Col Solare Winery, Yakima area

2018, On-Site

Col Solare, Red Mountain area outside of Yakima is, I think a good example of what we like to talk about here.  We are very fortunate to find that almost every place we go has pretty good wine that you’ll probably like.  What you don’t find every time is a place that convinces you should take it home with you — and that has a lot to do with what some old researchers would call “set and setting.”  How does the theater of presenting the wine change how you feel about it?

Here’s a photo of me, sitting before a lineup of red liquids.  It’s kind of clever how they serve, actually.  She brought out all three at once, with a placard of descriptions, water and some crunchy things so you can sit, enjoy and get down to business.

Col Solare

And, as you can see below, it is a beautiful location, so what’s not to like?

Col Solare

Well, it’s run by a corporation and it really feels like all the personality has been boiled out of it. The wine itself tastes like technical excellence, there are no flaws, but it also feels like it lacks character.  There’s no rough edges, but maybe a rough edge or two is a good thing.  I’ve done my share of sorting grapes and punching down fermenters and to me this wine tasted more like high-end wine making equipment than wine itself.

Does the wine actually taste that way, or is it a reflection of the almost overly polished showroom that makes it feel that way?  Or was it the weather, cold and bleak, when we pulled in to the parking lot?  To be fair, we’d have to visit again to get a better read.  (It didn’t help that I gave Joyce the wrong directions and it took us an extra 20 minutes to get there.  That’s my fault.)

But it’s more than that.  It’s fine that their wines are expensive, about $75/bottle.  However, if you want your tasting fee waived, they require you to spend $100 — but you can’t spend just $100, you have to buy two bottles, which is $150 + WA tax.  WTF?  As if the customer doesn’t notice that little bit of math which seems intended to jack us around.  (Or maybe we’re just peons too poor to afford this place, maybe?)

Also, once you go to pay your $20 tasting fee — we’re not against tasting fees, we’re drinking their wine after all, and Col Solare did not skimp on the tasting pours — but then unlike every other winery they don’t build the sales tax into the $20.  You can’t just slip them a fin and get on your way ya gotta stop and dig through your pockets for the extra %.

It just feels rude and inconsiderate.  These kind of little unthoughtful details can really rub a customer the wrong way and leave, as you’d say, a bad taste in their mouths, which isn’t something you’d want when you’re selling things intended to be put in the mouth.

Capel Pisco Reservado

2018, Spirits

Here’s a big shout-out to my friend Alex for bringing this prize back from his recent trip to Costa Rica.

Yes, this is a bottle of Chilean Pisco in an Easter Island head.  How cool is that?

With a few ingredients (many of which are shown here) it makes a dang fine Pisco Sour.

Say “Hello” boys!

Pisco
Alex was told that the Easter Island Moa head bottle has been discontinued, so if you are a Tiki Nerd like me, do not turn down the chance to buy one if you manage to find one.

The Pisco itself can be found in a boring old regular bottle. https://www.winemag.com/buying-guide/pisco-capel-reservado

Aluvé Winery

2018, good, On-Site, Reds

Today’s Most Interesting Story Award goes to Aluvé Winery.  Please say hello to Kelly and JJ:

Kelly and JJ served our country in the Air Force piloting the gas tankers in the sky and F-16’s.

Aluvé Winery

As of fall, 2018 you won’t be much impressed rolling up to their facility after being at Walla Walla Vintners, but after walking up the stairs to their kitchen tasting room the warmth of their welcome will more than make up for the fancy stuff we all enjoy elsewhere.

JJ tells us they are working on a more formal building for the wine tasting theater stuff frequent visitors to this blog knows I go on about… by the time you read this, you may have missed out on visiting with JJ and Kelly in their kitchen. Get on it people!

Regular visitors to this font of our wisdom, such as it is, will know that we are students of the perception and experience of visiting these places. Any number of other outlets will tell you what you should believe tastes good and will give you numbers and whatnot etc etc. Instead, we are here to tell you what’s likely to make you feel good.

What delivers the experience of feeling loved, fulfilled and part of the universe?  It’s so much more than the fermented juice in the bottle.  Comments?

àMaurice Cellars

2018, good, On-Site, Reds, Whites

Winning the award for most spirited Tasting Room Associates is àMaurice Cellars.

As you can see, we are suffering horribly here.

àMaurice Cellars

Are their wines good? Yes, yes they are.  What’s more important?  Your authors could relax and take in the view, contemplating synergy and their friendly staff enjoyed leaving the shady tasting room to deliver a sip of our next tasting.

So, the kids were a lot of fun, definitely the highlight of our visit here.  (HINT: got a tasting room?  Keep your Associates chipper!)  In the “small town” vein, the gent with the golden hair says he was a server at a group dinner we enjoyed Thursday evening.  Just goes to show what it takes to make a life in this world.

Since we have to back up our reputation for not pulling punches on this blog, for my winery picnic money, I would absolutely choose Walla Walla Vintners as a place to sit and enjoy, which is only walking distance away.  Sorry, that place was frickin’ Winery Disneyland(tm) when we were there.

Meanwhile, there’s really no way around it. Those of us of a certain age can’t hear the name “Maurice” without this earworm.  It’s worse for Joyce and I because we bought a Ford Explorer from good friends who they’d named “Maurice”.

Somehow, when it came down to it, I wasn’t able to determine the “Maurice” angle here.  Pretty sure it doesn’t have anything to do with Space Cowboys.

Walla Walla Vintners

2018, good, On-Site, Reds, Whites

Wow, talk about a perfect afternoon.  What is there even to say about the wines at Walla Walla Vintners that wouldn’t be overshadowed by the sheer beauty of a perfectly crisp October afternoon sandwiched between the visual joy of mountains, vineyard, winery…

Walla Walla Vintners

Makes you just want to roll it up in a warm burrito and snuggle with it all.

Winery dog, OF COURSE.

On the right you can see two kids coloring in the sun.

Ok, I left out the photos of the smiling winery crew cheerfully punching down and forking casks back and forth because it makes my palms itchy since working a harvest season last year.  After that, it’s hard to sit down when others are doing work.

One thing you may notice about experiencing the Walla Walla region, is they are fond of breadsticks as tasting room palate cleansers, which is great as they are delish and fun.  WWV shared with us their secret: Safeway Select is the best.   Slightly salty and a touch of butter, I’d have to agree.  They got the yum.

 

Mark Ryan Winery

2018, good, On-Site, Reds, Whites

When in Walla Walla, do as the visitors to Walla Walla do — drop in on the Mark Ryan Winery tasting room.

Will you enjoy the wines here? I think so. What I think is most interesting is the message the visual design of space sends. It’s decorated with prints of Grunge and 90’s era Indie Rock posters of Seattle bands.  Why do I think that’s interesting?

This stuff was supposed to be transgressive!  We were bitter Gen-X’rs, punk rock souls railing against a world we didn’t fit into and didn’t seem to want us.  I assure you, we were not drinking fine wine.

And so, our past identities are recycled and fed back to us as a luxury consumer product.

Keep hitting the “random comic” button on Cat and Girl and eventually you’ll find something that explains exactly what I mean.

Hey! We ran into Mike and Liz!  Cool!

Drink up, big boy.

Mark Ryan Winery

 

Mansion Creek Cellars, Walla Walla Washington

2018, good, On-Site, Reds, Whites

Here’s Tess telling us the story of Mansion Creek Cellars.

Mansion Creek

What’s interesting about Mansion Creek Cellars? Here’s Mama Julia:

Mama Julia

What’s different about Mansion Creek is not just a focus on Spanish styles, but Portuguese as well. When’s the last time you heard of these varietals: Touriga Nacional, Souzão, Tempranillo and Tinta Cão.

Probably never, so go check it out!

Basel Cellars — Walla Walla, WA

2018, good, On-Site, Reds, Whites

After visiting the Figgins vineyard, our rag-tag caravan hoofed it into Basel Cellars.

As you can see, they have a stunning building.  They also had a fabulous spread of snacks out, that we fell upon like a plague of locusts.  In fact, the food was so good I don’t remember a dang thing about the wine.

They’ve got a lot of room, bring a few dozen friends!

They also have a sense of humor, as you can see below, as found above the john:

Figgins / Leonetti – Walla Walla, WA

2018, good, On-Site

Man, that Figgins Family knows how to keep busy.

We were part of a caravan of forlorn business people from the rainy side of the Cascades looking for a day free from conference calls, meetings and emails at least for one day. Yes, we were tourists in Walla Walla, WA.

First stop, the vineyard for Figgins Wine. There we were met by winemaker Chris Figgins, a gentle soul who introduced us to his family’s story, starting with an Italian immigrant Grandfather making wine in his dirt-floor basement, then his father starting Leonetti Cellar, and now his own efforts.

Chris laid down some interesting infos on us, things I had not personally known. The soil of the rolling hills of the Walla Walla area — turns out it’s wind-blown silt from the ice-age Missoula Floods, making for a uniquely consistent soil for agriculture. Also, the area has no Phylloxera, meaning they don’t have to graft the grape they want on Phylloxera-resistant rootstock, it’s all the same grape from top to bottom.

Chris spoke at length about the work they put into choosing the site and planning out each block with altitude, climate and solar exposure in mind.  Rainfall increases as you get closer to the Blue Mountains.  Chris tells us they get 22 inches or rain, just at the point where they have to do a small amount of irrigation, giving them control over how much water their fruit gets.

And of course, it’s a beautiful location.

So here’s your wine marketing challenge: get to the point where you only sell wine to people on your current customer list.  Want the wine?  Want to taste it?  Want to see a bottle of it?  Don’t go to Fred Meyer.  They don’t have a tasting room either.

So, I’m not going to tell you anything further about their wine. You’ll have to get on the list.

https://www.figgins-wine.com/mailinglist/
http://leonetticellar.com/join-list

Sai Gon Wine

2018, Rice Wine, Spirits

Found this at an honest-to-golly supermarket in Ho Chi Mihn City.

Ruou Sai Gon.  A form of distilled rice wine.

Here’s underground Portland beverage maven Trevor M. using his phone to research this bottle which has almost zero english on it.  He brought up this overview of this category of beverage: http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/none/vietnams-rice-wine-culture-223868/

Interesting early translations included “pear” and “sand” and eventually “glutinous rice”.

How does it taste?  I’d say it tastes “OK”.  It clearly has a rice character, and I could easily be convinced that there’s a pear note in there.  I don’t have documentation on what it set me back, but if it was more than $5 I’m sure I’d have remembered.  Is it great? No.  But try to find something this good for under $5 in Oregon or Washington.

Tasting new things from far away places = fun!