Yamhill-Carlton Road Show

Local Wine Events
June 27, 2017 (Tue): The Yamhill-Carlton American Viticultural Area, home of many Oregon wine industry pioneers and the oldest soils in the Willamette Valley, is coming to Seattle! Join 12 wineries for a memorable tasting experience on June 27th from 6-8pm. The producers will be pouring wine all exc[...]

All-Star Al Fresco

katiek

You may have noticed something very unusual in the sky lately. The sun can be a tentative visitor here in the Pacific Northwest (especially this year), but with the arrival of June, it’s time to revel in these precious few months when blue skies and warm temps finally come out to play. And when it comes to al fresco indulging, Woodinville presents the ultimate playground: a nearly endless selection of local winemakers serving up food, wine and gorgeous grounds on which to stretch out and savor both nature and nourishment.

So what’ll it be? Chateau Ste. Michelle offers a classic pastoral setting for both picnics and summer concerts, while across the road, a beautiful garden patio provides the perfect place for lounging and noshing at Columbia Winery. Right next door to Columbia, the graceful grounds of Novelty Hill-Januik pairs deliciously well with a glass of Cab and appetizers.

For more hidden gems, head up the hill to the secluded retreat of JM Cellars for some chilled white and bocce ball. Or drive across the valley to the bucolic setting at Adams Bench Winery, home to Woodinville’s only working vineyard. Down the road toward Redmond, Wilridge Winery and the Sky River Mead Tasting Room sit high on the hillside with gorgeous views of the Sammamish River Valley and Mount Rainier to accompany your tasting.

And that’s merely a sampling. There are dozens of wineries throughout Woodinville where wine, food and setting combine to create the perfect summer afternoon. This is when wine country is at its most seductive, so why resist? Throw on something white and comfortable and pull up a lounge chair.

[Photo: Richard Duval Images]

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Daily Wine News: Aging Virginia Wines

Shelby Vittek

Barboursville Vineyards founder, Gianni Zonin, overlooking his Virginia vineyards. (Source: Barboursville Vineyards)

It’s a new age for Virginia wines, says Jason Tesauro in Decanter, who reports on experiments with aging Virginia wines. “With such a young region – grapes have been grown here since colonial times, but the modern industry is only 40 years old – there aren’t deep stores of old wines… when I contacted winemakers to enquire about age worthiness, the most common response was ‘we’re still answering that ourselves’.”

In Wine-Searcher, James Lawrence reports on the changes being made to Dom Pérignon’s philosophy of vintages. “…some journalists had questioned the wisdom of releasing five vintages in a row – 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and the current release, 2006.”

The Drinks Business reports that an estimated 60% of vineyards in Bordeaux have been affected as a result of April’s frosts, amounting to around 65,000 hectares.

Aaron Menenberg recently embarked on a wine journey through the Republic of Georgia. He reports on his best wine experiences on his blog, Good Vitis.

R.H. Drexel profiles winemaker Xavier Arnaudin of Union Sacré and Sans Liege on RobertParker.com.

In Roads & Kingdom, Charukesi Ramadurai discovers Spain’s Tinto de Verano, which translates to “red wine of summer.”

In VinePair, Courtney Schiessl wonders if Trento is poised to overtake Franciacorta as the Champagne of Italy.

And…I wrote about the rise of rosé and three newly released books about rosé in New Jersey Monthly.