"Best of Washington" wine tasting as Esquin tonight

Normally when you hear the word "best" for a wine tasting event, it's time to reconsider. But an ad for the "Best of Washington" tasting at Esquin caught my eye for two reasons. One, it truly is an exceptional list of winemakers and wines that will be poured. Two, because of the wine listed right below the ad. But more on that in a minute.

The tasting includes these wineries and winemakers, showing off their new releases:

• Fidelitas (Charlie Hoppes)
• Côte Bonneville (Kathy Shiels)
• Chateau Rollat (Christian LeSommer)
• Waters (Jamie Brown)

They'll also be pouring these wines (no winemaker):

• Andrew Will - 2006 Ciel du Cheval
• Quilceda Creek - 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
• Leonetti - 2007 Merlot
• Cayuse - 2005 Armada Syrah

Now, it is a bit steep at $39/per person. And the "best" label is certainly up for debate. But these wines are almost never poured in tastes, let alone all-together in one place. Instead of spending hundreds on each bottle, we're in and out for less than $100.

We've tasted some of these before. The Fidelitas is always outstanding. Côte Bonneville is steep, but their grapes are incredibly authentic. We've visited Chateau Rollat and Waters on separate trips to Walla Walla - Rollat was "hot", unremarkable, and way overpriced; Waters was almost too complex and definitely expensive. But, your taste buds change everyday - we may be surprised tonight.

On the second list, we've never had Quilceda Creek or Cayuse. Quilceda is still the only winery in this state to receive a 100 point rating from Wine Spectator, and they did it two years in a row with their 2003 and 2004 Cabs. Cayuse is a list-only winery in Walla Walla, led by a french winemaker who has kept his production constant and his quality high.

And that wine listed right below the ad? Guardian Cellars' 2007 Chalk Line, their red blend, essentially of leftovers from this new boutique Woodinville Winery. They kept the price at $25 for the new release, and it tastes easily like a $40-50 bottle. The 2006 went really fast this last spring, and I expext this to sell out even faster. Their wine is so rich and complex, but supple in mouthfeel, it's not even fair to nearby wineries. Fantastic.

Northwest Wine Review

Yesterday I stopped in at George's Wine Shop on the way home, for several reasons. One, I was in the area, on my way home from Redmond. Two, George's recently moved to a new shopping center, relocation from a hell hole that was about to undergo extensive renovations. Three, I had only visited one time before, came away impressed, but failed to visit in almost five months. So it was finally time.

Back from our recent trip to Oregon and California, I was interested to see what I recognized on the shelves. What started as innocent browsing of the zinfandel section ended up being a 30-minute discussion with store namesake George about all things in the wine industry. He told me about planning his first trip to Walla Walla ever, complained how hard it is to stay informed about new wineries, and our common friends Matt and Jessie. George is a great guy, with lots of experience in the retail side, but I came away with two simple conclusions:

1. I'm getting really good at the Northwest wine scene
2. I should do something about it

So that's why I'm starting this blog. I have too much information, too much experience, and too much passion not to share it with anyone who's interested. I also have a lot still yet to learn, which I will share too. Many of my friends have encouraged this, and even find my advice helpful from time to time. For them, I suggest you bookmark or RSS.

Cheers!