William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

Last month I left one of my favorite jobs in the Washington wine industry. After 35 months working at Col Solare Winery on the Red Mountain AVA, I have decided to take a break from wine sales and wine education. It was my choice. I remain a huge fan of Col Solare and their talented winemaker and cellar crew. Miss them too.  Twenty years ago I began working in the Washington wine industry. My first wine job was in 2005 working for Barnard Griffin Winery in Richland, Washington. What an amazing time. I learned I loved selling wine and telling stories about wine. This is when I began taking wine far more seriously, and learned more about winemaking, grape varieties, and customer interactions. Also, during this phase I was inspired to create this blog. I was discovering my writing "voice" and the beginning of my teaching voice. Thank you Rob, Deborah, Micky, Miah, Meagan, Kim, and all those I worked with. Thank you.  Writing about wine, from a wine sales and production winery v...

Displays of gold, orange and red leaves in the vineyards foretell cooler weather. Blankets of clouds, emergent, protectively hug the Horse Heaven Hills. As the progressively shorter days and longer nights nestle into fall, I crave Chardonnay. For me, Chardonnay is the wine of choice for this season. Clouds forming on the Horse Heaven Hills. Today, I have six recommended Washington Chardonnays which are suitable for your fall repasts and celebratory occasions. Chardonnay remains the most popular white wine variety for a reason. Because it can be so darn good and affordable too. It is a variety which can be expressed in numerous ways, nutty, fruity, dry, oaked, unoaked, crisp and pale to heavy and dark. A supremely expressible and food compatible wine. For the ABC partisans, think of these recommended wines as conversion therapy. Don't behave like the elusive White Zinfandel drinker. Give Chardonnay another try, Washington Chardonnay that is. You can thank me later. Chee...

A soul satisfying casserole perfect for holiday potlucks and family dinners, paired with a not too sweet port-style wine. Yum! This is the 6th Wine Pairing Weekend #winePW   These events are held on the second Saturday of the month at 8 am Pacific. Do you enjoy the interplay of good food and wine? Do you relish the challenge of finding a great wine pairing for your weekend meals? Then join us for the real pleasure of wine when it accompanies food. If you have similar inclinations, you are invited to join us. Another goal for Wine Pairing Weekend is to serve as a resource for people searching the web for wine pairing ideas. The theme for this month is about the details of Thanksgiving dinner. The holiday that I love. Our goal, find a wine that makes our favorite part of the meal shine. Is it the deep herbal notes in the stuffing, or the buttery, garlic mashed potatoes? The brown-sugar sweet potato casserole, or the bright and tart cranberry sauce? Maybe even the big s...

Disco is Not Dead - Drink Me! One of the perks of living near so many wineries, is the pleasure of dropping in and tasting wine before buying. Sunday I popped by Barnard Griffin winery and enjoyed their $5 Tulip wine tasting. At the end of the tasting, my tasting fee was discounted from the price of my purchase. Where else can you try wine before you buy? Tulip Tasting The Barnard Griffin Tulip tasting lineup consists primarily of their traditional consumer label. The list will change with availability. Following is the list I sampled at this tasting. I was torn among three wines and decided on the 2010 Merlot because it said "drink me" the loudest. Go find this wine before it is sold out! 2012 Pinot Gris - Floral, fresh, with a tropical flourish. Almost bought this one. 2013 Fume' Blanc - Very tropical, gentle, relaxed, easy sipper. 2012 Chardonnay - Ginger, friendly, chill, "drink me." 2013 Riesling - Pretty, restrained, orange on the finish. 2...

Artist Deborah Barnard working in her studio. Working with fused glass. I've indirectly worked with glass for many years, but in the medium of pottery and glazes. You may have noticed some of the ceramic plates and bowls in my wine photos, most of them were made by me. But I've never worked with fused glass until last week. Pottery and fused glass have some common elements; frits, kilns and that mellifluous interaction of artistic intent with reactive chemicals and heat.

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...

I stopped by Barnard Griffin Winery in Richland, Washington this morning. They have begun construction on a major re-model of their winery. Additions will include a new db gallery and studio for Deborah Barnard's glass art. An extended patio and outdoor space that will connect the db gallery to  a new VIP tasting room. The existing barrel room will be converted into the VIP tasting room. The current tasting room will be renovated, expanded and redesigned to allow for an improved tasting experience. You can follow the construction progress on the Barnard Griffin Remodel blog page: http://barnardgriffinremodel.tumblr.com When I stopped by today, the tasting room was open to foot traffic only coming from the far gate (the gate closer to Tagaris)... but it changes hourly! You can always call 509-627-0266 and they will let you know the current situation. This is an exciting project for Barnard Griffin winery, their fans and those of us who used to work there. Best of lu...

There's still time to impress your Valentine tonight. Have you selected a wine for tonight? My last minute Valentine's Day wine recommendations are the Barnard Griffin Orange Muscat and Rosé of Sangiovese. Either of these wines will gratify the eye and compliment your evening. Widely available in Washington State and at the winery tasting room. Choose one or try the pair. The Orange Muscat is a staple with our family. Everything you could love in a gently sweet white wine. Don’t think dessert wine, this is more of an aperitif wine. Aromatic and flavorful with orange and peach, yes a bit sweet, but not heavy, it is very satisfying. Perhaps the best Orange Muscat I've enjoyed. Start your evening with Orange Muscat and some light appetizers (crab and cream cheese wontons would be perfect). My second suggestion is the Rosé of Sangiovese, which has become a signature Washington wine. Winning the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, gold or better, for 7 years in a ...

Video from the March 30th Taste and Tweet at Barnard GriffinWinery. Featuring: Scott Abernethy, Ben Simons and William Pollard Jr. We really should have decanted this wine earlier, or used an aerator as Scott suggested. The Ciel du Cheval is a huge wine, layered with succulent flavors, the wine was just beginning to open as we wrapped up. This bottle was provided courtesy of Barnard Griffin Winery. Cheers!

Lovely Day at Barndard Griffin Winery on Friday May 27, 2011. Taste and Tweet Monday at Barnard Griffin Winery. Open invite to anyone who blogs or tweets wine, or enjoys reading our posts, we're meeting at Barnard Griffin Winery, at noon on Monday, May 30th. Join us for a glass of wine or a tasting flight. This is an opportunity to visit with local wine fans and those visiting the Tri-Cities this holiday weekend. Bring a camera and add some new photos to your wine blog. The wine is always good and the company will be too. Hope to see you Monday. If you have not visited the Barnard Griffin Winery recently, here's a link to my post  " Barnard Griffin Winery Visit Wows "  from February this year. note: I stopped by the winery yesterday, they were bottling the 2010 Chardonnay. As busy as they were, Rob Griffin and his Cellar Master, Miah took time to chat with me and show off their improved bottling line - thank you. But, I di...

SOME UPCOMING - Not to Miss - EVENTS April 15, 2011 - There will be a lot going on this weekend. Thomas O'Neil Cellars Grand Opening in Richland, Washington. The big day is here! Thomas O’Neil Cellars is opening their doors to the public on April 15, 2011 and having fun the whole weekend with wine, friends and live music. www.thomasoneilcellars.com   Barnard Griffin Winery SPRING BARREL TASTING WEEKEND . They will be tasting wines from both their Tulip label as well as their Reserve line up all weekend. This event is not affiliated with the Yakima Valley event on the same weekend. Spring Barrel Tasting in the Yakima Valley . Locations: Yakima , Prosser , Naches , Sunnyside , Wapato , Outlook , Benton City , Zillah , Granger , Downtown Yakima , Grandview , Paterson Various. Read about the fantastic time I had at the 2010 Spring Barrel weekend in Prosser here . April 16, 2011 Col Solare Winery is hosting a  “Wild and Exotic” Winemaker’s Dinner on...

Some overdue shout-outs and mentions. Last month I was at Taste Washington in Seattle, and it was a 7 hour rush. That is, I was rushing around on my “breaks” from greeting 3,000+ attendees. My breaks only allowed for a bit of time here and there to visit and taste. Today I’d like to say thank you to those I did not mention last month. Shout-Outs! Kitzke Cellars Before the event started, I did manage to visit briefly with Vickie Kitzke and her friends Linda and Bill. This was their first time at Taste Washington. I reviewed Kitzke Cellars here . Their tasting room in West Richland is open by appointment. Check them out at Taste Washington Portland on May 1st if you missed them in Seattle. Gordon Brothers Winery I had hoped to visit with Katie Nelson of Gordon Brothers Winery, but she was engaged with a crowd of tasters when I stopped by. My last visit to Gordon Brothers is reviewed here . They too will be at Taste Washington Portland on May 1st. Hedges Family Estate Winery...

Wine Wednesday, a Perfect Afternoon for Wine Tasting Barnard Griffin Winery off of Tulip Lane. Winter has returned to the Columbia Valley, today was sunny, but a very cold day. Since today is Wine Wednesday, #WW, I thought it was time to stop in and visit my friends at Barnard Griffin winery. It's been more than a year since I last visited the Barnard Griffin winery, far too long. Rob Griffin and his wife Deborah were in the tasting room when I arrived and warmly greeted me. I then visited with tasting room manager Kim Gravenslund, who showed me the current lineup. You may already be familiar with the Barnard Griffin “tulip” label wines. These delicious wines are widely available around the country - I purchase them on a regular basis myself. So those wines I did not taste today. Today I sampled the Reserve Barnard Griffin wines – all 10 of them!  Elise checks the wine before pouring. I was happy to have Rob and Deborah’s daughter, Elise, pour for me. Elise now works a...

Wines not Reviewed now Reviewed Say goodbye to summer friends, it’s gone and now it’s time to welcome fall and cooler weather. Fall in the Columbia Valley is one of my favorite seasons. Crisp mornings, clear skies, warm comfortable clothing and the essential fruit hanging from the vines. While a cool season has delayed harvest by a couple of weeks, I'm told the fruit of the year is of excellent quality. Growers and wineries will be very busy for the next several months. Although I look forward to enjoying the 2010 vintage next year and in the years to come, today I’d like to reminisce about some of the wines I enjoyed this summer. I have not figured out a practical method for documenting all the wines I enjoy. In some instances, I am able to photograph the wine, but lack the time to properly review them. Facebook and twitter assist to partially “document” some of these wines. But, I’m often left with just the memory of the wine. Friends and sp...

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...