Washington State Dry Rieslings

On the same day I discovered Pacific Rim Dry Riesling 2006 at an incredible price at the BGO, I also noticed that chain grocery stores in Washington state were featuring Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling 2009 for Thanksgiving. I thought it would fun to write a review that paired these wines. I like them both very much, and while they are ostensibly the "same" varietal from the same state, they are very different from each other. Now, granted it's a little odd to compare a 2006 to a 2009, but I'm not making qualitative judgments here—as I said, I like both of these dry Rieslings quite a lot.

The Chateau Ste. Michelle Dry Riesling 2009 is made largely from grapes grown in the Yakima Valley of eastern Washington. It's slightly sweeter than some dry Rieslings—most notably, it is just a touch sweeter than Pacific Rim's Dry Riesling. The aroma really does have a hint of ripe peaches, and there's something rather like apricot in the first sip of a properly chilled glass. A few minutes later there's something rather like green apple in the flavor, but still crisp and vibrant. Ste. Michelle's winemaker, Bob Bertheau, says this is his favorite wine to pair with oysters, and I can see why. The ABV is 13%. A bottle lists for about $10.00 but it's not unusual to find it on sale at about $8.00. It's the kind of wine that it makes sense to pick up two or three bottles to have on hand.

I've not been even a little shy about my enthusiasm for Pacific Rim wines. Their Dry Riesling is exquisite. It's very much in the German style, and in fact is a blend made of 80% Washington Columbia Valley Riesling and 20% German Riesling from the Mosel, selected by Johannes Selbach. Pacific Rim doesn't subject their Riesling to oak, or malolactic fermentation, so the true qualities of the grapes are very apparent, and yes, that German addition does make a difference. As I mentioned, Pacific Rim's Dry Riesling is just slightly dryer than Ste. Michelle's; the ABV is also slightly lower at 12.5%. The traditional pairings for Riesling include seafood and mild cheeses; those work quite well, but I love Pacific Rim Dry Riesling with salmon, and with Asian dishes.

There's an odd thing I've noticed from a lot of people, both online and offline, in that they seem surprised when they ask what wineries I like for Cabernet Sauvignon, or Riesling or what have you. They appear to want me to name a single wine, and a single winery. I like that there's room for individual differences in wines. I like that that I can try two perfectly lovely Washington state Dry Rieslings, and like both of them enormously, and comfortably recommend both of them. That said, the Bargain Grocery Store is currently having a killer deal on Pacific Rim Dry Riesling, and their lovely Pacific Rim Chenin Blanc, at $2.99 and $3.99 a bottle. If you like white wine, especially Riesling and Chenin blanc, go buy a case or three. You won't be sorry.

Smoking Bishop

"A Merry Christmas, Bob!" said Scrooge with an earnestness that could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on the back. "A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you for many a year! I'll raise your salary, and endeavor to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon over a bowl of Smoking Bishop, Bob!"

At the end of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, a reformed Ebenezer Scrooge invites his clerk, Bob Cratchit, to join him in a bowl of Smoking Bishop, to plan for Bob's future, and the future of Bob's family, especially Tim.

"Smoking Bishop" is a member of that special category of wine-based drinks intended for Winter consumption. It's a close relative of mulled wine. It was traditionally served at Christmas-tide, when people might be able to afford, as a special occasion, things like cloves, and citrus, red wine, and port. It was a middle-class sort of drink, one two gentleman might procure at a tavern or public house.

Cedric Dickens, Charles Dickens' great-great grandson, wrote a book called Drinking with Dickens, in which he offers a recipe for Smoking Bishop that you can read here.

Essentially, Smoking Bishop calls for six Seville Oranges (a bitter-sweet orange available in Europe, often used for orange liquers like Cointreau), whole cloves, 1/4 pound of sugar, a bottle of robust red wine, and one of port. Where Seville oranges are not available, use four or five oranges (navel oranges work well) and one large grapefruit.

  1. Bake the oranges in a moderate oven (350 F. or so) until much of the orange skin turns pale brown. I'd use a cookie sheet, covered with tin foil. You don't want the fruit to be cooked; you merely want to encourage the oil to emerge since it will add flavor and aroma to the Smoking Bishop. When you can smell the oranges, or see or feel the orange oil on the rind of the fruit, they're probably browned enough. You don't want to smell something vaguely like burned toast. Turn the fruit at least once.
  2. Remove the oranges from the oven, and let them cool for a few minutes. Insert five or six whole cloves in the peel of each orange. Place the oranges in a warmed glass or porcelain baking dish, with a quarter pound of sugar, and a 750 ml bottle of a robust red wine. (We are using a Spanish La Granja 360 Tempranillo Garnacha Cariñena blend, but Gallo Hearty Burgundy or a similar hearty red would work quite well.)
  3. Cover the dish, and leave it in a warm place for 24 hours. You might check it every few hours and stir the sugar gently to encourage it to dissolve.
  4. Remove the fruit from the mixture, cut them in half or quarters and squeeze them to remove the juice, adding it to the sugar and wine.
  5. Pour the mixture into a saucepan using a sieve, add a 750 ml bottle of port.
  6. Heat the mixture gently, without allowing it to boil, and serve in warmed glasses or mugs.

Covey Run Sauvignon Blanc Woodinville, WA. 2005

I've been gradually working my way through the Covey Run "Quail" range of Washington table wines. Covey Run is owned by Ascentia Wine Estates, whose wine portfolio of Northwest wines includes Columbia in Washington state, and Ste. Chapelle in Idaho. I picked up this bottle of Covey Run Sauvignon blanc 2005 on sale at a local chain grocery for $5.99; I suspect one reason it was on sale is that with the 2006 vintage Covey Run has switched to labeling their Sauvignon blanc with the much more fashionable Fumé blanc, following in the footsteps of other Washington winemakers like Barnard Griffin and Hogue.

The Covey Run Sauvignon blanc 2005 is the palest straw in color and quite attractive. The aroma hints at pear and green apple. It's very clearly a Sauvignon blanc in taste, leaning towards the pear side of the palate with just enough acid to make me think of grapefruit or perhaps Persian lemon; as the wine opened (and perhaps warmed a little) the aroma and flavor both changed. Covey Run's Sauvignon blanc is light and refreshing and would pair beautifully with Asian sweet chilis, pork and green beans, or Thai chili lime and shrimp salad. This particular year, 2005, the Covey Run Sauvignon blanc received some very positive reviews. The winery Website notes that Covey Run added 0.5% of Washington Chenin blanc "for its flowery nose." I'm curious as to whether that's actually noticeable to the average drinker, but either way, I look forward to trying this Washington Sauvignon blanc (or Fumé blanc) with dungeness crab and lightly smoked local salmon.

Covey Run Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Covey Run's Cabernet Sauvignon is another in their Quail range of Washington table wines. I've liked their Covey Run Dry Riesling in the past. The Covey Run Cabernet Sauvignon is a fruit-forward, robust Cabernet Sauvignon that offers an interesting counter point to the Meridian California Cabernet Sauvignon. Both Cabs are from roughly equivalent price points, but each is very clearly marked by the different styles. The Covey Run is more fruit-forward then the Meridian California Cabernet Sauvignon, as you might expect but there's enough tannin support to keep the black cherry/plum/blackberry overtones of the wine interesting and provide a more rounded profile.

Covey Run's Cabernet Sauvignon is another of those Cabernet Sauvignons that's really a blend; in this case, 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 2% Malbec. I suspect that the Merlot is at least partially responsible for the coffee-chocolate hint in the Covey Run Cabernet Sauvignon's finish, but I'm intrigued by the addition of the Malbec, and wonder about its effect in terms of the faint hint of spice in this wine. The grapes were entirely sourced from Washington's Columbia Valley, and the wine was aged for twelve months in a combination of French and American oak. The ABV is 3.89%1.

This is another reliable Washington table wine, at the $5.99 price point, on sale; you will see Covey Run's Cabernet Sauvignon in the $8.99 price range, but it's on sale regularly for less, and often discounted another 10% if you buy several bottles. It's a good pizza wine as well, as demonstrated by the number of Washington indie pizza restaurants with Covey Run's Cabernet Sauvignon on their wine list.

Washington Wine Score at the BGO

Amazing bargains on Washington wine

I've written more than once about finding wine bargains at the Bargain Grocery Store (better known as BGO). Today, I outdid myself. Local Washington BGOs are selling wine from two Washington state wineries, Pacific Rim (famous for Riesling) and Silver Lake Winery. My local BGO is selling Pacific Rim's 2007 Pacific Rim Dry Riesling, and from Silver Lake Winery, the 2007 Roza Riesling, the 2007 Merlot, the 2007 Syrah, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, and the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot. These are all from their table wine "Cask" tier, and are $4.99 each at the BGO, with a 20% discount through the end of the week, so that's a mere four bucks a bottle. The Silver Lake wines usually run around $8.99 on sale for the reds, and about a dollar less than that for the whites. I like their 2007 Silverlake Chardonnay quite a bit, and we may end up getting a few bottles of that, if there are any left. This time, we brought home the 2007 Roza Riesling, a bottle of the 2007 Syrah, and the Cabernet Sauvignon. I'll let you know what I think when I try them. I have no idea why these are being sold through BGO, but I suspect it's to make room for the new vintage. While their Web site is a travesty (n.b. any Web site with "This site is best viewed in Internet Explorer 7" as a public warning was designed by an less than professional designer, and adminned by someone who is somewhat lacking in the basic principles of UI and user-support), I've enjoyed Silver Lake wines in the past.

The Pacific Rim Dry Riesling is possibly my favorite Washington Riesling, though to be fair, it's technically a blend of German Riesling (selected by Johannes Selbach from Germany's famed Mosel region) with Pacific Rim's own Columbia Valley Riesling. The result is 80% Washington Riesling and 20% German Riesling. In the case of the Pacific Rim Dry Riesling, I suspect that they're getting rid of an old label. These bottles do not have the bottle art of other 2007 Pacific Rim Dry Rieslings I've seen, though the differences are small, it is a branding issue, and I can see why they might prefer to sell them at a loss. At $3.99 a bottle the BGO sticker price, on sale this week for 20% off, we managed to pick up several bottles at $3.21 a bottle, instead of the usual price of around $9.99. It's often difficult to find any of Pacific Rim's wines, other than the Late Harvest Riesling, so I couldn't be happier.

ETA: Pacific Rim tells me that the Pacific Rim Dry Riesling is actually from 2006; thanks for letting me know. This is a lovely wine, and I note that I've also been able to find the Pacific Rim Chenin blanc, which is just magical. I write about both in the near future.

"Cheers" for Sangria!

This past summer, I took a small mini vacation for a few days in California. It was near dinner time and I went for a grocery run for a band that I was staying at in the recording studio. I drove a band member’s smart car to head down to the local Whole Foods market just about a few minutes away from the studio. I had a list of food items dialed onto my cell phone just in case I forgot something. It was about 7 p.m. in the evening, so traffic was actually not too bad. I was actually making dinner that night for some band members. They specifically wanted ravioli and bread for dinner. As I was going down the list of food items on my phone, I passed by the wine aisle. I do not drink wine, but happened to be glancing around. I noticed some Sangria alcoholic beverages lying nearby. It had a very interesting design to the bottle, so I decided to put a couple large Sangria bottles into my shopping cart. I was making my last stop for cold tea drinks at the store and headed out to the check out stand. As I drove my way back to the band’s studio, I was thinking about the bottles of Sangria I just purchased. Since I was staying in California for a few days, I wanted to have a good time. I decided I wanted to have some drinks tonight with the band mates over ravioli and Sangria.

Sangria is basically a famous wine punch from mainly Portugal usually consisting of fruity red-wine, sliced fruits, sweetener, cinnamon spices, sugar, a small amount of other alcohol such as brandy, triple sec, or liquor, and ice with added sparkling soda flavor. The alcoholic content of Sangria varies. White wine can be used in Sangria instead of red. For example, Chardonnay can work as a type of white wine to Sangria. Some people add a bit of sweetener to sangria such as cinnamon or sweet sugar. For a richer taste, people usually add a more intense wine flavor for a stronger taste. It is usually served with orange juice, sweet lemonade, and a slice of fruit choice for sweetness. Preparing small slices of fresh fruits and refrigerating them for a few hours can also be great to add to ice and served with Sangria cold. If you are allergic to certain alcohol content, there is also a non-alcohol version of Sangria consisting of wine grapes, carbonated water, lemon, and cane sugar.

Sangria is very popular in South America during the summer months of mainly Spain and Portugal. It is also very popular in many parts of the country. It is a great drink amongst tourists in pubs, clubs, and bars. Sangria is served as a punch, from a large pitcher bowl in the Spanish culture during social gatherings, parties, and events. A big wooden spoon or folk is often used to get the fruit out of the bottom of the pitcher. Many restaurants in parts of South America are commonly served with Sangria in restaurants. During the hot summer months, Sangria is great for a cold alcoholic beverage drink anywhere.

As I was cooking ravioli for dinner that evening, I decided to make some ice cold Sangria drinks for the band. Since the summer weather was a bit hot and humid in the evening, Sangria was a lovely edition to the delicious ravioli dinner. Drinking a glass of Sangria was very nice and lovely. Sangria will be added to my list of favorite alcoholic drinks.  

Tempranillo

Tempranillo is so closely associated with Spain and Spanish wine today that it is almost a synonym for Spanish wine. Tempranillo is to Spanish wine what Cabernet Sauvignon is to French wine, so much so that Tempranillo is often described as the "noble grape" of Spain. The grape has an ancient history as well; it is clearly documented in references to 13th century Spanish poetry, and there are some suggestions that earlier references to the "northern grape" are in fact referring to Tempranillo. The name refers to the tendency of this thick-skinned black grape to ripen earlier than other varieties, and tolerates colder temperatures and higher altitudes with equanimity. After the ravages of the phyloxera louse afflicted the vines of France in the late 1800, Tempranillo became popular as an alternative to Cabernet Sauvignon in red wine blends, a practice that is still exceedingly common today, with Tempranillo frequently blended with Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, Monastrell, and a variety of other varietals.

Tempranillo vines from Spain, and other parts of the former Roman empire, spread and even flourished in Portugal, France, and most of the New World's wine-growing regions, notably Mexico, the U.S., South America, South Africa and Australia. Not surprisingly for a grape with a long history, there are a number of other names for Tempranillo, depending on where it is growing; Tinto de rioja is one example of an alternative name. Tempranillo is typically described in terms of fruit comparisons, especially dried cherries, and black currants, with a spicy overtone and more "earthy" qualities, like dust, tobacco, leather, and black cured olives. Although Tempranillo is most often enjoyed as a young wine, it ages well and responds well to oak.

Yes on Initiatives I-1100 and I-1105: Alcohol Privatization

If you have spent any time in a state where you can freely buy liquor from most retail locations - you understand why a yes to I-1100 and I-1105 presents a big plus for the citizens of Washington. The prices are lower, the access is easier, and private retailers have more choices and less restriction on what they can sell to the public they depend on to survive - they can also compete against others and offer better values for adults who enjoy a stiff one.

There is of course negatives to this - like alcoholism, underage drinking, and a loss of income to the state of Washington by repealing the current monopoly on our freedom of alcoholic choice. If you really think about it though - these negatives are already a problem with the current system, well, except for the state run monopoly because they currently have control over our choices of what we can buy, where we can buy it, and how much we will spend (which is much more than at states that do not have such a monopoly).

I am all about freedom of choice and capitalism - the two combined help stimulate every facet of our American lives. They separate the good from the bad by process of selection. We can choose, by price, or otherwise which businesses survive. That choice is taken away when a state run monopoly is in place. We are at the mercy of our own government for our personal choices and our freedom is diminished. That doesn't sound very American to me. As it is, the state's Liquor Control Board marks up the price of alcohol by 51.9 percent. If we can make a change - private sector competition will drive prices down.

Quick Review:

I-1100: Retailers could begin selling hard alcohol on June 1, 2011. State liquor stores would be shut down by Dec. 31, 2011. The existing state taxes on liquor will remain. But revenue generated from the mark-up of spirits will go to the retailer, not the state.

I-1105: The state Liquor Control Board will oversee licensing of liquor retailers and distributors. The board will cease operating all liquor stores and sell inventory and assets of those stores, including the state's liquor distribution center, by April 1, 2012. Licensed retailers may start selling Nov. 1, 2011. Like I-1100, this initiative will increase the number of retailers selling spirits. Licenses will only be issued to stores already selling beer and wine.

So what do you say Seatte? Is it time for a change? If so, vote YES on Initiatives I-1100 and I-1105.

Northwest Apples

Apples were first planted in Washington state (then called Vancouver Fort) sometime between 1827 and 1829. Today, Washington is the largest U.S. apple producer, responsible for between 40 and 50% of all apples, whether fresh or processed, consumed in the U.S. Washington apples are not only sold in all fifty states, they're exported to about 4o countries.

Most of the apples from Washington state are grown in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, nurtured by the area's rich lava-ash soil, the same soil responsible for producing amazing Washington wine grapes and cherries. Initially, apples were planted along river banks, allowing for both easy irrigation and transport of the ripe fruit. There are seven primary apple growing regions in Washington, with the Yakima valley the leading growing area. Yakima and the Columbia Basin are especially known for their success growing the Fuji apple. The Okanogan region in the north of Washington is known for their late-bearing varieties. Lake Chelan orchards are dominated by Red Delicious apples. The Wenatchee Valley, like the Spokane area, is especially known for Red and Golden Delicious apples, as well as Gala, Rome and McIntosh. The Skagit region in Western coastal Washington is best known for the older heirloom and more traditional varieties like Gravenstein, Orange Pippin, and Carmine apples. Watch for these traditional varieties at smaller orchards, pick-your-own orchards, and roadside stands, since they tend to be more flavorful than the hybridized Red and Golden delicious that are more common; these varieties were bred for appearance and shipping, rather than taste. There are numerous apple orchards and small growers in Washington with roadside stands selling fresh local apples, or you can pick your own Washington apples.

Oregon also grows marvelous apples, though not in the copious quantities of Washington, the reputation of Oregon apples in the Northwest is quite high. Oregon is the seventh larger producer of apples, and has earned a reputation for preserving heirloom varieties and cider apples. Varieties of apples like Hidden Rose and Melrose, as well as the more familiar commercial varieties like Gala. Oregon has also been more successful than Washington in convincing ordinary consumers with a yard to plant small apple orchards for personal use. Pick-your-own orchards in Oregon feature not only Gala, Mcintosh, Jonagold, Braeburn, Cameo and the varieties familiar from the grocery store, but more unusual varieties of apple, like Pink Lady, Winesap, Sundowner, Gravenstein, Pinova, Northern Spy, and Ambrosia.

Bergevin Lane Winery, Walla Walla Washington

Bergevin Lane Winery is one of my favorite Washington state wineries. Annette Bergevin's family have been Washington state residents since the 1800s. So in 2001, when she was burned out from what she's described as the "rat race" of California, Bergevin and her partner Amber Lane approached Gary Bergevin, Annette's father about a winery business. Gary Bergevin had more than twenty years experience in various facets of wine making, including experience in the vineyard and in terms of the business of wine making. In early 2001 the three founded Bergavin Lane Vineyards. The winery officially opened for business in May of 2003, with a corporate office in downtown Walla Walla, Washington. The Bergevin Lane winery currently produces about 11,000 of cases of wine a year, less than half their production capacity; they've been increasing their production, gradually.

Current wines include their much-loved blends, Calico White (42% Roussanne, 33% Viognier, 17% Chardonnay, 8% Marsanne), Calico Red (41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Syrah, 13% Merlot, 4% Zinfandel), their Washington fruit-forward red blend, and a number of varietals, including Vigonier, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir. The grapes are sourced from several Walla Walla and Columbia Valley vineyards, including Les Collines Vineyard, and Ash Hollow Vineyard. The grapes are hand-picked and hand-sorted, then fermented in steel tanks. The wines are then aged in new American, French, and neutral oak barrels and then aged between ten months and two years. Their winemaker, Steffan Jorgensen, though originally from Denmark, has worked at wineries in Chile, France, and California.

The Bergevin Lane tasting room is located here. Bergavin Lane winery also regularly posts to Facebook.

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