William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

"How are you going to standout? You must have a distinctive terroir. That's the story, it's about the place. It's not the producer." Steve Robertson, SJR Vineyards   Steve Robertson, SJR Vineyards, at Force Majeure construction site. The Vision for the Future of Northwest Wines Last month I attended the 2018 Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, Washington. Wines were impressive as expected, and I was introduced to many talented winemakers. What I did not expect, was to have a new jolt of excitement for and about the future of Northwest wines. There are some cool things percolating inside of the Walla Walla Valley AVA. Mentally, my thinking towards Washington wine is merging with thinking about Oregon wine. We share three AVA’s ( Columbia Gorge, Columbia Valley and Walla Walla Valley ), numerous vineyards, the Columbia River and many talented and passionate growers and makers. Last month, this view was re-enforced by Steve Robertson of SJR Vineyards...

Growers and Makers Blending Talent and Passion.  International group of wine writers visit future vineyard site of Force Majeur Winery. Wine touring in my backyard. There’s a corner of the wine world which is already beginning to enter the next phase of its maturation. Its the place where I live, a place where my grandfather lived and the place where some of my favorite makers and growers live. All this within minutes of my front door. Sometimes proximity leads to myopia. This past week, my vision was adjusted for the better. See this events many social media posts from myself and other wine writers by searching: #wbc18  #wallawalla  @wwvalleywine  @tricitieswa International group of wine bloggers and media in attendance at Marcus Whitman Hotel, Walla Walla, Washington. 2018 Wine Bloggers Conference Eight years ago I attended my first Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, Washington. Last week, I was again in Walla Walla, this time attendin...

Quick update. Just wanted to touch base and let everyone know that I am still enmeshed in the Washington wine industry. Pouring and sharing my passion for wine almost daily. Whew...busy, but having a great deal of fun. You can see my daily wine interactions on my Instagram . Winemaker Brad Binko sharing his Eternal Rose'. Eager to share my conversation with Walla Walla Winemaker Brad Binko of Eternal Wines and Drink Washington State. More soon. Just need a little quiet time to gather my words. Cheers!

There's a new winemaker in Walla Walla, Washington, by the name of Brad Binko. Write that name down. Now go look for his wines. "Life is about stories so let’s go make one!" Brad Binko Brad is a big guy, with a friendly smile and warm personality. He's quick to shake your hand and ready to talk wine. I enjoyed meeting Brad and enjoyed tasting his first releases. First releases? Yep, Brad has done a wonderful job crafting white, rose' and red wines. I'm quite impressed at the quality, depth of flavor, maturity of style and his cool label designs. Have you written down his name yet? Originally from Buffalo, New York, Brad Binko is a Certified Sommelier and today is making small lots of terroir driven Washington wines. He focuses on Rhone Varietals and single vineyard wines using native fermentation, extended maceration, and non-intrusive wine-making techniques.  Eternal Wines  only uses hand harvested fruit from premium vineyards. Production is at 400...

Jeffrey Hill painting of Eric Dunham racking wine at L'Ecole No 41 from a 1998 Polaroid photo. “Eric wanted it, Michael made it happen, I supported it.”  Joanne Dunham Last week I visited Dunham Cellars in Walla Walla, Washington as they prepare to celebrate their 20th anniversary. They have earned many deserved accolades over the years, they have acted and remained true to their ideals and realized successful growth. In recent years the Dunham family has also experienced heart rending loss. What makes for a great bottle of wine and successful winery? While it is easy to see what is close and accessible, as in the obvious wine in bottle and glass, for they are of unmistakable quality at Dunham Cellars, what is not always apparent are the people who took the risk to found the winery, those who are present, those who are missed, those who now labor in the vineyards and tonight in the cellar. All of these people are part of the details and perspective essential to...