Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Welcome to the next installment of the Carpe Vinum Weekly (Yes, Weekly) Newsletter and Tasting Announcement That Justifies Its Existence! I hope the newsletter finds you all in good health and enjoying the alternatingly soggy and moody and sunny and hot summer. Actually, I hope this newsletter finds you at all! As you all know we’ve been testing a new Newsletter system, and there have been a few bugs to squash. Also, testing the system has proven difficult considering if someone doesn’t get the email, they can’t really respond to the newsletter they didn’t get to tell me that it wasn’t there. Even though all this is fairly intangible to begin with, that would make it even more so. Ugh, and writing about it is boring! What’s not boring? The tasting this week: It’s the Wines of Washington!

Ah, Washington. It’s the land just to the North, and one of my favorite subjects. Well, not Washington itself, but its wines. Over the past few years we’ve seen the Washington empire rising. Sure they’ve been growing grapes there since Captain Vancouver stepped ashore and said, “Let this land be the ever-giving of the grape and the free flowing of the red wines, and the white wines, and someone had better name two separate West Coast cities after myself.” And Lo-and-behold, there were grapes and feasting and free-flowing wine and two cities of Vancouver. Okay. It didn’t exaclty go down like that. There is one truth in there, though, that Vancouver was the location of the first vines planted in Washington. I’m afraid there aren’t any grapes grown there anymore. Hm . . . actually I think I’d be a bit more afraid if there were grapes grown in Vancouver.

As far as Washington wine is concerned, there is a vast variety of vineyards, grape varieties and wineries popping up all over the state. Every time I turn around it seems the number of wineries doubles. The mass of what is produced comes from the Columbia Valley, the agricultural area that follows the Columbia River through the Washington countryside. And the river is long, so that pretty-much covers the whole state. One feature of what’s going on in the Washington wine scene is the fact that it’s still a relatively young industry in the state, so there is still a lot of experimentation going on. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have been successfully grown there for years, as well as many plantings of Syrah now coming into fruition. But the variety doesn’t stop there, it just takes off. And that’s what I like. Lots of variety.

That’s what we have here tomorrow. It’s a grand variety of single-variety wines from the Yakima and Columbia Valleys. There are three white wines: Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and, one of my favorites, the lovely Semillon. Then there are 4 reds: A Cabernet Franc, a Grenache, and two different red blends, the Sheridan Vineyards’ Kamiakin and Basel Cellars’ Claret.

As far as the newsletter, wish me luck in getting it to you! Of course, without already receiving the newsletter, how are you to know to be wishing me luck in getting this to you to ask you to wish me luck? See? That’s why I hate movies that involve time travel!

So Friday, July 20th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Washington!!!
Willow Crest 2006 Pinot Gris, Yakima Valley
Fidelitas 2005 Semillon, Columbia Valley
Woodinville 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley
Sheridan Vineyards 2005 Kamiakin, Yakima Valley
Basel Cellars 2004 Claret, Columbia Valley

Washington!!! Washington!!!
McCrea 2004 Grenache, Columbia Valley
Tamarack Cellars 2005 Cabernet Franc, Columbia Valley

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 Marsanne, Rousanne and Viognier!

M