Benson: Brothers doing it right!

The drive to Benson is a bit off the beaten path, but it's definitely worth it. Not only the wine is fantastic, but the view and the tasting room is absolutely beautiful! We happened to visit days after the new tasting room had opened, and it was packed. I guess word has gotten out, and the Benson family is reaping the rewards of a job well done. Scott and Jeff Benson are a riot. The brothers are the brains behind the business, and were also running the crowded tasting room while we were there, and made sure everyone was taken care of. This is how you run a tasting room! Add in that great wine and it's a win-win.

2008 Pinot Gris: A light colored wine with a citrusy nose. Super light easy drinking wine. Would be fantastic with Thai food, or even some spicy sushi. Yum.

2008 Estate Chardonnay: I didn't take many notes on it, but did put: "I like". I am not usually a chard fan, so that's a glowing review for me. Nice acidity.

2008 Viognier: I enjoyed this white as well. Had the right blend of notes: minerality, a bit of citrus. Viognier is awesome with any crab dish.

2006 Syrah: Delicious.... wonderful... fantastic. Nice to actually look out the window at the grapes you are now enjoying as wine. Such a good earthy nose, with a bit of smokiness. LOVE this wine.

2006 Cabarnet Sauvignon: This also was a great red, with lots of depth to it. Has a wonderful chocolate, smoky, earthy characteristic to it. Reminiscent of the great California Cabs. I think the Benson family shines with their red wines.

2006 Rhythm: Blend of Syrah, Sangiovese, Cabernet, and Merlot. Delicious, well matched blend. Lots of complexity, and I am kicking myself that I didn't get a bottle. I definitely will be heading back and stocking up.

*Thanks to Scott and Jeff, you made it a great visit!

Tunnel Hill, OK wine, yes, just OK.

In all of the Chelan wineries that I went to, this was by far my least favorite. *Note to all wineries- you may have great wine, but the employees are honestly will MAKE or BREAK your visitors experience. The person working on the day I went did not possess characteristics of what a winery tasting room employee should have: a personality. But I digress, and let's discuss the wine.

2008 Riesling: We happened to go just when this wine was released. I think it needs a little more time in the bottle and if you do open it, it needs to get some air in it. It's a light straw color, and has a bit of minerality, but other than that.... not much. Give it more time and I am sure it would be better.

2007 Riesling: This one I liked much better. It had a lot of citrus on the nose, but it was very off dry on the palette. This would be the perfect summer drinking wine.

2007 Pinot Noir: A light ruby colored, very very light red. It has some cherry and fig notes on it.... would be perfect with a seared pork chop with a light balsamic reduction on it.

2007 Syrah: Definitely my favorite of all the wines. I tend to favor the syrahs from this region: good earthyness, good stone fruit, and smooth on the palette. I would drink this one with a big old steak. And mashed potatoes. YUM.

Nefarious, where wine is a family affair.

Nefarious was one of my two favorite wineries in Chelan. Wine isn't just about the wine itself. It's about the people that make it. Dean and Heather Neff are wonderfully friendly people and they made our experience in the tasting room great!

It's always enjoyable to ask someone where they get their grapes and they can say, with confidence, "right there!" Yep, the grapes were right outside the window. The view of the lake was stellar, and the service of Dean and Heather, as well as the adorable and super friendly dog Lucy. Lucy will definitely be the first to greet you at Nefarious. Now on to the wines:

2008 Viognier: For the price (under $20) this is a wonderful white wine! It has a nice apricot nose, with a light mouthfeel. Isn't a heavy viognier and would pair well with crab~!

2008 Consequence: Very light white wine, with a bit of minerality and tastes of peaches, apricots, and even some citrus. Would be fantastic with any kind of fish.

2007 Syrah: I think this Syrah is definitely where Nefarious shines. (I took a bottle home myself) This a super fruity wine with lots to offer. There is a small tinge of smokiness on the nose as well as deep cherry and plum. I love the earthiness of this wine! They also add a very small amount of Viognier which adds yet a bit more of fantastic complexity. I would highly recommend this wine if you love a full body red wine that is great with meat, but I personally like just drinking it. It's awesome.

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon: Yummy cab with all the components I love: leather, chocolate, and that deep red of a good cab. Great price too: under $30! This would be a wonderful wine for any red meats, a hearty chili, or even a big pasta dish. Another great wine!

I highly recommend going to Nefarious. They are a wonderful winery, with great people working there!

Lake Chelan- Most improved in Washington!

Not only is Lake Chelan absolutely beautiful, it is now officially the 11th AVA in the state of Washington! (AVA= American Viticutural Area)

I go to Lake Chelan every 4th of July with a friend of mine and experienced wine tastings over the years only to be truly disapppointed. I think the years have been very good to Chelan, and this year I ended up going home with a half of a case of fantastic wine.

If you have a chance to drive 3 hours inland, go to Chelan. You won't be disappointed.

TWO MONTHS?!?

Where oh where has Carly, the Wine Princess of Washington been?

Let's see: got wine sales job, amazingly lost wine sales job, strep throat, endless job search.. which all turns into an equation for neglecting my dear blog.

*Sigh* But I am sitting here on a early fall day and realizing I have lots to blog about!! So, once again, I find myself apologizing and saying I am BACK.

Gorman Winery puts the Rock N Roll in Wine Tasting

You ever walk into a tasting room and think, "I really wish so and so was here"? The minute I walked into Gorman, I thought I wish my dad was here. My dad isn't the big wine fan, no no, he is a fan of AC/DC, much like Chris Gorman, the winemaker. In fact, it was all AC/DC all the time, but it never took away from the enjoyment of my experience. (I may be disowned for this, but AC/DC really isn't my type of music, but I digress)

Chris has been making wine since 2002, and keeps the amount limited to about 1500 cases a year. He focuses on the Red Mountain area for his grapes, which for those not familiar with that area, the Red Mountain area is kick ass. I was lucky enough to meet Chris, and I can tell you, he is a NICE guy, laid back... no stuffiness from him. Add to that some good wine, and makes for a highly enjoyable wine tasting experience. On to the wine:

Rose 2008 42-39-56: I am not a huge rose fan in general, but this wasn't bad at all. This would be a perfect picnic wine. Would pair well with a nice bbq, chicken salad, veggies, or fruit. (I apologize but I didn't write any notes on this wine other than the name).

Zachary's Ladder 2006: This was my favorite one I tasted, and I took a bottle home. This is a blend of 65% Merlot, 25% Cab Sav, and 10% Petit Verdot. I know, shocking... it's mostly merlot, and I still like it! This wine a a wonderful inky color, and a nice smoky nose. Will pair wonderfully with some BBQ ribs, coleslaw, and corn on the cob.

Bully 2006: This wine is 80% Cab/10% Merlot/10% Petit Verdot. Another great cab dominant blend coming out of Washington! I would have loved to take a bottle of this home, but it was a little pricey for me. This one will develop more in the bottle, has that wonderful berry/earthy nose, and was delightful to drink.

If you feel like getting your inner rockstar on in Woodinville, go to Gorman. And try the wine while you are there.

Grand Reve is a "Great Dream" for Washington wine fans!

Grand Reve is another MUST TRY in the Woodinville circle of wineries. (To be honest, the tasting room is ACTUALLY in Kirkland, but close enough) Grand Reve is a collaboration of work with several prominent winemakers, with the best of the best grapes from the Red Mountain region. They are planting their own estate vineyards, so I am sure future vintages will be absolutely amazing.

The winemakers involved in this are:
Ben Smith of Cadence
Mark McNeilly of Mark Ryan
Ross Mickel of Ross Andrew
Carolyn Lakewold of Donedei
Chris Gorman of Gorman
Not too shabby of a collaboration.

Onto the wine:
2006 Grand Reve Sangiovese by Mark Ryan McNeilly: This wine is 90% Sangiovese and 10% Syrah. Only 50 cases were made of this little gem. Not the typical big jammy sangiovese you may be used to, but still delicious. Although it does a bit of that jammyness on the palate, the syrah makes the finish a little longer, and a bit more enjoyable. I think that a bit more time in the bottle for this wine will do nothing but improve the body of this wine. (also to note, I am a huge fan of Mark Ryan wines, so this wonderful wine definitely falls into another masterpiece by Mark).
2005 Grand Reve Collaboration Series I by Ben Smith: This is a blend of 62% Cab Sav, 13% Cab Franc, 13% Petit Verdot, 12% Merlot. Now this wine had more cases produced: a whopping 198. This wine had a nice light ruby color, but a big earthy, almost mushroom like nose on it. It's delicious, but again, I would cellar this wine and wait for the true excellence of this wine to be revealed.
2006 Grand Reve Collaboration Series III by Mark Ryan McNeilly: This wine is 100% Syrah with 268 cases produced. Like many other Syrahs, this has the wonderful inky color and a blackberry nose. This has a long finish and is very well balanced.
2006 Grand Reve Collaboration Series II by Ross Andrew Mickel: This wine is 97% Syrah with 3% Viognier. Has a wonderful earthy nose and the small bit of viognier provides a bit floral on the nose. Like many of the other ones it will definitely get better with age. This one was definitely my favorite of the tasting.

I also got to try a Merlot not "on the list" but I didn't even take any notes on it. Like the other wines, it was tasty, but not as memorable. The tasting room is only open on Saturdays from 1-4, but I suggest you go. Now.