William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

Barnard Griffin has a new look. One of my favorite jobs was working for the family owned Barnard Griffin Winery. Hand-selling wine, meeting and greeting visitors from around the world and sharing stories of Washington wine were some of my best experiences. Period. It also pushed me to learn more about wine. I'm still learning. You are encouraged to stop by their expanded tasting room when you visit SE Washington. New Griffin label and original Tulip label at the grocer. It is always with pleasure when I see a bottle from one of my favorite local wineries. As with all things familiar, there is eventually change. Barnard Griffin Winery dropped their familiar, friendly tulip label design last year. They have decided to embrace the Griffin logo on their label. My thoughts? It does look classier and it presents well. The new label seems to make the bottle look bigger too. I miss the friendly tulip label, but I am adapting to the change. I can only hope that in future they do...

Thank Me Later August is Washington wine month in Washington State. So the Washington State Liquor stores sell Washington wines at lower than normal prices. I took advantage of the reduced prices and purchased a ‎2008 Barnard Griffin Cabernet Sauvignon for only $13. I've mentioned before that I've been a fan of Barnard Griffin wines since 1997. So, I was not surprised that I enjoyed this wine. But, don’t expect a monster Cabernet out of this bottle, it’s more dignified than brutish. I found the 2008 Cabernet to be quite smooth and bright, with cherry, vanilla, pepper and some smokiness, very tasty for a medium bodied wine. Drink it with or without food. It's plenty bright, so pairing with grilled meats is suggested. It's very drinkable today and should hold up in the cellar for the next handful of years (go buy a case now while prices are reduced). The 2008 Cabernet has had good reviews and it won Best in Show at the Washington Wine Competition . Ro...