Weekend Wine: Washington Riesling (Chateau Ste Michelle Dr. Loosen Eroica 2005, $18)

 
If you, like us, tend to prefer dry white wines over sweet ones, the Chateau Ste Michelle Dr. Loosen Eroica 2005 may surprise you.  This off-dry, German style Riesling makes a seriously positive impression thanks to its exceptional balance of a touch of sugar, a slightly bigger body than usual for the varietal, and bright, but consistent, acidity throughout.  It was particularly the latter quality of the wine that effectively neutralized any issue [...]

“Don’t Miss” Wine Country Weekend Events (Feb 29 – Mar 2, 2008)

Here are events we think are worth checking out this week:

California

Sonoma

Russian River Wine Road 30th Annual Barrel Tasting: March 1 – 2 & 8 – 9, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.; see list of participating wineries by clicking here; $20 at the door of the first winery you visit gets you free unlimited tastings at all [...]

Weekday Wine: Argentine Bonarda (Sur de los Andes Bonarda 2006, $11)

 
Bonarda, an Argentine grape, accounts for more acreage than Malbec in Argentina.  Despite this, I’d guess that most people in the U.S. probably haven’t heard of it.  In fact, I have to admit that I am speaking from experience: up until I came into possession of this bottle by gift a few weeks ago, I hadn’t heard of [...]

Travel Itinerary: Russian River Valley

         
In our post of last Monday, we reviewed Iron Horse Vineyards in the Russian River Valley, one of our favorite wineries in Northern California.  Combine the below itinerary with a visit to Iron Horse or any of the other RRV wineries, and you’re guaranteed a postcard perfect wine country visit.
1.  Wine Tasting: Begin in the early [...]

Weekend Wine

Every once in a while we open a bottle for which we had high hopes that ends up disappointing – fortunately, it’s rare, but it happens.  Last night, the poor performer was intended to be the subject of today’s Weekend Wine posting: a Viognier from California’s Lodi region.  The wine in question lacked structure because it was too short on acidity, and it had what we felt were [...]

“Don’t Miss” Wine Country Weekend Events (Feb 23-24, 2008)

Here are some activities that we recommend for this weekend and beyond:

California (Calistoga)

Vincent Arroyo Barrel Tasting Event: February 23, 10:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at Vincent Arroyo Winery; no tasting fee.  This is the annual barrel tasting event at Vincent Arroyo Winery, which we reviewed in our February 4th posting, and it occurs on the last Saturday of each February.  [...]

Weekday Wine: Bergerac Merlot (Château la Colline Côté Ouest 2004, $13.50)

 
Recently, I was looking for a reasonably priced Merlot in the ten to fifteen dollar range, when I came upon the Château la Colline Côté Ouest 2004.  Aside from being a superb value at $13.50 and another perfect companion on a chilly winter’s day, the Côté Ouest’s blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon is made all the more [...]

Winery Review: Iron Horse Vineyards

     
In recognition of Presidents’ Day, we thought it timely to talk about Iron Horse Vineyards, whose wines have been served by every presidential administration in the White House since 1985, the year when then-President Ronald Reagan brought its sparkling wines to his historic summit meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev in Reykjavik, Iceland.  But while this winery’s connections to Washington, D.C. distinguish [...]

Weekend Wine: Oregon Pinot Noir (ICI/LA-BAS “Leopold” White Rose Vineyard 2001, $24)

 
I really could not wait to open the above-named wine last night.  It came highly recommended to me as underpriced for an aged Oregonian Pinot Noir of such high quality.  As much as I love Pinot Noirs, my favorites are the versions from cooler climates, of which Oregon is a perfect example.  The body tends to be lighter, and it’s less fruit forward, than, say, Californian versions.  Unfortunately, Oregonian Pinot Noirs tend [...]

“Don’t Miss” Wine Country Weekend Events (Feb 15-17, 2008)

 
Here are a few events worth checking out this weekend and beyond:

California (San Francisco)

San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Public Tasting: February 16, 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. at Fort Mason Center’s Festival Pavilion; entry fee is $50 if purchased in advance, $70 if purchased at the door.  This is a public tasting of the wines that were evaluated in [...]