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....

Crowd pleasing style, but not gimmicky. My go to white wine. The Washington Chardonnay I continue to return to is one I have enjoyed over many years. That is, the Chardonnay made by winemaker Rob Griffin of Barnard Griffin Winery in Richland, Washington. I've been a fan since, well, at least before they opened their tasting room in 1997. Rob Griffin was the original winemaker for Preston Cellars, 1979 - 1983, and I started drinking those wines in 1986. Then he was the winemaker and GM for Hogue Cellars 1984 - 1991, which I also started drinking in 1986. Rob and his wife Deborah Barnard created their Barnard Griffin label in 1983, which I started drinking in the early 1990's. For me, Barnard Griffin is synonymous with Washington Wine.  I even worked for Barnard Griffin Winery 2005 - 2007. We have a history. Rob Griffin with daughter Elise. Today Rob is still the winemaker, his older daughter Elise is now the tasting room manager for the winery. His youngest daughte...

Barnard Griffin has a new look. 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 were some of my best experiences. Period. It also pushed me to learn more about wine. I'm still learning. You are encouraged to stop by their expanded tasting room when you visit SE Washington. New Griffin label and original Tulip label at the grocer. It is always with pleasure when I see a bottle from one of my favorite local wineries. As with all things familiar, there is eventually change. Barnard Griffin Winery dropped their familiar, friendly tulip label design last year. They have decided to embrace the Griffin logo on their label. My thoughts? It does look classier and it presents well. The new label seems to make the bottle look bigger too. I miss the friendly tulip label, but I am adapting to the change. I can only hope that in future they do...

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

New Rob Griffin interview by Wine Press NW. Interview focuses on Cabernet Sauvignon , specifically on the award winning Barnard Griffin 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon  and also touches on recent climate change.

Rob Griffin does it again. The Barnard Griffin 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon was just awarded "Best in Show" at the Washington State Wine Competition. I was lucky to be visting the winery in March when they were bottling their 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon. With permission, I was allowed to take some pictures and record some video. Awards will be officially presented on June 26th at Sunshine and Wine in Yakima, Washington . Tickets are on sale now and include all wine, beer and food tasting. An event not to be missed! Cheers!

Washington Syrah Day One: This wine is a dark purple/violet color, with dusty violets on the nose, slightly chalky (powdered candy & vanilla taffy), with a hint of coconut. Good mouth feel, plum, mint, vanilla, coconut, chocolate. Leave the bottle open longer, and this wine really fills the mouth with fruit flavors. The finish lengthens too. Velvety finish, balanced tannins, with just the proper amount of acidity. A refined wine, easy to appreciate with a medium finish that encourages another taste. This wine puts me in the mood for salami, aged Cheddar and the best crusty bread you can find - with a chocolate truffle to finish. Although not as big as the last two wines I reviewed, it still hits all the correct notes for me, and gets better the longer it is open (read on). Day two: I saved half the bottle to taste the next day. Wow, this wine has transformed itself. The medley of flavors has unified into a silky, luxurious and suave wine. The dry tannins punctuate the experience. T...

I just came across this video interview with Rob Griffin, winemaker of Barnard Griffin winery. Cheers!

Yes Virginia, there is Zinfandel in Washington. Washington is not known for producing Zinfandel wine. Zinfandel is a difficult varietal to cultivate in Washington - it requires more time on the vine and a slightly cooler climate to mature properly (SE Washington is just too hot for Zin ). Fortunately, there is at least one grower cultivating the grape with great success in Washington. Dan Gunkel is a grower in the Columbia River Gorge valley. The Columbia River Gorge is in South Central Washington, bordering the Columbia River and it is the sweet spot in the state for Zinfandel. Dan Gunkel and his family produce some of the finest fruit available - and he's a nice guy too. Rob Griffin and Dan Gunkel have an amiable relationship - the fruit of this friendship includes Rob Griffins award winning Zinfandel wine. I had the pleasure of enjoying a bottle of Barnard Griffin Zinfandel 2005 vintage this weekend. The first thing I noticed about this wine was the bright, clear garnet color...

We've had cooler than usual weather in Washington state this season. It should feel like summer, but it still feels like early Spring. My son had his final baseball game today (a chilly game yesterday in the wind and rain). And surpise, suprise, I've been enjoying Spanish wines for a change of pace. As much as I love Washington wine, it is fun and healthy to explore wines from around the world. You can blame my cousin José for tuning me into Spanish wines in April. Which Spanish wines have I been enjoying? Tempranillo wines from Spain. Tempranillo is THE indiginous varietal from Spain. Tempranillo is grown in many places in Spain, from southern Spain, the Penedes, Ribera del Duero to Rioja. It does very well when grown in high-altitude vineyards. And it enjoys a wide range of flavor and styles - which is what toots my horn. Tempranillo is also known as, Cencibal, Tinto de Madrid, Tinta de Pais, Tinta de Toro, Tinto Fino and Ull de Llebre. My most memorable Tempranillo experienc...

2005 Barnard Griffin Syrah Tulip Label I’m a huge fan of Washington Syrah . No winemaker seems to make Syrah alike. Half the fun of wine tasting in Washington is discovering how each winemaker interprets this varietal; not everyone does a great job in my opinion. Someone who knows Syrah well, and excels in its interpretation, is Rob Griffin. After all, he's made wine in Washington since 1977 and Rob makes an amazing for the price Syrah . I’m speaking of his Tulip label Syrah .The 2005 Tulip label Barnard Griffin Syrah leans towards a soft elegance. A little time in the bottle has done well for this wine. The wine has opened up nicely over the last 6 months. Tasting notes: soft nose, lightly fragrant of violets, hints of licorice as the wine opens up and some vanilla too. The longer this bottle is open, the better the wine tastes, nice acidity with gentle tannins. The finish has lengthened: delicious dark fruit flavors, blackberry, plum, and raspberry jam. Very tasty, open at le...

Saturday, January 20th, 2007, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm This is your chance to meet Rob Griffin, winemaker and owner of Barnard Griffin Winery. Rob will be speaking at the Ivory Jazz in old downtown Kennewick, Washington, upstairs in the Roxy building. Rob has been making wine in Washington state for 30 years, don't miss this chance to listen to him share his thoughts on our favorite subject - wine. While Rob speaks, you will be able to enjoy five pours of Barnard Griffin wines, and then enjoy live jazz music after 8:00 pm ($10 lets you sample all five wines and includes the cover for the live music, a nice bonus). Yours truly will be pouring at this event so say "cheers" when you stop by. We'll be pouring, 2004 Tulip Merlot, 2004 Reserve Merlot, 2005 Tulip Cabernet Sauvignon (new release), 2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and 2005 Semillon - excellent choices! Ivory Jazz, 101 West Kennewick Ave, Kennewick, WA 99336 Phone: 509.585.8877 www.ivoryjazz.com Cheers! update: The eve...