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Dahlman Cellars
Mill Creek Town Center wine walk stop #8
We traveled to familiar territory for stop number eight on our creative team’s wine walk. Our very own Windermere Mill Creek Town Center office was hosting Dahlman Cellars. I was excited to try their wine because I had missed out on tasting them at the last wine walk.
Brief Background on Dahlman Cellars
Since I have already written a brief background on Dahlman Cellars in a prior blog post, I will insert the excerpt from that here:
Dahlman Cellars hosted by Windermere Mill Creek
At this point in the evening, I was ready to go back to familiar tastes. I chatted with our agent on duty and then I headed toward the wine table. I ended up choosing the 2020 The Actuary Cab Sauv Blend, which I was told had won double gold and gold awards.
Credit: Dahlman Cellars The Actuary wine review by Windermere Mill Creek
Kerriann’s tasting notes on the 2020 The Actuary Cab Sauv Blend
The first thing I noted about this wine was that it smelled delicious, like a mix of cocoa, coffee, and vanilla. Which may sound overwhelming but smelled very even on the nose. As far as taste is concerned, this wine managed to be bold and even. The flavors of dark fruit, cocoa and coffee presented themselves very velvety on the tongue. I tend to really enjoy red blends and this one was great!
Chasity’s tasting notes on the 2020 The Actuary Cab Sauv Blend
This red blend was very pleasing to the pallet as the first taste was sweet but quickly offered subtle hints of a dark chocolate. You can also taste hints of fruit like blackberry and cherry which I really enjoyed. The smell presented a deep dark sweet smell with vanilla. It went down very smoothly. I enjoy red blends and this one was really good.
Three More to Go!
This was only stop eight of our wine-walk and there are still three more to go. I’ll be updating the links below as we post our tastings so stay tuned for the next one!
Wine Tasting Notes to Come!
♦Harbinator Wines♦ ♦Drum Roll Wine♦ ♦Naches Heights Vineyard♦ ♦Kerloo Cellars♦ ♦Wandering Wolf Cellars♦ ♦Dahlman Cellars♦ ♦Martedi Cellars♦ ♦Navarre Coulee♦ ♦Bayernmoor♦ ♦Julian Margot♦ ♦Michael Florentino Cellars♦
Blog Written by Kerriann Jenkins
Blog Feature Chasity Rodriguez
Drum Roll Wine
Stop # 7 of the Mill Creek Summer Wine Walk
I was really excited for stop number 7 of the Mill Creek Summer Wine Walk. We were more than halfway through our event and at our last wine walk I had LOVED the 2016 Drum Roll Red wine I tried by Drum Roll Wine; so much so, that I was already planning to buy two bottles if they had them available for purchase this time around. Not to mention, I knew I was going to purchase a sweet treat from Frost as well.
Drum Roll History
I had previously written a background on Drum Roll Wine that I will repost from the spring wine walk tasting.
Drum Roll Wine hosted by Frost
Unfortunately, the 2016 Drum Roll Red evaded my grasp again. Since it was unavailable, I opted to try the 2020 Drum Roll White. And I’m so glad that I did.
Drum Roll Wine White reviewed by Windermere Mill Creek
Kerriann’s Tasting Notes on the 2020 Drum Roll White Wine
This white poured near close to clear. Almost as if it had just the smallest hint of something dropped into it to add color. It smelled like peaches and pineapple, and it tasted delicious. The flavors of peaches, pineapple and strawberry were all present but harmoniously soft on my taste buds. It was one of those dangerous drinks that was SO easy to drink you could easily finish a bottle before knowing what you had done. I wanted an encore, so I purchased a bottle to taste on a clean palette later.
Kerriann’s 2nd Tasting of the 2020 Drum Roll White
Luckily, this one tasted just as good the second time around. I noted that it still poured out a very pale color. Almost an ethereal whitened peach. The Drum Roll White smelled light and fresh and tasted even lighter. It was very refreshing like a cool glass of water on a hot summer’s day. It was still fruit forward but very softly so. I turned the bottle to see that the flavor profiles noted were yellow grapefruit, peach and pineapple. The Drum Roll White ended up being my favorite of the tasting.
Chasity’s Notes
I really loved the color and the smell of this 2020 Drum Roll White Wine. It poured almost clear with a hint of pear, I could tell that’s what gave it it’s color. I really really enjoyed this wine. Straight complete happiness is all I have to describe it and I give this five stars. It was also my favorite of the wine tasting.
Chasity’s Notes on the 2020 Drum Roll White
The second tasting was even better than the first I think. It reminded me of a sweet summer day. It offers a very nice sweet smell that I remembered so well the first time around. It went down very smooth with no bitter taste whatsoever. Again this is still my favorite of the wine tasting we did.
Always Ready for an Encore of Drum Roll Wine
Before the Mill Creek Town Center’s Spring Wine Walk, I had never even heard of Drum Roll Wine. Now I greedily scan the aisles of shelves hoping that they make it into stores sometime soon. I have had their Seurat Syrah, their Drum Roll Red and their Drum Roll White and every variety has left me wanting to go back and purchase more.
This was only stop seven of our wine-walk and there are still four more to go. I’ll be updating the links below as we post our tastings so stay tuned for the next one!
Wine Tasting Notes to Come!
♦Harbinator Wines♦ ♦Drum Roll Wine♦ ♦Naches Heights Vineyard♦ ♦Kerloo Cellars♦ ♦Wandering Wolf Cellars♦ ♦Dahlman Cellars♦ ♦Martedi Cellars♦ ♦Navarre Coulee♦ ♦Bayernmoor♦ ♦Julian Margot♦ ♦Michael Florentino Cellars♦
Blog Written by Kerriann Jenkins
Blog Feature Chasity Rodriguez
Martedi Cellars Tasting
Mill Creek Town Center Summer Wine Walk Stop #6
If you have been reading along you know that for the most part, our wine walk had gone very favorably; but at stop number 6 I got a little too adventurous with my drink choice. Martedi Cellars had several wines I had never heard of before to taste and I went all in on one of them.
Brief Background on Martedi Cellars
Since I have already previously written a short piece on the background of Martedi Cellars I’m going to insert the excerpt from a previous blog below.
Martedi Cellars hosted by Kafe Neo
I must admit, I chose my drink at this stop because our sommelier told Chasity that their 2019 Dolcetto was straight out of Italy and not something that we had available in Washington State. She said she was going to try it and like a sheep I baa-ed “me too!”
Credit: The Office
Kerriann’s Tasting Notes on Martedi Cellars 2019 Dolcetto
I don’t believe that I have had many Italian wines before. But this experience may have been a case of being too American to enjoy it. I don’t remember this wine having a distinctive scent, but I do remember the distinctive alcoholic taste that enveloped my mouth when I took my first sip. That astringent taste remained present all the way through the tasting. Our Graphic Designer Scott summed this drink up in the perfect phrase; “night-night.” It was strong. But I think it would be enjoyed by somebody who is more into liquor then wine. This one just wasn’t for me.
Chasity’s Tasting Notes on Martedi Cellars 2019 Dolcetto
Well I cannot say too much about this wine, I do remember it was not my favorite! It was a special wine from Italy that was not available to purchase here in Washington so of course I had to try it! I am a fan of Italian wines, this one though provided a very alcohol taste and smell. It’s like a sipper hard alcohol drink. I have tried 2018 the Nebbiolo from Martedi Cellars and I did enjoy that one. I guess that’s why they call it wine tasting so you know what you like and don’t like. If you enjoy a little more of a robust alcohol flavor I would suggest the 2019 Dolcetto.
Don’t Let One Drink Stop You from Trying Another Variety!
I had previously tried a Cabernet by Martedi Cellars and loved it. It just goes to show individual tastes also hold weight on what makes wine a great wine. My taste is individual to me. This wine may not have been for me, but I know I would enjoy some of their other offerings, because I have before.
There are still five more tastings to go so keep following along to see what we thought of the other wines we tried at the Mill Creek Town Center Summer Wine Walk!
Wine Tasting Notes to Come!
♦Harbinator Wines♦ ♦Drum Roll Wine♦ ♦Naches Heights Vineyard♦ ♦Kerloo Cellars♦ ♦Wandering Wolf Cellars♦ ♦Dahlman Cellars♦ ♦Martedi Cellars♦ ♦Navarre Coulee♦ ♦Bayernmoor♦ ♦Julian Margot♦ ♦Michael Florentino Cellars♦
Blog Written by Kerriann Jenkins
Blog Feature Chasity Rodriguez
Navarre Coulee Wine Tasting
Mill Creek Wine Walk Stop #5
At stop number five of our wine walk we sampled wines by Navarre Coulee at Artisan Custom Framing. Apart from attending events at the Mill Creek Town Center, I haven’t ever been inside of Artisan Custom Framing long enough to take in all their stock. However, this time around we stayed awhile and browsed all the art that they had displayed in their store while we sipped on our wine. As somebody who enjoys painting, photography and creating, I can appreciate a store that chooses to display artists’ work; and there was art EVERYWHERE! Even the frames they offer lined the wall like a traditional to ornate work of art.
Navarre Coulee hosted by Artisan Custom Framing
Navarre Coulee is a family owned and operated winery and vineyard in Lake Chelan Valley. According to their website, they planted their 40 acres of grapes in 2002, making them the oldest in the valley. From their 40 acres of grapes, the Leslie family and co-owner and winemaker Paul Taylor craft handmade boutique-style wines. After trying the Unicorn Rose Bubbles Limited Edition release by 14 Hands I realized I enjoy sparkling bubbly wine. As a result, I decided to try Navarre Coulee’s 2019 Riesling Bubbles.
Kerriann’s Tasting Notes on Navarre Coulee’s 2019 Riesling Bubbles:
After my first sip my immediate thought was: I should have waited to purchase a bottle because I would have purchased this one instead. Alas, you can’t have them all. This wine was off-dry. It was lightly tarte and sweet with a lingering minerality to it. The bubbles were uplifting and lightly brilliant. It was crisp but juicy. It was different from the Unicorn wine but easily held the shine of its own spotlight.
Chasity’s Tasting Notes on Navarre Coulee’s 2019 Riesling Bubbles:
I’m a huge fan of a bubbly white wine that is not champagne so when I noticed they had a Bubbly Riesling I absolutely had to give it a try! The first taste is a bit tart but quickly turned into a smooth crisp yummy mouth full of bubbly….so good. I am also not a fan of Riesling but this one surprised me yet again. I would have to agree with Kerriann about the Unicorn wine we tasted previously, these two are different but similar. This one is definitely on my list of favorites.
Navarre Coulee Holds Fun Events
If you’re ever in the Chelan neighborhood stop by Navarre Coulee Vineyards. Maybe you’ll get lucky, and you will be there on one of their event nights. I know wood fired pizza and the prospect of trying their other wines not offered at the wine walk, like their 2014 Pinot Noir named Horny Goat, would be enough to draw me in.
This was only stop five of our wine-walk and there are still six more to go. I’ll be updating the links below as we post them so stay tuned!
Wine Tasting Notes to Come!
♦Harbinator Wines♦ ♦Drum Roll Wine♦ ♦Naches Heights Vineyard♦ ♦Kerloo Cellars♦ ♦Wandering Wolf Cellars♦ ♦Dahlman Cellars♦ ♦Martedi Cellars♦ ♦Navarre Coulee♦ ♦Bayernmoor♦ ♦Julian Margot♦ ♦Michael Florentino Cellars♦
Blog Written by Kerriann Jenkins
Blog Feature Chasity Rodriguez
Michael Florentino Cellars Wine
Mill Creek Town Center Summer Wine Walk Stop #4
Our creative team of tasters almost missed stop number four because it was located off to the side of main street, but we doubled back to taste Michael Florentino Cellars wine hosted at Divaforeva Lashes.
Brief Background on Michael Florentino Cellars
Since I have already written a summarized background of Michael Florentino Cellars from our first wine walk blog, I will insert their history excerpt below:
As noted on their website, Michael Florentino began as a digital catalog winery. They made small batches for private label wine shops. Owner Brad Sherman studied at the UC Davis Vinology program and through volunteer work with local wineries and his time as VP at the Boeing wine club he fueled his own passion to begin making wine. Michael Florentino specializes in Spanish and Italian varietal wines and now has a tasting location and winery in Woodinville.
Michael Florentino Cellars hosted by Divaforeva Lashes
There was no way I was getting out of being adventurous at this tasting. The three wines on the serving list for the evening were all wines I was unfamiliar with. I’m not really sure the reasoning behind why I chose the wine that I did, but on a whim, I ended up asking to sample the 2018 Albarino.
Kerriann’s Wine Tasting Notes on Michael Florentino Cellars 2018 Albarino
This wine was served at room temperature, which was a bit on the warmer end; the reason I say this will be made clear soon. But for now, we will get into the tasting notes. This wine was a deep golden color and smelled evenly keeled. It tasted sweet, but not overly sweet and finished lightly tarte. There were notes of lemon, pineapple and sweeter fruits and a bit of oak on the tongue. I handed it over to Chasity to taste and she agreed that we both liked this wine. So, I bought a bottle to taste on a later day with a cleaner palette.
Kerriann’s Second Tasting of the 2018 Albarino
Unfortunately, tasting two did not go as well as I had expected. I will start by saying, I believe we served this wine incorrectly. Completely going against my own advice from our 7 Tips for Better Wine Storage blog, this bottle was put in the freezer and served ice cold. When I took my first sip it tasted very bitter and more aggressive. The longer I sat with it the warmer it got. As it thawed out the flavor profiles got a little bit smoother. Still, I liked it less then I had before. We probably should have let this one warm up all the way back to room temperature and tried it once more but we had purchased another bottle to have a second tasting with and moved on to that wine.
Chasity’s tasting notes on Michael Florentino Cellars 2018 Albarino
So this was an interesting tasting I must say….we decided to buy this bottle because we liked it so much, I will explain later. I love the color of this wine as it gives of a soft golden creamy color and smelled perfectly sweet. The first sip was a little sweet but soon provided a tartness that evened out the taste and balanced it well. It reminded me of a tropical fruity drink with a nice nice crisp note like peachy and flavors of mango. It was definitely one of my favorites!
Chasity’s Second 2018 Albarino Tasting Notes
I’ve never really paid attention to the exact temperature you are supposed to drink white wine at and how much of a difference it makes. Kerriann explained it the best as far as the second tasting of this wine, it did not go well. Serving chilled was a mistake as it needed to be served at room temperature. It would have been much much better on the pallet. The first taste was not as good as when we tasted it at room temperature. Very strong and overly tart. Although as I continued to taste it the better it got. I still recommend this wine but make sure you serve it at room temperature or just slightly chilled.
Hosting Etiquette
I think that this blog feature would be remiss without including our experience with the staff at Divaforeva Lashes. They were kind, they engaged in lighthearted banter and asked us how we liked our wine. They were the only business to take the time to chat with us while we were tasting (apart from our hosting broker at our Windermere tasting). Their warmness and inviting nature was appreciated.
I’m still up in the air on my opinion of the 2018 Albarino. If I had another bottle, I would try serving it at room temperature to see if that swayed my thoughts positively or negatively. Regardless, there are still seven more tastings to go. I’ll be updating the links below as we post them, so stay tuned for more!
Wine Tasting Notes to Come!
♦Harbinator Wines♦ ♦Drum Roll Wine♦ ♦Naches Heights Vineyard♦ ♦Kerloo Cellars♦ ♦Wandering Wolf Cellars♦ ♦Dahlman Cellars♦ ♦Martedi Cellars♦ ♦Navarre Coulee♦ ♦Bayernmoor♦ ♦Julian Margot♦ ♦Michael Florentino Cellars♦
Blog Written by Kerriann Jenkins
Blog Feature Chasity Rodriguez
Bayernmoor Wine Tasting
Bayernmoor Wine Tasting Stop #2
We spent our second ticket from the Mill Creek Town Center Summer Wine Walk at Zeek’s Pizza for a Bayernmoor wine tasting. When we walked in their long beer list caught my eye and drew my attention down to the Bayernmoor wine on their serving counter. I overheard the sommelier letting the group ahead of us know that their 2017 Washington State Pinot Noir had received multiple gold and double gold awards, and I knew I was going to have to try it.
Bayernmoor hosted by Zeek’s Pizza
Bayernmoor is a family-owned winery and vineyard located in Stanwood Washington. The winery has gained notoriety thanks to the cumulative efforts of the Harris and Biesecker families and winemaker Brian Carter. They source their Pinot from their own vineyard’s 6 acres of Pinot Noir and the rest of their grapes they get from other renowned growers in the state. They take a minimalist approach to creating the best wine possible without a lot of interfering processing.
Kerriann’s Bayernmoor Wine Tasting Notes 2017 Washington State Pinot Noir
Bayernmoor’s 2017 Washington State Pinot Noir had been branded with high praise. So, I had high expectations going into this tasting. The wine poured a light bright translucent red and smelled deliciously AMAZING. This wine smelled so much like maple that I had to hand it over to Chasity to sniff it before I took a sip. I expected this wine to be equally as sweet because of the smell but it was more like a rollercoaster of unexpected flavors. The first sip perked up my taste buds with a tartness I hadn’t anticipated. Flavors of cherry, tobacco, spices, and a light sweetness followed. Overall, this was a fun wine to drink.
Credit: Wine bottle imagery from Bayernmoor’s website
Chasity’s Bayernmoor Wine Tasting Notes 2019 Washington State Rose
So I started with the Bayernmoor 2019 Rose as I like to try all different types here in Washington. I ended up not remembering what it tasted like (hahaha) as I tried Kerriann’s 2017 Pinot Noir and liked that so much better. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as Pinot Noir is usually one of my least favorites, go figure! The first taste of the Pinot Noir plays with your taste buds. It gives off a maple smell but the taste ends with a bitterness which surprisingly I couldn’t get enough of! It offered a great balance of sweet and bitter, I would try this again for sure.
Overall We Enjoyed Our Second Stop
After our tasting I can understand why Bayernmoor had received numerous awards on their wine. Their 2017 Washington State Pinot Noir took me by surprise with its storm of flavors. If this wine was made into a candle, I would love to smell it all day long. This was only stop number two of our wine walk and there are still nine more to go. I’ll be updating the links below as we post them so stay tuned for the next post!
Wine Tasting Notes to Come!
♦Harbinator Wines♦ ♦Drum Roll Wine♦ ♦Naches Heights Vineyard♦ ♦Kerloo Cellars♦ ♦Wandering Wolf Cellars♦ ♦Dahlman Cellars♦ ♦Martedi Cellars♦ ♦Navarre Coulee♦ ♦Bayernmoor♦ ♦Julian Margot♦ ♦Michael Florentino Cellars♦
Blog written by Kerriann Jenkins
Blog Feature Chasity Rodriguez
Real Estate Market: It’s All About Affordability
Analyzing Real Estate Market Numbers in 2022
The Washington Center for Real Estate Research at the University of Washington provides one of my favorite charts for analyzing the state of the local real estate market. It is the housing affordability index, which is released quarterly and delivers housing affordability statistics by county. To understand how the measurements function, the WCRER describes it like this:
The Housing Affordability Index measures the ability of a middle-income family to carry the mortgage payments on a medium price home. When the index is 100, there is a balance between the family’s ability to pay and the cost. Higher indexes indicate housing is more affordable.
WCRER’s index takes into consideration housing prices, incomes, interest rates, inflation, and the ability to save for down payment, etc. As economic conditions change, so does the index. Simply put, if the index is above 100, housing is affordable to middle income families. If the index is below 100, it is not. The lower the index, the less affordable housing is to middle income families.
The problem we are facing in the real estate world today is affordability. I have prepared a chart that shows how closed real estate transactions in Snohomish County nearly mirrors the WCRER affordability index for the past five years. The most recently released index number in Snohomish County stands at 60 and real estate transactions are following suit, as is to be expected. Home sales in Snohomish County are down nearly 13% over this time last year. Ten percent of that took place in the last two months.
5 Year Closed Sales and Affordability Index in Snohomish County by Windermere Mill Creek
The Big Three and Their Affect on the Real Estate Market
The main drivers of these statistical changes in real estate market affordability are what I call the Big Three: Wages, Interest Rates, and Home Pricing. Housing prices have soared for the past decade, driven by low inventory and low interest rates, causing many buyers to be priced out of the market. However, interest rates have doubled in the last year and now more buyers have been removed from the market. The result: the real estate market has slowed dramatically.
Interest rates
As in any free market economy, market forces shape supply and demand for products and commodities. In our current economic situation, we are seeing inflation at 40-year highs. To counteract this, the FED is taking action to get inflation under control by way of raising interest rates. Unfortunately for the real estate market, this solution is meant to curtail consumer spending and runaway pricing. In my opinion, this is not a short-term solution. It takes time for higher interest rates to make a dent on inflationary pressures. Home buyers should not be looking for interest rates to be lower any time soon.
Credit: Fannie Mae
Wages
Wages will continue to rise as they have since the dawn of time. However, this too is a long-term solution to the housing affordability problem. Wages rise, but slowly. The average increase in annual salary has averaged about 3% for decades. It is estimated that 2022 will be no different. The problem remains that a 3% salary increase does not compensate for interest rates that have doubled, inflation running at around 8% and housing prices at all-time highs.
Credit: The Conference Board
Housing Prices
In order to bring the housing affordability Index numbers back in line, something has to give. Market forces start working whether we like it or not. In the case of the real estate market in Snohomish County, we know that we cannot count on interest rates to come in lower in the near term and we know that wages are not keeping pace with inflation or interest rates. All that’s left to compensate for our affordability condition is housing prices, and we are currently seeing downward pressure. The last two months alone have seen a decline of 10% in housing prices in Snohomish County.
Is the Current Real Estate Market Good or Bad?
Are housing prices dropping in our county a good or bad thing? In my humble opinion, it is neither good, nor bad. It is just market forces recalibrating affordability. It is the nature of a free market economy. I see this as the only choice, in the near term, for housing affordability and the real estate market, to reset itself and return to a normal state. I do not see an impending market crash coming like the one the market experienced in 2008. I see this as a minor correction in pricing until affordability numbers align themselves again. I don’t expect this to last long. Nor do I think prices will continue to fall significantly. So, if you’re waiting for housing prices to drop considerably before you purchase, you will probably be missing a great buying opportunity.
If you are thinking of selling soon, you may have to face a new reality. The market conditions respond to market forces. It’s impossible to time the market and in the end, we are all on the same ride. It’s neither good nor bad, it’s just the way it is.
Written by Owner Chris Hill
Harbinator Wines Tasting
Mill Creek Town Center Summer Wine Walk Stop #1
On August 27th our creative team, myself included, went to the Mill Creek Town Center Summer Wine Walk. We started our little adventure at Brooklyn Brothers Pizza and grabbed ourselves a slice before the event. Conveniently, they were hosting Harbinator Wines and would become our first stop of our tastings. Since this was my second time attending, I was better prepared to maneuver my way through the hosting businesses and use up my 10 tasting tickets and bonus tasting gold coin. I am pleased to report that this time I used them all!
Harbinator Wines hosted by Brooklyn Brothers Pizza:
At our first stop of the wine tasting, I sampled the 2018 Harbinator Cabernet Franc or Cop Franc. Harbinator is a smaller garage-based winery that sources their grapes from Ciel du Cheval Vineyard from the Red Mountain AVA here in Washington. They have a minimal online presence because their website is currently under construction. But if you have a sense of humor the social media content they have shared will tell you all about who they are as a company.
Harbinator Wines Has a Small but Mighty Social Media Presence
On their Facebook page there is a video titled “Hand produced wines.” If you click on it, you will see this direct quote: “Welcome to our page! We are a super small winery with fantastic wines. We hand process all of our wines from vine to bottle with a whole lot of help from friends. We’re just now learning how to get our sh*t together, so if you are interested in trying some of our wines, message or email us and we’d be happy to discuss our current inventory and how to get it to you.”
They Gave Top Notch Sommelier Service
At the event, our wine pourers were just as personable. I believe they were the owners, but we never traded names. As we approached, we got to watch them decant their entire bottle before serving us. They greeted us warmly and let us know which wine was their favorite of the ones they had to offer; which doesn’t sound like a big deal, but I have experienced sommeliers at this event who wouldn’t offer up an opinion and that makes the experience awkward. From their recommendation I ended up asking for the 2018 Harbinator Cop Franc.
Credit: Harbinator Wines Facebook
Kerriann’s Wine Tasting Notes for the 2018 Cop Franc
The Cop Franc poured out a light ruby shade. It had a very light smell. Like a soft touch of aromatic sweetness and earth on the nose. Upon first sip I noted that I liked this wine. The best way I can describe it is that the Cabernet Franc was like a softer, fresher version of a Cabernet Sauvignon. The flavor profiles all presented themselves much quieter. It was gently sweet, softly acidic, delicately bitter and finished evenly with smooth earthy tannins. Overall, the wine was harmonious and enjoyable to sip on. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars.
Chasity’s Wine Tasting Notes for the 2017 Cop Franc
The Cop Franc was one of my favorite reds. It provided a light red hue when poured and I enjoyed how the first sip went down so smooth. This wine was sweet in taste but not too sweet. It had a slightly bitter taste but the sweetness evened it out. I’m not a red wine drinker as I have mentioned before but I really enjoyed tasting this one. I give this a 4 out of 5 stars.
A Strong Start to Our Wine Walk Adventure
Harbinator provided us with a great start to our wine walk experience and they were only our first stop. We still have 10 more tastings to review so stay tuned for our next post! I’ll be updating the links below as we post them.
Wine Tasting Notes to Come!
♦Harbinator Wines♦ ♦Drum Roll Wine♦ ♦Naches Heights Vineyard♦ ♦Kerloo Cellars♦ ♦Wandering Wolf Cellars♦ ♦Dahlman Cellars♦ ♦Martedi Cellars♦ ♦Navarre Coulee♦ ♦Bayernmoor♦ ♦Julian Margot♦ ♦Michael Florentino Cellars♦
Blog by Kerriann Jenkins
Blog feature Chasity Rodriguez
Washington Wine Month
Washington Wine Month
August is Washington Wine Month. Well, one of them anyways. As it turns out both March and August are recognized as Washington Wine Month in this grape state. Though, I have been too distracted in my personal life to realize it until the near end.
I Unintentionally Passed Through Wine Country This Month
Horse Heaven Hills as seen from the inside of my car.
While road tripping last week, I sat passenger as we drove through Washington wine country. I got to see firsthand green leafed tailored tendrils of grape vines that had climbed their way up manmade structures. They blurred past us as we drove by. We passed the rust weathered Horse Heaven Hills sign and through what looked like a barren land of sun-bleached grass blowing in the wind. I wondered how growers and winemakers looked at that place and thought to grow there. Then we drove across the Astoria Bridge, and I took in the Columbia River’s vastness for the first time. I grew a deeper appreciation for grape growing and wine production just by passing through the area. Someday I’ll have to stop and actually experience it.
There’s Still Time to Celebrate!
As happenstance occurs the Mill Creek Town Center is hosting another wine walk this Saturday August 27th from 4-7pm. They will be featuring wine from:
Photo Courtesy of Mill Creek Town Center
- Wandering Wolf Cellars at Peoples Bank
- Navarre Coulee at Artisan Custom Framing
- Julian Margot at Banner Bank
- Alluvium Cellars at Brooklyn Brothers Pizza
- Rider Cellars at China City
- Naches Heights Vineyard (NHV) at CruiseShipCenters
- Drum Roll Wine at Frost
- Dahlman Cellars at Windermere (that’s us!)
- RR Poet at John L Scott
- Martedi Winery at Kafe Neo
- Bayernmoor (Use your gold coin for BONUS taste here) at Lilac & Lemon
- Kerloo Cellars at Zeeks Pizza
- Michael Florentino Cellars at Diva Foreva Lashes
- Tricycle Cellars at First Financial Northwest Bank
There are eight new winemakers’ wares to sample at this event and the weather is set to be mildly better than last time. The best part is this event supports Washington Winemakers and businesses. You can click here to read reviews from our experiences at the Spring Mill Creek Wine Walk.
It’s A Great Month to Buy Local
If you are in the Snohomish County area one local business to check out for purchasing Washington made wine is Town & Country Markets. They have 6 locations in Washington State. Specifically referring to the one on Main Street in Mill Creek, they have an entire aisle of Washington State crafted wine. Of course, there are plenty of other places to buy local and it’s always a great time to do that. So, celebrate Washington Wine Month and grab yourself local wine from a local vendor!
7 Tips For Better Wine Storage
7 Tips for Better Wine Storage Because Wine Is Fickle
I have heard the age-old adage: “wine gets better with age” and I have stored bottles of wine only to open them later and find out they did not get better with age. As it turns out, wine is fickler than that. I have found that wine gets better with age only when properly stored. So, if you want to avoid spoiling your wine read on to see the 7 tips for better wine storage I’ve picked up along the way.
1.) Store Wine Not Too Hot
I have read that wine keeps best at temperatures between 45-65 degrees. Temperatures above 65 degrees causes chemical reactions to begin to take place in your bottle of wine. Once this chemical reaction begins your wine profile flavors will change. At 80 degrees your wine begins to cook itself within its bottle. Referring to my middle school science class. Once a liquid is boiled it will expand into a gas. Given that wine is sealed in a glass bottle this can cause the cork to rupture or expand and contract as it cools. This process will lead to oxidation and premature aging meaning your wine will taste more like jam or vinegar. You can even bake down your alcohol content level. All things I personally would like to avoid.
2.) Store Wine Not Too Cold
Conversely, temperatures below 45 degrees can lead the wine to expand as it freezes. Unlike other spirited drinks, wine is mostly made of water. So, like freezing water to make ice cubes, the wine will expand inside of its container space. This can lead to a cork or cap rupture which can lead to the wine oxidizing after you pull the bottle from the freezer to thaw. Moreover, your wine bottle can burst leaving you with a glassy dangerous disaster. Remember, frozen wine is not the same as a Frose.
3.) Store Wine in Dark Places
As tempting as it may be to put your wine bottles on display you should store your wine collection in a darker area. Light and UV exposure can cause your wine temperature to rise into wine altering levels. Going back to the “Store Wine Not Too Hot” section, wine should be kept cool to avoid cooking. Additionally, light and UV exposure can damage your wine labels. So, keep your wine in a walled display, a closet, or a cabinet if you don’t have access to a fancy wine fridge or wine cellar.
7 Wine Storage Tips by Windermere Mill Creek
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4.) Store Wine Sideways
This is where I have historically gone wrong with my wine storage. Wine should be stored sideways. Though this is more important for wine bottles with corks. Traditionally, corks are made up of tree bark and other porous material. Laying a bottle sideways allows the cork to maintain contact with the wine in the bottle. Just like a tree absorbs a fractional amount of rain moisture the cork will absorb moisture from the wine. This will keep the cork expanded enough to contain the wine inside of the bottle.
5.) Store Wine in a Humid Controlled Environment
Humidity is key to keeping a cork intact. It is said that wine should be kept at about 70% humidity to keep the cork moist. As a result, anything less will cause the wine cork to crack and oxidize the wine inside. Anything more can promote mold growth.
6.) Store Wine in a Wine Fridge or Cellar
Wine can become a big investment when you start to grow your collection. I should mention that the bottles of wine that are intended for aging are usually $30 and over. Once you notice that your collection is growing you should seriously consider purchasing a wine fridge or cellar setup. The ideal temperature for a standard refrigerator is 40 degrees. Referring to the “Store Wine Not Too Cold” section, this temperature is too cold for adequate wine storage. To protect your investment, you should invest in the proper storage setup.
7.) Store Wine in Your Belly!
The final tip for better wine storage is the most enjoyable of all. Most of the wine crafted these days reaches the perfect drinking age within a few years of its creation. Unless you are intentionally growing your expensive collection in a controlled location it is best to just drink it because at the end of the day wine is made for drinking.
Blog & Graphic Poster by: Kerriann Jenkins
