Every once in a while someone wanting to expand their wine hobby asks me: What Washington wineries should I check out? My first inclination is long-time favorites like Cayuse, Quilceda Creek or Leonetti, but the reality is your not-yet-born child is more likely to land a spot on the Cayuse mailing list than you are. Quilceda Creek and Leonetti also…
Every wine consumer seems to have a “line in the sand” price for certain varietals. For Napa Cabernet, many draw the line at $100. Top flight Pinot Noir and Syrah from California draw wide support up to the $50 price point. For Zinfandel the threshold seems much lower. That point for Zinfandel seems to be right around $40. Why is…
We are right in the middle of Fall mailing list season and I expect the Kosta Browne Single Vineyard Pinot Noir mailer to hit my inbox within the next month or so. This will lead to the annual threads on WineBerserkers.com and erobertparker.com where invariably a handful of Kosta Browne mailing list members will pass on their allocation because “Kosta…
Many wine writers and bloggers have written about the sea of ubiquitous and mediocre Sauvignon Blanc being produced in California and Washington. I am going to take a different approach and talk about some of my favorite Sauvignon Blancs. These wines can run with the big boys from the Loire and Marlborough.
Our annual camping trip with my wife’s sisters and their families took us to Deception Pass State Park on Whidbey Island, just about two hours north of Seattle. Six adults, six kids, one dog and 48 hours in the pristine Pacific NW. The trip is not about wine, but it definitely plays a part. Over the years I’ve learned a…
I’ve had more than a few people tell me they will not shop at the new Total Wine that is opening in Bellevue next week. They want to exclusively support the local mom and pop wine shop.
Conventional wisdom among wine consumers: as you mature in your wine buying habit, you gravitate from new world wines (and thus mailing lists) to the subtleties of fine Burgundy. While I do love a great Burgundy… I still get excited when a mailer arrives in my inbox. I’ve been at this for about 20 years now, and buy from more…