A bird's-eye view of the Columbia River Gorge on a sunny day is nothing short of breathtaking. Downriver to the west, the evergreens canvas the cliffs. Upstream to the east, sagebrush and wind turbines dot the arid landscape. In between, views of snowcapped Mount Hood and Mount Adams peek around every bend along the blue ribbon of the Columbia.

Not long ago if you had celiac disease - an autoimmune disorder triggered by the ingestion of gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye - or were vegan or plagued by major food restrictions, you were doomed at the table when it came to dining out.

CENTRALIA, Wash. - Each day on Interstate 5, thousands of wine lovers roll right through the largest town in Lewis County unaware they are less than a mile from tasting two of the finest wines made in the Northwest.

Perhaps one of the most perfect of summer wines is rosé. A chilled dry rosé is a wonderful accompaniment to summertime foods and is light and bright enough for many occasions.

After one of the worst winters on record, followed by a dubious start to "spring," Northwesterners are keeping fingers crossed that summer delivers warmth and sunshine along with our region's (typical) bounty: fresh asparagus; heirloom tomatoes and peppers; plump cherries, berries and stone fruits; and succulent summer salmon.

I write for a living, such as it is. In another line of work, I might now be long retired and living on an island so I can finish Ulysses or Long Day's Journey into Night, and I'd have time to open a Grange for fun now and then instead of having to slog through trade tastings and teach classes.

So the German and I are headed to … well, Germany. And on this particular trip, I'm meeting the ex-wife. Why? Because the German became good friends with the prince who took her off his hands.

Bargain Bob is practicing a bit of home cooking this time with two wineries less that five miles from his front door.

The folks at Walla Walla Vintners wanted to know how their 13 vintages of Merlots were holding up, and they invited a few critics to come along for the trip down memory lane.

While wine touring recently in Southern Oregon, I encountered wines made from the Tempranillo grape for the first time and was told it originated in Spain. How did it end up in the Northwest?

April 2 passed this year with no fanfare. Few in the Washington wine industry paid attention to the date, other than to wonder how cool spring would be and how soon grapevines would awaken from their winter slumber.

Here are the red wines reviewed in our Recent Releases section of the Summer 2009 issue of Wine Press Northwest. Wines are categorized by variety and style.

Here are the white wines reviewed in our Recent Releases section of the Summer 2009 issue of Wine Press Northwest. Wines are categorized by variety and style.

Here are the Best Buy wines ($15 and under) reviewed in our Recent Releases section of the Summer 2009 issue of Wine Press Northwest.

Kelowna is the perfect place to begin exploring British Columbia's largest wine-growing region.

There are fewer and fewer activities in the Northwest that don't involve wine in some fashion.

Artisan Cheese of the Pacific Northwest, by Tami Parr, 2009, Countryman Press, Vermont, $19.95.

WineTrails of Oregon, by Steve Roberts, 2009, South Slope Publications, Mercer Island, Wash., $24.95.