William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

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...

Are sulfites responsible for red wine allergies? Last year, when I started this blog, my intent was to share my impressions of the best wines Washington wineries had to offer. However, the more involved I become with the Washington wine industry, the more I learn how big the world of wine is. It’s bigger than I realized. Sometimes I learn by experience, reading (my library is growing) and other times I learn out of social embarrassment. Have you ever paid much attention to the “Contains Sulfites ” on the label of a bottle of wine? Neither had I and I ha ve bought, sold and poured many, many bottles. Occasionally, someone passing through the Columbia valley would remark to me, "I only drink white wine, because I'm allergic to sulfites in red wine." My typical response was to smile and nod my head, I did no t know any better to correct them, and I did no t care. This year I began to care. It was the month of May and I was having a great time championing Washington ...