It’s that time of year when people pull out their Top, Best Of and Year in Review lists. All for jumping on the bandwagon, I decided to pull together three lists that recap my year in wine blogging. In this post I share my favorite articles across the bloggersphere, top wine stories, and my favorite post from each month of 2010. Later this week, I’ll reveal my top 10 value wines (under $15) and the top 10 wines of the year.

January 2010

One of the earlier wine blogs I connected with was Joe Roberts from 1winedude.com. Joe’s interview with author Robin Goldstein (Wine Trials) was my favorite wine news post of the month. The 70+ comments provide a ton of reading fodder as well.

January marked the premier of one of my favorite weekly posts, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from Ben Simons of Vinotology.com. Most weeks, Ben provides a humorous look at news from the wine world.

The top post from Nectar Wine Blog (previously DrinkNectar) is a still very relevant post called, Is Facebook Tweeting Hurting Your Business? While the practice of Tweeting your Facebook status may be efficient, it can have a negative effect. Check out my reasoning why.

February 2010

Thanks to people like Rick Bakas of Bakas Media and Craig Drollett of Taste Live, online taste and tweets became commonplace in 2010. Events in 2010 allowed me to explore wine from Chile, Virginia, Texas, and Michigan and celebrate #WAMerlot, #CaliCabs, #CabernetDay, #SauvBlanc, #Chardonnay, #WAWine, #Champagne, and more.

Wine Bloggers Bite the Big One: This post from @DirtySouthWine (aka Hardy Wallace, aka NPAHardy) was in response to recent allegations that wine blobbers are a bunch of non-influential, wine whores railing against traditional media and seeking free wine. This amazing post will have you laughing from poop to chainsaws.

The most active post on my site for February tapped into a vein of hostility toward restaurant wine prices. Wine Ripped off and Ticked Off (60+ comments) – A look at the horrible wine practices of restaurants and their 400% mark-up, uninspired wine lists and crappy wine glasses.

March 2010

For me, March was a break out month with #WAMerlot. The partnership with 10 Washington wine writers helped make many connections that have turned into friendships. The month ended with a great trip to Seattle to participate in Taste Washington. It was actually during that visit that some of the initial ideas for Nectar Tasting Room began to develop.

Two of my favorite wine blogs provided highlights from March. Tamara Belgard of the now quiet Sip with Me blog (Tamara now works in marketing for Cana’s Feast Winery in Oregon) writes an incredibly sensual post titled, My Date With Pinot Noir. Warning, either have a cold shower running or your significant other nearby. The second highlight is an ambitious series from this year’s recipient of Best New Wine Blog, SwirlSmellSlurp.com. The “his and her” blog has attempted to taste wine from all 50 states in the series United Slurps of America. At last check the team has sipped through wine from 17 states.

While not necessarily one of the most viewed posts of the month, it is one of the events I am most proud of in 2010. “The Night Merlot Was King” was the recap of the #WAMerlot event. Through social media a group of bloggers was able to mobilize 100 wineries to showcase Washington Merlot for online and offline events.

April 2010

April marked the mobilization of the online wine community against House bill HR5034. Industry heavy hitters Tom Wark and Free the Grapes helped generate significant buzz against the bill that threatens to limit how wineries can ship wine to customers. I strongly urge you to join the American Wine Consumers Coalition to stay informed on important news that impacts wine consumers.

Wine Enthusiast contributor Steve Heimoff provides some great content to the wine blogging world. Steve Heimoff’s’ post “5 Questions for Robert Parker” generated 50+ comments. Steve asks the questions respectfully and eloquently.

My most viewed post – 7 Social Media No Brainers – While these tips may seem basic, I guarantee there is more than one that you’re not doing. I see these basic rules broken every day. You should check it out. Let me know if you are doing ALL seven.

May 2010

Some of the most re-hashed stories of the year provided hours of reading enjoyment and online debate. While not specifically occurring in May, seemingly every blogger has covered the topics of wine scores / 100 point score and Biodynamics.  Palate Press presents a very well thought out insight into credibility and how Robert Parker may have hurt his street cred by introducing something better than 100 points. VIEW POST.

Stuart Smith of Smith-Madrone Winery provides an alternate view to the practices of biodynamic farming on his blog Biodynamics Is a Hoax. “I submit that if you believe in science you cannot believe in Biodynamics, and the corollary is just as true, if you believe in Biodynamics you cannot believe in science.”

I’m very excited to share that the most viewed post for May was a video, picture and text recap of our journey to Lake Chelan, WA. VIEW POST – I love the Chelan area and look forward to our annual visit.

 June 2010

June’s landscape was dominated by the 2010 Wine Blogger’s Conference. 300+ wine bloggers, writers, trade, and media converged on Walla Walla, Washington for a showcase of the new media of wine blogging.  The 2010 Wine Blog Awards recognize excellence in new media. The list of winners is a showcase of the best wine writing on the internet. The 2011 Wine Bloggers Conference will be held in Charlottesville, VA.

A post that went live in the final 3 days of the month quickly gained traction and took the lead for most viewed post in June. Behold the future of obscure sport TV, the next big reality programming…The Sport of Speed Wine Blogging!

July 2010

The wine world is not immune to economic woes. 2010 news was full of wine consolidation, winery closures, and news of a glut in bulk juice around the world. In Texas we witnessed the auction, withdrawal and re-auction of Cap*Rock Winery. Similar woes beset Virginia’s Kluge Winery and California’s Cosentino Winery later in the year.

Featuring one of the more creative pieces of writing this year is a piece from Wayne Kelterer of the blog, A Long Pour. Wayne’s creative interview of the wine grape, Merlot is humorous and witty. Find out why Merlot is sad no one cares anymore.  

The most viewed post of the month quickly became one of the most viewed posts of the year on Nectar Wine Blog. Take a look at some creative ways to recycle your wine bottles. I guarantee you’ll be inspired to buy a glass cutter.

August 2010

Power belongs to the entrepreneur. In August (and the months that followed), I watched several of my friends step out in pursuit of their dreams to be in the wine world. Using social media to build contacts and networking connections, good people like Joe Roberts, (http://1winedude.com) Ed Thralls (http://winetonite.com), Tamara Belgard, (http://sipwithme.blogspot.com) Rick Bakas (http://bakasmedia.com), and Ben Simons (http://vinotology.com) have blazed trails of inspiration for many people.

A lot of debate occurs about the place of the 100 point scale in the wine world. Vintank, and several influential bloggers, are looking to unseat the balance of power by introducing a “BADGE” method of rating. Why We Think the Badge Concept Will Work

Perhaps one of the cleverest videos of the year belongs to the folks at Hope Family Wines in the Office like spoof to promote their new wine, Troublemaker.

September 2010

As attention turned toward harvest one of most insane stories of the year was from @vinography on the story of how thieves managed to steal a ton of Syncline Winery Mourvedre grapes…right off the vine! The Wine Super Villain Strikes

News was also dominated by the unseasonably cool weather in Washington and California (the country’s premier grape growing regions). The challenge would continue through harvest with cool weather continuing in Washington and a strong late season heat wave making things challenging in California.

 I really enjoyed this creative post from my friend, Taryn Miller. Her ode to Cabernet Day, “Twas the Day of Cabernet” was creative and well written poetry.

The most viewed post at Nectar Wine Blog was A Blend of Apples and Grapes – iPads in the Tasting Room.

October 2010

October saw a battle of booze in Washington State. Initiatives 1100 and 1105 threatened to end the three-tier distribution system and the states monopoly on booze sales. Neither initiative was very well written and in the end they both died at the voting booth. Sean Sullivan of wawinereport.com provided a very detailed analysis of both. Sean is one of the most valuable Washington wine resources in the state!

The always humorous and self deprecating Suburban Wino kicked off his new series, Booze in the News. Joe Herrig is one of the nicest guys in the wine world and his site is a must read for those into good wine, good food, 80’s movie / TV trivia, and odd tangents.

In October, I announced the upcoming launch of Nectar Tasting Room. The shared space wine tasting room features five Washington wineries and is the culmination of the reason for starting this wine blog. I was humbled by the massive support from the wine community. Twitter analytics show that the potential reach of this announcement surpassed 250,000 people.

November / December 2010

While I’ve been buried in the work that revolved around the release of Spokane Wine Magazine and the upcoming opening of Nectar Tasting Room, the amazing wine writing continued to fill the interwebs. This creative minds at VinTank outdo themselves with this unique interview with Craig Wolf from the Wine Spirits Wholesalers Association.  

Enobytes tackles the technology of QR Codes and their impact on wine, wineries and other marketing. While I don’t agree with everything in the post, the conversation that has grown in the comments contains some great insight and knowledge.

Twitter Helps Fight City Hall – My use of social media gets the traditional media’s attention as I struggle with the rigid permitting process of City Hall. The result is a collaborative meeting of compromise and progress with city officials!

Wow, what a year. As I looked back at the posts and news, I was overwhelmed with the volume and quality of content. So many things were omitted here for the sake of length. Book releases from friends Evan Dawson (http://www.evandawsonwrites.com), Paul Gregutt (http://paulgregutt.com) and Rick Bakas (http://quickbitesbook.com), consistent quality content from Jeff Lefevere (http://goodgrape.com), the building of a brand by Barbara Evans (http://seattlewinegal.com), the retirement, un-retirement and disappearance of The Hosemaster of Wine, and so much more mark an amazing 2010. Cheers to the wine blogging world and cheers to an eventful, profitable, and passionate 2011.

November has come to a close and it looks like the winter of 2010 and 2011 is going to be brutal. It wasn’t even Thanksgiving yet and we had a night of 7 BELOW zero and I had to shell out $200 to get the pipes unfrozen at our rental property. But I digress, you’re not here to hear me complain about Spokane winters you’re here to see the top posts and wines for November (at least that’s why I hope you’re here).

November’s 22 posts generated another month of record traffic (7 months running). The 18 formal wine reviews included one wine that could potentially be up for wine of the year. This ‘monthly honors’ post marks a full year of monthly recaps which will lead me to an annual list of the top 10 value wines and top 10 overall wines to be posted later in December. Closing in on 300 reviews, this will prove to be quite a challenge. One sad note for November, I let my consecutive weekday post streak die on November 12. I did provide a significant update to a previous post that day, but technically, nothing new. Officially, the streak lasted 9 months 2 weeks.

November included quite a few highlights. The first issue of Spokane Wine Magazine arrived on 11/9. This little blog turned 1 on 11/11. I used Twitter to get the media’s attention about my struggles with the city’s permitting process. I was on TV twice (once for the tasting room and once for the magazine). The tasting room opening has been progressing but is delayed until late December. Finally, a project that I’ve been working on for 18 months in my day job finally went live.

While not as cool as the recent American Music Awards, here are the recipients of November’s Nectar Monthly Honors:

Wines of the Month

Best Value Under $15

Six of the 18 wines this month qualified for the value category. While wines from Parducci Winery were a good value, the best value was from a Washington Winery with a view, Maryhill Winery. While the review was done in a mass tasting setting and my notes aren’t quite as robust, the wine stands on it’s own as a trustworthy value.

Maryhill Winery Winemakers Red ($10)

Early on, Maryhill embraced the value proposition when other Washington wineries were exploring higher priced boutique business models. With wines over $30 selling at 20% of the levels seen in years past, the $10-$20 price point wine is the sweet spot. Maryhill’s flagship wine, the Winemaker’s Red, which makes up 30% of their production, sells for only $14 in the tasting room and can often be found for under $10 at retail establishments. How is the wine? My notes say…

“Dark red fruits with fragrance of lilacs and campfire with a medium mouth feel, well integrated oak and tannin. 3/5”

Read the full Maryhill Winery review

Best Overall Wine

This wine was hands down the best wine of the month. While some months are a challenge to pick, the Merlot from Bolen Estates winery still resonates on my palate. Local winery, Nodland Cellars makes a strong play as the runner up.

2007 Bolen Family Estates Merlot (Reviewed Here)

At $60, the 2007 Merlot is full of amazing berry flavor and aroma. You can smell the wine before you even put it to your nose. Subtle hints of cinnamon are intermingled with the bright fruit. In the mouth you get a sense for the careful attention given to this wine. The fruit was fermented in 3 different methods to achieve the desired balance and character. About 20% of the wine spent 26 months in French oak. The flavors are full and big without being obnoxious. A velvety texture covers the entire palate and layers of fruit, cloves, cinnamon, and vanilla erupt from front to back. The finish is lingering and brings good structure with the perfect amount of tannins. There is a slight heat coming off the 15.2%ABV.

For most, this is not your daily drinking affordable wine, but the Bolen Family Estates 2007 Merlot is worth the price for your special occasion or if you just want to impress the hell out of someone to prove how good merlot can be. If the 2007 vintage is any indication of the future, merlot has made a comeback and Bolen Family Estates is establishing the legacy they intended. 4+/5

Runner Up: 2007 Nodland Cellars Avant-Garde (Reviewed Here)

Other Highlights From November

Title that Makes You Want to Read The Post

paulgwine – PG BLOG attention champagne drinkers – marie antoinette’s boobs are back!

Best Picture

NWwines Walla Walla AVA yesterday very beautiful http://twitpic.com/37t9te

Biggest Battle Between Bloggers

Wawinereport –vs – WinePeeps Cayuse Vineyards – A flawed wine or a writers flawed argument? (via @wawinereport) http://bit.ly/9GVFYx < this should be fun!! #wawine

Best Writing

wkelterer This week on ALP: Cabernet Sauvignon – The Boy Who Would Be King, Part I. For fans of my Merlot interview. http://bit.ly/b6iLNi

Post That Made Me Spit Wine Out My Nose

vintank  Finally, our interview with Craig Wolf from the WSWA on Unfiltered. Help us fight HR5034 & Pls RT: http://bit.ly/bzC0Ep

1WineDude: GENIUS!!! http://bit.ly/cqWfPd < now I have to re-write my entire post, damnit

TishWine Hilarious @RobertMParkerJr French cartoon book featured in post at @vinography http://tinyurl.com/27q5k7x

Most Viewed Post on Nectar Wine Blog

Twitter Helps Fight City Hall – My use of social media gets the traditional media’s attention as I struggle with the rigid permitting process of City Hall. The result is a collaborative meeting of compromise and progress with city officials!

It is always fun looking back at the previous month seeing where I’ve been, what I’ve drank and all the fun articles and posts that people across the bloggersphere have written. October, like all the months prior to it, proved to be an amazing whirlwind adventure of wine, friends, and more. The thing that separates October from the previous 10 months of this blog are major announcements of Nectar Tasting Room, rebranding from DrinkNectar.com to NectarWineBlog.com, and the completion of the first issue of Spokane Wine Magazine. Through all of this, you have made October the most visited month in the history of this site (six consecutive monthly increases). Thank you for your support!

Here is a look at the best of the best from October 2010. View previous Nectar Monthly Honors recipients, here.

Wines of the Month

Best Value Under $15

This month 10 of the 23 wine reviews qualified for this category. With reviews from Yellow Tail, Pepperwood Grove, and Silver Leaf Winery, there was one clear standout wine deserving of the best value under $15…

Pepperwood Grove Old Vine Zinfandel (Reviewed Here)

Tweets from the machine:

nectarwine: So, here we go – at $5 this is a killer value. Good flavor, good finish, good acid – this is a winner #biggreenbox #donandsons

pencilarms: #biggreenbox. Just tasted the zin. Lovely. Nice acidity and balance where is it sourced from? What makes it “old”

JohnOnWine: I was happy to taste this Zin; tired of high sugar, alc heat, fruit and pepper bombs. No more blown palate. #biggreenbox #donandsons

Light burgundy in color and very translucent, can see to the bottom of the glass. At only 13.5%ABV (refreshing for a California Zinfandel), this is on the very low side of alcohol for Zins. Good aromas of blueberry, subtle strawberry, tobacco spice and more. It’s all mellow, but it’s there. The palate is very nice as well with flavors of plums, strawberries and mild pepper. The acidity is well balanced and the finish is lovely. Definitely the bargain find of the four wines tasted. While not complex, there are good flavors in this wine. 3/5

Runner Up: 2008 Yellow Tail Reserve Shiraz (Reviewed Here)

Best Overall Wine

The winner and runner up for best wine of the month were both from the same tasting. I was very impressed with the quality and consistency in the Chile red blends tasting. If you’re looking for intriguing new wines to try, keep your eye open for Chilean wine.

2007 Emiliana Coyam (Reviewed Here)

The blend of 38% Syrah, 21% Cabernet, 21% Carmenere, 17% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Mourvedre exploded with massive aromas of fruit, flowers and spice. I loved the fragrant eucalyptus and violets juxtaposed with the spilled spice rack. The wine is also full of flavor in the mouth with a powerful, yet soft dark fruit and evergreen tree. The oak treatment is very well integrated and the 15% ABV does not come across as strikingly hot. The finish on the wine is thick without being chewy or tart. This Bordeaux style wine is top notch wine for just $29 suggested retail. 4+/5

Emiliana is 100% organic and biodynamic.

 Runner Up: 2007 Casas Del Bosque Family Reserve

Other Highlights from October

Good News / Bad News

Big news from two of my close friends hit the twitter machines this month. First the good news, then the bad…

• THE GOOD NEWS: @vinotology – I’m here in Washington, Now What? http://bit.ly/aKEoKR
• THE BAD NEWS: @sipwithme – Regional Wine Blogger Bids a Sad Farewell http://bit.ly/dqWSZT
• NEW ADVENTURES: @bakasmedia Rick Bakas ends his tenure at St. Supery to launch a new Social Media consulting business http://bakasmedia.com/?p=47

Favorite Video

@jordanwinery – Night harvesting merlot grapes in Alexander Valley http://bit.ly/b5iiqx

A Committed Resource

Sean Sullivan spent a considerable amount of time analyzing two Washington State initiatives (I-1100 and I-1105), that could have considerable impact on the way beer, wine and spirits are distributed in Washington State. Sean’s commitment to Washington wine makes him one of the single greatest resources for wine information in our state. http://www.wawinereport.com/2010/10/final-answer-vote-no-on-initiatives.html

Favorite New Series

@suburbanwino – Welcome to Booze in the News (love the fun logos) http://bit.ly/c3hguD

Social Media Knowledge

@suzielin Facebook Fans Vs. Twitter Followers: Which Are More Valuable? http://bit.ly/aNtPpr – Interesting read

Top Post on Nectar Wine Blog

It’s no surprise that the top post of the month, and now one of the top five posts of the year is the announcement of the Nectar Tasting Room. Support has been overwhelming and I appreciate your efforts to help spread the word.

Introducing Nectar Tasting Room http://drinknectar.com/2010/10/04/introducing-nectar-tasting-room/

September news has been dominated by the 2010 harvest.  Heavy rains in the Northeast, high heat in the Southeast, record lows then record heat in California and record cool temps in Washington have made this year’s grape growers and wine makers very nervous. Quality journalism and news continues to make its mark within the wine blogging community. The ability for bloggers to create quality content shows the future of wine news.

The month began with the massively successful world-wide Cabernet day. September ended with two sensational and unbelievable stories in Washington State with the great grape caper (thieves steal one tone of Mourvedre in the night) and K-Vintners contentious charge against anonymous bloggers.  This is a look at my favorite stories and wines for the month of September.

Check out previous Nectar Monthly Honors recipients:

WINES OF THE MONTH

Best Value Under $15

September didn’t see too many formal reviews of wine under $15, but the wine below certainly earned top nod. Too bad summer is over, or I could see myself enjoying quite a bit of Albariño.

2009 Martin Codax Albariño  (Reviewed Here)

• The Stuff: 100% Albariño from Rias Baixas, Spain; Whole berry crushed and fermented in stainless steel; 40% malolactic fermentation; 12.8%ABV
• The Swirl: A nice crisp and clean straw color in the glass.
• The Sniff: During a blind tasting I could potentially mistake this for a Riesling with the petrol, citrus and apple aromas. The fragrant aromas help drive the point home on the palate
• The Sip: Slightly tart, slightly crisp and slightly tropical describes the flavor profile on this wine. A very enjoyable flavor that has a slight steely minerality on the finish. A nice full mouth feel is present from the malolactic fermentation.
• The Score: At $12-15, this is a nice wine that leaves a feel good flavor in the mouth. Not a sipper for me, but definitely a fun wine to pair with light summer food and seafood. 3+/5 Recommend

No runner up selected:

Best Wine

With 17 formal wine reviews for this category, the selection was tough. There were several wines that earned 4/5 and 4+/5 ratings.

2009 Mollydooker Carnival of Love (Reviewed Here)

• The Stuff: 100% Shiraz from the Gateway vineyard in McLaren Vale; 97% new and 3% used American oak for 12 months. 3.8% RS; 16%ABV, screw cap enclosure – 90% Fruit Weight
• The Swirl: As with all the MD Shiraz this wine is pure purple passion. Very thick and pure like liquid glass. The Enchanted love is one of the darker wines I can recall seeing.
• The Sniff: Beautiful scents of violets, sweet sugar, bright blueberries, rich plums and spice. I think about 10 minutes went by before I quit smelling this wine. An enjoyable experience even before the sip.
• The Sip: A wonderful evolution of flavor happens on this wine. Tasting the wine gives you an understanding of what “fruit weight” is. The flavor seems to wrap every square inch of your mouth. Not a single taste bud is left out of this experience. Great presentations of fruit, spice, and even some dried tomato and coffee components.
• The Score: The Carnival of Love is a sensory experience not to be missed. This is truly a wine event, if ever I’ve had one. A huge step above in balance over the previous vintage and crafted with subtle intricacies that keep you wanting another sip. Keep in mind this is not a subtle experience of strolling through a park enjoying the serene waterfalls and flowers, this is a high octane double loop roller coaster at 70MPH! At $90, a challenge for most but if you want to really impress a wine lover (especially one who enjoys Aussie Shiraz), you’ll score big points here! 4+/5

Runner Up: 2008 Maison Bleue Roussanne “La Vie Douce” 12.7%ABV (reviewed here)

Other Highlights from September

Creative Writing:

@tarynmiller I woke up this morning feeling creative. <New Blog Post> “Twas the Day of #cabernet“: http://bit.ly/cqCVh2

Best Video:

The best video comes to us courtesy of Wine Spectator’s annual video contest. The winning entry, “Wine Is…” from Joel Peterson

GramercyCellars Huge Award – F&W Best New Winery 2010! So we had to do a video. http://tiny.cc/vkj5r

Post that Made Me Spit Wine Out My Nose:

@dirtysouthwine A whole lotta’ Cornhole just may save the day for Wine Country http://bit.ly/9E748l

 Best Social Media Post:

@RickBakas Santa Claus, Loch Ness Monster & Social Media Experts – http://bit.ly/cVtglM

Most Insane Story:

From @vinography the story of how thieves managed to steal a ton of Syncline Winery Mourvedre grapes…right off the vine! The Wine Super Villain Strikes

Washington Wins Two Free Agency Bloggers:

In the highly competitive world of wine blogging, Washington won the rights to two talented blogging free agents. The acquisitions should help in Washington’s efforts to dethrone California as the wine capital of the US. We’re excited to welcome Ben Simons of @vinotology and Suzie Curnutte of @wineragazza.

DrinkNectar Top Post of the Month:

I managed to extend my streak of a new post every non-holiday weekday to eight months and just barely established a new monthly high in traffic. The most read (and most commented post) was about the use of iPads in tasting rooms and as wine menus.

A Blend of Apples and Grapes – iPads in the Tasting Room

August has come and gone and with it is the summer that never happened. Weather has been unseasonably cool across the northwest and the brief glimpse of warm weather in late July and early August seems to be left as a teaser for summers gone by. The weather is affecting the vineyards too, leaving them 10-12 days behind. At this pace we could be harvesting the grapes with the Mayflower pilgrims. The cool weather certainly didn’t cool things down across the bloggersphere or here on DrinkNectar.

August ended with my streak of daily posts (weekday) stretching on to seven consecutive months now and with readership hitting an all time high, 25% higher than last month. I have to give major thanks to Ben Simons and Sean Sullivan for holding the fort down while I was on vacation in New York. I made the commitment to leave my laptop at home but thank goodness for smart phones and good friends!!

The list of wines reviewed here on the site has passed 200 but this month only saw 16 formal reviews. Choosing the best of the best was fairly difficult. Below are the best value wines under $15, best wines, and my Nectar Monthly Honors of my favorite articles served up on the twitter machine in August. It’s not quite as cool as winning an Emmy but the after party rocks! Cheers and Drink Happy!

To view previous monthly honors posts, click here!

WINES OF THE MONTH

Best Value Under $15

2008 Caterina Chardonnay $12 (REVIEWED HERE)

• The Stuff: 100% Chardonnay from Preston Vineyards. The wine was fermented in stainless steel and stored in 50% oak for 6 months. 13.5%ABV, 500 cases produced
• The Swirl: Lighter straw color reminiscent of wheat. In the glass the wine gives off a thicker viscosity
• The Sniff: Subtle nose (as typical of Chardonnay) with hints of toasted almond, honey, and cinnamon.
• The Sip: Very impressive with thick juicy flavors. A subtle effervescence greats the tip of your tongue and then gives way to an abundance of fruit. Lots of subtle layers in this full bodied white wine with honey, crisp pear, vanilla, and peaches. The finish on the wine has moderate acid and dissipates quickly.
• The Score: At only $12 this wine outperforms many at twice the price. This is a strong recommend and a definite re-buy for any food appropriate dinner or Chardonnay lover. 4/5

90pts Wine Enthusiast; Paul Gregutt

No runner up selected for August

Best Wine

2007 Gilbert Cellars Allobroges $20

Recently, I spent a weekend with Sean Sullivan of Washington Wine Report. Our agenda was world wine blogging domination but we did manage to get out and about in the town of Yakima for a few hours of wine tasting. One of our stops was the highly recommended Gilbert Cellars. The stop did not disappoint.

The Rhone inspired Allobroges is Gilbert’s flagship wine. At only $20 the Syrah focused blend of 55% Syrah, 31% Mourvedre, and 14% Grenache is a wonderful blend of smooth spice, dried fruit, and earth driven structure. As we tasted through the selection of wine, the Allobroges stood out as being balanced and intriguing. I expected it to be at the top of their price tier, not the lower end. With a 700 case production, winemaker Justin Neufeld fermented the grapes in small one ton bins before moving the juice to age for 22 months in 17% new French and American oak barrels. 14.7%ABV. 4/5

Runner Up – William Church Winery 2009 Viognier $21 (REVIEWED HERE)

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS FROM AUGUST

The Best Social Media Advice

RickBakas The 8 C’s of #SocialBranding – http://bit.ly/baVUM4 – Simple but powerful foundation points in which to build a social brand

Most Interesting Movie and Wine Tie In

vintuba What do Robert Parker and Leonardo DiCaprio have in common? More then you may think http://bit.ly/ckFohV #wine

 Marketing Post Worthy of a Bookmark

TishWine Reading: How to leverage social media to increase wine sales… bit.ly/d1xr6W (From TheBuzzBin)

Favorite New Blogger Feature

365 Days With Champagne by Dale Cruse of DrinksAreOnMe.net – Follow Dale’s journey as he celebrates every day of life with a glass of sparkling wine (or two…or three). Dale is super talented, creative and a great conversationalist on Twitter! Follow him @dalecruse

Friends Pursuing a Dream

In August I watched two good friends demonstrate their bravery by leaving the comfort of their normal routines to pursue their dreams in the wine business. Ed Thralls from WineTonite.com trekked across the country to be a cellar rat at Holdredge Winery.  Ed, good luck my friend, here is to your future! Washington is calling!

Also throwing caution to the wind is fellow amigo Ben Simons from Vinotology. For the last week, Ben has been pimping, schlepping, demonstrating his mad skills across the great state of California in search of a gig in marketing at a winery. Ben is a talented project manager, writer, and understands the relationship marketing world we are now in. ANY winery would be smart to hire him…hellooooo…Washington!

A Revolution Begins

A lot of debate occurs about the place of the 100 point scale in the wine world. Vintank, and several influential bloggers, are looking to unseat the balance of power by introducing a “BADGE” method of rating. Check out all the great posts here. Lots of amazing conversation and debate.

• Vintank – Why We Think the Badge Concept Will Work
• VinTuba – It’s Time for a Wine Democracy
• Vinotology – Maybe We Do Need Stinking Badges
• DrinkNectar (that’s me) – Changing the Wine World One Badge At A Time

Most Creative Use of Video

suburbanwino very clever concept from @SipWithMe http://bit.ly/c2UuR5 – Wine is Truth and Everything Is Not As it Appears To Be. If you haven’t seen this video it is quite creative. In fact, I think Tamara holds the record for most mentions in these “monthly honors” posts now!

Posts That Made Me Spit Wine Out of My Mouth

1WineDude Constellactus, Devourer of Wine Brands, Attacks! (with apologies to NVV, Randall Graham & Constellation!): http://ping.fm/c5rf0 – Hilarious wine fiction with a sighting of the Silver Surfer

Cheers to @HopeFamilyWines for this Awesome #Wine Video http://bit.ly/bPTKOe #Troublemaker – A masterpiece video (The Office spoof) to promote the launch of their new wine

DrinkNectar Most Read Post

Relationships Sell Products – Spawned from the tweet “So far, there has been very little proof that social networking sells wine,” I talk about measuring ROI (Return on Investment) for a social media strategy. My favorite part about this post is the comments. Several intelligent, well thought out responses helped add to the overall value of the post! http://drinknectar.com/2010/08/17/relationships-sell-products/