William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

An enticing wine made from a windswept estate vineyard. I'm often asked by visitors to Washington wine country about the quality of our wines. "Why are these wines so good?" As most of you know, you cannot make good wine without good grapes. And Washington wine grapes can be very good. Case in point. The Horse Heaven Hills AVA is home to 25% of the state's vineyard acreage.   Eastern Washington lies in a sweet spot in the Pacific Northwest. The Cascade mountain range captures most of the precipitation from the Pacific coast, leaving much of Eastern Washington semi-arid desert steppe. To grow grapes here, you must irrigate. The Northwest location also provides additional daylight in the summer, plus additional heat units and typically cool desert evenings. The best vineyards are located on poor soils, which are  relatively pest free, so no vine grafting required. Frequent winds also contribute to a nearly perfect growing region. View of a portion of the ...

A Definitive Walla Walla Red Wine with Presence. L’Ecole has been producing wines from Seven Hills Vineyard since 1993. They hand-select from the oldest and best blocks to produce this flagship wine. Perigee : When the moon is at Perigee , closest distance to the Earth, there is more gravitational pull which contributes to higher tides or greater variation in the high and low tide. An aptly named wine, I could feel the "pull" of the 2011 Perigee. Worthy of " Wine of the Week " recognition. Well done. Tasting Notes 2011 L'Ecole No. 41 Perigee Color : Dark burgundy. Nose : Spicy, dried cherry, chocolate, tea. Palate : Cherry-chocolate, spicy oak, black tea tannin, light chocolate, dry on the gums. Interesting at open and rather tasty. After 15 minutes : Richer, fuller, more intense on the palate. Delivered a lot of pleasure. Would be an excellent choice for entertaining or eating out at a nice restaurant. After 30 minutes : Chocolate spice, blac...

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...

AntoLin Cellars 2010 Malbec a Sonnet for the Senses Typically I try to post a wine of the week on Friday. This week I felt I should post my wine of the week today. Now you have all week to hunt down this bottle of Washington Malbec. Malbec is a red wine variety originally from the Bordeaux region of France, a variety which has become strongly associated with fine wines from Argentina. This bottle of AntoLin Cellars Malbec was all Washington Malbec in style - supple and fresh, a sonnet for the senses. “The name, AntoLin, is a collective of our first names, signifying our partnership. Our passion is winemaking and our dream is to share the fruits of our passion. Here’s to making friends, one glass at a time.” -Tony and Linda Haralson Tasting Notes 2010 Estate Malbec Color : Dark garnet. Nose : Lively, earthy, cherry. Palate : Dark cherry, spicy pepper, light mid-palate, tart and creamy finish. Bright and fresh, well integrated after 10 minutes, cherry dom...

Finger Lakes Rocks the Riesling! It was my pleasure to receive this wine to taste and review at home. This Riesling is one of four samples I received featuring Finger Lakes 2012 Rieslings. While I assume you know that the Finger Lakes wine region is in Central New York, it doesn't hurt to mention that the Finger Lakes region is just south of Lake Ontario. The deep Finger Lakes run North-South and provide premium growing on the eastern and western slopes. Riesling is King in the Finger Lakes. "From dry to sweet versions, the Finger Lakes is slowly but steadily cementing its reputation as this country's best source for Riesling." - James Molesworth, Senior Editor, Wine Spectator

"Wine is a celebration beverage, i t elevates exceptional food" - A.J. Kemp, Co-Founder and General Manager, Hawks View Cellars A warm thank you to my friends at Hawks View Cellars. They sent me this lovely bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir to review. This wine was shiny and merits a wine of the week selection. A.J. Kemp in barrel room. Last year I enjoyed visiting Hawks View Cellars in the Chehalem Mountains of Oregon. The visit was one of the 2012 Wine Bloggers pre-conference excursions. Hawks View Cellars is a private winery and only provides private wine tastings. You must contact the winery in advance to schedule your tasting visit. With a production of 2,500 cases a year, they have the capacity to expand to 5,000 cases. But there's no rush. They are focused on producing premium wines with fruit from Oregon, Washington and California.