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Pic of the Vine - August 2020
Pictured here, the last burst of summer sun pushes Whidbey Island Winery's vineyard toward harvest.“Greg Osenbach has been steadily creating wines from the island for 30 years,” noted contributing...
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Washington gets its 15th appellation: the Royal Slope
Washington gained its 15th appellation September 2nd, with the approval of the Royal Slope, the U.S.’s latest American Viticultural Area (AVA). “I personally think it’s the best overall appellation in...
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Sweet 16: Candy Mountain becomes Washington’s newest appellation
With the approval today of Candy Mountain as an American Viticultural Area (AVA), Washington gained its 16th federally recognized grape growing region. The appellation comes close on the heels of Royal...
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Pic of the Vine - September 2020
This month contributing photographer Richard Duval is traversing Washington wine country photographing the harvest season, as he does each year. In Woodinville, he captured this image of freshly picked...
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Liminal: Wines at the threshold
Liminal - adj. of, relating to, or situated at the threshold The next frontier in Washington has long been viticulture – improving site selection, matching variety and clone, and fine tuning...
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Pic of the Vine - October 2020
Contributing photographer Richard Duval roamed the state from September through October recording harvest and crush activity. In Woodinville, he captured winemaker Jerod Whelchell pressing Sauvignon...
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Five producers redefining Washington wine
The following article appeared in the December 1st issue of Wine Enthusiast. Image by of Devium Wines' Keith Johnson by Andrea Johnson (no relation). In 50 years, Washington has gone from fledgling...
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Pic of the Vine - November 2020
Contributing photographer Richard Duval wanders far and wide throughout harvest season looking to capture Washington wine country at its peak. October found him atop the Celilo Vineyard, with Pinot...
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Basel Cellars purchased by new ownership group
On December 30th, Walla Walla Valley’s Basel Cellars was purchased by a group of local businessmen. The group includes individuals who founded Crossbuck Brewing and Walla Walla Valley Steak Company in...
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Take the 2021 Washington Syrah Challenge!
Another year, another challenge. Each year for these Washington wine challenges, I’ve focused on an underappreciated grape variety that Washington excel at. The first year was Riesling. Last year was...
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Shoreline gem offers virtue, value
When Kevin and Kathryn Mueller launched Virtue Cellars in 2017, they eschewed the popular winery locations of Woodinville and SoDo. Instead, the couple planted their flag in Shoreline, a suburb of...
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Wine Enthusiast reviews for December 31, 2020
Catching up on Wine Enthusiast scores, I’ll start with the December 31st issue and move backward as quickly as I can. 111 wines reviewed in this issue.A while back I wrote about Liminal Wines, a new...
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Jaine a “love letter to Washington wine”
“I oftentimes think about the position we are in as a family,” says Matthews Winery proprietor Bryan Otis. “What can we do that would really delight people?” The answer to that question is Jaine, a new...
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Wine Enthusiast Reviews for December 1, 2020
Below are my Wine Enthusiast reviews for December 1, 2020. Wines are listed alphabetically by winery. Read information on how I review wines here. Read about the Wine Enthusiast rating system here....
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Wine Enthusiast Reviews for November 2020
Below are my Wine Enthusiast reviews for November 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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The 40 most exciting Washington wines of 2020
In 2020, I reviewed nearly 1,300 Washington wines for Wine Enthusiast magazine. Below are the forty wines that stood out the most. Note that I have titled this list the “most exciting” Washington wines...
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2020 Washington Winery of the Year – Liminal Wine
Marty Taucher knew they had something special when winemaker Chris Peterson first tasted him on the inaugural Liminal Grenache from barrel.“I go, ‘Wow. That’s the darkest Syrah I’ve ever seen,’”...
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Pic of the Vine - February 2021
Touring Sparkman Cellars' beautiful new winery and tasting room in Woodinville during crush, contributing photographer Richard Duval’s eye was fixed on this up-high view of a crew member doing punch...
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Wine Enthusiast Reviews for October 2020
Below are my Wine Enthusiast reviews for October 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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Matt Halldorson named viticulturalist at Kiona Vineyards
Today Kiona Vineyards, one of the largest growers on Red Mountain, announced the hiring of Matt Halldorson as viticulturalist. He will oversee farming for Kiona’s five estate vineyards that span 272...
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