I’ve been thinking recently, pondering the ramifications of having a large wine sales company like American Winery in my town. What does this mean for me? The independent retailer? I thought about taking small petty actions against Lloyd Benedict, Founder of American Winery, egging his office window, screaming and jumping in front of him when he met Gary Vaynerchuk, warning Gary in person that Lloyd is (and here I have to use my imagination) contaminated—a highly contagious flesh eating virus or something—and that his company is a scam. I thought about posting mean notes on AmericanWinery.com insulting their business plan and web design. I thought about getting on Open Wine Consortium and telling everyone that American Winery sucks!

But that would be mean. And it would be… [long pregnant pause]… a lie.

The truth is I think it’s FABULOUS that there is this fresh new company–in my town–doing so much to promote American wine. They have a great plan and their web design is outstanding. I can’t in good conscience say anything bad about them.

And Walla Walla is a perfect base for such a project. Right here in the heart of wine country, a valley removed enough from Urbania (yes, I made it up) to maintain its grounded sense of place. It doesn’t hurt, either, that Walla Walla Valley is producing some of the best wines in the country.

So Lloyd’s a smart guy. And he’s a nice guy. His passion for wine is infectious (in a good way—not the flesh eating virus way). I’ve learned a lot more about wines from all over the country. I mean, who knew Oklahoma had good wine? Three months ago I had no idea! Check out the AW list of wineries by state and be impressed. Plus, although the selection can at times be overwhelming, the website contains a plethora of educational articles, definitions, and descriptions in addition to wine listings. To quote my sister, among others, “Edumacate yourself!”

Wine is a big deal in America. Wine sales continue to prove this. And I’m proud to do business in the same town as American Winery, the whole crew, knowing that we have a common goal of supporting winemakers, getting wine to the people, helping people learn about, find, and enjoy good wines from this place we call home: Walla Walla to the Nation.

It also means that from time to time I get to sample a fun spread, like this:

From L to R: Source Napa 2005 Sauvignon Blanc, Kaz “Dudes” 2005 Petit Sirah (another Cali wine), Nelms Road 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon (local!)

How could I complain?

Have some before it’s gone! Delicious asparagus with mushrooms at T. Maccarone’s. It’s an appetizer, but I had this as a main course. An iPhone can’t do it justice.

Try it with Grüner Veltliner. Although I must confess I had vodka which paired quite nicely.

Dear Michele,

Life is wonderful! I never thought I’d be back in Walla Walla, but I love it here now.[...]

About the wine issue, here are some ideas.

Wine is an acquired taste for many. Start with whites. Actually, what do you like to drink normally? What’s your beverage of choice? And as far as food/snacks, do you like sweet, salty, meaty, savory, fruits, fish, herbs, ketchup? What do you like to eat and drink? But start with drinks first… That gives us an idea of what your palate is like and what our best bet is for a good match.

What is it that you Don’t like about wine? Is it just the alcohol? You may find a good way to start enjoying wine is with white wine spritzers. (Wine lovers, don’t shoot me! ) Many wine lovers are appalled by the thought. But I say if you don’t like it, don’t drink it. So let’s see if we can find something you DO like.

Take a white wine spritzer. 2 parts wine (maybe try a Riesling or Pinot Gris), 1 part club soda. Start with the wine and top off with the soda. Serve immediately. Refreshing summer beverage. There are a ton of modifications you can make too, adding fruits and other flavors.

That’s a start. Then focus on the experience of tasting wine.
What color is it? What does it remind you of? Look at it in good light with a white background if you can. Evaluate the color itself. Is it a consistent color throughout? (Hope so.) Is it a crisp color or is it kind of cloudy? (Could indicate a problem.) Do you see any sediment (which is okay) or — and this sometimes happens — bubbles?

I have been drinking a rosé recently that is slightly effervescent, so as soon as I pour it in the glass there are tiny bubbles. Not like major carbonation, but enough to notice.

Once you’ve noted the color, move on the the smell.

Savor the “nose.” Get your sniffer down into that glass after you’ve swirled it (aerates the wine and releases aroma). What do you detect? Try a Viognier, for example. Typically: Floral, honey aromas. Just smell it for awhile. Appreciate the complexities of it.

After you think you’ve identified all the specific smells you can, take a small sip and the process starts for tastes. Sip it. Roll it around and get it on all your taste buds. What exactly do you taste? What flavors can you identify? Does it remind you of anything else you’ve ever encountered?

Sometimes wines remind me of places, trips, people, chocolate, pineapple, car tires, diesel, tundra, berries, river rocks, cigars, roses, honeysuckle, pomegranate, pine nuts, deodorant, fresh cut grass, grapefruit, coca cola, vanilla, caramel, old leather, moss… the list goes on. It’s the identification/tasting process that is really enjoyable for me. Do I LOVE all the above tastes? Not necessarily. But even if I don’t enjoy the taste, I enjoy the complexity, and the process.

I know people who didn’t like wine AT ALL when we first met, and now they genuinely enjoy whites and reds (and rosés).

Take your time to enjoy the nuances. Try to pay attention to what’s there besides the alcohol. You can even do this with the spritzer, although I’d be careful about swirling it much : ) I can see disaster written all over that one. Great advice, Amy! Shake the carbonated beverage?!!

How’s that for a book this morning?

Seriously, let me know about your tastes and I’ll see if I can point you to a couple wines to try that you just might enjoy.

Lots of love,
Amy

On this holiday I wanted to extend the invitation to check out a couple of my favorites.

Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl Riesling (2006 or the 2007!)

This is a delightful, minerally, spectacular example of a Washington State Riesling. I adore it and keep on hand several bottles for dinners on the patio, drinks with friends, gifts, and for the occasionally necessary personal affirmation that girls ROCK!

Another outstanding case in point of girl power is the DaMa 2006 Riesling.

Delicious, proper Riesling, with another label showing the joys of being female. As winery notes say, it has “bright acidity”. Bright, smart, and fun. It is an experience. (Check out our tasting notes.)

If these wines could talk… and they do… they’d say: Hell, yes, I’m a girl. And I can kick ass just as easily in a halter-dress as I can in my kung fu gear. So brace yourselves, people. Life is meant to be enjoyed, lived in fullness, and everyone deserves some pampering along with their empowerment.

While we celebrate “Independence Day” let’s enjoy being women (and men, take this opportunity to enjoy, appreciate, and celebrate the good women in your lives). I am proud to be a girl, a kick ass girl. And I am thrilled to have these wines in my life.

Happy 4th of July!

The night before (Saturday night), Niki and I had enjoyed dinner at Saucebox, one of my favorite spots in downtown Portland. We’d had amazing cocktails, like the Green Dragon and Crush. This was followed by a leisurely walk through a city suffering somewhat from heat stroke. Thankfully, the Green Dragon carried me through with ease.

At some point during dinner, Niki had finally filled me in on the adventure. We were booked to SKYDIVE the next morning. Oh, that’s why she said I couldn’t be hungover… I thought maybe she just didn’t like me being cranky.

When we arrived on site Sunday morning, about 45-50 minutes south of Portland in Molalla, I began going through the paperwork. Death. Death. Death. May cause injury and death. Death. Dying.

Well, it’s good to put things in perspective, I suppose. I was still ready to go. Then I got to the part about not having alcohol for the last 12 hours and I had to look at my watch and think carefully. Phew. Just made it. It sure was a good think Niki told me as early as she did or I might have been asked to push back my jump a few hours.

Finally it was our turn: Load 12. Up we went in the Caravan. I was so happy just to be in the plane, let alone to have the opportunity to jump out. Does that sound crazy? Probably. But Niki, Kevin (our friend who had helped Niki plot the whole thing), and the rest of the crew in the plane were all about the jump.

We climbed steadily to 13,000 feet. The door opened. People started jumping out the door and disappearing from view. There went Kevin. There went Niki. Then it was my turn. I was going tandem too. Kirk, my jumpmaster, said we’d sit at the edge of the door and he would count to three and we would jump. The thing is, when we got to the door, Kirk may have been sitting in the plane, but the only thing keeping me from anywhere near the plane was the fact that I was strapped to Kirk. There was nothing of my body touching the plane. I was hanging out in limbo waiting for him to jump. Indescribable. Finally we were out.

And the freefall was spectacular.

Niki was having a blast too.

Amazing! For anyone in the Northwest interested in going, I highly recommend Skydive Oregon. They run a first class operation and I would do it again in a heartbeat–even the really fast heartbeat moments.

I am so glad I wasn’t hungover, that I was totally fresh and alert, awake to every moment. It was beautiful and breathtaking and exhilarating. Of course there was adrenaline. There was also a lot of love.

I could actually make out vineyards below (though not really in this photo). Although I must confess I wasn’t particularly focused on vineyards. I was soaking it all in. The grandness of it. The patterns on the ground were fascinating. The perspective on the Earth, on life, and even on gravity, were a wonderful addition to my life experience.

We got the death part out of the way with the initial paperwork. After that it was all about big living. Life is seriously fun! What a way to celebrate.

This is my thank you post for the best birthday present I’ve ever received. And someday I’ll do it again — and do it all by myself. Perhaps someday I’ll also be able to return the favor.

Waiting is the hard part. I knew what the birthday “surprise” was by this point, but now we had to wait to get to 13,000 feet.

What a long way up. So I checked out the scenery, taking note of the patchwork style earth below, trying to keep track of the landing zone.

Every day should be this much fun!

The wine is beautiful. Yummy. And such an amazing color! I happened to set it down by the Anthropologie catalog and — kazaam!! Had to snap it. It seems such an ideal summertime picture: the dress, the crafty cutout clouds, dreamy, relaxed. (Look at the “in dreams” text under the base.) Much like the mind-boggling color of the Waterbrook Sangiovese Rosé, the Barnard Griffin version catches my eye.

It’s darker than the much praised (in this home, anyway) Sleight of Hand Magician’s Assistant (Cab Franc) Rosé. Those Sangio berries kick the color into high gear, so get your eyeballs and your taste buds prepared, folks. Check it out.

Not to sound like a broken record, but… to sound like a broken record,… this is ON SALE at the local liquor store. Locals, pay attention!!! Go buy it now (the winery is sold out), or come on over to my place for some of this wine with delicious salad in the garden and we’ll share. Either way, it’s fun fun fun in the sun.

Winery Notes: If you’re lucky enough to have some of this wine on hand, savor every drop! Now sold out, this wine won the Best of Show/Gold Medal Sweepstakes at the Monterey Wine Competition and the Sweepstakes Rose Wine Award at the 2007 Riverside Wine Competition.
Possessing a lovely, bright, garnet hue. Effusive strawberry/pomegranate, watermelon nose. Bright and dry on the attack, boasting long balanced flavors of strawberry and lime. Satisfying, lingering finish with hints of butter and minerals. This wine will pair with an amazing variety of foods. (barnardgriffin.com)

Wines Mentioned:
Sleight of Hand Cellars 2007 Magician’s Assistant Rosé
Trust Cellars 2007 Rosé
Trio Vintners 2007 Trés Rosé
Barnard Griffin 2006 Rosé of Sangiovese

(Apologies for the poor video quality. Improvements are being made.)

What do Dale Chihuly and Walla Walla wine have in common? Well, besides the obvious “glass” connection–wine is bottled in glass, usually drunk out of glass, Chihuly makes art out of glass. And now… the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance is the official wine sponser of “Chihuly at the de Young” in San Francisco.

[www.chihuly.com]

Chihuly was the featured artist at the 2000 Napa Valley Wine Auction where he was asked to represent “Kaleidoscope 2000.” The theme was to reflect the role of glass in winemaking. The work he did for this event only served to further establish Chihuly’s place as a National Living Treasure.

I am always amazed by his work. Unearthly and yet entirely organic. Paradoxical.

So I’m proud that Walla Walla wine is supporting this awe inspiring exhibit, and I encourage anyone who can to go see it. From Idaho to London to Israel, Chihuly is not to be missed. And while you’re at it, check out the wine from Walla Walla.

Chihuly’s work with the wine industry continues as he works on some projects with local winemakers, including Dunham Cellars, meaning there’s more to come.

Enjoy.

Chris Leonetti is doing cool and crazy stuff to make sure the label is all it can be. He provides some good cultural insights as he discusses going international and the difference between selling wine in Japan vs. France.

So where is the EASIEST country in the world in which to sell your wine?

Then there’s the flavor.

“The Figginses manage their grapes,” says Myles Anderson, owner of Walla Walla Vintners. “They have learned that a vine only has so much energy, and it can put that energy into 10 bunches or five. Very successful wineries use estate grapes so they can control the yield from each vine and control the irrigation. The more energy directed into fewer grapes, the more intense the flavor.”

This is why Leonetti has gone from 10% estate grown to 95% estate grown. Just think of the control…

World domination on the horizon? We’ll see.

Check out the full article here: Washington CEO: Old Vines and Deep Roots