William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

A ginger kick, fewer steps and finished on the grill.  Taste? Delicious! This summer I've been experimenting with my oven settings and began using a new Hibachi grill. It's been a lot of fun to use my favorite recipes in new ways. It also occurred to me, there must be a way to simplify some of these recipes. Today, I wanted to share with you an updated version of my go to ribs recipe (this recipe originally appeared on my March 14, 2015 post ). The recipe is based on an Eastern North Carolina ribs recipe, so it is vinegar based. *Note :   In 2013 I was in Raleigh, North Carolina for a media visit with Nomacorc . Of the many takeaways from that visit, I learned how seriously they regard barbecue in North Carolina, east vs. west, vinegar or ketchup, tradition vs. innovation. I went east, with a vinegar sauce based on tradition. Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of barbecue. It is also packed f...

Companion post to June #winemuse podcast.  On the Third Thursday Wine Muse podcast hosts, Linda Rez and William Pollard explored the varieties which make spring and summer POP. Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir Blanc, Riesling, Rose', Sauvignon Blanc, and sparkling wines, are some of the wines you'll want to enjoy on a hot day.  Listen to the June Podcast "The Best Spring and Summer Wine Varieties . For this special podcast, guests included winemakers and growers from Oregon and California: Wayne Bailey from McMinville, Orgeon, Youngberg Hill Vineyards introduced his Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc,  Mike Bayliss from Oregon's Yamhill Carlton's AVA, Ghost Hill Cellars introduced his 2013 Pinot Noir Blanc,  and Chris Kajani from Carneros, California, Bouchaine Vineyards introduced the 2014 Bouchaine Riesling. Listen to the podcast and follow along with the included tasting notes below. 1. Wayne Bailey, Youngberg Hill  10660 SW Youngberg Hill R...

My first Oregon Malbec. Loved it! This is the first-ever LIVE Certified wine from Silvan Ridge Winery. Their 2011 Malbec, sourced exclusively from Gold Vineyards in Talent, Oregon. LIVE stands for "Low Input Viticulture & Enology" and refers to the practice of reducing the amount of raw materials (inputs such as pesticides, fertilizer, water, chemicals, fuel, etc.) used in vineyard and winery production. Silvan Ridge Winery was founded in the southern Willamette Valley near Eugene, Oregon in 1979, They are best known for their Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, and an effervescent Early Muscat. Hello Malbec. "Yaba Daba Doo!" This Oregon Malbec impressed. I encourage you find this wine and enjoy it with your best friends. Add Silvan Ridge Winery to my list, and yours, of must visit Oregon wineries. Well done. Definitely a Wine of the Week ! Need to find more of this wine. Tasting Notes Silvan Ridge Winery 2011 Malbec: Nose : Soft, with ...

Minstrel and Muse #WineMuse Podcast  New World Pinot Noir Show - Part 3 This month on our featured #WineMuse podcast show  Linda Reznicek and yours truly, have focused on New World Pinot Noir. We have tackled the question of " What's so great about Pinot Noir? " As we wrap up Part 3 of our discussion on Pinot Noir, we had to include Oregon. We were fortunate to enjoy a tasting of three Oregon wines made by Stephen Lutz of  Lenné Estate as well as an engaging conversation with this talented winemaker and vineyard manager. "Steve Lutz is a genius!" Tina Morey, Certified Sommelier, Protocol Wine Studio . This month we have focused on New World Pinot Noir. Specifically, Pinot Noir from Carneros in California, Oregon Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley and a Pinot Noir from Chile. This special podcast series is divided into three episodes. My posts with tasting notes are also in three parts. We have explored the aesthetics of Pinot Noir and the cul...

"Soléna is the combination of the French and Spanish words "Soleil" and "Luna" celebrating the sun and the moon." I recently participated in a twitter wine tasting of the biodynamically farmed organic wines of Soléna Estate from Dundee, Oregon.  Winemaker Bruno Corneaux was in attendance. The tasting included the Soléna Willamette Valley Pinot Gris, Soléna Grande Cuvee Pinot Noir, Soléna Hyland Vineyard Pinot Noir, and the Soléna Domaine Danielle Laurent. Unfortunately for me, the wines I was expecting were delayed due to heat. It was just too darn hot to ship the wines. My samples arrived during a brief cooling period. Since these wines arrived too late for me to taste with everyone participating in the twitter tasting, I'm catching up and sharing my personal impressions of these Oregon wines. I try to be as unbiased as possible and to judge each wine on its own merits. When you have four premium wines from the same winery to taste and r...