William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

Taste Washington! Recommended Wines. Winemaker Larry Lehmbecker launched his "LEHM" label in 2005, for wines made exclusively with fruit from the Lake Chelan Valley. In 2010, WinePress Northwest honored Vin du Lac as "Northwest Winery of the Year." Lake Chelan is cultivating some truly premium fruit and it shows well in the “LEHM” wines. Lake Chelan is a beautiful vacation destination east of the Cascades, which has become a premium wine country destination. I've been fortunate to sample several different bottles of Vin du Lac wines this year, I look forward to enjoying more of Larry's superlative wines. My first visit to Lake Chelan was in 2006. I stayed in a condo on the lake with a stunning view of the Cascade Mountains. It was also my first occasion to visit several Lake Chelan wineries. In April 2009 the Lake Chelan AVA became the 11th AVA in Washington. Located in the north-central part of the state around Lake Chelan, the area is a sub-appellation ...

The theme? Decant this wine please. Vin du Lac Red Cafe Syrah 2009 Columbia Valley. My regular readers know that I am a Syrah fan. Washington Syrah is one of my favorite, go to, must try, varietals.  It can be oh, so good. There are many styles of Syrah produced in Washington and that is part of the fun. Discovering the style of a winemaker and gaining an appreciation for their talent in making wine, is also one of the wine blogging perks I enjoy. It has been my pleasure this month to sample and review several different wines made by Larry Lehmbecker and his team at Vin du Lac winery of Lake Chelan, Washington. My review today is of the Vin du Lac 2009 Red Café Syrah, Columbia Valley. Color: Inky dark, violet tinged rim. Nose: Plum, spice, pencil shavings, boysenberry syrup, bacon, dark chocolate with, yes, grape Bubble Yum, and plum. Palate:  Spice, smooth, more acid than tannins, a little heat on the gums. After some air, the heat dissipated, tannins became a bet...

Today a musical pairing. Vin du Lac 2007 Merlot "Barrel Select" Last night I was watching music videos while enjoying a bottle of  Vin du Lac 2007 “Barrel Select” Merlot. Vin du Lac is located in lovely Lake Chelan, Washington. My favorite musical pairing of the evening was with the music video by award-winning British artist, Estelle and her song "Thank You” . For me, a good match. At opening the wine was ruby colored, after 30 minutes it deepened to a dark garnet. The nose:  floral, slightly candied, whiff of sandal wood, cherry, vanilla, an herbal component appeared after 30 minutes along with some cola. After an hour spicy baked bell pepper appeared. I really grooved on the nose. Lip smacking flavors of cherry, vanilla, nutmeg, with soft to medium tannins. A medium finish on opening, it appreciably lengthened the longer it was open. The Vin du Lac 2007 Merlot "Barrel Select" is very approachable. Not everyone has the luxury to wait an hour befor...

Successfully paired with Vin du Lac 2010 “LEHM” Gewurztraminer. A blast of cold last week brought snow, hail and some very dangerous road conditions. For a day. The snow and ice left, but the cold wind remained. The return of winter weather primed my appetite for something hot and filling. Which explains why I impulsively bought a bag of oxtail. Oxtail? Oxtail is, well, it is the tail of a cattle cut into short pieces. Oxtail is a bony, gelatin-rich meat, usually slow-cooked as a stew. I have warm, fuzzy memories of my mother making oxtail stew when I was a little boy. But I had never made oxtail stew. I had no treasured family recipe, and I was not sure of the ingredients I would need. Beef stock obviously. But what else? And how long would it take to make? These are questions I would answer for myself last weekend. Oxtail stew day two - in one of my wheel thrown bowls. I'll save you some work by providing the recipe I found, used and modified. There is a proper process f...

Not your everyday Pinot Gris.  I have not listed a “Wine of the Week” in some months. Vin du Lac so impressed me with their 2009 LEHM Pinot Gris, that I feel it is a perfect choice for the week. My first experience with a Vin du Lac LEHM wine was at Taste Washington Seattle in 2008 . I was impressed then and I'm impressed now. There's a lot going on with this wine and I love how dry, dry it is. 100% Pinot Gris from Lake Chelan Fruit. The 2009 LEHM Pinot Gris opens with melon rind, petrol, chamomile and fresh bread. I enjoy how the pale gold color catches the light and reflects in the swirls. Good mouth feel, while it is 14% alcohol, there is no intrusive heat. Dry, tart, apricot and mineral finish. Beautiful crisp spike of flavor down the center of the mouth. This wine would be a perfect companion to oysters on the half shell, sashimi, tempura and Dungeness crab. This wine stimulated my appetite and I'm now craving the above food. I wish the local sushi restaurant ...