing with these little nuggets of white, yellow and orange (or known in my house as West Virginia vampire teeth). I would choose either Canoe Ridge or Forgeron Cellar...
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We Want Wine Without Borders!
2007-10-26 21:16:00
Okay people - - hunker down for awhile. She's on a rant. You've been warned. If there was a local sit-down or picket line about this subject, I would be there. As a "child of the 60's and 70's" the closest I came to a rally was during a high school band trip to Seattle. A few of us strayed and found ourselves downtown at a Vietnam war protest (we were suppose to be checking out museums and the Space Needle). Of course, I had to get in the middle of it, but quickly found a way out of the crowd when a passer-by gave me a pamphlet on what to do in case of tear-gas and I noticed an army of police with masks standing by. I would later cringe when the news and photos of the rally appeared on the NBC news. My father never missed Huntley and Brinkley. My inner-voice would chant, as I watched the news with Dad, "Please do not recognize me in the crowd of 10,000 people." (Hmm - now that I think about this, I don't think my mother knows about this - - oh well, she might now!)So, what is t...
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Celebrity Wine - Porn, Sports and Rock 'n Roll!
2007-10-23 16:52:00
What do Grammy Award winning musician Carlos Santana and race track star, Jeff Gordon have in common? Their own wine labels. First it started with 60's TV star Fred MacMurray of My Three Sons (who would later sell the vineyard to E& J Gallo) and later Fess Parker, who is probably just as well known for his destination winery, spa and soon to be seaside hotel, than he is for the roles he played as Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. Other TV stars of the 60's came along like the Smothers Brothers who own Smothers Wine ry and Remick Ridge Vineyards of Sonoma.There are big distinctions behind those labels - the celebs who take active roles in their vineyards and/or wineries (like Smothers and Parker) and those who pay negociants to fetch the wine from various wineries, such as three of my favorite rock legends: Santana, Bob Dylan and Mick Fleetwood. Then we have posthumous labels of rock legends such as Jerry Garcia and of course, Elvis. One of the more famous wineries, especially see...
More About: Sports , Celebrity , Rock , Rock N Roll

The Flying Trout Crush
2007-10-19 16:14:00
The word from Ashley at Flying Trout Winery is she's keeping busy with crush and it appears there is a rainbow at the end of her '07 crush journey! I recently interviewed Ashley back in August for an article to be part of my new column, "The Tasting Room" in Walla Walla’s newest magazine," Lifestyles." At that time, the only wine she had available for sale was her Deep River Red - 2004. And during that visit, I discovered that Ashley is truly a one-woman-show. Winemaker, marketing director and tasting room attendant and if that isn’t enough, after this crush she will head-down to Mendoza!Which reminds me - as of this week she is sold out of her Deep River Red blend and is officially closing the tasting room except on event weekends. The Flying Trout Winery door will reopen in May, 2008.I am so ready to taste her 2007 vintages and they’re not even in the bottle! So far, she has a Malbec from the Horse Heaven Hills AVA. In fact, the Malbec is from 21 year-old vines. She is als...
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A Great Value - A Great Merlot
2007-10-18 15:56:00
Lately, I have been in this mode of sampling Walla Walla wines priced under $30 a bottle and is it ever paying off! The good news is I keep discovering wines that are top quality for the dollar.One of the Valley’s great value is from Lowden Hills Winery. Lowden Hills is a family winery owned by Jim and Sonja Henderson. A highlight about the Walla Walla Valley is if you were born and/or raised here, you just about know or related to everyone. Back in high school, Sonja and I co-chaired a high school girl’s league committee together. And have continued to keep in touch.Besides a family winery, Lowden Hills also produces estate wines from their Win Chester Vineyards located outside of Lowden, WA. Named after Sonja’s late stepfather, Win Estes, the Estes family were wheat farmers and homesteaded in the Walla Walla Valley since the late 1800's.The historic barn, now winery, seems fitting considering the Lowden Hills Winery’s family history. The barn was built in 1938 and has bee...
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Garrison Creek Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon - 2002
2007-10-12 16:10:00
Okay, I am on a roll and it is all about Cabernet Sauvignon - -It’s been a long time coming, but we are finally seeing wines for purchase from Garrison Creek Cellars. If you read my blog on Garrison Creek Winery - An Exercise In Perseverance, you will remember the five year battle that owner and Walla Walla native, Michael Murr went through for his winery to receive the same treatment as the rest of the wineries in Walla Walla County. The battle is now slowly fading into the sunset and Michael will be victorious. In spite of the frustrations that the winery was put through by the county, the wine did not suffer. I had an opportunity to enjoy a bottle of Garrison Creek Cellars Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - 2002. Pouring the dark liquid into my glass from the long slender and distinct bottle, I could immediately smell the aroma from the Cabernet. A nose of chocolate and bramble berries. I was "warned" ahead of time that I would be seduced by the velvety liquid. Indeed. It was...

Northstar Cabernet Sauvignon - 2003
2007-10-11 16:18:00
It's Fall. My favorite time of the year in the Walla Walla Valley. If you are visiting the area or a local, now is the time to get in your car and take a drive through the foothills of the Blues and especially check out some of the wineries off of JB George and Pepper Bridge Roads. The view is spectacular with all of the colors from the mountains as well as the trees.It is an especially beautiful drive to Northstar Winery on JB George Road as you pass the row of grapevines lining the drive. Clusters of dark fruit hanging from the vines so close you can almost reach out and grab them. The canopies have been trimmed flat like hedges and the fruit is perfectly spaced in their picking zone. Our timing on visiting Northstar could not have been more perfect as it was the beginning of crush and you could smell the sweet grapes in the air.Okay, so yesterday I blabbed about expensive Cabernets v. affordable Cabernets, but I actually tasted Northstars first release of Cabernet Sauvignon pric...

Bergevin Lane Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon - 2004
2007-10-10 16:04:00
Hey, I don't need an expensive $95 bottle of wine with lots of Parker Points to feel cool about the wine I pour in my wine glass. The most important thing to me is how does the wine taste? If the $95 bottle with 95 points make 95% of my tastebuds sing, than what a joy! However, if it does not wow my palate, why do I want it? Accolades are important for wineries to have and it's exciting to be noticed for all of their hard work, but as a consumer I have to reach deep inside and ponder my motives. Do I want to pay $95 for a bottle of wine that I have relied on someone else's palate because I do not trust my own? Do I buy it to impress my friends? Phhhhttttt!Sure, in the Walla Walla Valley we have our share of mighty tasty wines with mighty prices, but if you do your shopping and take off the Parker Point blinders, you can find some excellent wines at affordable prices. Of course you will almost have to take a second look and say, "A quality Walla Walla wine for under $25? How can t...
More About: Cabernet Sauvignon , Vineyards , Lane , Sauvignon , Berg

Simply said - Walla Walla Syrah
2007-10-04 16:40:00
Okay, so it's not a catchy title, but I think we are all tired of the "Que Sera-Sera" reference and with no offense to Doris Day (okay, I know I am dating myself here - - ahem). It doesn't need much explaining other than, Walla Walla Syrah . That rather sums it up. So with that behind us, let's go down the list of Syrahs I have tasted in the last three weeks.Wine lovers and critics from all over the nation are keeping an eye on Washington State Syrahs and in the last few weeks I understand why. Of course, being a proud native of Washington, that's a no-brainer, but I gotta say here - - we grow and produce some of the best!Now I know this isn't a winery from Walla Walla, but the grapes sure are native. Barrister Winery from Spokane bottled a Syrah that received a gold medal at the 2007 Indy International Wine Competition and these winning grapes were from Morrison Lane Vineyard in Walla Walla. Morrison Lane Vineyards have been providing Syrah grapes to area wineries for several y...
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Washington Wines at Wine Library - Again!
2007-10-03 16:13:00
This week in Wine Library Episode #324, Gary Vay-ner-chuk is trying to feel better after a huge Jets loss. To help make him feel better, he claims that Washington wines puts him in a good mood. In this episode he isn’t reviewing any Walla Walla wines, but still reviewing three excellent reds from Washington State. However, he did make the comment, “Walla Walla will surpass Napa as the place for red wine in America.”Yay Gary!
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Ferguson
2007-09-27 16:05:00
A couple of weeks ago I had an opportunity to taste this commemorative wine that was named after two local wine pioneers. In fact, not only pioneers in the Walla Walla Valley, but also in the State of Washington.This 2004 Bordeaux-style reserve was named after Jean and Baker Ferguson . The Ferguson’s founded L’Ecole No. 41 at Lowden, WA. Lowden, located in Walla Walla County, is a small farm community and also known as "Frenchtown" to the locals. Obviously the name comes from the fact that it was founded by French-Canadian settlers in the 1800s. Believe it or not, there was actually a small war in Frenchtown, known as the Battle of Frenchtown/Walla Walla, back in 1855. Local historians tell us that Lecole No. 41 and other wineries in that area, are not the first to be producing wine. Besides fur trapping, nurseries, vineyards and wine production became an important part to Frenchtown's economy. And of course like other communities of wine producers in our nation, prohibition of ...

Adopt A Grape
2007-09-26 07:18:00
For less than a penny a day, you can adopt a grape in a foreign country called Napa Valley, CA. Won't you please help?Ever dream of making wine in Napa Valley, CA? Nah - - me neither. But the dream of making wine in Walla Walla or any place in the state of Washington is an attractive thought. However, no matter where it's from, this idea just tickles me - - very clever, educational and fun.You can now Adopt a Grape for free and follow it from bud break through harvest, complete with a series of fun and educational notes from the vineyard crew. Remember in my last blog how I chastised those of you who gets all "romantical" and dreamy about owning your own winery and/or vineyard with no idea of how hard the work is? Now’s your chance to be a part of a winery and you won’t have to leave your Lazyboy, bucket-o-chicken and The Soprano's re-runs.Best of all, you don’t need a huge bank account, or a degree in viticulture or enology. Any white-zinfandel drinker can adopt a grape. I...

A Rare Find In Walla Walla
2007-09-07 02:32:00
Before Kris Reed was tall enough to reach a kitchen counter, she loved food and cooking. Her major in college was hospitality and she later attended chef’s school. Along came a family and Kris discovered that the food/hospitality industry and raising a family did not mix. While her family was growing, Kris entered Seattle’s hi-tech industry and soon became part of corporate America. After living in Seattle for many years, Kris needed more sunshine and decided it was time to move to a smaller town. While visiting Walla Walla during a wine tasting weekend, she knew where she needed to be.Once her children were grown and out of the house, Kris was able to return to her first love - - food. Out of that love Kris founded Rare Find s, an online store that provided a year-round outlet for small artisan food producers, who are often limited to seasonal farmer’s markets and small food events. Rare Foods.com was so successful that Kris took her business to the next obvious, but giant, st...
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Washington Wines on Wine Library TV
2007-09-06 16:48:00
For all of you Vayniacs out there - Gary Vay-Ner-Chuck from Wine Libra ry , America’s number one wine show, is back with more wines from Washington State. Today Gary V does tasting from Washington on Episode 307 and as he says, “...brought out the ‘big ass glass’ for some serious wine." And two of those serious wines happen to be made in the Walla Walla Valley - L’ecole No. 41 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - 2004 and Pepper Bridge Merlot - 2004. Gary V comments that Washington State is a player and not a punk in the wine industry.So in the mean time, watch Gary sniffy-sniff! Watch Gary spit! Watch Gary put a wine bottle to his ear! Listen to Gary yell with enthusiasm and help Gary change the world of wine!
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A Sense of Place - The Final Chapter
2007-08-30 04:00:00
A Sense of Place and Sense of Place - Part II were published in May and June. I apologize for being so late with the final chapter.Day 1 - The afternoon.Horse Heaven Hills AVA - When I was a little girl, the parents would line us up in the back seat of the car on a Sunday afternoon and off we would venture to the Tri-Cities in Washington state. Sometimes for dinner, sometimes for a picnic and usually a stop to visit our aunt and uncle. Coming back to Walla Walla, before Wallula and after the Boise Cascade plant, we would watch the illusion of the "magic gates" to the Columbia River close, also known as the Wallula Gap. As the car would travel 45-50 mph south on the old two-lane road, we would watch to our right the illusion of the ragged basalt ridges from each side of the river slowly moving together until they met. Then we would yell out from the back seat, "The gates are closed!"The Wallula Gap is the prominent area carved between the Horse Heaven Hills on the West side of the Co...
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Adamant Cellars Semillon
2007-08-22 16:14:00
Those who know my tastes in wine can tell you that Semillon is not one of my favorite grapes. You know, I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I've never warmed up to it. Sure, it’s just okay blended with another white like Sauvignon Blanc, but on its own - can_not_do_it. At the same time, I am trying really hard, I really am, to learn to enjoy this wine. The reason? To practice what I preach - -My preach? Get beyond the reds people! Why limit your wine experiences? One of my wine pet peeves happens behind the tasting room bar. Behind the bar you will always have certain customers who want you to know that they are rather wine savoir-faire and could replace you and your little cork screw, too, Dorothy. However, they blow it when they are quick with a dismissive, but superior, "Uhhh - - I don’t dooo whitesss..." (complete with eye roll) and you can almost hear a hiss from the "s" at the end of the sentence. Hmmm - would professional wine critics, judges and even Master Sommeli...
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Freshly Pressed
2007-08-21 16:29:00
Wine blogging friend, Jill Bernheimer, of Domaine547 has one of the most refreshing and exciting wine sites around. On her site, it states that no snobbery or attitude is allowed and if you disagree then you will be met with the talking wine bottle and cheese wedge who will remind you, "more wine, less attitude." Not only does Domaine547 offer a blog to their readers, but an online wine store, too! There’s a great selection of wines from Argentina, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and California - - now if we can get Jill to start selling wines from Washington, especially those from Walla Walla. She will in time, as long as I keep heckling her about it.Sometimes Jill likes to take time off from blogging and bring in guest bloggers to do the messy job of spraining the brain and pushing the keys, and on occasion I have been there in her time of need. Last week Jill asked me several "pushy" questions and of course, I was left with only one choice - - give her "pushy answers."...

Wine Buyer's Poll
2007-08-17 16:57:00
Do you purchase wines online? If not, have you considered purchasing wines online and if so, what is important to you? Please answer the poll. If you have any other comments about the whole online wine buying experience, please feel free to use the comment section.Thanks for your time!
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Cooking Through The Walla Walla Grape Vine
2007-08-16 16:14:00
For the month of August (I missed July due to vacation - sorry) my guest gourmet and talented foodie is Kris Reed from Rare Finds in Walla Walla. Rare Finds, Inc. started out as an online store. Not only was it an outlet to discover and purchase unique and tasty artisan foods, but most of all it provided a year-round outlet for small artisan food producers to sell their products. The site was so successful, Kris took the next step and opened up a retail location on Main Street in Walla Walla. Kris has it all - appetizers, condiments and sauces, jams, cookies, candy, pasta, spices and more! Rare Finds is the source for artisan foods.Kris told me that she gets constant requests for Walla Walla Sweet Onion products and she is adding products that feature our sweet and homegrown globes. In fact, the recipe from Kris features Walla Walla Sweet Onions! She says this onion pie makes a great side dish for a BBQ or picnics (equally good hot, cold or room temperature). She also suggests to ad...
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Three Rivers Winery - Meritage White
2007-08-15 16:26:00
A white Meritage you say? "How can this be?" You’re probably thinking, "We usually see red Meritage!"Well, a "Meritage®" (pronounced like "heritage") can be any Bordeaux varietal including: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Sauvignon Vert.Three Rivers Winery have been producing Meritage White since the 2001 vintage and have received great press and medals for this exceptional Bordeaux-style blend ever since. And for the quality, you cannot beat the value at $19. This Meritage blend is 72% Sauvignon Blanc and 28% Semillon. I found it to be a refreshing wine with a nose of light floral and lemon - very clean. The flavors were zesty with citrus and a bit of mineral. I particularly enjoyed this blend as the majority of it is Sauvignon Blanc, which is a white grape that I am a bit partial to. There had been some sur lie aging, which added balance to the acidity, but it didn’t take away from the crispness of this blend. A...

Walla Walla Art & Design Center at NoMa
2007-08-08 15:12:00
For years I've been driving west on Rose Street and would admire the woeful old Victorian located on the corner of Rose and Spokane Streets. In spite of its run down appearance with the wrap-around front porch, often cluttered with old sofas, boxes, and an occasional rusty stove; this building told me that at one time the porch and upstairs balcony were enjoyed and not used for a dispository of cast-offs and rubbish, but for relaxation and a view. And every time I drove by, I would wish that someone would see the building the same way I saw it and give the building back its integrity the day it was built in 1902.In the early years of Sonoma and Napa Valley, San Francisco natives, Alexis and Roger Quiring, would spend time in the California wine country admiring the charm of the small towns, the old buildings, views of the country and of course, the wines. In time, as you know, others discovered the same secrets of the Northern California. By vacation and relocation of old friends, ...
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This cowboy says, "Stop the high alcohol!"
2007-08-02 16:07:00
Appellation America recently announced the surprising email to the wine media from one of the industry’s most respected winemakers, Randy Dunn, owner of Dunn Vineyards in Napa, CA. Known for his uber-Cabernet Sauvignons and Zinfandels, Randy shared with his peers that higher alcohol wines should stop! After blending his own Cabernet Sauvignon - 2004 vintage wine that registered in at 14.11% alcohol, Dunn decided it was time for wine consumers to enjoy wine for it's unique aromas and flavors and not for the high alcohol peak that masks the flavors of a meal. This was the first time in Dunn's 28-years of wine making to reach that high percentage (and did you know that wines over 14% elevate to a higher federal excise tax bracket?).Dunn's focus is against the new trend of high alcohol wines and these "hot" wines are not just limited to the occasional cherry cough syrup flavored Zinfandel that we run into once in awhile. We are seeing 15% alcohol in Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay a...
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