The Lake Chelan AVA is only a year and a half old, officially, and, like sampling wine out of the barrel, one can only give their best estimate to how it will preform once it’s been through bottle shock. That being said, a good winemaker & vineyard manager can give a pretty good guesstimation to what that wine will do. Here’s a recap of my three-day whirlwind tasting through Lake Chelan’s wine district.

It’s new & growing (in a good way)

I must have tried about 15 different varietals over a three-day tasting around the like. All of the Spanish reds were there: Tempranillo & Grenache. There were a few Bordeaux blends present (though the Petit Verdot was MIA), a few Italians made their presence around the sloping waterfront hillsides, and nearly everyone had an Alsacian, a.k.a, a Riesling. In addition, the Pinot grape also made a cameo, alongside a Sparkling. In my thirst (no pun intended) to figure out which varietal does the best per the climate, I came away still not knowing. I figure with a few more years, a few gems will begin to emerge.

Wines by the glass

What through me for a loop was that all the wineries I visited had their wines available by the glass. It was something I had rarely seen in a winery, let alone in all wineries. I took up the offer, and finished off my evening on the first night kicking back underneath the misters at Hard Row to Hoe (and with the mercury pushing 85+ at 6:00 at night, the misters were quite enjoyable). With most wineries offering beautiful vistas of the lake, it’s easily to indulge your taste buds while getting lost in a kodak moment.

Overall Impression

While it is a new AVA, certain wineries could have fooled me into thinking they have been around for a decade or longer (ok, for the record, Lake Chelan winery has been around for a decade). However with scenic vistas of grapes seeming to flow endlessly to the water’s edge, very hospitable staff members, and a myriad of varietals to choose from, Chelan ranks high on the desirability scale when choosing which AVA to vacation in. It is a drive to get to from the Seattle area (or anywhere else for that matter). But trust me. When you get here, you won’t want to leave. It’s just too gosh darn beautiful. Welcome to the big leagues Lake Chelan (AVA).

Cheers,
Haydn

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com

At least for me, when it comes to summertime, the rose wine jumps right up to the top. Along with those crisp whites (hello New Zealand), the cool and refreshingness of  a rose is hard to beat. And when wine tasting in a region where the summer temps are hovering in the 90s, something cold is almost always something good.

Such was the case with the Hard Row to Hoe Shameless Hussy Rose, made from the Sangiovese grape. When describing this wine, I realized all of the bad Freudian slips that could easily be derived from such a tempting name. Without going all the way (sorry, no pun intended) into their history, the cliff notes go something like this: It’s based upon a brothel whereby the only mode of transportation to get there was by boat, or row boat, in the name’s case.

This rose is made for the summer. It’s crisp, refreshing, and loaded with bright berries, including strawberries and raspberries. The nose is beautiful with images of red berries dancing around your nose. It would go great with crab cakes (no, not those crabs) and cool brie cheese on a sunny afternoon.

As a Lake Chelan wine tasting virgin, this was a great wine to taste what Lake Chelan can produce, be it in a Rose. Overall Hard Row to Hoe’s wines were balanced with a comfortable amount of tannins and acid to them. And while the Syrah was the wine that won out to sip out on their covered balcony with misters running at full strength, the rose left one of the biggest, um, impressions in my mine. I now need to go was my… glass.

Cheers,
Haydn

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com

Much like the Carignane grape, the Cabernet Franc can be easily overshadowed by some bigger name varietals. Yet it’s importance and character is crucial in some of the best Bordeaux (blends) around. And while at times it can easily take a supporting role, the wine by itself is easily able to hold it’s own.

Such is the case (no pun intended) with Peju’s 2007 Cabernet Franc from the Napa Valley, grown at the estate’s Persephone Ranch Vineyard located in Pope Valley. The ’07 spent 16 months in barrel and then was given a chance to take a nap for a year. The wine was just released this month (July).

The wine displays lovely notes of tobacco, a bit of smoke, perhaps off of a wooded plank, as well as a bit of black currant. It’s dark, deep, and a tad mysterious due to it’s large tannin structure. Peju is suggesting the tannins will mellow out in a year. If so, the wine will start to roar right around Christmas time. I imagine that once the tannins settle, this wine will truly sparkle. It has a great potential to do so and can turn out to be one stellar Cabernet Franc. Cellar and drink within about 4-6 years.

Cheers,
Haydn

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com

With the exception of San Francisco, it seems like summer is in full swing for most of America. And with summertime comes warm nights and cool drinks. At least for me, my whites department get a bit thin come August. And while I enjoy good crisp New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc like the rest of the kiwis, it’s the rose which is my go to drink this summer for cool wines.

Last Sunday I had the pleasure of discovering a new Grenache rose, from Kunde Estates, located in the heart of Sonoma. The rose is comprised is close to being called a blend, with it being made up of 80% Grenache, 17% Syrah, and 3% Viognier.

The first thing you’ll notice about this wine is it’s color. It almost glows with a deep and bright red, pushing a bit into the purple-violet area a bit. All of the a sudden, the Pinot Noir rose I had next to it seemed to turn more of a salmon color, but compared. For such an overall subtle grape, the Grenache, the color did not hold back.

This wine will make you smile. It speaks to summertime; fresh strawberries, a touch of raspberry along with a little watermelon. The wine is a tad sweeter than some of it’s dryer Grenache rose cousins, thanks in part to a bit of residual sugar.

Summertime and Kunde’s 2009 Grenache Rose are a perfect compliment. It will cool you down and delight your taste buds without breaking the bank with the beautiful price.

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com

At Dutcher Crossing, it was the growers time to shine this past weekend. The winery held a barrel and tank tasting complete with the growers themselves holding the wine thieves (the tool used to sample wine from a barrel). This was something I’ve very rarely experienced.

I found it immensely pleasurable to chat with the ones who tended to the very grapes that I now have in my glass. They were enjoyable to chat with, learning about how each one cared for the grapes in a different way, depending upon the conditions they were in.

I found it fascinating how the Bernier-Sibary Zinfandel was a true field blend— a replica percentage planting of the grapes. While that is the true definition of the term “field blend”, more often than not wineries are using it more in conjunction to simply indicate a blend.

Some of the wines surprised me, as was the case with the ’08 Cabernet Sauvignon. I would have guessed before even tasting that the tannins would have been charging towards my taste buds faster than a sports car. However, and to my enjoyment, the tannins were immensely subdued, to which the grower also concurred.

A great sampling of tank and barrel sampled coupled with scrumptious food made my wine tasting at Dutcher Crossing one I will not soon forget. If you’re in Dry Creek, take a trip north to Dutcher Crossing. The stories, if not only the wine, will surely excite you!

Cheers,
Haydn

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County (and at times, Napa Valley) looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com.

One great combination is Zinfandel and dark chocolate. The medium to dark berries coupled with a bit of spice / pepper (you don’t want too much pepper) are natural compliments to the almost bitter dark chocolate. Pick your Zins from well-known Zinfandel regions, such as Dy Creek, Paso Robles or Lodi. Remember to not have too much pepper on the tongue or the taste of the chocolate will be muted.

When picking out a dark chocolate, try to stay near or above 70%. Too light and the intensity of the chocolate won’t match the strength of the wine. Good friend, and fellow blogger, Kelly Staples of dogs2cents.com (a great read about the life of Lucy in wine country), recently paired a Pezzi King Zinfandel from Dry Creek with blueberries and dark chocolate. The fruit forwardness of the wine and the ample tannins mixed extremely well with both the fruit and the chocolate. Much like a decanter is used to amplify the wine’s notes, so to does the chocolate. A simply Zin turned extraordinary with the help of one extra component.

Have you tried Zinfandel and Dark Chocolate? If you, what’s your take on it? I’d love to hear from you on either the comments here or through twitter @haydnadams.

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County (and at times, Napa Valley) looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com.

Best of Show – Stein Family

A new discovery and overall best of show winner was Stein Family Winery. Josh Stein was on hand to personally pour his two wines— a 2009 Los Carneros Semi-Dry Gewürztraminer and his Just Joshin 2007 Tempranillo, from the Sierra Foothills. The Gewürztraminer was beautiful with honeysuckle and rose pedals on the mid-palate with a big of orange and lemon to round it out. A touch of residual sugar adds to this wine, kicking up the acidity a bit and making it a desirable wine for my next outing to a thai restaurant.

The tempranillo further illustrated that, to me, the grape is Cabernet’s baby sister. It ripe and ready to drink now, though you might want to wait a few years for the soft tannins to further settle. There’s a bit of blueberries and red berries mixed with a mocha aspect, further added by a dusting of dirt (terrior). Tempranillos have a higher bit of acidity, making it perfect for your next lamb shank dish.

Here are a few other noteworthy wines of the Crush Barrel Wine Market:

Aver Family Vineyard 2007 Homage (Syrah) – The wine is tasting beautifully right now. The tannins have somewhat resided and what you are left with is a medium spice coupled with a bit of vanilla and dark berries. It’s ready to drink now, though you could lay this down for another few years.

Ricardus Corculum 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon – Using a mixture of new French Oak as well and neutral, Ricardus Corculum has crafted a beautiful Cab. Blackberries can be found both on the mid-palate, along with a cedar plank spice and a bit of mocha. The wine is clean, with good, strong tannins. This is a wine that you’ll want to lay down for 10+ years.

R&B Cellars Fortissimo “Port” Desert Wine – A beautiful wine to finish off the wine tasting. I coupled this with a few chocolates from different tables to really get this port to shine. Tobacco, leather and plum can easily be found in this wine. It’s thick and leathery; simply beautiful.

Cheers,
Haydn

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County (and at times, Napa Valley) looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com.

It can happen to even the best of us. But just how many wines can one taste before their taste buds give up? It really depends on your experience level. The answer is the same as how you get to Carnegie Hall: practice.

I was talking with fellow wine expert, and International Wine Competition panelist, Beth Niles, about this subject. She recalled that her limit is about 20 wines, give or take a few. I’ve found that I can usually get to about 30 wines before everything tastes like a Zinfandel. Even with our super palates, it’s going to happen. The important part here is to know when you hit that limit.

If you’re new to wine tasting, you might not even reach double digits. That is fine. It’s just means that you’re palate hasn’t had enough practice in the wine tasting arena. If you do want to improve the amount of wines you can taste, start investigating new varietals and wineries. It’s safe to drink what you like, but at some point, if you want to get to the higher level, you’re going to have to start venturing out to uncharted varietals.

With practice, over time, you’ll begin to delay that palate fatigue. The crucial part is to know when you’ve hit your limit and head back to the Champagne.

Cheers,
Haydn

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County (and at times, Napa Valley) looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com.

One thing I greatly enjoy doing while traveling is discovering the local wine bars of the area. I enjoy seeing what the wine buyer of the region has selected to round out his portfolio for the restaurant. Is it all Napa-selected Cabs or a mixture of Spanish Tempranillos infused with Argentinian Malbecs? Traveling to Denver on a business trip, I decided to check out Indulge Wine bar, located about 20 minutes south in Highlands Ranch.

The space inside of Indulge Wine bar is beautiful. A large glass cellar awaits you upon entering. A beautiful visual portfolio of wine, labels clearly present and readable, were available for visual inspection. The overall decor is quite modern with a brown hue to the overall color inside. Actually, I’d more closely resemble it more to a darker Bordeaux red/purple that has aged for a good decade. The music inside was a hip lounge sound and the lighting was a bit dim, but made for a more of a romantic tone.

While sitting inside was a good idea, I chose to sit outside and gaze at the sunset over the rocky mountains. Having a warm rosé in my hand, the server for our table brought out an ice bucket and I began chilling the rosy mourvedre. In the interim time period, I selected a glass of sparkling wine to kick off the evening. Within minutes a beautiful sparkling, which turned out to be Prosecco, came out. The temperature was cool, but not overly cold that it chilled my taste buds. Light hints of white almonds mixed with apples covered in a light dusting of powdered sugar were present. A great start to a wonderful evening.

Waiting for the food to arrive and for the rosé to finish chilling, I scanned the wine list and made verbal notes to myself. There was a good selection of international wines, along with a good amount from around the U.S. I especially liked the varietal of the wines by the glass, from a Vourvay (Chenin Blanc) to some big Cabs & Syrahs from Napa.

The waiter was knoweldgable, friendly and attentive at just the right time. The only little issue I had was that the corkage fee was $20. I understand that restaurants need to charge corkage to makeup the difference from you ordering a bottle, but still at $20, especially considering the rosé was purchased for the same price, it seemed a little steep. I was taken a little aback by that, however when your wine’s chilling out in ice waiting to be open, there isn’t a lot one can do at that time. Their website doesn’t disclose the price, either.

Aside from that, and a slight mix-up with our pizza order, I had a splendid time. So much so, that I came back the following night and had the Vourvay. Being at a high altitude, I soon realized that one is more easily intoxicated being 5,280 feet plus above sea level. And so the Vourvay, coming in at around 12.5%, was perfect. The wine bar also features a fully-stocked bar, so if you’re tired of wine, you can switch to a Cognac or Scotch.

Overall, the restaurant is quite pleasurable, the staff is friendly and the wine list is quite bountiful. If you’re in the Highlands Ranch area, stop in and have a glass. Your taste buds will thank you.

Cheers,
Haydn

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County (and at times, Napa Valley) looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com.

100. triple digits. The apex of the point system. Needless to say I was excited to sample what Robert Parker considers to be a 100pt wine. I’ve had a fair share of 98s and 99s in the past, but I’ve yet to sample a triple digit rated wine.

So was it worthy of 100pts you might ask? The answer is, I don’t know. To me, I’d give it a 95-96. It is a beautiful wine. The complexity of this wine is up there with the Saturday New York Times crossword puzzle. The flavor profiles consisted from wet leather and tobacco to a bit of blackberry and currants. To Robert Parker’s credit, he has had many more Bordeaux (blends) that I have had and with that I feel better in his decision to anoint the 2007 La Joie by Vérité with the highest rating a wine can be bestowed upon.

Apparently, and I’ve yet to fact-check this, it’s the first time a Sonoma wine has received a 100pt rating. If you’re quickly thinking about Ridge, that wine originated from the Santa Cruz highlands AVA, not from Dry Creek.

As Robert Parker suggests, and I’ll agree with him on this one, this wine needs to slumber in your cellar for a good decade, or longer. It’s made to go the distance. Overall I’m beyond satisfied with the way this wine tasted. It’s given me a good benchmark to which I’ll judge Bordeaux (blends) and other wines of this caliber. The tastes buds are happy.