Posted: Friday, March 26, 2010

RICHLAND, WA – Thousands of assessments of Washington merlot zipped across cyberspace last night. Vino experts and average wine fans alike logged on to Twitter for a virtual wine tasting event. It’s a first for the Washington wine industry, although similar events have been organized out of California recently. Correspondent Anna King reports.

About 80 Northwest wineries, restaurants and wine critics participated in the online merlot tasting event last night. More than 500 Twitter users from San Francisco to Portland joined in. At the Bookwalter Winery in Richland, Washington, wine enthusiasts watched a Twitter feed scroll across a large flat screen.

Bookwalter’s Marcella Henson says Twitter allows wine fans to feel included no matter what their experience level or physical location.

Marcella Henson: “You don’t have to feel pressured to be knowledgeable you can sit back and try wine or see what others are saying about wine and be educated.”

During the social media event tasters were encouraged to open and rate any Washington merlot they wanted. The event was organized by Spokane based wine blogger Josh Wade.

Copyright 2010 Northwest Public Radio

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Posted: Friday, March 5, 2010

Christophe Hedges holds his young son at his family’s winery on Red Mountain in Eastern Washington. Hedges is fighting against wine reviewers who want to score his family’s wine in magazines and other publications. Photo by Anna King

RICHLAND, WA – Some big names in the Northwest wine industry have been quarrelling publicly — online. Gut punches on Facebook have led to rebuttals on blogs and plenty of ringside jeering. The cause of the spat? Wine scores. Those are the numerical ratings wine critics use to help consumers navigate the world-of-wine. In the Northwest there’s a small but vocal movement to let vino speak for itself. But wine journalists are none too happy about it. Correspondent Anna King reports.

At Wine Spectator a score of 50-74 is not good. A wine from 95 -100, now that’s a classic. But it’s not just Spectator that uses these types of scores. They’ve become ubiquitous in the wine world, and they pack a lot of power.

Christophe Hedges hates scores.

Christophe Hedges: “We don’t want to give too much power to one person’s palate.”

Hedges is the son of the owners of Hedges Family Estate in Eastern Washington. It’s one of the largest, most influential wineries in the state.

Hedges says he had his epiphany about scores about seven years ago. He was in New York and walked into a new, hip restaurant with his laminated sheet of scores. He made the mistake of dropping the sheet down on the bar in front of the owner.

Christophe Hedges: “He glanced down at it and he said, ‘Get out of my restaurant.’”

He left mystified. Until his wine distributor later told Hedges he had offended the chef.

Hedges: “…he’s been buying wine for over 20 years, and you basically said his palate isn’t good enough, so why don’t you look at everyone else’s palate? Really? That makes total sense.”

Since then Hedges has been on a steady campaign to get rid of scores on his family’s wine altogether. Now many bottles of Hedges wine sport a no-score symbol – it looks like a no smoking sign. Hedges even produced an online cartoon. It features a balding wine critic verbally sparring with a hipster wine guy.

SOUND: [Hedges wine cartoon]

Cartoon wine critic: “I warned you, do not cross me, I will give you bad scores for your wines, you horrible hipster freak.”

Cartoon Hedges hipster: “Well … we feel that quantifying a subjective product like wine ruins the experience for the human race.”

The most recent object of Hedges ire is Paul Gregutt. The Seattle Times writer and popular blogger wouldn’t comment for this story. But there’s another critic who has seen both sides of the scoring show.

Dan Sogg used to critique wines for the Wine Spectator. Arguably, it’s the most influential press house in the wine industry. But his job ended at the magazine a couple years ago. Now he consults with wineries seeking higher scores.

Dan Sogg: “The 100 point scale … provides an easily digested nugget of information.”

Still, Sogg says that nugget of information comes with its own limitations. And wine judging isn’t always fair, especially when judges taste many wines at one sitting.

Dan Sogg: “It can become almost kind of like a cage fight. And the heavyweights tend to win. The wines with more richness, more oak, more alcohol and maybe more residual sugar. So other styles of wine that aren’t as weighty, but can be equally as well done, and might even be better at dinner are not necessarily going to get their due.”

The daddy of all wine critics — Robert Parker — is probably the most chastised for liking those ‘heavyweights.’

Parker wields tremendous power in the wine world. If he gets behind a wine, prices and demand can skyrocket. He sees Hedges opposition to scoring as just sour grapes.

Robert Parker: “I know we have reviewed Hedges and given them good, not great scores. I have to say this quite candidly, I’ve never known a winery that makes really top quality wine that didn’t want their wine reviewed. Some winery just coming out and saying we don’t want our wines to be scored sounds like they have more to lose than to gain by being evaluated.”

Wine reviews have become more democratized with the advent of social media and blogging. But Parker says professional wine scoring isn’t a job just anyone can do.

Robert Parker: “I mean it’s like taking a picture of a runner. You are trying to photograph this runner at a very beginning point and compare it to the other ones. There is a lot you can ascertain, and there is a lot you can’t. You make your best call.”

So far, not many wineries have rushed to Christophe Hedges’ no-scoring banner. But the young upstart says the next generation of wine buyers isn’t buying into the numbers.

Hedges: “A Lot of those young generation people will say, ‘I see that there are some points underneath this bottle of wine, but really I like it because the price is good, it has a nice label and I like the style from this region.’ They do not buy wines based on scores, they buy wine based on their experiences.”

As for Hedges and Gregutt, Christophe Hedges says the wine reviewer is no longer welcome at his family’s chateau winery. And Paul Gregutt says he respects the family’s wishes for no scores, but argues he still has the right, and even an obligation, to review wines.

On the Web:

Paul Gregutt’s wine blog about scores

The Hipster and the Wine Critic video

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Photo courtesy of Cinder

Garden City based Cinder Winery has been on the receiving end of some very good press lately (not that that’s altogether unusual thing for husband and wife team Joe Schnerr & Melanie Krause).

In February, Cinder made Wine Business Monthly’s seventh annual “Hot Small Brands” list, which the magazine says “includes some of today’s most exciting brands from small- and medium-sized producers . . . wineries and brands that represent market trends or innovation, that take a leadership position in their regions, or that make unusual varietals or unexpected wines.”

Of the ten North American wines the magazine chose, four were from the Northwest, including Cinder (plus Pacific Rim and Wines of Substance from Washington and Abacela from Oregon).

Yesterday, ag weekly Capital Press profiled Cinder and their work with the often cantankerous Viognier grape.  The paper credits Cinder for showing the potential leading role Viognier could play in Idaho’s wine future.

Photo courtesy of Cinder

If you want to check this all out first hand, Cinder is offering a tasting of their new releases tomorrow, Saturday, March 6th from noon to 5p.m. at their winery at 107 E. 44th Garden City. In addition to their new 2009 Viognier, they’ll open bottles of 2008 Syrah, 2009 Rosé.

And if you missed it, here’s a link to a 2008 Edible Idaho radio show on Cinder and their Urban Winemaker’s Cooperative.

Photo by Guy Hand

Agricultural weekly The Capital Press says “Grape lovers in [Idaho's] Treasure Valley no longer have to travel outside the area to attend viticulture classes.”

According to the paper, an introductory course involving both classroom and vineyard work began this fall at the Treasure Valley Community College just across the border in Ontario, Oregon.

“Some of the interest has undoubtedly been driven by recent growth in the Idaho wine industry,” says the Capital Press.  ”There are 40 wineries in the state now, up from 38 in 2008. Grape plantings continue to rise. The state has about 1,600 vineyard acres, not all of them yet in production.”

That growth is no doubt why writer Steve Roberts thought he had enough material to publish “WineTrails of Idaho” this fall as well.

“One huge advantage to wine-trekking through Idaho” Roberts tells the Capital Press “is that you don’t have to battle the hordes of other wine tourists you would encounter in Napa or on a Thanksgiving weekend in the Willamette Valley.  Along Idaho’s uncrowded byways, you might be the only visitor to a winery during your tasting stop.”

Photo by Guy Hand

(GH: A story from Anna King at the Northwest News Network on a winning Washington wine)

RICHLAND, WA – A Washington State winery has earned an honor that could translate into big sales for the Northwest wine industry. Out of 17,000 wines, it landed the number-one spot on Wine Spectator magazine’s top 100 list. Correspondent Anna King reports.

The Columbia Crest 2005 Reserve Cabernet took Wine Spectator’s top prize. The bottle retails for about 27 dollars. It’s the first time that a Washington wine has reached the top of the list of wines from around the world. It’s a prestigious honor, and one that usually guarantees swift sales. Ted Baseler is the CEO of Ste. Sant Michelle Wine Estates. He says Pacific Northwest grape growers and wine makers have been working for recognition of this kind for decades.

Ted Baseler: “There are some spectacular wines from the great regions of the world – Bordeaux, Tuscany, from Napa, and now at the very top of all of them is a Washington State wine.”

Columbia Crest is a Ste. Michelle Wine Estates brand, the largest wine producer in Washington, and one of the largest in the United States. Total: Nine Washington and two Oregon wines made it onto Spectator’s list of 100.

Ste. Michelle only has about 1,000 bottles left of its Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet that took the top honors. The winery is taking names for a lottery to best sell some of those in-demand bottles.

Here’s the full story and audio from Northwest Public Radio: http://www.nwpr.org/07/HomepageArticles/Article.aspx?n=6413

Photo by Guy Hand

Idaho’s wine industry in flourishing. Nothing illustrates that better than the state’s annual Thanksgiving wine tastings.  Some 16 southern Idaho wineries will open their doors, pop corks and tap barrels over the holiday weekend.  Below is a list of participating wineries courtesy of the Idaho Grape Growers and Wine Producers Commission.

And for more information on Idaho’s wine industry, check out last fall’s Edible Idaho on the Urban Winemakers Cooperative.

Fall Barrel Tasting in Idaho Wine Country For more winery information and directions, please click on the links below or go to www.idahowines.org. 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards Wednesday 11am-7pm & Friday-Sunday 11am-7pm 5900 Pearl Road, Eagle Phone: 208.863.6561 www.3horseranchvineyards.com Specials: Introducing their newest release ‘Vivacious’ as well as 9 other award-winning wines, as well as samples of cheese, olives, and fresh baked baguettes. Bitner Vineyards Friday & Saturday 12-5pm 16645 Plum Road, Caldwell Phone: 208.455.1870 www.bitnervineyards.com br> Specials: Case Specials and locally flavored olive oils, breads and cheeses. Cinder Wines-Urban Winemakers Cooperative Friday & Saturday 11am-4pm 107 E. 44th St., Garden City Phone: 208.407.4347 www.cinderwines.com Specials: Offering you the opportunity to try the wines of Cinder straight from the barrel with the winemaker, Melanie Krause. Coyotes Group-Fujishin Family Cellars, Vale Wine Co, Bitner Vineyards Friday-Sunday 10am-6pm 217 S Kimball, Caldwell Phone: 208.573.0793 info@fujishinfamilycellars.com Davis Creek Cellars (Winery) Friday 11am-5pm 1904 E. Chicago Suite M, Caldwell Friday-Sunday 11am-5pm (Tasting Room) 429 Main Street, Suite 101, Marsing Phone: 208.794.2848 www.daviscreekcellars.com Specials: Offering an open house with cellar tours, and all of the current releases at the Winery. Tasting Room will be serving all of the current releases. Fraser Vineyard Saturday 12-5pm Sunday 1-5pm 1004 La Pointe St., Boise Phone: 208.345.9607 www.fraservineyard.com Specials: Release of the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon & barrel tastings. Call in early to place an order to ensure wines are ready to receive a discount. Also offering classic cheese and chocolate pairings. Koenig Vineyards Friday-Sunday 12-5pm 20928 Grape Lane, Caldwell Phone: 208.455.8386 www.koenigvineyards.com Specials: Featuring their new releases with a variety of local cheese pairings. Parma Ridge Vineyards Friday-Sunday 12-5pm 24509 Rudd Road, Parma Phone: 208.722.6885 www.parmaridge.com Specials: Discounts on cases and three bottle gift packs. Serving Chardonnay, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Zinfandel, and Mélange. Periple Wines Friday & Saturday 11am-4pm 5111 Allworth Suite C, Garden City Phone: 208.941.5641 www.periplewines.com Specials: 15% case discounts. Tastings of their 2007 Russian River Pinot Noir and Willamette Valley, with barrel tastings of the 2008 Columbia Valley Syrah paired with Artisan Cheeses. Price: $5/person Sawtooth Winery Friday & Saturday 12-5pm 13750 Surrey Lane, Nampa Phone: 208.457.1200 www.sawtoothwinery.com Specials: 10% off purchase of 6 bottles and 20% off cases (12 bottles), also receive 50% off the following new releases: ’06 Alta Terra, ’06 Terre Rouge, ’03 Elevation Red, ’05 Petit Verdot and 40% off ’06 Viognier, ’08 Rosè, ’05 Syrah. Featuring their wine collection with an assortment of delectable pairings made by top local chefs. There will also be live music, winery tours, and barrel tastings. Price: $10/adult with complementary wine glass Snake River Winery Friday & Saturday 12-4pm 786 W. Broad St., Boise Phone: 208.345.9463 www.snakeriverwinery.com Specials: Tasting some new releases as well as old favorites with a variety of cheese from Ballard Family Dairy and Cheese, along with pork sandwiches from the makers of Sawtooth BBQ sauce. Ste. Chapelle Winery Friday & Saturday 10am-5pm 19348 Lowell Road, Caldwell Phone: 208.453.7843 www.stechapelle.com Specials: 25% case discounts including mixed cases with wine tasting, barrel tasting and scheduled tours at Noon and 3 pm. There will also be food tastings with specialty sauces sold on site. Price: $5/person Syringa Winery-Urban Winemakers Cooperative Friday & Saturday 12-5pm 107 E. 44th St., Garden City Phone: 208.376.4023 www.syringawinery.com Specials: Offering 10% case discounts. Vale Wine Company-Urban Winemakers Cooperative Friday & Saturday 11am-4pm 107 E. 44th St., Garden City Phone: 208.409.8950 www.valewineco.com Specials: Barrel tasting new wines and the releasing of their limited edition 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. Williamson Orchards & Vineyards Friday 10am-4pm 19692 Williamson Lane, Caldwell Phone: 208.459.7333 www.willorch.com Specials: Release of the new Windmill Red, a blend of Cabernet & Sangiovese. Also enjoy select cheeses, local smoked turkey, fresh apple slices, dark chocolate crumble and hot apple cider. Woodriver Cellars Friday-Sunday 11am-7pm 3705 North Hwy 16, Eagle Phone: 208.286.WINE (9463) www.woodrivercellars.com Specials: 10% off case prices along with hot mulled wine, live music, holiday gift baskets, and winemaking tours.

Kyle MacLachlan sips wine from a barrel. The L.A.-based actor has teamed up with Walla Walla winemakers to make high-end wines.

If you want to see stars outside of Hollywood, head to a Northwest winery. Across the region winemakers are increasingly courting rockers, artists and movie stars to help market premium wines. In the down economy, they hope a little rub of star dust will add some cache to the fermented juice. Correspondent Anna King reports on how big names are investing a little cash down on the farm.

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Gilles Nicault, a winemaker for Long Shadows, Walla Walla, WA. His high end wines face a tough economy. Photo by Anna King

WALLA WALLA, WA – The bad economy has hit the Northwest wine industry hard. That’s especially true in the market for high-end wines. In the last 20 years, Washington alone has added 600 new wineries. Now, signs of stress are leaking out in one of the region’s wine hubs, the Walla Walla Valley. In part two of “The Crush,” Correspondent Anna King visits this tight-knit, pastoral valley to see how winemakers are adapting.

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Photo by Austin Jenkins

WALLA, WALLA, WA – Walla Walla is known as Washington’s wine capital. But as the economy has faltered, a trend is emerging. Eastern Washington winemakers are heading West over the Cascades. They’re opening tasting rooms in Woodinville wine country, near Seattle, to be closer to their customers. This week, as winemakers process their latest grape harvest, we’re looking at how the wine industry is adjusting to the new economy. In part one of “The Crush,” Correspondent Austin Jenkins reports on the westward expansion of eastside vintners.

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2009 Guy Hand

This weekend, I’ve been invited to an event billed as “Idaho’s First Inaugural Wine Boot Camp.”  It’s a media tour put together by The Idaho Grape Growers and Wine Producers Commission that involves a pub-crawl-style wine and food tasting through downtown Boise on Friday evening and a tour of Valley wineries on Saturday.

With that on the horizon, a web discussion by some heavyweight authorities on the value of food and wine pairings has caught my eye. On Monday, Grant Achatz, the highly praised chef at Alinea in Chicago, began an eight-part series on the subject on The Atlantic food web site.  Achatz is a devotee of wine and food pairings:

“We believe that each course can be enhanced by the wine–and visa versa: that the food can enhance the wine as well. That is the essence of a great pairing,” he says. Grant Achatz’s series will run on Mondays and Wednesdays for the next four weeks and promises recommendations for what to serve with “beef heart, caviar, chocolate, and more.”

On Tuesday, wine writer for the New York Times Eric Asimov voiced a tad less enthusiasm about pairings while mentioning Achatz’s series on his Times wine blog:

“Personally, I think we spend far too much time worrying about what wine to serve with which foods. I guess that puts me in disagreement with Achatz, who writes that pairing is critical to the dining experience. That may be true at a perfectionistic restaurant like Alinea, but not in the ordinary realm of the home kitchen.”

It’s a debate I’ll have very much on my mind during this Wine Boot Camp weekend. I’ll ask other participants what they think of the art of wine and food pairings and let you know what I learn.