Sauced

We’ve Got No Jugs

It’s grapes of wrath over the Governor’s comment.

Posted by: Julie H. Case on Apr 25, 2012 at 03:20PM 2 Comments

Photo courtesy www.jug-wine.com.

Governor Gregoire picked a fun fight yesterday with California when she stated “They make jug wine. We make fine wine." All this while signing the capital construction budget, which included $5 million for a new Wine Science Center.

Well of course Governor Gregoire talked about California and jugs… It is, after all, the land of Baywatch, of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, of… Wait, wrong jugs?

All joking aside, such banter is a bit like throwing mashed potatoes at your brother across the table when the folks aren’t looking, right? In reality, California is a bigger wine producer than Washington state. And yeah, they’ve been at it for longer than we have, too. But clearly, there’s room for everyone in the market.

Our southern cousin does have more grapes: California’s largest growing region—the Central Valley—is said to stretch for 300 miles and produce nearly 75 percent of wines, including those for Gallo, Franzia, and Bronco Wine Company. And, in 2011, California’s wine grape planting was estimated at 543,000 acres; Washington’s was about 40,000 acres.

So, yeah, let’s face it, Washington doesn’t have the grapes to pour into jugged wine. California does, it’s a fact. Which is why Washington has focused more on producing “premium” wines—those above the $8 price point—and wines of value.

Of course, it’s somewhat akin to the wealthiest Americans also holding the greatest percentage of the wealth. In 2011 California shipped 211.9 million 9-liter cases of wine to the U.S. market. By comparison, in 2010 Washington produced 11.2 million 9-liter cases of wine for the U.S. market. And yet, the state is the second largest producer of premium wines in the U.S.

Come on, California, you can’t deny that you do, indeed, make jug wine. But hey, a heck of a lot of Americans want jug wine. Shoot, I grew up with a jug of wine sitting on the back step in the garage. (Sorry, mom.) Luckily for me, those days are mostly long gone.

So, no, we don’t make jug wine. And we’re number two. And damn proud of it.

For the record, in February, Wine Business Monthly listed E&J Gallo Winery as the largest U.S. wine producer in 2011; Ste. Michelle Winery Estates ranked seventh. Columbia Crest, Washington’s largest brand, makes something like 2 million cases of wine each year. Would that even rank among the top producing brands in California? Here’s a picture, courtesy Google Earth, of each of Gallo and the Crest from above. (Check out those silos!)

E&J Gallo

Columbia Crest

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Tags: Wineries, Wine, Washington Wines, Washington Wine Regions, Washington Wine Commission

Reds, Whites, and Rites of Spring

Release weekends pop up across the state.

Posted by: Julie H. Case on Apr 18, 2012 at 10:25AM 2 Comments

Beresan Owner Tom Waliser and patron Jeff Douglas talk spring release.

Spring is in the air, the grapes are growing, the sap is flowing, and at tasting rooms across the state, so are the wines. Wineries typically release new wines this time of year, and many take advantage of regional events to introduce them—and the dozens of others already on shelves—to patrons.

While many wineries are open for tastings year round, spring-release weekends and barrel-tasting weekends guarantee visitors a chance to sample at a winery, discover what’s new, and sometimes even taste yet-to-be-released wines directly from the barrel. You can also expect hundreds of other people to be doing the same. Here’s a roundup of some forthcoming spring events:

Passport to Woodinville
It’s been a weekend. It’s been a month. Now it seems Passport is back to being one weekend long.

In days of yore, it seemed virtually every Woodinville winery (of which there are now about 80) threw open its doors and nixed its tasting fees (the $65-or-so “passport” got you a free sample at every participating winery) for the month/weekend. These days the Passport list officially features 35 wineries. While fewer of the boutique and high-end wineries seem to be participating this year, it’s hard to imagine any of them will have doors closed for the weekend.

The event has become more of a booze cruise for wines, where it’s no shock to see a bachelorette party tottering around in stilettos and wine-stained veils. Still, there are reasons to go. You want to see and be seen, for example, or, you want to check out some of the newest tasting rooms, such as Bunnell Family Cellars, which opens this weekend.

Go If: You like pub crawls, but with wine.
When: April 21 & 22
Get There: By car, approximately 20 miles northeast of Seattle.
Cost: $75 Saturday, $65 Sunday

Yakima Spring Barrel Tasting
A full one-third of the state’s grapes are grown in the Yakima Valley, so it’s no shock that the area is hosting its own Spring Barrel Tasting weekend, during which 40 wineries let visitors sample what’s new and what’s still in barrel. And, if tasting isn’t enough, while you’re in town you can swing over to Los Hernandez in Union Gap, where they make what is perhaps the nation’s finest tamale, and where by late April, the owners also hope to have their world-famous asparagus tamale, Mother Nature willing.

Go If: You’ve never visited the new Naches Heights appellation, or a Yakima winery.
When: April 27–29
Get There: By car, approximately 2.5 hours east of Seattle. Take I-90 to I-82.
Cost: $40 for a premier pass that gets you a free tastings at 40 wineries, plus special tours and bites at various places

Walla Walla Spring Release Weekend
One of my most memorable Walla Walla spring release weekends happened years ago when, while standing outside Beresan and Balboa, winemaker Tom Glase came by and dragged my group back into Beresan and began barrel tasting us on a carmenere he was exceptionally proud of. That was the same weekend Jean-Francois Pellet ended up giving tours of the caves at Pepperbridge, too. Spring Release attracts enough of a crowd these days to make those moments less likely, but there’s still a lot of random fun to be had.

At some wineries—such as Abeja and Leonetti—being on the list is the only way to score a visit. But others, such as Tranche Cellars, will actually be open to the public. Chris Figgins, still winemaker for the family winery Leonetti, will sample and give a sneak peak of his new Figgins tasting room downtown, set to open later this summer; Bunchgrass will be open all weekend (versus just Saturday) and Long Shadows will be pouring library wines. There will be winemaker dinners from Waters and others, a grand opening for Canoe Ridge (which was purchased by Precept in 2011), a Friday night hot air balloon display at Waterbrook, and wine club members-only parties at a variety of wineries, including Dunham.

What else can you expect? Rock music to be blaring at K Vintners, food trucks to be dishing it up outside various wineries, and the chance to check out wines just being released to the public in general.

Go If: You want to be relatively certain you’ll get to explore a winery that might not always be open, but not if you’re looking for one-on-one time with your favorite winemaker.
When: May 4–6
Get There: By car, approximately 4.5 hours east of Seattle. Take I-90 to I-82 to Hwy 12. Fly Alaska Airlines and your boarding pass gets you free tastings at 70 wineries, and your first case of wine is checked for free.
Cost: Some wineries charge a tasting fee, always refundable with purchase.

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Tags: Wineries, Spring Release, Walla Walla Wines, Washington Wine Regions, Yakima, Wine Wednesday, Tasting Rooms, Washington Wines, Woodinville, Wine Tastings, Barrel Tasting

Road Trip: Spring Barrel Tasting in Yakima

You live in wine country, people. Go drink some!

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Apr 06, 2011 at 10:12AM 1 Comments

Spring Barrel Tasting in Yakima begins April 15.

Photo courtesy: oxfordsuitesyakima.com

Do you sometimes forget you live in wine country? Serious wine people—bless their hearts—like to marvel over the fact that some people have never even been to Walla Walla! But the rest of us, distracted by the many treats of urban life (Gourmet pork rinds! Shiny boots! Professional soccer!), sometimes lose sight entirely of our premier grape-growing regions.

Here’s one awesome way to remember: take a road trip to Yakima April 15 through 17 for Spring Barrel Tasting. For one thing, the sun (remember that guy?) is far more likely to shine over there than out here. For another, there will definitely be wine. Lots of it. Fifty wineries worth. A $45 ticket buys you access to all kinds of different tastings.

Here are some suggestions from our travel department on where to eat, drink and sleep while you’re there.

Now go on, get out of here.

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Tags: Wineries, Wine, Wine Tastings, Yakima, Washington Wine Regions