Sean P. Sullivan - Washington Wine Report Note: Site has moved to www.northwestwinereport.com: June 2010

8:00pm Update! June Virtual Tasting - 2008 Saviah Cellars The Jack

Our June Virtual Tasting is tonight from 7-8pm Pacific Time! The wine will be the 2008 Saviah Cellars The Jack.

What you need to do to participate is:

1. Buy this month’s wine from a local retailer or from the winery

2. Post your comments/tweets on the wine that night between 7 and 8pm. For those on Twitter, follow me @wawinereport. I will be using the hashtag #wawine during the event.

Look for updates to the blog and comments and tweets from virtual tasters starting at 7pm tonight. Hope you will join us.

7:00pm Update: And we’re off! First some background.

Saviah Cellars was founded by Richard Funk in 2000. The winery is located in Walla Walla in a picturesque location near the Oregon border.

Funk moved to Walla Walla from Montana with his wife Anita in 1991. In Walla Walla, he worked as an Environmental Health Specialist for the Walla Walla County Health Department. This position gave him the opportunity to interact with many of the valley’s winemakers who eventually helped him get started in the wine business.

Saviah is named after a family name from Anita’s great grandmother. Saviah Cellars has an impressive lineup of wines that includes Syrah, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Chardonnay, and several proprietary blends. These wines consistently offer very high quality-to-price ratios.

On to the wine!

7:15pm Update: This is, I believe, the fifth vintage blend of The Jack. The wine was first made around 2004 as a non-vintage blend. The blend of the 2008 is as follows:

88% Merlot (Pepper Bridge Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley; Milbrandt Vineyard, Columbia Valley; Stone Ridge, Columbia Valley); 4% Cabernet Sauvignon (McClellan Estate Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley); 4% Cabernet Franc (McClellan Estate Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley); 2% Syrah (Lewis Vineyard, Yakima Valley); 2% Petite Verdot (Stillwater Creek Vineyard).

The wine was aged in American oak (30% new). 14.1% alcohol. 5,700 cases produced.

8:00pm Update: Thanks to all who participated tonight including those on Twitter including: @Sturat @nectarwine @wino4ever @vineyardgoddess @yakyakwine @Shona425 @Winos_Seattle @NWTotemCellars @myvinespot @ankerhauspub @rperro @RichE88 @WineFoot. Apologies for anyone I missed.

Up, up, and away! Recent Trends in the Washington Wine Industry

Reminder June's Virtual Tasting will take place on Wednesday June 30th at 7pm. Read more about it here.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion on the Washington wine industry at the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla. In an all-too-short forty minutes, co-panelists Paul Gregutt (Wine Enthusiast, PaulGregutt.com), Coman Dinn (Director of Winemaking, Hogue Cellars), and I discussed Washington's viticultural areas, weather patterns, most important grapes, and recent trends. Here is a summary of the material I presented on recent trends in the Washington wine industry.

* * *

Without question the most significant development in the Washington wine industry in the last ten years has been the dramatic increase in the number of wineries. Washington ended 1999 with 144 wineries. By 2010 that number is over 670. One in every hundred wineries in the U.S. is located in Washington (Erratum: Washington is home to one in every ten wineries in the U.S.) with one in every six of those wineries located in the Walla Walla Valley. While the rise in the number of wineries in Washington has been dramatic, it is interesting to note that this mirrors a national trend across the U.S. in the last ten to fifteen years (data from www.wineinstitute.org).

Along with an increase in the number of wineries in the state, Washington has also seen a string of exceptional vintages in the last ten years, with each vintage seeming to build on the last. Vintage ratings from Wine Spectator show a steady increase over the last ten years with 2007 and 2008 showing near perfect conditions. This, along with better winemaking skills and improved viticultural knowledge, has resulted in an increase in the quality of the wines being produced in Washington.

Washington has also seen increasing national recognition in the last several years. In 2009, Wine Spectator named a Washington wine its 'Wine of the Year'; Wine Enthusiast gave a Washington wine a perfect 100-point rating; and Food & Wine Magazine named a Washington winemaker its 'Winemaker of the Year.' These accomplishments would have been almost unthinkable ten years ago. Additionally, there has been a steady rise in the number of highly rated wines being produced in the state and also the ratings of these wines. To wit, prior to this year, Wine Spectator had never given a Washington red wine a rating higher than 96 points and only a very small number of wines had received even that rating. This year, it has given three Washington red wines 97 point ratings, and the year is only half over.

One of the fascinating things about Washington is that the majority of wine production comes from a very small number of wineries. One winery accounts for twenty-five percent of the wine produced in Washington (Columbia Crest). Thirty-seven wineries account for ninety percent of the total production. In contrast to these large players, most of the wineries in Washington are very small. Of the state's 600-plus wineries, over five hundred of them are producing less than 4,200 cases annually (extrapolated from data from the Washington State Liquor Control Board). Many of these are small, family run wineries.

While the last ten years has seen tremendous success in the Washington wine industry, there remain a number of challenges. The small size of many of the state's wineries makes it difficult to distribute widely. With only, say, three hundred cases of a particular wine being produced, wines are often difficult to find inside the state let alone outside of it. Onerous state-by-state regulations are a significant burden on the state's small wineries, costing large amounts of money and depressing national sales.

Surprisingly, despite the many accolades, Washington still suffers somewhat of an awareness problem. While people who are keenly focused on wine know that something interesting is going on here, the wider audience that is important for Washington's national 'brand recognition' (and sales) still largely do not. Indeed, many people still have no association with Washington as a wine producing state. This seems surprising given the omnipresent wines of Washington industry champion Chateau Ste. Michelle. However, despite Chateau Ste. Michelle's wide brand recognition, many people do not associate the winery with Washington, believing instead that the winery is located in California.

Additionally, when many people think of Washington, they don't think of Washington State but rather they think of Washington, D.C. This is particularly true on the east coast. Paul Gregutt documents in his Washington Wines & Wineries: The Essential Guide a well-known story from Bob Betz, now of Betz Family Winery. Betz was working for Stimson Lane (now Ste. Michelle Wine Estates) and traveled frequently to tell people about Washington's wines. After giving a talk where he described the state and its wine history to an apparently engaged audience, someone asked, "Which side of the Potomac did you say the grapes were grown on?" While comical, many years later this remains somewhat of a problem to Washington's overall branding. However, the increasing amount of recognition the state's wines have achieved in recent years seems sure to make this problem largely go away in the near future.

The last ten years have represented a tremendous turning point for the Washington State wine industry. What might the next ten years look like? A few questions that it will be interesting to learn the answers to are: How big will the industry grow/How many wineries can Washington support? Will Washington establish a 'signature varietal'? If so, what will it be? What role will emerging varietals such as Malbec, Grenache (and associated blends), and Tempranillo have? Will Washington continue to have many small wineries and a few large ones or will more mid-size wineries evolve? How will Washington reach across state boundaries to establish a greater presence nationally and beyond?

Without a crystal ball, I can't say what the answers to these questions will be. But I can say that it will be fun to find out.

Heading home from Walla Walla

Heading home today from Walla Walla after a long weekend in town for the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference.

On every trip to the area, I am struck by the sheer physical beauty of the Walla Walla Valley. Today, just a few pictures from a visit to Spofford Station. Click on the pictures for larger versions.

WBC here we come!

Off to Walla Walla for the Wine Bloggers Conference. This conference, which has previously taken place in Napa and Sonoma, is now in its third year. Look for updates on Twitter and here over the course of the conference. Looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones. See the conference agenda here.

Washington Wine Round-up June 15th to 21st

A round-up of stories on Washington wine from June 15th to 21st.

From around the country…

Wine Spectator writes about Washington wineries cutting back (see a related post from Paul Gregutt below).

The New York Times writes about American Gewürztraminer with a brief mention of Washington.

Las Vegas Review-Journal writes about Washington Syrah.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes about Mercer Estates.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes about the Red Diamond Merlot.

From the blogosphere…

Fermentation writes about Initiative 1100.

Doug McCrea writes on Salida Wine Blog about why Syrah is suffering in Washington and elsewhere.

The Oregon Wine Blog writes about the Washington Rose event. They also write about Kyra Wines Pinot Noir and Domaine Ste. Michelle.

Wine and Beer of Washington State writes about the Seattle Wine Awards. They also write about the Woodinville Warehouse Wine Walk.

Paul Gregutt writes about Quilceda Creek’s 2007 Red Wine and Grand Reve’s 2007 Cabernet. He also writes that the sky is not falling on Washington wine and discusses some rookie errors starting a winery.

Write for Wine writes about Cave B.

Through the Walla Walla Grapevine writes about the upcoming bloggers conference and wine blogging.

Wine Peeps writes about Denise Slattery of Trio Vintners. They also write about the 2007 Buried Cane Riesling and Cedergreen Cellars.

Drink Nectar writes about Vintage Hill Cellars. Josh also reprints an article from Spokane CDA Living Magazine.

The Terroirists write about our neighbors to the north in the Okanagan Valley. See a post on Okanagan Pinot here.

Wine Economist writes about counterfeit wine with a callout to a role Andrew Will's Chris Camarda played in fooling some experts.

Woodinville Wine Update writes about Fortunato’s wine shop closing. Shona also writes about the opening of the Amavi & Pepper Bridge tasting room in Woodinville.

Plate and Barrel writes about Waters Winery. They also write about the Doubleback release party.

Northwest Wine writes about Chardonnay.

CellarMistress’ Cellar Talk writes about the upcoming Wine Bloggers Conference.

Vinously Speaking writes about Mibrandt Vineyards (scroll down).

Washington Wine Guy does a Grenache blind tasting.

South Jersey Wine & Dine writes about the Chateau Ste. Michelle Orphelin.

Another Wine Blog writes about the upcoming Wine Bloggers Conference.

Windy City Wine Guy writes about the WBC-or-Bust road trip.

Crosscut.com writes that it was a breakout year for Washington Malbec.

The Examiner writes about Canoe Ridge.

Wannabe Wino writes about L'Ecole No. 41's Apogee.

PDX Eater writes about Kyle MacLachlan.

The Wine Commentator writes about the 2008 Syncline Cellars Pinot Noir.

Friends Eat writes about screwcaps with a callout to Hogue Cellars.

The Grumpy Winemaker writes about website designers.

VineyardGurl’s Blog does a Patterson Cellars video tasting.

IntoWine.com writes about Washington Merlot and Syrah.

The Wine Sleuth writes about Airfield Estates Bombshell Red.

From the locals…

The Seattle-PI writes about a backlash from the liquor privitization bills.

OPB News writes about the upcoming Wine Bloggers Conference.

The Bellingham Herald writes about Syrah.

The Everett Herald writes about Furion Cellars.

KNDU writes about the upcoming Wine Bloggers Conference.

Oregon Live writes about Chenin Blanc with a callout to Pacific Rim.

Leftovers...

Wines & Vines writes a fascinating article on retail wine sales.

That's all folks!

Ten Questions Wineries Should Ask Before Becoming Involved in Social Media

Recently I wrote a post about Ten Myths About Wineries, Social Media, and Their Interaction. Today, I continue with a series of questions for wineries to ask before becoming involved in Social Media. While I write this in the context of wineries, it applies to other industries as well.

I say wineries should consider these questions before becoming involved in Social Media to encourage thinking and planning. That said, not having the answers to all of these questions should not dissuade people from becoming involved. For those who are already involved in Social Media, hopefully it will give some things to think about as well.

1. How does Social Media fit into your overall marketing strategy?

It is important to think about Social Media in the context of your overall marketing strategy. I say this because Social Media is just another tool in the toolbox. If you don’t have a marketing strategy – or don’t have a good one – it’s time to back up a step and fix this. It is important to understand up front that Social Media will not fix a bad marketing strategy.

2. What is ‘the pitch’?

What is the ‘elevator pitch’ for your winery? This needs to be short, succinct, and something that everyone can understand. To help define ‘the pitch’, think about the one thing that differentiates your winery from the other 650+ wineries in Washington. What differentiates it from the other 6,000 wineries in the United States? The tens of thousands of other wineries in the world?

I’m surprised by the extent to which people I talk to struggle with this one. If you don’t know what it is you are trying to do, how do you expect your customers to? Frequently when I ask wineries what their pitch is, the response is “Our goal is to make the best wine in Washington State.” Yawn. While short and succinct, it is far from unique. I have yet to have anyone tell me that they are out to make Washington’s most overpriced plonk! To make matters worse, if I ask these people what they think the best wine in Washington is they often can’t answer quickly. If you don’t know what the best wine in Washington is how do you intend to make it?!

In short, having a message and pitch will help drive all of the decisions you make and steps you take in Social Media and beyond.

3. How well do you know your customers/potential customers?

Who are your customers now? Who do you want them to be? What are your customers’ interests? Where do they work and play? If you don’t know your customers, how will you find out about them? Knowing something about your customers makes it that much easier to figure out how to target them effectively using Social Media. At the very least make sure you know your wine club members (and if you don’t have a wine club, get one!).

4. How committed are you to Social Media?

Figure out how committed you are to a Social Media campaign before you begin your Social Media campaign. Should you conduct a Social Media campaign at all? Frequently I see people start off strong and then taper off quickly when what they are doing doesn’t produce the immediate results they were expecting. Perhaps the most frequent example I see is people who create Twitter accounts and then let them languish. It’s okay to not be on Twitter all the time (or at all), as long as you have set up alerts to tell you when your name is mentioned. Otherwise, it is possible people are talking about you or even to you, and you are not responding. It’s like letting dust collect on your brand.

Bottom line, an un-sustained effort is worse than no effort.

5. Where do you want to go?

What are your goals with Social Media? Defining your goals is the key to achieving them. Social media can be used to increase brand awareness, improve customer loyalty, increase wine club membership, and increase wine sales among many other things. While most people I talk to are interested in doing some or all of these things, it is important to enumerate and prioritize your goals to help you determine how to achieve them.

6. How will you know if you get there?

In addition to having well-defined goals, it is important to have a way to measure success. How will you know if you are doing well or doing poorly? Many people want to measure success in Social Media only by measuring wine sales. Unfortunately, that is a pretty coarse measuring tool unless you have very tight control over how your wine is sold (i.e., exclusively through the tasting room). Measuring progress in a Social Media campaign can be done in a variety of ways. Common ways are tracking page views, comments, fans, followers etc. However, measuring your progress in some fashion is critical to determining how to focus your efforts.

7. How do you plan to get there?

How do you plan to accomplish your goals using Social Media? It’s important to have an overall plan and approach to help you be successful.

8. How much time or money do you have to devote to Social Media?

Social Media needs to fit in to all of the other things you need to do to run a winery. For this reason, it’s important to understand up front how much time (and money) you have to devote to it and whether this is consistent with what you are expecting to get out of it. Do you plan to devote one hour a week? 10 hours a week? 40 hours a week? Do you plan to do it yourself or have someone else to it for you? If you plan to have someone else do it for you, should you or shouldn’t you? Personally, I believe you can devote as much time as you want to Social Media or as little time as you want. If you invest more time, you may get more out of it. However, there are things you can do that are not particularly time intensive that can be beneficial.

9. What resources do you have? Are they the resources you need?

One of the benefits of a Social Media campaign is that it can potentially be done quite inexpensively. However, it still requires some resources. What type of resources do you have? These can be people, computers/technology, writing skills, Social Media literacy, photography/video skills, etc. How well does this match what you need to accomplish your goals?

10. What Social Media tools fit with your time, goals, and priorities?

Finally, there are numerous different tools out there from websites, to blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc. You do not need to use all of them (unless you want to). Your just need to use the ones that are consistent with the amount of time you have available and your overall goals.

June Virtual Tasting - Saviah Cellars The Jack 2008

Pardon the interruption. Back to our regularly scheduled Washington wine program.

In search of…Washington State Pinot Noir

Among the accomplishments of Washington as a wine region has not just been the ability to produce world-class wine but also the ability to grow a wide variety of grapes very well. The list of grapes that have succeeded in Washington includes Merlot, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc to name just a few. These grapes all grow well and, in some cases, distinctively in the state. The Washington Wine Commission has even utilized the state's success in growing different grapes in its branding, calling Washington ‘The Perfect Climate for Wine.’

Despite this success, one grape in particular has remained largely elusive in Washington - Pinot Noir. While Pinot Noir has flourished to the south in Oregon, it has failed to gain a foothold in Washington. Recently, growers in the Lake Chelan area have expressed optimism about the grape’s prospects there. Indeed, I have had an intriguing bottle from Chelan Estate Winery and a barrel sample that showed great promise from Hard Row to Hoe which utilized Chelan Estate grapes.

However, much of the Pinot I have had from Washington comes off as citrusy and lacks many of the compelling varietal aromas and flavors associated with Pinot. As the movie Sideways taught the world, Pinot is a thin-skinned grape and finding the right microclimate for it – not too hot and not too cold – is essential to its success.

Two wines I have tried recently show progress for Pinot in Washington. The first comes from Syncline Wine Cellars. Syncline Wine Cellars is located in the Columbia Gorge in Lyle, Washington. The winery – which largely focuses on Rhone varieties - gets its Pinot Noir from Celilo Vineyard and Underwood Mountain. While Celilo is best known for its Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer, Celilo also has a two-acre Pinot Noir block that was planted in 1972. The vines are located on a bluff above the Columbia Gorge, which provides both warm temperatures and a moderating influence from the river. Underwood Mountain, where the remainder of the fruit for the winery's 2008 offering comes from, is adjacent to Celilo. The Syncline 2008 Pinot Noir is bright and fruit-filled with pleasing acidity and extremely restrained oak.

The second wine comes from Kyra Wines. Kyra is located in Moses Lake, Washington. Kyra Baerlocher serves as winemaker. Kyra offers a distinctive lineup of red wines that includes Dolcetto, Sangiovese, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. Kyra also makes a number of white wines, including a winery favorite Chenin Blanc. Kyra gets its Pinot from several vineyards throughout the state, including Evergreen (Ancient Lakes), Bergh (Okanagan), Blue Lake (Okanagan), and Underwood Mountain (Gorge). The Kyra Pinot Noir is a very enjoyable, clean wine that definitely identifies itself as Pinot Noir and is extremely well priced.

While both of these bottles show promise, it still seems difficult to imagine that Pinot Noir will make significant inroads in Washington any time soon. With vintners focusing on so many other grapes and Oregon having laid such a strong claim to Pinot Noir, bottlings in Washington will most likely remain reasonably rare. However, Washington growers and winemakers love experimenting, so I wouldn’t count this thin-skinned grape out.

Syncline Wine Cellars Pinot Noir Celilo Vineyard Columbia Gorge 2008 $28
Rating: + (Good) A moderately aromatic nose that shows fresh raspberries, strawberries, and a hint of mushroom. A bright, fruit filled wine with a pleasing zing of acidity and extremely restrained oak. Celilo and Underwood Mountain vineyards. Aged in French oak (20% new). 258 cases produced.

Kyra Wines Pinot Noir Washington State 2008 $18
Rating: + (Good) Nose is marked by strawberry and raspberry aromas along with light candied fruit. Light, clean, and crisp on the palate on a very enjoyable wine. One of the more promising examples I have had from Washington. 100% Pinot Noir. Evergreen Vineyard (Ancient Lakes), Bergh Vineyard (Okanagan), Blue Lake Vineyard (Okanagan), and Underwood Mountain (Columbia Gorge). Aged in French oak (30% new). 14.1% alcohol. 420 cases produced.

Washington Wine Round-up June 8th to 14th

A round-up of stories on Washington wine from June 8th to 14th.

From around the country…

Wines & Vines writes about a lecture in Italy from Whitman’s Dr. Kevin Pogue.

The Memphis Daily News writes about Lemberger with a brief mention of Washington.

From the blogosphere…

Paul Gregutt writes about #WARose. He also writes about Viento.

Under the Grape Tree writes about Washington wine.

The Terroirists write about Tertulia.

Drink Nectar writes about the #WARose event. Josh also writes about Spokane’s Trezzi Farms, My Wine Words trip to Washington, and Taste Washington! Spokane.

Woodinville Wine Update writes about Meritage Meadows B&B.

Through the Walla Walla Grapevine writes about the upcoming bloggers conference. Catie also writes about the #WARose event. See another post on the event here.

Wine and Beer of Washington State writes about the #WAwine tweetup. See another post on the event here. They also write about the Tyrus Evan Ciel du Cheval Claret, the Northwest Wine Academy Summer Release party.

Wine Peeps writes about Washington wine available in Philadelphia. They also write about Alexandria Nicole and the 2009 Barnard Griffin Rose of Sangiovese and the #WARose event.

Yak Yak Wine gives a final exam before the blogger’s conference. See quiz #11 here.

Write for Wine writes about Maryhill.

The Oregon Wine Blog writes about Wine Rocks.

Wannabe Wine Blog writes about L’Ecole.

Red, White and Food writes about the 2007 Leonetti Cabernet Sauvignon.

Margot Meyers writes about interviewing winemakers during the Seattle Wine Awards.

One Rich Wine Guy writes about Lemberger.

RJ’s Wine Blog writes about the Plough and Stars Riesling.

The Examiner writes about JM Cellars, Kontos, and Trio Vintners.

Wine Foot writes about the 2009 St. Laurent Riesling.

Vinotology writes about the upcoming bloggers conference.

Into Wine talks with Paul Grugutt.

Ambassador of Wine writes a tasting note on the 1996 Leonetti Cabernet.

From the local...

Writing for the Seattle Times, Paul Gregutt writes about Washington Syrah.

The Seattle PI writes about Furion Cellars.

Seattle Magazine writes about Cave B.

The Bellevue Reporter writes about Northwest reds.

The Seattle Times writes about Waitsburg.

Wine Press NW writes about more Walla Walla wineries opening in Woodinville.

That’s all folks!

'Mystery wine' washes over Washington

With the economy still in the doldrums and wineries in Washington and elsewhere feeling the effects, many are looking for creative ways to generate revenue. This is especially true for wineries with limited offerings under the $25 mark consumers are currently focused on. So it was that two ‘mystery wine’ offers from Washington recently showed up on the Garagiste mailing list.

Garagiste is a Washington-based, on-line retailer that sends out e-mail offerings on discounted wines numerous times per week. Garagiste generally focuses outside of Washington with occasional offerings from inside the state. A section of the first Washington mystery wine email offer from Garagiste read as follows:

There was a rumor that a very prominent (famous?) winery in our state was quietly looking to sell a portion of their 2007 flagship wine to drum up funds (see blog above). The economy has hurt everyone but I never thought I’d see the day when THIS winery needed to raise money by underselling their wine. In no uncertain terms, this is one of the crème-de-la-crème entrants in our state with a style that is definitive. I’ve agreed under penalty of flogging to never reveal the name of the winery so don’t even ask – one taste of the wine and many of you will be able to guess. Keep in mind, this is not declassified wine – it is their exact top-drawer 2007 Bordeaux blend that retails (even on discount) for $50-75 (maybe it’s over $100 this year). That’s the only information I can give you.

The wine was offered at $16.94 with Trey Busch of Sleight of Hand Cellars providing the wine through his Renegade Wine Co. (To be clear, this is not a Sleight of Hand wine but rather Busch was serving as the middleman).

The email offering set off a firestorm of discussion on the eRobertParker.com bulletin board as to the possible sources (NB: you could read the thread but the BB has since become member-only). The guesses were more wild than informed. Still, it is a discussion no winery would like to see its name associated with. Personally, I am not interested in what winery it could be (truly, so no point in asking). Rather, what I do think is interesting is how many wineries it could be. Numerous Washington wineries are facing extremely difficult economic decisions and are looking for ways to save money or generate cash flow.

The email offering also set off a mad dash for the wine at Garagiste, which immediately sold out of the several hundred available cases, with requests for several times that. Several weeks later, a second such mystery offer from Washington went out with similar language. It is not likely to be the last.

Wineries selling off additional juice is nothing new. However, these wines are said to be finished wines from high-end wineries. This is essentially a recognition that the winery is not going to be able to sell these wines at their normal retail price in the current economic climate. They are therefore cutting their losses to generate revenue but looking to do so quietly. Other ways wineries have looked to generate revenue is by creating a second label at a lower price point. Most drastically, some wineries have decided to not purchase fruit for a particular vintage. These are all steps some wineries in the state have taken and others are considering. Just signs of the difficult economic times.

Walla Walla Spring Release 2010 Summary

What follows is a section of my 2010 Walla Walla Spring Release Report. The report will be published in its entirety in .pdf form after the last entry is posted to the blog.

Twenty-one wineries visited, over 100 wines sampled

Spring Release, always the first weekend in May, is one of the main event weekends in the Walla Walla Valley. Although I have traveled to the valley for this event for many years, several things particularly struck me on this visit. The first was the consistently high quality of the wines being made. It seems every year the quality bar gets raised higher and higher as wineries gain additional experience and competition increases. No doubt coming off exceptional vintages in 2007 and 2008 also has something to do with this. The second was the continuing influx of new wineries. The valley now is home to over one hundred wineries. Numerous wineries were opening their doors for the first time Spring Release Weekend. While this might seem at first blush to defy the poor economy, running a winery, as I always say, is like steering the Titanic. Everything moves very slowly. All of the wineries opening on Spring Release Weekend were started well before the economy took such a perilous turn. I was also struck by the number of people I saw walking out of wineries not with bagged bottles of wine but rather with case boxes. In fact, numerous wineries I spoke with reported increased sales compared to the previous year, a possible sign that the economy – at least in terms of wine sales - is rebounding.

As usual, I visited a number of new wineries or wineries that I had not visited before. New wineries included Don Carlo Vineyard, Locati Cellars, Riverhaven Cellars, Sinclair Estate Vineyards, and Tero Estates. Don Carlo Vineyard is a new winery started by Lori and Tim Kennedy. In Tim’s previous life, he started the omnipresent brand Tim’s Cascade Style Potato Chips. If he brings any of the moxie to the wine business that he brought to the chip business, watch out world. Locati Cellars focuses on Italian varietals. The tasting room is located in The Depot building right off Highway 12. Riverhaven Cellars is a new winery that uses Riverrock Vineyards in The Rocks area of Walla Walla Valley for its estate fruit. Sinclair Estate Vineyards is a new winery that just opened their doors for Spring Release weekend. The tasting room is located in downtown Walla Walla. The winery has plans for an estate vineyard, which are painted along the wall of the tasting room. Tero Estates is located on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla Valley AVA. The winery has a beautiful new building with breathtaking views of the surrounding estate vineyard, Windrow. Tero Estates has partnered with Ashley Trout of Flying Trout Wines who was also pouring her wines on this weekend. In addition to these new wineries, I visited a winery I had not gone to before, Bunchgrass Winery. Bunchgrass has seen a recent revival and has an excellent new set of releases.

Other wineries I visited during the trip included Abeja, Beresan Winery, Corliss Estates, Gramercy Cellars, K Vintners, L’Ecole No. 41, Otis Kenyon, Rotie Cellars, Saviah Cellars, Sleight of Hand, Trust Cellars, Va Piano Vineyards, Walla Walla Vintners, and Waters Winery. While the quality at each of these wineries was impressively high, I was particularly struck by both Waters and Sleight of Hand which were offering their finest releases to date.

Look for information on each of these wineries as well as tasting notes on the wines in the coming days.

Another shoe drops…Belltown’s Seattle Cellars announces closure

These are the dark days. Earlier this week I wrote about Yellow Hawk Cellar. Yesterday, Belltown’s Seattle Cellars announced that it is closing. The retail store will have a ‘going out of business sale’ starting Friday June 11th with everything in the store on sale at twenty-five percent off.

Seattle Cellars opened in Belltown in 1996. Scott Haugh purchased the store in 2006. Haugh cited the poor economy and the difficult business climate in Belltown as the reasons behind the decision. To long-time patrons, Seattle Cellars' closure was not unexpected. The store has had a small fraction of its floor space utilized of late and once teeming shelves have been only partially stocked.

I had an ‘epiphany’ wine at Seattle Cellars – a 1999 Duckhorn Merlot – which was part of one of their Thursday tastings. This was the first bottle of wine I tried in a $50 price range and suffice to say my eyes were opened. My bank account has ever since been wishing they were still shut. I purchased the bottle that day for some future special occasion but subsequently went home and consumed it with my roommate on the porch that night.

This is a second blow to the Belltown wine community with The Local Vine, located across the street from Seattle Cellars, moving from its current location due to structural flaws with the building.

Washington Wine Round-up June 1st to 7th

A round-up of stories on Washington wine from June 1st to 7th.

From around the country…

The Dallas Morning News writes about Tamarack’s 2008 Firehouse Red.

From the blogosphere…

Through the Walla Walla Grapevine writes about #WAwine. Catie also writes about a field trip to Woodward Canyon and gives Walla Walla winners of the Seattle Wine Awards.

Woodinville Wine Update writes about #WAwine. Shona also writes about Bartholomew Winery.

Wine Tonite! writes about #WAwine.

Wannabe Wino Wine Blog writes about L’Ecole NO. 41.

Wine and Beer of Washington State gives tips for the upcoming Seattle Wine Awards. They also write about where to find the Lullaby Rose, and give Rose Revival results. They also write about #WAwine.

Drink Nectar writes about #WAwine. Josh also writes about Taste Washington! Spokane, Whitestone, chats with Seattle Wine Gal,

Paul Gregutt writes about SYZYGY. He also writes about Walla Walla must dos.

Northwest Wine writes about Dusted Valley Vintners.

Cork’d writes about #WAwine.

Decanter Banter writes about #WAwine.

Ancient Fire Wine Blog writes about Chateau Ste. Michelle.

Wine Peeps writes about #WAwine. They also write about Domaine Ste. Michelle and the Columbia Gorge.

The Oregon Wine Blog writes about Port style wine from Yakima Valley. They also write about #WAwine and barrel tasting in Yakima.

Yak Yak Wine does a blog quiz. See quiz #7 here and #4 here. Chris also interviews Kathy Shiels of DuBrul Vineyard.

Seattle Wine Blog writes about Woodinville Passport.

VineyardGurl’s Blog does a video post on Zerba Cellars. They also do a video post on at Purple Wine Bar.

West Seattle Weisenheimer writes about E.B. Foote.

Memories in a Bottle writes about Doubleback.

Grapes of Life writes about the Charles Smith Velvet Devil Merlot.

1 Wine Dude gives mini-reviews on two L’Ecole No. 41 wines.

Into Wine writes about Lost Mountain’s Barbera.

Ear to the Ground writes about vineyards and wineries on state trust land.

Wine Foot writes about Liberty Lake Cellars Merlot.

The Examiner writes about #WAwine.

The Day(ly)-Burget/Burget Blog writes about Walla Walla.

Earth Times writes about K Vintners.

Walla Walla Wine News writes about June events.

From the locals…

The Bellingham Herald writes about Washington wine.

The Manson Village Tribune writes about #WAwine.

The Bellevue Reporter writes about Dusted Valley Vintners.

The Lake Chelan Mirror writes about #WAwine.

Columbia Gorge Magazine writes about sustainability.

Leftovers…

Northwest Cork and Fork hosts a vintage party.

That's all folks!

All good things…One winery's story

Yellow Hawk Cellar had its first vintage in 1998, releasing its inaugural wines two years later. The winery was the fourteenth in Walla Walla Valley, an area that now boasts over one hundred wineries. Yellow Hawk has been run out of Tim Sampson and Barbara Hetrick’s home south of downtown Walla Walla. “He’s the winemaker. I’m the wine taster,” Barbara Hetrick says. A downtown tasting room was subsequently added in 2008. Both the tasting room and the winery will be closing their doors next month.

While this is not the first such story to be written since the start of the recession and surely will not be the last, Yellow Hawk Cellar holds a special place in my heart. Their 2001 Sangiovese was one of the first Washington wines I fell in love with. I vividly recall discussing the wine with the proprietor of Wallingford’s City Cellars. I went home, had a glass, and soon returned to the store and bought multiple bottles, something I had not done for any wine previously. As time went on, I would open a bottle of the wine each year for Thanksgiving to celebrate the occasion, the wine, and its special place in my wine journey.

Over the years, Yellow Hawk has distinguished itself from other Washington wineries in a number of ways. First, the varieties they have focused on are different than most – Sangiovese, Barbera, and Muscat Canelli to name a few. Second, their price points have always been very reasonable, with most of the wines priced under $20. Third, their wines have always been restrained and food friendly. These were all deliberate decisions on the part of the winery, some of which also made things difficult. Consumers are often reluctant to try grape varieties they are unfamiliar with. Additionally, people often equate lower priced wines with lower quality. Finally, cocktail wines have been in vogue of late.

While Yellow Hawk has been different than many Washington wineries in these regards, its story is still a familiar one and is therefore a cautionary tale of the difficult times many state wineries are facing. Like most Washington wineries, the winery is small - 2,500 cases per year – and family run. And like many small wineries, the barriers to success are high and include high production costs, high distribution costs, onerous in-state regulations, and a tangle of state-by-state regulations.

The production cost numbers are relentless: labels $0.42 to $1.66 per bottle; foil $0.22 - $0.28; glass $0.80; cork $0.32-$0.50; and basic insurance - $5 for every case of wine ($0.42 per bottle), to name just a few. These costs are so high because all of the Yellow Hawk wines are made in limited quantities. This does not even include grapes and other associated costs. For wineries, unlike many other businesses, these costs cannot be offset until the wine is sold one to three years later.

The costs of being small make it particularly difficult to compete against large production wines from areas such as Australia, Argentina, Chile, and France where good value can be had under $15. Especially in a poor economy where consumers are increasingly focused on value, there is a tremendous amount of pressure. “People are always pressuring for the lowest price. I think we are expecting a Wal-Mart mentality at times,” Barbara Hetrick says.

Yellow Hawk could always have charged more for their wines, and some even encouraged them to. However, the Sampson and Hetrick wanted to make wine that people could enjoy in a casual way rather than only for special occasions.

For Yellow Hawk and other wineries, even once the wine is made, distribution is always an issue with pressure on price and promotion. Many nights are spent on the road - an increasing number since the economic downturn with wineries looking to sell larger amounts of wine out of state. For small wineries where the winemaker is also the bookkeeper, the marketer, and the traveling salesman, this is particularly difficult, especially when trying to balance running a winery with raising a family (not to mention many winemakers often work day jobs). Like many, over time the Sampson and Hetrick enjoyed the process of making wine more than the often arduous process of selling it.

Then there are the numerous regulatory hoops to jump through. When Sampson and Hetrick decided to open a tasting room in downtown Walla Walla, it took considerably longer than they ever imagined. There was, of course, the health department to deal with, the business licenses to acquire, and the like. Between this and having several potential locations fall through, the tasting room opened several years later than they wanted.

Similarly, working to sell wine out-of-state was onerous and filled with bureaucracy. Barbara Hetrick says, “I will ship two cases of wine to a particular state. I need to file three reports over two cases of wine! The economics of us staying in compliance with all of the various states is very difficult.” Even when there were no sales, reports still needed to be filed, costing time and money.

Factor all of this in and the numbers add up very quickly as does the emotional cost. It needs to be a labor of love. And for twelve years, that is what it has been for Yellow Hawk Cellar. While the winery has not lost money over the years, it has not made a great deal of money either. Tim Sampson has run the winery full time since 2000. Barbara Hetrick works as an optometrist with Tim essentially “donating his time” to make the wine.

The decision to close the winery was not an easy one or a sudden one. Barbara Hetrick says that they have been discussing the possibility for about eighteen months. Looking at the big picture, they saw expenses going up and profits remaining static. Finally, Sampson said early last year, “If we don’t make money in 2009, I don’t think we should continue.” Yellow Hawk took a year off buying grapes in 2009, with a few exceptions for critical contracts. They are one of a number of wineries to make such a decision.

Ironically, the winery has actually done well in the economic downturn as the Yellow Hawk Cellar wines are all positioned at price points that consumers are focused on. However, working for very little profit became increasingly difficult, especially as costs and competition mounted. With many Washington wineries barely holding on, Sampson and Hetrick made the decision that it would be better to get out early than get out late.

Comically, rumors abound about why the winery is closing with people speculating about the usual suspects – love and money. “I’ve heard such wonderful rumors,” Barbara Hetrick says. One of them was that she and Tim had split up. One of her patients went so far as to set up an appointment to comfort her.

Yellow Hawk Cellar’s last day open with be July 3^rd with the following day a bittersweet Independence Day. Sampson and Hetrick plan to maintain their business license for the time being and sell down their remaining stock (there are, I should add, good deals to be had). While the decision to close the winery was a sad one, Hetrick says life goes on. “It’s like when you’ve had a loved one die, it’s always difficult. Many people have been upset when they heard we were closing. We’re grieving too, but we’ve been grieving for a long time. We’ve seen this coming. I want people to know that we’re fine.”

The Vashon Island Hum

Andrew Will Winery was founded in 1989. The winery, located on Vashon Island, was started by Chris Camarda and is named after Camarda’s nephew Andrew and son Will.

Camarda began at Andrew Will making a series of single vineyard, single varietal wines. Over time, he shifted his focus to blended, single vineyard wines. Camarda, an audiophile, likens his single varietal wines and his single vineyard wines to the differences between “mono and stereo.”

Andrew Will is one of several wineries located on Vashon Island. Other wineries on the island include Vashon Winery and Palouse Winery. While physically close to Seattle, Vashon Island seems a world apart. One takes a short ferry ride from the city and feels transported to another land. The pace of life is different, the look of the area even. Vashon even has its own hum – literally. While there has been much speculation as to the source, my bet is on Andrew Will, which continues to hum along making some of Washington’s best wines.

Andrew Will Winery – not open to the public – is picturesque and pastoral. One turns off the road and drives down a heavily forested dirt driveway. At the end are a series of winery buildings and a residence.

Earlier this year, I met with assistant winemaker David Oldham to discuss Andrew Will’s winemaking process. Oldham, a neighbor and friend of the Camardas, started working at Andrew Will in 1994. In 2000, he became full time and “never looked back.”

Being a western Washington winery, as well as an island winery, creates some complications producing wine. Fruit is picked in eastern Washington vineyards and then trucked over Snoqualmie Pass to Seattle. The truck then takes the first ferry in the morning to the island whereupon crush begins.

In creating the Andrew Will wines, whole berries are pumped into stainless steel fermentation tanks. To break up the cap that forms during fermentation, the winery uses a technology developed in the paint industry to mix paint. Blasts of gas are sent through rods at the bottom of the tank. The gas rises to the top and breaks up the cap. During fermentation, the temperature of the tanks is regulated using glycerol, giving a fine degree of control over the process.

After primary fermentation, free run juice is pumped into barrels. The berries are then shoveled out of the fermentation tanks and pressed. The free run juice is generally used for the Andrew Will wines, press juice for the Cuvee Lucia wines (Lucia is Chris’ daughter).

Next door to the production facility is a separate building used as a barrel room. The room is packed tight with barrels, approximately one-third new, from famed cooperages such as Taransaud. The wines are aged in oak for approximately twenty-one months before bottling. Given the tight space of the barrel room, Oldham jokes that the most important tool at the winery is the forklift.

Outside the winery is a garden planted with fava beans, tomatoes, leeks, and other vegetables. Pomace from the winery is used as fertilizer. Plum, pear, cherry, and apple trees line the grounds. Oldham says they also grow Dahlias “as big as your head.” The grass outside the winery is littered with golf balls. A large fire pit is off to the side. “It’s a very Vashon thing to do to hang around fires,” Oldham says. ‘Bigger’, an appropriately named Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, patrols the grounds.

Next to the garden is Camarda’s residence. The building, designed by Miller Hull, has the bold colors that Camarda’s wife, Annie, favored. Annie Camarda died of cancer in 2005. Similar colors appear on the Cuvee Lucia labels and brand the winery’s website. The house features an extensive underground cellar and is filled with artwork, much of it somewhat dark in nature.

Oldham describes the 2009 vintage as “fast and furious” with many of the grapes coming in at the same time. The winery’s Two Blondes Vineyard, located in the Yakima Valley next to Sheridan Vineyard, is a bit cooler and gave somewhat of a reprieve from an otherwise grueling schedule.

Oldham says that, like most, the winery has felt the effects of the economy. People are still buying, but not in the quantities they were previously with vintages taking a bit longer to sell out. Andrew Will has been responsive to the changing economic climate, creating a recently released ‘Black Label’ series. The Black Label wines come from declassified barrels and are offered at considerably lower price points than the other Andrew Will wines. Of note, the Black Label wines include Andrew Will’s first varietally labeled Merlot in ten years.

Andrew Will makes 5,000 cases annually.

Andrew Will Winery Sorella Horse Heaven Hills 2007 $70
Rating: ** (Exceptional) Nose is marked by light graphite, herbal tones, licorice, and light red fruit. Palate is beautifully refined with polished tannins and intensely focused fruit flavors. Give three to five years. 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot. Champoux Vineyard. Aged twenty-one months in French oak (35% new). 14.3% alcohol. 958 cases produced.

Andrew Will Winery Red Wine Champoux Vineyard Horse Heaven Hills 2007 $60
Rating: */** (Excellent/Exceptional) Dark and brilliant in color. A fascinating nose with cherry cordial, licorice, and light barrel notes. On the taste, beautifully structured with polished tannins and elegant fruit flavors. Give two to three years. 52% Cabernet Franc, 21% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot. Champoux Vineyard. Aged twenty-one months in new French oak. 14.7% alcohol. 1,079 cases produced.

Andrew Will Winery Annie Camarda Syrah Columbia Valley 2007 $44
Rating: * (Excellent) An outrageously intense nose with smoke, light game streaks, and blueberries. Packs a big punch on the palate with a compact ball of blue and black fruit. A rich, crazy big Syrah. 100% Syrah. Aged twelve months in 100% new French oak. Champoux and Ciel du Cheval Vineyards. 14.6% alcohol. 316 cases produced.

Andrew Will Winery Red Wine Ciel du Cheval Red Mountain 2007 $60
Rating: * (Excellent) An alluring nose with floral aromas, licorice, light herbal notes, and chocolate. Opens up and expands on the palate with tightly wound red and black fruit flavors. 45% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. Ciel du Cheval Vineyard. Aged twenty-one months in French oak (35% new). 1,408 cases produced.

Andrew Will Winery Red Wine Two Blondes Yakima Valley 2007 $58
Rating: * (Excellent) Light herbal aromas along with blackberry bush, red fruit and a touch of spice. Seamlessly flows across the palate with soft tannins. A restrained wine that sails off into the distance on the finish. 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Cabernet Franc, 19% Merlot, and 7% Malbec. Two Blondes Vineyard. Aged twenty-one months in French oak (35% new). 14.4% alcohol. 1,513 cases produced.

Andrew Will Winery Merlot Columbia Valley 2008 $28.50
Rating: + (Good) An interesting, unique aroma profile with sour pickles, black tea, and brine. Taste is light on its feet with vibrant acidity. Tannins get a bit aggressive. 50% Ciel du Cheval Merlot, 25% Two Blondes Merlot, 15% Ciel du Cheval Cabernet Franc, 10% Two Blondes Cabernet Franc. 14% alcohol.

Two Blondes wine provided as bottle sample.

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