Wawawai Canyon Winery

A couple of weeks ago, on a trip to Eastern Washington, I stopped by the tasting room for a new winery near Pullman. While the tasting room is located only a mile to the west of the Idaho border, they have an estate vineyard in the Wawawai Canyon and source the rest of their grapes from the Wahluke slopes. With a current production of 400 - 600 cases, they are small--too small to distribute. The majority of sales are through the tasting room, although you can get a few of their wines in smaller local restaurants.

After tasting a few whites, my friend Rick (of the Beer Blog fame) and I moved on to a Pinot Noir. I was quite skeptical about a Washington Pinot, especially from the high-heat Wahluke slopes. I was right--it was different from any Pinot I have ever had, and I must say that I'm not a fan. Now, once we moved on to the Cab and Syrah, those were a different story. Exhibiting the traditional characteristics that the Columbia Valley is known for, I walked away with a bottle of Syrah that I'm looking forward to cracking open.

Next time you are in the Palouse, stop by Wawawai Canyon on the Moscow-Pullman Highway. You'll find the staff friendly, the tasting room pleasant, and the bigger reds delicious.

2006 Sokol Blosser Muller Thurgau Estate Cuvee

Considering the recent weather here in the great Northwest, gray and chilly, I needed a reminder of sunny skies and warm weather. What better than a opening a bottle of white obtained from the Dundee Hills during Memorial Day Weekend?

The bottle in question was Muller Thurgau Estate Cuvee from Sokol Blosser. This wine has a beautiful straw color and coats the glass wonderfully. After a thorough chilling, the nose on this bottle was not, at first, noteworthy... As the solution warmed, apple, pear, and mineral notes intensified greatly! After thirty minutes in the glass, just a hint of caramel and vanilla tingle the palette. Note to self, slightly chill this Muller, then turn it loose to breathe!

Like many Rieslings, this varietal has a fruity flavor up front, but finishes clean, smooth, and with a slight mineral linger. Yep, I remember that cool spring day at Sokol Blosser.

This wine was paired with a Gruyere cheese fondue and sun-dried tomato chicken sausage. Fabulous. Definately something that I will pick up again on my next diversion North. Oops, too late, this vintage is already sold out!

Bottoms Up!

Block 15

Tonight the staff of The Oregon Wine Blog got a hard-hat tour of Block 15 -- a new brewpub that will be opening here in Corvallis, OR. Block 15 is located at Third and Jefferson, the location of the original "block 15" of Marysville, before Corvallis was Corvallis. That site was former home to Endzone, Headliners, the Gazette-Times, and the fire department.

We're excited about the opening in January or February. Not only will Block 15 have a wide selection of their own beer and a great, local food menu--but also a nice Oregon/Washington wine list. In fact, Drew and I are working on their wine list...so you know it will have a few gems in it. Most importantly, Block 15 espouses the values that we believe in here. Unique, local product...sustainability...a nice atmosphere...and culinary delights. What more can you ask for?

Stay tuned at The Oregon Wine Blog for details on the grand opening celebration!

11/19/07 UPDATE:

Yesterday I had the pleasure of tasting some menu items the chef was testing for Block 15. Of note was the QUITE delicious Southwest Salad. I recommend highly when they open:

Southwest Salad

Romaine tossed in a spicy tomato ranch and topped with grilled Chicken, black beans, roasted sweet corn, jack cheese, red onion. Garnished with blue corn chips and cilantro.

Sweet Cheeks 2006 Estate Riesling

Sweet Cheeks Winery is located in Crow, Oregon, at the southern end of the Willamette Valley and is about 10 miles away from our new home in Veneta. Although Steve and I haven't been out to the winery yet (too much painting and garage door installing to do!), I've been eyeing the Sweet Cheeks wines at the local Bi-Mart. The labels intrigued me - the focal point of the label is a black crow, whose eyes were metallic and seemed to follow me as I walked by. It struck me as strangely dark, a little sinister, and made me intensly curious what sort of wine I would find inside.

We brought home today a bottle of the Sweet Cheeks 2006 Estate Riesling. It's outstanding. Just outstanding. It's the perfect Riesling, sweet melon and citrus fruit all the way through, no minerally bite at the finish, and leaning just toward dry. It's sweet but not overly so, it's crisp but not bitey. It reminds me of summer as the chilly fog surrounds the house. I have not been so impressed with a Riesling since I first tasted the Willamette Valley Vinyards version.

Drinking the 2006 Estate Riesling tonight has me greatly anticipating visiting Sweet Cheeks Winery and tasting what else they have to offer. If it's anything like this wine, it's sure to be a treat. I'm also looking foward to seeing what inspired the naming of the winery - the two rolling hills that come together to form distinctive "cheeks." A winery that creates such a wonderful wine and has fun while doing it? It's got my vote.