William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

Music, Views and Wine in the Columbia Gorge. Maryhill Winery is uniquely situated along the Columbia River Gorge. With a 4,000-seat amphitheater below the winery, they bring world class musicians to perform every summer. Come for the music, take in the gorgeous views and enjoy some wonderful Washington wine. Summer Concert Schedule : Counting Crows and special guests The Wallflowers, Sunday, July 14, 6 p.m. Daryl Hall and John Oates , Saturday, Aug. 17, 7 p.m. Willie Nelson & Family, Saturday, Aug. 24, 7 p.m.

Destiny Ridge Vineyards, Horse Heaven Hills AVA. Photo: 2011 Shepherds Mark. We hit 103 degrees in the Columbia Valley today. That my friends is hot. If you are in the area visiting, wear a hat, sunscreen and drink plenty of water. This kind of weather puts me in the mood for crisp, refreshing white wine. Which is one of the reasons I wholly enjoyed the Alexandria Nicole 2011 Shepherds Mark. This wine is dedicated to the sheepherders and Horse Heaven Hills pioneers who left their mark on the world. A sentiment I can relate to, since my grandfather William and his brother Jeff, both herded sheep. Their grandparents, my great-great grandparents, homesteaded the NW in the 1800's. And the wine? This wine had beautiful minerality on the nose, with stone fruit and incense. Good mouth feel, nice weight. Crisp, peach, pear, and more minerality. I like how this wine tastes and feels. Bright, long mineral finish. With all the heat this summer, this wine is a wonderful summer sippe...

August has cranked up the heat in the Columbia Valley. Locally, we've been at or near triple digits. Wispy clouds this weekend, tempered the summer sun while grapes in the valley begin véraison. Véraison is a French term, but has been adopted into English. The official definition of véraison is "change of color of the grape berries." Véraison signifies the change from berry growth to berry ripening in grapevines. Photo: Standing in front of Tempranillo vines, Destiny Ridge Vineyard. Friday morning, I drove to Alexandria Nicole Cellars winery . The winery is located on their Destiny Ridge Vineyard, located above the Columbia River, near Patterson, Washington. For me, this was a drive of 110 miles round-trip from my home and back. My friend, Ben Simons , Social Media Director for Alexandria Nicole Cellars, invited me to visit the vineyard and winery. The following photos were acquired over a four hour vineyard tour and wine cellar visit. I was impressed by this f...

Barnard Griffin is open for tasting in new digs. I popped over to Barnard Griffin winery yesterday to check out the new Bistro. Barnard Griffin is in the process of remodeling their facility, which includes a new Bistro, outdoor patio, glass studio and a re-built tasting room. The original tasting room is in the process of demolition and remodel, so they have temporarily moved the tasting room to the new Bistro. Yes, they are open and ready to pour you some wine. I'm told they will start serving some food within the week. New patio visible from the Bistro. The glass doors slide open when weather permits. Starting in July they will be open Wednesday through Saturday until 8PM! Stop by and check out the new digs and take time to enjoy some great wine. Tell them Wild 4 Washington Wine sent you. View of vineyards from the new patio. Outdoor fire pits will make evenings truly romantic. Deborah Barnard's glass clouds are displayed from the suspended ceiling.  T...