William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

Big bang for the buck here friends. Master winemaker Rob Griffin brought out the big guns for this wine;  Counoise, Cinsault, Durif,  Grenache, and Mourvedre. This is no ordinary Washington wine. One of my favorite jobs was working for the family owned Barnard Griffin Winery . Hand-selling wine, meeting and greeting visitors from around the world and sharing stories of Washington wine. These were some of my best experiences. Period. It also pushed me to learn more about wine. I strongly recommend seeking out the Barnard Griffin 2013 Cotes du Rob. Tasting Notes 2013 Cotes du Rob Red Wine Barnard Griffin Winery Color : Plum, cranberry highlights. Nose : Engaging, cranberry, pomegranate, breath of fresh earth, orange peel, graphite. Palate : Pleasant weight, bright, red berry flavors, dusted with light spice, electric on the tongue, modest spicy finish. Shy, friendly opening. 15 minutes : Soft berry and spice on the nose, a touch of armpit odeur. Très European....

Welcome the new year in style with French bubbles - à votre santé! Toast the season with bottles of crisp, sparkling Lucien Albrecht Brut Rosé. At my home, we enjoy bubbles year-round. If you only drink Champagne or Prosecco, then it's time to try something different. remuage : the periodic turning or shaking of bottled wine, especially champagne, to move sediment toward the cork. The history of the Albrecht family as winegrower can be traced back to 1425 with Romanu Albrecht, who was settled in the town of Thann. During the fifteenth and sixteenth century in Thann, several generations of Albrecht were elected as Bangard vinegrowers. Lucien Albrecht pioneered Crémant production in 1971 and helped gain an Appellation Contrôlêe for the wine and for Alsace. The wines are vinified in the classic Champagne Method. Tasting Notes Lucien Albrecht Crémant d'Alsace Brut Rosé Method : 100% Pinot Noir free-run juice. Whole cluster hand picked grapes are softly p...

Sparkling wine is the perfect beverage for the holidays.  Prosecco is an Italian sparkling dry white wine made primarily from Glera grapes. Principally grown in the Prosecco region of Italy, which includes Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, north of Venice in the Veneto region. Under European law, only sparkling wines made with grapes grown in this region can have the name Prosecco. Located in the heart of the Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG production area, the Valdo Winery has been cultivating this unique location for generations. Prosecco has become widely popular in the United States. Consumers have embraced these affordable and tasty sparkling wines. I often recommend bubbles to my customers, they are suitable for any occasion at home and compliment food well. For Mimosa fans, Prosecco is an excellent choice and works well as the base wine. You don't have to stick to OJ for your Mimosa, try mango, cranberry and berry cordials for an added kick of flavor. I encoura...

 “Find a Tall Sage and you have found a place that will sustain superior grape vines.” Dr. Walter Clore. The Tall Sage label is the Monson Family’s tribute to a man of great stature, the founder of Goose Ridge Estate Vineyards , Arvid Monson. A tall sage is one that develops deep tap roots. I have been a fan of Gooseridge wines for many years. 2015 was one of the hotest growing seasons on record. The consistent heat developed sugar in the fruit quickly in many grape varieties. Canopy management was key to protecting the fruit from heat and sun. De-leafing and deficit irrigation was moderated during this vintage to allow the vines to cope with the hot growing season. The 2015 Tall Sage Chardonnay is ready to drink now. The 2015 Tall Sage Cabernet Sauvignon drank better on day two and could use another 6 months of bottle age to hit my sweet spot. Both Recommended . Tasting Notes 1. Review Tall Sage 2015 Chardonnay, Columbia Valley AVA Color : Straw, green highli...

"You have not experienced Washington wine or cuisine, until you have enjoyed the Chaleur Blanc with Pacific Northwest seafood." Ah, October in wine country, the leaves are turning colors of fire and sunset. Yes, it is noticeably cooler, I needed a blanket last night to sleep and I find myself wearing a hat indoors. Friends and readers know that this is the time of year I begin to crave Chardonnay. It is my wine of the season. And yet, I find myself drawn this year not to Chardonnay, but to a Sauvignon Blanc dominant white wine. A wine which was difficult to resist drinking in one sitting. A wine made in the Pacific Northwest for Northwest fare. The 2015 DeLille Cellars Chaleur Blanc is styled as a classic Bordeaux blend, with 73% Sauvignon Blanc and 27% Semillon. After more than 20 vintages, the Chaleur Blanc has become a signature wine. I was impressed. Strongly Recommended! A true Pacific Northwest pairing! Tasting Notes Color : Dark Straw. Aroma : Yeas...

Wonderful spirits for sipping straight or mixed in cocktails. Today I'm shifting gears and sharing my thoughts on a new small-batch vodka and gin by Azzurre Spirits . Azzurre Spirits was founded in 2014 . Unlike many vodkas and gins, Azzurre vodka and gin are distilled not from corn or grains, but from apples, grapes and sugar cane. Both the Azzurre Gin and Vodka are gluten free and contain no added sugar. Azzurre Spirits has a partnership with Victoria Distillers, located in Sidney, B.C. Victoria Distillers is one of Canada's oldest craft, small-batch spirit companies. They use the highest quality pure Canadian water. Owner Danny Pettit, named Azzurre in homage to the deep, rich colors of the Mediterranean Sea ('azzurro' translate to 'blue' in Italian). Their bold, standout iris logo indicates that Azzurre has a difference that you can "see/sea." Danny partnered with his daughter Angela, to launch the brand in Las Vegas in 2014. Both the Vo...

You cannot judge a wine, a winery or a wine region if you have not visited or tasted the wines.  Today I will share with you the origin of Trump Winery located in Monticello, Virginia. I will also review four Trump wines. We should not discuss politics on this post, only wine. It seems irresponsible and inconsiderate to dump on a winery because of politics. When you insult a Virginia winery, you are insulting not only the owner, but also the grape growers, winemaker, winery staff, and the wine region. That crosses a line which reflects poorly. We are better than that. In 2011 I visited Virginia wine country ( Dreaming of Virginia Wine ). It was a magnificent time with many captivating wine tastings and wine related conversations. I’m excited about and for Virginia wineries and I discovered that there are some real gems. Wines easily recognizable as world class. Yes, I am a fan of Virginia wine. Virginia has realized Thomas Jefferson's dream of producing fine wines from ...

Are you New Zealand wine experienced?  There is a reason I became of fan of New Zealand wine. New Zealand Pinot Noir turned my head and grabbed my attention by its aspects of quality. Namely, the captivating complexity of aroma, flavor and unique expression of terroir. Yes, I have a soft spot for New Zealand Pinot Noir. In 2012 I started a New Zealand wine blog with Julie Crompe. We call it "Kiwi Daydreaming" which reflects our passion for New Zealand wine and a mutual desire (daydream) to travel New Zealand. Sadly, we don't receive many bottles of New Zealand wine to keep the blog very active. Until today! This time of year is associated with love and romance. What better way to celebrate the occasion than with a delicious bottle of New Zealand Pinot Noir? Impressive at open and even better as it breathed, it was a sincere pleasure to review this lovely New Zealand wine from Loveblock Vintners Ltd . Above the snow capped mountains of Central Otago, on the ...

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...