WINO 101

Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Welcome to the Post-Labor Day Newsletter of Carpe Vinum Celebration and the Announcement of Impending Tasting of Gloriousness! I hope the Labor Day weekend went well for you all, and was the relaxing weekend it should be. I mean after all, “Labor Day” is just what it means: A call of “Get Back To Work”! This mostly applies to students and schoolteachers, but also to most of us as we try to navigate through a disorienting 4-day workweek. So now, as I also get back to work after a long weekend, we’ll be tasting through the report of what I did on my summer vacation: It’s a flight of Wines of Washington!

Yes, for the 2nd year in a row we headed out to Washington’s Walla Walla: A place so nice they named it after the Native American term for “small river”. (You were expecting a cliché in here, weren’t you? Silly you.) The trips out to Walla Walla are always interesting as we see more and more vineyards planted along the Columbia Gorge out past The Dalles. It’s the area of the Gorge where things go from green to boring. But these new vineyards do mean there will be more Washington goodness coming out of them, there hills.

Walla Walla appeared much the same as it always does. I mean, the parts that appeared at all, as the visibility was greatly obscured by smoke from the wildfires. (Well, not so much the “can’t-see-the-hand-in-front-of-your-face” kind of smoky, bust so hazy you couldn’t see the hills.) And the number of wineries, much as I expected, had increased. And much like a multi-headed hydra, two or three wineries had disappeared and been replaced by two or three dozen. So I was able to check out some new guys and revisit some favorites. Unfortunately I found that several of the places I was looking to finally try were unexpectedly closed for no apparent reason, and some of the wines I loved so much last year were already sold out.

I did make a special field trip out to Washington’s Red Mountain, the state’s smallest wine-growing area, which is about halfway between Yakima and Walla Walla. We visited two really good wineries out there: Terra Blanca and Kiona. Oh, and also a pretty bad one. Euuughh. I won’t name names, but if you’re on your way to Kiona, don’t stop along the way once you’re on that road.

So in conclusion for my report, I have a few representatives of what I tasted out there. Lots of things that are served in the tasting rooms are either exclusive, or not yet in the market, so I got a good heads-up for the future Washington tastings. (In a word: Sangiovese. In a few words: Expect more Sangiovese.) At any rate, Washington never disappoints when it comes to their wine! (Well, except for that one place. Euuughhh.)

So I’ve crossed a selection of excellent blends with a couple obscure oddball grape varieties (Lemberger, an obscure German red grape that produces a medium-bodied fruity and spicy wine. Also, Counoise, a fairly-obscure Rhone varietal.) And a few not-so-obscure varieties: Syrah, Viognier and Cabernet Franc. Deliciousness all around! I can’t wait for my next field trip! Tuscany maybe?

So Friday, September 8th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Washington!!!
Terra Blanca  2004 Viognier, Yakima Valley
Kiona 2002 Lemberger, Red Mountain
Balboa 2005 Syrah, Columbia Valley
Gordon Brothers 2004 Kamiak, Columbia Valley
Fidelitas 2004 M-100, Columbia Valley

Mmmmmore Washington!!!
Dalla Vina 2004 Cabernet Franc, Yakima Valley
McRea 2004 Counoise, Ciel du Cheval Vineyard, Red Mountain

A stellar deal at $10 for the First 5, $6 for the Extra 2 Premium Pours.
Hope to see you here!

Seize the Wine!

Next Friday tasting is Wines of Portugal and Porto and Maybe Madeira!

M