William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

K Vintners – 2007 Kung Fu Girl Riesling another recommended wine made by Charles Smith. Don't you love the label? I missed sampling this wine at Taste Washington , so I felt I owed it to myself to try a bottle at home. Washington is well known for Riesling - we have the perfect climate for growing the varietal. And Riesling was one of the states first widely successful wines in the 1970's - 1980's. With the increased focus on red wine grape varietals and all things Chardonnay in the 1990's, Rieslings popularity faded. A focus on Late Harvest Rieslings and Ice Wine production meant that dry Rieslings were largely ignored. But that has changed. I've noticed a Riesling renaissance occurring over the last eight years. The popularity of Chardonnay has proportionally decreased as the popularity of Riesling has increased. Some growers have been replacing Chardonnay vineyards with new Rieslings vineyards. Many great Rieslings are being produced in Washington -j...

Columbia Valley Spring Barrel Tasting April 25 -27, 2008 This is Spring Barrel Tasting weekend in the Yakima Valley. Winemakers and cellar staff who are on hand will share insights and answer questions on the winemaking process. This is the first year in the last couple of years that I'm not pouring on Spring Barrel weekend. FYI - Saturday is just CRAZY busy. If you want smaller crowds, and would rather talk about wine, more than drink wine, then Sunday is the day for you. The serious wine enthusiasts are out on Sunday. I've met some sharp people Spring Barrel weekend. Hope you can make it over this way. The following weekend should be Walla Walla barrel tasting weekend. Many of the 50 participating wineries make special efforts to enhance the wine tasting experience by adding delicious cheese, sauces, salsas, and even desserts to the mix along with special tastings and education. For more information visit http://www.wineyakimavalley.org/ or call 800-258-7272. Cheers! William

Taste Washington Seattle, April 6, 2008 Grand Tasting Today is Wednesday, but Sunday still resonates with me. Sunday was Taste Washington Seattle , “the ultimate wine experience” which showcased an amazing assemblage of Washington’s best Wineries and Restaurants. The Washington Wine Commission is the Host for Taste Washington. Although this was a two day event, I attended only on Sunday for the Grand Tasting. I have to say that this was absolutely the best wine event I have ever had the honor to participate in as a Washington Wine Ambassador . I was a volunteer at the Washington Wine Ambassador booth. Washington Wine Ambassador Program The Washington Wine Commission established the Washington Wine Ambassador program for Washington wine enthusiasts like yours truly. I became a Washington Wine Ambassador in 2006. As a wine ambassador you have many opportunities to educate others about Washington wine, volunteer and support the Washington wine industry, pour at event...

April 5th and 6th is Taste Washington Seattle This two day event is described as the "Ultimate" wine experience. There will be far too much going on for me to describe here, follow the link to learn more and buy tickets. Stop by the Washington Wine Ambassador booth on Sunday and say hello - I'll be working the booth on and off all day. When I have time, I'll post my comments on the event afterwards. Of course I'll find some time to do a little tasting too. But how to choose from all 200+ wineries? Learn more about this event here: http://www.tastewashington.org/ Cheers!

Stonecap Monson Family Estates Syrah 2005 Columbia Valley This was supposed to be another white wine post. By now, you may realize my penchant for Washington Syrah . SO you may understand my eagerness to sample the Stonecap 2005 Syrah . This wine was cellared and bottled by Goose Ridge Vineyards, Richland , Washington. I have a lot of respect for Goose Ridge wines. Naturally I was curious about this new label. I opened the wine, had a short glass, and closed it again for three days before drinking it again. Screw caps do come in handy sometimes. What was it like on day one? When I first opened the wine, it had a distinct tomato soup nose - extremely vegetal , with a touch of celery. Not my speed, which explains why I ignored it for three days. Day three, or is it day four? Today I was immediately impressed by the glorious deep purple color, inky purple, the color of the Syrah of my dreams. Thankfully, the strong vegetal aroma has gracefully retired, replaced by the subtle arom...

This is one of the few white wines I have reviewed. With the lengthening days and warmer temperatures, I'm getting that good old white wine feeling. This is my first of three white wine reviews. Today I grabbed a bottle of Covey Run 2006 Chardonnay, Quail label, to enjoy with dinner; Medite rranean salad (lettuce, dates, sunflower seeds, feta cheese, oil and vinegar - yes, that is the salad in the picture and one of my plates - I use some of the pottery I make) and Roman style chicken. The wine was priced right and I have fond memories of visiting the former Quail Ridge/Covey Run tasting room, back when they had a public tasting room. Dinner was excellent! The chicken came out tender and delicious, complemented by the salad and the wine as hoped. This Covey Run Chardonnay is tasty but not over the top. The nose has apple, pear and bread, a soft mouth feel, pleasantly buttery, and finishes with some creamy vanilla ( I have to admit that there is more going on in this glass than I c...

HYATT 2004 Syrah Yakima Valley In 1986 I moved to the Columbia Valley. Hyatt Vineyards released their first wines in 1987, which was the time I began taking wine more seriously – having local wineries is a wonderful motivator. Hyatt was one of my favorite wineries to visit in the Zillah, Washington area. Somewhere along the way, I stopped visiting the winery and stopped purchasing their wines. Last week I found a bottle of Hyatt 2004 Syrah at the local grocer, reasonably priced too. I would not hesitate to recommend this wine to anyone looking for a decent Syrah. From the picture you may notice that a synthetic cork was used for closure (hard outer casing and dense cellular center). I was greeted by a heady aroma when I first opened the bottle - which made me think of a more expensive wine. Unfortunately, the flavor did not match the aroma. After I gave the wine an hour to breathe, some tasty flavors emerged; unfortunately, the rich aroma had receded. But, the wine was enjoyable the fi...