Less than three months after he was forced to close his restaurants in Kennewick and Prosser, Frank Magana is back in Washington wine country.

Barnard Griffin started off 2012 right with an unprecedented award for its Rosé of Sangiovese. The wine from the 2011 vintage won a gold medal and the sweepstakes for top pink wine of the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

It was a busy and exciting year for Northwest wineries as they battled Mother Nature as well as political and economic winds.

Forrest Klaffke, longtime winemaker for Willamette Valley Vineyards in Turner, Ore., died this morning after a difficult battle with cancer.

As Washington's wine industry grows in size and stature, grape growers and winemakers continue to define the best places to plant vines. The newest federally recognized viticultural area is near Yakima.

The world's most influential wine critic has assigned a new writer to cover Washington and Oregon.

RICHLAND One of the Tri-Cities' oldest wineries has made a lot of changes in the past decade, perhaps none bigger than what it has done in recent weeks.

It wasn't the longest harvest in Washington wine history, but it was one of the latest and is finally over for just about all wineries.

Welcome to the 2011 Platinum Judging live chat.

Ah, the idyllic and romantic life of the Washington winemaker during harvest. Leisurely days are spent strolling vineyards, occasionally checking on the progress of ripening clusters by plucking a plump grape and popping it in your mouth before heading to a fabulous autumn feast.

A Grandview winery with tasting rooms in Kennewick and Woodinville won best in show Saturday evening at the 33rd annual Tri-Cities Wine Festival.

KENNEWICK, Wash. Just five months after it moved to Kennewick from Prosser, Picazo 717 has closed its doors.

ASHFORD — On Saturday, a number of Western Washington wineries will gather near Mount Rainier for the second time this year.

CALDWELL, Idaho - A longtime Nampa winery - and one of Idaho's largest producers - made the top wine at the 2011 Idaho Wine Competition.

Join us for the 2011 Idaho Wine Competition, brought to you live from the Snake River Valley.

Robin Pollard, executive director of the Washington Wine Commission for the past six years, announced Thursday that she will leave at the end of December.

One of Washington's most controversial winemakers and a pioneer on Red Mountain passed away Monday night.

After months of being concerned whether wine grapes in Washington's Columbia Valley would ever ripen, harvest started earlier than last year for one of the state's largest and oldest vineyards.

Glenn Coogan, a longtime executive in the Washington wine industry, passed away Sunday, reportedly of a heart attack.

Several weeks of optimal weather have buoyed wine grape growers' hopes for a strong finish during a challenging vintage.

KENNEWICK, Wash. For the better part of a half-century, Bill Powers has been harnessing the sun to ripen orchard fruit and grapevines. Now, the founder of Powers Winery and Badger Mountain Vineyard is using solar to run his business.

Today, we raise our glass to a one-of-a-kind man, a guy who was in the trenches of the modern Northwest wine industry for 35 years.

With the beginning of harvest a month away, Washington wine grape growers are receiving confirmation of what they have seen in their vineyards: The 2011 crop will be down significantly.

August is the month for bargains at Washington liquor stores.

SEATTLE -- Last week, 20 food-and-wine lovers gathered at Wild Ginger at The Bravern to celebrate the birth of a new red wine by Walla Walla's áMaurice Cellars.

ALDERDALE, Wash. - A little more than two years ago, Paul Champoux was at the top of his profession. By most measurements, the Horse Heaven Hills vineyard owner was one of the finest wine grape growers in the United States, perhaps the world.

Chateau Ste. Michelle's red winemaker is moving from one large operation to another.

RICHLAND, Wash. - Winemakers drive a lot of miles in Eastern Washington, thanks to the often remote locations of vineyards.

When the Oregon Wine Board decided to part ways with its executive director late last week, it called in a man who helped guide the Washington wine industry for nearly a decade.

Pacific Northwest wineries brought home 31 gold medals - including 15 deemed "best in class" - at the United States' most prestigious and important wine competition.

TOUCHET, Wash. -- When most people look at an oak barrel, they envision a glass of wine or maybe a planter for flowers.

Across the vast Columbia Valley, Washington grape growers and winemakers are anxiously waiting for vines to awaken and officially begin the rush toward autumn harvest.

One of Washington's most acclaimed small wineries is under new ownership.

Less than two years removed from having the world's top wine, Washington's largest winery is making a change at the top.

One of Washington's most endearing wine labels is getting a new look.

Leave it to Tagaris Winery in Richland, Wash., to come up with a fresh and innovative take on the tasty trend of Northwest winemaker dinners.

Are you a Washington Wine Super Fan? If so, you can receive VIP treatment at this year's Taste Washington, which is March 26-27 at the Qwest Event Center in Seattle.

WOODINVILLE, Wash. — Anyone who gets the opportunity to spend a few minutes with Bob Betz will come away feeling upbeat.

Washington's second-largest wine producer just got bigger.

Here is our live chat from our Great Northwest Pinot Noir Judging.

CLOVERDALE, Calif — Barnard Griffin won best rose today in the largest wine competition in North America.

Here is our live chat from the final day of the 2010 Platinum Judging.

Here is our live chat for Day 2 of the Platinum Judging:

Starting Wednesday, we will conduct a live chat during the 2010 annual Platinum Judging. In other words, you will get a peek into the inner workings of the competition during which we will identify the best of the best in the great Northwest.

When Allen Shoup still was head of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates more than a decade ago, he came upon a vineyard southeast of the community of Finley, Wash., unlike any he had seen, perhaps unlike any other in the world.

Today, the Wine Press Northwest crew is in the Snake River Valley running the 2010 Idaho Wine Competition. We have decided to run a live chat throughout the day, updating you on the competition and posting results as we receive them.

Pete Hedges, head winemaker for Hedges Family Estate on Red Mountain, was injured Monday morning while repairing a press.

Chateau Ste. Michelle is the new No. 1 winery in chain restaurants, according to a new report from Wine Metrics.

When Chateau Ste. Michelle winemakers sleep - a rare occurrence this time of year - they dream of a giant monster.

WEST RICHLAND, Wash. - A longtime Yakima Valley winemaker is getting into the spirit of a new Washington industry.

Earlier this year, I came upon one of the most delicious wine blogs on the planet: The HoseMaster of Wine. Now, it appears, the mad genius behind the blog has called it a day - likely to the relief of those who were the target of his wit and ire.

SEATTLE — As a sportswriter by trade, it was unnerving to drive past Qwest Field as the Seahawks — and their "12th Man" — prepared to entertain the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 of the NFL season.

Atlanta sommelier Harry Constantinescu attempts to set the world record for sabering the most bottles of Champagne in one minute.

We received reports that Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla is the first winery to harvest this year, bringing in Sauvignon Blanc on Thursday from Klipsun Vineyards on Red Mountain.

I was at an event earlier this week where a friend came up to me and excitedly mentioned that he heard from a prominent Washington winery that 2010 was shaping up to be one of the greatest vintages ever. Ever! This proclamation was uttered before even a single grape was picked. And while this is not a record for earliest "greatest vintage ever!" predictions, it comes at a time when most winemakers are concerned about the state of the 2010 grapes.

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."

I've been trying to get a definitive list of wineries in greater Woodinville (for lack of a proper term, since some of the Woodinville wineries actually have Redmond addresses).

John Powers, co-owner and founder of acclaimed Chuckanut Ridge Wine Co. in Bellingham, Wash., passed away July 30.

My bride and I are dining at Picazo717 tonight, and I was just looking at the wine list. I noticed the hilarious corkage fee:

This year, Washington Wine Month has returned to August after a one-year change to September. Thus, some great bargains on Washington wines begin next week.

Granted, these are not the best of times to be shipping wine from the Columbia Valley, but I really wanted to get two special bottles to a close friend of mine whose birthday I had missed.

During this week's Riesling Rendezvous in Bellevue, Wash., I was asked on five occasions what I thought of the annual Wine Bloggers Conference, held June 25-27 in Walla Walla. Now that I've had a couple of weeks to contemplate it - and compare it with the Riesling Rendezvous, here are a few of my thoughts:

This evening, I was chatting with a well-known and -respected Washington winemaker about a wide range of subjects. One that struck me was the fact that a 90-plus score from a major wine magazine no longer moves wine.

For animal lovers, one of the joys of Northwest wine touring is meeting the winery pets.

We're finally getting a good dose of heat here in Washington wine country. In fact, today we got too much heat.

Contrary to popular belief (OK, just in my little mind), the HoseMaster of Wine is not a Canadian wine blogger. Rather, he is the anti-blogger. Some refer to him as the anti-christ.

If the bounty handed out at conventions is any measurement of quality, then the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference is the greatest confab ever - or at least the finest I've been to.

Wine Spectator and the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin reported last week that Diageo plans to close the tasting rooms for Canoe Ridge Vineyards in Walla Walla and Sagelands in Wapato.

A Sunday mudslide in British Columbia's southern Okanagan Valley damaged about a dozen acres of vineyards and has blocked the main highway running through wine country. According to OliverBC.com, six homes were destroyed and 30 were evacuated. The slide apparently was caused by torrential rains that caused a hillside to become unstable.

Two more Walla Walla wineries are opening a tasting room in the growing Woodinville wine scene.

One often-asked question of Rich Wheeler is "Where is the creek at Cold Creek Vineyard?" A week ago, the vice president of vineyards for Ste. Michelle Wine Estates finally had an answer: Here it is. Or, at least, was.

I spent most of Friday in vineyards in Washington's Horse Heaven Hills and talking with grower Paul Champoux of famed Champoux Vineyards.

Erik Olsen, former white winemaker for Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, Wash., has been named chief winemaker for Constellation.

The Spokane wine scene is buzzing with the changes that have been going on the past few months. This weekend, for example, will be the last for Lone Canary at its current location.

JoieFarm of Naramata, British Columbia, won Best White Wine this afternoon at the prestigious Riverside International Wine Competition in Southern California. The winning wine was the 2009 Noble Blend.

The Wine Press Northwest crew has spent the past four days helping to run the annual Northwest Wine Summit, the largest judging of Northwest wines.

While taking my daughter to school this morning, we were listening to These Are Days by 10,000 Maniacs. So perhaps I should take my 6-year-old to Maryhill Winery this summer to see Natalie Merchant in concert.

One of Washington's oldest and most successful wine producers hopes to catch lightning in a bottle again with the launch of a new winery and high-end cattle company.

For the past couple of weeks, I've been keeping an eye out for bud break, when tiny green leaves push out of swelling buds on grapevines and signal the start of the growing season.

Cadaretta Winery announced Wednesday that winemaker Virginie Bourgue is leaving to focus on her own brand and consulting business.

At Taste Washington some 10 days ago, the distributor for a new winery charged up to our table and said in an accusational tone, "Hey, what does it take for a small winery to get into your magazine!?"

Planning to head to the annual Yakima Valley Spring Barrel Tasting weekend April 23-25? Below you will find a listing of wineries and the events they have planned, as provided by Wine Yakima Valley.

Four Northwest wines were up for best-in-show honors at the San Diego International Wine Competition.

Ted Farthing, executive director of the Oregon Wine Board and Oregon Winegrowers Association, has announced his resignation.

This YouTube video was forwarded to me this afternoon. It is so full of win.

The way things are going in Washington these days, the above headline needs a bit more information - because it seems like a Walla Walla winery is opening a second tasting room in Woodinville about every other week.

Pend d'Oreille Winery in Sandpoint, Idaho, is doing its part to reduce waste by offering its popular Bistro Rouge red blend in refillable 1.5 liter bottles.

Wineries in the Yamhill-Carlton District are petitioning to change the name of the American Viticultural Area. They are looking to drop "District" from the official title, leaving the appellation name as simply "Yamhill-Carlton."

Wine writer Dan Berger had an intriguing article in his weekly Vintage Experiences newsletter last week. It was about one-word wine reviews, citing a recent Kermit Lynch flyer that described a wine with a single word: "crisp."

Wheatridge in the Nook, a winery in the Columbia Gorge town of Arlington, Ore., has announced that it is closing its doors.

Last night, we enjoyed another marvelous meal at our neighbors' home. I was charged with bringing the wine and came across a Vin Santo style of wine from a Yakima Valley producer. It was a rare and luscious treat.

Sunday marked the 10th anniversary of the crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 off the coast of California. Among the 88 passengers and crew who perished was one of the most cherished people in the Northwest wine industry: Tom Stockley, the longtime wine columnist for The Seattle Times.

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, the Northwest's largest wine company, will add to its cadre of products by importing wine from New Zealand.

Precept Brands and Corus Estates joined forces earlier this month, turning two of the Northwest's largest and most visible wine companies into one even larger organization.

I just heard through Paul Gregutt of the Seattle Times that Bear Silverstein passed away Thursday.

Jerry Wallace, who launched Hinzerling Winery in Prosser, Wash., in 1976, passed away Jan. 6. He was 90.

CLOVERDALE, Calif. — Watermill Winery of Milton-Freewater, Ore., won the Sweepstakes award for best dessert wine at the 2010 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition in Cloverdale, Calif., for its 2008 Late Harvest Gewurztraminer, Walla Walla Valley.

In the world of Pacific Northwest wine, it was a sad year, as the industry lost no fewer than five pioneers.

The two most memorable wines to pass my lips have been Ports.

Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville, Wash., unveiled a new member to its lineup of Rieslings: the 2009 Harvest Select Riesling. This wine, which will replace the Indian Wells Riesling, will be sweeter than the winery's flagship Columbia Valley Riesling.

Editor's note: I wrote this blog item three years ago, and everything pretty well has stayed up to date. With the holidays upon us, I thought it would be good to repost it here.

Much has been written over the years about how European nations - most notably France - have been angry about how U.S. wineries have basically stolen and sullied the names of fine regions with our plonk.

Washington's largest winery made the world's greatest wine this year, according to Wine Spectator.

Here's your chance to buy local wine and help a great cause at the same time.

Did you know $1 can supply six pounds of food to a hungry family?

A story today on Decanter reveals that wine writer Matt Skinner admits to not tasting some wines prior to writing up tasting notes on them.

It was a rather serendipitous moment when I received the third of three new murder mysteries this summer - all set in wine country.

Saturday's hard frost has devastated the Walla Walla Valley. I spoke this morning with Norm McKibben of Pepper Bridge Winery, and he said he has yet to find a green leaf in the valley.

We reported this summer that Ste. Michelle Wine Estates was planning to discontinue its popular Stimson Estate Cellars, a line of wines in 1.5 liter bottles. The wines, meant to compete in the "jug market" tier in groceries and liquor stores, were ridiculously priced for their quality at the equivalent of $5 per 750 ml bottle.

How would you like the opportunity to taste some of the greatest wines in the Pacific Northwest? We have a seat available at our 10th annual Platinum Judging, in which we blind taste more than 300 wines that earned gold medals in any of about 30 prestigious competitions this year.

Eroica, the international Riesling collaboration between Ernst Loosen of the Mosel and Chateau Ste. Michelle of Woodinville, Wash., is a decade old.

If you make wine, want to make wine or simply want to understand it a little better, Washington State University offers a free PDF from one of its researchers on the finer points of fining.

Willamette Valley Vineyards held its inaugural Kids Grape Stomp last weekend and posted this video on YouTube. This is a darned good idea - one that could be replicated across the Pacific Northwest.

This morning, we received a report from Earl Jones, director of winemaking at Abacela Vineyards & Winery in Roseburg, Ore.

Author Judy Nedry, who recently released her first murder mystery An Unholy Alliance, is putting on a contest for copies of her book and other prizes.

I chatted late last week wine Wade Wolfe, owner/winemaker of Thurston Wolfe Winery in Prosser, Wash. He began checking sugar levels and reported that the grapes are nine days ahead of last year - which puts them at about average for a normal vintage (2008 was extremely cool by recent standards).

Looking for a great deal during Washington Wine Month? Here's the list of what is available at Washington State Liquor Stores during September, which is the 25th anniversary of Washington Wine Month.

A report by the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers indicates record crop of 155,000 tons of wine grapes this fall. That would be up from 145,000 last year.

Veraison - the term for when wine grapes change color - has arrived in Northwest wine country.

It is blistering in the Pacific Northwest. It has been for a couple of weeks, but folks on the west side of the Cascades - particularly around Seattle and Portland - are suffering unseasonable highs well into the triple digits.

If you had plans to show up at your local Washington state liquor store in August to find the usual great deals available during Washington Wine Month, you'll need to wait a month.

We have long touted the greatness of Barrister Winery, a boutique producer in Spokane, Wash. Since its first vintage, Barrister has been producing some of Washington's finest red wines, particularly its Cabernet Franc, which has won an astonishing number of awards.

I chatted this afternoon with Paul Champoux, owner and manager of famed Champoux Vineyards in Washington's Horse Heaven Hills. He reports that everything is pretty well caught up after a severely cool spring. He said bloom, which was about a month ago, was just four or five days later than normal.

Have you ever considered trying to earn a Master of Wine degree?

Have you ever visited AppellationAmerica.com? It's a Web site that is a terrific resource for winery information as well as well-written articles.

For the past half-decade, a group known as the Washington Wine Ambassadors has worked diligently to promote Washington wine by volunteering at events. It has been a wonderful program and has operated under the umbrella of the Washington Wine Commission.

Tim Ray, our man in Spokane, attended Sunday night's Taste Washington event at the fabulous Davenport Hotel and took some photos, which we have posted here.

Dusted Valley Vintners of Walla Walla, Wash., known for its superior-quality Syrahs and other reds as well as its value Boomtown label, is opening a tasting room across the Cascade Mountains in Woodinville.

Apparently, our report last week that Ste. Michelle Wine Estates was planning to discontinue its Stimson Estate Cellars line struck a chord with wine lovers.

I half-jokingly refer to my dad, Ken Degerman, as the North Idaho bureau chief of Wine Press Northwest. Well, dear old Dad came up with something that was news to me.

After 29 years of providing a venue for tasting Oregon wines, the Oregon Wine Tasting Room is closing down June 22.

Dear Europe: We realize you have been making wine for a long time. We appreciate that. We also realize that a number of folks here in the New World misappropriated some of your names and perhaps sullied them a bit.

Are you looking for a way into the Northwest wine industry? Here's a business opportunity: Napa North, a wine shop in Klamath Falls, Ore., is up for sale. The owners are relocating to the Midwest and are, shall we say, motivated sellers.

Last week, we chatted with Charlie Hoppes, owner/winemaker of Fidelitas Wines on Washington's Red Mountain. He and longtime Yakima Valley grape grower Dick Boushey have planted three acres of Cabernet Sauvignon on his five-acre property on Sunset Road.

It has been a cool spring again this year in Washington's Columbia Valley, with bud break occurring a couple of weeks later than usual. Winemaker (and now grape grower) Charlie Hoppes said vines are about as far behind as he can recall in his two decades as a Washington winemaker.

Cal Knudsen, a Northwest forest-products exec, lawyer and Oregon wine pioneer, passed away April 24 in California after a battle with cancer. He was 85.

John Newhouse 50, passed away Tuesday after a farm equipment accident.

Two years ago, we reported the somber news that Walla Walla, Wash., producer Bunchgrass Winery was closing because founder/owner/winemaker Roger Cockerline had decided to retire.

We are in the heart of wine competition season in North America.

The federal government has approved the Lake Chelan American Viticultural Area, making the region in north-central Washington the state's 11th appellation.

A lot of good things have happened at Columbia Winery since Ascentia Wine Estates purchased the longtime Washington winery.

Ste. Michelle Wine Estates announced last week that it will be the exclusive U.S. distributor of Nicolas Feuillatte, France's No. 1-selling Champagne brand (and No. 3 internationally).

We have launched a new wine events calendar on winepressnw.com.

Maryhill, our 2009 Washington Winery of the Year, has announced its summer concert series:

The always anticipated Chateau Ste. Michelle summer concert schedule has been released:

I enjoy Northwest seafood - and there's little I love more than clam chowder.

The Olympic Peninsula Wineries Association is putting on a great event this weekend, and I wish I could be there.

Pacific Rim Winemakers, the Randall Grahm-owned winery in the shadow of Washington's Red Mountain, has plans to be more than just a Riesling producer.

Spring has been a bit late throughout the Pacific Northwest, and that goes for here in Washington's Columbia Valley, too. Normally, bud break will occur around April 10, but we are about a week or two behind.

Last week, we created a Facebook fan page for Wine Press Northwest.

For as long as I can recall, the Tri-Cities Wine Festival has been at the Red Lion Hotel in Pasco, Wash. For the 31st edition of the Northwest's longest-running wine fest, this post-harvest celebration will move across the Columbia River to the magnificent Three Rivers Convention Center.

Baker City, Ore., isn't exactly in the midst of classic Northwest wine country. This city on the Oregon Trail has a lot more in common with Idaho's Snake River Valley than the Willamette Valley. But that doesn't deter the folks in this western town from enjoying the finer things in life.

I'll bet Bob Bertheau is wearing a muscle shirt around Chateau Ste. Michelle today. If he isn't, he should be.

Here in Washington's Columbia Valley, we're still five weeks away from the Pasco Farmers Market opening (typically on the weekend nearest to Cinco de Mayo), but I'm already getting in the mood for creative cooking with regional ingredients.

Barnard Griffin came home with the best red wine of the 2009 Monterey Wine Competition in California. The Richland, Wash., winery won for its 2006 Reserve Merlot, which retails for $30.

Today is the last day of the printed Seattle P-I. Starting today, the city's oldest daily newspaper switches to an online-only publication.

If you spend much time in the Walla Walla wine industry, you're bound to run into Jeanie Inglis-Chowanietz. She's one cool cat and has been in and around the wine scene here for many, many years.

The Willamette Valley Wineries Association has released its 2009 touring guide, and you can order yours online for no cost.

Wine lovers thought it was crazy enough when Zinfandel crossed the California border into Oregon (which, frankly, has been growing Zin in the Gorge for a century).

Columbia Winery in Woodinville, Wash., will be going through some remodeling over the next few months.

Pacific Northwest wines fared extremely well last week at the Grand Harvest Awards wine competition in California's Sonoma County.

This economy has taken its toll on another favorite restaurant. This time, it's Pearl's on Pearl in downtown Ellensburg, Wash.

I've been working on a new feature that compiles feeds from a variety of blogs whose posts focus on Northwest wine.

It was with great sadness that I learned this morning of the passing of Gary Andrus, who owned Archery Summit Winery until 2001 and later Gypsy Dancer.

Walla Walla Wine News is reporting that 26 Brix is closing its doors.

Snipes Mountain is Washington's newest appellation, approved by the federal government. This American Viticultural Area is within the Yakima Valley, near the town of Sunnyside. It is the third AVA within the larger Yakima Valley.

The USDA this afternoon released its annual grape harvest report for Washington state, and Riesling has surpassed Chardonnay as the Evergreen State's No. 1 wine grape.

We have added a new feature to Wine Press Northwest, which I call "Wine Funnies."

Mike Paul, one of the Walla Walla Valley's pioneering winemakers, passed away Friday. He was 58.

Chuck Reininger is one of those mild-mannered winemakers down in Walla Walla, Wash. He started (adult) life as a mountain climber, then considered becoming a microbrewer before catching the wine bug while working harvest.

The results are in at the 2009 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, which wrapped up around noon today in Cloverdale, Calif.

It was another year of interesting stories and big news in Pacific Northwest wine country. Weather was a big issue for growers and winemakers throughout the region. Wineries and vineyards came under new ownership, a giant in the B.C. wine world stepped away, and we lost Papa Pinot.

We published a story this morning about student winemakers who fared well against the pros in last month's Tri-Cities Wine Festival Competition.

For just the sixth time in its storied history, Chateau Ste. Michelle will produce an ice wine, thanks to our Arctic freeze.

This week's cold snap means ice wine producers in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley will have a merry - and likely warm - Christmas for the second time in three years.

The entire Pacific Northwest has been hit with a storm system that has snow on the ground and temperatures well below freezing.

The San Francisco Chronicles top 100 list, which focuses on West Coast wines, has plenty of Oregon and Washington wines featured. That should be no surprise, as Chron wine editor Jon Bonne used to be based in Seattle when he worked for MSNBC and knows the Northwest wine market well.

A few weeks ago, Eric Degerman, Wine Press Northwest managing editor, was a judge at the Tri-Cities Wine Festival competition in Pasco, Wash. At the table with him were Wilfred Wong and Dan Berger.

I just finished inspecting Wine Enthusiast's top 100 list for this year, and I'm stunned by the number of Northwest selections: 13. Of these, 12 are from Washington.

Every once in a while, a comment shows up on this site from someone. The comments come from different people, but they all have the same tone.

It was 75 years ago Friday that the 21st Amendment to the Constitution was ratified by - of all states - Utah, effectively ending national Prohibition in the United States.

I've pretty much figured out what I'll be opening for Thursday's big meal.

For the next 30 days or so, we will all be partaking in a variety of holiday meals, beginning with Thanksgiving on Thursday and running through Christmas (and possibly New Year's Day) dinner. Between dinner invites and holiday parties, you may be expected to provide some wines.

I was on National Public Radio (at least in the Pacific Northwest) this morning for a story on pairing wines with the Thanksgiving meal.

If you haven't seen this yet, prepare to be amazed.

Traditionally, the third Thursday of November is Beaujolais Nouveau day, when the new wines of Beaujolais are released.

Columbia Winery's new owner, Ascentia Wine Estates, is making all the right moves - and fixing some of former owner Constellation's bad ones.

It was not long ago that the Canadian and U.S. dollars were at par, an economic event that had not occurred since 1976.

I'd like to think that our little magazine has some kind of effect on a winery's future. In fact, when we recommend a wine, there can be a bump in sales, and when we feature someone, the winery sees an effect.

Wine Spectator's annual top 100 list is out, and as usual, the Pacific Northwest has fared very well. In fact, fully 7% of the wines on the list are from Oregon and Washington, though a few notables are conspicuous by their absence.

Earlier this week, I wrote an account of last weekend's tasting of Northstar Merlot and Chateau Petrus, which I entitled "Kiss French, Drink Northwest."

A group of wineries near Yakima, Wash., has petitioned the federal government to create a new American Viticultural Area, or appellation.

Saturday afternoon, I traveled to Walla Walla, Wash., where the good folks from Ste. Michelle Wine Estates put on an event that was, shall we say, rather interesting.

A Walla Walla winery took home top honors at the 30th anniversary Tri-Cities Wine Festival on Saturday night at the Red Lion in Pasco, Wash.

Thank goodness someone at Sonoma State University is putting California tax dollars to work by confirming that the hit 2004 movie Sideways caused Pinot Noir sales to increase in America.

I stopped by at J. Bookwalter this morning to chat with owner/winemaker John Bookwalter. He was, quite literally, on the sorting line going through 10 tons of Cabernet Sauvignon from McKinley Springs Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills.

This is harvest weekend for me. My humble backyard vineyard got toasted by the frost two weekends ago, and these Brunello clone Sangiovese grapes are not going to get any riper.

Last night, my wife got home from the grocery store with fresh Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. It's one of those specialty food items Fred Meyer is selling this year.

In his latest column for The Seattle Times, Paul Gregutt has begun to list alcohol levels of the wines he reviews. That's a practice we began recently, starting with the Summer issue of Wine Press Northwest.

Columbia Crest's newest label, H3, will now be available nationwide, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates announced Tuesday.

Keith Pilgrim, owner/winemaker of Terra Blanca Winery on Washington's Red Mountain, reported this afternoon that the tiny but important appellation came through the weekend's subfreezing temperatures relatively unscathed.

Two nights of sub-freezing temperatures have toasted my little backyard vineyard. I woke up this morning to brown leaves on my Sangiovese and Riesling vines.

David Lett, whose 1975 Pinot Noir put Oregon on the global wine map, passed away late Thursday of heart failure. He was 69.

Piero Antinori, the 25th generation of winemakers of Antinori in Italy, will be featured Sunday on "60 Minutes."

The first widespread frost of the season is expected this weekend, according to weather forecasts. Saturday's low temperature is predicted to drop below 30.

This morning, I caught up with Gino Cuneo of Tre Nova as he was checking on grapes at famed Ciel du Cheval Vineyard on Washington's Red Mountain. There, Cuneo and owner Jim Holmes have planted a number of Sangiovese clones, which the Carlton, Ore., winemaker uses in his various Italian-style wines.

Nearly a quarter-century ago, the Columbia Valley American Viticultural Area was approved by the federal government. But there's a little-known story that was recounted to me Sunday by one of the people primarily responsible for Washington's second appellation (after the Yakima Valley).

It has been a busy late summer and fall, and have spent entirely too little time walking vineyards. Part of that, I think, has been the lateness (actually normalness) of the vintage.

It is difficult to tell whether wine lovers will like Bottle Shock, the recently released film loosely based on the 1976 "Judgment of Paris" tasting.

Cooler temperatures last week turned into beautifully warm days this weekend. No doubt those who came to the Columbia Valley for Catch the Crush enjoyed the cloudless skies and 80-plus degree weather.

Lettie Teague of Food & Wine mag has written a delicious article on how she created a counterfeit '82 Mouton to fool snooty wine people. The wine used: Andrew Will from Washington's Vashon Island.

Earlier this month, Kristina and Jim van Loben Sels, owners/winemakers of Arbor Crest Wine Cellars in Spokane, became the proud parents of Katherine Rae.

A couple of weeks ago, I visited with Denise Slattery, co-owner of Trio Vintners in Walla Walla, Wash.

Autumn begins today - officially - but it arrived a couple of days early when a rainy Saturday greeted Washington's Columbia Valley. It was the rainiest day we've had since June, and temperatures never rose above 65.

Rich Higginbotham, co-owner/winemaker for E.B. Foote Winery in Burien, Wash., passed away Monday. He was 61.

As I reported last week, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates is rumored to be on the auction block once the sale of its parent company, US Tobacco, goes through. Experts think its new owner, Altria, will shed the highly profitable Woodinville-based producer.

Last week, I chatted with Rob Griffin, owner/winemaker of Barnard Griffin in Richland, Wash., about the beginning of harvest.

Is Ste. Michelle Wine Estates for sale? That's the big question as its longtime parent company, US Tobacco of Greenwich, Conn., is being gobbled up by Altria Group.

On the way home tonight, I stopped in at Barnard Griffin in Richland, Wash., to chat with Rob Griffin, owner/winemaker. He plans to bring in a bit of Pinot Gris from a warm site on Tuesday, his first grapes of the season.

LONDON — The International Wine Challenge in London announced Sept. 1 that its trophy for "World's Top Icewine" was won by Mission Hill Family Estate in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley.

This evening, I was grilling tri tips and Peruvian purple potatoes grown in Eltopia, Wash. This called for a robust red wine, so I went to the cellar and picked out a Fidelitas Wines 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley.

I just used my refractometer to test the sugar level of my backyard Sangiovese grapes, and they came up to a somewhat pathetic 16 brix. For making wine, optimal ripeness would be closer to 24-25 brix.

Washington grapes should start coming in this week, at least for Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

I've spoken to a half-dozen winemaker in the past two days and asked each how the grapes were looking. I heard a lot of long sighs followed by concerns about when - or if - the grapes would ever ripen in the Northwest.

I've written on a number of occasions recently that demand for Washington Syrah would seem to be slowing down. This comes from retailers who see a greater interest in blends, as well as winemakers who have decided to stop making it.

Maryhill, one of Washington's largest and most successful family-owned wineries, has gone through its second winemaking change in the past few years.

A few weeks ago, Wine Press Northwest collected about 75 Northwest Italian reds, wines that use traditionally Italian varieties such as Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Zinfandel, Primitivo and Dolcetto.

Eric Degerman, Wine Press Northwest managing editor, also serves as unofficial food editor, as he researches and writes our quarterly Match Makers feature and annual Great Northwest Wine Lists Competition. He has filed this report on a disturbing trend in Boise.

The wine blogosphere has lit up today with the story about someone who created a fake restaurant in Italy, complete with a fake Web site and fake wine list (containing low-scoring wines from the Wine Spectator). This person then entered Wine Spectator's restaurant awards contest and won an award.

Last night, I made fresh marinara from this recipe on Epicurean.com. The recipe calls for white wine, and I used Kiona Vineyards Winery's 2007 Chenin Blanc, which worked really well.

It appears I won't need to wait for Bottle Shock to come to the Columbia Valley (which could be awhile because we're far from being a primary market for film releases).

Rachael Ray has turned to two hemispheres for food-pairing wine picks in August.

My wife is in Wenatchee today, and she reported that veraison - the change in grapes from green to red - is easily apparent on the Wahluke Slope as she whizzed by at 60 mph. Grapes at Ginkgo Forest Winery and the various Milbrandt vineyards were coming along nicely.

Several great stories are making the rounds about law enforcement in Washington's Yakima Valley busting marijuana operations in vineyards.

The federal government has moved the Lake Chelan AVA one step closer to reality, as it has opened the proposal for comments, which can be submitted until Oct. 14.

I've been thinking about this a fair bit in recent months, and I think this could turn into a healthy discussion. Here's the question: Which wineries are Washington's First Growths?

Last weekend, we were invited to some friends' home for dinner. I must have been in an Oregon state of mind because I brought two Pinot Noirs and a Pinot Gris to pair with two distinctly different preparations for salmon.

Download the attached PDF to see the bargains available this month at Washington liquor stores for Washington Wine Month.

You could almost set your calendar by the emails either I or Tasting Editor Bob Woehler get in late July or early August. It always comes right after Bob writes his annual "Washington Wine Month" column about the great bargains at the state-owned liquor stores.

One of the earliest harvests on record has begun in California's Sonoma County, where 14 tons were picked Friday (out of 180,000 tons expected).

This morning, I found the first evidence of impending harvest: veraison.

Today, visitors to Barnard Griffin in Richland, Wash., are being met with a sign explaining tasting fees.

Chateau Ste. Michelle continues to dip its toes into the screwcap waters.

Braiden Rex-Johnson has an article in Pacific Northwest magazine about boxed wines, in which she reviews some of the better ones and the thought processes behind using this alternative to bottles and corks.

Teri Citterman, who steams up the pages of Wine Press Northwest magazine with her Urban Sips column, has launched a blog with the same name.

My buddy Coke Roth has some North American grapes growing on his deck. These are really early ripeners. On most years, in fact, the grapes begin to go through veraison around July 4. This year, they didn't until July 17.

This story on Decanter talks about the first major initiative coming out of the International Riesling Foundation: a tasting scale.

As many of you have read in recent days, wildfires in Northern California have threatened vineyards and wineries. Wildfires are nothing new in Washington wine country, where the arid climes of the Columbia Valley create conditions that set off blazes annually, usually in August. It's something we've learned to live with.