Does Deep Freeze Mean Deep Trouble? Whitestone’s Michael Haig Explains
November 23 and 24 were the punctuation mark on a long cool growing season for Washington grape growers. With temperatures plunging from 30 degrees to -4 degrees and lower in a matter of a few days, vineyard managers were scrambling. As wineries wrapped up the 2010 harvest, doubts about the 2011 harvest lay heavy on many people’s hearts. Much of the damage will be uncertain until Spring but many areas had a lot to be thankful for over the holiday. Washington grape growers understand hard freeze. With one coming every 5-8 years, this part of the business is nearly unavoidable. […]
A Conundrum and A Mystery Equals A Good Wine
A conundrum is a riddle in which a fanciful question is answered by a pun. Conundrum Winery offers a riddle of fanciful wine varietals to create a mysterious blend of delicious wine. For 20 years the Wagner family has been making Conundrum winery divulging only the use of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat Canelli. The addition of Semillon and Viognier in small quantities adds to the mystery that is Conundrum wine. The wine grapes are grown, harvested and produced independently to focus on the quality that comes naturally from the vineyard. Some of the wine undergoes oak, some does not. […]
A Nodland Cellars Thanksgiving
I am not a huge fan of turkey. For Christmas I’d rather have ham, for Easter, I’d rather have prime rib. For Thanksgiving, we’ve established a tradition of lasagna and cheesecake. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate turkey. If you’re going to invite me over for Thanksgiving dinner, don’t think you have to serve something different. Just don’t serve me mushrooms, brussel sprouts or liver and onions. Every other year my wife and I end up alone for Thanksgiving. With family in Portland, some in Phoenix, and shared custody of the boy, we stay by ourselves in Spokane on […]
Parducci Goes Green on the Wallet and the Planet
I love discovering value wines. The majority of the folks on this earth are average Joe wine consumers. The average Joe (or Suzie) consumes about 12-15 bottles of wine per year (I go through that in less than a month) and spends about $15 per bottle. Finding good tasting value wines has been a fun challenge over the last year. I have an entire section of my blog dedicated to “Under $10 Wines” and reviewed 30+ wines over the course of the year to create the “Under $10 Wine Team.” Recently, by way of industry sample, I received 2 […]
2010 Beaujolais Nouveau – A Celebration of Marketing
Marketing! Pure marketing brilliance. Some wines are all flash and no substance, pretty packages, gimmicky labels, marketing fluff and no flavor. If the Gamay found in the Beaujolais Nouveau was in any other bottle some might say it fits in the previous sentence…and maybe it does. Each year, with great fanfare and celebration, the French celebrate the completion of harvest with the release of Gamay from Beaujolais Village. The wine in the bottle was still hanging as grapes on the vine just 6-8 weeks ago. Seemingly everyone is familiar with Georges Duboeuf’s “don’t need to buy a vowel” wine. […]