Raise a glass to the holiday season, to the end of the year, to the start of a new. We have compiled our staff picks from throughout the 2017 calendar year in one comprehensive guide of wine, beer, cider and spirits for your holiday shopping ease.
THE WINES: White to red, light to fuller bodied.
Willamette Valley Vineyards 2014 Grower Series Brut, Willamette Valley
Every day is a good day to drink Oregon sparkling wine. Another producer to bottle some bubbly in the valley, Willamette Valley Vineyards uses estate-grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in this méthode champenoise sparkler, where the wine undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle and is aged on its lees for 18 months. Complexity develops here without losing its buoyant vibrancy, a key characteristic of sparkling wine, showcasing notes of green apple, sweet biscuit and white flower among juicy stone fruit on the palate. Just bottled in November, this wine hits its stride with the second glass, revealing aromas and flavors of hazelnut, apricot and croissant. || $55/750ml
HAT Ranch Winery 2015 Estate Dry Moscato, HAT Ranch Vineyard, Snake River Valley
Muscat Ottonel is the understated runt of the aromatic Muscat variety family — its older, better-known siblings have more prestigious titles, place-names like Muscat of Alexandria and golden child Muscat blanc à Petits Grains, the variant used in fizzy Italian Moscato. But this recent Muscat addition has found its footing in the northern corners of the United States, from Upstate New York to Hat Ranch Vineyard in Idaho’s Snake River Valley. With estate-grown fruit, this perfumed white coquettishly balances between orange blossom and fleshy mandarin, basil and cardamom pods, acidic bounce and medium weight. Bombastic scents dance and perform on the palate to a delicate and dry standing ovation. || $18/750ml
Day Wines 2016 Vin de Days, Willamette Valley
Two words: breakfast wine. Not to downplay winemaker Brianne Day’s impact on the young and natural winemaking world of Willamette Valley, but this blend of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Müller Thurgau and Muscat (at a low, low 12 percent ABV) sincerely hits the spot in prior to the afternoon. Intentional and specific, fruit for this wine was picked with the blend in mind, pressed and fermented with wild yeast in stainless steel. Crispness is delivered to the wide-mouthed, broad palate of tropical fruit, with spring flowers and taste bud-awakening texture. || $21/750ml
Culmina Family Estate Winery 2016 R&D White
Chardonnay makes nice with a proprietary blend of aromatic varietals (possibly some Gewürztraminer and maybe a dash of Riesling) in this enological play on words. Typically reserved for corporate terminology, the “research and development” that went into this wine includes multiple samplings and a balance of “art and science” the Oliver, BC, winery brands themselves by. The perfume conjures up visuals of a field full of spring flowers, misted with peach and sweet orange juice and drizzled with honey. Shift that over to the palate, where rich flavors and a broad texture is sliced up with vibrant acidity and a full-figured finish. Enjoy with Panang curry. || $20 CAD/750ml
Cassini Cellars 2013 Chardonnay Reserve, Golden Mile Bench
“After a long week, this Chardonnay was a much-deserved and needed drink. The nose alone blew me away — I want to bottle this as a perfume and wear it daily. Two different Chardonnay clones were plucked from 22-year-old vines on British Columbia’s Golden Mile Bench, whole-cluster-pressed, fermented in stainless steel tanks then aged in new French and American oak for 10 months. The end result is worth the wait: rich, voluptuous and ripe with a balanced oak influence and all the right apple and peach flavors of Chardonnay that I love.” — Melissa Miller, Chief Operating Officer || $29 CAD/750ml
Maysara Winery & Momtazi Vineyard 2014 3 Degrees Pinot Noir
The three daughters of this family-owned and-operated Mcminnville, Oregon, winery pull fruit directly from their biodynamic estate vineyard for all of their wines, even this zippy and earthy entry-level sipper. Fresh and expressive right off the bat, herbs and red fruits allow the wine to match with a variety of foods, like the Filipino pork belly bites featured in the spring 2017 issue. || $20/750ml
Nicolas Jay 2015 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
The result of a partnership between Burgundian superstar Jean-Nicolas Méo and music industry visionary Jay Boberg, Nicolas Jay produces just three wines, debuting with this Willamette Valley cuvee. A sparkling new vintage release for the young producer, fruit is selected from higher-elevation sites in the Chehalem Mountains and that of blocks from Nysa Vineyard in the Dundee Hills and the estate Bishop Creek in Yamhill-Carlton. Lavender, fresh flowers, raspberry and a refreshing air of wet rock lace the glass, an enticing profile for pairing with BBQ or sipping around a campfire. Lower-alcohol and tangy fruits (cranberry, boysenberry) complement meaty undertones, decent grip, dusty earth and youthful texture. || $65/750ml
Crayelle Cellars 2014 Bishop’s Block
Cashmere, Washington, might be better known for its applets and cotlets, but in the town’s Mission District, a handful of craft beverage comes to life in a historic remodeled fruit warehouse. The husband-and-wife-operated Crayelle Cellars is one of the three warehouse-refurbished winery tasting rooms, pouring small-lot wines named for the places and people in the duo’s life (including their children). Bishop’s Block takes its title from the mixed planting southern block of Bishop’s Vineyard in the Ancient Lakes AVA, a blend of Syrah, Mourvédre and Grenache. The grapes are picked together and blended in the field before the fruit even hits the fermenter, allowing the cohesion to begin immediately. Deep, ripe blueberry is spiced with white pepper and cumin, while savory, smoky herbs fold into the juicy berry finish. || $27/750ml
Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2012 Meritage
Off Black Sage Road outside of Oliver, British Columbia, the sensational wine country architecture of Burrowing Owl fills the skyline over its sprawling vineyard property. Eleven guest rooms, a wine shop and a fine dining restaurant are also onsite, in case you never want to leave. Another nudge in that direction is from the wines themselves, including the 2012 Meritage, a Cabernet Franc-dominant blend, with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Bold red berry fruits drape the aromatics with short swathes of cocoa, toasty oak and violet in this flagship wine. Baking spices meet black cherry and plum on the palate, finishing firm in its age-worthy structure but polished in its youth. || $43/750ml
Waters Winery 2012 Loess Vineyard Syrah, Walla Walla Valley
Jamie Brown credits his time in the music industry for the many life lessons he’s learned, and since applied to winemaking. “If you think of the best musicians, they tend to have songs that are so natural that it leads them out of the arena they were in,” he says of the art’s unpredictability. “That’s been a huge strength of mine, recognizing if a particular vineyard wants to go where I want it to go or not.” One of the vineyards that has led this winemaker to follow is the Loess Vineyard, popularized and owned by the acclaimed Leonetti Cellars, and is the sole source for this Syrah. Earth, iron, blood, brambly fruits, dried flowers and herbs build a voluminous profile, while a seemingly conflicted texture — dancing between silky yet slightly gritty – fuses in the finish with acid and gentle tannin. || $50/750ml
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THE BEERS: From light to dark.
Everybody’s Brewing Local Logger Lager
A cozy brewpub on the hillside in White Salmon, Washington, peek-a-boo views of the Columbia River and Mt. Hood make this 50-person backyard patio a must-stop for summer travelers — and the variety of beer doesn’t hurt the cause either. Built to have more than one, Everybody’s beers are session-focused, without sacrificing flavor. This lager — at 4.8 percent ABV with a clean, golden profile — is the perfect, crushable example. The Saaz hop, a Czech aromatic variety known for its floral and citrusy spice, drives the lager characteristics home, as a refreshing and boat-ready beer for the masses. || $10/12oz 6-pack
Reuben’s Brews Daily Pale
The truth is, Reuben doesn’t actually brew any beer. As he shouldn’t — he’s a child who loaned his name to parents’ Seattle brewery when he was just a toddler. Shortly after Reuben was born, Reuben’s Brews grew from an award-winning homebrew venture to a full-scale neighborhood brewpub, now with two locations pouring upwards of 20 beers, from experimental taproom series selects to seasonals, like the Daily Pale. Originally brewed as the featured beer of last year’s Seattle Beer Week (this year returns on May 4), this thirst-quenching, sessionable ale holds on to its hop-forward profile while maintaining a lower ABV weight of only 4.9 percent. Drink a few on the patio or cozied up in the brewpub watching the Sounders. || $12/12oz 6-pack
Fort George Brewery The Optimist India Pale Ale
A positive reminder that the sun will come out tomorrow, Fort George tells craft beer drinkers everywhere to keep their chins up with this jovial, crushable can of undeniably Northwest IPA. Apollo, Mosaic and Centennial hops band together with a creamy yet judicious pale malt bill for a sipper as easy drinking and sunny as a 6.2 percent ABV IPA can be. A pale gold in the half-full glass, woodsy aromas of slightly dank sweet grass, pine and juicy citrus even out with toasty, buttered bread malts and a buoyant, hop-forward finish. Take that, Northwest spring weather! || $10/16oz 4-pack
Aslan Brewing Co. Batch 15 India Pale Ale
“This was my perfect camping and boating beer over the summer. It’s beyond sessionable — something to watch, though, as it’s 7 percent ABV — and not overly bitter with its fruit-forward Citra and Simcoe hops. The black matte wrapper around the can sports Aslan’s namesake lion; it’s sleek and powerful, just like the beer inside from the Bellingham, Washington, brewery. Hazy, juicy and full of flavor, Batch 15 really resonated with me as something I could drink often and one or two of, especially with BBQ meats, burgers and even a turkey sandwich.” — Kristin Ackerman Bacon, Publisher || $10/12oz 6-pack
Block 15 Brewing Co. Bière de Garde
Brewer-owned and -operated since doors opened in 2008, the Corvallis, Oregon, brewery has swelled from its seven-barrel brewhouse to a trio of brewpub locations. This malty, honeyed farmhouse-style ale is fermented with Trappist yeast, producing a filling thirst-quencher with delicate aromatics. A heftier version of a traditionally (slightly) lower ABV beer, Block 15 balances the weight with soft bitterness from European hops and finishes the malt-forward flavor profile dry and clean. Sample at one of the three locations, maybe next to a basket of crispy beer-battered fries. || $6/12oz draft
Anchorage Brewing Co. The Tide and Its Takers Triple with Brettanomyces
A welcome yeast for wild ale fermentation, Brettanomyces is the bedrock of production at Anchorage Brewing. The Alaskan brewery’s The Tide and Its Takers is a Belgian-style triple ale, fermented first with Belgian yeast in foudres (large oak vats), second with Brett in French oak Chardonnay barrels and finally with wine yeast in bottle for natural carbonation. Because beer should never be boring and this one surely isn’t: lemon custard, wood spice, barnyard and banana are easy pulls from first whiff, while plum, preserved lemon and a slight briny quality develop with air. The brazen ale finishes plush and creamy, an experience unto its own. || $15/22oz
Full Sail Brewing Shortest Day CDA
Raise a glass to the winter solstice past, celebrating the shorter days that are now getting increasingly longer. This Cascadian dark ale from the landmark Hood River, Oregon, brewery is bold, malty and hoppy: a definition of the fuller-bodied beer style. Three malts (including a chocolate malt that brings depth to the brooding body) meld with three hop varieties (like Citra and its tropical fruit characteristics) for aromas of roasted, toasted malts and pops of pineapple and melon. Full Sail recommends pairing with smoked salmon and drinking several bottles. || $5/22oz
Silver City Brewery Bourbon Barrel-Aged Fat Scotch Ale
Scotch ale is having a heyday in the PNW as of late, with Montana and Washington leading the charge. The barrel-aging enthusiasts at this Bremerton, Washington, brewery drop their rendition each winter, brewed with a variety of roasty and dense malts and aged in single-use Kentucky bourbon barrels for a smoke-toned beer of whiskey, vanilla and oak. Savor next to a cigar when you and the beer are both older than you are today. || $8/22oz
Icicle Brewing Co. Decline Barley Wine Ale
This annual holiday release from the Leavenworth, Washington, beer haven should stick around, possibly well into next winter, so stash away appropriately to compare against future bottlings. A full force of 11 percent ABV reaches adolescence with eight months of barrel aging, but also has a proven track record of reaching maturity in bottle with brown sugar, plum, oak spice and toffee malts, like a liquid fruit cake. || $10/22oz
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THE CIDERS: Straight pear or apple to fully flavored.
E.Z. Orchards Poire
“The funny thing about this perry is that a dedicated, detailed process was used to make something so brilliant and almost ethereal. Pears from the Salem, Oregon, estate were juiced in a rack and cloth press, fermented with wild yeast then bottled before fermentation was complete so that secondary fermentation could create the tiny, delicate bubbles in the bottle naturally. Fresh in pear but with earth and yeast funk, plus some buttered brioche and all the texture that brings, yet finishing juicy with a lick of acid. Give me a bottle of this and some Camembert cheese, and I am set.” – Erin James, Editor-in-Chief || $9/500ml
Wandering Aengus Ciderworks Golden Russet
The Golden Russet — an old American apple cultivar named for its russeted (rough, reddish-brown) skin and adored for its juicy, flavorful flesh — dates back 1840s New York State. In Oregon, the apple is seen here and there, falling out of fashion as an eating apple in recent years but back in as a cider apple. The Salem-based Wandering Aengus receives its Golden Russets from orchards in Ashland, producing this cider in small batches that highlight the variety. Big, robust characteristics of ripe golden fruits, from apple to pineapple and passion fruit, swing into fresher whiffs of pear skin and warm pie spices. Fleshy juice floods the palate with a twinge of acid in the off-dry finish. || $8/500ml
Finnriver Farm and Cidery Sidra
Spain by way of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, organic dessert apples are fermented and modeled after traditional Spanish cider, better known as sidra. By using open head space in the fermentation tanks, Finnriver allows the juice to be exposed to oxygen, generating wild vinegar bacteria that produces the style’s signature acetic aroma and flavor tang. The fermentation also goes down with oak and is backsweetened with organic can sugar, resulting in a cider that snaps with acid and sour notes but softens with flavors of familiar eating apples and floral honey. The farm cidery suggests matching the sipper with grilled oysters or a classic pairing with Manchego. || $10/500ml
Meriwether Cider Co. Strong Arm Semi-Sweet
This family-run operation in Garden City, Idaho, recently took home the title as “Best Newcomer” from this very publication and continues to impress with a growing selection of seasonal ciders and one-offs, in addition to mainstays like the Semi-Sweet. “Like an apple right off the tree,” this juicy and sociable cider is a fantastic introduction to the beverage – especially if you’re a little wary of the bone-dry alternatives. Straightforward to the core of the cider, apple flushes the palate with earth seasoning and bubbly acid. Grab a cheese board and go to town on this amiable cider. || $8/22oz
Double Shovel Cider Co. AK Pear Blend Traditional Cyser
Amid active glaciers, ice fields and rugged mountains, Alaska is now home to its first micro-cidery, Anchorage-based Double Shovel. In this cyser — technically a variation of mead that is more often a blend of fermented honey and unfermented apple juice — the young cidery naturally ferments fresh-pressed Alaskan-grown apples and perry pears first, then adds honey to the equation for a secondary fermentation. The result is a coalescence of the seasons: spring blossoms and honey with the ripe, bruised tree fruit of fall. Aromas of earth and graham cracker follow the apple crisp (oats and spices included) flavors onto the lightly carbonated palate, sealing it with dry fruits, supple tannin and a lick of honey. || $25/750ml
WildCraft Cider Works Stone Fence Pink Peppercorn Imperial Cider
Cider history might have left out the Portuguese pirate tales of yore, according to this Eugene, Oregon, cidery. The story on the bottle’s label is one of resourceful buccaneers, pirates from Portugal whom, when the rum had emptied from the barrels, filled the vacant casks with cider, plus some fresh peppercorns to preserve the drink for longer sails at sea. This pub-only cider is now visiting other ports in bottle, bringing bold and botanical aromatics to the apple-forward base. Off-dry in the mid-palate but inching toward dry in the finish, the cider almost has a lick of brine to it, enough to make the pirates proud. || $7/500ml
2 Towns Ciderhouse Flight of the Kiwi
Fresh off the barrel spigot, these masters of seasonal fruit cider have released their latest culinary creation: barrel-aged kiwi-infused cider. The small batch cider is cold-fermented with Sauvignon Blanc yeast then is greeted post-fermentation with hardy Northwest-grown kiwi berries (a smaller relative to the kiwi) and tangy gooseberries. All ingredients add up to an aromatic profile almost mistakable with Sauvignon Blanc itself, with apple’s juicy fruit and zippy acid cutting through the core of the palate — confirming the off-dry, fruit-forward sip is cider after all. Fun fact: the kiwi is an odd duck and does not not actually fly. Just drink it, no more thinking necessary. || $6/500ml
Summit Cider Sundance
Idaho’s first foray into hard cider, Coeur d’Alene’s Summit Cider focuses on three different year-round ciders, all set upon bold, crisp Northwest apples. The Sundance is an off-dry cider, infused with hibiscus, rosehips and lavender, illuminating the glass with a vibrant pink. Floral, fragrant and refreshing, this cider is a perfect transitional sip into fall. || $5/500ml
Red Tank Cider Lherry
A cidery among 26 breweries, Red Tank brings a bit of apple to Bend, Oregon. The warehouse-based maker handcrafts half a dozen ciders, with even more seasonal releases to hit the mark at the right time of year, like the Lherry. With the powers of lemon, cherry and cider combined (and a little wordplay on top), this tap-only select is a flavor-bomb of sweet and sour, minus the cloying textures usually associated with those words. A supercharged nose of juicy citrus and tangy-sweet red cherry blend with the apple in the mid-palate, finishing sharp and fruit-forward. || $6/16oz draft
Seattle Cider Co. Cold Brew Coffee
“There is no such thing as too much coffee. This draft-only cider is blended with a 16-hour cold-brewed decaffeinated Costa Rican blonde roast from Fulcrum Coffee, which is conveniently next door to the cidery in Seattle’s SODO neighborhood. The coffee does a solid job of cutting the sweetness of the cider, bringing great flavors of apples with vanilla and caramel, and equates to at least one cup of coffee… Okay, that may not be true, but it’s what I like to tell myself. Does it have to be 5 o’clock to drink cider when there is coffee infused in it?” — Shea McCammant, Accounts Manager || $6/12oz draft
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THE SPIRITS: Clear to brown liquor and liqueur.
Double V Distillery Viscova Craft Vodka
Completely devoted to grain-to-glass, Double V ferments, distills, bottles and packages from its Battle Ground, Washington, distillery. The family-run business exclusively uses Washington-grown corn and barley, but does honor its Polish heritage with vodka inspired by an elite cavalry unit from 16-18th century Poland. Viscova, loosely translating to “good health and family unity,” embodies its interpretation with slightly corn-sweet and approachable aromatics, a round and honeyed midpalate and a clean, moderately hot and bold finish. The vodka can stand alone, but stock up on Double V and make a spirit-forward Vesper with the distillery’s Griffon gin, too. || $30/750ml
Chuckanut Bay Distillery Vodka
When it comes to vodka, there’s little a producer can do to differentiate the spirit itself, and accomplishing such a stark variation isn’t necessarily a good thing. However, as “grain to glass” carries on as a praised mantra throughout the distilling community, using local product to make the local spirit can be the distinction needed with the neutral liquor. Take Chuckanut Bay Distillery from Bellingham, Washington: the white winter wheat for the grain vodka is grown up the road in the same county, plus it is ground, mashed and fermented onsite. Distilled several times, filtered and proofed down, the result is easily accessible for all forms of consumption, clean with sweet rice-like flavors and a light, bouncy finish. || $32/750ml
Heritage Distilling Co. Ruby Red Grapefruit Flavored Vodka
If you’re under a foot of snow right now, you might be channeling the tropics. Try that with this flavored vodka, a juicy and red citrus fruit profile built upon a proprietary wine grape distillate. The Gig Harbor, Washington, distillery is giving drinkers more and more opportunities to taste this fruit-forward, tangy and succulent tipple with tasting rooms and production facilities opening up across the PNW, from Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood to Eugene, Oregon. Pair with ice and a pineapple slice. || $23/750ml
Bainbridge Organic Distillers Heritage Doug Fir Gin
Washington State’s first distillery to produce USDA Certified Organic spirits and the state’s only producing all of its organic spirits from scratch onsite, this island producer doesn’t make compromises. Its award-winning gin follows suit, featuring 10 organic botancials, plus freshly harvested local Douglas fir that is plucked just one day prior to final distillation. The aromatics are firmly planted in fir, with juniper, cardamom and fennel adding to the full-bodied and spiced herbage of the finish. || $38/750ml
Victoria Distillers Oaken Gin
Barrel-aged gin has been an internationally trending spirits category for the past few years — harking back to barrel-aging methods of yore, stirring up other oldfangled recipes like Old Tom and Genever gins — but it hasn’t quite exploded in Canada like it has across the United States. Quick to remedy that, this Vancouver Island-based distillery took its well-known unaged gin and tossed it in a barrel. The juniper-forward spirit takes on an additional profile of vanilla, caramel, butter and coconut. Silky yet crisp, the medium-bodied gin finishes with spice, wood and savory herbs, allowing it endless cocktail variations. Insider tip: this tenured distillery is located on the Sidney, British Columbia, waterfront, complete with a cocktail lounge for sipping and viewing. || $56 CAD/750ml
Eastside Distilling Barrel Hitch American Whiskey
Best known for its affordable and easy-drinking Burnside Bourbon, Eastside Distilling launched its Barrel Hitch whiskey series in 2015, a project emphasizing the art of oak-aging sourced spirits. Led by master distiller Melissa Heim — one of the few female distillers in the PNW — the Portland-based team bottles this smooth-sipping, low-octane whiskey at 80 proof, a gentle caress of warm wheat and honeyed oak. Vanilla and caramel corn fill out the rest of the palate. Try it in action, in a mini cocktail at the Distillery Row tasting room or full-sized on your own at home in one of the distillery’s many house drinks. || $20/750ml
Glacier Distilling North Fork Whiskey
Sipping whiskey can often lead to existential dialogue, especially when the life-changing topic is over starting a whiskey-focused distillery. Such a tale is that of Glacier Distilling in Coram, Montana, producers of not one, but currently six different grain-to-glass whiskeys. A blended whiskey of rye, barley and corn, the North Fork is aged two years in brand new, charred American white oak barrels. The great grains that form the whiskey bring notes of rye spice, earth and a creamy sweetness, accented by the relaxed char of the barrel and a youthful bite. || $42/750ml
Admiralty Distillers 2015 Eau de Vie Apple Brandy
Around this time each year, you can find former carpenter-turned-distiller Jake Soule foraging through the residential apple trees of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula for his 2017 harvest. His mission: ripe apples primed for distilling into his vintage-dated fruit brandy. His 150-gallon steam-fired German pot still was built with aromatics and distilling solids (like apple mash) in mind, which allows this apple blend to showcase its terroir, varietal characteristics and vintage. The 2015 Apple Brandy is fragrant with golden ripe and tart green apple aromas, bringing the green onto the palate, which finishes with a slow burn and flavors of spiced apple sauce. || $36/375ml
Crescendo Spirits LimonCello
“I first experienced limoncello when visiting a friend in Florence, Italy. I enjoyed the delicate lemon flavor and found it a wonderful way to end a meal. I recently discovered Crescendo’s LimonCello from Eugene, Oregon, and, for me, it strikes the right balance: sweet but not too sweet and a smooth non-boozy, lovely aftertaste. As an added benefit I appreciate the fact that they use all natural non-GMO and certified-organic ingredients. So when you need that little sweet treat after a great meal, try Crescendo LimonCello.” — Chris Ackerman, Revenue Manager|| $30/750ml
