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...

You seldom encounter an Oregon Pinot Noir of this quality at this price.  "I’ve missed you Oregon Pinot Noir." I am strongly recommending the Real Nice Winemakers 2015 Black Magnolia Pinot Noir. My Pinot Noir drinkers will instantly appreciate this wine. And speaking to you non-Pinot Noir drinkers, this wine is the perfect excuse to try again. It is well crafted and priced reasonably. You can afford to give it a taste. I think you will be as pleased as I was. "Wow. Very good. Ready to drink. Big like." Tasting Notes Black Magnolia 2015 Pinot Noir Color : Pale ruby, clear rim. Nose : Medium intensity, earthy raspberry, savory spice, blackcurrant, strawberry jam. Pretty. Palate :  Medium body, fruity, bright red cherry, ripe strawberry, creamy, medium plus acidity, dry, pretty medium finish. Well done. 30 minutes : Medium ruby color. Tobacco leaf, candied fruit, ripe raspberry, perfume on the nose. Fluid, medium minus body, cranberry, cherry, str...

"Patio thinker into a sunset sharing wine." Today I am pleased to share my sentiments on the second vintage of Shallow Seas Rosé, by winemaker Anthony Van Nice, of Real Nice Winemakers . "The name and the antique diver helmet refer to our marine sedimentary soils here. The whole area was an inland seas millions of years ago and plate tectonic forces pushed this ancient seabed up to the surface. You can walk the vineyards and break apart rocks with your hands and find fossilized seas shells and other marine life." Tasting Notes Shallow Seas 2017  Rosé Color: Rose gold. Nose : Medium-minus intensity, minerality, dried strawberry, perfume, hint of pink grapefruit and pomegranate. Pretty. Palate : Medium minus intensity, medium body, dry, textured, tingle on tongue, Delicate flavor, savory, raspberry, cherry, juicy quince, medium finish. Lovely, nuanced flavors, focused and spot on. My speed. I like this wine, a lot. Day two : Juicy, dry, savor...

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...

Five wonderful days in Oregon Wine Country.  Photo: Phelps Creek Vineyards view. There's a treasure trove of wine across the Columbia River. While I've preoccupied myself with my Washington wine pursuits, I've ignored a wealth of wine next door. I'm referring to Oregon Wine. This month I spent five enlightening days in Oregon, sampling the best of Oregon wine. The fifth annual Wine Bloggers Conference was hosted in Portland, Oregon. I was fortunate to attend. There are not enough words for me to express how affected I was by my experience in Oregon. Oregon winemakers are creating and expressing true wine passion. You can tell by the exquisite wines they are making. Oregon is an environment where sharing and inspiring each other is the norm. Environmentally aware, Sustainable, Organic and Bio-Dynamic are natural topics of conversation in Oregon wineries. Northern Oregon wine country is minutes from the vibrant city scene of Portland. I visited wineries a...