This week: Olsen Estates Riesling. WSU steps up wine education program. Online version of Wine Press Northwest. Last call for great Northwest wine lists. Northwest wine events calendar. Where in Northwest Wine Country. Wine funnies. Steamboat Inn. Canada's first female Master of Wine.
July 7, 2009
Vol. 10, No. 27
Wine Press Northwest's Wine of the Week is an independent opinion based on double- and single-blind tastings.
---------------------------------------------------------
Pacific Northwest Wine Of The Week
Olsen Estates 2007 Estate Riesling
Appellation: Yakima Valley
Rising popularity of this German variety is bringing the spotlight back to Washington's oldest appellation, and this is a delightful and fruitful Riesling from a multi-generation farming family in Prosser. Aromas of sugared pink grapefruit, Orange Crush soda, honeysuckle and lychee don't disappoint your tongue. In fact, think of an adult Orange Crush with spritely acidity to balance the midpoint sweetness (1.9% residual sugar) in a bright fashion. Rated "Outstanding" by Wine Press Northwest magazine.
Price: $18.
Cases produced: 420.
Food matches: Enjoy this off-dry white with spicy fare, including Thai, Indian, Vietnamese or Mexican dishes.
Olsen Estates, 500 Merlot Drive, Prosser, WA 99350, 509-786-7007 http://www.olsenestates.com
Recent wines of the week
-- Dusted Valley Vintners 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley
-- Mannina Cellars 2006 Cali, Walla Walla Valley
Best Buys
-- Columbia Crest Winery 2006 Two Vines Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington, 225,000 cases, 13.5% alc., $8
-- Challenger Ridge Vineyard & Cellars 2007 Viognier, Yakima Valley, 182 cases, 14.2% alc., $13
More about Olsen Estates
Olsen Estates is fairly new to the Washington wine scene, having opened its beautiful tasting room at the Vintners Village in Prosser in fall 2006. But the Olsen family is no stranger to farming. In fact, last year marked its 100th year in the Yakima Valley. Today, the third and fourth generations of Olsens run the winery.
Larry and Dick Olsen - from the third generation - planted their vineyard beginning in 1980, selling grapes to wineries for more than two decades before launching their family winery. And Dick was a founding member of the Washington Wine Commission.
WSU steps up plans for viticulture, enology education
This week, Washington State University announced its plans for the WSU Wine Science Center, which will be located on the university's Richland campus in the heart of Washington Wine Country.
Viticulture and enology director Thomas Henick-Kling says the 25,000-square-foot building will include classrooms, labs, an international wine library, a sensory tasting facility and a teaching winery. A vineyard was planted on the campus two years ago.
Henick-Kling said the center also will support industry-wide research. He estimates the building to cost between $10 million and $15 million to build.
Read more about WSU's new Wine Science Center.
Online version of Wine Press Northwest
We have posted the stories from the Summer issue of Wine Press Northwest on our Web site. Read the stories and see the photos.
Not a subscriber? We can take care of that for you.
Last call for great wine lists
Wine Press Northwest Managing Editor Eric Degerman is in search of great Northwest wine lists for our 11th annual competition, now dubbed "The Herbies" in honor of The Herbfarm restaurant in Woodinville, Wash., which won the competition eight consecutive times before we finally retired it from the judging.
Are you a restaurant with a great selection of Northwest wines? Send a PDF to edegerman@winepressnw.com or mail a hard copy to 333 W Canal Dr, Kennewick, WA 99336.
Deadline is July 15.
Find Northwest wine events
Looking for a wine-related event? Click here for our Northwest wine events calendar.
Where in NW Wine Country
When it comes to cooler climates around the Pacific Northwest, the landscape can often cause issues with identification. Take, for example, last week's mystery photo.
Half of you guessed that the photo was of Shea Vineyard in Oregon's Yamhill-Carlton District. Yet just 21% correctly guessed it was from one of Washington's finest - yet least-known - vineyards, Celilo in the Columbia Gorge. Another 21% wondered if it might be of San Juan Vineyards in Friday Harbor, Wash., and just 7% guessed Alderlea Vineyards on Vancouver Island.
This week's image, discovered on Flickr, is a stunning image by Stuart Seeger of College Station, Texas. It is a gorgeous photo and should provide a fair challenge to your knowledge of Northwest wine country.
Check out this week's photo and vote on where you think it is.
Wine cartoon of the week
We have added a new cartoon to our "wine funnies" gallery.
Check it out.
Great NW wine lists
Each week, we spotlight one of our winners from our annual Great Northwest Wine Lists competition.
This week: Steamboat Inn, Steamboat, Ore.
Program: Nearby wines from likes of Abacela, Brandborg, Henry, Reustle joined by Willamette Valley houses such as Bethel Heights, Dobbes, Elk Cove, Ponzi, Rex Hill, Yamhill Valley.
Policies: Nightly dinner program akin to that at Herbfarm with Oregon wines as centerpiece to each course.
Pressings: Spring guest chef/winemaker dinners, a who's who of Oregon, mark reopening of resort.
42705 N. Umpqua Highway, Steamboat, OR 97447, 800-840-8825, thesteamboatinn.com.
Facebook, Twitter
Can't get enough of Northwest wine? Check us out on Facebook and Twitter.
Go to our Facebook Fan page by clicking here.
Follow us on Twitter.
Canada's first female Master of Wine
This spring, Wine Press Northwest Managing Editor Eric Degerman met Barbara Philip, who is hailed as Canada's first female Master of Wine as well as the first MW from Western Canada.
She first developed her passion for wine as a sommelier in British Columbia and continues to serve as an educator for the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) at the Art Institute of Vancouver. She recently accepted a position as the European portfolio manager at the B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch in Vancouver. Her duties include the selection of listings for the province's 199 liquor stores. She can be contacted via her consulting site at www.barbariainwine.com.
You can watch the Northwest Winecast two ways (both free):
On our Web site:
http://www.winepressnw.com/
On YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/WinePressNW
Pacific Northwest Wine Shop Directory
VILLAGE WINES
Tasting Room & Retail Store in the heart of Woodinville Wine Country. Boutique wines & ales by the glass. Open daily for tasting at 14545 148th Ave. NE, Ste 211.
(425) 485-3536
www.myvillagewines.com
Williams Seafood Market & Wines
10627 E. Sprague Ave.,Spokane. Case discounts! "Treat yourself tonight!."
509-922-4868
WilliamsSeafoodMarketandWines.com
Print
E-Mail
