If you decide to go to Walla Walla, I can let you know some spots to go to and avoid. The plus side of that region is you will have the variety you want and the prices will be great. Downside is the town is quite a bit away from a decent metropolis and not easy to get to unless you fly in. You'll find different varieties and styles in Walla Walla like Okanagan, and the size and scope of the operations will be more along that line than compared to Napa. Walla Walla wine is also quite a bit better than Okanagan. If you just want a wine trip, Walla Walla is worth it. If a wine trip is part of the agenda, you won't be able to find a lot to do around the region unless you commute a few hours
I haven’t done much in Sonoma. Walla Walla vs Napa, I’m not sure what either will look like with potentially lingering COVID protocols but they’re just very different experiences. WW is a 50k town with a college, prison and wineries. It is hard to get to (can connect through SEA to Pasco (45-60 minute drive) or possibly WW) but easier to get tastings where you want and everything has a small town feel. Napa, depending on budget, can be anywhere from them rolling out red carpet and being treated really well to feeling like cattle being moved from station to station on group tours or through tasting rooms. WW is more personal in terms of lingering and getting to talk to people that wear many hats and Napa is more toward talking to hospitality professionals. Both can be great experiences.
Spent the weekend in the Willamette Valley wine tasting. Unbelievable time with some great friends. Drank too much but no regrets. Friday Sokol Blosser Solena Estate Argyle White Rose Argyle was the least favorite of the four but part of our group wanted a place that had bubbles and they do that well. The sparkling rose is very good. White Rose was our favorite Pinot of the day but we loved the whole cluster Pinot they produce. Sokol Blosser the favorite spot to go for a tasting. Saturday Natalie’s estate winery Cramoisi Vineyard Tendril wine cellars Domaine Serene Natalie’s sort of missed the mark for us based on the tasting, time and palate of the group. Tasting was Chards and Cabs at like 10am and we just weren’t into after a long day Friday. Cramoisi was amazing. Really enjoyed meeting the owner/winemaker and doing a vineyard tour. Wine was great. Tendril we had a wonderful tasting outside on a picnic table on a beautiful afternoon. Domaine Serene was a little too opulent for us. We liked the wine. Amazing views from the patio.
Gramercy is #1 for me. Less for the experience and more for the quality. Schedule a tasting and do it first thing in the day so your palate is fresh because the wines are more subtle and nuanced. Rotie Cellars and Force Majeure have both recently opened tasting rooms out in their vineyards in the Rocks. I haven’t done either tasting experience so that would be the top of my list next time I’m there but if it’s your first time you may want to pick areas of town and hit those for convenience. Rotie also had a tasting room on Main St which I believe has transitioned to sister brands (Proper and House of Bones) is convenient and in that area are Spring Valley Vineyards, Mark Ryan, Doubleback (Bledsoe), House of Smith, Seven Hills, and there is a Reynvaan off-shoot called Result of a Crush that has been rebranded The Unnmamed and I believe they were moving the tasting room (not sure if it’s reopened). And of those to me would be good to hit before dinner in the area. South of town there is Rasa and a grouping off JB George Rd that has Sleight of Hand, Pepper Bridge, Va Piano, Saviah and a whole bunch more. There is an airport east of downtown that has a bunch of smaller and start-up wineries. Dunham, Buty, Corvus, Tamarack, etc There is west of town that has stuff like L’Ecole No. 41, Woodward Canyon, Long Shadows Breakfast: Bacon & Eggs (classic) and Maple Counter (sweeter profile) Lunch to-go: Graze Lunch sit-down: Sweet Basil’s pizza Dinner: Saffron, Brasserie 4, The Marc (hotel restaurant had a chef’s table) Drinks/bar: Passatempo (food looked ok too)
Pretty oaky for the first hour, which is be expected. Really opened up after that and it was fantastic. I'm loving these 17s recently and I think they'll largely have pretty long lives. The '16 Hudelot Noellat was a disappointment for sure, so we actually ordered the champagne to make up for it.
I mean, yes, though there were five of us. The Chambolle I brought from home and it was free corkage. $125 for the Chartogne-Taillet and $199 for the Clerget CdV, so really only $325 for three bottles between five people.
“The absurd red” - don’t know enough about wine to give an in-depth description but it’s a red blend. it’s definitely a headache to procure - can attest to that.
ryno23 maybe? I got a case and it tasted like shit. I like a good value but this isn’t worth it. If you want a good value go with De Negoxe.
Was a hell of a day after traveling 12 hours round trip to buy a new car and spend a bit more than planned. Opened a 2016 Opus One while my wife was getting ready. I had spent enough money so what was a little more at this point.
Spent all day moving into our first house. Just a straightforward Stags Leap Cabernet tonight, back at it tomorrow
You are probably responsible for half the wine purchases over the last year between berserker day, last bottle and de negoce. So naturally I am going to blame you. I could also have you confused with someone else.
This was basically a month long project to get everything in on time for a client coming in town. But yea he had like a 400k night in total.
What's everyone drinking for the 4th? I'm probably going with a bunch of riesling, champagne, and a few dueling chardonnays.
I'll be celebrating American independence by having a couple Canadian Brut Rose's I got from the Okanagan Valley before the world almost died. Here's to hoping the 2019 vintage hasn't soured
Paired NV Delamotte BdB Brut with some Sichuan food last night. Was a nice change up and ended up being a good pairing. Crisp acidity and fruity notes really refreshed the palate after the numbing spiciness of the food. For the 4th, most likely steaks and a 2012 Fantesca “All Great Things- Duty”.
Heading to a friend's house for the weekend and she enjoys wine. Wanted to bring a bottle to say thanks for letting me crash here for a weekend and another bottle as a house warming gift. Was hoping to keep them under $25 or so per bottle. Any suggestions? She's a red wine drinker.
Chateauneuf-du-Pape is a crowd pleaser. $25 is the low end of the range and $35+ is more common. If not CdP, you can probably find Gigondas or Vacqueryras at $25 or cotes-du-Rhone at ~$15. It’s a bit more hit or miss but you can get really good Rioja at that price and you may just need guidance from knowledgeable staff about their inventory. There is so much from CA or WA and plenty from OR that could hit, I would need to see a list of inventory. That is just what came to mind for me. It’s a very open ended question which makes a good answer hard.