09/02/10 – the wines of Washington (state)

By Jesse on August 31, 2010

What do you think of when you hear the word “Washington?” Do you think of sneaky midnight trips across the Delaware? Do you think of homophobic rants on the set of Grey’s Anatomy? Or do you think of the Winos’ newest chapter? This Thursday night, come join the LA kids as we taste a lineup of bottles that will forever make you think “wine” when you hear “Washington.”

The state of Washington, despite being further north than Pinot-rich Oregon, is most famous for its warm-weather grapes: Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The reason has to do with topography; while Oregon’s vineyards are primarily found in the maritime-influenced Willamette Valley, many of Washington’s premier regions are found in the inland and eastern parts of the state. Check out this map — see all the brown areas? That’s where a lot of the good wine comes from.

Besides Cab and Merlot, Washington is also famous for its Riesling, its Chardonnay, and — more recently — its Syrah. On Thursday night, we’ll be tasting a special lineup specially designed by Wino extraordinaire Scott Wadlow, who has selected five varietals from several of Washington’s most important AVAs (wine regions). Over at his awesome wine blog, The Vino File, Scott has devoted a number of posts to the wines of Washington state, and he’s also spent a lot of time tasting up there within the past few months, so we’ll be in very capable hands on our Washingtonian journey.

Since Scott is providing us with five wines, you can elect to either bring another wine to add to the festivities — any bottle from Washington State will do — or to simply supply a $10 donation.

We’ll be meeting at Scott’s place in Pasadena. The RSVP system functions like this: if you want in, you click on this link and tell me so (fill in your full name and e-mail address, and let me know if you plan to bring a bottle or not). RSVP soon to reserve your spot! If you don’t make the cut, you’ll be on the top of the list for next week.

Once you’ve gotten your confirmation e-mail, go out and fetch yourself a bottle of Washington wine, or pocket a ten-dolla bill. See you on Thursday night!