05/14/08 Wine Q&A - Q. A recent wine column in the Wall Street Journal stated a large disappointment in merlots that cost $20 to $50. The final listing of nine were California only despite the authors including Washington labels in their tastings. I'm not too sure how much I...MORE...

Stock spring picnic with affordable Washington wines - A few weeks ago, I was asked to organize a wine tasting for a private event. The table was laid out with an assortment of picnic foods: olives, nuts, cheeses, pâté, salmon spread, various dips and salads and a cold pork tenderloin. Rather t...MORE...

South Seattle wineries showcase wares, facilities - Saturday afternoon, the South Seattle Artisan Wineries (Cadence, Fall Line, :Nota Bene and OoS) will "Celebrate Spring" with a four-winery open house from 1 to 5 p.m. They are all relatively small boutiqu...MORE...

Novelty Hill carves a name for itself among state wines - Novelty Hill Winery, whose sleek, modern, well-appointed production facility and tasting room share space (and winemaking) with Mike Januik's winery in Woodinville, has quickly earned a place on the short list of Washington's best value wines -- and best ...MORE...

'On fire' Argentine malbecs, Part 2 - Last week, I wrote about Argentine malbecs and struggled to whittle down several dozen excellent bottles to just a single case. This week, I want to follow up with some more of these noteworthy wines. "Malbec," I am assured by virtually every wine distrib...MORE...

Prepare yourself for Taste Washington - Taste Washington weekend is just ahead, with a full day of seminars on Saturday, and a wine-and-food-a-thon Sunday. It's the unofficial kick-off event to a spring full of new releases and specials in the hundreds of tasting rooms scattered around the stat...MORE...

03/26/08 Wine Q&A - Q. What's the difference (if any) between syrah and petite sirah? A. Big difference. Syrah (also called shiraz) is a peppery red wine grape that provides the core of most great wines from the Rhone Valley of France. It's widely grown in Australia and ha...MORE...

Washington winemaker at the top of his mark - We have reached a moment in the modern history of the Washington wine industry where some of the veteran winemakers are at the height of their long careers. They are making wines with confidence and style. Their decades of work have taught them a great de...MORE...

Grown in Washington, crafted in Oregon - It's perhaps no more than a curious coincidence, but have you noticed that some of the best Washington wines are being made in Oregon? Winemakers Peter Rosback (Sineann), Andrew Rich (Andrew Rich Wines) and David O'Reilly (Owen Roe) -- though by no means ...MORE...

Loire Valley, Part 2: red wines - What I would term "authentic" red wines are those that best and most clearly express the specific flavors of the grape, the soil and the vintage from which they are made. When tasting wines that are made from a single grape varietal, as opposed to blended...MORE...

02/27/08 Wine Q&A - Q. I received a bottle of Chateau Ste. Michelle 2005 Cinsault as a gift. Is this a red or a white wine? Could you describe it for me? A. This is an unusual red grape rarely bottled as a varietal wine in Washington. It is originally a southern French vari...MORE...

Wine Q&A - Q. Thanks for your great articles about Washington state wine growing regions. I am seeking a list of the 500 or so wineries for educational purposes and hoping you could tell me if there is a Web site or resource available? A. The Washington Wine Commiss...MORE...

Loire Valley offers appealing white wines - The Loire Valley of France, though best known for its bookend white wines -- Muscadet in the far west, Sancerre in the east -- offers a selection as varied and appealing as any region in the world. From sparkling wines called "Fines Bulles" (fine bubbles)...MORE...

Ageability of wine best determined in retrospect - By Paul Gregutt One of the enduring reference points for gauging a wine's quality and value is its estimated ageability. Estimated is the operative word here. The leading wine-scoring newsletters and magazines frequently issue declarations such as, "Forg...MORE...

01/23/08 Wine Q&A - Q. What do sparging and ullage refer to? A. Sparging is part of the bottling process that helps to preserve wine freshness and prevent premature oxidation and other problems. After being rinsed and filled with wine, the bottle will have inert gas (usuall...MORE...

A man with a true passion for wine and family - The love of wine grabs people by the throat and wallet and leads them down many different and fascinating pathways. I've met thousands of winemakers, wine sellers and wine enthusiasts over the years, each with a different tale to tell. But Roy Hersh is th...MORE...

Wine question and answer - Q. Some chefs and cookbooks recommend cooking with the same wine you are planning to drink with the meal; others say to use any cheap wine because the alcohol cooks out and it doesn't really matter. Which is correct? A. Well, actually, both -- or neither....MORE...

A to Z pleases palate, pocketbook the palate and pocketbook - By Paul Gregutt Wine Adviser "Aristocratic wines at democratic prices" is the motto emblazoned across the home page of A to Z Wineworks. It immediately establishes A to Z as a thinking person's budget wine. No critters, trucks or trash talk here. Happil...MORE...

State's grapes attract talent - It has become almost commonplace for celebrity winemakers to visit Washington state. They come from France, Australia, Italy, Germany and California -- some to consult, some to make wines collaboratively. But more and more, they come to stay. Make no mist...MORE...

01/09/08 Wine Q&A - Q. I accidentally left some wine in the back of my car overnight, and the temperatures outside dropped below freezing. I know that overheating is bad for wine, but what about over-chilling? A. Over-chilling is not good, but not quite as bad as wine that h...MORE...

01/02/07 Wine Q&A - Q. I recently returned from a trip to Western Australia, visiting local wineries scattered throughout the region. Every bottle I brought home has a screw top, even the high-end bottles. For storage, do I still need to leave the bottles on their side since...MORE...

Resolve to learn more about wines in 2008 via blind tastings - Let's start the new year right, with a resolution to be pro-active about wine tasting in 2008. Let's face it, most wine encounters are random. You grab a bottle while shopping for dinner, or you pick something off a restaurant list because the sommelier r...MORE...

Wine Adviser's notes from 2007 - Wrapping out the year, some highlights, changes and memories ... I set out in January to focus this column's attention more regionally on wine, emphasizing place over grape or producer. Because place, often referred to as terroir, is the defining elemen...MORE...

12/26/07 Wine Q&A - Q. I'm trying to find a nice decanter for a gift but I'm not sure where to look. A. Most big department stores carry decanters (along with wine glasses, etc.) in their kitchen/dining room sections. Fancier decanters can also be found in the kitchen speci...MORE...

State's best wines this year - Once again, in the retrospective spirit of the season, I offer a highly personal list of the year's Top 100 Washington wines. There are now more than 530 bonded wineries in the state. If they average just 10 wines annually (some less, some more), that's...MORE...

12/19/07 Wine Q&A - Q. In a recent column you talked about some wines that were served to you that had some problems -- one had the wrong date, another was corked and the third was a charm. Who was on the hook for the first two bottles? Who bears responsibility for checking ...MORE...

Throwing around terminology

- Throwing around terminology Think of the havoc that can be created when unregulated wine terms are tossed around. There are so many different words to choose from. Let's consider just two: nouveau (as in Beaujolais nouveau) and reserve (applied to thousan...MORE...

12/12/07 Wine Q&A - Q. With respect to your recent article -- the correct way to store wines -- is it less important for long-term horizontal storage if the cork end is covered with wax, or if the bottle is a large format (1.5L, 3L, 6L, etc.)? I have several large format bot...MORE...

Yakima chef spotlights fresh foods - YAKIMA -- Yucca root, dandelion blossoms, cabbage leaves -- if anyone can make these sound delicious, Erika Cenci can. What's more, she can make them taste delicious. Cenci, co-owner of A Touch of Europe Bed and Breakfast in Ya...MORE...

Cookies for the holiday - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS What are the holidays without several different kinds of cookies to taste? Here are just a few favorites. For more recipes, visit www.yakimaherald.com. Rugelach These traditional Jewish cookies wrap a tender, flaky dough around a fi...MORE...

Creation earns national prize for local writer

- Creation earns national prize for local writer By TERRY CAMPBELL Yakima Herald-Republic Yakima freelance writer Donna Scofield has broken into print again. Yakima Herald-Republic readers have prized Scofield's astute looks at home life in her biweekly col...MORE...