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 »
“Fascinating” is an overused word, but it seems appropriate to describe the culture, language, wine and food of Basque Country (País Vasco in Spanish). Fiercely independent and proud, the Basque people inhabit both sides of the Spanish-French border in the western foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains. Many more live in Spain than in France. Traditionally,
Tasty Txakolina from Basque Country calls for fish (#worldwinetravel) Read More »
Where, oh where, did my Grenache rosé go? Before I realized what was happening, I had only a quarter left in the second bottle that I received from L’Ecole No. 41 as part of a year-long partnership. This summer thirst-quencher did quite a disappearing act – especially with the nibblers and light cuisine we tend
This balanced L’Ecole Grenache rosé disappears all too fast Read More »
