Wine Press Northwest Spring 2019 by Wine Press Northwest

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W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t • S p r i n g 2 019

W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

S p r i n g 2 019 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t

VOL. 21, No. 1

Spring 2019

IN THIS ISSUE 6

Wine Knows Is it time for conjunctive labeling?

Swirl, Sniff & Sip Lesser Bordeaux reds shine in Northwest.

Seattle’s ‘The Tasting Room’ - Page 16

Ellen on Wine Whose palate is it, anyway?

Oregon’s Italian Renaissance Italian varietals growing in popularity.

The Tasting Room Downtown Seattle’s ‘The Tasting Room’ offers variety.

Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year Palencia Wine Company

Idaho Winery of the Year Hat Ranch Winery/Vale Wine Co

Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year - Page 18

Idaho Winery to Watch Par Terre Winery

Oregon Winery of the Year Yamhill Valley Vineyards

Oregon Winery to Watch Stave & Stone Wine Estates

Washington Winery of the Year Milbrandt Vineyards

Wine Reviews - Page 42

Washington Winery to Watch Rocky Pond Winery

Wine Reviews Lesser Bordeaux varietals tasted.

Match Makers Chef shares recipes, wine pairings.

Northwest Wine Events List of top upcoming wine related events

ON THE COVER Match Makers, Recipes and Pairings Page 48

Palencia Wine Company owner/winermaker Victor Palencia at his Monarcha Wine tasting room in Kennewick, Wash. Palencia Wine Company is our 2019 Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year. (See page 18). COVER PHOTO BY BOB BRAWDY

Wine Press Northwest is for those with an interest in wine – from the novice to the veteran. We focus on Washington, Oregon and Idaho’s talented winemakers and the wineries, vintners and restaurants that showcase Northwest wines. We are dedicated to all who savor the fruits of their labor.

Editor Gregg McConnell editor@winepressnw.com Contributors Tamara Belgard Eric Degerman Andy Perdue Dan Radil Columnists Ellen Landis Andy Perdue Ken Robertson Contributing photographers Bob Bawdy Richard Duval Stacy Bellew In memoriam: Bob Woehler Advertising sales Michael Phillips, 509-582-1452 mphillips@tricityherald.com Todd Frantz, 509-582-1443 tfrantz@tricityherald.com To subscribe: Subscriptions cost $20 U.S. for four issues per year. Mail check or money order to the address below, subscribe securely online at winepressnw.com or call customer service at 800-538-5619. Free weekly newsletter: Sign up for our free Pacific Northwest Wine of the Week email newsletter at winepressnw.com Address: 333 W. Canal Drive Kennewick, WA 99336 © 2019 Wine Press Northwest A Tri-City Herald publication

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COLUMN

the wine knows BY ANDY PERDUE

Is it time for conjunctive labeling for Washington?

as the time come for Washington to consider requiring conjunctive labeling? This is not without controversy, as it would require wineries to add wording to their labels, a notion that goes against my natural libertarian leanings of not liking to be told what I can or cannot do. Conjunctive labeling is done most famously in California, where wines made in any of Napa Valley's 16 sub-AVAs must include "Napa Valley" on the label. In the marketplace, this is gold because Napa Valley has such a strong value to consumers who might not understand the significance of the Stag's Leap District, for example. Conjunctive labeling in Napa Valley became law in 1989. A similar regulation was required of Sonoma County (and its 17 subAVAs) in 2014. The argument for conjunctive labeling in Northern California makes sense from a marketing perspective, promoting the state's two most famous fine wine regions. It isn't quite so clear in Washington what conjunctive labeling might look like. Requiring, for example, "Washington" on every label brings its own set of issues. As every resident of Washington knows, most of the nation thinks "Washington" refers to our nation's capital rather than the 42nd state, and wine consumers often wonder what side of the Potomac River are Washington grapes grown. Oregon, which is considering conjunctive labeling, has no such issues, since the Oregon's wine brand is so strong nationwide. What might make more sense for Washington is to require "Columbia Valley" on every label. Of Washington's 14 American Viticultural Areas, almost all are within the Columbia Valley. Only Puget Sound, Lewis-Clark Valley, Columbia Gorge and a corner of Lake Chelan fall outside the Columbia Valley's 11 million acres. If nearly every bottle of Washington wine carried "Columbia Valley" on its label, this could carry a strong message to the national and international wine stage. The Columbia 6

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Conjunctive labeling is done most famously in California, where wines made in any of Napa Valley's 16 sub-AVAs must include "Napa Valley" on the label. In the marketplace, this is gold because Napa Valley has such a strong value to consumers who might not understand the significance of the Stag's Leap District, for example. Valley has an amazing story to tell. Those of us who live here know the magic of the region, the sun-drenched days that stretch nearly to Halloween each year. The weather and soil combine to create near-perfect conditions for growing world-class wine grapes. Perhaps the sprawling nature of the Columbia Valley has diluted its message since its federal approval in 1984. Perhaps conjunctive labeling is the vehicle for telling that story. I love the fact we have 14 different AVAs (with a purported six more grinding through the federal system). For wine nerds, these tell Washington's bigger story and allow levels of exploration and inspiration. When I see "Red Mountain" on a label, I have a pretty good idea of what I'll get in the glass. I am more likely to buy a bottle of any white wine from the Ancient Lakes region. A Riesling from the Columbia Gorge is hard for me to resist. I'd be hard-pressed to not be intrigued by anything from the Puget Sound; having grown up in the shadow of the Olympics, I understand the heroic efforts grape growers go through in this

region. Who would likely not approve of conjunctive labeling? Probably many who use "Walla Walla Valley" on their labels. Walla Walla has a lot of national cachet, perhaps the only Washington region to compete with Napa Valley on the national wine stage. Walla Walla wineries might view having to include "Columbia Valley" on the label as a dilution of the Walla Walla brand. Why not, perhaps, requiring "Washington" on the label under a conjunctive labeling requirement? This, I think creates its own set of issues, starting with the "Potomac" issue. Also, nationwide perception of Washington might include salmon, Mount St. Helens and rainy Seattle (god bless Emmett Watson), none of which are images a world-class wine region wants to portray. Conjunctive labeling already is nearly a default in Washington. With few exceptions, our two largest wine producers (Ste. Michelle and Precept) already use "Columbia Valley" on most of their labels, with some exceptions. I would guess more than half the wines in the state already are labeled as "Columbia Valley." Getting the rest of the industry on board would not be difficult and would benefit Brand Washington a lot in the long run. I talked to knowledgeable wine folks in California who couldn't tell me what Northwest state Snipes Mountain was in. They knew where the Columbia Valley was, though. It's time to consider conjunctive labeling in Washington. The benefits are worth it. I don't know how conjunctive labeling could work, however. Would it be required by the state Legislature? Is it a good idea to leave labeling decisions to Olympia? I'm dubious about that. If conjunctive labeling is an idea worth considering, it probably needs to go through the Washington State Wine Commission in Seattle. How would it be enforced? A good question. But finding the right answer to these problems is worth the effort. ANDY PERDUE is the founding editor of Wine Press Northwest magazine and now is the editor and publisher of Great Northwest Wine and the wine columnist for The Seattle Times. W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

COLUMN

swirl, sniff & sip BY KEN ROBERTSON

Lesser Bordeaux reds shine in Northwest

he Northwest made its mark with three of the world’s greatest red wine grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir. From the 1970s through today, they have been so dominant that relatively little other red wine grape acreage has been planted. In Washington, for example, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon harvest was 18,608 acres and Merlot was 9,071 out of Washington’s roughly 60,000 acres of wine grapes. In Oregon in 2016, there were 19,471 acres of Pinot Noir harvested from that state’s 30,000 acres of grapes. Syrah was a distant fourth at 4,572 acres in Washington, but after a promising start, its sales appear to have flattened. (The harvest years cited are the most current available.) So, what’s the next new great thing for Northwest wine lovers? That can be a hazardous guessing game. More than once, growers who guessed wrong have pulled out wine grapes when surpluses developed. But perhaps one or more of the lesser Bordeaux reds — Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carménère — might become contenders for a bit more of the Northwest’s 90,000-plus acres. Cabernet Franc looked the most promising back in 2006 in Washington. It had shown steady growth over several years, reaching 1,157 acres that year. But in 2007, it dipped to 972 acres, and since has continued a steady decline to 685 acres in 2017. Despite the flagging fortunes of Franc, Malbec has continued slow but steady growth in Washington since its 196 acres in 2006, reaching 579 acres, and appears to be nipping on the heels of Cabernet Franc. Meanwhile, Petit Verdot has attracted only a small following, with 131 acres in 2006 and reached only 134 acres in 2017. Carménère is a wild card so far. Almost all the vineyard plantings for it are relatively small, often no more than five to seven acres, and have been relegated into the catch-all category of “other reds” in the annual Washington Vineyard Acreage Report. Considering the red blend craze that has swept through the wine industry in recent 8

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years, it’s hard to determine whether there’s been any real surge in demand for the lesser Bordeaux grapes to be made as single varietals, but anecdotal evidence seems to point to some increases in consumer demand. Perhaps that’s fueled by the blending craze. Once winemakers have assembled their red blends, there inevitable are extra gallons of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. (Carménère plantings are so small that it shows up in blends only infrequently.) Those wines, which are excellent wines or they wouldn’t qualify for top-tier red blends, often end up in limited bottlings, many of them sold to wine club members only. Veteran winemaker Brian Carter of Brian Carter Cellars, famed for his mastery of blending, regularly sells the remaining gallons from his blending wines as wine-club-only single varietals, he said during this year’s annual Washington Winegrowers convention. I suspect consumer demand for something that isn’t Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Pinot Noir also fuels the sales of such wines. Which brings me to the focus of this Spring edition: Wine Press Northwest collected 39 Cabernet Francs, 47 Malbecs, 31 Petit Verdots and 13 Carménères for our featured varietals from Washington, Oregon and Idaho, a total of 130 wines. The judging included only wines labeled as single varietals. The winners of an “Outstanding” rating — this magazine’s top tier on our score sheets, and the equivalent of a gold medal — included nine Malbecs, eight Cabernet Francs, five Petit Verdots and a surprising seven Carménères. That’s 22 percent, which is about 7 to 12 percent above the 10 to 15 percent some might consider an appropriate rate of gold medals for a judging with demanding judges. It might be that the three judging panels were a mite generous, but as a panel moderator, I thought the three judges in my group were plenty thoughtful in their decision-making. After nearly 20 years of judging in Northwest competitions, I’ve certainly seen judges who were harder to please, but also judges who were more generous. I can say without reservation that if you

aren’t trying the versions being produced by our adventurous grape growers and winemakers, you’re missing out. There’s good reason why winemakers like Carter, with his decades of experience, have considerable respect for the lesser Bordeaux grapes. Wine words: Cooper, cooperage Let’s take a break from French, Spanish and Italian terms to delve into the world of barrels and barrel-making, a craft dating back at least as far as the first century B.C., when the Romans kept their wines, cooking oils and many other liquids in clay vessels dubbed amphora, a technology dating back to the ancient Greek and Phoenician traders. The Romans battled the Celtic peoples on their northern borders in Gaul. Among inventions credited to the Celts is the wooden barrel, which, because they are round, were lots easier to maneuver than amphora and less likely to shatter during transport. And to the Roman soldier’s dismay, barrels full of flaming oil also made fearsome weapons when your enemy held the high ground. Anyway, that apparently makes those Celtic craftsmen the first coopers and the first to operate what the English eventually called cooperages. A couple centuries back, coopers were in high demand, with their barrels transporting everything from wine to sperm whale oil to foodstuffs such as flour and pickles. Alas, steel drums, cardboard boxes and plastics have made the cooper an endangered profession, now relegated mostly to making oak barrels formed by using fire to bend oak staves and also desirable for adding complexity to wines and whiskeys aged inside them. Along with the coopers, the hoopers — who fitted iron and later steel hoops around the barrels to help hold them together — are fading trades. But like many English tradesmen’s names — butcher, baker, fisher, fuller, hunter, taylor, to name a few — you’ll find many families with the surnames Cooper and Hooper drawn from their family trades dating to Medieval times. Ken Robertson, the retired editor of the Tri-City Herald, has been sipping Northwest wines and writing about them since 1976. W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

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C O L U M N el len on wine

BY ELLEN LANDIS

Whose palate is it, anyway?

“W

hat’s your favorite wine?” That question is posed to me and fellow wine professionals time and again, often by people who are wondering what they should be interested in. Impossible question, I say! I can offer recommendations of wines that suit me, but those selections may or may not please you. Enjoying wine is truly all about your unique, individual palate. So how do you become more confident in the trial and error of tasting wines you might like? At a restaurant or tasting room or wine shop, start by naming wines that you reach for and deem among your favorites. What do you like about those wines? Be honest! Is there something about the aroma, flavor, mouthfeel, finish? Also ask yourself if you’re in the mood for something new to broaden your repertoire, or are you craving one in the “my kind of wine” zone. Being clear about when you’re in the mood to experiment will help open your senses to something you may not have considered before. And that’s where the fun begins. From a professional judge’s perspective, analyzing wine is a methodical, thoughtful process. When tasting new wines in competition, we taste upwards of 100 wines a day — see, sniff, sip, spit, record, repeat. Each wine’s hue, aroma, flavor profile, mouthfeel, balance, complexity and finish are first evaluated by each judge individually, and then we discuss what we’ve tasted before determining the medal a wine deserves. Isn’t that part of the fun of tasting wine? Other individuals often have observations we didn’t consider. This is as true at a professional competition as it is when you’re with friends and trying something new. Another truism, whether at home or at a competition, is that great wines exist at all price points. As a judge, I taste wines priced at less than $10 per bottle to greater than $100 per bottle. While it’s no great feat to identify an excellent wine that retails for over $80 (you would hope and expect them to be well crafted), very often there are outstanding wines at lower price points. And those are discoveries worth celebrating! Here are 10 recently judged Northwest wines for under $30 that rated gold medal or higher 10

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to discover for yourself. One or more might just become your new benchmark wine. Clearwater Canyon Cellars 2016 Merlot ($25); Lewis-Clark Valley, Idaho: Forest berries and a touch of earth announce Merlot with confidence. Mouthfilling and plush while maintaining fine balance, it broadcasts ripe blueberries, cherry liqueur, bittersweet chocolate, vanilla and oak nuances. Refined with supple tannins through the memorable last drop. www.clearwatercanyoncellars.com Abacela 2017 Albariño ($21); Umpqua Valley, Oregon: Fragrant white flowers on the nose lead to generous flavors of Honeycrisp apples, subtle herbs, Key lime highlights and underlying minerality filling the palate. Vivacious and bright with pristine balance as the wine steers to a long and crisp, lemon-scented finish. www.abacela.com Spoken Barrel 2016 Meritage ($19.99); Columbia Valley, Washington: Sun-ripened forest berries on the nose are mirrored on the palate with this delectable wine. Concentrated black plum, wild blackberries, cocoa powder, and leather notes coat the palate. Smooth and rich with well-integrated tannins and the finish lingers. www.spokenbarrel.com Reustle Prayer Rock Vineyards 2016 Gruner Veltliner ($24); Umpqua Valley, Oregon: This well-crafted classic Gruner displays citrus elements, Granny Smith apples, underlying white pepper, crushed herbs, fresh sugar snap peas, chamomile, and starfruit. Complex, energetic and refreshing from first sip through the lasting finish. www.reustlevineyards.com Westport Winery 2017 Going Coastal Sparkling Gewürztraminer ($29); Red Willow Vineyard, Yakima Valley, Washington: This refreshing sparkling wine dazzles the senses as floral aromas greet the nose. Filling the mouth are layers of lychee, mango, honeysuckle and lemongrass, and the effervescence shines through the finale. www.westportwinery.com Williamson Orchards & Vineyards 2014 Syrah ($28); Snake River Valley, Idaho: Dark fruits and floral notes on the nose draw you into the glass. Deep and well-structured with black cherries, juicy Satsuma plums, a whisper of roasted meat, savory spice and vanilla bean

Enjoying wine is truly all about your unique, individual palate. flavors interlacing elegantly through the final sip. www.willorch.com Mercer Family Vineyards 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon ($19.99); Horse Heaven Hills, Washington: Aromas of forest fruits and allspice lead the way with this well-balanced Cab Sauv. Succulent and smoothly textured with boysenberry, spiced blackberry compote and plum preserves at the core. Well integrated tannins seal the package. www.mercerwine.com Bitner Vineyards 2017 Dry Riesling ($16.99); Snake River Valley, Idaho: The wet stone and peach aromas shout out Riesling. Snappy and stimulating, it dances on the palate as well-defined layers of peach, Meyer lemon, nectarine, and lemon verbena intertwine with an alluring thread of minerality. Finishes with length and vibrancy. www.bitnervineyards.com Elk Cove Vineyards 2016 Estate Pinot Noir ($29); Willamette Valley, Oregon: Earthiness and wild cherries on the nose set the stage for a brilliant display of colorful flavors in the mouth. Bing cherry, coffee mocha, blood orange, and raspberry jam join earthy, cherry licorice notes and cranberry traces on the extended finish. www.elkcove.com Iris Vineyards 2016 Pinot Gris ($16); Willamette Valley, Oregon: Tropical fruit and delicate freesia florals charm the nose, and the entry is bright and precise. Silky in texture as Bartlett pear, clementine, apricot, and fresh squeezed lemon flavors glide gracefully across the palate. Closes with verve and persistence. www.irisvineyards.com Let your personal discovery continue; YOU be the judge! After all, whose palate is it, anyway? ELLEN LANDIS is a wine journalist, Certified Sommelier, Certified Wine Specialist, Wine Educator and professional wine judge. She moderates for the highly acclaimed Vintner’s Holidays annual event at Yosemite’s Majestic hotel among other events, and was a Ritz Carlton Sommelier for years. She judges numerous national and international wine competitions annually. Reach Ellen at ellen@ellenonwine.com. W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

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FEATURE

oregon’s italian rennaisance

Oregon brings Italian wines to the table B Y TA M A R A B E L G A R D

he Oregon wine industry, solidly built on a foundation of Pinot Noir, is simultaneously rooted in experimentation. And though many regional winegrowers maintain the shared latitude with Burgundy in France validates Pinot Noir as the primary grape, Oregon’s diversity of geography soil, and climate makes it ripe for an Italian renaissance. The number of growers and winemakers in the Pacific Northwest making Italian heritage varietal wines has grown exponentially, as has the quality of their collective efforts. People like John Paul, owner/winemaker for Cameron Winery, says he’s been experimenting with and growing Nebbiolo for 25 years. “Nebbiolo is best known from the region of Barolo,” he said, “and though we will seldom produce a vintage reminiscent of that area, our Nebbiolo is a dead ringer for Alto Piemonte (at least when done properly).” Alfredo Apolloni of Apolloni Vineyards says he sees a lot of enthusiasm for Italian varietals out in the market. Apolloni is currently the only vineyard in the Willamette Valley with estate-grown Sangiovese Grosso. It also grows Nebbiolo, but of the two varieties, he said Sangiovese seems better suited to Oregon’s climate and growing season. Ponzi Vineyards also maintains its commitment to Italian varietals. It has been producing Arneis and Dolcetto since 1994, partly to indulge the family’s love for the Piedmont region of Italy, but also because these grapes, typically planted in cooler parts of Piedmont, seemed perfectly suited in the Willamette Valley. So, how do they compare to their Italian counterparts? According to Winemaker Luisa Ponzi, “They definitely differ from their cousins in Italy, expressing a unique Willamette Valley character in terms of bigger fruit aromatics in the Arneis and more pronounced structure in the Dolcetto.” And with climate change in mind, Ponzi recently planted Nebbiolo, hoping for success. Viola Wine Cellars is the only Oregon winery focused solely only Italian varietals. They primarily source Columbia Gorge fruit, due to the sheer diversity of microclimates, growing zones, geology and range of growing conditions. 12

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Kathryn Elsesser

Oregon is known world-wide for producing quality Pinot Noir but a growing number of wineries are turning their attention to native Italian varieties. White wines such as Arneis and red wines ranging from Dolcetto to Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Lagrein are growing in popularity.

Owner Darryl Joannides explained, “It’s an amazing opportunity to grow cool-climate, high-elevation alpine varietals like you’d find in Northern Piedmont, Valle d’Aosta, Lombardy, Trentino, Alto Adige and Friuli. You get the warmer zones as you head east and you can actually get grapes to ripen that would be more limited to the center and south of Italy, like Sangiovese, Primitivo and Negro Amaro. This gives us a lot to work with, and all within an hour or two of Portland.” Joannides said the best compliment he gets when showing his wines to buyers skeptical about Italian-style wines made in America is when they say, “This really tastes like — insert grape name — from Italy.” Remy Wines has had a cult following for its Dundee Hills estate-grown Lagrein for years. They also source Dolcetto from Jubilee Vineyards in the Eola Amity Hills, and purchase a few tons per year of Sangiovese, Barbera and Nebbiolo from Washington. Owner/winemaker Remy Drabkin said their Lagrein is an incredibly adept varietal for the area, especially in light of the changing climate. “It’s thick skinned, a slow ripener, and naturally mold resistant due to the cluster morphology.” She loves making this low alcohol, dense and sophisticated red wine, and it shows. “I'm Italian at heart. I had been producing my own Italian-style wines before starting the winery, so there was no reason to shift gears and be Pi-

not-centric when I was already producing great Italian wines.” Drabkin is proud when her wines pass as native Italian wines, rather than New World iterations, and thinks it's important to demand the same quality from Oregon-grown Italian varietals that Oregon pioneer winemakers and growers demanded from their Pinot production. By producing outstanding products, Oregon can be defined as a distinct growing region for high-quality wines, regardless of their native origin. Marc Girardet of Girardet Vineyards and Winery says that Sangiovese was the inspiration for him to grow Italian grapes. Girardet fell in love with Brunello di Montalcino in 2008 and decided to plant the grape in his vineyard. Stylistically, his Sangiovese is more like a Pinot Noir, with elegant, feminine tannins, a lighter body and very juicy red fruits. In fact, he’s dubbed the wine “the Pinot Noir of Southern Oregon” because it would fit right into a Pinot tasting flight. The Girardets also grow Barbera and Teroldego. The Teroldego is the newest, with the first vintage having just been bottled, but the Sangiovese appears to be most suited to the climate in the southern Umpqua Valley, with nicely balanced ripening. “The southern end of the Umpqua Valley sits right at 43.1 degrees north of the equator,” W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

Girardet noted. “The tiny town of Montalcino (where the best Sangiovese in the world is grown) also sits right at 43.1 degrees north. So, it’s meant to be, right? We have the Tuscany of the Northwest.” In the Columbia Gorge, Marchesi Vineyards is growing Barbera, Pinot Grigio, Dolcetto, Pinot Bianco, and Arneis (which is struggling in the vineyard). Owner/winemaker Franco Marchesi started growing grapes in 2004, and with his Italian heritage, it seemed a natural choice to go with these varietals — though he admits it was a bit of a gamble. “Northern Oregon has the same latitude as Piedmont and Veneto, and northern Italian varietals do well in our climatic conditions,” he said. Cana’s Feast Winery created the Italy in the Valley wine festival a decade ago intent on highlighting the Northwest’s take on the classic wines of Italy. Winemaker Patrick Taylor describes the Italian peninsula as a phenomenal source of inspiration. “With eye-popping landscapes, incredible wines, food, art, architecture… it’s a wealth of culture to draw from” he said. “From famed Piedmont, Tuscany and Puglia, they’ve sought to honor the traditions that have so far, made the largest contribution to the global wine-

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psyche.” As more growers in the Pacific Northwest turn their attention to these previously overlooked grape varieties, Cana’s Feast will be making room in their family to produce more Italian heritage varietal wines. Among the Italian varietals they’re currently priducing are Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Primitivo, Arneis and Pinot Grigio. In addition to their red blends, they’ve added a Northern Italian-inspired white blend called Vaso Bianco (Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Traminer, and Moscato). And their unforgettable and truly distinctive Italian Chinato program is based on Nebbiolo with a secret

blend of alpine herbs, spices and other exotic botanicals, following tradition. Taylor believes that the Italian varietals perform well in the Pacific Northwest, but acknowledges that Nebbiolo has taken the most work, patience and innovation because it’s apparently a fickle grape to grow. “Nebbiolo would no doubt be more cooperative growing in a cooler spot, but don’t suggest that to grower savant/viticulturalist genius Jim Holmes and his son Richard,” Taylor said. “The two have made a lifelong pursuit of perfecting their passion for growing this special grape here.” Like Joannides and Drabkin, Taylor also said the compliment that carries the most weight for him comes from buyers in the wine trade when they say, “These taste like Italian wines.” As Oregon winemakers strive to evoke the most prominent varietal characters for which these grapes are so well-recognized, they also maintain the unmistakable character of the Pacific Northwest. “We wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said. TAMARA BELGARD is a freelance writer, based in Portland, Ore. She is a regular contributor to www.satiatepdx.com and several northwest publications.

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FEATURE

seattle tasting room

Dan Radil

Bar Manager Chris Bolla, left, and General Manager Lysle Wilhelmi give customers access to wines from smaller producers that might not otherwise be available in downtown Seattle.

Seattle’s ‘The Tasting Room’ brings wineries together BY DAN RADIL SEATTLE, Wash. — The concept behind The Tasting Room, located in downtown Seattle, is remarkably simple: supply a venue for a small, collective group of wineries that might otherwise be unable to open up a tasting room in the area on their own. Lysle Wilhelmi, the owner-manager, has successfully executed this cooperative formula for over 16 years by providing a business arrangement that benefits participating wineries and Washington wine enthusiasts alike. The cooperative essentially allows individual wineries to showcase their wines without incurring the building and labor costs neces16

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sary to operate a brick-and-mortar store; the facility’s owners retain a percentage of sales to pay their employees and run the business. And consumers? They may be the biggest benefactors of the cooperative arrangement. By having several wineries at a single location, they’re able to taste and purchase a wide range of wines under one roof. That means less travel time, better variety and more convenience.

BRINGING WINERIES TOGETHER Wilhelmi’s exposure to wine started in the food-service industry; first with her work in a

T HE TA ST IN G ROOM 1924 Post Alley Pike Place Market Seattle, WA 98101 Hours: Open daily at noon until 8 pm Sunday through Thursday (later during the summer) and late on Friday and Saturday, with live music both nights. Phone: (206) 770-9463 (WINE) www.winesofwashington.com

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seattle tasting room F E A T U R E couple of restaurants and later as the owner of Seattle’s Madrona Bistro in the early 1990s. During that same time, she and then-husband Paul Beveridge established Wilridge Winery. “We started small and as we expanded, we thought it would be cool to have a cooperative tasting room with multiple wineries,” she says. The Washington Wine Commission gave them a tip on a space in Seattle’s Pike Place Market that led to The Tasting Room opening in 2002 at its current location. “We started with about five or six wineries — Wineglass Cellars, Mountain Dome, JM Cellars, and Apex Cellars,” Wilhelmi says, “and also Wilridge (which produces wines in Yakima) and Camaraderie Cellars (located in Port Angeles), which are still here today.” Other wineries in the current seven-member cooperative’s lineup include Yakima’s Naches Heights Vineyard, Winthrop’s Lost River Winery, Willis Hall Winery in Marysville, and Locus Wines and Nota Bene Cellars, both based in Seattle. Wapato’s Treveri Cellars’ sparkling wines are also purchased at wholesale and were added to The Tasting Room menu after sparkling wineproducer Mountain Dome discontinued operations. “We always like to provide the space with a little bubbly … and (the Treveri) sells like crazy,” Wilhelmi says with a smile. Dan Radil

LOCATION EXPLOITATION AND PROMOTING NICHES The Tasting Room serves as an ideal “satellite venue” with Seattlearea exposure for Naches Heights, Lost River Winery and Camaraderie Cellars. Each of these wineries operates their own tasting rooms, albeit at much less populated locations, with Naches Height in Central Washington, Lost River in the North Cascades and Camarderie on the Olympic Peninsula. The cooperative is also perfect for Nota Bene and Wilridge, which have extremely limited tasting room hours, and Locus and Willis Hall, which have no tasting rooms at all. Bar Manager Chris Bolla, who began working at The Tasting Room in 2010 and assumed his managerial position in 2015, points to his and Wilhelmi’s promotion of each winery’s niche as a key selling point that keeps the inventory diverse — and wine consumers happy. “Wilridge, for example, gets really creative with varietals,” Bolla says, “he’ll bring in Sagrantino or Touriga Nacional for us to try; Lost River will bring in Italian varietals (such as) Barbera, Nebbiolo; and Nota Bene is really solid with higher-end, Red Mountain vineyards like Ciel du Cheval.” Space considerations — both on the menu and in the wine racks that surround the walls — are the only reason The Tasting Room maintains the number of wines and wineries at their current levels. “We find that about six to eight wineries is our sweet spot,” says Bolla. “And we try to keep winemakers at about nine to twelve different wines per winery.”

WHAT VISITORS CAN EXPECT Bolla estimates that about 50 percent of The Tasting Room’s customers are locally based regulars, with many tending to stay away during the Pike Place Market’s busier, tourist-infused summer months. Even so, and regardless of the time of year, visitors to the space will always find an extensive wine list with everything available for tasting by the glass or bottle as well as a reduced, take-away retail price. Foodies will also find a small bites selection of artisanal cheeses, cured meats, tapenade, pâté and even a chocolate sampler. In addition, Bolla selects wines for a separate menu of up to six, W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

The Tasting Room entrance is conveniently located on Post Alley in the heart of Seattle's Pike Place Market.

theme-based flights that change monthly while providing tasters with a nice cross-section of each cooperative winery’s wines. And for those interested in membership benefits, a wine club (estimated by Bolla at about 250 to 300 members and managed by Wilhelmi’s sister Wendy) offers twice-annual club selections for pick-up or delivery, deep discounts on flights, bottles and case purchases, complimentary tastings of new wines and invitations to special events, including “meet the winemaker” pick-up parties.

KEEPING IT FRESH Cooperative-member wineries also benefit from what Wilhelmi describes as open-ended agreements that allow them to essentially come and go as they please. “But we don’t kick anybody out,” she says with a laugh. “All the wineries that have left are those that are able to sell all of their wine or the majority of their wine at full retail out of their own tasting room.” Bolla adds, “As far as we operate, we’re kind of like a petri dish for smaller businesses. They develop while they’re here and then once they’re big enough to open their own (Seattle) tasting room, they’re encouraged to leave.” He’s also been approached by other wineries and has a “waiting list” of about three to four ready to move in. That raises the question of whether the lack of movement perhaps prevents the space from maintaining a fresh quality. Wilhelmi notes, “Even though we consistently have the same wineries in here, I still feel like it stays interesting because the winemakers are always bringing in new vintages and new varietals. It never feels stagnant.” It’s that always-evolving atmosphere at The Tasting Room that contributes to a winning combination of successful ownership, great exposure for Washington wineries and satisfied wine enthusiasts. DAN RADIL is a freelance wine writer based in Bellingham, Wash. Dan teaches wine classes at Bellingham Technical College and produces a wine blog, danthewineguy.com. S p r i n g 2 019 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t

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pacific northwest winer y of the year

Victor Palencia, a rising star in the Northwest wine scene, stands in a vineyard similar to the ones his father once worked after bringing Victor to the United States from Mexico at the age of 2. Palencia’s story and passion for the production of outstanding wines earned his Palencia Wine Company the Wine Press Northwest’s Pacific Northwest Winery of Year title.

Richard Duval

PALENCIA WINE CO. BY ANDY PERDUE KENNEWICK, Wash. — Victor Palencia wakes up every day thinking about the American Dream. Palencia, a rising star in Washington wine country, was born in Villa Jimenez in Michoacán, a state in western Mexico. His father wanted a better life for his family. When Victor was 2, they came to America. His uncle was living in the Yakima Valley, so the family worked its way up the coast, settling in Prosser. His dad found work in the mint fields, later in row crops, then orchards, and eventually in vineyards. Victor, 34, grew up in the cradle of the Washington wine industry just as it was coming of age. His first job was working after school in the vineyards. His first job as a 18

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winemaker soon come along. He was the first in his family to go to — and graduate from — college. He was featured in The New York Times and now oversees a winemaking operation that exceeds 1.5 million cases annually. All while successfully running his own operation that includes two fast-growing labels. His wines are adored nearly universally by critics and consumers alike. He gets to wake up every day and make wine that makes others happy. That is his version of the American Dream. Palencia is a big, athletic guy who grew up

in Prosser, a town with a high school known for its football prowess. Little doubt the football coach had his eye on getting him on the gridiron in a Prosser Mustangs uniform. But Palencia already had his eye on the wine industry, and his after-school job as a cellar rat at Willow Crest Winery kept him in the student section on Friday nights rather than under the bright lights of Art Fiker Stadium. In 2003, he met Stan Clarke, a legend in the Yakima Valley who passed away in 2007, who helped start wineries, plant vineyards, wrote a wine column for the Yakima newspaper and taught in the Grandview School District. Palencia met him as he was getting involved with the fledgling winemaking program at Walla Walla Community College, which Clarke encouraged Palencia to consider. W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

pacific northwest winer y of the year F E A T U R E

Richard Duval

The monarch butterfly begins its journey in Michoacán, Mexico, migrating north through North America, sometimes taking more than one generation to make its journey to Canada. The Vino la Monarcha label includes a Monarch butterfly's wings. When two bottles are held together, they show the complete creature.

Young Palencia moved to Walla Walla in 2003 to start college. Graduating in 2005, he moved back to Prosser, where he took over winemaker duties at Willow Crest, becoming a U.S. citizen that same year. This is when he gained his first taste of fame, landing in The New York Times, which featured the underaged 20-year-old winemaking wunderkind. “That was a lot of fun, what a way to break into the industry,” he recalls. This publicity got the attention of J&S Crushing, a startup custom-crush facility in Mattawa, Wash., where Palencia was hired as director of winemaking in 2008, overseeing an operation that made more than 1 million cases of wine annually for various clients. One of those was Jones of Washington, owned by the Jones family, which Palencia turned into a perennial gold-medal winner and Wine Press W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

Northwest’s 2012 Washington Winery of the Year. A year later, Palencia created his own project, Palencia Wine Co., at the Walla Walla Airport. The launch included a second brand, called Vino la Monarcha, a lower-priced line of wines that paid homage to his heritage. He started with a few hundred cases, which has since grown to several thousand. The monarch butterfly begins its journey in Michoacán, migrating north through North America, sometimes taking more than one generation to make its journey to Canada. Metaphorically, the brand has completed its journey, as Monarcha wine, on the strength of the many gold medals it has earned in international competitions, now is being imported into Canada, a process fraught with paperwork that has paid off with 500 cases of

Vino la Monarcha wines being sold in western provinces and Toronto. Last year, Palencia moved the Monarcha label into the Port of Kennewick’s new Columbia Gardens complex in downtown Kennewick, where he has a production facility and tasting room overlooking the Columbia River. In 2015, his Rosé of Pinot Noir from the Ancient Lakes region won best of show in the Cascadia International Wine Competition. A year later, he repeated the feat, winning top honors for his Vino la Monarcha Albariño, a Spanish white for which he has quickly gained a reputation. The Monarcha label includes a Monarch butterfly’s wings. When two bottles are held together, they show the complete creature. On his Palencia label is a line drawing of his father, David, leaning on a shovel, working S p r i n g 2 019 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t

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pacific northwest winer y of the year

Richard Duval

Palencia opened his Vino la Monarcha tasting room in Kennewick’s Columbia Gardens Wine & Artisan Village in 2018 where visitors can sample both his Monarcha and Palencia wines.

the soil of a Yakima Valley mint field. His Palencia wines are higher-end, both in style and price. While the Palencia tasting room and production facility are still in an incubator facility at the Walla Walla Airport, Palencia is looking at an opportunity to relocate to a facility in the Tri-Cities, not far from Red Mountain, leaving him with a shorter commute as well as much closer to his fruit sources - and two tasting rooms in a community of more than a quarter-million potential customers. Palencia’s wines have shined most brightly in Wine Press Northwest’s annual Platinum Judging, which only includes wines from the Northwest that have won gold medals in any of more than 50 competitions held around the world. Between Palencia, Monarcha and Jones of Washington brands, Victor has won an impressive 36 Platinums. The Palencia label focuses on Rhône and 20

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A bottle of Palencia’s Albarino on ice at Taste Washington. Richard Duval

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pacific northwest winer y of the year F E A T U R E

PA L E N C I A W IN E C O. 600 Piper Ave. Walla Walla, WA 99362 509-525-9155 Hours: 11a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday

VIN O L A MONARCHA 421 E. Columbia Drive Kennewick, WA 99363 509-820-3993 Hours: 11a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday palenciawine.com

Bordeaux varieties, using grapes from several American Viticultural Areas of Eastern Washington. Monarcha wines lean more toward Bordeaux varieties, with several white wine choices. His style could be described as fruit-driven, marked by a minimalistic approach that avoids new oak to allow the fruit to shine in the glass. It’s a style that has rung true with consumers and critics alike. Palencia being Hispanic brings its own unique opportunities. There are few Latino winemakers and winery owners in the region. Being born in Mexico and immigrating here provides Victor with a rich life experience that helps him relate to Latinos who toil in Washington vineyards and work in the cellars. His life experience and his ability to speak Spanish both help him. WIth his success come additional responsibilities. Others look up to him as a mentor and role model to those in the Latino community, rather heady stuff for a kid who grew up in the Yakima Valley and who now is realizing the American Dream. ANDY PERDUE is the founding editor of Wine Press Northwest magazine and now is the editor and publisher of Great Northwest Wine and the wine columnist for The Seattle Times.

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Richard Duval

Victor Palencia's wines have shined brightly in Wine Press Northwest’s annual Platinum Judging, which only includes wines from the Northwest that have won gold medals in any of more than 50 competitions held around the world. Between Palencia, Monarcha and Jones of Washington brands, Victor has won an impressive 36 Platinums. A few are on display at Columbia Gardens Wine & Artisan Village in Kennewick.

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pacific northwest winer y of the year

How the Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year is chosen The Winery of the Year is selected based on longevity, quality, reputation, industry involvement, facilities and other considerations. A winery may win the award once.

PAST PACIFIC NORTHWEST WINERIES OF THE YEAR 2018: Long Shadows Vintners, Walla Walla, Wash. 2017: Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards, Roseburg, Ore.

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2016: Walla Walla Vintners, Walla Walla, Wash. 2015: Maryhill Winery, Goldendale, Wash. 2014: Stoller Family Estate, Dayton, Ore. 2013: Chateau Ste. Michelle, Woodinville, Wash. 2012: Thurston Wolfe, Prosser, Wash. 2011: Zerba Cellars, Milton-Freewater, Ore. 2010: Vin du Lac, Chelan, Wash. 2009: Wild Goose Vineyards, Okanagan Falls, B.C.

2008: Dunham Cellars, Walla Walla, Wash. 2007: Elk Cove Vineyards, Gaston, Ore. 2006: Barnard Griffin, Richland, Wash. 2005: Ken Wright Cellars, Carlton, Ore. 2004: L’Ecole No. 41, Lowden, Wash. 2003: Sumac Ridge Estate Winery, Summerland, B.C. 2002: Columbia Crest, Paterson, Wash.

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idaho winer y of the year

Tim and Helen Harless stand among the Muscat vines at their Hat Ranch Winery winery near Marsing, Idaho. Kyle Green kgreen@idahostatesman.com

HAT RANCH WINERY/ VALE WINE CO. BY ERIC DEGERMAN CALDWELL, Idaho — Tim Harless has spent much of his life at 30,000 feet in either a B-1 Lancer or T-38 Talon for the U.S. Air Force, then in MD-80s and 737s for commercial airlines. Last year, he grounded himself, retiring after 20 years as an airline pilot. As winemaker/co-owner of Hat Ranch Winery in the Snake River Valley, he doesn’t miss the travel. “I’ve got a tractor now. I can go and start it up anytime I want,” Harless quipped. “I don’t 24

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miss flying one bit. I’m over it.” Harless and his wife Helen, a dentist with a

practice in Boise, never have been on auto pilot since they both retired from the Air Force to create an estate winery in the Snake River Valley. Now, they’ve joined a select group as Wine Press Northwest’s Idaho Winery of the Year. “We’re in Year Eight of this, and every year we’ve experienced growth,” Dr. Helen said of their 3,200-case project. “This has been an amazing ride — and what is life for if not to have an adventure and try something new? — but the best part is the people we've met W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

idaho winer y of the year F E A T U R E

Winemaker Tim Harless discusses the harvest at his Idaho vineyard with his pick crew boss. Pete Grady Pete Grady Photography

around the industry and in the industry.” Last year, they earned gold medals at the Cascadia International Wine Competition in Richland, Wash., for their Vale Wine Co. 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, the Vale Wine Co. 2016 Chardonnay and Vale Wine Co. 2016 Viognier. “That label always been an outlier for us, but we knew those wines were good,” Tim said. “We have instructed our staff to talk about the Vale brand as a classic interpretation of traditional varietals, whereas Hat Ranch has been anything that we grow ourselves or blends or oneoffs. But it’s obvious that we should market the Vale wines better.” Their flagship wine, however, is the Hat Trick Red, a proprietary blend that in 2015 led with Cabernet Sauvignon, backed by Petit Verdot and Tempranillo. “It’s been pretty important to us because the red blend category is so hot right now, which makes it the best chance you have to make that biggest impression,” she said. “It allows us to make a great wine every year.” Indeed, the Hat Ranch 2015 Hat Trick Red picked up a gold medal at the Idaho Wine Competition. Judges included Mike Dunne, wine writer for the Sacramento Bee; Bill Ward, James Beard Award-winning wine writer for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and Sheri Sauter Morano, a Master of Wine from Durham, N.C. This winter, the Hat Ranch 2015 Petit Verdot grabbed a gold at the Savor NW Wine Awards, an international judging staged in tony Cannon Beach, Ore. “The tide has really turned in the acceptance of Idaho wines, and we have an influx of people moving here who seem to be open-minded,” Helen said. Tim, 55, a Wyoming native, graduated from Ohio State with a degree in aerospace engineering prior to becoming an instructor pilot in the Air Force. He spent 10 years on active duty and more than a decade in the reserves. Helen, who grew up in Michigan, earned her dentistry degree at Marquette. Before serving her country, she lived in the Bay Area, spending two years as assistant tasting coordinator for Wine Spectator magazine. In 2006, they met in Texas through friends who knew of their shared interest in wine. Tim’s “ah-hah moment” hit while taking his parents to Italy for a vacation. That experience inspired him to take winemaking classes at Grayson County Community College in Denison, Texas. A search throughout the West Coast led them to the Sunnyslope of the Snake River Valley at the corner of Plum Road and Pear Lane. It’s less than two miles from the river, and the 40-minute drive northwest of Boise offers visitors views of the Owyhee Mountains. “We started with $40,000 and a piece of dirt, borrowing from our 401k to get this going, which included a lot of elbow grease,” Tim said. W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

Hat Ranch Associate Winemaker Will Wetmore checks on the de-stemmer. Pete Grady Pete Grady Photography

They launched their winery with the 2011 vintage, naming their brand in tribute to Tim’s great-grandparents who homesteaded Hat Ranch in Wyoming at the turn of the 20th century. Hat Ranch Winery twice struck gold with Chardonnay and Tempranillo from that debut vintage. Continued success prompted Wine Press Northwest to tag Hat Ranch as the 2014 Idaho Winery to Watch. That same year, the Harlesses acquired Vale Wine Co. from winemaking mentor John Danielson. Both brands are produced at the University of Idaho’s Food and Wine Technology Center in downtown Caldwell. From the start, the pilot and dentist made Snake River Valley fruit their focus. While not every decision in their 6-acre vineyard has flourished, their dry estate Muscat Ottonel ranks alongside the best in the Pacific Northwest, in 2015 capturing best of show at the Idaho Wine Competition. “It’s been something to introduce to the valley because nobody has done that yet, and we’ve been thrilled with it,” he said. “Another reason is that the vines would be something that would look great and smell good near the tasting room. People think of Moscato as sweet, so this also allows us to do something that’s exceptionally different. And sometimes, we don’t even tell people what they are tasting when we pour it.” They also grow Cabernet Franc for rosé, Tempranillo and Sauvignon Blanc, but the white Bordeaux grape has struggled below their tasting room. “We are giving it one last shot in 2019. We are pioneering the vitS p r i n g 2 019 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t

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idaho winer y of the year

H AT R A N C H W IN E RY / VA L E W IN E C O. 15343 Plum Road Caldwell, ID 83607 (208) 994-6416 hatranchwinery.com

iculture,” Tim smirked. “But we saw an absence of certain varietals in certain places and wanted something to hang our hat on. When you only have 6 acres, it can be a lab. It’s not the worst thing in the world to rip out 1 1⁄2 acres. You’re only talking 1,200 vines, which is a summer project.” Among the most important investments made by the Harlesses have been in people, and they’ve compiled one of the strongest young cellars in the Northwest. Assistant winemaker Will Wetmore, a product of the Washington State University enology program, already has his Veer Wine Project, which the Harlesses allow him to promote on the Hat Ranch website.

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“I can’t imagine a guy who can pick up stuff faster,” Tim said. “He came into this with a biology degree, so he’s got credibility. He’s a dream assistant that every guy who has a winemaking operation wished that he had.” Helen adds, “As he continues to grow, we’ll figure out how to support him along the way.” Nick Cheatham, with a fermentation science degree from Oregon State, is their bilingual associate winemaker/vineyard manager. His résumé includes stints in the Willamette Valley with iconic Adelsheim Vineyard, giant A to Z Wineworks and boutique Bluebird Hill Cellars. This summer, however, they lose Lane Hewett, a graduate of Walla Walla Community College’s wine program, to his family’s fascinating Rivaura Estate Vineyards and Winery in the Lewis-Clark Valley. Last summer, Hat Ranch deepened its relationship with the University of Idaho in Moscow when Scott Lawrence, assistant professor in the College of Art and Architecture, approached the Harlesses about turning their original tasting room into a class project, then guided students through a multi-month redesign and expansion. The interior represents a

blend of repurposed steel and pine that fits the Hat Ranch brand. If they could, the Harlesses would give those two dozen students an A+. “These kids were on it like a dog with a bone,” Tim said. “As a winemaker, it’s hard to give up control with something like that, but they came up with great ideas and a great design. Financially, it probably would not have been doable for us, and we ended up with something that we love. It was a big, ambitious project, but it takes a while to do great things.” This spring, visitors to the Sunnyslope can help celebrate the grand opening of the new Hat Ranch tasting room and their latest award. “There’s been an upgrade in tasting rooms throughout Idaho as a whole,” Dr. Helen said. “Around us there’s Koenig, Williamson, Sawtooth and Fujishin with their seated tastings. Our new tasting room is a big, big change for us.” ERIC DEGERMAN is co-founder and CEO of Great

Northwest Wine. Learn more about wine at www.greatnorthwestwine.com.

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idaho winer y to watch F E A T U R E

Par Terre Winery in Garden City has been named the 2019 Idaho Winery to Watch. Travis and Mallory Walker are both former dancers. Their daughter, Harper, turned two years old in March. Katherine Jones kjones@idahostatesman.com

Par Terre Winery BY ERIC DEGERMAN GARDEN CITY — The life of a performance dancer brought Travis and Mallory Walker to Boise and introduced them to the Snake River Valley. Making wine on a professional level has turned out to be their next move, leading to their deliciously choreographed Par Terre Winery. “I’ve been making wine as a hobby for a long time as a garage and basement kind of project, and when our dance careers ended, we needed to be educated in something,” Travis said. “We knew a desk job would never work for us. We can’t stay still.” He’s proven to be a quick study, thanks in part to graduating from Walla Walla Community College’s Institute of Viticulture and Enology in 2016. The early results prompted Wine Press Northwest to select Par Terre W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

PA R T E R R E W IN E RY 9165 W. Chinden Blvd., Suite 107 Garden City, ID 83714 (408) 529-1259 parterrewinery.com

Winery as its Idaho Winery to Watch for 2019. Last year, the debut for Par Terre included a 2017 Rosé of Syrah that proved to be one of the top rosés in the Northwest. Acclaim for it included a gold medal at the Idaho Wine Competition and then a sweepstakes win at the Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition where more than a dozen of the

Pacific Northwest’s top wine buyers voted it the best rosé of the judging. As a member of the Trey McIntyre Project, Travis and others in the nationally renowned dance company used Boise as their home base, touring 35 weeks a year throughout the U.S. “We felt like rock stars in Boise and were treated almost as well as rock stars,” Travis said. “It’s what sold us on Boise — the supS p r i n g 2 019 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t

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idaho winer y to watch

port for the arts community, local wineries and local anything. It’s been super cool.” In 2014, the TMP’s namesake choreographer closed down the company after a six-year run out of Boise. The Walkers not only wanted to start their family in the Snake River Valley, but they also were aware of the need reinvent themselves. “We just explored what options we had next, and it was something we had to be passionate about,” he said. Mallory developed a following as a Pilates instructor and received a business administration degree. His first-year work in the classroom, the cellar and the vineyard earned Travis a scholarship through the Walla Walla Community College Foundation. “I grew up in the Finger Lakes region of New York, where the nearest winemaking school is Cornell, and there’s UC-Davis (California), but it made sense to go to Walla Walla, which is an easy commute,” Travis said. “I wanted to learn the physicality of winemaking and not just the theory, and that’s one of the great things at College Cellars. You get the theory, but you are living it starting on Day One. Either you sink or swim.” The Walkers named their winery for a dance term that translate to "on the ground,” and they found the stage for Par Terre Winery a few minutes northwest of Boise in Garden City. The bedroom community for the state capital has become the home for a growing number of craft beverage producers, which include Idaho Winery of the Year alumni Cinder Wines, Coiled Wines and Telaya Wine Co. Their winery’s soft opening last spring with 530 cases featured Merlot, a Syrah, a skin-fermented Sèmillon and that stellar rosé. That rolled into a debutant pouring at Savor Idaho, the Gem State’s signature wine tasting at the Idaho Botanical Garden in Boise. Guests waited in line for five minutes, sometimes longer, to chat with Mallory and taste the wines poured by these locally famous dancers. “I wish I could have attended, but as small business owners our time is divided between winery/tasting room duties and watching our 1-year-old,” Travis said. Starting in 2014, Travis dived into winemaking, starting by working crush at Indian Creek Winery in nearby Kuna with winemaker Mike McClure, who has taken over for his late father-in-law Bill Stowe. “I was recommended for an internship in Walla Walla at Doubleback, but I knew that Indian Creek only uses Idaho fruit, and I thought that if I’m going to be working with that, it made sense for me to stay home,” he said. “I owe Mike so much, and we wouldn’t have been able to get to where we’re at without him and Bill. “I’m amazed that Mike does so many wines and does them well, and he does it all himself,” Travis added. “He’s doing about 98 tons and he’s so chill. I’m stressing out about 4 tons.” Travis, 34, tries to follow the work of former College Cellars classmates Brad Binko (Eternal Wines/Drink Washington State), Jason Fox (Lagana Cellars), Doug Saar (Blue Rooster Wines) and Joshua West (Elephant Seven). “It’s hard to keep up with the wines from everybody who went through that program,” Walker said. Starting in 2015, Mallory joined the Sunnyslope Wine Trail. “When you are a dancer, there is mingling with donors, and I’m naturally a social person, so I do enjoy that,” said Mallory, age 31. “I’m an administrator for the Sunnyslope Wine Trail, which is a nonprofit, and I’m able to help our group with marketing efforts. I’ve fallen in love with the people in the Idaho wine industry because they are so kind 28

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Katherine Jones kjones@idahostatesman.com

Par Terre Winery in Garden City has been named the 2019 Idaho Winery to Watch. Travis and Mallory Walker, both former dancers, opened the winery in April 2018.

and helpful. And I’ve learned so much from folks like Amy Bitner.” Mother Nature in the Snake River Valley didn’t do the Walkers any favors during the 2017 vintage because winter kill trimmed available grapes in Idaho by about 70 percent. They found 30-year-old Syrah at Kamiak Vineyard, an established site belonging to Gordon Estate and overlooking the Snake River near Pasco, Wash. “We were lucky enough to get some fruit from the Gordon family and brought juice back to Idaho to ferment,” he said. Fortunately, 2018 brought a bounce-back vintage to Idaho, and the increased tonnage means more time in the cellar and less devoted to hiking outdoors. “Dancing is a passion and occupation that you live and breath, and it’s still part of our lives every single day,” Travis said. “When it comes to winemaking in Idaho, I’ve basically benefited from the kindness of others, and they’ve allowed me to learn.” ERIC DEGERMAN is co-founder and CEO of Great Northwest Wine. Learn more

about wine at www.greatnorthwestwine.com. W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

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oregon winer y of the year

Head winemaker Ariel Eberle, longtime vineyard manager Carlos Escobar and founder/owner Denis Burger team up to earn Yamhill Valley Vineyards Wine Press Northwest’s Oregon Winery of the Year honors.

Dominic Allen Photography Photo Courtesy of Yamhill Valley Vineyards

Yamhill Valley Vineyards BY ERIC DEGERMAN McMINNVILLE, Ore. — There is a history spanning 35 vintages at Yamhill Valley Vineyards, but no year at Yamhill Valley Vineyards has been filled with as many emotions as 2018. Head winemaker Ariel Eberle and longtime vineyard manager Carlos Escobar celebrated a string of gold, double gold and Platinum medals for founder/owner Denis Burger and his family. Alas, 2018 also marked the peaceful passing 30

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of Stephen Cary, who spent 25 years as the winemaker at Yamhill Valley Vineyards and mentored Eberle for a decade. “He always had a great story, and he was a wonderful storyteller,” Eberle said. “Sometimes the story was just a dirty joke, but it was

always pretty entertaining,” she added with a chuckle. The year after his passing, Wine Press Northwest has selected Yamhill Valley Vineyards as the Oregon Winery of the Year for 2019. Winemakers have known the prowess of Yamhill Valley Vineyards since 1984 when Cary helped launch Oregon’s Steamboat Pinot Noir Conference along the Umpqua River at the Steamboat Inn. A year later in New York, Oregon wines wowed a panel of 25 judges by sweeping the top spots at Oregon-Burgundy W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

oregon winer y of the year F E A T U R E

YA M HIL L VA L L EY VIN EYA R D S 16250 SW Oldsville Road McMinnville, OR 97128 (503) 843 3100 yamhill.com

Challenge. One by Yamhill Valley Vineyards finished first. Soon after, Cary began distributing the Burger family wines, and by 1991, he became their winemaker. Thanks to Eberle, who took over as head winemaker in 2016, and her decade of working with Cary, Yamhill Valley Vineyards made more headlines in 2018. The year began with its selection to participate in the International Pinot Noir Celebration. It ended with Eberle’s 2016 Riesling earning a Double Platinum at the 2018 Platinum Judging for Wine Press Northwest after receiving a double gold medal at the 2018 Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition. The 2015 Estate Pinot Noir and 2014 Reserve Pinot Noir each picked up a gold medal at the spring 2018 Cascadia International Wine Competition. And Eberle’s 2017 Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir was voted as Best Rosé and Best Oregon Wine at the Cascadia. “That wine was very highly regarded,” Eberle said. “It was rewarding and helped give us confidence.” Earlier this winter, the Yamhill Valley Vineyards 2015 Tall Poppy Pinot Noir ($75) won a double gold medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition in the $67 and Over category. It adds validation for the Burger family, who have planted 42 acres across their 150 acres of land near McMinnville. “My parents wanted a small piece of land for a hobby farm on their way back and forth from Portland to their beach house,” winery GM Jenny Burger said. “They found it in the classifieds section on a rainy August morning. This all made no sense, but they fell in love with it.” Growing up in the Willamette Valley, Eberle wanted to be a physician. She shifted focus, earned a biology degree from Oregon State University, then taught English for a year in South Korea. "I got back from Korea that spring, and I ended up selling cars that summer in Beaverton, which is something that I never W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

Quinn Poer Photo Courtesy of Yamhill Valley Vineyards

Winemaker Ariel Eberle (right) with Jenny Burger (daughter of owner Denis Burger ) and "Indy" during harvest of 2017. Eberle credits Jenny with working hard to help the vineyard bloom into its potential and Indy (Indiana Jones Eberle) for keeping the entire team’s morale up.

S p r i n g 2 019 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t

FEATURE

oregon winer y of the year

Quinn Poer/Photo Courtesy of Yamill Valley Vineyards

Winemaker Ariel Eberle in the Hilltop Pinot Noir block, one of her favorite blocks of Pommard clone planted in primarily volcanic, well draining soils. The block was planted in 2005, one of the younger plantings in the estate vineyard.

thought that I would do, but there weren't a lot of jobs in 2008,” she said. By September, Eberle decided to pursue winemaking. Her mother compiled a list of favorite wineries, which included Yamhill Valley Vineyards. Eberle began working for Cary on the first day of the 2018 harvest — Oct. 13. "I loved the wines that I had tasted from here, and when I met Stephen, it was like stars going into alignment for me to be here," she said. "Their intern from New Zealand suffered an injury and couldn't make it, so Stephen was scrambling. I told him that I was a hard worker and a quick study, and he took a chance on me." Ironically, it was the second time Eberle worked for Denis Burger. The first was at his AVI Biopharma Inc., while she was a science student in college. She plunged into the wine industry, twice working two harvests a year via internships in New Zealand through Cary’s connections. Eberle took several winemaking classes at 32

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Chemeketa Community College, and she also credits sessions at the Steamboat Conference for her development. “This place has always had what it takes to make those wines,” Eberle said. “It's been a sharpening our knife and marketing ourselves better.” Eberle, 36, is not related to the renowned Eberle family of Paso Robles winemaking fame. She and her partner, Noah Jones, and dog Indy enjoy hiking when not working at the 15,000-case winery. “Every single person is responsible for the success of Yamhill Valley Vineyards,” Eberle said. “We love this place, and we love each other. I feel so lucky to be here and that they trust me to make a lot of the decisions.” Now, her responsibilities include serving as president of the McMinnville Winegrowers Association and expanding Yamhill’s winemaker dinner program. Last spring, she stood in for Cary at the Steamboat Inn winemaker’s dinner featuring Yamhill Valley Vineyards and the Peirano family from iconic Nick’s Italian

Café. “That would have been his 25th winemaker dinner with Nick’s Italian Café at Steamboat, and it was such a special night,” Eberle said. “We plan on doing it in honor of Stephen going forward, and this year it is May 31.” Last August, Yamhill Valley Vineyards toasted Cary during a celebration of his life. At his request, ashes were scattered in New Zealand, the Umpqua River at the Steamboat Inn and in the old block of Pommard that feeds the Tall Poppy program. “There's a red-tail hawk here that I see almost every day, and I’m almost convinced that it's Stephan’s spirit,” Eberle said with a wistful smile. “At the very least, it reminds me of him, and I think he’s watching over this place and watching over us. He was such a lover of birds, and all of the bird feeders around the property are because of him.” ERIC DEGERMAN is co-founder and CEO of Great

Northwest Wine. Learn more about wine at www.greatnorthwestwine.com. W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

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FEATURE

oregon winer y to watch The talents of one of the northwest’s top winemakers, Rich Cushman, led to a meteoric rise of Stave & Stone Wine Estates across wine competitions this past year. That success prompted Wine Press Northwest to name Stave & Stone Wine Estates the 2019 Oregon Winery to Watch. Cushman and owner Jill House are shown in the winery’s new tasting room, outside Hood River, Ore.

Richard Duval

Stave & Stone Wine Estates BY ERIC DEGERMAN HOOD RIVER, Ore. — Fifteen years ago, Jill House was a single parent in her hometown of Hood River, Ore., in need of a second job and bewildered by what to do with the farm that had been in her family since 1919. This spring, she celebrates the opening of a stunning lodge-style tasting room surrounded by the 20-acre vineyard on her four-generation farm. But it is the success of her wine program, keyed by one of the Northwest’s top winemaking talents in Rich Cushman, that led Wine Press Northwest magazine to name Stave & Stone Wine Estates as its 2019 Oregon Winery to Watch. 34

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STAVE & STO N E W IN E E STAT E S “There are some good friends in the business who have helped guide me,” House says repeatedly. The meteoric rise of Stave & Stone streaked across West Coast wine competitions throughout 2018. The 2016 Broken Boulder Vineyard Dukes Valley Block Pinot Noir first won gold at the Savor NW Wine Awards on Cannon Beach and followed up with another at the Cascadia International Wine Competition

3825 Fletcher Drive Hood River, OR, 97031 Downtown tasting room 210 Oak St., Hood River, OR 541-490-9461 staveandstone.com

before ending the year with a Platinum from Wine Press Northwest. The 2017 Broken Boulder Vineyards Pinot Noir Blanc went W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

oregon winer y to watch F E A T U R E double gold at the Oregon Wine Competition in Jacksonville on its way to Platinum. And the 2016 Chardonnay kicked off the year with a gold at the 2018 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Ten months later, it brought home a third Platinum for House. Other achievements include the 2016 Artur Pinot Noir (gold, Great Northwest Invitational), 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (gold, Chronicle), 2016 Riesling (gold, Cascadia), 2015 Quiver Red (gold, Cascadia), 2017 estate Pinot Noir rosé named for her grandmother, Dorothy (double gold, Savor NW; gold Cascadia). “None of this that I’ve built is possible without Rich,” House says. Cushman says, “She knows my skill set in the winery, which is where I’m most comfortable. I’ve got 40 vintages in my belt now, and I couldn’t be happier.” Her path as a winery owner began with another historic figure in the Northwest wine industry, Lonnie Wright, owner of The Pines 1852. His storied career took root in 1978 when he helped plant the first vineyards for Columbia Crest in Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills. Three decades later, he opened a tasting room in Hood River. “I got divorced in 2005 and needed a second job, so I worked nights and weekends in Lonnie’s tasting room downtown,” House said. “My daughter, Hannah, and the dog would go with me on Sunday afternoons when I was working at tasting room.” House, Class of ’86 at Hood River Valley High, continued to work at the county courthouse and fell in love with Hannah’s dentist. Dr. Kyle House, who grew up in Texas cattle country, found the Columbia Gorge while driving from Seattle to ski Mount Hood. He encouraged Jill’s fascination and she became a force in the growing wine industry. Along the way, she asked Wright for advice on what to do with the 50-acre farm she took over in 2001 that had been in cherries, apples, pears and hay. “I needed to do something with the land, and my heart and passion wasn’t going to let someone else farm on our family’s land,” she said. Wright took one look and exclaimed, “This is beautiful! Why didn’t you tell me you had a hillside?” That was in April 2012. Two months later, the family established Broken Boulder Vineyard with 6 acres of Pinot Noir. A year later, it stretched to 20 acres devoted to Burgundy varieties and dominated by Pinot Noir (15 W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

acres, all Pommard clone) with Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. She worked off her maiden name of Fletcher and its origins to the French word for arrow and learned that stave is an archery reference as well as an integral part of a wine barrel. “Stone” fits alliteratively as a synonym for “boulder.” By spring 2016, House opened a tasting room on Oak Street for Stave & Stone Wine Estates, just a few blocks from her first job in the industry. She knew Steve Bickford, owner of Mt. Hood Winery, and his winemaker, Cushman. They arranged for House to open with 343 cases of wine to sell. “It’s a lot of fun, and I This spring, Stave & Stone owner Jill House celebrated couldn’t have done it without the opening of a stunning lodge-style tasting room surSteve and Rich, their knowrounded by the 20-acre vineyard on her four-generation ledge and their willingness to farm outside Hood River, Ore. help,” she said. Richard Duval Cushman’s work with Bickford family fruit led to Mt. Hood Winery becoming Wine Press Northway and has a pretty good palate.” west’s Oregon Winery of the Year in 2016. Nearly every drop of Stave & Stone wine is Cushman works on the Stave & Stone wines sold direct to consumer. Production has at the Bickfords. The arrangement allows grown to 2,500 cases, with the Broken BoulCushman to keep his award-winning Viento der rosé accounting for 400 cases. Her new Wines program separate at his own winery tasting room features three fireplaces, a covthat’s among historic Riesling vines near the ered patio and terrace seating with views of picturesque Columbia Gorge Hotel. Mount Adams and Mount Hood. “It’s fun,” Cushman said. “Sometimes, it’s a “People want go to a winery’s estate to bit of a zoo remembering what is what, but touch the dirt and see the grape vines,” she that’s the interesting part of the game. I’m said. “And nine times out of 10, you will be very, very proud of the awards that Jill and meeting either me or Don in the tasting Steve have won and to help them build their room.” brands, but I’m proud of every wine I make.” House, on the board for the Columbia Wines in the works for Stave & Stone Gorge Winegrowers Association and presiinclude a 2018 Pinot Noir made with carbondent of the eight-member Hood River Downic maceration and a Pinot Noir pétillant natutown Wine Alliance, plans to continue to rel sparkling wine. Also known as pét-nat, operating her downtown tasting room for at these bubbles require a deft touch, but she’s in least two years. the right hands with Cushman, a sparkling “I really believe our region is becoming a wine producer since 1982. destination,” House said. “The Columbia “How many different ways can we make Gorge is such a little sweetheart. We just have Pinot Noir?” House laughs. “We like to experto get it out there more like the Willamette iment, so we’ve had a lot of fun.” Valley and Walla Walla have. This is such a She’s transformed her brother-in-law, Don diverse growing region. You can get everyLoop, from beer drinker to vineyard manager. thing here.” “He’s done about 99 percent of the work in ERIC DEGERMAN is co-founder and CEO of Great the vineyard and looks like Larry the Cable Northwest Wine. Learn more about wine at Guy, but now he is quite the wine aficionado,” www.greatnorthwestwine.com. she chuckled. “He twirls his glass the right S p r i n g 2 019 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t

FEATURE

washington winer y of the year

Butch Milbrandt (left) owner and vineyard manager and winemaker Kendall Mix combined their talents to earn Milbrandt Vineyards Wine Press Northwest’s 2019 Washington Winery of the Year honors.

Stacey Bellew

Milbrandt Vineyards BY ANDY PERDUE

he Wahluke Slope is often considered the backbone of the Washington wine industry, and no one embodies this region more than Milbrandt Vineyards. The Wahluke Slope American Viticultural Area stretches across a remote corner of the Columbia Valley for 13 miles near the towns of Mattawa and Desert Aire. It’s essentially a gravel bar created 12,000 years ago near the end of the last ice age. The Columbia River 36

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creates its boundaries on two sides, with the Saddle Mountains on the north. Federally approved in 2006, it covers nearly 81,000 acres. It has a well-earned reputation for its ability to ripen red wine grapes consistently and seems impervious to Eastern Wash-

ington’s occasionally harsh and vine-damaging winters, a trait that helps the region be a consistent supplier of hearty wine grapes vintage after vintage. The Milbrandt brothers — Butch and Jerry — entered the wine scene when they decided to begin planting wine grapes in 1997. Today, they have 13 vineyards spanning nearly 2,000 acres. Together, they have helped put both the Wahluke Slope and the nearby Ancient Lakes of Columbia Valley AVAs on the map. They were born into a farming family that W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

washington winer y of the year F E A T U R E

PROSSER TA ST IN G ROOM 508 Cabernet Court Prosser, WA 99350 509-788-0030 Open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday-Sunday www.milbrandtvineyards.com

W O O D IN VIL L E TA ST IN G ROOM 14450 Redmond-Woodinville Road NE #101A Woodinville, WA 98072 425-949-7660 Open Wednesday-Sunday Leavenworth tasting room: 707 U.S. Highway 2 Leavenworth, WA 98826 509-888-2236 Open daily

moved from the Midwest to Oregon in the 1950s, then later to the Columbia Basin town of Quincy, where they farmed 160 acres of various crops. Their pivot was on a bit of a whim. “Well, I was having lunch with (grape grower) Jack Jones one day,” Butch said. “He was going down to Columbia Crest next week and take a tour, and so I went along. When I came back that day, I had a contract with 80 acres of grapes. And that’s how it happened. Just that simple. It was that kind of a fluke, but it’s not unusual for farmers who do that sort of thing because each year you’re looking at the crop you grew last year.” For a few years, they focused on growing for others, including Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. The brothers’ Evergreen Vineyard, planted in 1998, has since expanded to more than 1,200 acres. Famed for its Riesling, the fruit has been the centerpiece for some of Washington’s top wines, including Ste. Michelle’s Eroica collaboration with famed German Riesling producer Ernst Loosen. In 2007, no longer satisfied only with selling grapes to others, the Milbrandts created their own brand, Milbrandt Vineyards, with a winery in Mattawa and a tasting room in Prosser’s Vintner’s Village. They’ve since opened additional tasting rooms in WoodW I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

Butch Milbrandt and Kendall Mix in the barrel room of the Mattawa production facility.

Stacey Bellew

Butch Milbrandt discusses grape ripeness with visitors to his Mattawa vineyard during harvest.

Richard Duval S p r i n g 2 019 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t

FEATURE

washington winer y of the year

inville and the Cascade town of Leavenworth. Thanks to consistently ripe grapes from the Wahluke Slope and the highacid wines from the Ancient Lakes region, Milbrandt has been able to produce wines that consistently resonate with consumers and critics. Because they use their own fruit, they’re able to control costs, so their wines are often affordably priced. In Wine Press Northwest’s annual Platinum Judging, Milbrandt has earned an impressive 10 Platinum medals through the first 19 years of the competition. Additionally, last fall, Wine Spectator magazine ranked Milbrandt’s 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon No. 43 on its annual Top 100 wines of the world. At $17, it ranks among the best bargains on the prestigious list. In recent years, the company has gone through a restructuring. When Butch turned 70, he started to think about retirement, but he loved the wine industry and wanted to stay in it. He and Jerry decided to split the assets. Jerry loved farming, so he kept the majority of the vineyards as well as the custom-crush facility in Mattawa — Wahluke Wine Co. Butch kept Milbrandt Vineyards and Ryan Patrick, a brand they had purchased a few years prior. Butch also held onto the vineyards around his home that overlooks the Columbia River near Sentinel Gap. With Kendall Mix as his winemaker, Butch and his son, Buck, pushed forward with building those up to a combined 80,000 cases. Mix, a former Ste. Michelle winemaker, heads up both brands, though they are differentiated by their fruit sources, including highly regarded Elephant Mountain in the Rattlesnake Hills. During the past two decades, the Milbrandts have helped to shape the emergence of the Wahluke Slope and Ancient Lakes regions. And that is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. ANDY PERDUE is the founding editor of Wine Press Northwest magazine and now is the editor and publisher of Great Northwest Wine and the wine columnist for The Seattle Times.

Milbrandt-Ryan Patrick winemaker Kendall Mix in the Woodinville, Wash. tasting room.

Richard Duval

Millbrandt Vineyards Prosser, Wash., tasting room is located in the Vintners’ Village complex and is home to a highly acclaimed restaurant. Richard Duval

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W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

S p r i n g 2 019 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t

FEATURE

washington winer y to watch

Rocky Pond winemaker and Lake Chelan native Shane Collins oversees operations for owner Seattle businessman David Dufenhorst.

Richard Duval

Rocky Pond Winery CHELAN, Wash. — One of the most fascinating new vineyard projects in the Columbia Valley already is producing some of best wines in the Pacific Northwest for young Rocky Pond Winery. Seattle businessman David Dufenhorst owns the winery and Double D Vineyard along the Columbia River downstream from Lake Chelan. In the summer of 2017, he transitioned from one talented winemaker to another, hiring Shane Collins, a Lake Chelan native, to oversee his rapidly expanding operation. “As long as I don’t mess it up, the hope is that we build on our momentum,” Collins 40

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said with a chuckle. Ron Bunnell helped put Rocky Pond on the map by making many of Dufenhorst’s first wines at Bunnell Family Cellar in Prosser, and the growing number of top awards earned recently led Wine Press Northwest to name Rocky Pond as its 2019 Washington Winery to Watch. Rocky Pond’s future might best be reflected

in the 2016 Double D Vineyard Grenache, which earned a Platinum during the year-end 19th annual judging of gold-medal wines by Wine Press Northwest. It also displays the transition from Bunnell, who crushed and fermented that Grenache, to Collins. “All credit is due to Ron for those wines,” Collins said. Those would include 2016 Double D Vineyard Malbec (Platinum) and 2016 Double D Vineyard Stratastone, a Rhône-inspired blend that earned best of class at the 2018 Savor NW Wine Awards. Bunnell, whose career includes five years as red winemaker for Chateau Ste. Michelle and Col Solare, has proW I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

washington winer y to watch F E A T U R E

L A K E C HE L A N TA ST IN G ROOM 212 E. Woodin Ave. Chelan, WA 98816 (509) 888-6335

W O O D IN VIL L E TA ST IN G ROOM 19501 144th Ave. NE #B600 Woodinville, WA 98072 (425) 949-9044 rockypondwinery.com

duced 14 career Platinum awards since launching his own winery, but Dufenhorst needed to fill a day-to-day position that goes beyond winemaking to overseeing the fruit from the three estate vineyards. “I don’t think Ron was going to get Susan and his mother-in-law to move to Orondo with their two young kids,” Dufenhorst quipped. There’s also the highly decorated 2016 Double D Vineyard La Domestique Red Wine, a Right Bank Bordeaux-type of blend that earned best of class at the 2018 L.A. International Wine Competition and double gold at the 2018 San Francisco International Wine Competition. That wine has been spearheaded by Jonathan Kaczmarek, who has a dual role as business manager/winemaker. Kaczmarek, who earned a finance degree from Wisconsin, contributes to the wine program after spending several years at Soos Creek Wine Cellars in Seattle. The product of South Seattle College’s Northwest Wine Academy worked for Dufenhorst in the business world prior his appointment to Rocky Pond. Meanwhile, Collins continues to prove he ranks among the Northwest elite. Last year, the graduate of Washington State University and College Cellars in Walla Walla produced two Platinum winners for Tsillan Cellars with Riesling and Syrah. Tsillan has earned 17 Platinums, which ranks eighth all-time among Washington wineries, and Collins was responsible for most of those in his decade of work on the south shore of Lake Chelan. Not far from Tsillan Cellars is ClosCheW I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

The Rocky Pond tasting room in Lake Chelan, Wash. offers visitors a cozy atmosphere. Richard Duval

Valle Vineyard, and Collins used it to earn a Platinum with the 2017 Gewürztraminer for Rocky Pond. His 2017 Double D Vineyard Rosé of Grenache merited best of class at last year’s Northwest Wine Summit, and his 2017 Clos CheValle Vineyard Rosé of Pinot Noir grabbed gold at the Seattle Wine Awards. “We are an estate winery, and I’m heavily in the vineyard — probably more than the crew wants me to be,” Collins chuckled. “Winemaking is my lead role, and I handle all the sales contracts for grapes, too.” It all is the expanding vision of Dufenhorst, CEO of Security Properties, a Seattle-based real estate development firm with a portfolio that includes 21,000 apartment units in 21 states. He’s a Boise native and University of Idaho grad with a master’s degree in real estate from University of Southern California. A cycling trip with his wife, Michelle, that took them through vineyards in Europe sparked the idea for Rocky Pond. Soon after, they purchased 50-acre Clos CheValle, opened tasting rooms in downtown Chelan and Woodinville, and established Double D Vineyard in 2013. That 200-acre parcel has a history in orchard fruit and looks up at the Knapps Hills Tunnel downstream from Wells Dam. Bunnell said, “When I first saw this site with Jim McFerran, who has 30 years in viticulture and is one of my best friends, he told me, ‘This is exactly where Walt Clore said to plant your Cabernet — between 700 and 900 feet elevation and within sight of the Columbia River.’ It gets well beyond 3,000 heat units

and is littered with river rock and lots of granite …. And this corridor has historically been apples and cherries, so David and Michelle are definitely pioneers.” They’ve hired Walla Walla geologist Kevin Pogue to spearhead the petition for the Rocky Reach American Viticultural Area. It’s also an extremely warm site little more than a stone’s throw from the Columbia in some places. Cobblestones make it a costly challenge to plant, but Dufenhorst said there’s room for 180 acres. He plans to leave about 25 acres of pears, and Michelle’s roles include overseeing the scenic wedding venue surrounding the rock-lined pond. “It could all go into grapes eventually,” Dufenhorst said. Then there’s Rocky Reach Estates, a multipurpose 50-acre riverfront wine lifestyle community five miles south of Double D and just upstream from Daroga State Park. It also will be home to the estate winery to join the 12 acres of red Bordeaux planted in soils with wind-blown sand that’s up to six feet deep. At this point, Collins farms about 120 acres of vines for the 5,000-case brand that soon will feed new tasting rooms in Portland and Seattle. “Last year, we sold 65 to 70 percent of what we grew,” Collins said. “We’ll continue to plant more acreage and make more wine, and we’ll sell about the same percentage.” ERIC DEGERMAN is co-founder and CEO of Great

Northwest Wine. Learn more about wine at www.greatnorthwestwine.com. S p r i n g 2 019 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t

TA S T I N G R E S U LT S

bordeaux gems

Southern Oregon’s Spangler Vineyards shows polish with Bordeaux gems BY ERIC DEGERMAN WITH KEN ROBERTSON AND HEATHER UNWIN

year ago, Umpqua Valley producer Spangler Vineyards earned acclaim as Wine Press Northwest magazine’s Oregon Winery of the Year. Pat Spangler has generated another headline in our Spring 2019 issue, this time as the most decorated winemaker within this tasting of Cabernet Franc, Carménère, Malbec and Petit Verdot. We’ve dubbed them “Bordeaux Gems,” and Spangler, 52, earned our top rating of “Outstanding!” — the equivalent of a gold medal — four times with three of those varieties. “Who are we kidding?” Spangler said. “I know that I can be a pain in the ass, and I have a reputation for being a demanding prick in the vineyard. And they are right. But there is no mystery to this. You can’t make really good wine unless you have really good grapes.” Two of his golds came for work with the fascinating and still-obscure Carménère grape, a variety that was thought to be lost to history when phylloxera, an aphid that attacks the roots of grape vines, marched through Bordeaux from 1860 to 1880. Prior to that, fortunately, Chileans took cuttings of Carménère 42

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from France, mistakenly believing they were Merlot. The famous French ampelographer Jean-Michel Boursiquot made the astounding discovery during a random field trip while in Chile for a symposium in November 1994. Spangler’s fascination with all Bordeaux varieties has inspired his continued work with second-generation grower Michael Moore at Quail Run Vineyards in Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley. The first time Spangler brought in Carménère from the Moore family’s Crater View Vineyard was 2009. “It was so amazingly herbal that I didn’t know what to do with it!” Spangler exclaimed. “When it’s not ripe, it has an amazing amount of pyrazines with it.” His target for Carm is a ripeness level of 25 percent sugar, aka Brix, and the stage gets set by removing some leaves from the canopy as soon as the berry is formed after bloom is complete. “The sunlight starts to take those pyrazines down,” Spangler said. In this tasting, Spangler’s 2015 Carménère showed just a tick better than the 2016, which he isn’t scheduled to offer to his reserve wine

club until October. “I’m not in a hurry to release it,” he said. “My wines seem to like 18 to 24 months of bottle age. They become something different if you give them time.” He credits his 2015 spicy Cabernet Franc, also farmed by Moore, as another product of that season. “It was the hottest vintage we’ve had in a long time,” Spangler said. “Cab Franc has more aromatics than Carménère, and you can get some of the same herbal qualities, too, but you can burn off a lot of the pyrazines at 25 Brix,” Spangler said. “And I put my Cab Franc in barrels that have some smokiness to them because I like that.” The Spangler 2014 Petit Verdot comes from the Milton-Freewater region of the Walla Walla Valley, which explains why he lists the appellation as simply “Oregon.” And the load required a painstaking truck ride back to his winery in Roseburg. He immediately followed with a long and relatively cool fermentation and a gentle and early press so as to not shear the grape skins. “Petit Verdot is a very interesting grape,” he W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

bordeaux gems TA S T I N G R E S U LT S

said. “If you get it good and ripe - with a pH 3.8 or 3.9 and north of 25 Brix - there’s a purple nose and purple flavor profile. I’m not afraid to water back some if they come in at 26 Brix because in my opinion I’m simply putting back in what was lost in excess evaporation.” Malbec was the only category that Spangler did not shine in, but the 2,000-case producer didn’t have a recent example to submit. “I still love Malbec and have resumed making it,” Spangler said. “The vineyard I was sourcing my Malbec from was purchased by another winery, so I had to find a suitable replacement. I did, and I have some great stuff coming, but none from 2014 or 2015.” Fielding Hills Winery, a cult producer now on the south shore of Lake Chelan, submitted the judging’s highest-scoring wine. Mike Wade’s 2014 Riverbend Vineyard Estate Malbec off the Wahluke Slope received an unanimous vote of gold from that panel, earning the equivalent of a double gold. Malbec formed the largest group of the tasting. The 47 entries generated nine awards of “Outstanding!” — also the most of any category — three of those were unanimous, which included the Mercer Canyons 2015 Malbec from the Horse Heaven Hills and the Isenhower Cellars 2016 À Bloc Malbec from the Columbia Valley. For Jessica Munnell, who made the Mercer Canyons wine in 2015, it served as yet another example of her touch with red Bordeaux varieW I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

W IN E R AT IN G S All rated wines are tasted blind then placed in the following categories: Outstanding! These wines have superior characteristics and should be highly sought after. Excellent Top-notch wines with particularly high qualities. Recommended Delicious, well-made wines with true varietal characteristics. Prices are suggested retail.

ties from the Horse Heaven Hills and that sultry vintage. The Mercer Canyons 2015 Malbec not only was an unanimous selection by judges, but it also ranks as a tremendous value at $17. Last summer, in Wine Press Northwest’s Cabernet Sauvignon tasting, Munnell’s work for Mercer Estates from the 2015 vintage achieved our top rating three times and at three price points - $20, $45 and $100. For the Francophiles, the largest production of Cabernet Franc entered in this tasting also happened to rank as the best. The Maryhill Winery 2016 Cabernet Franc, which is part of winemaker Richard Batchelor’s entry-level Classic tier, received a double gold from judges. Making it more delicious upon reveal is that it also was the least expensive ($27) among the eight wines that were deemed “Outstanding!”

Not surprisingly, the Maryhill 2016 Proprietor’s Reserve Cabernet Franc by Batchelor also registered as “Outstanding!” The Carménère category, understandably the smallest class of in the field, produced the highest percentage of top-rated wines as seven of the 13 entries were deemed “Outstanding!” Leading the way was Bartholomew Winery 2015 Carménère off Red Mountain as Bart Fawbush earned the equivalent of a double gold medal and ranked near the top of a Wine Press Northwest judging for the second straight issue. Ironically, his new vinification facility in Kennewick’s Columbia Gardens is just a few hundred yards from Clover Island, site of our Bordeaux Gems tasting. Among the biggest highlights was to see the growing number of vintners bottling Petit Verdot on its own. There was no double gold in the field, but ripeness seems to pay dividends in general with this grape as three of the top wines hovered around an alcohol level of 15 percent. However, that didn’t hold true with the top two entries. The Finn Hill Winery 2014 Stillwater Creek Vineyard Tenebrae Petit Verdot and Martinez & Martinez Winery 2015 Petit Verdot tied for best of class, and both clock in around 14 percent alcohol by volume. As expected, this tasting ranked among the most expensive in recent years. Average price for a Petit Verdot that was entered is $40, followed by Cabernet Franc ($36), Carménère ($34) and Malbec ($34). These “Bordeaux Gems” were categorized S p r i n g 2 019 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t

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and judged blind on a single day by three panels of wine experts, who rated wines with Outstanding!, Excellent and Recommended. A wine is awarded a medal based on how a majority of the judges voted. We assigned points to each wine based on each judge’s rating, which determined the order of finish. The tasting was staged in between snowstorms on Feb. 6 at the Clover Island Inn in Kennewick, Wash. Wines were flighted first by variety, then grouped by vintage and tasted within each vintage by listed ABV from lowest to loftiest. Our panel featured Megan Hughes, enologist/assistant winemaker, Barnard Griffin Winery, Richland, Wash.; Jean Mathews, food and beverage manager, Clover Island Inn, Kennewick; Katy Michaud, winemaker, Double Canyon, West Richland, Wash.; Andy Perdue, wine writer, The Seattle Times; Mike Rader, panelist, Great Northwest Wine, Kennewick; Hank Sauer, panelist/philanthropist, Great Northwest Wine, Kennewick; Brad Smith, instructional technician vineyard and winery technology at Yakima Valley Vintners, Yakima Valley College, Grandview, Wash.; Kasee Woods, general manager, Henry Earl Estates, Walla Walla, Wash; and Glenn Grabiec, a certified sommelier and Bartholomew employee who was not on the panel that judged the Carménère category. Moderators were Eric Degerman, CEO, Great Northwest Wine, Richland; Ken Ro-

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bertson, Wine Press Northwest columnist, Kennewick; and Heather Unwin, instructor, Wine and Spirits Archive; marketing instructor, Washington State University Viticulture & Enology certificate program, Richland.

OUTSTANDING! CABERNET FRANC Maryhill Winery $27 2016 Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley Richard Batchelor began working on this beauty the year after he earned Pacific Northwest Winery of the Year acclaim for Craig and Vicki Leuthold. He pulled from the estate Gunkel Vineyards near the Goldendale, Wash., winery as well as Tudor Hills in the Yakima Valley. It is redolent of Marionberry and Bing cherry, supported by nicely balanced medium tannins and a lingering finish. (1,117 cases, 14.1% alc.) Maryhill Winery $38 2016 Proprietor’s Reserve Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley The Tudor family in the Yakima Valley serves as a key contributor to much of the Maryhill lineup, reds and whites, and they’ve been a component to Richard Batchelor’s reserve Cabernet Franc program for several years. The ripeness and smokiness behind the

notes of plums and blackcurrant still leave room for a touch of herbs, while smooth tannins and ample acidity conclude with a savory note. (324 cases, 14.8% alc.) Baer Winery $25 2016 Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley Hand-picked Stillwater Creek Vineyard berries placed in the hands of Woodinville winemaker Erica Orr make for a bright and fruity expression of Cabernet Franc with pomegranate acidity, dusty tannins and a touch of vanilla from French oak. (591 cases, 14.8% alc.) Amelia Wynn Winery $32 2015 Kiona Vineyards Cabernet Franc, Red Mountain This bottling with fruit from the pioneering Williams family on Red Mountain continues to shine as Bainbridge Island winemaker Paul Bianchi adds more validation to his double gold and best-of-class award from the 2018 Washington State Wine Competition. Remarkable florals of black currant, sweet herbs and spices show marvelous balance between the neutral American oak barrels and the grapes. There’s juiciness to the flavors of Craisins and Bing cherries as tannins reminiscent of flannel set up a pleasing finish. (94 cases, 14.4% alc.)

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DAMA Wines $55 2015 Cabernet Franc, Walla Walla Valley Mary Derby’s downtown Walla Walla tasting room showcases these three barrels of fruit from Rempel family’s XL Vineyard, which is part of the star-studded SeVein project near Milton-Freewater, Ore. She preserves classic notes of a cedar-lined cigar box followed by dusty raspberries and cherries with balanced tannins and touches of Graham cracker and coffee. (75 caes, 14.7% alc.) Spangler Vineyards $28 2015 Cabernet Franc, Southern Oregon The 2018 Oregon Winery of the Year’s love affair with red Bordeaux varieties is obvious, and his work with Cabernet Franc from the Rogue Valley is stunning. Barrel influence shows with notes of toasted sesame and cocoa while allowing for a rub of sage and cracked pink peppercorns. Refined tannins make room for lasting enjoyment of sweet cherry and raspberry flavors. (268 cases, 14.9% alc.) Kitzke Cellars $35 2014 Kitzke Family Vineyards, Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley Washington’s “Wine Boss” — Charlie Hoppes — worked with the Kitzke family while young Seth Kitzke worked in some of the region’s top wineries. This Cabernet Franc

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from the Kitzke family’s quite warm Candy Ridge Vineyard is one of the lasting legacies of Hoppes’ work for them. These blocks use a lyre-style trellis system, which helps these grapes retain acidity and Cab Franc qualities, starting with crushed leaf, cherry and cured meat aromas. Inside, black cherry and blackcurrant come with sandy tannins and a chocolaty finish. (89 cases, 14.7% alc.) Cougar Crest Estate Winery $32 2014 Estate Cabernet Franc, Walla Walla Valley A proud product of Washington State University, Deborah Hansen favors working with Cabernet Franc off her Cougar Hills Vineyard near Seven Hills. The nose of smoky oak, baking spice and Van cherry transitions to a fruit-filled palate loaded with blackberry, blueberry and plum. Cordial cherries and roasted bell pepper linger within the impeccably managed tannins. (885 cases, 14.1% alc.)

OUTSTANDING! CARMÉNÈRE Bartholomew Winery $35 2015 Carménère, Red Mountain Early on in his career, Bart Fawbush used rosé of Carménère from venerable Konnowac Vineyard in the Yakima Valley to help stand out in the Seattle market. Here, he’s using

Carm from Heart of the Hill Vineyard, part of the Williams family holdings for Kiona Vineyards, in his red wine program. Predictably, the results are superb. Classic aromas of bell pepper and black pepper are joined by blackberry, spice and vanilla. On the palate, expect more of the same, wrapped with smooth tannins as a savory nibble of Kalamata olive leads into a creamy finish of Bailey’s. (125 cases, 13.9% alc.) Jones of Washington $30 2014 Wahluke Slope Vineyards Estate Carménère, Wahluke Slope The second-generation Jones family owns and operates 11 vineyards in the Columbia Basin, but they have Carménère planted in just one site — Unit 20 — of their eight on the Wahluke Slope. Ripeness is never a factor there, so there’s not as much herbaceousness here. Rather, Victor “Kid Platinum” Palencia offers a profile of darker red fruit with a pinch of white pepper and baking spice as smoky chocolate and smooth tannins combine for a truly elegant finish. The Jones family has scaled back its Carménère program, so reach out to in their Quincy tasting room as well as the Pybus Public Market in Wenatchee. (87 cases, 14.9% alc.) Season Cellars 2015 Limited Edition Series Carménère, Southern Oregon

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$38

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Carménère grown in Southern Oregon by Michael Moore at his family’s Crater View Vineyard near Jacksonville produced a trio of gold medals in this tasting, each by a Roseburg producer. Scott Henry IV and his wife Jennifer blended some Malbec (11%), which imparted blue notes of Marionberry, plum, blueberry and dark cherry. Hints of cigar tobacco and Indian spices come with suave tannins and bright acidity. (36 cases, 13.5% alc.) Spangler Vineyards $35 2015 Carménère, Southern Oregon Pat Spangler’s ongoing collaboration with the Moore family and their Crater View Vineyard led to a pair of Outstanding! Examples of this Bordeaux variety that was believed to be extinct for a century. Between work in the vineyard and a gentle fermentation, this former floor trader on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange has removed most of the herbal notes that some find distracting in Carménère. Black pepper, blackberry, vanilla and light toast take the aromatic lead. On the palate, it’s quite fruit-forward as plum, blueberry and red cherry flavors mix among nicely managed tannins and pomegranate acidity. (194 cases, 14.2% alc.) Zerba Cellars $45 2016 Carménère, Walla Walla Valley Fruit grown by the Zerba family of MiltonFreewater, Ore., led to multiple Outstanding! wines during this tasting. Their new winemaker, Brent Roberts, took over for Doug Nierman and carried this Carménère to the finish line with a flourish. Classic hints of black pepper are joined by black cherry and blackberry jam before giving way to blueberry acidity, suave tannins and an rather elegant bit of milk chocolate in the finish. (151 cases, 14.8% alc.) Spangler Vineyards $35 2016 Carménère, Southern Oregon Club members at the reserve level in Pat Spangler’s hierarchy won’t be able to get their hands on this beauty until this fall. It will be worth the wait. While the 2016 vintage wasn’t as hot as the prior year, it was warm enough to achieve ripeness at Quail Run Vineyards’ Crater View parcel. Dark notes of blackberry, black pepper and allspice turn a bit brighter on the palate. Black cherry, red plum and cassis lead into sturdy yet age-worthy tannins. (160 cases, 14.2% alc.)

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Martinez & Martinez Winery $38 2015 Dion Carlo Carménère, Horse Heaven Hills Andrew Martinez’s father, Sergio, has been working the vineyards in the Horse Heaven Hills since 1981, including his own small vineyard near famed Phinny Hill. The son produces a complex example of Carménère, which begins with a telltale dusting of black pepper and other spice rack components. Nicely managed bright tannins play deliciously with fruit-forward flavors of blackberry, plum and dark cherry, a combination that sets the table for a long finish. (95 cases, 14% alc.)

OUTSTANDING! MALBEC Fielding Hills Winery $42 2014 Riverbend Vineyard Estate Malbec, Wahluke Slope A theme that’s dusty, dark and smooth opens the conversation about Mike Wade’s work with his Riverbend Vineyard, an hour downstream on the Columbia River from his original winery in East Wenatchee. This year, 2014, is when Wade moved into his gorgeous facility on the south shore of Lake Chelan. Riverbend, transitioned from organic Red Delicious apples in 1998, is the only vineyard used in the production of Fielding Hills red wines, and this Malbec brings thoughts of blackberry syrup, bold plum and mint that play deliciously with its mild tannin structure and finish of baking spice and cocoa powder. A product of 19 months in 70% new oak, it was straight-up gold across the judging panel and went on to become the highest scoring wine among the 130 entered in our “Bordeaux Gems” tasting. (124 cases, 14.5% alc.) Mercer Canyons $17 2015 Malbec, Columbia Valley The legacy of acclaim continues for the wines Jessica Munnell produced for the Mercer family, whose teamwork led to their award as Washington Winery of the Year in 2016. Rose petals, fresh plums, Baker’s chocolate and tarragon are presented in a balanced structure with dusty tannins that yield to a finish of blackberry. Perhaps the biggest bargain of the tasting, and this marvel out of the Horse Heaven Hills is built for burgers, pizza and tomato-based pasta dishes. (987 cases, 13.9% alc.)

Isenhower Cellars $38 2016 À Bloc Malbec, Columbia Valley Walla Walla winemaker Brett Isenhower leaned on a pair of Washington’s top vineyards - historic Champoux in the Horse Heaven Hills and Olsen Ranch in the Yakima Valley — for this Malbec. The theme of black cherry, blackberry, cocoa powder and tobacco are presented amid a supple structure that’s backed by a smoky vanilla finish. It’s named after a cycling term pronounced “ah block,” and it a delicious way to toast the 20th anniversary of Isenhower Cellars in 2019. (364 cases, 14.5% alc.) Nodland Cellars $35 2014 Malbec, Walla Walla Valley Spokane attorney Tim Nodland closed down his downtown jazz club in the old Chronicle Building and transitioned his winery into a club-only enterprise. This Malbec from the Walla Walla Valley earned him praise at last year’s New York International Wine Competition, and the beat goes on. Its Old World approach appealed to those East Coast judges and those who gathered this winter in the Columbia Valley, presenting a tune of dark blue fruit, coffee and exotic spices with a savory note of black olive and a Graham cracker snap. (52 cases, 14.5% alc.) Vizcaya Winery $28 2014 Malbec, Snake River Valley Among the examples of Malbec submitted to our judging, 47 in all, this one from Idaho’s Snake River Valley might be the most expressive. The Hansens established Malbec in their Windy Ridge Vineyard near the city of Meridian in 2005, and their Boise-based winemaker, Mike Crowley, among the Northwest’s most overlooked, turned this into gold. It spent three years in five barrels and emerged with elegance. Complex notes of plum, black pepper and chocolate come through with a silky structure that maintains brightness with touches of pomegranate and Craisin. (125 cases, 14.4% alc.) Farmhand Winery $28 2016 Malbec, Columbia Valley A farm kid growing up in the Columbia Valley, Steve Sauer has taken his decades of experiences in orchards and established young vineyards near Kennewick and Leavenworth. He planted Malbec at both sites, but perhaps it’s no coincidence that this young release is reminiscent of chocolate-covered cherries because of the four varieties of cherries he W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

bordeaux gems TA S T I N G R E S U LT S grows at his Kennewick estate. An easy drinker, it offers a steady stream of fruit akin to blueberry and elderberry with lingering notes of vanilla and blackberry juice. Sauer also operates three-suite Cherry Chalet at his winery not far from Columbia Center. (45 cases, 13.4% alc.)

and this would have been in barrel when that news came out. It’s a spicy and layered example from the Alberg family’s historic planting in Washington’s Frenchman Hills near Royal City. Black fruit, espresso and crushed walnut are wrapped up in bold tannins that bode well for the future. (78 cases, 14.2% alc.)

Hood Crest Winery $64 2015 Malbec, Columbia Valley Acclaimed blues guitarist Tess Barr continues to grow her Malbec program with the help of Raptor Ridge Vineyard across the river in Wishram, Wash. As the most expensive entry in the field, there’s a decadence to its structure described as rich, dense and concentrated with notes of blackberry, plum, black cherry and baking spice. Still, there’s a backbeat of acidity that will play well with nicely marbled steak, creamy sauces and robust cheeses. (50 cases, 14.6% alc.)

Martinez & Martinez Winery $30 2015 Petit Verdot, Horse Heaven Hills This vintage marks Andrew Martinez’s 10th as the winemaker for the brand that he and his father collaborate on in Prosser, Wash. Theirs was the second Hispanic-owned winery in the state, and Andrew’s deft touch with Petit Verdot shows. It is rich with Bing cherry and President plum, joined by an endearing hint of smoke and turn of a pepper mill. Well-managed tannins are led out by a sprinkling of cocoa powder that lingers nicely. (105 cases, 14% alc.)

Indian Creek Winery $23 2016 Malbec, Snake River Valley The McClure and Stowe families use this Malbec program to help support the Idaho Humane Society. Each year since 2007, they auction off the label to an adoring dog owner and have raised more than $20,000 along the way. Sawooth Vineyard fruit in the hands of winemaker Mike McClure leads to a fresh profile of loganberry, red currant and red cherry that’s joined by a pinch of spice and minty tannins. (350 cases, 14% alc.)

Barons Winery $50 2015 Petit Verdot, Wahluke Slope Jim Keller and his partners, which include co-founder Gary McLean and Rick Ellingson of Bargreen Ellingson, recently recruited Napa-trained Bill Murray to take over the winemaking for one of Washington’s cult producers on the heels of their move from Woodinville to Walla Walla in 2017. Their two barrels of Petit Verdot were grown at StoneTree Vineyard, one of the state’s hottest sites on the steamy Wahluke Slope. The 22 months in 100% new French oak barrels makes for a complex and massive profile that’s filled with coffee, tarry black fruit and cigar leaf. It emerged one of the most power-laden and varietally correct examples in this comparative tasting. (50 cases, 14.9% alc.)

Schmidt Family Vineyards $36 2015 Estate Malbec, Applegate Valley Southern Oregon shined across the board in this peer tasting, and Cal Schmidt and his children contribute to that acclaim with fruit from the Kubli Bench vineyard project they launched in 2001 near Grants Pass. Their charming Malbec shows length as smooth tannins allow for enjoyment of the blackberry, spiced plum and blueberry profile. (119 cases, 14.3% alc.)

OUTSTANDING! PETIT VERDOT Finn Hill Winery $30 2014 Stillwater Creek Vineyard Tenebrae Petit Verdot, Columbia Valley Woodinville’s Rob Entrekin earned our Washington Winery to Watch award in 2016,

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Isenhower Cellars $38 2016 Jongleur Petit Verdot, Columbia Valley The Isenhowers feature Petit Verdot for their Port-style program, and their table wine version from historic Dionysus Vineyard’s Block 13 is an exciting example of the variety from the 2016 vintage. After 22 months in French oak, the attraction begins with its glass-coating wardrobe that also coats the palate with blueberry juice, cola, black cherry skins and remarkable balance. The ripeness of that fruit and the barrel program washed over any herbal notes that appeared in other entries

B O R D E AUX G E M S BY T HE N UM B E R S Here is a look at the numbers behind the wines evaluated for this project. Total wines judged: 130 Ranking by entries: Malbec (47), Cabernet Franc (39), Petit Verdot (31) and Carménère (13). Percentage of “Outstanding!” wines: 22 Percentage of “Excellent” wines: 57 Percentage of “Recommended” wines: 17 Average price: $36 Average alcohol: 14.3% Total cases represented: 28,238 Average case production: 130 Entries by vintage: 2016 (47), 2015 (50), 2014 (24), 2013 (7), 2012 (2). American Viticultural Areas represented: 14 Wines by AVA: Columbia Valley (41), Walla Walla Valley (22), Yakima Valley (14), Horse Heaven Hills (13), Wahluke Slope (13), Southern Oregon (7), Rattlesnake Hills (4), Red Mountain (4), Snake River Valley (4), Applegate Valley (2), Oregon (2), Washington (2), Lake Chelan (1), Lewis-Clark Valley (1).

of Petit Verdot. A jongleur refers to a wandering, multi-talented entertainer from medieval times, and the Isenhowers, who have raised three daughters, drive around the state to operate their tasting rooms in Walla Walla, Woodinville and Leavenworth. (220 cases, 15% alc.) Spangler Vineyards $35 2014 Petit Verdot, Oregon Pat Spangler stayed within the boundaries of Oregon, but his haul with these bins from the Walla Walla Valley back to the Umpqua Valley required a 10-hour truck drive that was worth the trip for his fanbase. Whiffs of fresh-planed cedar, lavender and Chukar Cherry ride through with slaty, blueberry-seed tannins that gather up plums, blackberries and spice. The combination makes for a superb fruit expression that doesn’t dominate in any direction. (200 cases, 14.9% alc.) ERIC DEGERMAN is co-founder and CEO of Great

Northwest Wine. Learn more about wine at www.greatnorthwestwine.com.

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A native of Othello, Wash., Chef Pauline Garza, 25, bubbles with charisma as she embraces and appreciates the acclaim and responsibility that comes with being the founding executive chef and food and beverage manager at Drumheller’s. Richard Duval

Drumheller’s young chef wears founder’s vision on her sleeve S T O RY B Y E R I C D E G E R M A N P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y R I C H A R D D U VA L RICHLAND, Wash. — Pauline Garza, a young wine-country culinary star in the Columbia Valley, looks down at the sky blue bracelet on her right wrist for words of inspiration when she’s in the kitchen of The Lodge at Columbia Point. “WWTD — What Would Tom Do?” pays tribute to the late Tom Drumheller, a beloved figure in the Pacific Northwest hospitality industry. Employees throughout his Escape Lodging Co. refer to the color as “Drumheller Blue.” 48

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“I consider it part of my uniform, so I don’t go a day without it at work,” Garza said. “And I’ve worn it every day since Tom’s passing.” Coffee mugs in his boutique luxury lodge, spa, restaurant and wine bar near the Columbia River are emblazoned with “It will be fun!” — another Drumheller catchphrase that’s on the back of the wristband and continues to resonate with employees. A photograph of him hangs just inside the door to Drumheller’s Food & Drink, a restaurant the Walla Walla native sadly didn’t live long enough to see

Garza open. “The Lodge is something the Tri-Cities has needed for such a long time,” Garza says with pride. “To be able to collaborate with our wine partners, bring them into the property and show guests what they are doing — and what we’re doing — is such a beautiful thing. And to honor Tom Drumheller in such a way is pretty great.” A native of Othello, Wash., Garza, 25, bubbles with charisma as she embraces and appreciates the acclaim and responsibility that comes W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

MATCH MAKERS with being the founding executive chef and food and beverage manager at Drumheller’s. The spotlight is significant because The Lodge at Columbia Point and its 82 rooms serve as a stage for 82 Washington wineries. A year ago, the incomparable Kat Dykes, one of the most savvy folks in the Columbia Valley wine trade, joined Garza’s team. “Each of the rooms is named after a winery, and a lot of these wineries were very good friends with Tom, our visionary,” Dykes said. “The wineries love it because they have a place to send their guests, and we have an arrangement with the wineries where we give their club members a discount on their rooms.” When a guest brings a bottle of Washington wine to be opened at Drumheller’s, they are not charged corkage. And there’s an expectation that three times a year each of those 82 wineries will come to pour for guests at The Lodge. “There are so many wineries that see the benefit and want to be a part of this program that we are going to open it up,” Dykes said. This winter, The Lodge launched a series of Thursday afternoon pop-up tastings. Dykes taps into her longtime ties with KVEW-TV to promote each tasting the night before with the “Wine Wednesday” interview of that winemaker by reporter Kristin Walls. “These are winemakers who may not have a tasting room and want to get their wines in front of people,” Dykes said. “They pour three of their wines to our guests and the public, and there is the opportunity for people to purchase those wines.” Alumni of that series include Seth Kitzke of Upsidedown Wine, Jessica Munnell of Wautoma Wines and Joshua Maloney of Maloney Wine. “We’re already booked through the end of May,” Dykes said. Drumheller’s offers second-story views of the Richland Yacht Club and the Columbia River with its 15 tables. At this point, it is open for dinner only each night from 5 to 10 p.m. Downstairs, Garza serves the 25 seats in the Vine & Craft Bar from 4 to 10 p.m. daily. A few weeks before The Lodge opened, Garza, the first graduate of the hospitality program at Washington State University’s campus in Richland, was approached by Drumheller. He was part of the inaugural induction class into the WSU Carson College of Business Hall of Fame. “He told me about The Lodge and his plans, and said, ‘We’ll eventually open a resW I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

Richard Duval

Chef Pauline Garza, wears the same sky blue bracelet to work every day with the words “WWTD — What Would Tom Do?” The bracelet pays tribute to the late Tom Drumheller, a beloved figure in the Pacific Northwest hospitality industry. Employees throughout his Escape Lodging Co. refer to the color as “Drumheller Blue.”

taurant, so why don’t you come and start by doing breakfast for our guests?’ ” Garza remembers. “I was a little hesitant because I hadn’t considered being a hotel chef.” Drumheller, with his hotels and restaurants in Cannon Beach, Ore., had a way of charming people while inspiring them. He also knew potential when saw it, which included the uncut gem that was Columbia Point, a parcel of land near the confluence of the Columbia and Yakima rivers. In 2006, he floated his concept for a luxury hotel, only to see the Great Recession delay his plans for nearly decade as he recruited financial partners. Construction then spanned nearly two full years. Alas, just three weeks after his diagnosis, colon cancer claimed Drumheller on Sept. 17, 2017. It was a month after his 64th birthday and days after the ribbon-cutting, both of which he got to celebrate at The Lodge. News of his passing sent a shockwave throughout the Northwest hospitality industry. Within months, family and friends established the Tom Drumheller Memorial Scholarship at

WSU for students majoring in wine and beverage business management or hospitality business management. On June 12, 2018, Garza opened Drumheller’s Food & Drink, topping a résumé that’s impressive for a recent college graduate. “Honestly, as cheesy as it might sound, I’ve never wanted to do anything else,” she said. “My chores were to cook and clean the kitchen. I’m pretty sure that by the age of 10 that I had kicked my mom out of the kitchen. Everything about food and being around the table enjoying each other’s company, I’ve always been in love with that.” An early turning point in Garza’s culinary career began when she made a cold call to Emeril Lagasse’s Table 10 at the Palazzo Hotel in Las Vegas. The junior at Othello High School, in Vegas with her family, asked to a job shadow. Those three days with chef de cuisine Diana Davey proved life-changing. “That’s when I knew I wanted to do this restaurant thing,” Garza said. “A high school girl who loved restaurants and wanted to become a chef. It was an amazing experience, S p r i n g 2 019 • W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t

MATCH MAKERS

and I still talk to Diana.” Garza put herself through the WSU TriCities business program by working at area restaurants starting with Twigs Bistro & Martini Bar in Kennewick. “I was there as an 18-year-old line cook — and the only female in the kitchen surrounded by men in their 30s,” she said. She then gained experience at LU LU Craft Bar + Kitchen and 3 Eyed Fish Wine Bar, two Richland restaurants owned by Cindy Goulet, also a product of WSU’s hospitality program. “I would say Pauly is fearless, driven and hardworking,” Goulet noted with a reference to Garza’s nickname. Prior to graduation, WSU invited Garza for continuing education in Italy at Apicius International School of Hospitality within the Florence University of the Arts. As one of the top students, she was selected to join the team from Italy to prepare four meals over several days at the iconic James Beard House in New York City. “It was any cook’s dream,” she beams. “It was amazing 10 days showcasing the flavors of Tuscany.” Guests won’t find her mother’s famous conchitas, but one of Garza’s all-time favorite dishes will show up on the menu when it’s in season - Asparagus Risotto. “I can rewrite the menu daily,” she said. “I am Pacific-Northwest driven, but you will see some of the Spanish spices come through and the Italian techniques for things such as pasta or the fresh focaccia every night in Drumheller’s. And you will get chimichurri to dip your focaccia in.” When she was growing up in Othello, Garza would either have The Food Network on in the background or she’d sing when in the kitchen. Her range runs from Etta James to Beyonce to gospel. “I’m always, always, always singing in the kitchen,” she laughs heartily. “Sometimes, I surprise people — or sometimes people will say, ‘Hey, Chef, shut up!’ For Dykes, her gateway into wine came 21 years ago in the Tri-Cities through a wine shop called Wine Works. “I was in radio at the time, and the group has a local news radio program,” she said. “So I started a series called, ‘Meet Your Maker’ — don’t I wish that I had trademarked that one! We would bring in a local winemaker, do an interview with them, and then have them over at Wine Works doing the wine. The first one I did was Gordy Venneri at Walla Walla Vintners. That was when they had just one wine — the cuvée. It sold out the next week. We were doing that show just once a month, but it just snowballed from there.” In time, she worked at KVEW-TV and then to work for the Hogue family at their Prosser winery, where Wade Wolfe, one of the deans of Washington wine, hired her. Since then, she’s been a wine buyer for a grocery store and a wine steward in a restaurant. All of that experience 50

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Drumheller’s Food & DrinkDrumheller’s offers second-story views of the Richland Yacht Club and the Columbia River with its 15 tables.

Richard Duval

and knowledge comes pouring out of Dykes in The Lodge at Columbia Point. “You have to listen to your guests and what they are wanting, and there is definitely a trend around the blends,” she said. “I think there is life beyond Chardonnay now. I’m able to introduce them to things like Carménère and Mourvèdre, and they are gaining great popularity. Lucky for me that I’ve got great contacts, and some of these new kids on the block are just blowing my mind.” Several have earned placement on Dykes’s list, including Kitzke’s Upsidedown Wines and Kyle Welch with Longship Cellars. These young winemakers are both based in Richland, with Longship just a 10-minute walk upstream along the Columbia River. Dykes, 69, brings the enthusiasm of a 29-year-old and has helped Garza embrace her role as chef. “She hooks me up with the best wine!” Garza said. “My knowledge has just expanded, and she’s so fun to be around. She’s just as passionate about wine as I am about what I’m doing in the restaurant, and she tells it like it is.” It seems to come naturally to Dykes, who grew up in SoCal’s San Fernando Valley. “In the wine business, it doesn’t matter your age. That’s why I’m still W I N E P R E S S N W. C O M

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Upsidedown Wine

$35

2014 Gold Drop GSM, Columbia Valley — 200 cases, 14.1% alcohol

Richard Duval

USA, Washington, Richland. Drumheller’s Food & Drink

Five Spice Seared Duck Breast Ingredients 2 duck breasts, scored 4 tablespoons Five Spice seasoning 2 tablespoons pickled huckleberry 4 ounces red wine veal demi sauce 10 Brussels sprouts, blanched and cut in half 1 tablespoon sautéed shallot Kosher salt to taste Black pepper to taste Method 1. Score each duck breast and season skin side only with Five Spice seasoning 2. Place a sauté pan on high heat with canola oil, place duck skin-side down and sear to a crispy skin. 3. Finish cooking duck to medium rare in oven at 400 degrees for about 7 minutes. 4. Meanwhile, in a sauté pan on high heat with canola oil, sauté brussels sprouts, shallots, salt and pepper until Brussels sprouts are a little charred. To plate 1. Place red wine demi veal in the center of the plate, slice duck at a bias and place directly on top of sauce. 2. Garnish duck with pickled huckleberries and seasonal microgreens. 3. Place brussels sprouts on the side of the duck and serve.

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Richland’s Seth Kitzke launched his Upsidedown Wine project in 2013, but he only recently took over the winemaking for his parents’ Kitzke Cellars on Candy Mountain overlooking the Tri-Cities. “The Kitzke brand will always stay familyowned and operated — and hopefully, family-made forever, too, you know?” he added with a chuckle. “That’s up to me there, right?” He’s got massive shoes to fill replacing Charlie Hoppes, one of Washington’s most respected winemakers and known simply as “Wine Boss.” Kitzke has been well-trained, however. In addition to learning from Hoppes, Kitzke is a product of the Northwest Wine Academy at South Seattle College. He worked the crush of 2014 at K Vintners learning from Brennon Leighton, gleaning marketing concepts from maverick Charles Smith. Kitzke also spent time in Woodinville with Brian Carter, a master crafter of blended wines. In five fast years, Kitzke and his wife, Audrey, have turned Upsidedown Wine into a 2,000-case brand, about twice the size of the eponymous family brand. And the youngsters who met at Central Washington University are making the distinction clear. While they pull grapes from the two Kitzke vineyards and others in Washington’s Columbia Valley, Upsidedown wines are poured more than two hours away at their tasting room in downtown Hood River, Ore. “It’s a good fit because down there you just get a lot of people making their own wines,” he said. “There are tons of differential varietals, and native fermented stuff, so people are a bit more experimental, too.” Kitzke Cellars debuted with the 2005 vintage and a focus on Bordeaux varieties. Upsidedown gets much of its inspiration from the Rhône Valley in France. In fact, the first Upsidedown wine was a GSM, the traditional Rhône-style blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.. “We wanted to do something that was split off from Kitzke and focus Kitzke Cellars more on Candy Mountain because our

Dead Poplar Vineyard is on the other side of Red Mountain,” he said. For Upsidedown, he pulls heavily from Mike Andrews’ Coyote Canyon Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills and follows viticulturists Damon Lalonde to Red Heaven on Red Mountain and Ryan Johnson up to WeatherEye Vineyard, the fascinating planting atop Red Mountain. This 2014 Gold Drop GSM signals the final vintage that Hoppes worked with Seth on the Upsidedown wines. Starting in 2015, Seth was on his own. A year later, he took over Kitzke Cellars, too. After all, Seth grew up working in his parents’ 150 acres of orchards and vineyards he helped plant. “The GSMs are just my favorite wines,” he said. “My dad, a fruit farmer, was always wanting to plant different varietals, so when he planted Grenache and Mourvèdre, there wasn’t really that much being grown. I’m really glad he did because that’s the majority of that vineyard. People are planting more, having figured out how well it does in Washington.” At the dining table, Duck Confit is the first thing that comes to Seth’s mind. “Anything gamy,” he said. “Ours has 33 percent Mourvèdre, so it has some good spicy components. And our Grenache is a little bit lighter. You can have Grenache in the summertime and you can have it in the winter.” And he keeps the oak influence for his GSM way in the background. “It’s all neutral just to showcase the terroir and the fruit,” he said. The back of the bottle reads “Upsidedown Wine X Kitzke Vineyards,” which encompasses Dead Poplar, which his parents established in 2004 near the community of Kiona. That site butts up against the northern edge of the Horse Heaven Hills, making it a somewhat shaded site. Also on the black back label, in big white letters, reads “GIVE BACK.” In the case of the GSM, 21 percent of the proceeds are donated to the A21 Campaign, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting human trafficking. “With our brand, we wanted to work with nonprofits,” he said. “Each of our wines goes to benefit a different cause.” Upsidedown’s flagship wine is a Nebbiolo rosé dubbed “Rescue.” Their vineyard dog, Turk, is living proof.

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MATCH MAKERS

Rosé Sorbet Ingredients 2 bottles, Longship Cellars 2017 Wild Harvest Rosé 2 cups water 2 cups sugar 2 pints strawberry purée (blended strawberries) Method (This recipe is made using the PacoJet, a professional-grade micropurée machine. 1. Place wine in a sauce pot over high heat. Reduce about half way. 2. Add strawberry purée, sugar and water. 3. Cook for about 5 minutes. 4. Taste for sweetness. 5. Pour mixture into one-pint beakers and store in refrigerator uncovered until cool. 6. Place beakers in freezer for 24 hours with the appropriate lid. 7. When ready to serve, Pacotize the sorbet according to the unit’s instructions.

Longship Cellars

$22

2017 Wild Harvest Rosé, Wahluke Slope — 255 cases, 13% alcohol Kyle Welch christened Longship Cellars during the 2013 vintage with five barrels of Syrah and five barrels of Tempranillo, the Spanish red that’s his flagship variety for several reasons. “I had an internship in France, and we would take a bus down to Rioja every so often,” he said. “What we have on the store shelf here vs. what you try in Rioja are two very different things quality-wise. In Washington, we make a pretty solid Tempranillo. It grows really well here.” However, Welch favors Syrah for his rosé, starting with the ability to create the hot pink color that he desires. His first expression emerged from the 2016 vintage with an experimental ton from a small grower in the Yakima Valley. In December of that year, he, his wife Cassie, and his parents opened their tasting room at The Bradley near Howard Amon Park in Richland. In three vintages, Longship has grown into a 3,000-case brand, in part because of the thirst for rosé. “In 2017, we went in-all, including a 36-hour maceration to get that really nice color and little bit of concentration of fruit,” he said. “We like a darker rosé, so that’s the direction we’re going in.” For this spring’s release of his 2018, Welch took his rosé down the GSM path with 60 percent Syrah joined by equal parts of Grenache and Mourvèdre. “Like Tempranillo, Syrah also is kind of an early ripener,” he said. This Match Maker spotlights the Longship 2017 Rosé. Even though the front label doesn’t define it, this pink is 100 percent Syrah off Milbrandt-owned Northridge Vineyard, a caliche-influenced site at 1,200 feet elevation on the Wahluke Slope. The lot was hand-picked Sept. 1, then sorted by hand and crushed into small

W i n e P r e s s N o r t h w e s t • S p r i n g 2 019

Richard Duval

USA, Washington, Richland. Drumheller’s Food & Drink

bins, then spent a day and a half on the skins at 55 degrees. Welch removed the free-run juice, pressed the skins, then blended that back with the free-run. At this point, he relied on an indigenous yeast for a ferment of 18 days at 60 degrees. It spent five months in stainless steel — no oak — before bottling. It is charming and vibrant at just 0.3 percent residual sugar. “It’s so fruity that it gives people the perception of sweetness, but it is bone-dry,” he said. Back in 2016, Welch pointed to Victor Palencia’s 2015 rosé under the Vino La Monarcha brand as inspiration. “On the shelf, it 404 Bradley Blvd., Suite 100, really pops next to all Richland, WA 99352 the other rosés, so I (509) 713-7676, wanted to try that,” he longshipcellars.com said. However, Welch admits to feeling pressure to shy away from pink toward the light salmon color reminiscent of those from Provence. “There are trends that you have to look at and take seriously, and it seems as though the trend is to make rosé as light as possible,” Welch said. “With the GSM style, we’re going to see what the response is. We tried to keep the mouth feel and the flavor the same, but just lighten it up a bit. We did a 12-hour maceration with the Syrah last year, compared with 36 hours in 2017. It’s quite different.” However, those who prefer the color and approach of this 2017 rosé can visit Tap and Barrel in Richland this spring. “It’s 100 percent Syrah and a longer maceration,” Welch said. “If you like that style, you can find it there. We’re still small enough that we can play around a bit and not upset anybody.”

L O N G S HIP CELLAR S

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here after all these years of doing this,” Dykes chuckled. “In some ways, it’s a plus because you’ve seen the changes and tasted the changes. One of my favorite varieties is Carménère. Years ago, I worked with Mark Colvin of Colvin Vineyards in Walla Walla who was the first one to bring in Carménère, and now you see more people playing with it.” Even on her days off, there’s a chance to find Dykes at a pouring around the Tri-Cities. “I’m going to stay in this forever because I’ve got to keep that wine discount going,” Dykes chuckled. “I love food. I love wine, and I love the people associated with both.” The house wine at The Lodge at Columbia Point is none other than Drumheller, the young Ste. Michelle Wine Estates brand named for the Drumheller Channels National Natural Landmark, an Ice Age floods feature less than 15 miles northwest of Garza’s hometown. For this Match Maker, however, we selected wines by a pair of young Richland winemakers who are on the Dykes wine list. Kitzke’s Upsidedown Wine 2014 GSM from the Columbia Valley made for a remarkable pairing with one of Garza’s signature dishes — her Five Spice Seared Duck Breast and Brussel Sprouts. The garnish of pickled huckleberry and the richness of the pork jowl demi-glace brought out the vibrant red fruit notes in the GSM. “Combined with the spices, the wine just exploded,” Garza said. Dykes said, “I can’t remember the last time I walked into a restaurant in the Tri-Cities and saw duck on the menu. Pauline is classic, but she very creative. She’s always got a risotto on the menu, and hers is the best risotto I’ve ever had. Her menu is small; it’s always fresh and it’s always changing.”

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D RUM HE L L E R’ S F O O D & D R IN K The Lodge at Columbia Point 530 Columbia Point Drive Richland, WA 99352 (509) 713-7423 lodgeatcolumbiapoint.com

And Garza got to use her buzz-worthy Pacojet machine to create a Syrah Rosé Sorbet with the stunning Longship Cellars 2017 Rosé. It’s the first time in the 20-year history of the Match Maker series for a chef to present a sorbet. And Garza “Pacotizes” strawberries with the rosé. “I have fun incorporating wine and food all the time, and I’m such a geek about the Pacojet,” she said. “It is the greatest invention, I think, particularly for my very small kitchen, so I have to be careful about any machinery that I bring in. It’s about the size of a coffee maker on your counter, and it is beautiful. It does so many things for me — ice cream, sorbets, compound butter, soups. “Sorbet is so great,” she added. “It’s a nice sweet ending and yet still delicate after you eat all my food. You never leave hungry in Drumheller’s, I promise you that! I want you to love my food, create a memorable experience around the dining table and, I hope, will come back.” ERIC DEGERMAN is co-founder and CEO of Great Northwest Wine. Learn more

about wine at www.greatnorthwestwine.com.

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NORTHWEST WINE EVENTS MARCH

MAY

28-31 Taste Washington, Seattle. The 22nd anniversary of Washington’s signature wine event includes two days of public tasting and education at the CenturyLink Field Event Center. Tickets start at $95. Go to tastewashington.org.

3-12 The Okanagan Spring Wine Festival, Okanagan Valley, B.C. It includes more than 100 events. Go to thewinefestivals.com.

APRIL

5 Savor SW WA Wine, Vancouver. Southwest Washington, home to the state’s first wine grape vines, blends wineries with chefs near historic Fort Vancouver. Cost is $75. Go to swwawine.com.

5-6 Celebration of Syrah, Troutdale, Ore. McMenamins Edgefield Winery brings in winemakers and distributors from the Northwest and beyond for the 18th annual Syrah showdown. Go to celebrationofsyrah.com. 5-7 Lewis-Clark Valley Wine Festival, Lewiston, Idaho. Cab is the focus of the inaugural weekend-long toast to the home of the Pacific Northwest’s first commercial wine region. A passport costs $40. Go to lewisclarkwine.com. 6 Kif Brown Foundation Wine Auction and Gala, Garden City, Idaho. Wine lots from the Northwest and beyond are auctioned during this fourth annual fundraiser at Telaya Wine Co. Go to TheKifBrownFoundation.com. 11 Columbia Gorge Wine Experience, Portland. Wineries along both sides of the Columbia River pour at Leftbank Annex for the last time. Go to columbiagorgewine.com. 13-14 North Willamette Wine Trail Weekend, Gaston, Ore. More than 20 members of the North Willamette Vintners group offer tastings, culinary samples, education and events for the 11th year. Tickets start at $40. Go to nwvintners.org. 20-21 and 27-28 Lake Chelan Spring Release, Chelan, Wash. Nearly 30 member wineries around the Lake Chelan area are ready to debut whites and rosés on successive weekends. Go to lakechelanwinevalley.com.

3-5 Spring Release Weekend, Walla Walla, Wash. Also known as “Leonetti Weekend,” this is one of two weekends when nearly every winery in the valley is open. Go to wallawallawine.com.

10-12 Mother’s Day Weekend on the Trail, Caldwell, Idaho. Members of the Sunnyslope Wine Trail celebrate Mother’s Day weekend throughout Snake River Valley. Go to sunnyslopewinetrail.org. 10-12 Spring Release Weekend, Spokane, Wash. Cork District wineries continue to open their doors to visitors on Mother’s Day weekend. Go to facebook.com/corkdistrict. 18 Northwest Corks and Crush, Puyallup, Wash. Wineries in Oregon and Washington pour to help fund services at MultiCare Good Samaritan Hospital. Go to multicare.org/corksandcrush. 19 Taste of Cascadia, Richland, Wash. The second annual Taste of Cascadia at The Lodge at Columbia Point presents winemakers who pour their top wines from the Cascadia International Wine Competition. Cost is $80. Go to lodgeatcolumbiapoint.com. 18-19 Spring Barrel Tasting, Lake Chelan, Wash. This annual event showcases more than 30 wineries who pour samples straight from the barrel. Go to lakechelanwinevalley.com. 24-26 Columbia Gorge Grape to Table Weekend. Wineries along both sides of the Columbia River participate in tourist events during Memorial Day weekend. Go to columbiagorgewine.com.

26-28 Spring Barrel Tasting, Yakima Valley, Wash. This longtime annual event showcases more than 40 wineries and special seminars in the Northwest’s oldest appellation. Cost is $35. Go to wineyakimavalley.org.

24-26 Memorial Weekend in Wine Country, Willamette Valley, Ore. More than 150 wineries participate in the 28th year of the event. Go to willamettewines.com.

26-28 Astoria Warrenton Crab & Seafood Festival, Astoria, Ore. Sip wine from more than 40 Oregon wineries while enjoying seafood at the mouth of the Columbia River. This marks the event’s 37th year. Go to astoriacrabfest.com.

JUNE

27-28 LeMay Wine, Spirits & Chocolate, Tacoma, Wash. The Marymount Event Center plays host to local wines, spirits, chocolates and more than 70 vendors. Cost is $25. Go to lemaymarymount.org. 28 Pour Oregon, Portland. Pour Oregon features 50 boutique Oregon wineries and benefits Make-A-Wish. Cost is $55. Got to pouroregon.com.

1 Leavenworth Summer Wine Walk, Leavenworth, Wash. More than 20 regional wineries gather to pour at 20 downtown spots. Go to cascadefarmlands.com. 9 Savor Idaho, Boise. The Idaho Wine Commission stages its 11th annual event pairing Idaho’s top wines with regional cuisine at the Idaho Botanical Garden. Go to savoridaho.org. 13-15 Celebrate Walla Walla Valley Wine. This seventh annual event gathers more than 60 Walla Walla Valley winemakers and others from around the world for Cabernet Sauvignon. Go to wallawallawine.com/celebrate. 22 Cycle de Vine, Chelan, Wash. The tour enters its 10th year and takes 700 riders across the lake to visit some of the region’s top wineries. Go to cyclechelan.com.

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