Walla Walla – Outwines

My Top 10 Wine Moments of 2019

31 Dec 2019Random RamblingsLeave a Comment

It’s that time again – when we reflect back on a year that’s almost over. What was so special about the 2019 vintage? For me, there were several things that made 2019 memorable . . .

Retweet by Eric Asimov

I peaked early this year – January 22nd to be exact – when I was retweeted by New York Times wine writer, Eric Asimov. His first monthly “wine school” column of 2019 focused on three big brand, readily available, supermarket wines. These wine selections of his caused quite the uproar on Twitter. While some wine enthusiasts applauded his efforts to understand what appeals to the masses – others accused him of promoting these wines.

This was Eric’s first “wine school” that I’d actively participated in and I wrote a post about the “assignment.”. The results weren’t all that surprising to me, but his retweet of my post WAS. This was my first real lesson in the power of social media – his single retweet led to a huge uptick in visits to my site (thank you Eric!) Unfortunately, this didn’t translate to an increase in subscribers . . . I guess his wine school crowd isn’t particularly interested in outlines on the 1855 Classification or WSET Diploma study tips.

And interestingly, at least to me anyway, this was not my most viewed blog post of 2019 . ..

Stepping Into the Instagram Influencer Fray

For the first few months of 2019, I sat on the sidelines watching a longtime Instagrammer (aka Amarone) vent with regularity about the rise of “wine influencers.” I understood his frustration, but disagreed with his methods – which consisted primarily of snarky memes and posts mocking these “influencers” (mostly attractive, younger women). However, when Amarone decided to take a shot at me (together with my dead yellow Lab), well . . . the result led to my most viewed blog post of 2019.

In fact, an entire hashtag movement was actually spawned because of Amarone and a few others (to be clear, not because of my post). #youcansipwithus is still going strong, but thankfully, the antagonists appear to have backed off a bit. I might revisit this issue sometime next year – to see what progress has been made (or not made).

Personally though, I made some progress in 2019 . . .

Finding My Groove on Instagram

In 2019, I found my Instagram niche. I finally determined who my target audience was: people wanting to learn more about wine – including both serious wine students and curious consumers. And also who my target audience was not: Jimmy Bigcellars with trophy bottles as well as the ChardonnYAY crowd.

Based on this, I decided to focus my content on wine studies and education – but I wanted to do this in a fun and engaging way. So I started creating Instagram wine quizzes. I’m a wine geek at heart (I mean, I prepare outlines on wine for shit’s sake!) and I genuinely enjoy producing this type of content. Not only do the quizzes help me retain information better, but I’ve also connected with wine students from all over the world (Mumbai, Cape Town, London) – and have met several in person! I really do get a tremendous amount of satisfaction hearing from other wine people that my quizzes or outlines have helped in some small part with their studies.

In addition to finding my own groove this year, I was also able to assist others with theirs as well . . .

Supporting Other Endeavors

I have a pact with myself to never agree to write about a product, class, person, wine, whatever that I don’t believe in. For me, this means turning down certain collaborations – even if they’re offering payment. However, there were a few opportunities that I jumped at the chance to participate in this year. Not surprisingly, they each had an element of wine education to them:

Cristie Norman launched a unique online wine course for beginners that is both highly educational and entertaining. Wine Masters released two seasons of their documentary series focusing on winemaking families of France and Italy. Snooth Media hosted a virtual wine tasting of Sweet Bordeaux wines. And I was thrilled to support each of these ventures – they were all genuinely educational and incredibly well-done.

Completing Half of the WSET Diploma

This past year I completed my third exam for the WSET Diploma – so I’m officially halfway done! I have the Fortified Exam in less than one month (eek!) and then it’s complete focus on the dreaded Unit 3 Exam for the next five months. And finally, the research paper which is due at the end of July. So if all goes well, I should have the Diploma completed by August.

I had hoped to have 4 of the 6 units completed by now, but due to a change in scheduling at my school this didn’t happen. The Tracy Flick in me was initially annoyed AF, but this WSET Diploma break actually turned out to be a good thing because it allowed me to pursue other things like:

Becoming an Italian Wine Scholar

I completed the Italian Wine Scholar course and passed with Highest Honors! As I mentioned in a prior blog post, this venture took me quite a bit longer than anticipated, but was well worth the time and effort. Not only do I have a much better grasp on Italy and its 20 different wine regions and umpteenthousand different grape varieties, but since I passed with such a high mark I also qualified to teach the course! Which I started to do in 2019 . . .

Teaching Wine Courses

I have two of wonderful mentors up in the Pacific Northwest who gave me some incredible teaching opportunities this past year: Mimi Martin and Tanya Morningstar Darling. I got my feet wet by leading sections of the Italian Wine Scholar course and WSET Level 2 – and have plans to wade in a bit further in 2020. I still believe wine education is the direction I’m heading with my future wine career, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be certification courses only – because consumer focused classes are just as enjoyable . . .

Presenting Wine and World Views Seminar

Last year, Hubs was in a major bind when he was hosting a wine event at a fancy schmancy SoCal restaurant for some clients when the sommelier at the restaurant resigned just a few days prior to the event. He asked me to fill-in at the last minute to speak about the wines being served and to lead the discussion with about 50 well traveled wine enthusiasts.

True confession: I’m not overly confident about my public speaking abilities – I get jittery and tend to talk too fast. (Ok – truer confession: I sweat when I’m nervous!!). Yes, I know this is ironic since I’m leaning towards wine education which requires speaking in front of others to some degree. However, for reasons I’m still not entirely sure of (maybe my daily meditation practice, or gaining more confidence in my knowledge) – I really did nail this presentation. And you know what else – I had a hell of a lot of fun doing it! Maybe that’s the key: have fun and don’t worry so much about getting every little fact correct. Give Tracy Flick the night off. 😉

I still have a ways to go before I get truly comfortable speaking in public – but thankfully, I’ve got a couple of very good examples to learn from . . .

Attending Master Classes with Masters

I’m fortunate to be taking my WSET Diploma classes from a Master Sommelier and auditing the French Wine Scholar course from a Master of Wine. While they’re both incredibly knowledgeable individuals, they also have very different ways of approaching wine studies. By learning from both of them, I feel like I’m getting the best blend of education and gaining a more thorough understanding of the wine world.

They each teach certification courses, but also focused tasting classes. And since I have yet to find a tasting group in SoCal (a goal for 2020 – send me a note if you’ve got a lead for me!!), I attended as many of these Master Classes as I possibly could last year – including Brunello, Bollinger, aged Rieslings, Northern Rhône and Vintage Port. I’m soaking up as much information as I can from these Masters – and some pretty damn good wine too. Speaking of damn good wine . . .

Traveling to Walla Walla

This last “top wine moment of 2019” hasn’t actually happened yet, and I normally avoid setting my expectations too high but I think in this instance I’m safe. Hubs and I are on our way to one of my favorite wine regions in the world – Walla Walla. We’ll be spending my birthday and New Years Eve and Day there, partaking in some wine tasting, and … looking at some property while we are there.

While I’m not sure exactly what Walla Walla has in store for us this visit, I know that at least some part of this adventure will be a highlight of the year. And, well, perhaps for many years to come!

Happy New Year to All!

The Party Bus: Something to Beware . . . or Behold?

12 Dec 2019Random Ramblings, Wine Tasting2 Comments

Anyone who has ever worked in a winery tasting room knows the drill. A big ol’ party bus pulls up outside, a pile of people (let’s be honest – usually women) who have been imbibing all day stumble off, laughing raucously, snapping selfies or asking the driver to take yet another “quick picture” by the winery sign. As the group approaches – the tasting room staff concocts excuses like “I gotta go run inventory” or “I think the Riesling needs another racking today.” Anything that will get them out of the tasting room ASAP.

Beware the party bus.

I get it. I empathize with tasting room staff when it comes to party busses. Often these groups are loud, take up a lot of room, don’t listen when you’re describing the oak aging regime of your reserve Chardonnay, and if you haven’t been drinking with them all day – they’re pretty fucking annoying. (Come to think of it – even if you HAVE been drinking with them all day you might feel this way).

Instagram is full of snarky memes mocking these groups – how they all dress alike, traipse through vineyards or sit on barrels for “content”, and know next to nothing about wine. But before you write them all off as obnoxious wine newbies who just want free tastings – allow me to give you a little insight inside the bus.

Splits on the party bus — I might have regretted this later

Once a year for the past fifteen years, I’ve been a member of one such party bus. I have engaged in typical party bus behavior like doing splits in my jeans while listening to Neneh Cherry’s ‘Buffalo Stance’ and making smoochy faces to countless winery dogs (this IS typical – isn’t it?). I have also partaken in some not-so-typical party bus behavior like talking with tasting room staff about concrete fermentation, the recent spread of phylloxera in my Beloved Washington state and pending AVA applications.

Me with Bud Cooper — Bud is *thrilled* to see me!

Now, I realize that there are some party bus groups that try to get out of paying tasting fees, or steal glassware, or puke in the dump bucket. However, I think of these groups like corked wine. They don’t occur regularly (maybe between 2-5% of the time) and you wouldn’t write off all wine just because you had one that was flawed – would you?

If we’re going to stick with wine analogies (Hubs hates these!) – my party bus is a mixed case. While the other gals are not nearly as nerdy about wine as I am, many are better traveled (Mendoza, Sicily – two wine regions on my bucket list!). One can pronounce French labelling terms like nobody’s business. And some own easily twice as many bottles as I do – and belong to a lot more wine clubs as well.

My most recent Gals Wine Weekend trip took us to one of my favorite wine regions – Walla Walla. This year, I kept a close eye on how we were treated by tasting room staff. For the most part I was pleasantly surprised – there were a number of wineries who behold the party bus! Two in particular are worth a quick mention . . .

Neil Patrick Harris Sleight of Hand Cellars — NPH – wine label model and wine club member!

It’s almost not fair to compare other wineries to Sleight of Hand Cellars. They are a Grand Cru of fun tasting rooms – I mean, they have a magician for fuck’s sake! They were our first stop of the day and Traci and her tasting room staff set the bar pretty high – they were welcoming and FUN. Where else can you select an old-school, vinyl album to be played during your tasting, get your picture taken in a photo booth, all under the watchful eye of Neil Patrick Harris (his face graces the label of their Bordeaux style blend). Just like their eclectic album selection, Sleight of Hand’s wines are a wide range – from a zippy Riesling to a funky Syrah.

Our last stop of the day was The Walls who were welcoming and waiting for us. (I usually feel for the staff at our last stop because we are past our peak by this point.) We sipped through several of their wines – favorites were ‘Lip Stinger’ white Rhone blend and Gaspard Syrah. Our host gave us the entertaining backstory on the name of the winery (a play on the Washington State Penitentiary located a few miles away) as well as their ever-prevalent cartoon illustration – Stanley Groovy. One of the students in the first WSET class I taught is currently the hospitality manager and we all got in on this lovely photo together before walking out with several cases.

It Pays to Behold the Party Bus – Literally.

According to a recent wine industry report, Direct to Consumer (DTC) sales account for over 60% of an average family winery’s revenue. The biggest DTC channels are wine clubs and tasting rooms. And unfortunately, consumers are visiting fewer tasting rooms when they travel to wine country – often seeking out just a couple of their favorite spots, or wineries providing the best experiences.

Tip for tasting room staff: honestly, with party bus groups, often it’s not about how good your wine is – it’s how you treat us. Over the years we’ve had a number of awesome experiences at wineries who produce good, but not mind-blowing, wines. However – because of how fantastic the staff were to us and their welcoming attitude – we’ve bought bottles, signed up for club memberships, recommended them to others, put them on our social media, and been repeat visitors.

On the other hand, if we’re treated condescendingly or there’s an unwelcome attitude – we don’t buy. Even if the wine is good. This happened only once on our most recent trip, and interestingly it was a winery whose wines I really enjoy. Unfortunately, the staff didn’t crack a smile our entire visit, gave an incredibly curt answer to the common question “how did [insert winery] get its name?” and made us feel like we were an imposition in his fairly empty tasting room. Not surprisingly – we walked out empty handed.

I’ve worked at a wine store, and I know that sometimes you just don’t feel like dealing with a large, boisterous group of wine tasters. But as a member of a party bus, I also know that we’re not usually asking for much. Your wine doesn’t have to have a big score, or win a bunch of local awards, or be certified and blessed by any organic or biodynamic organization. We will not remember these things! But we WILL remember Susie at Two Mountain Winery and Neil (and Bud!) at Cooper Wine Company because they were excited to have us in their tasting room and went above and beyond to make us feel welcome.

And on a personal note, since I moved away from my Beloved Washington state last year – I’ve come to realize how important this party bus group is to me. It’s hard to find women who support each other, who cheer each other on instead of compete with one another, and with whom you can just be your silly-ass self. Like I said – this group is 15 years strong. I hope we keep going . . . because I plan on attempting my splits well into my 60s. Won’t THAT be something to be behold? 😉

The Thief: Bringing a World of Wine (& Beer!) to Downtown Walla Walla

17 Oct 201816 Oct 2018Wine Bars, Wine Bloggers ConferenceLeave a Comment

Oftentimes when you visit a smaller wine region, you’re hard pressed to find wine from anywhere outside of said region. And that’s totally understandable — they want to highlight the wines of their area. However, after a day of sipping delicate Pinots in the Willamette Valley – you may want a big, bolder Cabernet with your steak dinner. After hours of tasting 14+% abv wines from Santa Barbera, a lighter & crisper Riesling from the Mosel might sound good. Or, if you’re in the Champagne region, you . . . well, never mind. If you’re in Champagne, you likely don’t want anything else!

So when Hubs and I were in my beloved Washington state last week, as much as I love Walla Walla wines, we were thrilled to see a recently opened bottle shop that sold wine and beer from outside the Walla Walla region. I’m talking waaaay outside the region . . .

Taking over a large 4,000 square foot space on Main Street, The Thief Fine Wine and Beer officially opened on May 4, 2018. (“May the 4th be with you”? I don’t know if there was any Star Wars connection to their opening date, but I do know one of the owners is a serious Harry Potter fan as he was sporting the trademark mustard and burgundy striped scarf when I met him.)

Lining the store’s back wall is an impressive selection of local Walla Walla wines (priced the same as what you’ll find in the wineries themselves) as well as beer and cider from around the globe. And in the center of the room . . . truly, a wine geek’s paradise. Pinot Noir from Valleé d’Aoste, Zweigelt Rosé from Niederösterreich, and a Sassicaia from Bolgheri (I spied this bottle one day, the next – it was gone). Having worked in a wine retail store, I can attest to the fact that The Thief’s prices are incredibly reasonable and there is a bottle for every budget.

Besides a fabulous selection of wine, The Thief also carries – and I’m quoting Hubs here directly – “an absolutely kick ass beer selection.” It was clear to him that the beer was on par with the wine and was similarly from all over the globe. Of the new owners, clearly one of them has a penchant for top shelf beer.

In addition to taking a bottle home with you (or popping it open on premise for a nominal corkage fee), The Thief also has several glass pours available. On our visits (true confessions: we went there 3 times – but we can explain!), these offerings included an Alsatian Sylvaner and a Canaiolo Rosé from Tuscany. Now, I’ve been in my fair share of wine bars and stores (another true confession), but I have never seen these wines offered by the glass. I love an adventurous by the glass program – it’s a perfect way to introduce people to some lesser known grapes and regions!

Thief - Bar and non-curly Matt — Lots of seating at the bar

Their handwritten tasting notes are some of the best I’ve seen. And nary a critic’s score in sight – which also gets a huge thumbs up from me. But if you need a recommendation – look no further than The Thief’s knowledgeable and friendly staff.

On our first visit, we met “Curly Matt”. Not to be confused with “Non-curly Matt” (or another employee named Matt whom we didn’t meet). We also chatted with two of the owners, Emily Riley and Kyle Pottroff when they hosted a lunch for some of the Wine Bloggers Conference attendees. And they did not scrimp on the wines they served that afternoon – starting us off with a Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc!

Since opening, The Thief has had several wine tasting events ranging from Bubbles Galore (aka Everything BUT Champagne!), to Rosés to Tour of Tuscany. Future plans include a wine club, temperature controlled storage lockers for members and a myriad of wine related events – including wine classes. In fact, my favorite wine instructor – the fabulous Reggie Daigneault – will be doing a seminar on Bordeaux at the Thief later this month!

We don’t get to Walla Walla as frequently as we used to, but Hubs and I will definitely be visiting The Thief next time we’re in town. Oh yeah, and as a follow up to my previous post with Hubs – WE FINALLY FOUND THE ROSÉS!!

Thief - Roses — HUGE Rose selection at The Thief!

She Said/Hubs Said: “Live” White & Rosé Wine Blogging

12 Oct 2018Hubs, Tasting Notes, Wine Bloggers Conference10 Comments

As mentioned in a previous post about the Wine Bloggers Conference, one of the highlights for me was the “Live” Blogging sessions. Lately when I drink wine, I’m usually in full exam mode, so I sit down with my trusty notebook and – slowly and methodically – take notes via the WSET “systematic approach to tasting” method. In other words, I take time to analyze every element of the wine – structure, aromas, flavors, finish, quality, etc.

In contrast, the “Live” Blogging sessions pushed me outside of my wine tasting comfort zone since we had, at most, five minutes to hear about the wine directly from the winemaker, taste it, and make notes of our impressions. I keep putting “Live” in quotes because, while I tweeted the Red Wine session in real time, for the Whites & Rosés Hubs and I waited and compared our notes afterwards. We read them aloud to each other over a beer(s) and, after I heard some of his comments, decided we had to put together a post. I love his notes because they are so damn entertaining, honest and unpretentious. Just like him. 🙂

So without further ado, here are the unedited She said / Hubs said tasting notes from the White & Rosé “speed dating event” (his phrasing, not mine)….

1. Otis Kenyon 2017 Roussanne, Columbia Valley, Washington

She Said: Med+ bodied, ripe yellow fruits – apple, pear, longer spicy finish (with a bit of heat). A perfect, richer fall/winter white wine. This might even sway some “I only drink red wine” people. I am such a fan of Rhône whites and wish more of these varieties were planted in WA!
Hubs Said: White. Not very complex. Citrusy lemon/zest. It’s hard to give my opinion when the wine pouring people are talking about it – I just want to write what they are saying and pass it off as my own. Amazing story behind this wine. I like it but wouldn’t seek it out. Again, really cool story (look it up). I would drink on a hot summer day but that’s about it. Nothing really unique – other than an awesome story. If stories sell wine, this one has an amazing story. Love the matchsticks. I would drink this wine just to tell the story. Have I mentioned the story?

2. L’Ecole 2016 Semillon, Columbia Valley, Washington

She Said: 86% Semillon/14% Sauvignon Blanc. Lots of honeysuckle on the nose with some white flowers. Viscous, oily texture – reminds me a bit of Viognier. Glad they put some SB in here for some acidity – might be rather flabby without it. Another richer/fuller bodied white perfect for fall/winter drinking. And at $15 this is incredibly priced.
Hubs Said: White / Golden. I’ve heard this story about the L’Ecole schoolhouse at least a hundred times. I don’t know shit about Semillon. I like it. Why? Some heat/spice on the mouth afterwards. Again, not super excited about this one. OK – not bad.

3. Peter Yealands 2018 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand

She Said: I’m not usually a New Zealand Sauv Blanc fan, and this one is no different. Very herbal and grassy. Loads of tropical fruit on the palate. Med+ acidity, v. grassy palate. Intense aromas and flavor – it’s really just too much in your face/over the top. Some people love this stuff though. Maybe pairing with a salad or veggies would calm it down a bit for me, although – I don’t eat a lot of veggies.
Hubs Said: This is SUPER fragrant. Gas? Reminds me of the stuff my parents drank when I was a kid. WOW! Crazy fragrant. Non-normal fruit. Not sure what I mean. Melon? Super unique. Higher acidity. I would have to get used to this type of wine – not an everyday drinker but I could see pairing it with something fun. It sticks with you forever. Crazy flavors.

4. Desert Wind 2017 Chardonnay, Wahluke Slope, Washington

She Said: Definitely smells like Chardonnay – vanilla, oak, baking spices. Fuller bodied, creamy texture (full Mal-O). Smells like a Madeline sugar cookie. Medium length finish and then . . . I’m left with the oak. I know I’m a boob when it comes to oaked Chardonnay. But to me, this is a little unbalanced because the oak dominates and overpowers the other flavors.
Hubs Said: Pretty color. Tough to follow the Sauv Blanc – that aroma is still there. Nothing wrong with it. Maybe some vanilla and citrus? Medium acidity. Nothing particular exciting – it’s Chardonnay – not bad, just kind of there.
Noelle writing her “she said” tasting notes.

5. Bouza 2017 Albariño, Uruguay

She Said: Citrus and salty sea spray aromas. Seems a little fuller bodied for an Albariño – maybe the 6 month lees aging is a factor? Riper apple and pear, and more salinity on the palate, crisp acidity. Would be perfect with seafood. Not bad for my first foray into Uruguayan wine.
Hubs Said: Uruguan wine. Effervescent. Zippy. Lemon zest. Low/Med. acidity. Poolside wine. Summer wine. Well balanced (I’m not sure what the hell that means, I think equally acid and tannins). Happy mouth. Would be awesome w/ shellfish. Could I find Uruguay on a map? No. Stays on the mouth/palate for a really long time.

6. Hard Row to Hoe 2017 Riesling, Lake Chelan, Washington

She Said: OMG – beautiful aromatics! Floral and stone fruit (peach, apricot). If I had this blind, I don’t think I would’ve guessed it was a Riesling. Smells more like a Viognier. I really like it, but it lacks the zip I expect from this variety.
Hubs Said: Eggs. Weird. Rocks. Not traditional Riesling. Great / fun story (note the flags on the label) – naughty. But what do I think? I would go with other Rieslings.

7. Rodney Strong 2016 ‘Chalk Hill’ Chardonnay, Sonoma County, California

She Said: Like wine #4, there is no mistaking this for Chardonnay. This one seems more fruit driven though – baked apple, pear. Seriously – I am totally getting spiced apple pie on the palate. And this is on the back label – YAY ME! I think Hubs just rolled his eyes at me. Not my particular style, but I prefer it to the WA Chardonnay. This one is more balanced between fruit and oak aromas, plus it has more acidity and a longer finish.
Hubs Said: A little bit of fuel smell on it (or am I still smelling that crazy Sauv Blanc?). On first taste I thought it was boring, but it really gets more interesting. A little heat on it for a Chardonnay. Not a huge fan but that’s because I think it has more to do with the varietal. Noelle just said it tastes like “apple pie”. Fuck that. She’s going to kill me at this exercise. Upshot: It’s fine. I just don’t like Chardonnay unless it’s a butter bomb. Sidenote: Where the hell are the Rosés??? We haven’t had a single Rosé yet.

Rodney Strong Chalk Hill Chardonnay — “Apple and pie spice aromas”! 🙂

8. Cadaretta ‘SBS’ 2016, Columbia Valley, Washington

She Said: 67% Sauvignon Blanc, 33% Semillon. Stainless steel fermentation. Herbal nose, citrus (lime skin) jalapeños, tropical fruit. Med bodied, med+ acidity, med+ finish. Grassy notes on the finish. I MUCH prefer w/the Semillon then the stand alone New Zealand Sauv Blanc. This is so much better balanced, easier to drink and refreshing.
Hubs Said: Melon + Petrol. What the hell is the fruit I smell on these Sauv Blancs??? Blog idea: Wine words I misspell the most (bordo, Semillon, sauvignon). I imagine that the Semillon calms down the Sauv Blanc. It has such a unique smell. We need to go to the glass house.

9. Frank Family Vineyards 2016 Chardonnay, Carneros, California

She Said: Much more subtle on the nose than the other Chardonnays. Getting evidence of lees here too – yeasty, rounder mouthfeel. MalO textures. Hint of oak – vanilla, spice along with some apple and pineapple. Overall, aromas are pretty medium – I’m not getting a ton. On the palate to me its more about the texture then the flavors. Vanilla crème.
Hubs Said: WHERE THE FUCK ARE THE ROSÉS????? THE AGENDA SAID WHITE AND ROSÉS!!!! Gotta say it’s really a beautiful color. Unique smell for a chardonnay. Way more butter on this one. Maybe some vanilla and spices. That’s a general statement. This is what I want my chardonnay to taste like. I want to eat a bowl of popcorn with this and not share it with Noelle. The tasting may be getting to me at this point. I really like this one and it would be interesting to compare it to other Chards.

10. J. Bookwalter Winery 2016 ‘Double Plot’ Chardonnay, Columbia Valley

JBookwalter Double Plot Chardonnay — Winner of the White Wine Blogging!

She Said: Medium aromas of white flowers, apple, and ripe lemon. Hint of vanilla. This smells (& tastes!) like an Oregon Chardonnay. The oak is so restrained. This might be my favorite of the lineup. Best balanced of the Chards – oak and fruit compliment each other and there’s a nice dose of acidity that was lacking in the others. Yay – ending on a high note from a hometown winery!
Hubs Said: Light color. A little more acidity on this chard. Butter w/ some stone(?). Apple. I seem to describe every chardonnay on the “butter scale”. The more butter, the more I like it. Otherwise, Chardonnay is a total commodity to me – it’s all the same. I need to work on this. Or maybe I don’t. I just don’t like Chard, it’s so boring.

So there you have it. In the light of day, what I really liked about having done this with Hubs is that it shows how wine means different things to different people. While his “tasting notes” (and I use that term incredibly loosely) made me laugh out loud, they also reminded me that there are no absolutes – no “right answers”. Wine means to you what YOU taste and feel. I think that’s what makes wine such an amazing pursuit.

Now….where the fuck are those Rosés?!

#WBC18: Highlights from a Blogging Newbie

10 Oct 2018Wine Bloggers Conference4 Comments

My head is spinning (and not just from all the wine I consumed) since returning to SoCal from my first ever Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, Washington.

I signed up for WBC18 way back in February after I found out it was going to be held in my beloved Washington state. And I can’t recall exactly how I managed to talk Hubs into going with me . . . I think I just said “Walla Walla” and “Wine” and he was in (he’s easy that way). Nevertheless, he’ll be providing his own highlights and thoughts on the conference in an upcoming post – and has already given the world an incomplete overview of the host city.

While there were several enjoyable and informative parts to the conference, there were five that really stood out to me. And, using some of the tools I learned about in Digital Firefly Marketing’s awesome seminar on Google Readability, here are my WBC18 highlights:

Force Majeure Excursion – Visit to Their (Future) Production Facility & Estate Vineyard

Coming in hot!! What a way to start the conference – this half day tour was a wine geek’s dream! So much so that I’ll post a more corkdorkily detailed post HERE for those readers interested in a deeper dive of this outing.

Upon boarding our bus bound for the Rocks District of Milton-Freewater (aka “The Rocks”), owner Paul McBride told us about the history of Force Majeure and the winery’s focus on single vineyard designated sites within the Red Mountain AVA. His enthusiasm multiplied exponentially though as he turned the topic to Force Majeure’s future . . .

Our first stop was to check in on progress of the winery’s future production facility and tasting room in Milton-Freewater – both of which will (hopefully!) be operational by mid-March, 2019. After this, we piled into several SUVs for a jaunt outside of town and up about 2,000 feet to see the site of Force Majeure’s future estate vineyard. Located in an area referred to as the “North Fork” – geologist, Washington wine champion and AVA aficionado Dr. Kevin Pogue described this area as a “sweet spot” because it checked so many of the right boxes for vineyard site selection: elevation, rain levels, soils and aspect (more detail on this in an upcoming post!) Plus, while I don’t believe this is a factor usually considered when deciding vineyard site, it’s absolutely fucking gorgeous.

Force Majeure North Fork vineyard — Future vineyard site in North Fork area of Walla Walla Valley

Introduction to the Walla Walla Valley Wine Region

This was a fantastic start to the seminar portion of the conference. The panel was composed of four dynamos in the local wine industry: Annette Bergevin, Nina Buty, Muriel Kenyon and Ashley Trout. Although, this was not to be considered a “women in wine panel” per the moderator . . . these ladies just happen to kick ass at what they do.

The panel discussed several issues related to the Walla Walla wine region – from history (the Otis Kenyon background story has got to be one of the most scintillating tidbits!) to the future (how to market Walla Walla beyond Washington state). There was an overall theme of community and comradery. However, as with many wine growing regions, the ongoing labor shortage was also discussed. And while there’s no definitive answer to this problem – Ashley Trout’s Vital Wines project that helps to provide healthcare to those in need, is an awesome start.

Speed Tasting (AKA the Exact Opposite of What I Do For My WSET Studies)

While this wouldn’t be my favorite way to taste wine on a regular basis, it was a hell of a lot of fun to try a couple of times. At the end of both days, 25 winemakers poured into the conference room (pun possibly intended). They each had five minutes to pour their wine for a table, give their “elevator speech”, answer questions, and then move on to the next table. Interestingly enough (to me anyways), my favorite red and white were both from the same winery: J. Bookwalter. Which just happens to be located in my hometown . . . so, I guess I might be guilty of a little local bias after all. 😉

Stay tuned for a “He Said/She Said” post where Hubs and I compare our tasting notes from one of these sessions.

Mystery Dinner Excursions

After Friday’s live blogging session, attendees were separated into groups based on the color of their “mystery winery” ticket. Hubs and I piled into a van with the other bright green ticket holders and headed off into Walla Walla. Now, this goes against one of Hubs and my hard and fast rules: Always Have an Exit Strategy. (This rule might be why we’ve never gone on a cruise). Thankfully – we didn’t need to worry about this rule since our bright green ticket led us to one of Walla Walla’s quintessential wineries – Dunham Cellars.

Dunham was one of the first wineries I ever visited in Walla Walla back in the early 2000s and has held a special place in my heart since. We were served a delicious, waistband straining six-course meal paired with a variety of Dunham wines. My favorite was the 2014 Dunham Cabernet Sauvignon XX while Hubs loved the 2016 Late Harvest Riesling. It was an unforgettable evening with new friends, great food, and classic Walla Walla wines.

And Finally, Connecting with Other Wine Bloggers . . . in Person.

While social media is a great way to meet other wine bloggers, nothing can compare to chatting face-to-face. It was wonderful to finally be able to geek out with fellow wine enthusiast Amber (aka SpitBucket), see my former Northwest Wine Academy classmate Nancy with VinoSocial, talk WSET Diploma studies with Terry and Lindsay, and share some Pacific Northwest wine love with Pat the Wine Guy.

And, after a minor stumble (literally), I’m thrilled to have met one of the original members of the wine blogging world: Tom Wark. He’s incredibly approachable if you get him talking about golf (just ask Hubs!) and passionate about consumer rights to access wines without being at the mercy of distributors. As a recovering lawyer turned wine enthusiast, this is a cause I can definitely get behind.

Walla Walla – A Totally Incomplete Visitors Guide (by Hubs)

5 Oct 20185 Oct 2018Guest Posts, Hubs, Wine Bloggers Conference5 Comments

I’m on lunch break on Day 1 of the Wine Bloggers Conference and it dawned on me that many of you reading this blog have probably never been to the host city of Walla Walla. Having lived for several years in the (somewhat) nearby town of Spokane, Washington, I’ve spent some time in Walla Walla and wanted to share my thoughts. First things first, Walla Walla is located in the Southern corner of Eastern Washington. Second things second, Eastern Washington produces some of the toughest people I’ve ever met in my life. I mean like eight seconds on a bull tough and tractor accident tough. I would never have survived growing up in Eastern Washington. So while I’ll go on to describe the charming quaintness of this wine producing region, it’s important to understand that beneath that recently laid veneer lies an amazing community that built this city well before the doctors and lawyers started flying in for weekend tastings (yep, that would be me).

Until wine hit the mainstream consciousness, I imagine that Walla Walla was probably best known for one of three things: (i) Pretty damn cool name; (ii) Sweet Onions; and (iii) Drew Bledsoe. If you know Bledsoe as the winemaking entrepreneur at Doubleback rather than an NFL quarterback, then you’re likely relatively new to the Walla Walla scene.

I started going to Walla Walla in the mid-90’s on hunting trips with friends to the base of the Blue Mountains. At that time, you could count on one hand the number of wineries – almost all of which seemed to be located in trailers on grounds near the airport. Those wineries are still there and I highly recommend touring them on a Schwinn (Noelle was introduced to Five Star Cellars very early on in her wine education and still swears by their Sangiovese). I understand that they have even added several breweries and even a distillery out there as well.

So what’s the status of Walla Walla today? Well, imagine if Charlie Daniels and Norah Jones sang a duet. With the proliferation of wine production in the area came the vinophile tourists, which has in turn changed the landscape to include higher end restaurants, a smattering of art galleries, etc. I can guarantee you that you will hear visitors say the line “this is what Napa was like 50 years ago” almost reverentially when you visit. And maybe they’re right – I have no frame of reference. Of course, Napa had the benefit of nearby major cities of San Francisco and Sacramento. As one speaker stated this morning “Walla Walla is on an island – five hours to the closest metropolitan area” (I’m sure Spokane won’t take offense). I can tell you however that you will find an amazing community that embraces both their position as an up-and-coming wine producing region along with its proud farming heritage.

With no further ado, here are a few of my favorite spots in Walla Walla, a list which is so spectacularly incomplete that I was required to change the name of this blog post:

Wine Division: You don’t want Walla Walla wine recommendations from me (you want them from Noelle). Nonetheless, be sure to check out Gramercy Cellars (our favorite), Sleight of Hand (best party atmosphere, seriously, I really want to share a bottle with these guys), and L’Ecole (best school house). My apologies to Drew Bledsoe – I just haven’t been to Doubleback yet – but I promise I will on this trip. Honestly, there are so many amazing wineries in the Walla Walla Region that you simply can’t go wrong. Oh yeah, Rotie Cellars as well!!
Non-Wine Division: Be sure to check out Olive (best informal meal), Hot Poop Records (best business name – ever), Whitman College; Public House 124; and a VRBO House Rental that converted a huge wine barrel into an extra bedroom. Seriously. I’ve slept there – it’s awesome (assuming you’re not claustrophobic).
No Longer In Business Division: I admit that it makes no sense whatsoever to tell you about these places that are no longer in business. But alas, we can always hope for their return: (i) Salumerie Cesario (Noelle once got kicked out of the cheese closet for making a mockery – true story); and (ii) Chillville – a collection of Airstreams that you could rent for a few nights next to the Airport district tasting rooms. Of my great regrets in life, not staying at Chillville before it was shuttered is definitely top five (but still pretty distant from my ill-advised bolo tie phase in the early 90’s).

Anyways, that’s my two cents on Walla Walla which is truly a kick-ass town that I highly recommend visiting to anyone with an interest in wine (or seeing the “Hot Poop” business sign).