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*Bottle #69: Ross Andrew Winery 2005 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
*Price Tag: $32
*Running Tab: $943

As I continue to kneel in the honor of all that is Winemaker Extraordinaire, Bob Betz, I also have to give it to the guy for the talented and young group of grape killers he has produced. From his own cellar workers, yet to be exposed, to assistants that now have their own assistants, Betz really is the bee’s knees in Washington wine.

And what a resume reference to build off of when you are a former assistant of Bob’s. What I’ve gathered about the fruit purchasing process in Washington is that it is a power and privilege to buy good grapes. Good grapes meaning older vines, more concentrated flavors and aromas from the better fruit, optimal soil and sloping, prime birthplace for perfection. To get those good grapes, you have to produce better wine. In some cases, you have to have good grapes to produce better wine… So what comes first? Read More »

The Seattle Bayou Festival, advertised in the June/July issue of WINO Magazine, has been cancelled due to some logistical complications. However, all is not lost.

The David Grisman Quintet, who were originally scheduled to play at the Bayou Festival, will be performing a benefit concert for Parkview Services at the Edmonds Center for the Performing Arts on August 1 at 8pm.

General admission tickets are $45, and doors open at 7:30. For $125, you can get VIP tickets, and attend a reception at 7:00, sip on wine, eat some appetizers, and hang out with the band. Tickets can be purchased online, or by calling Jane Bloom at (425) 299-6020.

Aside from being super-excited at seeing John Cleese do a wine show (it’s John friggin’ Cleese!), I really like his perspective in “Wine for the Confused.” He says right at the start, “Don’t let anyone ever try to tell you what wine you like, because people have different tastes, and we should honor that.”

Have a look at this video, found on Hulu!

Any liquid consumption is good, right?

*Bottle #68: Sokol Blosser Evolution 12th Edition Dundee Hills White Wine
*Price Tag: $18
*Running Tab: $911

In spite of the fact that I am running a marathon tomorrow - yes, I am crazy - I managed to do a little bit of lushing this week and taste some wine. I know, I know, I have a problem.

I wanted to keep it white because of some weird notion that it’s better for me than red when I’m needing to stay hydrated… More sugar so more sodium so better hydration? Keep up with me, people. Read More »

According to the Seattle Times, on Tuesday, an appeals court judge ruled mostly in favor of the Washington Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association, overturning a previous decision that the State’s laws about beer and wine distribution violated federal anti-trust laws. Costco had initially filed suit against the State and WBWWA quite a while ago, and won the first decision. Now, it has been reversed. Read More »

The other day, I posted a blog about the Riedel wine glass seminar I attended, which demonstrated the huge differences you experience using a variety of wine glass styles. Well, it appears that some ambitious inventors in some back room somewhere have decided that you should be able to choose your own adventure in a single piece of stemware. Read More »

Imagine telling your child to strictly practice abstinance while handing them a big box of profilactics with a pretty red bow.

This sentiment is how some feel about the news that the Washington State Liquor Control Board is going to expand liquor store locations and liquor sales. A great article by Chris Woodward (AP) in the Seattle Times describes how the state intends to increase the number of liquor store locations, while at the same time increasing the price of booze in order to make up for a budget deficit, and to replace funds in an already raided liquor fund. Read More »

*Bottle #67: Betz Family Winery 2006 Syrah La Côte Rousse Red Mountain
*Price Tag: $55-60 (depending, especially if the boy buys it)
*Running Tab: $893

Only a few labels in the state of Washington hold the power of exclusivity. These high-toned, high-brow, high-priced, better-be-damn-good wines are available with only an offer of your arm or leg. Either you trusted critics when they first reviewed our state’s fruit back in the early 80s or you lucked out to get on these wineries’ mailing lists before they recently cut them off. These wineries are so privileged, so elite and so aristocratic that you could never get any unless you know someone who already has some, are of noble blood or are willing to swap your first born for a case.

Hey, it’s supposed to be really good wine… Read More »

I have never seen so many Twitterers in one room. Maybe I just don’t get out enough, but when I was at the Seattle Wine Awards Grand Tasting on Sunday, it was all a-Twitter. Phones were snapping pics and people were pounding at the keys getting all the updates loaded up to the #seawineawards conversation on Twitter. The event organizers had erected a large monitor in the hall, showing the Twitter feed as it happened live, and it scrolled along like a stock ticker. This is the CNN of the future. No, wait, that’s the CNN of today. Read More »

As I was browsing the interwebs today, I came across an article at the Examiner titled “Seattle’s Favorite Summer Wine: Semillon Sauvignon Blanc.” Turns out, there’s hardly anything in the article about Semillon Sauvignon Blanc. After I got over feeling duped, I read the rest of it. Writer Ana Kinkaid actually has some interesting things to say about why Washington Wines are so great: Read More »

Yesterday, the Wenatchee World posted an article about how good the wine industry is for the Washington economy, and how it’s been growing at a breakneck pace. Among a bunch of other stats, they report:

The number of Washington wineries has increased 30 times in the past 30 years. The number has doubled — from 300 to more than 600 — in the past five years. Wine production has increased from 2 million gallons in 1981 to more than 20 million gallons last year. Wine grape acreage has grown from 11,000 acres in 1993 to 33,000 acres in 2008.

One of the great things about winos is that they typically spend 2.5 times more than the average tourist when they’re traveling around.

But, now we have more to thank than our tipsy travelers for the booming wine economy. (Don’t you just love to hear “booming” and “economy” in the same sentence?) Send a card to Hong Kong. Read More »

We’ve talked a lot of late about AlmaTerra wines. Well, now others are talking, too.

David LeClaire and Seattle Uncorked held an event at Ray’s Boathouse called “Rosé Revival and Other Cool Whites” on June 3. Club members converged on the venue to try a slough of wines, and the proceeds of the event went to support the Ryther Child Center.

This was a judged event, evaluated both by professionals and attendees. The professional judges awarded AlmaTerra’s Coéo Viognier first place among the whites. Read More »

This week, we held a contest to see who could write some of the best wine-related haikus. We read them all today, and it was tough to pick favorites. These poets are competitors.

We ended up choosing two winners, and would like to offer our congratulations to Amber Agne and Kimberly Cook. Here are their haikus: Read More »

The Seattle Wine Awards medalists were announced in this month’s issue of WINO Magazine. Among those who did not receive a medal, there were still many that achieved an “Outstanding” nod from the esteemed adjudicators of the SWA.

While we congratulate all the wineries in the State who received recognition by the SWA, we wanted to take a minute to salute those wineries that have sponsored WINO Magazine over the past year. Our hats are off to you, good sirs and madams.

Look at the little dwarfs duel!

Listen here, kids, do not drink and write. Drinking and writing can cause hand-cramps and reckless composition, which can ultimately escalate at a rapid speed to illegible scribbles and notes you can no longer deter the following day when attempting to blog, function and/or continue drinking.

Drinking and writing is a serious offense.

So is bad wine. Here is one such story… The following is based on true events, the names have not been changed for the sake of privacy because I want to exploit my friends as much as possible.

I have this friend and fellow blogger, Miss Vivvi, who has traveled the world to spread fine English dialect to eastern European children, eat amazing food and drink amazing wine. In her globe-trotting, she has rested her head most securely in Hungry. According to her last post, that is where her heart lies. Also because she has taken a lover there… Read More »

In 2003, the Washington Wine Ambassador program came onto the scene, and now, six years later, it’s curtains for the WWA.

Founded by Barbara Shotwell, the WWA was developed under the umbrella of the Washington Wine Commission after she convinced the Board of Directors that volunteer winos could be the key to getting the word out about Washington Wine. The sort of grassroots campaign envied by politicians everywhere. Read More »