Cashmere is on its way to becoming another wine center for visitors and locals. Crayelle Cellars and Waterville Winery are already established there on MIssion Ave. near the distillery, and it won’t be long before they are joined by others. The Flanagans of Ryan Patrick Vineyards are establishing their wine production facility there, as well as a new tasting room, and it won’t be long before both are up and running.

Going through Junkyard Gypsy next door will take you back a good many years when you view their collection of clothing, furniture and other miscellany from years gone by.

The Wenatchee World online has created a new site in their Communities section, Cashmere World, which is definitely worth checking out, with its interesting articles and stories. I especially like Fran Tabor’s articles, Taber Homestead: a Pioneer Story, and Aren’t we lucky?.

Wine:

Grocery Outlet has a dry French rose’ from Robert Skalli in stock. Skalli is the French parent company of St. Supery winery in Napa. We have presented their wines several times over the past years. The Skalli wines are not normally available in WA state.

This wine is very dry, as are most French rose’ wines, and went well with our delicate steelhead last night. And, at $2.99, it’s a real bargain.

I’ve heard good reports on Square Nail cab sauv but haven’t tried it yet. Same with a white from Australia called Tempus Two, Melange 2006–a blend of Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne. It sounds good but today is cloudy and chilly so we’ll try the Square Nail tonight with a pot roast. It’s cold up here on the hillside!

Beginning July 10, Alex will be pouring at the local Ryan Patrick tasting room here in town, so come by and say hello if you’re around.

Don’t forget to schedule in the pig roast at Bergrens’ home July 24. It’s always one of the highlights of the summer. More will come on that later.

Joanne

You’ll find enough information about wine, plays, music and other activities to make your head spin. I’m still dizzy from reading about it. Shhh. I know what you’re thinking, but Alex already had a smart remark about that.

Here in Leavenworth, Stemilt Creek opened its new tasting room in the Pink Building. We met a new staff member, Mike, who pours with a ready smile. But who wouldn’t smile at these wines? They have some nice new prices on three: the 2005 Merlot is now $14., the 2005 Stemilt Hill Red (a very pleasing blend) is $14, and the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon is only $12.75! Talk about good buys!

Up on the hill above Smallwood’s Farm, the new Silvara winery continues to take shape. It will be a real showplace when finished. Stop in and talk with Gary about his plans for it. We might hold an event there in the future. Both Gary and the young woman behind the bar will be happy to fill you in on what’s going on. If you are coming to the May 20 event, you’ll get to taste two of Gary’s three wines. They are very good. And don’t forget that noted local winemaker Craig Mitrakul will be there, along with the latest winemaker in Leavenworth, Chuck Egner. I wish he’d bring the blue grass group with him.

Recently at Grocery Outlet we found some more Sawtooth red blend – $3.99 – and Six Prong – Horse Heaven Hills red blend – , $4.99. Bob tells me they are very popular and go out as soon as people learn they are back in the store. I liked the Apex Chardonnay 2007 we had last night. Earlier they had the 2004, and some might be left, but I like the 2007 better. It’s a light, crisp style but with definite Chardonnay characteristics, and went well with a roasted Cornish hen, brown rice and asparagus. The Serience, too, is available again. This Washington state triple gold winner, at $2.99, has been hard to keep on the shelves.

I think we all know what good wines come from the Columbia Crest Grand Estates line. The prices are always reasonable, but this week at Martin’s Market in Cashmere the Grand Estates Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Grigio are only $5.98. Even better, with a four bottle purchase, they are $5.38. With summer and hot weather just ahead, we’re going to stock up with some of these, as we eat a lot of white-wine food when it’s hot.

Don’t forget to get your May membership in. I know how easy it is to say, “I’ll do it tomorrow,” as it’s my favorite phrase these days. I do hope to see you May 20. You’ll love meeting the guys who make some of the best wine in the Valley.

Joanne

Don’t forget the March 30-April 3 wine sale at Grocery Outlet, with its 20%-off-all-wines sale. The Imagine Chardonnay is a very nice wine: 100% Russian River Chardonnay from the noted Chalk Hill winery in Sonoma County. We also tried Sylvester, a Paso Robles Sangiovese which we enjoyed with a light Italian-style meal. It is a light red, but one we’ll drink again. And at $3.99 plus 20% off, who can pass it up?

By the way, for Washington Wine Month, Top Foods has Martin-Scott 2006 Merlot & 2007 Zinfandel for $12.99. While most of Top Food’s other specials aren’t this good, these Martin-Scott prices are a steal. (I think the M-S Chardonnay is on sale for $12.99, too).(This from member Don Julien, host of the April Tempranillo event.)

And, speaking of the April event, the newsletter will be out by tomorrow, I hope. This month we will be learning about the Spanish Tempranillo grape, and about Washington winemakers’ attempts at making this wine–with excellent success, I might mention.

Yesterday we attended a belated Mardi Gras/March birthday party for a couple of friends who just turned fifty. No, I wasn’t one of them. I mention this because Gary Seidler of the recently opened Silvara Winery near Leavenworth – in Peshastin, really – brought a bottle of his 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, and realized he should have brought more after the reception it received. It is going to be a Good Thing, having another winery doing large events with food and entertainment close to (our) home. While some of the Wenatchee and Chelan wineries hold events, they are somewhat of a drive for those of us in this area.

Easter is coming and Rose’ goes well with ham and other spring fare. Ryan Patrick has a new one out, and Saint Laurent’s has always been good. Or you can make your own, as an acquaintance did at a party one evening. He had about two ounces of red left in his glass, reached for a white and said, “I think I’ll have a little Rose’. ” And he did.

Have a happy Easter and a busy spring. Get those plants in the ground, sharpen the lawn mower, and sic the cat on the gophers. Ours has already earned her keep for the season. See you April 15 in Cashmere at the Tempranillo Tasting, I hope.

Joanne

Yes indeed! JUST IN! While not a dinner, a fun event will be held March 18 at the Cashmere Riverside Center, where the very popular Laurel Ridge winery from Oregon will present its excellent wines. This is another value-priced event: $10 members; $12.50 guests, I think. Details are posted on the Events page.
 
Chateau Faire le Pont has a new name for its restaurant: The Chateau.  The new chef, Michael Ables, has a fantastic sounding new menu which we can’t wait to try. More information is available at www.fairelepont.com  where you can see the lunch and dinner menus. Also, Faire le Pont has futures on its 2007 wines. We’ve never been disappointed in any we’ve purchased. Other wineries sell futures, too, so check with you favorite one and buy a bargain. You know I love bargains!
 
Local grocery stores have a plentiful supply of daffodils and tulips right now, and often at a great price, so we can bring a little spring inside.  One small, colorful bouquet helps chase the S.A.D. away until our own area is blooming again.
 
See you March 18, I hope. I’m looking forward to more of the fantastic foods like the ones you brought in February. Laurel Ridge makes wonderful Pinot Noir, so earthy, mushroomy foods or coq au vin, salmon, lamb and pork are good choices.  Here is a link to some interesting discussions about what foods to prepare for a Pinot Noir tasting.

Only 20 more days ‘til Spring!

Joanne
 

The February 18 event will be here before we know it. This month we are going to try a grape relatively new to Washington: Petit Sirah. We will try some from California, Australia and of course, Washington.

Petit Sirah is an important blending grape, often blended with some of California’s finest Zinfandels, but the grape is also bottled on its own as a varietal. It is not made from the Syrah grape, but has its genetic ancestry in the Syrah varietal.

Again, stores are offering good buys in wine. One I found very recently at G.O. was Serience, a white blend of Washington state’s Alder Ridge Roussanne and Viognier, and from Puget Sounds’ Zefina winery. We like it a lot; it is very versatile. AND it is only $2.99.

The following is from an announcement made when the wine earned some outstanding rewards:

“SEATTLE — Zefina Winery today announced that its 2003 Serience White from the Columbia Valley was chosen as ‘Best of Class’ and won a Gold Medal at the 2005 San Diego International Wine Competition.”

Another good buy is the Forest Glen double-bottle package of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay at $14.99. You may be familiar with this winery’s Merlot which was available a few weeks ago, but which sold out quickly.

Columbia Crest is known for its drinkable wines, and while the expensive ones are outstanding (remember, the Columbia Crest 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon was Wine Spectator’s Wine of the Year for 2009), the every day wines are very drinkable and are often on sale at great prices. One new one we like is the Columbia Crest Vineyard 10, which we found on sale at Safeway for $5.40 if we bought six and at Food Pavilion if we bought four. Those prices are over, but keep watching. The prices change often.

Columbia Crest Grand Estates has a very nice Riesling, again at $5.40 on sale and regularly $7.49. All the Grand Estates wines are good buys, and are on sale regularly (and irregularly) at various stores in the area.

Local wineries also offer good buys. Stemilt Creek Estate Winery recently lowered prices on three excellent wines: Stemilt Creek Estate 2004 Cab $12.75; Stemilt Creek Red 2005 $14; Stemilt Creek Estate 2005 Merlot $14. Jones of Washington has several very nice wines under $17. Check the web sites of all our local wineries to see what they offer on the Wineries page.

On February 10, in the Wenatchee World online, “Joanne’s Blog”, I will post two new recipes. One is for a special torte for your Valentine; the other is for chocolate truffles. You can have your own special Valentine’s dinner at home, with your favorite wines.

I hope your Valentine’s Day is as special as you are. It’s up to you to help make it special for someone else.

Joanne

Note: No one has volunteered to chair a Regional Dinner. For now, nothing is scheduled in March.

I’m surprised there hasn’t been a major news report about this, but perhaps the scientific community is keeping quiet about it for now. Surely you, as I, have noticed that the universe is speeding up and time as we know it is slipping away at an alarming rate. Didn’t you notice that September flew by, and now October is doing the same? At this rate we will be able to prepare one meal to serve both Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner at the same time.

At the same time, the wine bargains at Grocery Outlet are disappearing quickly. Recently I received a very helpful email from one of our members, Don Julien, who is obviously a patron of our local GO. I knew of these but he wrote them all down and saved me a lot of work, which I appreciate. I believe most of these are still available, plus some new ones we just tried. When something is new to us we like to try it first before recommending it.

Here is Don’s list, with a few of our opinions on it. Many thanks, Don!

Bridgman Chardonnay 2.99 (WSL 6.99).

Apex Chardonnay 4.99 (WSL 14.99) I liked it; Alex didn’t.

Apex II Syrah 2.99 (WSL 11.99) Alex liked it; I didn’t.

Pavin & Riley Merlot 3.99 (WSL 6.99).

Pavin & Riley Chardonnay 3.99 (WSL 6.99).

Washington Hills Merlot 2.99 (WSL 6.99) Alex liked it a lot, for the price.

Avery Lane Merlot 2.99 (WSL 4.99).

Gordon Brothers Rose’ (their website says it’s from Cab Sauv & Merlot) for 2.99, I think (normal retail 13.50). I’m not a big fan of Rose’, but did like this. Nice acid and flavor.

The others we haven’t tried in so long that I don’t want to comment on them. And of course these are just our opinions. You might have noticed, too, that we differed in our opinions of some of the wines.

More recently, in GO, we found Forest Glen Reserve Merlot 2003 at $7.99. It was excellent (after some breathing). I don’t know how much they have left. (Six as of Saturday noon)

Pacific Oasis, another label, has two varieties on the shelves: unoaked Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. We both liked the Chard and Alex liked the Pinot. I thought it was “too Pinot-y”, as though special effort had been made to give it a heavy barnyard aroma and flavor–not that I’ve really tasted a barnyard flavor, but you get the idea. Having mucked out a few horse barns and cow stalls in my youth, I am familiar with barnyard aromas.

We also saw a Napa Chard called Joya, but haven’t tried it. If anyone does, I’d appreciate a comment on it.

The WA State Liquor Store on N. Wenatchee Ave. has increased and improved its selection of wines. For instance, Kiona has a Red Mountain Zinfandel for around $15. Maybe this is common knowledge, but not for us. So much has been going on in our area these past few years that we have somewhat lost track of the rest of the state.

How many of you know that you can go to the WA State Liquor Control Board web site and find what wines are on sale for the month? I think the local store will still order in a case of something if they are out of it.

A little news came my way, and although it may be old stuff by now, it’s new to me. Did you read the NW Winepress list of top WA cabs? Wedge Mountain’s 2006 Red Mountain Cab Sauv was on the recommended list, as was Rob Newsom’s 2005 Reserve Cab. And the Wedge Mountain hasn’t even been bottled yet, but is just winding up its 1000 days in new French oak. It will be bottled soon and in the market in a few months. We’re looking forward to it.

One of the more recent wineries to open in our area is Chuck Egner and Frank Deschaine’s 37 Cellars.,up here in Leavenworth. We went up this week to pick up some wine and watched them crush their last load of grapes. We wanted to take some pictures, too, but someone had left the camera at home.

Fortunately, the day was not a loss, for Chuck just happened to have wine and glasses sitting on a barrel near the crush. Although our teeth were chattering, we managed to sip our way through the delicious Chardonnay and the wonderful-though-chilled reds: the 2007three-blend Trio (I think I was just redundant there), the 2007 Merlot and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. It was an unexpected treat, as Chuck and Frank were really working hard–too hard, in fact, for them to pause and play and sing my favorite song, “Aragon Mill.” (Let me brush away a tear or two here; it’s a mournful song and Chuck has a real way with it.) They did play it for us a few days later when we went to view the pictures they had taken with their camera!

Of course these wines are not GO bargains; they are comparable in price to other area wines, and excellent in quality, especially for such young reds. It’s exciting to see what new wines are coming out of our immediate area these days; even better is going to taste them and perhaps lay some down for future consumption.

If you’re a Napeequa fan–and aren’t we all?–don’t forget the October 28 Jubilee .

And November 7, 2009 from 2:30pm – 5:00 pm, Vin du Lac in Chelan is celebrating the opening of its new Chelan Falls Production Facility with an open house and the release of the eagerly anticipated 2006 Barrel Select Malbec.

Our son who was here from Atlanta for a few days commented, as we arranged our schedule so as to get him to Pangborn on time and still get home in time for Alex to put in a few hours at the Ryan Patrick tasting room, “You sure do keep busy out here. Is it like this all the time?”

We were happy to say, “Yes.” I had just read a NY Times piece about a number of retired people who seem to be just sitting around, waiting to die. Who has time for that? There’s new wine out there to be discovered and interesting people to meet. I hope we see you at some of these events. There’s more to come.

Joanne

What exactly is ‘hot’ when you talk about wines?  Is hot a cool thing?  Do winemakers strive to make ‘hot’ wines?Let’s take the questions in a mixed sequence.  First, no. Hot is not Cool?

Winemakers don’t want to hear that comment about their wines. Hot is a specific reference to the alcohol level in the finished product, and when critics or wine writers label a wine as ‘hot’ they are referring to the ‘burn’ on the palate that high alcohol levels can create.  That level varies by individual.

Where does the alcohol come from?

Fermentation is the chemical reaction that occurs when yeasts consume the sugar (measured in Brix levels) in the grape juice creating the by products of alcohol and carbon dioxide (among other things).

The alcohol by volume (ABV) level of a finished wine can reasonably be calculated by dividing the Brix, of the grape juice by 2, so  26 Brix equates to 13% alcohol by volume.

Hot, dry climates such as in California, Oregon, and Washington.

The New world growers, Argentina, Australia, America, Chile, don’t have that problem which Burgundy, and occasionally Bordeaux, have of bringing grape Brix levels to 26.  It’s a simple matter of temperature in the vineyards.  Growers in CA, OR & WA don’t have the same lack of heat in the vineyards to cope with.  In fact, their problem is exactly opposite,  Brix at the 28 to 30% levels before entering the “Late Harvest” state is normal.  Literally translated, that means it is possible to ferment wines from these states with a 14% to 15% ABV level, perhaps even higher.

One interesting side bar is the issue of adding sugar to the juice to increase the alcohol level. This is often done with the great red wines of Burgundy, although it is glossed over and frequently denied, because in that region it is often very difficult to get the brix levels up to that 26% number.

It’s that difficulty that may in fact be the reason why that number is deemed ideal.

Is Twenty-Six Brix and 13 % ABV an Ideal or Merely an Achievable?

The French in both Bordeaux and in Burgundy have on occasion had difficulty harvesting grapes at the 26 brix levels. Warmer climates don’t have this problem.  WA does not have this problem.

But there is a second issue:  acids.  Hot climate grapes, which have no trouble reaching the magic brix number, are typically lower in acids.  Acids are the ‘bones’ that give wine its ability to age; acids give wine a quality referred to as the structure, the skeletal features upon which all the component tastes and aromatic elements rely for delivery in the glass.

The problem of low acids in hotter climate grapes is corrected by the addition of acids, usually tartaric acid.  If you accept that the solution to the low brix problem is to add sugar during fermentation in colder climates or at least colder years, it should not be a stretch  to accept that adding acids for high brix juices in hotter climates is the equivalent.

But what is hot?

In the old French wine world, where growers had difficulty achieving 26 brix, 13.0 ABV was the ideal, and 27 brix, 13.5% ABV was on occasion achievable.  Those numbers representing the ideal dominated the wine world for centuries…

 Is wine with an ABV of 14, 15, 16% ABV hot?

Only you can answer that question.  I suggest you do this:  Ignore the label; pour the wine in your glass without reading the label.  Sip it, swish it around in your mouth and swallow it.

If you feel that ‘burn’ on the sides of your tongue and at the back of your throat after you have swallowed, then that wine, for you, is hot.  That burn for some might happen even at the magic number, 13.5% ABV.  When you’ve finished, look at the label to identify the alcohol level.  Whatever the number is, that for you is your “Hot” tolerance level, and you should look for wines with a slightly lower ABV to avoid the ‘burn’ in your palate in the future.

Alex Saliby, Contributing Editor

It’s been a big year in the local wine industry. Lake Chelan just got its AVA designation and the wineries are celebrating this weekend, up there in the lake country. I want to get back to Chelangr’la and see if the Pinot Noir is as good as I remember. Benson Estate Winery is a fun stop, as the family is so friendly and welcoming and all the wines are excellent. Each winery has a specialty we look forward to.

Not long ago when we went to Chelan for the day we either took a lunch or got a quick sandwich at Safeway. They do make excellent sandwiches there. Now, however, new eating places seem to be popping up all over. Some are not new, as is the very popular Lake Chelan Winery and the charming Vin du Lac. I enjoy the way Vin du Lac lets you taste their wines as you eat their delicious food.  Now Tsillan Cellars has Sorrento. What atmosphere that has!  And KarMa, with its ambiance, also has excellent food and service. All that wine tasting makes us hungry.

Some new wineries have appeared in our NCW area and more are coming. The June 13 picnic at Rio Vista Winery, just north of Chelan, should be a lot of fun. The setting is lovely, with the river nearby, and the beautiful grounds. The wine is very good, too. 

Ryan Patrick Winery has just released its 2007 Rock Island Red. I haven’t seen it at Costco yet, but can’t imagine it will be long before it shows up there. They still have the Naked Chardonnay, an excellent wine for all the hot-weather foods we’ll be having as summer comes along. It’s hard to beat a wine like this for $6.49. You’ll also find the Saint Laurent 2006 Merlot for only $9.99.

Good old G.O. is expecting some new wines so we’ll stop there and see what we find.

Nebbiolo is making an appearance in our area. It’s already being produced in other areas in our state. Other varietals are getting more and more attention as we go beyond Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio/Gris and other usual and familiar wines.

The Enological Society board is working at presenting new events which will help us all to learn more about the wine industry. We’ll be comparing some French wines with their local counterparts, exploring Petite Syrah, and trying the popular Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre blend as made here and in other areas and countries. If helping with an event sounds like fun (and it is), please let us know. You don’t have to take on the full responsibility for it, but you might learn enough and enjoy it enough to want to do it again. You might even want to join the Board. We’d love to have you.

Note: The popular and familiar Waterbrook Winery in Walla Walla underwent a change of ownership in 2006. Rick Steigmeyer of the Wenatchee World wrote an interesting and very informative article about the grand new winery and the changes made there.

Joanne Saliby

Unlike most European wine appellations of origin, an AVA specifies only a geographical location from which at least 85% of the grapes used to make a wine must have been grown.  American Viticultural Area designations do not limit the type of grapes grown, the method of vinification, or the crop yield.  When a US winery wants to tell you the geographic pedigree of its wine, it uses a tag on its label called an Appellation of Origin.

Current regulations impose the following additional requirements on an AVA:

• Evidence that the name of the proposed new AVA is locally or nationally known as referring to the area.
• Historical or current evidence that the boundaries are legitimate.
• Evidence that growing conditions such as climate, soil, elevation, and physical features are distinctive.

Grapes have been grown in the Lake Chelan area since 1891. The first commercial wine grapes were planted in the Chelan Valley in 1998. Since those ‘98 grapes were planted, the dream and goal was to be recognized as an American Viticulture Area by the Federal Government.

The 24,040-acre AVA is entirely within the Columbia Valley. It is home to 15 wineries and 260 acres of vineyards. Lake Chelan is the third deepest lake in the nation at 1,486 feet and has a cooling effect upon the surrounding area that contributes to the area’s distinctive growing characteristics. At present the grapes planted are predominately  Syrah, Merlot, Malbec, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir, although there is experimentation with many other varieties in the area

One of the unique characteristics is Lake Chelan’s higher elevation and more temperate climate than the more southern AVAs also contained within the Columbia Valley.  Because of the ice age glaciers which formed Lake Chelan, the soil surrounding it has distinctive properties such as coarse, sandy sediment with notable amounts of quartz and mica, which results in grapes with discernable textures, minerals, and nutrients. The AVA is also distinguished by a significant “lake effect” which creates mild and favorable temperatures for surrounding areas, resulting in a longer growing season and a reduced risk of frost.  Since the vineyards are cooler than much of the rest of the Columbia Valley, the bud break is later, and the more moderate temperatures caused by Lake Chelan results in even ripening conditions later in the year. This translates into intense fruit flavors and a high acidity.

It will be exciting to watch the development of this area, and to experience the taste of the wines of Lake Chelan as the local wineries continue to experiment with various grape varieties in order to determine a notoriety of their own for specific varietals, as Oregon has with its Pinot Noir.

Bruce Campbell

Contact me at: snowall@nwi.net

Sheila Bergren