Educating for Responsible
Wine Consumption

…this I know, ’cause the calendar tells me so. But let me run out to the garden and dig through the snow, and see if my still-sleeping perennials know this.

We did get to enjoy a little early spring by heading south to California. Once out of the high desert and mountains of U.S. 97 through Oregon and Northern Cal, we sneezed our way down the Sacramento Valley, through mile after mile of blooming almond trees lining I-5 in rows of perfect pink precision. Occasionally we stopped to stretch our legs. Coincidentally, these places had Grocery Outlets. Redmond, Oregon was the first stop. Later we stopped in Redding, Red Bluff, Stockton, Tracy and Livermore, California. I wish the distributor for our G.O. had as many good wines as we found in these other places. A couple of experiments with unknown labels proved unwise, but on the whole we found good wines at great prices. One good wine, the St. Francis Sonoma Syrah, we found here in our Wenatchee Grocery Outlet at $8.99, but it retails for around $24. We also found their Merlot in California, but not here. And if you love good cheese with your wine, try a wedge of the Holland Gouda or the Swiss Emmenthaler in the G.O. deli section.

Yesterday in Wenatchee I stopped at Mary Woods? Kitchen Sync and bought some raffle tickets which are to help with some needed work at Ohme Gardens. If you don?t know about it, you can read last week?s Worm from my blog in the Wenatchee World online. It?s a worthy cause with a great prize.

Coming home from Wenatchee we took North Road as I wanted to stop at the Bird’s Nest Gallery to see what the artists had been hatching up in their fledgling business while we were away. But the birds had flown the nest. Instead, a somewhat mysterious note on the door informed us that Juliana Marquis is off on an adventure, and should be back around the end of March. I love mysteries, so we’ll be back.

As we were next door to Cascadia Winery, it seemed only polite to go in and say hello to winemaker Alan Yanagimachi and wife Lilith. Alan was there, and excited about his new Roussanne. He was trying to get the labels on but it was selling faster than he could lick and stick. We could see why. With its delicate pear and nectarine aromas and flavors, and its slightly off-dry style, it has great appeal. At $18 it is a little higher than his Riesling and Chardonnay, especially right now, with the Riesling on sale at $12 and the 2007 Chardonnay, which I really like, on sale at $12.50. It even comes in a magnum for $24. The fruity, non-oaked 2006 Chardonnay is still a bargain at $14.00. And if you want an interesting read, go to Cascadia Winery’s website and read about Alan?s background in wine.

Chelan Nouveau – April 18-19 and April 25-26
It will soon be time for Chelan Nouveau, which is the Lake Chelan Wine Valley’s time to celebrate spring with the release of new white and rose’ wines, and perhaps some new reds. I have tried to get information from the wineries about fees, activities and wines to be released.

Lake Chelan Winery: no fee; will be releasing their new white wines as well as doing barrel tasting and tours for the Nouveau weekends. Open Daily from 11 am to 6 pm.

Nefarious: fee $5. Pouring three wines; one tasting fee refunded per purchase. Releasing 2008 Consequence and Viognier. Open 11-6

Chelan Estates: News coming

KarMa: fee $5 tasting three wines

Tildio: fee $5. Refund with purchase; releasing two reds: Tourmalet (pinot noir and syrah) and Profundo (cabernet-based Bordeaux blend) Open 12-6.

Chelangr’la: Closed until the end of April

Hard Row to Hoe: fee $5 Refund with purchase; hours 11-6 Sat.and 11-5 Sun. Releasing „08 Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir Rose?. Bottling new white wines 18th and 19th & inviting people to come watch. Free events:3rd annual Balsamroot Festival the 25th, celebrating agriculture
and their native shrub-steppe. Tours of organic vineyard, entertainment with a magic show, a juggler and nature hikes to view wildflowers and other native plants that grow around the estate. Check website for details.

Vin du Lac: No fee; Open 12-5. Bistro open 11:30-5:30

Tsillan Cellars: fee $5. Pouring 11 wines: 5 white, 5 red, and a dessert wine. Releasing 2008 Bocciolo di Rosa Syrah Rose?. Sorrento?s Ristorante at Tsillan Cellars will be serving lunch 12-3 on both Saturdays and Sundays of Chelan Nouveau.Open for dinner Wednesday thru Sunday from 5-8. Reservations are recommended.

Tunnel Hill: fee $5 Refund with purchase; Tasting four wines Sat. and Sun. 12-5. Releasing 2008 Estate Riesling. New waterfall in operation.

Benson Estate: no fee; Releasing new whites, the Curious for sure, from 11-5 both weekends. Featuring the popular Parmesan cheese wheel with spring fruits and other assorted treats.

Wapato Point: Free wine tasting during the day; free hors d’oeuvres at their Chelan Nouveau Release Party. Live music Saturday evenings. Winemaker’s Grill open for dinner 5-9 p.m. daily

Rio Vista: No fee. On the river, the only waterfront winery. Come by car or by boat. Ten minutes north of Chelan on Highway 97, 1/2 mile past milepost 243, turn right at mailboxes and follow signs. New release whites include Chardonnay, Riesling, and Sunset on the River. Red releases are Loony Red, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Also releasing a Rose’ and an Ice Wine on the second weekend of Chelan Nouveau. Winemaker John Little will be pouring. Kerry Siderius art gallery on site.

Joanne Saliby

“Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing.”  Ernest Hemingway,  ”Death in the Afternoon”