June ended pretty much the same way it began…a showcase of Washington Wine. On June 3^rd hundreds of people tweeted thousands of times about Washington Wine for #WAWine. June 25-27 hundreds of people tweeted thousands of times about Washington Wine for the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference. In the middle of the month we enjoyed more Washington Wine with Taste Washington in Spokane and Washington Rose with Paul Gregutt (Seattle Times columnist). Drowning in the flow of literally hundreds of wines (close guess would be 300), I managed to review and score 25 wines, get featured in a local magazine, announce the launch of my new project, Spokane Wine Magazine, and have my largest traffic month to date. In fact, looking back through the posts of the month was very fun. June is going to be a tough month to top.

These are the seventh monthly honors that have been handed out here at DrinkNectar.com. What started out as a way for me to track my favorite things of the month has become a fun post to create. The new media of blogging creates some of the most interesting information on wine out there. Much of what I read daily could easily fill a single issue of any major wine publication. The information is FREE and the QUALITY is amazing. Before we get to my favorites of the month, here are the four wines that stood out among the formal reviews.

Wines of the Month

Best Value Under $15

2005 Northwest Cellars Merlot – Reviewed Here

I’m stretching this one a little because the retail price is $17. I’m going to assume you’re on the wine club list and get a little break, or you buy it on sale at a local store 😉 This was a fantastic Merlot!

• The Stuff: 75% Merlot, 13% Syrah, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon from Olson Estate, Roza Ridge and 3 Rocks Vineyards; 13.8%ABV, 3000 cases produced
• The Swirl: An interesting brownish rust colored purple hue that is showing some good signs of aging. Reminds me of cola.
• The Sniff: I love the nose of this wine. Strong dark fruits with leather, stewed plums, and just a hint of sweet milk chocolate. Fragrant and engaging!
• The Sip: Not your traditional Columbia Valley Merlot. Really loving the black tea, coffee and gamey meat components to this wine. Very complex in the mouth. The fruit is slightly thin on the front but the dynamic presence of the other flavors quickly engages your palate.
• The Score: At only $17 this wine surprised and mesmerized me. I loved the different interpretation of Merlot and enjoyed the soft, yet captivating flavors. I score this wine 4 out of 5. Be warned that if you love bright fruity cherry Merlot, this might not be for you.

Runner Up – 2007 Heron Hill Riesling from Finger Lakes New York – Reviewed Here ($15)

Special mention to the Barnard Griffin Rose of Sangiovese for only $12 – great value summer sipper

Best Wine

2007 L’Ecole Perigee $49 – Reviewed Here

• The Stuff: 100% Estate fruit from Seven Hills Vineyard with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Cab Franc. Wine spent 22 months in a mix of new and used French oak. 14.5%abv; 1398 cases produced
• The Swirl: Dark crimson purple with a thick cloudy look. Presentation is about 90% opaque with beautiful jewel tones at the edges
• The Sniff: The Perigee is alive on the nose with rich cherry fruit and hints of clove, tobacco and vanilla.
• The Sip: This is a beautiful elegant wine with amazing balance of fruit, spice and structure. A slight sweetness grazes the front of your tongue as the dark cherry flavors wash across the middle of your tongue. Slight earthy leather, tobacco box, and cocoa prepare the finish for a smooth velvety wash.
• The Score: At $49, this wine may be out of reach for most people, but is certainly a wine I would recommend to anyone who has the opportunity to taste, buy or try. I can easily score this a 4 (out of 5). Get it down to $35 and buy a case!

Runner Up – So many wines could fit into this category including 2005 Dionysius from Arbor Crest to the 2007 Matchless Red Wine from Otis Kenyon (had at dinner in Walla Walla)

 Other Highlights From June

The Post That Made Me Spit Wine Out My Nose

clivity My #WARose post is funnier than all the rest, no offense to @catie & @nectarwine http://bit.ly/9cJzBR

My Favorite Video of the Month

supplewine In honor of summer, it’s time to bust out more sparkling wine. Need a video to help open bottles with flair? http://bit.ly/cW1Wux

Showing the Personal Side of Wine Blogging

AnotherWineBlog Knowing When to Let Go: No Deposit. No Return. http://bit.ly/9Ym61d

Best New Blogger Feature (Tie)

• swirlsmellslurp Rewriting the review http://ht.ly/1XpNi (With all due respect for rosé and Mr. @ericasimov )
• stevepaulo Coming up with pairings for 1980s Action TV Shows isn’t easy: http://is.gd/cLLtg #wine

A Heartwarming Recap from the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference

joelvincent The warm embrace…what inspired me about #WBC10 http://post.ly/lF62

Best Piece of Social Media Information

noseyparkerinw RT @perketing: How much is a Facebook Fan worth? http://ow.ly/1Zm7z

DrinkNectar Top Post of the Month

For a while it looked like a guest post from Tamara Belgard (@sipwithme) was going to win top honors. Her sexy post, “Why Wine and Food are Better Than Sex” was pretty popular and very well written. A post that went live in the final 3 days of the month quickly gained traction and took the lead. Behold the future of obscure sport TV, the next big reality programming…

The Sport of Speed Wine Blogging!