Paul Gregutt

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“Now:  here is your glass and here is mine. In the name of the grape’s holy blood I welcome you to our home. Let us drink… Forgive me that I gave you no choice. For, as I said, such is the way of a sinner.”   – Angelo Pellegrini “Wine and the Good Life” (1965) 

 

 

Welcome!

PaulGregutt.com is an ongoing, objectively critical guide to Northwest wines and wineries. I do not work for wineries and I do not sell wine. The site is being simplified and updated. Please excuse the construction mess! New entries will appear exclusively on the front page as Blog, Current Feature and Recent Feature. These will include important events (such as book signings) and new tasting notes. 

 

Most Recent Blogs

What I'm Tasting – Week of May 5th
Thursday, 08 May 2008
Viento

 

Contact/purchase information:

vientowines.com

541/386-3026

 

Rich Cushman is a veteran Oregon winemaker who has become enamored of the Hood River/Columbia Gorge region. And rightly so. Cushman, who has been making his Viento wines from Columbia Gorge grapes for many years, is excited to finally be moving to the Gorge from his longtime Willamette valley home. I don't think it is a stretch to say that the Columbia Gorge AVA, which is certainly among the most diverse and beautiful in the country, will dramatically expand your view of what grapes can be grown and what wines can be made in both Washington and Oregon.

 

Here is a sampler of some current and upcoming Viento releases that beautifully showcase grapes from the Gorge. 

 

Viento 2006 Allegre Vineyard Verona White ($14)

This single vineyard blend includes Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc Musque; the mix of crisp citrus and tart pear fruit is set against flinty acids that set up the tastebuds for chevre or light seafood.

 

Viento 2006 Underwood Mountain Vineyard Dry Riesling ($18)

At 1200 feet, the Underwood Mountain vineyard brings a certain illumination and transparency to the Riesling grape. It’s a style both elegant and intense, and nowhere else in Washington state except the Columbia Gorge does Riesling achieve this sort of delicate power. Scents and flavors of blossom, citrus and stone fruits combine in a gorgeous display.

 

Viento 2007 Underwood Mountain Vineyard Riesling ($18)

Still spritzy, very tart and tangy, with orange peel and lemondrop flavors. Perhaps showing just a bit more intensity than the 2006, this is a terrific followup with the same mix of delicacy and power that suggests that the Columbia Gorge AVA may well be the best site in the Pacific Northwest to grow Riesling. 

 

Viento 2007 Underwood Mountain Vineyard Gruner Veltliner

This is the first Gruner fruit from Underwood Mountain, and it promises good – maybe great – things to come. Sleek and stony, the wine epitomizes the racy, slightly grassy, slightly peppery quality of classic Austrian Gruner, with a Pacific Northwest twist – a certain brilliant intensity to the fruit that reflects this northern latitude. This is not the first Gruner from Oregon or Washington, but it is clearly the best to date.

 

Viento 2006 Columbia Gorge Vineyard Riesling ($14)

This is from the estate vineyard, just outside of Hood River. At 25 years of age, it may well be the oldest Riesling planting in the region. The alcohol is just under 11%, but there is plenty of acid under the fruit, so despite its off-dry designation, this is a wine that would work wonderfully well with a wide variety of cheeses and appetizers. Think Northwest Kabinet and you’re on the right track.

 

Viento 2007 Columbia Gorge Vineyard Select Harvest Riesling

A gorgeous bottle. Despite its 8.5% r.s. the natural acids keep it bright and bouncy. A fantastic mix of sweet, almost candied citrus fruits, set against a layer of rock and buoyed with fresh, natural acids. Tasted pre-release, it’s a fascinating and quite distinctive effort that will certainly reward some cellaring.

 

Viento 2006 Underwood Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir ($30)

Pinot Noir from Washington? Yes, it’s possible, and in this case, exceptional. This young vineyard, adjacent to the outstanding Celilo vineyard, seems to have a good future for many grapes, Pinot Noir among them. Don’t look for California sweetness and extract here, but you’ll find genuine varietal character and perfect ripeness, without the leafy, tomato flavors that can plague parts of Oregon.

 

Read more...
 
What I'm Hearing – Week of May 5th
Thursday, 08 May 2008

If you are growing fatigued with the onslaught of charity wine auctions for oh-so-worthy causes, I am right there with you. Wineries are inundated on virtually a daily basis with requests to make major donations to these events.

 

Far too many come off as noisy, indulgent and wasteful IMHO.

 

But sometimes, along comes an event that promises to truly do good, while doing justice to the wines, wineries and other participants who give so generously of their time. Such an event is The Washington Wines Festival. This new festival benefits a new addition to Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Camp foundation.

 

Major wineries, entertainers and other celebrities will be participating. The ticket price is steep, but the event is far more than just another auction. For complete details, visit www.washingtonwinesfestival.com

 

The 2008 Wine Weekend to benefit Camp Korey and Hole in the Wall Camps will be held July 11 & 12, 2008 at the future site of Camp Korey at Carnation Farm (east of Seattle) and will raise funds to ensure children with serious illnesses have a place to play and “just be kids.” I urge you to attend, and help me to make this event a great success.

 

--------------------------------------------

 

I can't spill too many beans just yet, but look for a major announcement of an exciting new winery and wine project from Walla Walla native Drew Bledsoe. A wine unveiling party at his newly-planted McQueen Vineyard is set for early June, with winemaking/consultant Chris Figgins also in attendance. Bledsoe, the number one pick in the 1993 NFL draft, retired last year after a record-setting 14-year career. He now brings the same energy, vision and dedication that made him an NFL all-star to the business of planting a vineyard and starting a winery. More details to follow shortly. 

Read more...
 
What I'm Tasting - Week of April 21, 2008
Sunday, 20 April 2008
If you’ve been checking this site regularly, you know I’ve experimented with a variety of approaches to posting tasting notes. In order to expedite the value of your time, as well as list many more wines, I am introducing a highly condensed new tasting note format. I taste something like 3000 Washington and Oregon wines annually. What will be posted here are brief lists of highly recommended, often very limited wines. You will learn about them as soon as I taste them, so you should be able to acquire them if you act quickly. Don’t worry, there is no kickback here. I am not “selling” wines, making a percentage, or involved in any commercial enterprise with any of these wineries. These are strictly my recommendations for those who visit this blog.
 

A Fielding Hills Vertical

 

When I first tasted the wines of Wenatchee's Fielding Hills winery, in the fall of 2005, they were already on their fourth vintage. As I wrote in my Seattle Times column that October, "as I tasted through these five wines, I completely ran out of superlatives. I don’t believe I have ever given such rave reviews to an entire lineup of wines from a young winery. A good place to start is with the 2003 Merlot ($28), a brilliant, polished, beautifully nuanced wine that may be as good as any Washington merlot I’ve ever tasted. The winery’s cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, syrah and RiverBend red releases (all $26 -$30) follow suit; spectacular wines. The RiverBend vineyard fruit plays a big part in their success, but owner/winemaker Mike Wade is equally important. He has a natural gift for crafting elegant, expressive wines."

 

Subsequently, the five red wines released each autumn have never failed to live up to my early expectations. I have generally scored them in the low to mid-90s – extraordinary for a winery so young. Recently, while chatting with owners Mike and Karen Wade, I expressed my disappointment at never having tasted their first two vintages. Although only a few hundred cases were produced each year from 2000 through 2002, the Wades generously offered to let me taste a complete set of the first six releases, direct from the winery library.

 

Tasted at six and seven years of age, the 2001 and 2000 Fielding Hills wines proved that what followed was indeed present from the start – beautifully crafted, perfectly balanced wines that not only present themselves well while young, but have the polish and finesse to age beautifully. 

 

Unaccountably, Fielding Hills has not enjoyed the sort of reputation and commercial success that should be theirs to claim. While other new wineries have already established themselves as consumer and trade favorites, Fielding Hills still struggles to find its place. I can only suggest that you seek them out, enjoy them while they are still obtainable and affordable, and know that they will age nicely for at least another decade.

 

For readers of this blog only, here are my complete Fielding Hills tasting notes and scores for the first six vintages of their Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

Read more...
 
Visiting Waitsburg
Sunday, 16 March 2008

Introducing Waitsburg:  As many of you know, about two years ago my wife and I purchased a run-down (to put it kindly), 120+ year-old cottage on the edge of Waitsburg. Waitsburg (town motto:  One of a Kind) was unknown to us until we motored up Highway 12 one sunny day to check out the Whoopemup Café, which had just opened.

Waitsburg is just 18 miles (about 25 minutes) out of Walla Walla, but it's another world. Don't get me wrong, I love Walla Walla. That's why we live in Waitsburg. We want access to all that W2 has to offer. But we can't duplicate the Waitsburg experience there. It's like going back in time.

So let me give you some inside stuff, that you won't find in any of the glossy travel pieces, tours or even blogs that are singing the praises of Walla Walla.

Jimgermanbar, which opened in Waitsburg in July has quickly become a much-loved institution in town. A daily entree or two from chef Tall Dave is always on the menu, along with tapas-style plates. Jim German is the quintessential host and bartender, and this is the place he has dreamed about creating all of his life. You'll find me there whenever I'm in town, sometimes with a guitar in hand. Insider tip:  Monday night is a great night to go to jgb, as many of the Walla Walla restaurant/wine crowd is on hand for an informal "industry night."

The Whoop (as we all call it) has built a gorgeous outdoor deck where there used to be an ugly hole (known not-so-affectionately as "The Hole"). Come spring, look for more seating, more sun, less noise, same great food.

If you want a brew and a quick bite, Laht Neppur brewery (on the highway heading to Dayton, right on the edge of town) is the place to go. Just won Best Brew in the state at the Ellensburg Brewfest. 

The Whetstone Pub (formerly the Lyon's Den) is serving up burgers and pizza, with a mix of brews on tap and a friendly, low-key atmosphere.

Lodging:  The Nothing New B&B, owned and operated by our good friends Sandy and Lupe Torres, offers comfortable rooms right downtown. Some other B&Bs are due to open this spring; I'll keep you posted. Meanwhile...

Mrs. G and I have purchased a cottage across the street from our own and are renovating for short term wine country rentals.  It has two bedrooms, full kitchen, a sleeper sofa for a third couple and is just a three block walk to downtown. I will be offering custom, guided wine tastings for groups large and small, as well as book signings, etc. It's a little too soon to take specific bookings - we are in the midst of renovations - but if you are interested shoot me an e-mail and I'll let you know when it's up and running. (We're aiming for mid-summer.)

 

Last but not least... we have purchased a century-old building on Main Street in Waitsburg, and we are looking for a prime-time tenant or tenants. The building needs renovation, which we would like to do as a partnership with the right individual(s). The location is exceptional, the town is undergoing a true renaissance, and this is a great opportunity for someone with the right ideas and energy. Distillery? Wine shop? Winery and tasting room? Winery co-op? Upscale grocery? Bakery? B&B? Come visit and we'll give you the grand tour and kick some ideas around.

 

See you in Waitsburg!

 

Read more...
 

Current Feature

A Delicious Moment In Time
Sunday, 21 October 2007

From the Introduction to "Washington Wines & Wineries - The Essential Guide"
University of California Press copyright 2007

By Paul Gregutt

Most wine books promise to take the snobbery out of wine, to cut through the “meaningless” ritual associated with wine, and give you the inside scoop on what to drink with your hamburger. Some drown you in technical detail; others pretend to reinvent the art of food and wine pairing, or point you to the best value wines (usually corporate plonk).

We’re not going there.

This is a book about a special time and a unique place in the history of wine. It’s about a state whose meaningful exploration of vinifera grapes is barely 40 years old. A state that has only recently discarded the deeply-held conviction that it was too cold to grow serious wine grapes. A state where many of the best winemakers live hundreds of miles from the vineyards, and truck their dusty bins of grapes over mountains and (sometimes) the Puget Sound to crush and ferment and barrel the wines.

They work in tiny rented spaces in faceless office parks, with battered forklifts, used barrels and borrowed de-stemmers and rented bottling lines. And they make better wines, in many instances, than the biggest, best-funded mega-wineries in the world.

I believe – and I hope you will come to agree with me – that Washington state is going to become one of the greatest wine regions in the world in the 21st century. This despite (or perhaps because of) its fringe location, its reliance on irrigation, its extreme desert growing conditions, its separation of growers and winemakers, its preponderance of tiny, under funded start-ups, and the persistent myth that it is too cold, too wet and too far north. In other words, despite the fact that Washington is not, and never will be, California.

When it comes to exploring unknown viticultural territory, and crafting stylistically original, world-class wines, Washington has come as far or farther, in less time, than California. Without California’s vast advantages, little Washington has plugged along, driven by dreamers and do-ers who believed that there was something magical in the land. 

People such as John Williams and Jim Holmes, who bought some barren acreage on a desolate hill called Red Mountain back in 1975, and decided to grow cabernet there. People such as Dr. William McAndrew, who planted gewürztraminer and a variety of other grapes in an old apple orchard high above the Columbia Gorge in 1972, dubbed it Celilo, and waited to see what, if anything would survive. People such as Christophe Baron, a native Champenois who made wine in half a dozen places around the world before circling for a landing in Walla Walla, then doggedly searched for land to plant until he found the rockiest, least-likely, most difficult and labor-intensive soil in the region and hand-planted his Cailloux vineyard to syrah.

Today Red Mountain cabernet and merlot and cabernet franc can stake a legitimate claim to greatness, as can Celilo gewürztraminer and Cailloux syrah. They have all passed the test of time, and also the test of timelessness. These vineyards express that elusive, often-abused (and misspelled) term terroir, which is not terrior (some sort of small dog/grape hybrid?) but the Holy Grail of winemaking. It is the pot of enological gold at the end of a long, dusty rainbow. Washington’s vignerons are beginning to find it, and therein lies the point and purpose of this book. 

There is something magical in this land. These pioneers were right about that, as are those who continue to explore and expand viticulture in Washington today. It’s true that the nine AVA’s now officially recognized include millions of acres of land that is not, and will never be, dedicated to wine grape growing. But tucked away here and there are the sites that work, that have the potential, if properly managed, to create exceptional wines. Finding those places is what has obsessed those who have pioneered winemaking during the first few decades of Washington’s modern wine era. 

There is nothing easy about this work, and the rewards, if they come at all, are often more artistic than financial. But for a wine lover, Washington has reached a delicious moment in time. How many people, in the history of the world, can say that they are witnessing the emergence of a brand new, world-class wine region? Who among us has tasted, in each new vintage, wines that push the envelope a bit farther than it has previously been pushed, that reveal unknown or unsuspected layers of flavor and bouquet, nuances previously locked away in a piece of scrub desert, or a rocky riverbed, or a mountainside blanketed in volcanic dust?

Steve Burns, who was Executive Director of the Washington Wine Commission from 1996 to 2004, was famously quoted a few years ago as noting that a new winery opened in Washington every ten days. That remarkable statistic captured the frenetic growth of the industry during his tenure. The almost-daily changes made it difficult for any writer to take the snapshot accurately. Though my own guides to Northwest Wines were long out of date, I wanted to wait a bit longer and let the dust settle before tackling this book.

The dust has not entirely settled, to be sure, but it has been mapped, studied, ripped, planted, trellised, irrigated, fertilized, chronicled and delineated into more and more meaningful appellations. The wineries and vineyards that survived the mistakes and trials of Washington’s early years have learned some hard-won lessons, making it easier for young, artisanal winemakers to craft superb wines. The growth of the state continues, but it is now possible to look closely at the past and present of Washington viticulture and make meaningful predictions about the future. That is the purpose of this new book. 

Read more...
 

Recent Feature Stories

My Top 100 Washington Wines of 2007

Once again at the end of the year, I put together a highly personal list of the year’s Top 100 Washington wines.

It's important to understand how this list was compiled, so as not to misinterpret the rankings.

There are now over 530 bonded wineries in the state. If they average just 10 wines annually (some less, some more) that’s over 5000 wines. Do I taste them all? In my dreams! But I do taste a significant percentage, and that, along with frequent visits to wineries and vineyards, numerous conversations and tastings with the winemakers themselves, and a depth of reference tastings reaching back a quarter century, all enter into this ranking.

Many of the elite Washington wineries sell most of their wines to mailing list customers, select restaurants and wine shops. It is important to recognize them – even if they are expensive and rare – because these are building a quality reputation for Washington state, which I believe to be the most important emerging wine region in the New World.

Included also are some widely-available, inexpensive wines – those which offer exceptional flavor and value. These every day bottles evangelize for the affordability of Washington wines.

I try to list just one wine per winery, although many of these producers make a full lineup of outstanding wines. My aim is to be inclusive. Even so, barely 20% of the wineries in the state will make this list. The competition, needless to say, gets tougher every year.

This ranking is not done strictly by the numbers, although these are all wines that score very well on the 100-point scale. I believe that consistency year-to-year, overall style and quality, and relative value (to comparable wines) are equally important guidelines.

Congratulations to everyone whose work is recognized below. I would like to thank the Washington Wine Commission and the Walla Walla Wine Alliance for their invaluable assistance in orchestrating many tastings on my behalf. With them, I raise a glass and salute the Top 100!

 

Read more...
 

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