Sean P. Sullivan's Northwest Wine Report

A look at some of the top wines from my tastings this month. Formal reviews to be published in Wine Enthusiast.


Starting off an inaugural 'Wines of the Month' column and I can't imagine better wines to do it with. Winemaker Morgan Lee at Two Vintners in Woodinville has always impressed with wines that display a combination of quality and value. However, Lee’s 2013 releases take things to a new level. The four wines below are all (very) highly recommended. They are easily some of the most exciting wines I've come across in the past few months and only pick up steam on the second and third day.

At the height of the season, Washington vineyards burst with color and sheer beauty. Winter? That’s a different story. Vines shut down for a long sleep and color is fleeting and muted. But there is beauty to be found. Resident photographer Richard Duval captured this winterscape of Riesling at rest from Pepper Bridge Vineyard in Walla Walla.

“Winter is crucial to healthy vines and great grapes,” he noted. “Relying on energy stored through the growing season, vines can weather the cold, which, in fact, helps produce higher quality grapes come the new season.”

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

A round-up of stories on Northwest wine from January 15^th to 21^st 2016. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the world…

Decanter writes about Jackson Family purchase Oregon property.


From around the country…

Wine Enthusiast writes about Oregon’s golden era.

A round-up of recent articles on Northwest wine from January 8th to 14th. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the country…

Los Angeles Magazine writes about Charles Smith.

The Marco Island Times (Florida) writes about Milbrandt.

Trefis writes that Altria’s wine segment is a top performer.

The January/February issue of Vineyard & Winery Management magazine has three articles I wrote. The first two, as noted earlier in the week, are harvest reports for Washington and Oregon. The third is an article looking at how the Willamette Valley is adjusting to a changing climate.

See other recent publications, most with web or downloadable links, here.

Enjoy!

The following is excerpted from the January/February issue of Vineyard & Winery Management magazine.
Washington

“The overwhelming factor in 2015 in Washington was heat,” said winemaker Mike Macmorran of Mark Ryan Winery in Woodinville. “It was relentless.”

Indeed, many viticulture regions saw record heat, with Red Mountain accumulating more than 3,900 growing degree-days, and even cooler regions such as the Yakima Valley getting more than 3,150. Starting in February, temperatures were considerably above average, leading to an advancement of all markers of the growing season.

Back to the business of blogging. A round-up of articles on Northwest wine from January 1^st to 7^th 2016. Read previous round-ups here.

From around the country…

The New York Times says Oregon Pinot Noir delivers an element of surprise.

Wine Spectator says the excitement right now is in Oregon.

The Minneapolis Star recommends the Underwood Pinot Gris.