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Today, as we end 2013, we take a look back at the year that was in Washington wine.

2013 was a year of some tectonic changes in Washington. Perhaps the most significant of these was the arrival of two Napa Valley wineries in the state, Duckhorn and Cakebread. Both will be launching Washington-based brands, called Canvasback and Mullan Road respectively. Notably, Duckhorn also recently purchased a 20-acre vineyard on Red Mountain, indicating that they are here to stay. The influx of California wineries – something that had already begun last year with the arrival of Gallo and Trinchero – only looks to continue in the coming years.

As we get ready to wind down the year, today we take a look at a baker's dozen of the most read articles in this space in 2013.

The December Virtual Tasting is tonight! The wine is the Treveri Cellars Brut Blanc de Blanc Sparkling Wine NV. This wine retails for $14 and is fairly widely available. The tasting will take place from 7-8pm Pacific tonight, December 30th.

What you need to do to participate is:

1. Buy this month’s wine from a local retailer or from the winery.

2. Tweet your comments about the wine on Twitter between 7 and 8pm Pacific on the specified date using the hashtag #treveri For those on Twitter, follow me @wawinereport.

Today’s Fresh Sheet – new and recent releases – includes wines from the Willamette Valley from Archery Summit, Sineann, Erath, Stoller Family Estate, Spindrift Cellars, Lumos Wine Co., Hawks View Cellars, Duck Pond Cellars, and Panther Creek Cellars.

Here at Washington Wine Report we like to drink sparkling wines year round and encourage you to do the same. As I am fond of saying, you wouldn’t just drink Cabernet Sauvignon on one day a year, would you? Why should sparkling wines be any different? These wines aren’t just wines for special occasions, they are wines for every occasion. Moreover, there are sparkling wines out there priced to fit most every budget. So if you are not already, make your resolution in 2014 to drink more sparkling wine. It should be one resolution that’s easy to keep!

In holiday times, we continue the search for good, inexpensive wines.

Last month I wrote about Domaine Ste. Michelle rebranding itself to Michelle and spiffing up its packaging. Today we take a look at the new label design from Treveri Cellars.

Treveri Cellars - one of the (very) few sparkling wine dedicated projects in Washington - made a big splash when it started out a few years back with its wide assortment of sparkling wines (read a previous post about the winery here). The latest releases show a much improved label design that is more indicative of the quality that is in the bottle.

No better holiday wish to the readers of Washington Wine Report than the “grapelights” of Bellevue Botanical Garden d'Lights, brought to you courtesy of our contributing photographer Richard Duval. Merry Christmas to all and may all your wines be bright!

A round-up of stories on Washington wine from December 15^th to 21^st. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the country…

Wines & Vines writes about Duckhorn’s Canvasback winery on Red Mountain.

Shanken News Daily writes about Deutsch and Precept partnering on a restaurant focused Washington wine brand. They also write about Duckhorn purchasing a vineyard on Red Mountain and small retailers seeking redress again pricing pressure by big chains.

Greenville Online writes about the Tamarack DuBrul Vineyard Reserve.

Today’s Fresh Sheet – reviews of new and recent releases – includes wines from Savage Grace, Cadence, Walla Walla Vintners, Kiona Vineyards, Cloudlift Cellars, Northstar, and Stottle Winery.

The Winter issue of Washington Tasting Room Magazine contains an article I wrote titled, "Trends & Predictions: The Year in Wine." See a list of newsstand locations here. Subscribe to the magazine here. Additionally, the December issues of Wine Enthusiast contain a series of wine reviews for my coverage areas.

Enjoy!

A round-up of stories on Washington wine from December 8th to December 14th. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the country…

The San Francisco Weekly writes about a possible San Francisco connection to the Esquin wine robbery.

Wine Enthusiast gives its ultimate guide to sparkling wine, leading with Michelle Brut.

Washington has long laid claim to Northwest Riesling. The grape is frequently the state’s most produced variety and Chateau Ste. Michelle is the world’s largest Riesling producer.

Things are different to the south where all of Oregon’s wine offerings stand in the shadow of its signature grape, Pinot Noir. Lately, however, a number of producers in Oregon have shown an increased interest in Riesling with several showing particularly impressive results.

The following article was written by Ryan Messer. Read previous articles by Messer here.

Iconic. It is the first word that comes to mind when I think of DuBrul Vineyard. Some vineyards produce a single high quality variety, but few can succeed with multiple. However, wines made from the six grape varietals grown by DuBrul have received awards or distinction from nearly every outlet possible, from local to regional to national.

Located in the heart of the Yakima Valley appellation, DuBrul Vineyards is the work and passion of Dr. Hugh Shiels, an orthopedic surgeon by trade, and his wife, Kathy. The Shiels owned a home in rural Sunnyside, Washington, where they grew concord grapes and asparagus they had planted in 1977. They enjoyed drinking wine and eventually developed a passion for it. Taking the farming knowledge they had, they decided to explore the idea of growing their own wine grapes to make wine as good as they were drinking, or perhaps even better.

2012 marked a return to warmer times in Washington. After two successive cool vintages – which made for some thrilling white wines, especially in 2010 – 2012 tracked close to historical averages in terms of temperature.

One of the notable aspects of the vintage was a 100-day spell with no measurable precipitation from July through mid-October. While large amounts of rainfall are never particularly common in eastern Washington, where most areas receive less than ten inches of precipitation annually, this was unusual and certainly contributed to the resulting wines, white and red.

The December Virtual Tasting wine is the Treveri Cellars Brut Blanc de Blanc Sparkling Wine NV. This wine retails for $14 and is fairly widely available. The tasting will take place on Monday December 30th from 7-8pm Pacific.

What you need to do to participate is:

1. Buy this month’s wine from a local retailer or from the winery.

2. Tweet your comments about the wine on Twitter between 7 and 8pm Pacific on the specified date using the hashtag #treveri For those on Twitter, follow me @wawinereport.

A round-up of stories on Washington wine from December 1st to 7th 2013. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the world…

The Vancouver Sun writes about the Canucks owner buying Washington vineyards.

From around the country…

Wines & Vines writes that Napa wineries are still scouting Red Mountain.

USA Today writes that Walla Walla is a wine Mecca.

This report from the Walla Walla Valley includes wines from Corliss Estates, Tranche Cellars, Tamarack Cellars, Dunham Cellars, and Spring Valley Vineyard. Read Part I here and Part II here.

Corliss Estates

Part of the joy of the wines from Corliss Estates is that they look back in time. While many wineries are moving on to their 2011 red wines soon or have already done so, Corliss is on its 2008 and 2009 vintages due to extended barrel aging. Especially considering how radically different the 2010 and 2011 vintages were for Washington, it makes for quite a sharp contrast when out tasting.

2008 was a high quality vintage here but one where many of the wines were a bit more aromatically reticent and high toned upon release. A full five years after harvest, that continues to be the case. Not to worry, the Corliss wines show the stuffing to age in the cellar for a long time to come and, like their cousins from the vintage, these wines deliver once they open up.

This report from the Walla Walla Valley includes wines from Reynvaan Family Vineyards, Gramercy Cellars, Woodward Canyon, Rasa Vineyards, and Seven Hills Winery. Read Part I here.

Reynvaan Family Vineyards

Reynvaan Family Vineyards' ascension into the upper echelon of Northwest wineries has been remarkably swift (read previous posts about the winery here). It seems hard to imagine that the winery’s first wines were released a mere four years ago. Since that time, Reynvaan has gone on to not only produce consistently stunning wines; they are also producing wines that are as good as any being made in Washington.

The Figgins family has already cemented its place in Washington wine history. The family’s story is well known. In 1977, Gary and Nancy Figgins founded Leonetti Cellar, the first bonded winery in the Walla Walla Valley. More than thirty-five years later, a thriving wine industry with over 100 wineries has sprung up across the valley. During this time, Leonetti has played a pivotal role not just in establishing the valley as a premier wine region but also in establishing Washington’s reputation for quality.

Still, as much as the Figgins family has accomplished in the last 35 years, Figgins Family Wine Estates president and director of winemaking Chris Figgins – Gary and Nancy’s son - is looking to accomplish much more.

Chardonnay is a grape of many contradictions. On the one hand, it is by far (by far) America’s most consumed variety. On the other, it is often one of its most scorned with a loud and vocal ABC – Anything But Chardonnay – movement some years back. Unoaked and 'Naked' Chardonnays sprung up in opposition to the big, oaky styles that California produced in abundance. Liking Chardonnay seemed like something one needed to say secretly.

A round-up of stories on Washington wine from November 22nd to 30th. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the world…

The Province writes about the Aquilinis purchasing land at Red Mountain’s land auction.

The Vancouver Sun writes about the Aquilinis’ purchase of Red Mountain vineyard land.

Decanter writes about the Red Mountain vineyard auction.

Below is a summary of posts for November 2013.

SUMMARY OF POSTS FOR OCTOBER 2013

WASHINGTON 2013 - A TALE OF TWO HARVESTS

WASHINGTON WINE ROUND-UP OCTOBER 22ND TO 31ST 2013

THE EXTRAORDINARY WINES OF LAUREN ASHTON CELLARS

Today’s Fresh Sheet – new and recent releases – includes wines from Gorman Winery, Dumas Station, Pacific Rim, Columbia Crest, Woodinville Wine Cellars, College Cellars, Goose Ridge Estate Vineyard & Winery, Tildio Winery, Pamplin Family Winery, Col Solare, Robert Ramsay Cellars, and NXNW Winery.

As we reach the end of November, we bid farewell to the harvest season and its fall colors in this month's Pic of the Vine from contributing photograph Richard Duval. This picture was taken at Red Mountain as harvest came to a close. Click on the picture for a larger image.

Domaine Ste. Michelle has long dominated the sparkling wine market in Washington since the winery’s founding in 1978. Recently, the winery relaunched itself as simply ‘Michelle’.

A quick look at the new design and packaging makes the intent clear: it’s aimed directly at women in general and more specifically at Millennial women – those aged 21 to 34. Why all the fuss about women? The press release on the relaunching contained the following telling quote:

“With the majority of our sales being made by women, we enhanced shelf appeal with feminine flair,” said Brenda Castañeda, Marketing Manager. “The new packaging features an elegant bottle shape and an attractive white label accented with soft blue (Brut, Extra Dry) and blush (Brut Rosé) hues. The wine meets the demand from women seeking a chic and stylish sparkling wine."

Well everyone, another Thanksgiving is almost here. As I’ve written before, I suggest not getting too stressed out about pairing wines with Thanksgiving dishes. The variety of dishes that are being served and the assortment of guests mean that one size won’t fit all. The best approach is therefore to have a wide variety of wines at the table.

The November Virtual Tasting is tonight! The wine is the 2012 Charles Smith Wines Boom Boom! Syrah. This wine retails for $15 and is widely available. The tasting will take place tonight, Tuesday November 26th, from 7-8pm Pacific.

What you need to do to participate is:

1. Buy this month’s wine from a local retailer or from the winery.

2. Tweet your comments about the wine on Twitter between 7 and 8pm Pacific using the hashtag #charlessmith. For those on Twitter, follow me @wawinereport.

A round-up of stories on Washington wine from November 15th to 21st 2013. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the world…

Drinks Business Review writes about Duckhorn making wine in Washington.

China Daily reports that Washington wines gain ground.

The November Virtual Tasting wine is the 2012 Charles Smith Wines Boom Boom! Syrah. This wine retails for $15 and is widely available. The tasting will take place on Tuesday November 26th from 7-8pm Pacific.

What you need to do to participate is:

1. Buy this month’s wine from a local retailer or from the winery.

2. Tweet your comments about the wine on Twitter between 7 and 8pm Pacific on the specified date using the hashtag #charlessmith. For those on Twitter, follow me @wawinereport.

Most every wine lover can name an epiphany bottle or two – a wine that changed the way that they thought about wine or thought about a region. One of those wines for me is the 2003 Saviah Cellars Une Vallée Red Wine. It was then and remains now one of my all time favorite Washington wines, one that completely captivated me on the Walla Walla Valley and Washington wine scene. It might not have been on that particular day that I decided to start writing about Washington wine. But if not, it was certainly shortly thereafter. The wine was positively inspiring.

The California incursion into the Washington wine industry continues with the announcement last week that Napa Valley’s Duckhorn Vineyards will be producing a Red Mountain designated Cabernet Sauvignon, a little kept secret over the past year.

This is only the latest example of the California influx into Washington, as earlier this year Napa Valley’s Cakebread Cellars announced a new Walla Walla Valley-based brand and wine giant Trinchero Family Estates teamed up with Charles & Charles. Last year saw the purchase by E. & J. Gallo of Columbia Winery and Covey Run. With all of this money coming north, what does it mean for the Washington wine industry?

A round-up of stories on Washington wine from November 8th to November 14th. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the country...

Aspen Times Weekly writes about Col Solare, Force Majure, and Long Shadows.

The Indianapolis Star recommends Red Diamond.

The Sun Sentinel (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) reports writes about what to drink with roast quail.

Tim Nodland of Spokane’s Nodland Cellars always knew what he wanted to be when he grew up but it wasn’t a winemaker. “I decided I was going to be a lawyer in the fourth grade,” Nodland says matter-of-factly. While Nodland is indeed now a practicing attorney, his journey to winemaking lawyer might never have happened if it weren’t for Kurt Cobain and company.

Nodland’s detour from a law career began when he was a teenager. “When I was seventeen I saw this Fender Telecaster hanging in the window at a shop in Spokane,” Nodland recalled. “My life changed at that moment.”

While some growers and winemakers in Washington finished up harvest as much as a month ago, others are still going.

This picture comes from Precept Wine's Canyon Vineyard Ranch in the Yakima Valley, where Sémillon was picked on Monday. This was the winery's last pick of the harvest season.

The December 1st issue of Wine Enthusiast has an article I wrote on Canadian Icewine. You can read the article here (scroll down to Canada). Read a series of wine reviews here.

Enjoy!

A round-up of stories on Washington wine from November 1^st to 7^th. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the world...

Harper's UK talks with Ted Baseler about the importance of a back story in wine.

From around the country...

The Austin Chronicle writes about four wines of the week for holiday parties.

When I sampled the inaugural releases from Lauren Ashton Cellars last year (notes here), I was considerably impressed. The new wines from the winery however, are a revelation – as impressive an across the board lineup as I’ve tasted from any winery this year along with some of the best wines I have tasted in 2013 period.

A round-up of stories on Washington wine from October 22^nd to 31^st. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the country...

HawaiiNewsNow.com writes about a global wine shortage.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal names The Velvet Devil Merlot its wine of the week.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution writes about a weekend in Walla Walla.

Washington’s growing season and harvest in 2013 was a two part story.

As I have written before, 2013 was a warm year – the second warmest on record behind 2003 in terms of Growing Degree Days. However, as the chart below from Washington State University shows, the season actually ran ahead of 2003 throughout the growing season and into the beginning of harvest before things took a sudden turn.

Below is a summary of posts for October 2013.

SUMMARY OF POSTS FOR SEPTEMBER 2013

WASHINGTON WINE ROUNDUP SEPTEMBER 22ND TO SEPTEMBER 30th 2013

HARVEST REPORT OCTOBER 4TH 2013

WASHINGTON WINE ROUNDUP OCTOBER 1ST TO 7TH 2013

In this month’s Five Wines Under $15 - with one wine stepping a toe over the line, we focus on value wines that deliver the goods.

For growers and winemakers, there’s no more beautiful nor frantic time of year than harvest, and contributing photographer Richard Duval was all over the state this year capturing this frenzied season.

"At Sagemoor Vineyard - one of the top vineyards in the state - as the pace of picking increased, the days got longer and scheduling resembled a busy airport,” Duval said. “I thought this scene of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grabbing the last bit of sun under the sunny Sagemoor skies nicely captured the beauty of the season.”

Click on the picture for a larger image. See previous Pic of the Vine images here.

The October Virtual Tasting is tonight! The wine is the Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2011. This wine retails for $12 and is widely available. The tasting will take place from 7-8pm Pacific tonight, Tuesday October 29th.

What you need to do to participate is:

1. Buy this month’s wine from a local retailer or from the winery.

2. Tweet your comments about the wine on Twitter between 7 and 8pm Pacific tonight using the hashtag #columbiacrest. For those on Twitter, follow me @wawinereport.

This report from the Walla Walla Valley includes wines from Abeja, Amavi Cellars, Pepper Bridge, Buty, Tulpen Cellars, L’Ecole No 41, Tempus Cellars, and Forgeron Cellars.

Abeja

While Abeja has long been known as a Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay shop (it still is), recent vintages have shown the winery making stunning wines from estate fruit from the Walla Walla Valley. One of them is an estate Viognier coming from the Mill Creek property where the winery is located. White wines are a rarity in the Walla Walla Valley but this wine shows that, in the right hands, it can be done and done well. The other comes from the other side of the valley from the winery’s Heather Hill Vineyard. This vineyard was first planted in 2001 and is not only producing high quality Cabernet Sauvignon, it is also producing flat out stunning Syrahs.

A round-up of stories on Washington wine from October 15^th to 21^st. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the world...

CTV News (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) writes about the Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot 2010.

From around the country...

The Tampa Bay Times names the Badger Mountain 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon their wine of the week.

From around the blogosphere...

Jameson Fink writes about a Col Solare veritical, raw elk, and grappa.

The October Virtual Tasting wine is the Columbia Crest Grand Estates Cabernet Sauvignon 2011. This wine retails for $12 and is widely available. The tasting will take place on Tuesday October 29th from 7-8pm Pacific.

What you need to do to participate is:

1. Buy this month’s wine from a local retailer or from the winery.

2. Tweet your comments about the wine on Twitter between 7 and 8pm Pacific on the specified date using the hashtag #columbiacrest. For those on Twitter, follow me @wawinereport.

A round up of stories on Washington wine from October 8^th to October 14^th. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the world…

The Australian gives an insider’s guide to Seattle with a shout out to Washington wine country.

From around the country...

The Wall Street Journal writes that an NYU professor uses to wine to bring economic concepts to life.

Winemaker Jason Morin of Woodinville’s Ancestry Cellars grew up in Gig Harbor, where his forbearers were among the first of the Croatian fishing families to move to the area. His experience with winemaking started younger than most – in the third grade.

“I started making wine with my grandfather in his basement,” Morin recalls. “It was an opportunity to see and learn.”

As an adult, this initial exposure blossomed into a full fledged interest and passion, with Morin’s work as a pharmaceutical representative for Sanofi affording him frequent opportunities to entertain. His interest took a fateful turn, however, in 2009 at the Auction of Washington Wines when Morin bumped into Chris Sparkman (Sparkman Cellars), who Morin knew from Sparkman’s Waterfront restaurant days.

While Red Mountain has firmly established itself as one of Washington’s premier wine growing regions, the tiny appellation - Washington’s smallest at 4,040 total acres - continues to grow and expand with additional acreage planted and more and more wineries using Red Mountain fruit. One of those wineries is Ambassador Vineyard.

Ambassador Vineyard’s Michael Towers first became interested in wine when he and his wife attended a winemaker dinner, hosted by Dan Duckhorn of Duckhorn Vineyards, at the Columbia Tower Club in Seattle in the 1980s. The Towers visited Napa Valley shortly thereafter and subsequently became one of three majority stakeholders in Duckhorn.

Today’s Fresh Sheet – new and recent releases – includes wines from Avennia, Long Shadows, Andrew Will, Guardian Cellars, Stevens Winery, Swiftwater Cellars, Michael Florentino Cellars, and more.

A round-up of stories on Washington wine from October 1^st to 7^th 2013. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the country…

Winona Daily News writes about the Thorny Rose Cabernet Sauvignon.

Coshocton Tribune writes about the Seven Falls Cabernet Sauvignon.

Harvest in Washington this past week saw wet weather along with a continuation of the cool temperatures from the end of September. For most I spoke or e-mailed with, neither seemed to present significant concerns.

Bob Betz of Betz Family Winery said of the rain, “This hasn’t been a problem for us with the mid to late season reds with thicker skins. We’ve had no rot, no wet grapes, no soggy bottoms of the picking bins so we don’t have a problem with rain that may have fallen.”

A round up of stories on Washington wine from September 22nd to September 30th. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the country...

D Magazine writes about Col Solare and Northstar.

CNBC writes that wines fly free on Alaska Airlines.

Hitched Magazine writes about Kestrel Vintners.

Below is a summary of posts for September 2013.

Now available on-line: Seattle Metropolitan’s Top 100 Washington wines

Tero Estates purchases Waters Winery

Old school! Recent print publications

In tough times, we continue the search for good, inexpensive wines.

The Owen Roe Sharescropper’s Cabernet Sauvignon is always something of a bellwether for a vintage, with the winery releasing the wine early each year. If so, it bodes well for the 2012 vintage red wines. Owen Roe first started making the Sharecropper wines in 2001, with the winery taking fruit from growers, making the wine, and then sharing the profits back.

Harvest Report October 26th 2013

The last week has seen a shift in growing conditions in eastern Washington with nighttime temperatures cooling significantly and precipitation falling in a number of areas. The former is particularly significant as one of the hallmarks of the 2013 growing season has been warmer than average nighttime temperatures. This should lessen the sense of urgency that some winemakers have had.

“Ripening should be slowing considerably,” winemaker Chris Peterson of Avennia said. “Most warm site Cabernet is being scheduled for the next week or two. However, now with the cool down that seems to be on the horizon, cooler site Cabernet could be afforded considerable hang time.”

The September Virtual Tasting is tonight! The wine is the J Bookwalter Notebook Red 3NV. This wine retails for $15 and is fairly widely available. The tasting will take place from 7-8pm Pacific tonight, September 25th.

What you need to do to participate is:

1. Buy this month’s wine from a local retailer or from the winery.

2. Tweet your comments about the wine on Twitter between 7 and 8pm Pacific using the hashtag #bookwalter. For those on Twitter, follow me @wawinereport.

A round-up of stories on Washington wine from September 15th to 21st. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the world...

The National Post writes about the Snoqualmie Whistle Stop Red.

From around the country...

Packaging Digest writes about Domaine Ste. Michelle rebranding.

This month's Pic of the Vine from contributing photographer Richard Duval are a series of images from harvest at Whidbey Island Winery.

While for eastern Washington wineries, a little rain during harvest can sometimes be a good thing, for western Washington's wineries - where there is often considerably more accumulation - it can potentially be ruinous.

The Tasting Note Database has been updated to the current date. See the database here. Read an explanation of the fields here.

Harvest Report September 18^th

The past week has seen some remarkably unsettled weather in eastern Washington, from record high temperatures to dust storms, rain, and hail. While, thus far, the damage to Washington’s grape harvest appears to be minimal, it has caused anxiety and, in some cases, heartbreak.

A round-up of stories on Washington wine from September 8th to 14th. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the world...

The DrinksBusiness.com does a Q&A with Bob Bertheau of Chateau Ste Michelle.

From around the country...

Wines and Vines writes that northwest winemaking schools are in flux.

FloridaToday.com writes about Seven Falls.

The September Virtual Tasting wine is the J Bookwalter Notebook Red 3NV. This wine retails for $15 and is fairly widely available. The tasting will take place on Wednesday September 25th from 7-8pm Pacific.

What you need to do to participate is:

1. Buy this month’s wine from a local retailer or from the winery.

2. Tweet your comments about the wine on Twitter between 7 and 8pm Pacific on the specified date using the hashtag #bookwalter. For those on Twitter, follow me @wawinereport.

The following article was written by Ryan Messer. Read other articles from Messer here.

I frequently write about wine travels in eastern Washington because that’s where I live, and what I know best. However, after a recent trip to the Westside, I have to share some Woodinville love. Most of the tasting experiences there have been part of a fun weekend getaway to Seattle, but I had one of the most incredible weekends recently for my anniversary.

“Warm, warmest, and warmer is the best way to characterize the 2013 summer season,” wrote AgWeatherNet (weather.wsu.edu) in its recent email about Washington summer weather. They characterized 2013 as the second warmest summer on record and noted particularly warm temperatures at night. Other notables during the summer were June rains and an early July heat wave, the earliest major hot spell in more than two decades.

A round-up of stories on Washington wine from September 1st to 7th. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the country...

Wine Business.com writes about an auctioning of land on Red Mountain.

The Washington Times writes about escaping to Walla Walla.

The Chicago Tribune writes about the Taste of Tulalip.

A round-up of stories on Washington wine from August 22^nd to 31^st. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the country...

The San Antonio Express writes about #CabernetDay.

The Baltimore Sun writes about Ste Michelle’s Canoe Ridge Cabernet.

The great dream – now an unstoppable force – goes on at Force Majeure (formerly Grand Rêve Vintners) with the winery naming an estate winemaker and also adding its seventh Collaboration Series winemaker.

For the estate wines, founders Paul McBride and Ryan Johnson have selected Mike Macmorran. Macmorran currently serves as winemaker at Mark Ryan Winery as well as his own winery, Manu Propria. He is also responsible for the Force Majeure Collaboration Series III wine as well as the winery’s Viognier.

The September/October issue of Edible Seattle has an article I wrote titled "Sangiovese: A delicate grape". See a list of newsstand locations here. Additionally, the September/October issue of Vineyard and Winery Management magazine has an article I authored titled, "The Yakima Valley Renaissance". Read the article here. See a list of previous publications with links to articles here.

Enjoy!

Doug Roskelley and Mike Tembreull of Tero Estates and Flying Trout have purchased Walla Walla Valley’s Waters Winery. Terms of the sale were not disclosed but include both the Waters brand as well as inventory. The Waters building and the winery’s vineyards were not part of the sale. Jamie Brown will serve as Waters’ winemaker under the agreement.

Asked what led to the interest in purchasing the winery, Doug Roskelley, who serves as winemaker at Tero and Flying Trout, said, “The obvious answer to that is Syrah. We don’t currently do any Syrah. It’s something new for our portfolio, and Jamie is one of the best Syrah guys around.”

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Sean P. Sullivan is the founder and editor of Northwest Wine Report. He has been writing about and reviewing Northwest wine since 2004. Read a full biography on the About page. All articles written by Sullivan unless otherwise indicated.

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Editor - Sean P. Sullivan

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Sean P. Sullivan's Northwest Wine Report is an independent publication dedicated to the wines and wineries of the Pacific Northwest, bringing Northwest wine to you and bringing you to Northwest wine. The site was established by Sullivan in 2004 as Washington Wine Report. It was rebranded to Northwest Wine Report in 2022.

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