Ever taste a wine so good it made you cry? Perhaps you can remember the precise moment it changed your life. For Marcus Rafanelli, winemaker at L’Ecole 41 in the Walla Walla Valley in southeastern Washington, that wine was a 1988 Columbia Syrah that he tasted at a birthday dinner. This particular Syrah was the […]
L’Ecole winemaker feels the love for Washington Syrah Read More »
When I told friends and family about my summer “vacation” plans to attend a wine conference, reactions were mixed. Some chuckled and expressed mock sympathy, and perhaps a hint of envy, as in, “too bad you have to taste wine for three days.” Others registered skepticism and concern. Actually, I signed up for the 13th
What it’s like to attend a wine conference for the first time Read More »
If you’re a fan of Washington state wine, chances are you’ve heard of the Yakima Valley. No one knows for certain how the Native American word “Yakima” originated. According to one legend, “Yakima” misappropriates the Native American word for “big belly” or “pregnant one” and was named for a tribal chief’s errant daughter. If that’s
Road trip to the Yakima Valley, Part I Read More »
Walla Walla Valley is predominately a red region. Only about 5% of grapes in this corner of southeastern Washington are white. So it felt kind of special to open a bottle of L’Ecole No. 41 Luminesce and shine a light on their two estate-grown whites, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Family-owned L’Ecole No. 41 was the
Shining a light on white grapes of Walla Walla Valley Read More »
When Sylvie Spielman started her winemaking career in the late 1980s, she was one of only a few women in the Alsatian wine industry. Things were tough for these early pioneers. Now, some three and a half decades later, the ratio of men to women is about 50/50, according to winemaker Mélanie Pfister. While more
Five winemaking women of Alsace (#winophiles) Read More »
