When we visited many wineries in Seattle, we quickly realized how great the wine regions are for Syrah. As Syrah happens to be one of our favorite grapes, we truly were in heaven and brought back many bottles to enjoy over the subsequent months and years.
One such bottle was from Amavi Cellars, and their 2018 Syrah was a bit unique in that it had some interesting jammy fruit characteristics!
It only took a while after arriving in Washington that we realize this state produces some pretty incredible grapes. Not only that, but Washington wineries tend to produce similar to two renowned Old World styles- namely Bordeaux and Rhone blends.
As we are fans of all things Rhone wine (less so Bordeaux, if we are being honest), we were drawn to sampling as much Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre as we could in Washington.
So when we were visiting Latta Vineyards outside of Seattle (after trying a bottle of their amazing Grenache), we found ourselves heading next door to Rotie Cellars immediately thereafter. As the name comes from one of the best wine regions in the Rhone (making arguably some of the finest Syrah in the world), we knew we had to give them a try.
As it turns out, their Southern Rhone Blend was a winner!
Before discussing Cave Ridge's Pet Nat, Le Bon Minou, we should take a step back and make a special note of the winery itself.
I was fortunate enough to visit Cave Ridge in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia on a trip and found it to be one of the most beautiful wineries in Shenandoah. The ambiance was so nice, in fact, that I stuck around for an extra glass of wine after my flight simply to soak up the view, which, as luck would have it, ended up being the Le Bon Minou Pet Nat- of which I naturally bought a bottle.
So while this winery is indeed quite remote, even by Shenandoah standards (I later sent my brother, particularly for another Pet Nat bottle, and his only reply once there was “how did you find this place?!”). Yes, it is that remote.
But those making the trek to this particular vineyard will love it for the views, but you'll want to stay for another to try the Le Bon Minou if it is not available in a flight.
We have becoming bigger fans of Grenache the more we drink it, especially Grenaches grown in Washington and Oregon in particular.
When we had a chance to try out Willamette Valley Vineyards Griffin Creek Grenache courtesy of wine service Divvy-Up, we jumped on it and opened the bottle for Thanksgiving dinner just a short while after it was delivered.
When we decided to visit friends in Seattle, we knew we wanted to get out to experience several Washington wineries.
At first, we had our hearts set on hitting a proper wine region like those found in the Columbia Valley towards the eastern side of the state. But we quickly scrapped that plan when we found out that many wineries in Washington are not estate operated- that is to say, wine producers typically do not grow their own grapes.
While this is not always the case, we found that tasting rooms in proper wine regions are few and far between- so much so that planning a visit seemed a bit too daunting. There are fields upon fields of grapes, naturally, but when it comes to trying the final products at proper tasting rooms, we weren't quite sure if it made sense for us given how far of a drive the region is from Seattle.
As it turns out, many of the most well-known wineries in the state are actually based in the greater Seattle metro area! These wineries typically buy their grapes directly from vineyards all over the state but ferment, package, bottle, sell, and pour samples at their tasting rooms much closer to the city.
So we decided to stick close to Seattle and hit up a dozen wineries in nearby Woodinville, Bainbridge Island, and even within the city limits of Seattle proper and we quickly found out how much the region loves Rhone and Bordeaux varietals outright!
We often lament about how we need more Spanish-style tapas bars in the country and European wine bars in general. So when I read about Barcelona Wine Bar in Washington DC and found that it was just a mile or so away from the hotel I was staying at, you know I had to go.
To say this wine bar checks both of those boxes is an understatement. But while you are not likely to get a free tapa with every wine order (like some tapas bars we went to in Spain), you will get the next best thing in all respect. That is to say, small plates, affordable prices, and an incredible selection all around.
Call me hooked on this great wine bar in DC!
When it comes to rose wines, we can enjoy them any time of year for any reason with (almost) any food pairing. But some rose wines rise above the rest and become something truly special worth savoring and pairing with the very best food.
Jaine's Sustainable Vineyards Rose is one such wine, and this 100% Grenache rose may go down as our very favorite yet.
When it comes to thinking about boxed wine, we often remember the lower-quality beverages we had way back in our younger days. As some of the connotations that go along with this packaging medium are generally on the negative side, we've not really rushed to try out any of the new brands pushing boxed wines that have been popping up in recent years.
It wasn't until Gratsi contacted us to see if we wanted to try their Washington-grown Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon that we decided to give boxed wine a chance. All we have to say is if boxed wine was like this when we had it last, we may have not waited so long to try them again.
To be sure, this is table wine. But it is damn good table wine, and at 3L per box provides an ample amount of wine for meals, cooking, and even some sneaky sips here or there all at a respectable price point.
We could get used to that.
While our love affair with the Sonoma winery, Arista, is primarily due to their stellar Pinot Noirs, we have been known to sample some of their other offerings like Chardonnay and even a rose made from Pinot Noir from time to time.
The rose from the Russian River Valley may not pack as much of a full-body punch as its intense-red siblings, but this rose wine from Sonoma checks the boxes for us all the same.
If you are not familiar with the red grape Lemberger, you may know it by its German name- Blaufrankisch. This grape is grown primarily in central Europe and especially in and around Austria where we have had many glasses during our visits.
But Lemberger is becoming more and more popular outside of Europe, and the Finger Lakes in the United States is one such wine region growing this grape successfully.
We tried this one while at Damiani on Seneca Lake and knew we had to come home with a bottle.