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Wine of the Week

Flying Dreams Tempranillo more info

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Exotic Wines Festival

The third annual incarnation of this fun event is once again held at Teatro ZinZanni on February 21st, and features great Washington wines off the beaten path, accompanied by snacks and TZ performances. Don't miss it! details...

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Seattle Wine & Food Experience

This fantastic event on February 26th at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall showcases the finest beverages and food in the Northwest, including top wines from Washington, Oregon, California, and dozens of national and international producers. details...

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Wine of the Week

Winemaker Leroy Radford is on an indefatigable mission to produce Iberian-style wines in Woodinville, and by any measure, the mission is a great success! Flying Dreams' Tempranillo is a small-production gem, mostly Tempranillo with a shadow of Merlot and Cabernet. This is a beautiful, silky wine, balancing fruit and earth with astounding grace, and you can almost taste the care that went into it. Highly recommended!
Approx. cost: $36

The "NV" is for "non-vintage", since it's a blend of years, and the "1" is because this is the first year they've produced it. And a fantastic first release it is! You might worry that combining so many varietals and vintages would produce a muddled wine, but they combine seamlessly to produce a rich, nicely textured wine that greatly outperforms its extremely modest price. Impressive. I just bought a case of this for a holiday party, and so should you!
Approx. cost: $12

Instead of a wine of the week, this is more of a concept of the week. Piccola Cellars, new to the Woodinville Wineries Warehouse District, offers a range of reds, whites, and rosés in kegs from 5 to 50 liters (and one-liter refillable bottles). This almost waste-free approach to wine distribution isn't completely new, but Piccola is doing it big and doing it right. Good wine and lots of it...what else are you looking for?
Approx. cost: $5 to $15 / liter • Available from Piccola Cellars in Woodinville, and several retailers (see their web site for details)

A rich—but affordable—Bordeaux-style blend from Sonoma's Gundlach Bundschu. The Mountain Cuvee is fruity, lush, and aromatic, and would partner amicably with a wide range of edibles. G.B. produces crazy videos of winemaker Jeff Bundschu prancing around in a turkey suit, but their wines are as tasty as their commercials are utterly wacky. First tasted at Wine World Warehouse.
Approx. cost: $16 • Available at many local wine shops

A beautiful Syrah at a guiltless price! Mark Wysling (of Parejas Cellars, et al. fame) has launched his own label, and his Syrah and Reserva blend are first out of the gate. The Syrah has nice balance, texture, and dimension, perhaps due to the addition of about 25% Tempranillo, Grenache, and Mourvèdre. It hails from the Clifton Hill vineyard, near Mattawa, WA in the Wahluke Slope AVA, so boasts a fine pedigree. This is a classy Washington Syrah at a price point that's very appealing in this market. Nice work, Mark, and we look forward to what's next! First tasted at Fremont Avenue Cellars.
Approx. cost: $20

Friends know that I love a dirty wine, and I love this Faugères (an AOC in France's Languedoc region), even though the earth is ever so nicely balanced with fruit and spice. The result is silky and smooth, but present. Domaine Ollier Taillefer is run by brother and sister Luc and Françoise, the 5th generation of the Ollier family to make their wine. The fruit for their Grande Réserve is hand harvested and tank aged.; it consists of Carignan, Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, and these come together in a delightful, affordable bottle of wine. Highly recommended. First tasted at Wine World Warehouse.
Approx. cost: $16 • Available at many local wine shops

I was told to find an under-$20 wine that I was curious about but had never had the guts to buy, and this one jumped out at me like a bottled-up ninja. Domaine L'Oustal Blanc produces a number of red and white wines in Minervois, and their Red Naïck is comprised of 60% Cinsault plus Carignan, Syrah, and Grenache. It was the Illuminati-style label that grabbed my eye, and the lack of a vintage (the "7" on the label actually refers to the 2007 vintage, but who knew?) This is a very nice wine for the the price...earthy and fruity, but silky and held nicely together. It's a Vin de Table since it doesn't play along with the AOC rules, but this is obviously a wine that does what it wants. First tasted at Wine World Warehouse.
Approx. cost: $18 • Available at many local wine shops

The most famous of Hungarian wines, Egri Bikavér ("Bull's Blood from Eger") is a blend of several grapes, some familiar, some not (cf. Kardaka). Aged for several years (!) in oak, this wine is typically bold, earthy, and entirely sincere. I don't find it to be highly complex, but you definitely know that you're drinking wine. It was nice to drink while watching Bottleshock. First tasted at Fremont Avenue Cellars.
Approx. cost: $16 • Available at many local wine shops

Building on a history of solid Rieslings, Elevation's recently released 2010 Imperium is crisp and well defined. It neatly graces the knife edge between sweet and dry, balanced perfectly and ready to accompany food or fly solo. This would be an interesting wine to hold for a few years and see what develops.
Approx. cost: $16 • Available at the winery and at various local wine shops

I had never heard of the Ribolla Gialla grape before trying this wine at an event I was pouring at. Originating in Greece, the grape made its way to the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of Italy. The wine has a beautiful straw/honey color, and deep mineral, floral, and almost nutty aromas and flavors. This was a neat find!
Approx. cost: $12 • Available at various local wine shops

If you've given up on Merlot, you've given up too soon...this wine will change your mind. It's won more awards than owners Ed & Eve Shaw probably know what to do with, and every one of their awards and fabulous reviews is well deserved: this is simply a fantastic wine, and although it's not easy to find, give the Shaws a buzz and find out where you can get it. This is Red Mountain at its finest, for a price that won't break the bank.
Approx. cost: $32 • Available at Portrait Cellars (appt. only) and at Compass Wines (Anacortes)

Obelisco's Red Wine, a Cabernet-heavy blend, is a great introduction to their outstanding range of Red Mountain wines, which also includes a Syrah, Malbec, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. I love the rich-but-restrained style of Obeslico, and their wines taste fundamentally different from anything else I've had from this state. Their Red Wine is highly recommended, especially since you can often find it for significantly less than the regular retail price. First discovered at Obelisco's Woodinville tasting room, and Fremont Avenue Cellars.
Approx. cost: $30 • Available at many local wine shops

Don Townshend has been making wine in Spokane since 1998, and strangely enough, it's pretty easy to find some of his early vintages in stores today. I'm not sure if that's to do with the winery or the distributor, but Don's 2002 Cabernet is drinking absolutely beautifully right now. Priced lower than a lot of mid-range Washington Cabs, the 2002 Townshend is a great example of what a few extra years can add to a fine wine. First discovered at a BYOB event.
Approx. cost: $26 • Available at many local wine shops

This is your new summer porch wine! Los Aljibes has crafted a bright, deep, delicious rosé with gorgeous notes of fruits and flowers. It's fantastic by itself, but had enough acid and dimension to pair well with grilled food at a backyard BBQ. Thanks to Ken P. for bringing it!
Approx. cost: $11 • Distributed by Casa Ventua Imports (Bellingham, WA)

Gilbert Cellars is run by a Washington family with a 100+ year history of growing fruit in Yakima. They grow grapes now, and do fantastic things with them. Like make the into Left Bank, their Bordeaux-style blend witih grapes sourced from their Doc Stewart vineyard. This is a beautiful, rich, award-winning wine, offered at a very friendly price. Because they're friendly people. Recently tasted at Gilbert Cellars on a roadtrip to E. Washington.
Approx. cost: $20 • Available at many local wine shops

This is a fascinating find from the Basilicata region, made from Aglianico grapes grown on the on the slopes of Mount Vulture, a former volcano. This wine is dark, rich, deep, and robust, and has a beautiful nose and enticing flavor. It's great right now, and would clearly age gracefully. I'm usually a fan of Northern Italian wines, but this one definitely makes me want to explore the South a bit more. First discovered at Wine World Warehouse.
Approx. cost: $20 • Imported by Winebow, Inc.

It's about time that the wine of the week is white, seeing as how it's early August. Kim Crawford's Sauvignon Blanc is just what Marlborough Sauv Blancs are supposed to be...crisp, clean, and brimming with tropical fruit. This is a delightful wine, enjoyable to drink on the front porch with your feet up, but elegant enough to bring to a friend's house for dinner.
Approx. cost: $17 • Available at most retailers

This one is like a secret that everyone knows...a solid, tasty earth-expressing wine from Domaine de Vieux Telegraphe. It's a mini Châteauneuf du Pape at a very mini price. Grenache with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Cinsault. Classified as a Vin de Pays, so you can afford it. Bring home the Rhône! First discovered at Fremont Wines.
Approx. cost: $16 • Available at most retailers

This Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet (75% Cabernet Sauvignon with Cabernet Franc and a touch of Malbec) is deep, rich, and delicious. It's drinking beautifully now, but will certainly age gracefully. A real bargain at the price, and local!
Approx. cost: $21 • Available at Domanico Cellars in Ballard, and various retailers

The second wine of Vieux Château Certan, a distinguished Pomerol producer, this Merlot - Cabernet Franc blend is absolutely delicious, well worth plunking down a little extra for a wine that will remind you what a few hundred years of winemaking history can do. It almost seems unfair to try to compare similarly priced New World wines to this one. The 2004 vintage is fantastic, and available at several wine stores around town; this bottle was purchased recently at City Cellars in Wallingford.
Approx. cost: $32 • Distributor: Bordeaux Wine Locators

A liquid bargain from Sicily, Piero Colosi's Rosso is made from 100% Nero d'Avola and is rich and pleasurable, silky and dark. A fine wine to drink with dinner (although the bottle seems to have been completely consumed during its preparation). Discovered at a Wines of Southern Italy class with Chris Zimmerman.
Approx. cost: $10 • Importer: Vias

Where Can I Buy the Wine of the Week?
Try your neighborhood wine store first...if they don't have it, they can usually order it. Give them as much information as possible, especially the importer or distributor if it's listed here.

The Seattle Wine Calendar is a comprehensive listing of wine tastings, classes, and events in the Seattle area. SWC is independent and not associated with any store or winery. All information is provided without warranty, but it's probably spot-on. To contact us, please e-mail christopher@SeattleWineCalendar.com. ©2011, 2009 Christopher Gronbeck.