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It has long been rumored that the few rows of vines at the entrance to Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, Wash., were required so the winery could be called a "chateau."
PROSSER -- Construction is expected to start soon on the next phase of what backers say will be the state's premier educational and promotional center for Washington's wines and food products.
This week: Flying Fish Riesling. New issue of Wine Press Northwest. Gift subscriptions. New wine wall calendar. Where in Northwest Wine Country. Alexandria Nicole in Woodinville. Wine funnies.
Dec. 8, 2009
Vol. 10, No. 49
Wine Press Northwest's Wine of the Week is an independent opinion based on double- and single-blind tastings.
Flying Fish 2008 Riesling
Appellation: Washington
Gordy Hill, Mattawa's Wahluke Wine Co. and the Milbrandts' Evergreen Vineyard share in the credit for this wine that will make you feel good to be alive. Aromas of lemon-lime, ripe papaya, pineapple, petrol, sugar cane and jicama transcend into a bright entry of orange, tangerine and more pineapple. The sugar is balanced and the flavors linger. A portion of the proceeds sail off to the Ocean Conservancy, a bit ironic considering that suggested food pairings include grilled seafood. Rated "Outstanding" by Wine Press Northwest magazine.
Price: $13.
Cases produced: 15,000.
Food matches: Pair with fresh crab, seared scallops, grilled halibut or chicken.
Flying Fish, 315 2nd Ave. S., Floor 2, Seattle, WA 98101, http://www.clickwinegroup.com
-- Sineann 2007 Baby Poux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley
-- Kyra Wines 2008 Chenin Blanc, Columbia Valley
-- Waterbrook Winery 2006 Merlot-Cab, Columbia Valley, $12
-- Gilbert Winery 2007 Riesling, Yakima Valley, $15
Flying Fish is a product of Click Wine Group in Seattle. It started in 1987 by Peter Click as an importer of wines and eventually began having wines custom made in the great tradition of French negociants. In 2008, the company was acquired by Winebow in New Jersey, though Peter Click still oversees it as a separate unit.
This Riesling was made by longtime Washington winemaker Gordy Hill, who made wine for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates for many years (most notably Northstar). The Wahluke Wine Co. is owned by the Milbrandt brothers and is based near the Wahluke Slope town of Mattawa.
The Winter issue of Wine Press Northwest magazine was printed over the weekend and should be heading to subscribers' mailboxes later this week.
This issue includes:
-- A Wine Lover's Guide to Portland: Editor-at-large Jon Bauer explores the best that the City of Roses has to offer in the way of wineries, wine shops, wine bars, restaurants and hotels.
-- Platinum Judging: Our 10th annual "best of the best in the Great Northwest" year-end judging took place in November, and the results are in.
-- Ports: We blind-tasted 64 Northwest Port-style wines. Just in time for winter, you'll get our take on these fortified dessert wines.
-- Plus a lot more, including our Match Makers feature on how two Northwest chefs paired recipes with sparkling wine, great things to do in Northwest wine country and even a joke you can play on your wine-loving friends.
Not a subscriber? You can take care of that right here if you so desire.
How about giving a gift this Christmas that lasts all year long. A one-year gift subscription to Wine Press Northwest is just $20, and we'll throw in the new Winter issue and a gift card as a bonus.
Click here to get some of your Christmas shopping done right now.
Want to get some of your Christmas shopping out of the way early? Check out these new calendars by Jackie Johnston, a freelance photographer who shoots most of the photos for Wine Press Northwest.
She has three different calendars available. The newest features still life photos Jackie has taken in recent years. Her two other calendars also are available (updated with 2010 dates).
Erratum
Last week, I misidentified the photographer who took our mystery photo. It was taken by Ralph Rinke of North Vancouver, B.C.
Last week's mystery photo turned out to be a real test.
First, it was obvious that the winery produced sparkling wines, thanks to the riddling racks taking center stage. Second, the winery had a high ceiling, so it was either large or dramatic.
And finally, thanks to the wide-angle lens used by the photographer, the ceiling seemed round, even dome-like. Thus, 52% of you thought the location was Mountain Dome Winery in Spokane, while just 19% correctly guessed the winery was Summerhill in Kelowna, B.C. (yes, that was taken inside Steve Cipes' famous pyramid). Meanwhile, 15% thought it was taken at Argyle Winery in Dundee, Ore., and 14% wondered if it was a photo inside cavernous Domaine Ste. Michelle in Paterson, Wash.
This week's photo, taken by Jackie Johnston of WineCountryCreations.com, should be a somewhat easier test.
We have added a new cartoon to our "wine funnies" gallery.
Jarrod Boyle, owner/winemaker of Alexandria Nicole, has joined the plethora of Washington wineries opening second tasting rooms in Woodinville to take advantage of the large Puget Sound population. In this week's Northwest Winecast, we chat with Boyle and explore his new digs.
You can watch the Northwest Winecast two ways (both free):
On our Web site:
On YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/WinePressnorthwest
Looking for a wine-related event? Click here for our Northwest wine events calendar.
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