Diving Headfirst into Woodinville

I have a good friend who grew up in Snohomish, Washington.  When we were in college back in the day, we took a spring break journey to the Westside one year and a highlight of that trip was a tour of the Redhook Brewery in Woodinville.  Two freshly minted 21 year old dudes, $1 tour, an amusing guide with an Australian accent, and all the samples we could drink?  Um, OK!  Well, for years after that I associated Woodinville with beer and it wasn't until I became a wino many years later that I realized there was more to Woodinville than met the eye back then.  Much more. It actually went down more like this:

Clive: The shit is real up here in Woodinville, yo.
Josh: OK.

Fortuitously, as many of you know, I just moved to Seattle and my condo is a short short 17 miles from this wonderland of wine and this weekend I had the opportunity to make my first appearance. Nestled in the Sammamish River Valley, wine has been in Woodinville since 1976 when Chateau Ste. Michelle set up shop there. In the years since, the small community has become home to over 70 wineries and tasting rooms. The majority of fruit you'll find in Woodinville comes from Eastern Washington, with a good mix of winemakers that produce in Woodinville balanced with Columbia Valley wineries who have opened a second tasting room. It's going to take a long time to hit all 70, woe is me.

Micheal was in town visiting after a non-wine conference and we made plans to meet some of his former students in the wine mecca. After texting Clive for some suggestions resulting in, "There are too many good wineries to pick one.", the party we were meeting suggested starting out at Columbia Winery. I think I twitched a little when Micheal announced that was where we were headed, but not one to rock the boat, off we went. Now, there's absolutely nothing wrong with Columbia, it's just so big and probably crowded and I was hoping to hit some boutique wineries that weren't out on every grocery store shelf. Luckily, the second winery would provide that opportunity. Columbia was as anticipated; a large impressive tasting facility with a bunch of people coming in by the busload and high production wines on the tasting menu. Regardless, we had a nice tasting, good conversation, and settled on old favorite for our next venture: Airfield Estates.

Rick profiled Airfield about a year ago after our visit to Prosser; if you recall we had a simply amazing experience at their main facility. I was excited to check out the digs a little closer to my new home, would this be my new backyard tasting room? Perhaps. We arrived at the tasting room and to my chagrin, it too was packed to the gills. I noticed immediately that they had done a great job of sticking with the aviation motive present in the Prosser winery. Don't worry, I quickly elbowed my way up to the bar and was greeted with a tasting list with many of my old favorites. I'm a sucker for their blends and jumped right into the reds (I was driving after all), and the Spitfire, Mustang, and Aviator were just how I remembered them -- awesome. In fact, I want to crack open a bottle right now. I'm a sucker for unique red blends and to refresh your memory, here's the rundown on two of them:

2008 Mustang: 53% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 8% Cinsault, 2% Counoise, 2% Mourvèdre

2008 Spitfire: 60% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 5% Malbec, 5% Petite Verdot

Delicious.  A nice unanticipated surprise was the bonus pour of 2009 Tempranillo, a recent gold medal winner at the San Francisco wine competition. I'd actually had this wine at a local wine bar a few times recently, but was taken by it in the tasting room. We closed down the place, and as we walked to the car our stomachs were growling. Where should all good trips to wine country end? A hot dog cart. Luckily there was one right across the street at DeLille and we bought everything they had left.

So, there's a start. I have a feeling that I'll be making my way to Woodinville quite a bit in the future and look forward to sharing it's wonders with my Oregon friends.

Woodinville's Efeste Wines

I've seen Efeste (pronounced F-S-T) at a good number of wine events and tastings, and I've even met the very nice, and very well regarded winemaker, Brennon Leighton a few times as well. And yet, somehow, I hadn't tasted their wine until relatively recently. When I realized that I had neglected that particular area of my wine education, I said to myself (in a Scottish accent like the Uncle Argyle of a young William Wallace), "Well that is something we shall have to remedy, isn't it?" Off I went to Efeste for a visit.

Efeste is located in the blossoming Woodinville Warehouse district, set slightly apart from the main thoroughfare. While the exterior is constrained by the warehouse in which it's located, the inside is a beautiful and modern tasting room. There is a $10 tasting fee (which Efeste waived, thanks, guys!), a nice bar, casual dining space, and some comfortable furniture. Towards the back of the space, Efeste has installed a series of windows that allow you to see into the production area.

Efeste's first vintage came out in 1995 under the direction of Delille Cellars' Chris Upchurch. From there, Upchurch recommended Brennon Leighton and the winery has been moving forward under his direction since 2007.

Brennon wasn't around when I showed up but I spoke with owners and bartenders, Dan & Patrick, who led me through their current releases. We started out with one of the most talked-about Efeste wine, the Feral, a Sauvignon Blanc. The Feral is produced using all natural fermentation, 100% neutral oak, and all indigenous yeast. This Sauvignon Blanc has a stony quality to it that I find unique; the native fermentation process makes it a bit less refined, and frankly, refreshing. This wine is definitely not your run of the mill Sauv Blanc, but is absolutely something you should try.

As we drank through their wines, Dan told me some of the stories that go along with the names of the wines, and the imagery on the label. Efeste can be a confusing name for the uninitiated, and people tend to over-pronounce it, and the the label is interesting albeit confusing. The pronounciaton is "F-S-T," the initials of the owners, but there are stories everywhere else.



Australia played a substantial role in Efeste's labeling and naming. The image on the label is the Aboriginal symbol for kangaroo, which are all over the place down under. Their Syrah, the Ceidleigh (pronounced "Kaylee"), is named after a waitress they met in Australia's Barossa Valey. The '07 Ceidleigh was a 93 pointer and is made using Red Mountain fruit. The wine is big and full and has the nuances you expect in a Red Mountain Syrah.

While I think my favorite wine was the Feral, my favorite story was about their Babbit Rose. They've been making the Rose for a few years, and it's named after a family friend who has since passed away, Dick Babitt. Every time they'd go out fishing or have a party, Dick would always bring along his box of White Zinfandel. When they decided to start making a pink wine, they knew they had to acknowledge their old friend.

Head out to Efeste so you can taste some excellent wine made in a way that respects tradition and the wine making process, and that pairs well with fascinating back stories.

New Woodinville Winery; Convergence Zone Cellars

It was quite some time ago that I found Convergence Zone Cellars on Twitter, actually it may have been they, and by they I mean Scott Greenberg found me. Scott had announced via the twitter machine that he was starting up a new winery in Woodinville and that we should be on the lookout.

Scott did a little "sumpthin sumpthin" for the #WAWine event up in his space in the Warehouse District and is getting ready to finally unleash his wines upon the wine drinking world with his grand opening on July 10th.

As Scott prepares to open he invited me up to check out the place, and to give his Convergence Zone Cellars wines a whirl. Scott is going to be rolling out two white wines in July his Riesling ($15) and his Sunbreak ($15) which is 100% Chenin Blanc. I was able to sample the Riesling from the tank (at the time of my visit nothing was in bottle). The wine was fruit forward with a little residual sugar, a certain palate pleaser for the summer. I wasn't able to taste Scott's Chenin nor did he have the Storm Front ($24 blend of Merlot and Cab) blended at the time. Scott plans to release the Storm Front in Autumn. We did barrel sample some of his 09 Cabernet Franc from Red Mountain, which was showing very well. Scott is looking to have three of the four 2009 wines he releases come from Red Mountain fruit. He has Cabernet, Merlot and Cabernet Franc from Red Mountain, and Malbec from the Gilbert Vineyards.


Scott is not a meteorologist but has a passing interest in the subject. He has always referred to Woodinville as "The Convergence Zone" and Woodinville has played a major role in his decision to make wine. The epiphany if you will came while out to dinner with his wife at The Barking Frog. Scott looked for a really nice bottle and settled on a Covington Cellars Cabernet. Scott was really blown away by wines that were being made just down the street from him.

Scott is in his fifth year dabbling in wine making, he got his start with simple kits. He started taking classes at the Northwest Wine Academy and has really appreciated the support that the Washington wine community has shown. Scott emailed a guy in Walla Walla asking a question and he got a very thoughtful two page response. It's that kind of camaraderie that has Scott thinking he's made the right move going into wine, and Woodinville.

A fun anecdote Scott shared was the origin of his labels. The design came from Pennsylvania, my home state. Scott's son is an online gamer and a guy he played World of Warcraft with collaborated with him on the bottle design. (Which is very slick looking by the way.)

Scott Greenberg is making wine because it's a sincere passion of his. This is usually a combination that leads to success for the winemaker, and a real treat for wine drinkers. Go see Scott in the Convergence Zone on July 10th and tell him I said hello.

Dusted Valley...And A Secret Society of Wine Operatives

I received a top secret message via the twitter machine that Dusted Valley, the Washington Winery of the Year was having an event, and they were asking for my participation. As the Washington Correspondent for The Oregon Wine Blog, sometimes these things happen to me.

The event was billed as a special opportunity for wine media to check out the Woodinville tasting room and meet winemakers Chad and Corey. There were several staff pouring the whites and reds as well as media folks like the guy from winefoot.com, Duane.

I started out sampling their Viognier and Chardonnay, both of which were very good.

After the whites, I moved over to the bar in the tasting room, which only opened last summer. The bar showcased an extensive line of red wines available that evening; I started with the Grenache. Of the reds, two that really stood out for me were the Wallywood and the Reserve Syrah. Wallywood is a play on their two locations (Walla Walla and Woodinville) and the Reserve Syrah is a true gem.

Chad Johnson, one of the two winemakers, came over and we chatted about how often he hears the Ocho Cinco jokes, and then I went and made one more. We talked about the wines, and about the fact that they recently changed the Squirrel Tooth Alice to a blend more in the style of a Chateauneuf du Pape. Chad and I also talked about their move from cork to screwcaps, which took place after their first release came out in cork.

It was then that I started to feel a little funny. As I began to pay closer attention it occurred to me that something else was going on. All of the tasting room staff were attractive blonde women, like in the spy movies. I had found out about the event through a top secret message via the twitter machine. It was all becoming clear to me.

I looked around and noticed that the other media people were gone. It was just me, Chad and Corey, the blonde staff, and two poets who approached me with a cache of supplies. I was being asked to join their secret society of highly trained, almost ninja-like wine operatives: The Stained Tooth Society. I agreed to the offer - I felt it was one I couldn't refuse anyways.

I looked at my cache. It included a CD with special operative instructions, which I was to destroy after learning my mission details. My charge was to spread the word that a quality fine wine out of Walla Walla could be made by Midwesterners, and could come in a bottle without a cork.

My other supplies included a stained tooth top secret garment, to be worn only at our secret meetings. A stained tooth brush, as I could not risk being discovered. After sharing this Dusted Valley treasure with the doubters, I was to brush my teeth, and erase all trace of my affiliation. There was also a bottle of 2006 Reserve Syrah. If we were going to convince someone of cork free quality, this special potion would do the trick. Finally, there was a rock. I'm still working on figuring that one out. Should I use it to start a signal fire in case of an emergency? If I'm apprehended should I try to swallow the rock? It's easily the size of my fist.

If you haven't had Dusted Valley wines, keep an eye out. It could be that one of the members of The Society is sitting across from you at the dinner table; pouring at your local wine bar; or the wine steward at your local grocer. We're out there, and you may not know who we are. But we know who you are and we're coming for you.

Fit for Ceres: Dusted Valley Comes to Woodinville

Dusted Valley, Walla Walla's 52nd winery, has been making wine since 2003. Brothers-in-law Chad and Corey, originally from Wisconsin, decided to pursue their love of wine by moving to Walla Walla and are now making 4,000 cases yearly.

Dusted Valley recently changed labels with their 06/07 releases and in one man's opinion, this was a huge move in the right direction. I know it's what's in the bottle that counts, but marketing does matter and it would appear that given a lot of their recent moves, Dusted Valley has really got the marketing line down. There is a lot that's new with Dusted Valley: the newer labels, the most brilliantly named wine club in Washington, the Stained Tooth Society, as well as the new Woodinville location are making Dusted Valley a name and wine that should be on everyone's lips.

The Dusted Valley tasting room opened in Woodinville this past July, located in the small plaza with Purple Cafe, right off of the roundabout (behind Brian Carter and DeLille's tasting rooms).

The Dusted Valley space is a store front and is very well decorated on the inside. Their emphasis is on maximizing the space, meaning there's not a ton of wine on hand, but they've been able to have a cozy tasting room in the front of the shop, and a space that's large enough for small private events as well.

The wines are very well done and they showcase the Washington fruit very nicely. Dusted Valley makes wines out of Walla Walla, Columbia and Yakima Valley fruit. While Dusted Valley is a smaller operation, they make a variety that is enviable. The tasting room had on hand the 2006 Chardonnay, the 2007 Grenache, Cab Franc, Mouvedre, three different Syrahs, and the Barrel Thief Red, a Sangiovese and Tempranillo blend.

All of the wines were good. My favorites were the un-named Syrah ($27), the Grenache ($28) and the Barrel Thief Red ($26). The $8 tasting fee can be applied to a purchase (Dusted Valley waived my fee. Thanks, guys!)

Dusted Valley is "cork-free" on all of their wines which is not only about protecting their investment, but it also had to do with their commitment to sustainability and the impacts of cork harvesting.

Dusted Valley has an interesting barrel project in the works, using oak from the winemaker's home state of Wisconsin. If you're in Woodinville you should make the Dusted Valley tasting room a must do; they're open daily from 12 to 5pm.

Matthews Estate: The Kids are Alright

In conjunction with the release of their 2007 Claret, Matthews Estate recently had a barrel tasting of their 2008 Claret. I learned about the event through Twitter, an aspect of social media to which I'm relatively new. Matthews Estate, like many wineries, is making moves toward pulling in a younger demographic. They've thrown in with youth in hiring of winemaker Aryn Morrell who is not yet thirty and has cut his teeth at wineries down in Napa Valley including Silver Oak.

I was hopeful that this event would shed some light on how Matthews was utilizing social media to bring a younger crowd to their wines. Our first impressions were a bit auspicious - we parked next to a Bentley, not the typical car for the under forty crowd. The barrel room was packed with people. Overall, the crowd was quite young. I'd put the average age of everyone in attendance at around 40, which is pretty goodfor a private wine event for a premium winery in Woodinville.

I spoke with one of the owners, Cliff Otis, about the direction of Matthews Estate and the role he sees social media playing. Matthews has a presence both on Facebook and Twitter, as well as a web presence. The Matthews website is very interactive, with videos of the winemaker, Aryn, tasting through the wines. Matthews hopes to bring young people into the experience with them. Cliff explained that what fascinated him about wine was the "Ah ha!" experiences that comes from learning how wine gets from the vineyard to the bottle, from understanding the role that barrels play in the nose and palate of a wine, and how varietals blended can compliment and accentuate one another. The folks at Matthews want to share that "Ah ha!" moment with a younger generation of wine drinkers.

So, how was the wine? The 2008 Claret was showing very well and it will spend another year in the barrel. The Claret is 55% Cabernet and 45% Merlot. Aryn pulled the half of the pour out of new oak and the half from a one year old French barrel blending them in the glass. The wine was a dark cranberry color, with that new French barrel lending notes of currants and oak on the nose. The wine showed flavors of blueberries and bright cherries. This young Claret is very good, and will only get better.

Matthews is excited about the future, and what Aryn's winemaking will bring to their repertoire. They've got big plans for their brand, and for Washington Wine.

A Word from Woodinville

While it is a departure from the blog’s current series of reviewing non-traditional varietals, for my debut on The Oregon Wine Blog, I wanted to review a Washington wine that’s made on my side of the Cascades, at Woodinville’s Di Stefano Winery. Woodinville is just a short drive from Seattle, and is home to some of Washington’s best wineries - and certainly some of my favorites. It would be a misnomer to call Woodinville a wine region, as all of the wineries grow their grapes in the much warmer climes of Eastern Washington, but Woodinville is home to more than 45 wineries.

Di Stefano sources grapes from the Columbia and Yakima Valleys and they’ve been making wines there since 1993. The 2004 Sogno is Di Stefano’s Cabernet Franc and is 91% Cabernet Franc and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon. I think Cabernet Franc is a vastly underrated varietal, and while I never tire of drinking Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, I confess I’d like find a Washington Cab Franc with a bit more regularity.

Let’s get down to drinking, shall we? The wine is a beautiful dark ruby in color, with a nose of cherries and smoke. We drank this wine over the course of a night, and it initially seemed to lack the complexity you’d hope for in a Cab Franc. Later in the evening, the wine really opened up and it was quite a treat. It was very earthy, with ripe berry flavors and spicy pepper notes. The wine was very smooth - almost surprisingly so for a Cabernet Franc - with a medium body and well-balanced tannins.

Like many wines at grocers this time of year, this wine can be found for a steal at under $20 a bottle. I’d recommend this Cab Franc as well as the Di Stefano Meritage of the same vintage. I’ve not been to the Di Stefano tasting room but with quality wines like this I see a trip in my near future.

I’m excited to be a part of The Oregon Wine Blog, and I look forward to bringing you more on the wonderful wines of Washington, whether its Walla Walla, Yakima or right up the street in Woodinville.

The Oregon Wine Blog tours Woodinville

I couldn't have scripted a more perfect way to conclude 2007 than what occurred on Sunday. Fellow Oregon Wine Bloggers; Drew Desilet, Josh Gana, Chris Heuchert and I were able to explore my backyard locale, known better as Woodinville Wine Country. Our journey provided tastings at 4 of Woodinville’s 34 wineries, while tasting from an array of labels and or varietals at each location. The day turned into an ideal wino excursion, offering the following highlights and some low lights:

Facelli Winery: The first winery, and quite frankly the friendliest one we visited all day. Tucked against the Sammamish River Slough and the Burke Gilman Trail, do not be fooled by the industrial street curb facade. A mix of red varietals was offered, with consensus winners being the 2004 Columbia Valley Syrah and the 2005 Columbia Valley Barbera. The 2005 Late Harvest Riesling was also a hit. Look for specific reviews related to these wines in months to come.

Winemaker Lou Facelli and family were endearing, offering a quaint, comfortable space to enjoy tasting bliss. Lou and wife, Sandy, captivated our minds and ears with stories of varietal struggle and success. Special thanks to Sandy for taking the time to explain the Facelli Winery philosophy to us all, and for making the Facelli Winery a truly personal experience.

Woodhouse Family Cellars: Situated in a similar industrial setting to that of the Facelli Winery, Woodhouse Family Cellars has taken obvious strides to increase curb appeal. A walkway entrance consisting of a vegetative oasis, among an array of wine barrels and wooded trellis leads one to the front door. Once inside the winery, I was caught off guard by an abundance of women, although later realizing a bridal shower was occurring in an adjacent commercial sized kitchen area. We were told the winery was playing host to a wedding that night.

Modern furniture selections, in addition to stainless steel appliances at both the tasting bar and adjacent kitchen area, gave way to a chic and stylish atmosphere. A raised roof, which many of us believed created a warehouse type feel, erred of a less than personal touch. Hoping the tasting associates would raise the bar, I was equally unimpressed with their lack of customer service.

Tasting offered a collection of varietals on the Kennedy Shah Label. Highlights selected among the group included Auntie Meredith’s Picnic Blend, a composition of 50% Chardonnay, 25% Viognier, and 25% Chenin Blanc. A second wine, most appreciated by Culinary Specialist Chris Heuchert, was the Orange Muscat.

Overall, I was left apathetic with the overall setting and wine offerings provided by Woodhouse Family Cellars. I felt no unique attachment to any particular wine, and was eagerly prepared for the next offering on our journey, Silver Lake Winery.

Silver Lake Winery: Perhaps you’ve seen Silver Lake wines in your local grocery store. Reasonably priced, with ample selection to choose from, I’m frequently tempted.

Once at the winery my palate was officially halted, having to choose from a variety of labels, offering a mixture of varietals. I learned that Silver Lake Winery has teamed with Glen Fiona Wines, Hoodsport Winery, and a jazzier label dubbed Blind Date. Being the responsible drinker, and designated driver, I opted for one label, selecting the Hoodsport brand. The town of Hoodsport was a traditional vacation spot for my family while growing up.

I first had a 2005 Merlot, which offered an awesome bouquet of berries, cherries and spice. The tasting associate praised the wine, stating it had gained recent notoriety in a wine publication, which lauded, “American’s will drink the HELL out of this wine!” I was impressed, not so much by the use of a curse word in a wine publication, but by the actual wine itself.

My second selection was a stretch, hoping to find a wine my wife would enjoy. She has an affinity for wines with named fruits in the label, i.e. “Strawberry Mist”, “Melon Medley” etc. I selected a Hoodsport Pear Wine. I was unmoved, and the wine found itself emptied into the spittoon.

The most affordable winery we visited all day; Josh, Drew and Chris all took a liking to the mixture of Syrah’s offered by Silver Lake and Glen Fiona. It appeared the Glen Fiona winery came out on top, having made several sales to our particular group.

Januik / Novelty Hill Winery: Technically two wineries located in one building, anyone who’s driven on Woodinville/Redmond Road has awed at the unique architectural existence that’s observed. Unsure what to expect inside, I was left simply speechless at the beauty and ambiance that’s bestowed.

A little research led me to the responsible party for such wonderful architecture and design; a company called Mithun. A link to a press release on the winery website gives the architecture and design more justice than I can do on paper. A link to the Seattle Post Intelligencer offers an editorialized perspective.

Januik/Novelty Hill has created a space that exerts feelings of familiarity and relaxation. The setting provided an overwhelming sense of intimacy with wines I had yet to even taste.

Tasting offered a 3-tiered approach, priced at $5.00, $10.00, and $15.00. I chose the $15.00 Single Vineyard flight and was blown away by the Cabernet Sauvignon’s offered by both Januik and Novelty Hill labels, true winners in my book. The Syrah’s were a close second.

While the most crowded winery we visited during the day, a friendly, knowledgeable staff capped off what had become quite an enjoyable wino experience. Januik/Novelty Hill Winery shines, exerting a contemporary feel, capped with magnificent wines to boot. I look forward to my return.

In Conclusion: Despite transplanting from Pinot Noir country for the day, it became evident that our mere thumbprint on Woodinville Wine Country created a lasting, positive impression for my friends. Although yes, I was somewhat embarrassed by their persistent requests to avoid sales tax, sharing my backyard locale was a treat.

I did learn one thing on this journey. When asked where they were from, I couldn't help but laugh, hearing my friends utter, “The Willamette Valley”. I had always placed them in Corvallis, which to their credit is in the Willamette Valley. I saw it as being no different than me uttering “Western Washington” or “Puget Sound”, except for the fact that the Willamette Valley is renowned for having some of the greatest wine in the world. I considered that if in another social setting, i.e. fly-fishing or theatre, would my friends still originate from the “Willamette Valley”, or candidly be a few hours from the Rogue River, or, just up the road from Ashland. I decided their logic was correct. When I’m visiting Oregon Wineries, I will proudly exclaim “WOODINVILLE” as my hometown …despite living in nearby Bothell.

Happy New Year!