BITS & BOBS

The Fourth of July has come and gone and it lived up to expectations. The third and fourth are the busiest days at the store I work at. The weather was perfect for wine consumption. It wasn’t hot and it wasn’t cold, right in the middle. If it’s blazing hot outside, the only wines that move are cold whites like Vinho Verde from Portugal and Sauvignon Blanc from all over the globe. You can forget about selling any big reds. When it’s hot outside, it seems like no one is in the mood to pour a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. However, because it was just right outside, big Cabs, Syrah, red blends and Zinfandel flew off the shelf along with Chardonnay. Not too surprisingly, Rose’ was the choice of wine for many customers.

Rose'has gained tremendous strength in the market over the past four years. It has long been a favorite in California and of course France. However, it has only been until recently that it is becoming the wine of choice for wine drinkers in Washington State. Six years ago, we sold a third of what we now see going out the door. There are so many choices out there and it's nice to see folks trying many different styles from different areas of the world. It used to be that if it wasn't very pale in color and from Provence, it wouldn't sell. Now, it can cover the color spectrum and folks will give it a go. Just remember, if it is dark in color it doesn't mean it will be sweeter. Some winemakers like to get more color extraction from the skins of the grape, yet they will ferment them dry. It is true that Rose'can be on the sweeter side, but it is more difficult to find a sweet Rose' than a dry one.

Longship Cellars out of Richland Washington is my winery of the year. I choose a winery at the end of each year that I believe deserves to be recognized for the quality of wines they produce at a fair price. The wines don’t have to be inexpensive, but they have to live up to the price tag. At the end of 2018, I chose Longship Cellars. I recently featured their wines at an event. Kyle and Cassie Welch brought along three new wines with them and I was excited to give them a try. They now produce Merlot, Petite Sirah and Garnacha. They all were amazing! The Petite Sirah was intense and balanced. The Merlot lived up to my expectations for Washington Merlot. It is still youthful (2017), but it shows potential and will only get better over the next ten years. It had everything in place for aging. A nice balance of acidity, fruit and tannins. I’m going to put a few bottles away in my cellar. The 2017 Garnacha is one of the best I’ve tasted from Washington State and is ready to drink now. Full of plum and strawberry notes with a solid backbone of white pepper. Kyle is very proud of it and I understand why. After tasting the three new wines it just confirmed in my mind their deserved spot as “Winery of the Year”. I will be featuring their three new wines on my YouTube channel. Stay tuned.

Cheers!

Stan The Wine Man