A round-up of stories on Washington wine from January 22nd to 31st 2012. Read previous round-ups here.
From around the country…
Shanken Daily News writes about Total Wine coming to Washington.
The Chicago Tribune writes about Starbucks expanding its beer and wine sales to Atlanta and Southern California. NBC picks up on this as well.
D Magazine writes about remarkable reds with a callout to Den Hoed.
The Patriot Ledger writes about Doubleback.
Below is a summary of posts for January 2012.
On Vacation - January 1st to 15th
Washington Wine Round-up December 22nd to 31st 2012
Washington Wine Round-up January 1st to 7th 2011
Plans for 2012
Rating System
Today’s Fresh Sheet – new and recent releases – includes wines from Pamplin Family Winery, JB Neufeld, Nefarious Cellars, Covington Cellars, and Lobo Hills.
January's Virtual Tasting is tonight from 7-8pm Pacific. Read about how to participate here.
The incidence of cork taint has been variously reported to be as little as 0.7% and as much as 10%. However, for most retailers, distributors, and wineries, it often appears to be a non-issue for one simple reason. Consumers rarely return corked bottles of wine. Here I discuss what steps consumers should take when they discover a corked wine and why returning the bottle is important to help reduce the incidence of cork taint.
First let me say that when I am referring to ‘corked’ wines, I am talking exclusively about bottles affected by 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) or bottles that appear as such.
January's Virtual Tasting is Thursday January 26th from 7-8pm Pacific. Read about how to participate here.
In tough times, we continue the search for good, inexpensive wines.
We start off today with three wines from Forgeron Cellars' Blacksmith label. The goal of Blacksmith is to focus on wines that provide both quality and value. In this, winemaker Marie-Eve Gilla surely succeeds.
As I wrote earlier this month, I have changed my rating system from a home grown, five point system to a traditional five star system. Please note that these ratings will be displayed in subsequent posts as follows:
(Exceptional)
(Excellent)
(Good)
(Decent)
(Not recommended/Flawed)
Read additional details about the rating system here.
A round-up of stories on Washington wine from January 15th to 21st. Read previous round-ups here.
From around the world…
Edmonton Journal writes about the Kung Fu Girl Riesling (look at that Canadian tariff!).
From around the country…
Shanken News Daily writes that Southern will buy Odom’s stake in distribution venture.
The Chicago Tribune writes about how to pair wine, with a callout to the Eroica Riesling.
One of the sadder stories in Washington wine from 2011 was the closing of Kennewick’s Picazo 7 Seventeen restaurant. However, to many, it seemed unlikely that owner Chef Frank Magaña would be gone for long. Indeed, earlier this week Magaña announced the opening of Chef Magaña Catering.
A round-up of stories on Washington wine from January 8th to 14th 2012. Read previous round-ups here.
From around the country (and abundance of love this week)…
Wines and Vines writes about Olympia trying to cut wine red tape.
CNN writes about the best wines to have with a grilled cheese with a callout to Washington riesling.
The Fort Wayne News Sentinel writes about Syrah as the perfect wine for winter with brief mention of Washington.
The January/February 2012 issue of Edible Seattle contains an article I wrote on EFESTĒ's Brennon Leighton. Check it out on newsstands now. See a directory of locations to find a copy here.
Enjoy!
January's Virtual Tasting wine will be the Januik Winery Red Wine Columbia Valley 2008. This wine retails for $18 and is widely available. The tasting will take place Thursday January 26th from 7-8pm Pacific.
What you need to do to participate is:
1. Buy this month’s wine from a local retailer or from the winery.
2. Tweet your comments about the wine on Twitter between 7 and 8pm using the hashtag #januik. For those on Twitter, follow me @wawinereport.
Join us!
Well folks, I’m happy to be back after a brief staycation to clear the mind, focus on some other endeavors, and plan for the year ahead. As is my custom, I want to start 2012 by discussing some things to expect on these virtual pages this year, including several significant changes. Planned changes for 2012 include:
1. A rating system revision
2. Coverage of Oregon wines
3. Addition of other writers to this space
4. A revised site design
5. Improved access to the Tasting Note Database
6. Faster turnaround on wine reviews
7. Subscription charges for wine reviews
Each of these changes is explained below.
A round-up of stories on Washington wine from January 1st to 7th 2012. Read previous round-ups here.
From around the world…
The Manila Standard gives a year in review with a callout to Washington wine.
From around the country…
Decanter writes about new AVAs, including Naches Heights.
St. Louis Today writes about 2011’s best budget friendly wines with a callout to the Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot, Hedges CMS, and Efeste Riesling.
As promised, a brief vacation break to bring you this round-up. Regular posts will resume January 16th.
A round-up of stories on Washington wine from December 22nd to 31st. Read previous round-ups here.
From around the country…
The Illinois Daily Chronicle writes about Sleight of Hand.
NPR writes about government waste, with mention of the Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center.
CNN writes about under $10 wines with a callout out to Pacific Rim.
Wine Spectator writes about 10 outstanding Washington reds.
As I wrote in my last post, I’m taking a short vacation the first two weeks of 2012, although I may be posting some material ‘from the vault’ during this time as well as the occasional round-up. Look for regular new postings to resume on January 16th.
Have a great start to 2012!
Well folks, 2011 is down to its last few hours. Below is a look back at some of the things that happened this past year in Washington wine. For more on the year that was and the year to come, pick up the Winter Edition of Washington Tasting Room Magazine where I write about trends in 2011 and predictions for 2012.
Saving one of the best for last. What follows is a Focus Report on FIGGINS. Download a .pdf version of this report here. Read previous Focus Reports here.
“I believe in terroir,” winemaker Chris Figgins of Figgins Family Wine Estates says. “It’s where I spend my time and energy is thinking about vineyards and trying to express the site.”
Figgins comes from one of the first families of Washington wine. In 1974, Chris’ father Gary Figgins was working as a machinist at the Continental Can Company when he decided to plant an acre of Cabernet Sauvignon by the family home in Walla Walla. In 1977, he and his wife, Nancy, founded Leonetti Cellar.
Below is Part IV of a report from the Walla Walla Valley including wines from L’Ecole No 41, Woodward Canyon Winery, Abeja, K Vintners, Tero Estates, and Walla Walla Vintners. Read Part I here, Part II here, and Part III here.
L’Ecole No 41
It can sometimes be difficult for established wineries to garner the attention that the upstarts do. But there’s nothing like reintroducing yourself to your customers to change that.
2011 was a good year for L’Ecole No 41, one of Walla Walla Valley’s oldest and most highly regarded wineries. It included a successful label change, website redesign, and overall rebranding. The results have helped energize sales nationally and bring the winery additional attention. To cap things off, L’Ecole landed a spot on Wine Spectator’s annual top 100 list – at No 41 no less.
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