William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

Drink now, thank me later. Have I shared how well I like Lodi wines? Well, yes I have. In 2016, I enjoyed visiting Lodi, California wine country and wrote about the wines I enjoyed and the friendly, passionate people I met in northern California wine country. "There is another California wine country destination worth discovering. It is not over-priced, it is not crowded and it is full of local charm and flavors. This is your opportunity to experience small town California wine country before everyone else."  see:  Lodi, California re-discover wine country and Wines of Lodi, California . Now that spring is transitioning to summer, and the digits are counting upwards, it feels like Rosé wine season to me. This time of year many wineries are releasing their Rosé wines just in time for Mothers Day. Or just because. The Klinker Brick 2017 Bricks and Roses Rosé is my style of Rosé. A blend of Rhone grape varieties, it was dry, crisp, focused, and...

There is no better time to embrace the color and flavor of Rosé. Spring always seems to remind me of Rosé. Or is it the other way around? I am feeling the excitement as the countryside turns green, the trees are in bloom and flowers are ready to reach for the sky. These five wonderful Rose's each express some of that jubilation of Spring time renewal. Is not wine also like renewal? “What is the scent of water?"  Renewal. The goodness of God coming down like dew.”  ― Elizabeth Goudge, The Scent of Water These are wines to enjoy with food and friends. Their lovely shades of pink, orange and red hint at their food friendliness. Time to clean the grill and start cooking outside. Bring along some of these rose' wines to pair with your BBQ and Spring celebrations. Tremendous value in all five of these wines. 1. Lucien Albrecht Crémant d'Alsace  Brut Rose Color : Pale pink. Nose : Light toast, delicate raspberry. Palate : Soft bubbles, raspberry cream, deli...

Kookoo for Kerloo Cellars - Wowzer! Here is another promised rose' review. Bonus - review of a delicious GSM too! First, a big thank you to my wife for bringing these wines home. Second, this is my first exposure to Kerloo Cellars. Third, I have no idea what she paid for these wines. Fourth, both of these wines are sold-out on the Kerloo Cellars site. Fifth, these wines were purchased locally at the West Richland Yokes Grocer - thank you Rachel! Go find these wines for your home and enjoy. I need to schedule a visit with Kerloo Cellars and see for myself the lovelies they are crafting in Walla Walla. Bravo! Tasting Notes Kerloo Grenache Rose' 2013 Kerloo Cellars treated the Grenache grapes as a white wine and picked early. This maximized bright, pure flavors and higher acids while keeping alcohol content lower. Picked Grenache late in the evening to maximize freshness. The tasting notes I found don't indicate unfined and unfiltered, but I suspect so. This bottle...

Bring this Vibrant Rose' to the Party, Wedding, Anniversary Kit Singh, Winemaker. Eight years ago when I was discussing rose' wine with customers, the conversation was about modern dry rose' wine versus the old school sweet pink white Zinfandel. Today the conversation is more about nuance and complexity. This rose' is a bit more serious than the typical rose'. Interesting contrast to the previous rose' post . This spring I had the pleasure of visiting with Lauren Ashton Cellars winemaker Kit Singh at his Woodinville tasting room . It was a pleasure to sit down with Kit and talk with him about his wines while he poured them. He's smart, focused, passionate, and earnest about his goals. I hope you take the opportunity to purchase his wines when you see them. They are marvelous. Tasting Notes Lauren Ashton Cellars 2013 Rose ' Color : Melon blush/bronze/pale, shiny pretty. Nose : Citrus, melon, river rock, orange blossom. Palate : Focused, f...

Tell me Again, Rose' is for Summer. “I could not resist being a pioneer in Chile and giving a challenge to my team. We chose the place for its unique location and land”   - Baron Eric de Rothschild Rose' is one of those wines I automatically think of when I think summer wine. I was going to review several rose's in one post to give you a snapshot comparison. In this instance it did not seem fair. Rather, I will have a few more individual reviews of rose' wines. When I think rose', I think fresh, crisp, dry, flexible wines and the color of passion. The Los Vascos 2013 Rose' did not disappoint. Tasting Notes Los Vascos 2013 Rose' Color : Lovely dark pink/pale red color. Nose : Toasty with vanilla cream and strawberry skin. Palate : Strawberry on the palate, fresh, nice crisp tang on the tongue. Happy finish with this wine. Thoughts : Enjoyed this wine with dinner of broiled salmon with garlic butter, French green beans with soy sauce, mirin, gin...

Another Name for Sunshine from the Finger Lakes. I have come to expect quality from the Finger Lakes wine region of New York. The last few years I have enjoyed expressive and delicious Rieslings, the shine of Finger Lakes sparklers and reveled in the depths of Finger Lakes  dessert and Ice wines . Naturally I was eager to sample the rose' wines sent to me from Fox Run Vineyards. My only impression of Fox Run Vineyards was from a sample of their Hedonia I reviewed last year . Made of 100% Traminette the Hedonia is a dessert wine (white Port style) best served over rocks with a slice of orange. A delicious and habit forming beverage. My expectations were high for their rose's. This weekend I was asked on twitter why a guy in Washington state was drinking wines from Finger Lakes, New York. "I love good wine." was my response. Without hesitation I encourage to seek out the wines of Fox Run Vineyards . Thank me later. Tasting Notes Fox...

photo: Charles & Charles Rosé 2012  I crave savory food, especially Asian food, almost as much as I crave wine. This weeks wine of the week is the Charles & Charles Rosé 2012 a good mate to my home prepared Asian inspired meal. This wine is a collaboration between Charles Bieler and Charles Smith . Eschewing the aesthetic of the well-known Charles Smith black and white label design, they have opted for a broad swipe of pink stripes on this label, creating an eye catching, difficult to ignore bottle of wine. A bottle you and your friends will not be able to resist.

Because bubbles are fantastic with everything. This time of year, sparkling wine seems most appropriate to me for celebrating the season with family and friends. At my home, we enjoy bubbles year-round. Meals just seem more enjoyable when paired with a bottle of sparkling wine. The wines I'm reviewing here are not Champagne, they have bubbles, but they are not Champagne. I point this out because people often, mistakenly, call all wines with bubbles "Champagne." Wines with bubbles are generally referred to as “Sparkling Wine.” Because they sparkle. However, there are sparkling wines from other regions of the world with specific regional names, such as: Cava from Spain, Prosecco from Italy and  Crémant   d'Alsace from north-eastern France. Note: Champagne was invented and perfected in Champagne, France. True “Champagne” is only made in the Champagne region of France, using the Méthode Champenoise to create those lovely bubbles. The Champagne winemaking comm...

First, if you have no Washington wine to enjoy with friends and family, go buy some! We were out and about yesterday and brought more Washington wine home for tonight. Luckily, Kestrel Vintners was at the local Costco showcasing their newest releases. I happily took the Lady in Red, 8th edition, home with me. After shoveling snow this morning, for the third time this week, I'm now relaxing with a glass of Lady in Red and watching football in HD. ( review of 6th edition Lady in Red ). Our second stop yesterday was at the West Richland Yoke's grocery store . One of my favorite wine stewards, Chris, works at Yoke's. His recommendations for Turkey day included Washington Gewurztraminer, Sparklers and Rosé. Here's a cell phone photo of Chris at the store. What do I recommend? Washington Sparklers and Rosé of course! Both Washington sparkling wine and Rosé pair with almost everything. For the die-hard red wine drinkers, there are plenty of options to keep them ...

Domaine Sainte-Eugenie Recolte 2009 This year I started breaking my rule of reviewing only Washington wines. That’s not much of an issue for me; mostly I find and purchase Washington wines. But one of the local wine buyers at the neighborhood grocery keeps recommending International wines. So there you go. A few weeks ago, I was at said local grocery, browsing for something different, when he showed up and suggested something French. An end-cap full of Italian sparklers and French Rosés, led to some friendly discussion. He eventually steered me to a bottle of Domaine Sainte-Eugenie Recolte 2009 – a French Rosé. He promised I‘d enjoy it; which I did, tonight. This Rosé is from the Languedoc region of Southern France. Wines from the Mediterranean coast of Languedoc are labeled as Languedoc, those from the interior have other labels such as Fronton, Gaillac, or Limoux to the west - and Côtes du Rhône towards the east. Languedoc produces more than a third of the grapes in France. T...

Umm, it does rock! Drinking a Willow Crest 2009 "Rockin' Rose" tonight. Very, very good, bright, fruity with a gentle strawberry finish. Summer in the glass, very flexible and should pair with almost anything. Remember, this is a dry Washington rose, for adults - it's fruity, not sweet. Go buy some. This is one of "several" bottles purchased Sunday at the Yakima Valley Spring Barrel weekend. We hit Prosser and half a dozen wineries, or so, and had a blast. Always good to taste outside of the comfort zone. I  hope to gather my thoughts on the wineries we visited in Prosser and add notes and recommendations soon. Eleven of us rented a fancy bus for six hours to go tasting safely - worked out well - we all want to do it again next year. * I have to mention that Cabernet Franc seemed to be the varietal of the day. Syrah was not as visible, not sure why. Just as well, I'm off Syrah at present. Willow Crest Winery: http://www.willowcrestwinery.com/ ...

Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006 Nellie's Garden Dry Rosé Warmer weather has come to represent Rosé Wine season. Gone are the pale, sickly sweet pink American wines of the past. The modern Washington Rosé is dry and succulent, pairing oh so well with summer foods and friends hanging out on the patio next to the grill. It may be difficult to find, but Chateau Ste. Michelle does bottle a wonderful dry Rosé . It has been a few years since I last found a bottle without going to their Patterson winery/tasting room, but I recently found a bottle locally. Note that this is a 2006 vintage, while a 2007 vintage would be more appropriate, the 2006 did not disappoint. The first thing you notice about this wine is the color. While not quite blood red, it is a wonderful clear and bright red color, or deep pink rose. This is a DRY wine, quite tart, very clean finish, with a distinct cranberry flavor. I enjoyed the wine with a pineapple, lettuce salad, dusted with freshly grated Parmesan with...

Finally, the Spring allergies have given me a break. I've not posted since March because I could not appreciate any of the red wines while the Columbia Valley was in bloom, and I do love Washington red wines. Once Spring begins, the desert rejoices - Sagebrush (persia tridentata is my favorite - part of the rose family) bloom with aromatic yellow flowers, Phlox, Lupins, Tumble Mustard can be found everywhere and of course all of the domesticated plants/trees are blooming too, including the Cottonwood trees and Russian olive trees. I have not narrowed down the culprit(s), but they are out there. Once Spring arrives in the Columbia Valley, my ability to appreciate red wines evaporates. All I can sense is tart and bitter. Not good descriptors for red wine. And yes, I am still biased to the red wines. I can still appreciate the white wines when my smeller is off, and I sure did drink more whites than reds this spring. The dry Rosé wines were especially good. My two picks this time of y...