William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

Don't wait too long to purchase this wine for your holiday celebrations. My wife and I recently visited Hamilton Cellars tasting room in Richland, Washington. The first wine we sampled was the 2009 Rosé of Malbec. I originally tasted their Malbec in February.   My wife had never sampled their Rosé, so I was interested in her reaction. This Rosé is a bit darker and bigger than most, it is a lovely, clear, candy red. The color reminds me of the cherry suckers we used to get at the dentist office as kids - a perfect color for the holiday season. On the first taste of this crisp, dry, wine I had some instant free associations – I thought of cranberries, visualizing the cranberry dressing my wife made last year and I saw turkey at the dinner table with stuffing and sweet potatoes then I heard laughter, followed by the image of our fireplace, friends with glasses of wine, falling snow, and cranberries again. Whoa, a holiday wine indeed. This Rosé has some depth and is far more inter...

Last month, I met with Stacie Hamilton of Hamilton Cellars winery ( read post ), the newest winery in town. Friday, I met again with Stacie, but this time Stacie and I sat down and tasted Hamilton Cellars marvelous wines. Stacie Hamilton and me. Photo courtesy of vinotology.com original image at http://ow.ly/i/7QDC Hamilton Cellars has a complete lineup of wine: 2008 White blend, 2009 Rosé of Malbec, 2006/2007/2008 Bona Vita Red blend, 2007 Merlot, 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2007 Malbec. There is a $5 tasting fee per person, which is refunded with bottle purchase. We began with the 2008 White Wine This wine is 83% Semillon, my favorite white wine varietal, backed up with 17% Viognier. This is a very successful wine. It’s very rich, with a great floral and baked bread nose, full in the mouth and quite satisfying. I’m thinking seafood, crab, lobster, mussels and prawns. Next, 2009 Rosé of Malbec Ha! This one will surprise you, it surprised me. The Rosé instantly reminded me...

The Tasting Room is Open  Hamilton Cellars Richland Tasting Room Located in Eastern Washington, Hamilton Cellars is the first official winery in Richland Washington! Hamilton Cellars opened to the public on January 5, 2011. This week I had the pleasure of meeting Stacie Hamilton of Hamilton Cellars. Stacie and her husband Russ Hamilton have partnered with renowned winemaker Charlie Hoppes, to craft some truly noteworthy wines. Together they have already collaborated on three vintages. The Tasting Room  Curvy bar has room for many visitors Hamilton Cellars tasting room is located in South Richland’s Queensgate Village, on Keene Road. The 2000 SF tasting room is equipped with a long curved wine bar, roomy enough to engage a large group of visitors. The curve of the bar continues into “Milton’s Lair” – a wine club member’s only section of the tasting room.  Cozy fireplace of Milton's Lair While it was chilly and gloomy outside, inside the tasting room, Sta...