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Walla Walla Valley 3.0
The following article appeared in the December 31st issue of Wine Enthusiast.Two decades ago, it was said that Walla Walla Valley was a beautiful place to visit and taste wines, but there were few...
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Folks, I have redesigned my blog page. Please give it a look when you get a moment and let me know if you have any issues. Also, I will be posting in the following days some of the updated information...
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Take the 2020 Washington Merlot Challenge
Okay folks, you asked for it. You got it! Following up on the 2019 Riesling Challenge, we will be doing another challenge in 2020 – Washington Merlot! The challenge is to drink at least one bottle of...
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How I taste wines for review at Wine Enthusiast
As part of my blog redesign, I have added more information about how I taste and review wines at Wine Enthusiast. Please note that this does not represent any change in practices. Rather, it is a...
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The Women Behind Some of Washington’s Best Grapevines
The following article appeared in Wine Enthusiast November 18, 2019While women are underrepresented in the winemaking ranks in Washington, the country’s second-largest wine-producing state, the story...
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Bainbridge Vineyards leads the way in western Washington (December Wine...
Below are my Wine Enthusiast reviews for December 2019. Wines are listed alphabetically by winery. Read information on how I review wines here. Read about the Wine Enthusiast rating system here. Read...
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Should Typicity Be Important When Evaluating Wine?
I recently noted when I posted about how I taste wines for review at Wine Enthusiast that I take typicity into consideration. Typicity - in French, typicité - is a combination of varietal and, to some...
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2019 - The Year in Washington Wine
The following is excerpted from the Winter 2019/2020 issue of Washington Tasting Room Magazine.Pét-Nat wines, a record breaking number of wineries, and increased white wine production in Walla Walla...
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It’s time to drink more f#%king Merlot
The movie Sideways came out in 2004. Merlot has paid its penance.While Merlot has slipped from consumer consciousness over the past 15 years – though to be clear it remains among the most consumed...
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An example of why smelling a wine cork matters
Recently I wrote about the importance of smelling the cork when opening a bottle of wine. The argument goes that it gives another opportunity to pick up cork taint – a contaminant, such as...
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Decanted podcast
I had the pleasure of doing a podcast with Dave and Sandi at Decanted along with Dr. Owen Bargreen of Washington Wine Blog. In the episode, Owen and I talk about how we got into wine, work/life...
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2020 Washington State Wine Tour Guide released
The 2020 Washington State Wine Tour Guide is out! You can read a digital copy here. Order a copy here.This year I had the pleasure of writing an article called "20/20 Vision," looking at the evolution...
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Washington’s 2019 vintage presented challenges, opportunities
2019 was an unusual growing season for Washington, though many growers and winemakers were enthused with the final results.Winter was warm in eastern Washington before snow arrived in February and...
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College Cellars is changing the way Washington makes wine
Below are my Wine Enthusiast reviews for January 2020. Wines are listed alphabetically by winery. Read information on how I review wines here. Read about the Wine Enthusiast rating system here. Read...
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White wines are Walla Walla Valley’s new frontier
The following article appeared in Wine Enthusiast March 4, 2020. Walla Walla Valley is Washington State’s “reddest” appellation. A recent study shows the area is 95% planted to red wine varieties, with...
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Seven Hills Winery Merlot stands the test of time
Casey McClellan is no stranger to Merlot. Founder and winemaker at Seven Hills Winery, McClellan is intimately associated with Merlot’s history in Washington in general and Walla Walla Valley in...
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We can still Taste Washington...virtually
Just because Taste Washington was cancelled this year does not mean that we cannot still have our own event. Virtually.Taste Washington, the largest, single region consumer wine event in the U.S., was...
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Kay Simon has spent over 40 years shaping Washington wine
The following appeared in the March 2020 issue of Wine Enthusiast.It’s hard to imagine just how different the wine world looked when Simon received her degree in enology from the University of...
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A Virtual Taste Washington: A to Ca
Welcome to a Virtual Taste Washington!As we all know, Taste Washington, the country's largest single region wine event, was cancelled this year due to the outbreak of COVID-19. This weekend, we'll be...
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A Virtual Taste Washington: Cha - E
Welcome to a Virtual Taste Washington!As we all know, Taste Washington, the country's largest single region wine event, was cancelled this year due to the outbreak of COVID-19. This weekend, we'll be...
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