Live Wine Blogging Session #1 White wines

This is a the wildest way to taste wine ever. Each winery has 5 minutes to tell their story and pour their wines. Then they switch and move on to the next table. I think I tasted 13-14 wines; below I mention and blog about 13 of them!

Big House White 2009

White wine in a box that’s shaped in an 8 sided container called Octogon. One Octogon has 4 bottles. Stays fresh for 6 weeks instead of a couple of days . Made by Adam Richardson senior winemaker, but a local artisan wine maker makes the wine Georgetta Dane from Romania. But there’s some gal she mentioned too. Malvasia, muscat, viognier, gruner, pinot gris, reilsing. Very aromatic, really unexpected that it’s quite decent. $20 more or less because it’s a lot cheaper to produce and distribute. People will like this and change their opinion of wine in a box.

2008 Viognier from Maryhill in the Columbia Gorge

and you can see the Columbia River there and they have lots of concerts and stuff.
Produce 80,000 cases., 4000 of this wine. A bit cold now but will open and warm up. Retails at $12. Stainless steel mostly but one fermented in oak. This wine is distributed in 21 states. Will be pouring a zin tomorrow and they’re the largest producer of zin in WA. Taste like viognier.

2008 Genesis by Hogue

This is the reserve tier the best of their best about 3% of their total production. $16 retail. Columbia Valley. Lots of bright acidity esp from last year’s fruit. Hard to follow that viognier and Octogon but nice nice nice. I would choose this, buy this. Lime? Fresh, summery. Asian foods.

2008 Bordeaux white blend by Buty winery

Semillion/Sauv blanc/Muscadet and being poured by the winemaker and his wife. He’s spent time working in lots of different wineries here and in South Africa. These people have it going on. Gorgeous label, great info, very direct in giving me the info I want. Very informative. $25 a bottle. highly critically reviewed one of the highest in WA. Basalt cobbles. Rock on label. Basalt underlies this area and so they want to show their sense of place in the bottle.

Dusted Valley with Chad Johnson’s rose

He’s the winemaker, owner, grower. Their label was rejected by Alabama because of they say they can see nipples on the label. 52% mourvede, and some other rhone blends. Using Wisconsin oak  because it’s so seductive and not so in your face with a super tight grain and more spice, but this is from stainless. Lively

62% sauv Blanc, 38% SemillonDeLille (Bordeax) from Woodinville and Doyenne is Rhone

Jay Soloff is one of the funding owners. They were one of the pioneers 20 years ago. They’re getting most of their grapes from Red Mountina and Jay’s cvonvined those are the best. He likes ot work with wine growers not farmers. They believe in the persoan and how they’re growing the grapes they will turn into wine.  They make 12 wines and a total on 12,000 cases. 14.2 alc. meaty, earthy, rich. Maybe too cold?

Duck Pond Cellars Pinot Gris $15

1993 UC Davis grad Greg Fries and his family did this winery. Focus on pinot noir and gris. Produced 10,000 cases. Lots of yeast and wood. Most of the states etc so widely available. Willamette Valley, Dundee OR.

Centine 2009

From Tuscany, Banfi. Available all 50 states. They also have a rose and a red. Retails $11. Pinot grigio 30%, sauv blanc 40%, chard 30%. Light friendly “patio” wine. Pictured above is a happy Kate Corcoran with the wine.

Kung Fu girl reisling Columbia Valley $12

12% alc, lots of acidity. 25,000 cases. Getting

2009 viognier K Vinters. $22.

Jordan 2008 Russian River Valley

Oak, ML, 25% now; used to be 75% ML because John Jordan wants to make wine this way now and show $29 at the winery, $25 in a grocery store.. 30,000 cases. That’s a lot of chardonnay.

aMaurice 2008 Viognier $25

200 cases he’s looking for the coldest vineyards in the state in the microclimates where the air drains quickly. Daughter is the winemaker. She’s passionate about wine. Dad’s a real estate guy.

Cadaret from walla Wall valley 2008 $23

Est 2005 with first release of 2006 vintages in 2007.  79% sauv 21% semillon. Owner comes from lumber business and name comes from a ship that went up and down the coast.