Vintage is one of those wine concepts that’s simultaneously over- and under-discussed. On the one hand, vintages are on the vast majority of bottles produced globally, they’re one of the primary ways we differentiate wines, and discussions about whether a given...
When John and Jody Wrigley first met, they hadn't a vineyard nor children. Seven years later, they have 200 acres in Oregon's McMinnville AVA (15 acres under vine and growing), two kids, a dog and a winery titled J Wrigley Vineyards. (All family members—including...
The wines of Carlton, Oregon's Lemelson Vineyards speak for themselves—and have the accolades for their delicate, nuanced wines to back those speeches up. The winery design, however, couldn't receive enough praise for its modern design that was light-years ahead of...
Here, take a glass. I'm Zach Geballe, and I love wine. Some of the time, I'm serving it to people at the Dahlia Lounge in downtown Seattle, other times I'm teaching classes about it, and others I'm doing just this: writing about it. The goal of Tasting Notes is to...
The Willamette Valley has become synonymous with world class wines. Ask experts and fans throughout the world, and Willamette Valley Pinot Noir will be on the top of their list. 2015 is set to be the year where Pinot Noir fans, and fans of Oregon wine, raise a...
We were running an hour late and needed to get from Newberg to McMinnville, Oregon. On this recent greater Willamette Valley excursion, I had booked appointments according to Google Maps, which, on paper, said that Newberg to McMinnville was 25 minutes. However,...
The steam lifted from my morning coffee to join the dense resting fog that sat amongst the mossed trees surrounding The Allison Inn & Spa. Standing swaddled in a fleece throw blanket on my suite’s balcony—one that trumped most city apartment’s terraces—I had a...
Winemaker Rich Cushman has been making wine in the Willamette Valley and Columbia River Gorge long enough to have his own tagline: "Born in the Gorge." After attending acclaimed viticultural college UC Davis in the 1970s, Cushman left to apprentice in Germany,...
Perched upon a hillside amidst rolling rows of vines facing white-capped mountain tops, Anne Amie Vineyards is the quintessence of the Oregon wine country. The tasting room—appointed with reclaimed wood-beam ceilings, flawless shaker dining tables and windows that...
Seattle seems to be getting an early start on summer food festivals. Now in its seventh year running, the city will again host the Seattle Wine & Food Experience on February 22 at the Seattle Center. The SWFE is first and foremost a tasting event of regional...
