This week: Steppe Cellars Gewurztraminer. On verge of Washington Wine Month. B.C. rose to debut in Berkeley. Web site changes. Keeping up with the Joneses. Wine Knows blog.
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July 22, 2008
Vol. 9, No. 30Wine Press Northwest's Wine of the Week is an independent opinion based on double- and single-blind tastings.
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Pacific Northwest Wine Of The Week
Steppe Cellars 2006 GewurztraminerAppellation: Yakima Valley
Anke Freimuth-Wildman grew up in Germany, and she's working wonders at this young winery in Sunnyside, Wash. There's no mistaking this for another variety because of the classic grapefruit, lychee and clove aromas. It's sweet on the entry, and there's lovely balance of that same fruit with grapefruity acidity. Rated "Outstanding" by Wine Press Northwest magazine.
Price: $16.
Cases produced: 183.
Food matches: Enjoy this off-dry white wine on the patio, but try to save a bottle for Thanksgiving dinner.
Steppe Cellars, 1991 Chaffee Road, Sunnyside, WA 98944, 509-837-8281,
http://www.steppecellars.comRecent wines of the week
-- Heymann Whinery 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon, Yakima Valley
-- Ponzi Vineyards 2006 Vino Gelato, Willamette Valley
Best Buys
-- Waving Tree Winery 2006 Sangiovese, Columbia Valley, $15
-- Silver Lake Winery 2006 Chenin Blanc, Rattlesnake Hills, $8
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More about Steppe Cellars
Steppe Cellars' name honors the landscape of Washington's Columbia Valley, which is not, by definition, a desert but rather part of a shrub-steppe region that stretches intermittedly from B.C.'s southern Okanagan Valley through Eastern Washington, Eastern Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, California, Arizona, Wyoming, Idaho and other areas of the western side of North America.
Winemaker Anke Freimuth-Wildman has made wine in Wshington for nearly two decades and is married to Tedd Wildman, a well-known and highly respected Washington grape grower. Steppe produces about 10 wines, primarily from Yakima Valley fruit.
On verge of Washington Wine Month
For bargain hunters, Washington Wine Month means great prices on dozens of local wines. Washington Wine Month starts Aug. 1, and we will have the list of bargains in a conveniently downloadable PDF in next week's email.
The bargains are all through the state liquor stores, though many retailers, wineries and restaurants also participate by offering specials.
B.C. rose to debut in Berkeley
Joie Wines in Naramata, B.C., is making some of the most elegant and food-worthy wines in the Pacific Northwest.
Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif., which has helped define "local" and "West Coast" cuisine styles for the past quarter-century, will feature Joie's Re-Think Pink rose by the glass later this summer.
So if you live in the Bay Area, here is an opportunity to taste one of the finest wines coming out of B.C.'s Okanagan Valley.
Web site changes
We are still putting the final touches on the latest iteration of our Web site, http://www.winepressnw.com, so you might see some intermittent issues.
New features we're pleased to provide are searchable databases of wineries and wine merchants, as well as our reviews of Northwest wines.
Feel free to check out the site, but realize we're still cleaning up a few items.
Additionally, the HTML version of this newsletter wasn't ready for prime time. We hope it will be by next week.
Keeping up with the Joneses
Last week, Eric Degerman, Wine Press Northwest managing editor, spent a day with Earl and Hilda Jones of Abacela Vineyard & Winery in Southern Oregon's Umpqua Valley, touring the vineyards and talking about grape varieties that are a bit unusual for Oregon.
You can watch the Northwest Winecast two ways (both free):
On our Web site:
http://www.winepressnw.com/On YouTube:
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The Wine Knows
The Wine Knows, Wine Press Northwest's blog, is getting updated almost daily (and sometimes more than daily). Recent highlights include:
-- Columbia Crest shows a little silver
-- More on Syrah's softening with wine lovers
-- Searching for wine shops
-- A taste of B.C. by the Bay
-- NW winery search
-- Vineyard update with Charlie Hoppes
-- And more.
Be sure to check out the blog daily to read updates on the Northwest wine scene. If you are into RSS feeds, you can easily get blog updates throughout the week.
http://community.winepressnw.comIf you are into RSS feeds, you can easily get blog updates.
The URL for the RSS feed is:
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Pacific Northwest Wine Shop Directory
THE CELLAR ON 10TH, AstoriaCorner of 10th & Marine Dr. Finest selection of regional wines. Wine bar; weekly tastings; storage; gifts.
(503) 325-6600
http://www.thecellaron10th.com
E-mail us: thecellaron10th@aol.com
SEATTLE WINE CO.1950 130th Ave. NE, Bellevue, WA 98005. "Wholesale" to the public. Mon-Sat. The best wines at the best prices!
425-869-0609.
http://www.seattlewineco.com
