Thirty years! Twenty plus wines in the catalogue! Pioneer in Washington’s premier Red Mountain AVA! Kiona Vineyards and Winery is excited to announce their first ever wine club.

Saturday, I went to Costco because JJ Williams of Kiona was pimpin’ wine there. JJ is the 1 Eye Wine Guy (and yes, he does only have one eye). JJ’s family started and owns Kiona Vineyards and pioneered Red Mountain AVA and Washington wine. There were less than 20 wineries in the state when they planted grapes in 1975. Now, after 30 years of making consistently great product (and selling Red Mountain grapes to several other wineries) Kiona is excited to announce their wine club.

Three shipments per year of four to six bottles for only $125 (plus shipping) gets you library wine re-releases, pre-release wines and special wine club releases of small lot production. Wine club members will also receive 15% off on bottle purchases and 20% off on case purchases.

If you only join one wine club, this is one to consider for the variety, the quality, and the access to the diverse Kiona library. Visit the site to learn more and to sign up.

My apologies for the video not having JJ in frame fully – I hadn’t even had any wine! What is your favorite wine club? What features do you like? Leave a comment.

For my review of three Kiona Wine, check out the Tag Team with @thewinewhore!

Today’s video review is unlike anything you’ve ever seen in the wine blogging world. Never before has such a unique collaboration occurred. Two reviewers spanning over 3000 miles simultaneously taste the same wines from Kiona Winery (@kionawine on Twitter). You’ll be seduced by the music. You’ll be aroused by the Florida beaches. You’ll be amazed at the wine. The review is wrapped up with a virtual jam session with me on guitar and Randy from @thewinewhore on drums.

I love the line on Kiona’s web site, “You know you’ve got to start a winery when you make more wine than you can drink.”

Kiona more than started a winery, they were part of propelling Washington wine into the mainstream of becoming the second largest producer of wine in the country (second to California). When only a handful of wineries called Washington home, Kiona planted its first grapes in 1975 and produced its first wine in 1980. At that time there were less than 15 wineries in the state (now there are over 650).

Kiona Winery calls the small Red Mountain AVA home. Kiona is home to 1/3 of the planted acres of grapes in the AVA. The 300 acres of Kiona fruit serve as the magic for the 20 wines they produce and grapes for several other Washington wineries. Today’s cross country review is of their Late Harvest Riesling, Dry Riesling and the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon.

The NectarView

2008 Late Harvest Riesling

• The Stuff: 100% Riesling; 10% residual sugar 10% alcohol
• The Swirl: A beautiful peach juice and honey color. Even on the swirl, I get the impression this is going to be like a nice light syrup
• The Sniff: Intoxicating aroma of honey, tropical fruit, and a field of wild flowers
• The Sip: Obviously as a dessert wine this is sweet. It is not overly done and has a nice balance on the back end. Could pair nicely with spicey food. I personally could only experience it in small 2-3 oz pours.
• The Score: I’m a fan, but not a huge fan of this wine (only because I’m not a fan of sweet wines.) If you like dessert wines, you’ll love it. At $10 per 1/2 bottle, I score this a high 3+ (out of 5)

2008 Dry Riesling

• The Stuff: 100% Estate grown 30 year old vines 13% alcohol 100% Stainless Steel
• The Swirl: This dry Riesling has a nice yellow straw and honey color.
• The Sniff: Apples, Pineapples and rose pedals oh my. Very aromatic wine. The sniff gives a hint of carbonation too.
• The Sip: Very nice, slightly sweet but not over the top. Good sipping summer wine or pairing with Asian food, Sushi, or Thai food. The peaches and apples come off the palate. Moderate acidity to make your mouth water. A little aluminum on the back end throws off the balance.
• The Score: At $12-$15 this is a very good Riesling, I score it a 4 (out of 5).

2003 Cabernet Sauvignon

• The Stuff: 85% Cabernet 9% Merlot 6% Cab Franc.
• The Swirl: A dark purple brown color. Good aged looking wine.
• The Sniff: Leather, earth, smoke, and then finally the sour cherry fruit. Nice smelling wine.
• The Sip: This is a good complex wine that offers enough fruit (cherry and plum) with the smokey tobacco flavor. There is some minerality that keeps me from scoring this higher. This is a nicely aged wine that drank very well for 2 days. I found it interresting and offered a variety of flavors. Not huge on tannin but enough acid to eat with smoked beef, and even some hickory smoked salmon with a dark reduction of some sort.
• The Score: At $20 retail, this wine easily gets a 4 from me. If you find it for under $15, buy more than one bottle.

Kiona is a Washington pioneer and a consistent maker of great wine. This is a label that can ALWAYS be trusted in the store and in the restaurant. Visit their tasting room in Benton City, WA just West of Richland, WA.

Drink.Happy!