Juice - The latest on Washington Wine Country

October/November 2009

This e-zine has been designed to inform readers of news, facts, and events from Washington's wine country. We welcome your ideas, comments, and questions. Please e-mail them to us at info@winecountrywashington.org. Thank you for reading!

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Favorite Fall Washington Wines Under $20

Favorite Fall Washington Wines Under $20
by Christopher Chan, Director of Wine and Spirits at The Rainier Club and the Washington Wine Awards
It's harvest season in Washington Wine Country, and there’s no place like the Pacific Northwest when the weather is beautiful. As we head into Fall, the aromas of crushing grapes and spectacle of turning leaves calls us to the vineyards of Eastern Washington. Get out and enjoy the beauty of Washington Wine Country. The following are some exceptional wines to inspire your journey!

2008 Alexandria Nicole Cellars Crawford Viognier ~ $18.00
Jarrod Boyle use an amazing source in Crawford Vineyard for this clean, crisp, exotic fruit laden wine. No oak allows your palate to stay fresh.

Taste this and other Alexandria Nicole wines paired with Dungeness crab dip, flatbread pizzas or artisan cheeses at their Prosser tasting room's Tapas Cafe.

2008 Whitman Cellars Viognier ~ $19.00
This fruit driven and floral wine with crisp pear, peach and citrus finishes with melon and a hint of sweetness. It's a very flexible food wine and especially nice for sipping on a lazy Saturday or Sunday afternoon, while watching your favorite Washington football team.

2008 Silver Lake Winery Roza Riesling ~ $9.99
Lively and bright on the palate with nectarine, lemon and lime – racy acidity softened by a touch of residual sugar. I love this wine with duck confit salad, pates and terrines and I love the price even more!

2006 Steppe Cellars Dry Riesling ~ $18.50
Winemaker Anke is from Germany where they seem to have some history with Riesling (duh!) and it shines under her deft touch. Floral, honey, peach and pear make this a perfect match for chicken salad with grapes and bacon!

Have a picnic at Steppe Cellars in Sunnyside. They have cheese and crackers for sale in the tasting room, as well as a few fresh veggies from the garden.

2008 Syncline Rosé (Southern Rhone Style) ~ $16.00
Fall is for football and football is for grillin’ and chillin’. Move over beer because Rosé is here! Poppie and James Mantone craft a glass full of rose petals, musk and aromatic spice with this Carignan, Grenache and Mourvedre blend that matches all brats, hotlinks and kielbasas.

2007 Red Sky Winery Rosebud Semillon ~ 18.00
This is a big, barrel fermented white with layers of butter, toast, and roasted almond. This is for your alder grilled salmon, halibut cakes with butter sauce, or roast chicken
with bread, celery & cranberry stuffing.

And now for some terrific value reds:

2006 Bergevin Lane Vineyards Calico Red ~ $16.00
Modest complexity and drinkability (to steal a marketing slogan) make this wine both food and fan friendly – a crazy kitty blend of Cab, Merlot, Cab Franc, Syrah and Zinfandel. A little something for everyone!

Bergevin Lane Vineyards' Co-founders Annette Bergevin and Amber Lane know what they're doing. Get to Walla Walla soon and visit their cool tasting room at 1215 W. Poplar.

2006 Gamache Vintners Boulder Red ~ $18.00
Another wild and somewhat milder blend of Cab, Malbec, Merlot, Cab Franc and Syrah. Fun and flexible to match both the pre-game tailgate and the post-game BBQ.

2006 Goose Ridge Vineyards g3 ~ $16.00
A real charmer of a wine from veteran Charlie Hoppes adding this wine to the roll call of friendly blends – Syrah, Merlot and Malbec – with extended multi-cooperage aging. Mouth watering lushness beckons you for more.

2007 Bonair Cabernet Sauvignon ~ $9.99
When it comes to value reds in Washington, it’s easy to recall the big names that dominate the grocery stores, but the name you need to know is Bonair and Gail Puryear. He’s been making wine in Washington for some 25+ years and has remained a rock-solid winery ever since my first taste of Sunset Blush set me down the wine trail. Affable, approachable and always affordable – Bonair treats you well in any season.

Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, from noon to 4:00pm, Bonair Winery in Zillah is serving Tapas, too! They use scrumptious local ingredients and serve them up with a glass of beautiful wine.

Facts & Tidbits

Did you know?

How many grapes does it take to make one great bottle of Washington wine?

Answer: about 500-750 or 2 1/2 pounds

How many bottles of wine are produced from one acre of grapes?

Answer: about 4,000

 

Living Wine Country

Along the Wine Road

Bring Local Wines to Yakima Restaurants at No Corkage Fee
Downtown Yakima restaurants will now waive corkage fees when wine is purchased at one of the downtown wineries or tasting rooms: Gilbert Cellars, Kana Winery, Tim's Downtown Tasting Room, Plaza Socievole, Donitelia Winery, and Stems.

Restaurants normally charge corkage fees to customers who bring their own bottles of wine, and typically range between $7 and $20. Under this new program, anyone will be able to buy a bottle of wine at a downtown Yakima wine tasting room and bring it into a downtown Yakima restaurant the same day, providing that they show the purchase receipt for their wine. Participating restaurants include: Barrel House, Cafe Melange, Carousel French Cuisine, The Depot, Santiago's, Second Street Grill, the Great American Grill, Sports Center, Russillo's, Tequila's, and Tony's Steakhouse.

For more great information on travelling your wine country, check out: www.travelwashingtonwinecountry.com

Get a Taste of the Destination
There's no taste like home! Whether you're heading to the vineyards for Thanksgiving in Wine Country, held during Thanksgiving weekend, or just enjoying fall harvest throughout the region, taste some of the latest special releases for fall. Pick up a few bottles - Riesling for that turkey, Merlot for the stuffing  - and while you're over there, stop by a produce stand or two and grab a bushel of gorgeous local Pink Lady apples for this refreshingly crisp salad - just the right thing to pair with one of those luscious new fall releases.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Salad
Makes 10 servings.

Dressing Ingredients
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 T fresh lemon juice
6 T extra-virgin olive oil

Salad Ingredients
Olive oil
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
2 t(packed) dark brown sugar
2 2# butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded
Coarse kosher salt
4 heads of Belgian endive, root ends trimmed, leaves separated into individual leaves
2 unpeeled Pink Lady apples, halved, cored, cut into matchstick-size strips
8 oz. blue cheese (such as Rogue River Blue Cheese), coarsely crumbled
1/2 c dried cranberries

Preparation
For the dressing, whisk vinegar and lemon juice in small bowl; gradually whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper. For the salad, preheat the oven to 400°F. Brush 2 large rimmed baking sheets with oil; spray with nonstick spray. Whisk vinegar and sugar in small bowl; set aside. Cut squash halves crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange squash in single layer on prepared sheets; brush with oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper. Roast 5 minutes; brush with sugar-vinegar mixture. Turn squash over and brush with sugar-vinegar mixture; roast 5 minutes. Roast until squash is tender when pierced with small knife, about 15 minutes longer. Cool on sheets. Arrange 5 to 6 endive leaves on each of 10 plates. Place butternut squash slices in center of each plate. Scatter apples, cheese, and cranberries over squash. Drizzle dressing over and serve.

Source: Bon Appétit, December 2008. Recipe by Bruce Aidells. Photograph by Dan Forbes.

Washington Wine Country Collection

State Tourism Awards a Second $25,000 Grant to Washington Wine Country for Gathering Culinary Tourists to the Vineyard Region
For the second year in a row, the Washington State Tourism Commission awarded Washington Wine Country $25,000, this time for a highly targeted, two-month-long cooperative advertising campaign that will encourage wine travelers to the vineyard region in May and June of 2010.

The campaign will feature special promotions, offers and events designed to capture the attention of the culinary tourist and the wine enthusiast, and will be executed primarily through print and online media in the Greater Seattle, King, Snohomish and Pierce County areas. The ad campaign will bring together 10 to 15 partner companies or organizations in the Washington wine and hospitality industry and provide maximum exposure at minimal cost to each partner, as well as added-value bonuses from the advertisers, across media that would normally be cost-prohibitive to each individual partner.

The main objective of the state's Tourism Competitive Grant Program is to award grants to organizations that enhance tourism and economic development. Last year's State Tourism grant funded the first collaboration of its kind in the vineyard region between Washington Wine Country, Yakima Valley Visitors and Convention Bureau, Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau, and Tourism Walla Walla to build a highly successful $51,000 public relations campaign aimed at maintaining, enhancing, and increasing year-round wine and culinary-related tourism in Eastern Washington's vineyard region.

Mark Your Calendar

Please submit upcoming events to events@winecountrywashington.org.

October/November Events

10/10 - Airfield Estates 5k Vineyard Fun Run - Runners, walkers, children, and dogs are all welcome to join us in our beautiful estate vineyards for this 5K run/walk. The undulating course is great for serious runners and the grape tasting along the way makes it quite entertaining for the avid wine enthusiast! Check-in time is 10 am. The race starts at 10:30 am.  Visit www.airfieldwines.com.

10/10 - Airfield Estates Annual Grape Stomp - Roll up your jeans, hop in a harvest bin, and start stomping! If you have never experienced wine grapes between your toes, it is truly a one of a kind experience! Visit www.airfieldwines.com.

10/10 - Winemaker Dinner at Dunham Cellars - We are hosting a series of Winemaker Dinners during Fall Harvest and Crush. Come join us for an elegant five-course meal paired with exclusive bottles of reserve wines from our library. Space is limited so make your reservations today.
Visit www.dunhamcellars.com.

10/10 - Maryhill Winery 10th Harvest Celebration - Join Maryhill Winery for a weekend of excitement as they mark 10 years of successful harvest! Activities include an old-fashioned grape stomp, free wine tastings, special case discounts and free live music. On Saturday from 10-11 am, enjoy an educational vineyard tour with Maryhill Winery owner Craig Leuthold, as he guides you through a hands-on harvest experience and explains what sets Maryhill apart. On Sunday from 10-11 am, tour Maryhill Winery’s barrel room with Head Winemaker Richard Batchelor. See the harvest process first hand as staff works hard to bring in the grapes. You’ll even have the chance to contribute to Maryhill’s long history of award-winning wine. Call ahead to reserve; the tours fill up fast! Visit www.maryhillwinery.com.
10/15- Italian Night at the Villa - Italian Night at the Chandler Reach Winery Villa sells out quickly. Call now to make your reservations! Enjoy a gourmet four-course dinner with appetizers while sipping on award-winning Chandler Reach wine. 6:00 pm-9:00 pm. Ciao!  Visit www.chandlerreach.com.

10/17 - Harvest Winemaker's Dinner at Terra Blanca - Experience the warmth and unforgettable hospitality of an intimate evening with Keith and ReNae Pilgrim. Enjoy a memorable multi-course meal expertly crafted by Leo’s Blue Moon Catering of autumn favorites as well as new dishes to compliment the wines Keith has been proudly producing from his estate vineyard for more than fifteen years. 6:30: Appetizers; 7:00: Dinner. $125 per person; $112.50 for Onyx Members. Visit www.terrablanca.com.

10/17 - Winemaker for a Day at Two Mountain Winery - Find out if you can hack it as a winemaker when you join us for our annual hands-on Winemaker for a Day event, featuring the opportunity to participate in the most exciting time of year at Two Mountain – harvest and crush. The first hour will be spent in Two Mountain Vineyard with Vineyard Manager Patrick Rawn, examining the vines and learning how to determine when the grapes are ready for harvest. Then you’ll roll up your sleeves and head to the Two Mountain cellar for the second hour with Winemaker Matt Rawn, where you’ll learn about and take part in the process of crush. With hands-on guidance, you’ll learn how to read brix through a hydrometer, take temperature readings, participate in punch-down and learn about the fermentation process. $40 per person. Call 509.829.3900 to reserve soon. Visit www.twomountainwinery.com.

10/24 - Frank Janzen at Trio Vintners - Frank Janzen will be on-hand to discuss and answer questions about his "Smoke Prints" on display at Trio. Exhibit continues until November 14. Visit www.triovintners.com.

10/31 - HalloWine in the Rattlesnake Hills- HalloWine2009 in the Rattlesnake Hills features artist-carved pumpkins, harvest soups, chocolate, costumed staff, and new releases. Looking for a way to wear that awesome costume all day before heading to the party? This is it!! The treats at many wineries are special discounts on wine and/or treats for visitors dressed in costumes. Wineries are open from 10 am – 5 pm with a few open until 6 pm. Visit www.rattlesnakehills.com.

10/31 - Waterbrook Winery Halloween Party - Live music, plenty of treats, holiday tapas, and great wine make for a fun Halloween party. Celebrate Hallow's Eve in the valley's newest and largest tasting room. Visit www.waterbrook.com.

10/31 - Harvest Lunch at Dunham Cellars - One of a series of Harvest Lunches during crush this Fall, come join us for a casual lunch paired with excellent wine while our winemakers take you through the process of making wine! Lunch starts at 12:00 pm. $45.00/ person. Visit www.dunhamcellars.com.

11/6-11/7 - Fall Release at Long Shadows Vintners - Join Long Shadows Vintners for Fall Release on Friday and Saturday. Open 10-4:30. Enjoy the excitement of fall and harvest while experiencing wines crafted by acclaimed international winemakers. Light hors d'ouevres offered.
Visit www.longshadowsvintners.com.

11/6-11/8 - Fall Release and 10th Anniversary at Three Rivers Winery - Celebrate our 10th Anniversary with us. We will be releasing our new signature wine, the 2006 Svelte. Packaged in a beautiful 750ml bottle with gold silkscreen details, this Bordeaux blend is sexy, bold and sure to be a classic. Visit www.threeriverswinery.com.

11/7 - Winemaker Dinner at Dunham Cellars - We are hosting a series of Winemaker Dinners during Fall Harvest and Crush. Come join us for an elegant five-course meal paired with exclusive bottles of reserve wines from our library. Space is limited so make your reservations today.
Visit www.dunhamcellars.com.

11/7 - Tri-Cities Wine Festival - The Tri-Cities Wine Society is proud to announce that the 31st anniversary festival will be at the Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick. This new venue will provide more space to showcase Northwest wines and for the festival to grow and expand - more seminars, food options, industry-related vendors and a larger silent auction. Visit www.tcwinefest.com.

11/14 - Winemaker Dinner at Dunham Cellars - One of a series of Harvest Lunches during crush this Fall, come join us for an elegant five-course meal paired with exclusive bottles of reserve wines from our library. Space is limited so make your reservations today. Visit www.dunhamcellars.com.

11/27-11/29 - Thanksgiving in Wine Country - Enjoy Thanksgiving in Washington wine country - the Yakima Valley. Participating wineries are offering a variety of specialty food and wine pairings, library tastings, and tours not available to the public. Purchase your Thanksgiving in Wine Country Premiere Pass and enjoy exclusive benefits available only during this event weekend.
Visit www.wineyakimavalley.org.

View a complete wine country calendar at www.winecountrywashington.org/eventCalendar.aspx.

Founded in 2003, Washington Wine Country is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting wine-related tourism and economic vitality by fostering collaborative regional partnerships throughout the celebrated wine growing region of Eastern Washington, where 99 percent of Washington State’s wine grapes are grown. The region includes the Yakima Valley, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley, Red Mountain and the newer appellations of the Columbia Gorge, Horse Heaven Hills, Rattlesnake Hills, Wahluke Slope, Snipes Mountain, and Lake Chelan. For more information on Washington Wine Country, please visit www.winecountrywashington.org.