Podcasts about walla walla valley

In the latest blind tasting episode of GuildSomm: Into the Glass, Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe pours a flight of three red wines for Master Sommelier and Master of Wine Doug Frost and Master Sommelier Jonathan Eichholz. Doug is a partner in Echolands Winery, located in the Walla Walla Valley of Washington, and he also helps run the American chapter of the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale.   Learn more about Doug: https://www.mastersofwine.org/doug-frost-mw   Explore our new staff training on tasting, perfect for beginning your tasting journey or training your team: https://www.guildsomm.com/public_content/features/staff-training/b/new/posts/tasting-la-cata   If you're an intermediate taster, don't miss our study guide on tasting: https://www.guildsomm.com/learn/study/w/study-wiki/2683/tasting Thanks for listening. If you enjoy this episode, please consider leaving us a review, as it helps us connect and grow the GuildSomm community. Cheers!

Brooke Delmas Robertson is one of our favorite people, and for good reason. Her Delmas SJR Vineyard Syrah was just named #10 on Jeb Dunnuck's Top 100 Wines of 2024, and shortly after, her Viognier earned a spot in Decanter's Top 50. Her family has been raising the bar in the Rocks District of Walla Walla for years, producing only about 1000 cases annually—flying under the radar, but with outstanding quality. Brooke's commitment to sustainability and family legacy shines through in her approach: “We want our vines to outlive us and be sustainable and strong for generations to come. That expectation requires daily oversight and a commitment to sustainability and healthy plants,” she says. “The driving vision to create a small, family-estate operation has been a family dream since my brother and I were kids. My work on behalf of the estate will continue to be a tribute to my late brother, whom the vineyard is named after. To life!” In addition to her winemaking, Brooke serves on the Board of Directors of the Oregon Winegrower Association, representing Eastern Oregon. She's a Level One Mentor with Bâtonnage (Women in Wine) and founded the Vineyard Technical Group for the Walla Walla Valley, partnering with Oregon State University and the Rocks District Winegrowers to provide ongoing education for wine growers in the region. We highly recommend getting your hands on these wines, especially the Viognier and SJR Vineyard Syrah. Better yet, plan a trip to Walla Walla, Washington, and see firsthand the incredible work being done there. [Ep350] www.delmaswines.com @delmas_sjrvineyard

In this episode of Wine Crush Podcast, Heidi Moore takes listeners on the road to the Walla Walla Valley, where she meets Brad Sorensen, the vineyard manager at Les Colline Vineyards. Brad shares his journey from Wisconsin to the Peace Corps in Nicaragua, to working in Napa and Sonoma, and finally finding his home in Walla Walla. He discusses the unique climate, soil, and varietals of Les Colline, including the famed Block 50 Syrah. With insights into vineyard management, the challenges of grape growing, and the experimentation that sets Walla Walla apart, this episode is a fascinating deep dive into the art and science of viticulture.

In this episode of Wine Crush Podcast, Heidi Moore takes listeners on the road to the Walla Walla Valley, where she meets Brad Sorensen, the vineyard manager at Les Colline Vineyards. Brad shares his journey from Wisconsin to the Peace Corps in Nicaragua, to working in Napa and Sonoma, and finally finding his home in Walla Walla. He discusses the unique climate, soil, and varietals of Les Colline, including the famed Block 50 Syrah. With insights into vineyard management, the challenges of grape growing, and the experimentation that sets Walla Walla apart, this episode is a fascinating deep dive into the art and science of viticulture.

This week's RV Hour podcast, hosted by CEO of Giant Recreation World, Larry McNamara, is perfect for wine lovers and RV enthusiasts alike! In Episode 91, we delve into RVing Through Wine Country: Best Destinations for Wine Lovers. Whether you're looking for scenic vineyard tours, discovering RV-friendly wineries, or planning the ultimate wine-tasting road trip, this episode is packed with insights and tips for creating the perfect wine adventure on wheels! But that's not all—we'll also be featuring some incredible deals from GRW's Hot List! This week, we've got an exciting offer: a New 2025 Forest River 134BHX in Winter Garden, FL, on sale for only $14,999—that's just $34 a week! Plus, all new and select pre-owned units come with our Lifetime Warranty at no cost to you. These deals won't last long, so make sure to check them out! Don't miss out on these amazing offers and wine-touring destinations—whether you're an RV veteran or a first-timer, there's something for everyone! Tune in for tips, recommendations, and exclusive deals, and visit any of our 3 locations in Palm Bay, Ormond Beach, or Winter Garden. Always online at www.GiantRecreationWorld.com.

Mary Derby, the founder of DAMA Wines created, owned, and managed by women. Not only is she a wine-lover, but Mary Derby, the founder of DAMA Wines, is a wine enthusiast and a classically trained opera singer from Minnesota. Along with her husband, Devin, she co-created the brand of wines known as Spring Valley Vineyard in the Walla Walla Valley and after the untimely passing of her husband, Mary, and her young son, faced the difficult decision of whether to stay in the Valley or return to the Midwest. Supported by 9 other nationally recognized winemakers and friends, they produced a special Syrah vintage called “Devin” in honor of her late husband. Mary's exceptional palate, passion for singing (she actually studied to be an opera singer), and the support of her friends add a unique balance and style to her wines. Learn more about Mary's incredible journey to becoming one of the finest winemakers in the area.  To find out about Mary and her wines, visit damawines.com or find them on Facebook @damawines.

If you hear a lot of corks popping this month down in the Southeastern corner of Washington, that's because April is Walla Walla Valley Wine Month!

If you hear a lot of corks popping this month down in the Southeastern corner of Washington, that's because April is Walla Walla Valley Wine Month!

Welcome to The Black Wine Guy Experience. In this episode, our host MJ Towler, sits down with the remarkable Lisa Perotti-Brown, a true trailblazer in the world of wine. Lisa shares her extraordinary journey from a small town in Maine to becoming a Master of Wine and co-founding The Wine Independent. Join us as Lisa discusses her experiences working with renowned wine critic Robert Parker and her mission to provide unbiased and quality wine criticism. From her early days in London's wine scene to her global adventures in Singapore and Tokyo, Lisa's story is one of determination, passion, and a deep appreciation for the art of fine wine. Get ready for an insightful and inspiring conversation with a true influencer in the world of wine.A Massive THANK YOU to LISA PEROTTI-BROWN!!!For more information about The Wine Independent click the link!Follow The Wine Independent on IG!Follow Lisa on IG!____________________________________________________________Until next time, cheers to the mavericks, philosophers, deep thinkers, and wine drinkers! Subscribe and give The Black Wine Guy Experience a 5-star review on whichever platform you listen to.For insider info from MJ and exclusive content from the show, sign up at Blackwineguy.comFollow MJ @blackwineguyThank you to our sponsor, Walla Walla Wine. The primary mission of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance is to build an internationally acclaimed Walla Walla Valley wine brand among consumers, media, and trade by providing marketing programs on behalf of member wineries, vineyards, and partners. The Wine Alliance functions as the leading informational resource for consumers, media, and members of the trade interested in learning more about the Valley's wine industry.Find out more at Walla Walla Wine! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Black Wine Guy Experience, where captivating conversations about wine, music, and life take center stage. In this episode, host MJ Towler welcomes Owen Bargreen. A clinical psychologist by day, Owen is a Level 2 Sommelier. He is the creator of OwenBargreen.com, where he exhibits his deep expertise in California, Oregon, and Washington wines. Together, MJ and Owen dive into a wide range of topics, from the intriguing world of wine tasting and criticism to candid discussions about their personal backgrounds and experiences. Join us as we explore the fascinating intersection of wine, sports, psychology, and the human experience with our insightful guest, Owen Bargreen.A Massive THANK YOU to OWEN BARGREEN!!!This episode's wines: 2021 Holocene "Memorialis" Pinot Noir 2022 Woodward Canyon “Washington” ChardonnayFor more information about Owen Bargreen click the link!Follow Owen on IG!To learn more about Holocene Wines, click the link!Follow Holocene Wines on IG!To learn more about Woodward Canyon Wines, click the link!Follow Woodward Canyon on IG!____________________________________________________________Until next time, cheers to the mavericks, philosophers, deep thinkers, and wine drinkers! Subscribe and give The Black Wine Guy Experience a 5-star review on whichever platform you listen to.For insider info from MJ and exclusive content from the show, sign up at Blackwineguy.comFollow MJ @blackwineguyThank you to our sponsor, Walla Walla Wine. The primary mission of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance is to build an internationally acclaimed Walla Walla Valley wine brand among consumers, media, and trade by providing marketing programs on behalf of member wineries, vineyards, and partners. The Wine Alliance functions as the leading informational resource for consumers, media, and members of the trade interested in learning more about the Valley's wine industry.Find out more at Walla Walla Wine! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Black Wine Guy Experience, host MJ Towler welcomes Kelsey Itämeri, the owner and winemaker of Ita Wines. Kelsey shares her fascinating journey from political campaign manager to reality TV production assistant, sales manager, and bartender before finding her passion for winemaking. From challenging work environments to finding joy in making wine, Kelsey's story is one of resilience and determination. She discusses her experiences in the wine industry, including her decision to make six different wines at a custom crush facility and her unique approach to wine production. Listeners will also hear about her time in Burgundy, France, and how she brings her diverse experiences and palate to craft exceptional wines. Tune in to learn about Kelsey's compelling journey and her philosophy behind designing a life filled with passion and purpose.A Massive THANK YOU to KELSEY ITÄMERI!!!This episode's wine: 2022 Itä Semillion No.1To learn more about Itä Wines, click the link!Follow Kelsey on IG!____________________________________________________________Until next time, cheers to the mavericks, philosophiss, deep thinkers, and wine drinkers! Subscribe and give The Black Wine Guy Experience a five-star review on whichever platform you listen to.For insider info from MJ and exclusive content from the show, sign up at Blackwineguy.comFollow MJ @blackwineguyThank you to our sponsor, Walla Walla Wine. The primary mission of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance is to build an internationally acclaimed Walla Walla Valley wine brand among consumers, media, and trade by providing marketing programs on behalf of member wineries, vineyards, and partners. The Wine Alliance functions as the leading informational resource for consumers, media, and members of the trade interested in learning more about the Valley's wine industry.Find out more at Walla Walla Wine! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Black Wine Guy Experience, host MJ Towler sits down with the inspiring Devyani Gupta, a remarkable figure in the wine industry. Devyani shares her journey, from working multiple jobs while pursuing her passion for winemaking in Walla Walla to her current role as a winemaker and viticulturist at Valdemar Estates. Throughout the episode, she discusses her experiences, including her internships, mentorship programs, and dedication to making the wine industry more inclusive. With an in-depth look at her winemaking philosophy and personal connections to the industry.Devyani's story is one of determination, passion, and a deep love for wine. Stick around to hear about her favorite wines, her role in the Washington State Wine Commission, and her fascinating journey into winemaking, all on this episode of The Black Wine Guy Experience.A Massive THANK YOU to DEVANYI GUPTA!!!This episode's wines: 2020 Valdemar Estate Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon To learn more about Valdemar Estates, click the link!Follow Valdemar EstatesFollow Devyani on IG!____________________________________________________________Until next time, cheers to the mavericks, philosophers, deep thinkers, and wine drinkers! Subscribe and give The Black Wine Guy Experience a five-star review on whichever platform you listen to.For insider info from MJ and exclusive content from the show, sign up at Blackwineguy.comFollow MJ @blackwineguyThank you to our sponsor, Walla Walla Wine. The primary mission of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance is to build an internationally acclaimed Walla Walla Valley wine brand among consumers, media, and trade by providing marketing programs on behalf of member wineries, vineyards, and partners. The Wine Alliance functions as the leading informational resource for consumers, media, and members of the trade interested in learning more about the Valley's wine industry.Find out more at Walla Walla Wine! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to The Black Wine Guy Experience! In this episode, our host, MJ Towler, is joined by the talented winemaker Brooke Robertson from Delmas Wines. This engaging conversation covers a wide range of topics, from the significance of seeking knowledge and insights into the Walla Walla Valley's distinctive wine production to personal experiences in Napa Valley. Brooke shares her journey into winemaking, her family's deep roots in the wine industry, and the challenges they faced in pursuing their vineyard dream. Tune in as they explore academia, winemaking philosophy, and the unique characteristics of different wine regions. Join us as we uncork this insightful and dynamic exploration of winemaking, academia, personal journey, and the inspirational story of a winemaker with a deep passion for her craft.A Massive THANK YOU to BROOKE ROBERTSON!!!This episode's wines: Delmas Field Blend Multi-VintageTo learn more about Delmas Wines, click the link!Follow Brooke on IG!____________________________________________________________Until next time, cheers to the mavericks, philosophiss, deep thinkers, and wine drinkers! Subscribe and give The Black Wine Guy Experience a five-star review on whichever platform you listen to.For insider info from MJ and exclusive content from the show, sign up at Blackwineguy.comFollow MJ @blackwineguyThank you to our sponsor, Walla Walla Wine. The primary mission of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance is to build an internationally acclaimed Walla Walla Valley wine brand among consumers, media, and trade by providing marketing programs on behalf of member wineries, vineyards, and partners. The Wine Alliance functions as the leading informational resource for consumers, media, and members of the trade interested in learning more about the Valley's wine industry.Find out more at Walla Walla Wine! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Black Wine Guy Experience! In today's episode, our host, MJ Towler, sits down with the extraordinary Stacy Buchanon, who delves deep into his diverse and captivating journey. From pioneering street team marketing for major corporations to venturing into the wine industry and creating the innovative "Blood of Gods" zine, Stacy's story is nothing short of enthralling.Stacy Buchanon was born in Walla Walla in 1980, where his family has been involved in wheat farming and barley for generations. Growing up, he was unaware of the burgeoning wine industry in his hometown but later discovered its slow rise. After leaving Walla Walla for 8 years to work in the music industry, Stacy returned to find his sleepy town transformed by the growing wine industry.During their conversation, Stacy shares his experiences in the music industry, his transition to the wine world, and the intricacies of launching an independent print magazine. They discuss the rich culture in Walla Walla, the nuances of wine varieties, and the value of family and community support.Tune in as Stacy shares his unique perspectives, insights into the wine and heavy metal industries, and the inspiration behind his remarkable projects. Get ready for an episode filled with engaging anecdotes, valuable lessons, and a celebration of passion and creativity. Stay tuned for an unforgettable experience with Stacy Buchanon on The Black Wine Guy Experience!A Massive THANK YOU to STACY BUCHANON!!!This episode's wines: NoneTo learn more about Blood of Gods, click the link!Follow Blood of Gods on IG!____________________________________________________________Until next time, cheers to the mavericks, philosophiss, deep thinkers, and wine drinkers! Subscribe and give The Black Wine Guy Experience a five-star review on whichever platform you listen to.For insider info from MJ and exclusive content from the show, sign up at Blackwineguy.comFollow MJ @blackwineguyThank you to our sponsor, Walla Walla Wine. The primary mission of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance is to build an internationally acclaimed Walla Walla Valley wine brand among consumers, media, and trade by providing marketing programs on behalf of member wineries, vineyards, and partners. The Wine Alliance functions as the leading informational resource for consumers, media, and members of the trade interested in learning more about the Valley's wine industry.Find out more at Walla Walla Wine! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Black Wine Guy Experience, host MJ Towler sits down with special guest Seth Kitze for an insightful and engaging conversation. Seth grew up in the Yakima Valley, where wine grapes were just starting to gain popularity. Although there were only a few vineyards in the area, people were beginning to make quality wine. However, at that time, Washington state consumers were not as passionate about wine as they are today. Seth observed the growth of the wine industry and the expansion of the Tri-Cities area, which used to primarily focus on cherries and apples. Despite the limited resources, Seth witnessed the evolution of winemaking in the region.They delve into not only Seth's experiences in the snowboarding industry and the challenges of making ends meet but also his transition into the world of winemaking and the unique journey that led him to become a co-owner and winemaker of Kinsey Cellars Upside Down and the Devil is a Liar Wine. The discussion spans from the techniques of winemaking to the personal journey and passion that fuels Seth's dedication to creating exceptional wines. Join us as we explore the intersection of athleticism, determination, and the art of winemaking in this captivating episode.A Massive THANK YOU to SETH KITZE!!!This episode's wines: 2022 Upsidedown Columbia Valley Roussanne 2021 Upsidedown Washington State “Sage's Wine “ 2018 Giovanni Montisci Barrosu Vino Rosso FranziscaTo learn more about Upsidedown Wines, click the link!Follow Seth & Audrey on IG!To learn more about The Devil is a Liar Wines, click the link!Follow The Devil is a Liar Wine on IG____________________________________________________________Until next time, cheers to the mavericks, philosophers, deep thinkers, and wine drinkers! Subscribe and give The Black Wine Guy Experience a five-star review on whichever platform you listen to.For insider info from MJ and exclusive content from the show, sign up at Blackwineguy.comFollow MJ @blackwineguyThank you to our sponsor, Walla Walla Wine. The primary mission of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance is to build an internationally acclaimed Walla Walla Valley wine brand among consumers, media, and trade by providing marketing programs on behalf of member wineries, vineyards, and partners. The Wine Alliance functions as the leading informational resource for consumers, media, and members of the trade interested in learning more about the Valley's wine industry.Find out more at Walla Walla Wine! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today's episode, host MJ Towler delves into the fascinating world of wine creation with special guest Christophe Baron. Get ready to uncork your curiosity as we explore Christophe's innovative approach to crafting exceptional wines.In this episode, Christophe shares the story behind his vineyard's unique use of horsepower, paying homage to his ancestors who relied on draft horses in French vineyards. We learn about his experimentation with high-density planting, resulting in riper stems and lower alcohol levels. Christophe also discusses how this method could offer a solution in the face of global warming. You'll also discover Christophe's dedication to biodynamic farming and his role as a steward of the land, ensuring sustainable practices in all his brands.Join us as Christophe takes us on a journey to the exciting world of Bionic Wines. Learn about their flagship Syrah, affectionately named "Bionic Frog," and the philosophy behind their gorgeous labels. Plus, gain insight into the inspiration and techniques behind their other brand, "No Girls," empowering women in the wine industry.Throughout the episode, MJ Towler and Christophe explore topics ranging from unique terroirs and the intricacies of white wine to the importance of having a discerning palate. They even discuss Christophe's passion for Champagne, his longtime love affair with wine, and the hilarious game of "slap, lick, Fondal."So, if you're ready to dive deep into the world of winemaking, don't miss out on this captivating episode of The Black Wine Guy Experience. Tune in to gain exclusive access to the insights and wisdom of Christophe Baron, a visionary winemaker shaping the future of the industry.A Massive THANK YOU to CHRISTOPHE BARON!!!To learn more about Bionic Wines, click the link!Follow Bionic Wines on IG!____________________________________________________________Until next time, cheers to the mavericks, philosophers, deep thinkers, and wine drinkers! Subscribe and give The Black Wine Guy Experience a five-star review on whichever platform you listen to.For insider info from MJ and exclusive content from the show, sign up at Blackwineguy.comFollow MJ @blackwineguyThank you to our sponsor, Walla Walla Wine. The primary mission of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance is to build an internationally acclaimed Walla Walla Valley wine brand among consumers, media, and trade by providing marketing programs on behalf of member wineries, vineyards, and partners. The Wine Alliance functions as the leading informational resource for consumers, media, and members of the trade interested in learning more about the Valley's wine industry.Find out more at Walla Walla Wine! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to another episode of The Black Wine Guy Experience! In today's episode, titled "Celebrate Merlot," we have a fantastic lineup of guests joining our host, MJ Towler. Get ready to dive deep into the world of wine as we explore the fascinating journey of our speaker, who not only works for a winery but is fully invested in every aspect of its activities. Our speakers are true connoisseurs, from tasting and selling to discussing and learning.We'll discover how the art of winemaking is like providing tableside service with a closed bottle, where listening to customer preferences and recommending wines becomes an intriguing dance.Drawing upon their backgrounds as musicians and artists, our speakers share how looking beyond the surface to understand the deeper meaning of things plays a crucial role in the context of hospitality. This connection to the arts transcends into the winemaking process, as simplicity on paper becomes a challenge in achieving greatness.But today, our focus is on Merlot. The speakers discovered this wine when they were all younger and realized it was extraordinary.Throughout this episode, we'll explore the pursuit of perfection in the wine industry and the constant quest for knowledge. Our speaker's influence in the Washington wine scene is undeniable, and they'll share their insights into the growth of Walla Walla and its reputation for producing great wine.Join us as we learn about our speaker's journey from practicing law to discovering his passion for wine. We'll delve into their studies in biology and neuroscience and how these disciplines intersected with their first career path. We'll also discuss their current role in the wine industry, obsession with blind tastings, and the importance of developing a refined palate.Get ready to explore the hyper-local and enthusiastic world of Walla Walla, where old and new combine to create innovative and unique wines. Discover how the speakers' love for wine is deeply rooted in community, shared meals, and the joy of recommending honest wines to their customers.So please sit back, relax, and uncork your favorite bottle of Merlot as we embark on a journey of exploration, knowledge, and celebration. This is The Black Wine Guy Experience. Let's raise a glass and celebrate Merlot!Special thanks to Walla Walla WineJay Krutulis, Owner & Winemaker, Prospice WinesMorgan Joseph, Walla Walla Valley Wine EnthusiastRobert Gomez, Owner & Winemaker, Hoquetus WineKaleigh Brook, Manager, The Thief Fine Wine & Spirits - Advanced Sommelier / WSET DiplomaJason Fox, Owner & Winemaker, Lagana Cellars – for being our wine pourer! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode features Steffini Bethea, owner of Purple Corkscrew Wine Shop and Tasting Room located in Avondale Estates. Steffini is a wife and mother of two who back 2012 saw a need for a shop that sold carefully chosen, high quality wines within Atlanta. In addition to her WSET wine certification, she also holds a degree in Biology from the University of Houston which has served as a backbone to her studies in viticulture. Her most important role at Purple Corkscrew is that of Chief Curator of wines serving as the purveyor of small, boutique, award-winning wines. Her expertise has attracted winemakers from all corners of the globe to visit the shop, and Steffini is also well-traveled for wine both domestically and internationally. Alongside other wine aficionados, she has explored regions such as Rhone Valley, various regions in Spain, Walla Walla Valley in Washington, and small vineyards in Oregon. She has also volunteered at harvest in efforts to expand her knowledge of the winemaking process. She believes it is key to know where the grapes come from and how they are pressed and fermented to make the magic that she sells in every bottle. You can follow @purplecorkscrewwine on social media and check out www.purplsecorkscrew.com for all information about their tastings and events. Recorded September 19, 2023 ------------------------------------------- This episode is generously sponsored by Diane Carpenter and Ross Knoll Vineyard: https://www.dianecarpenter.org/wines TRANSCRIPT AVAILABLE HERE --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/acorkintheroad/support

If yo u cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Liz Knapke - Executive Director, Walla Walla Valley WineAustin Hope - President & Winemaker, Hope Family Wines 

Welcome to another episode of our podcast, where we believe in blending financial acuity with the art of living well. Today, we're tackling a topic that can seem as complex and intimidating as a sommelier's wine list—the Debt Ceiling. In this session, our very own Amy Irvine, CEO and Founder of Rooted Planning Group, takes us on a guided tour of the fiscal landscape.We'll be getting to grips with the intricacies of the Debt Ceiling, its importance in the U.S. economic system, and its potential implications on personal finance. Just as every grape variety has its own unique character, every financial concept has nuances that can profoundly impact your financial health. We'll distill these complex matters down into palatable, easy-to-understand bites.And, speaking of bites, we won't be leaving you parched. Amy will be sharing her recent wine adventure as she takes us to the Walla Walla Valley in Washington State, promising us some delightful deep reds that are as surprising and fascinating as our topic of discussion. So, pour yourself a glass and get comfortable as we uncork the mysteries of the Debt Ceiling in this episode.Remember, just like a good bottle of wine, the Wine and Dime Podcast gets better with time. So don't forget to rate and subscribe to our show, where we blend the flavors of wine and personal finance to help you achieve financial freedom! If you have any questions that you would like answered on the show, feel free to email us at info@rootedpg.comOr visit us at www.rootedpg.com/podcasts for full show notes and links!Key Discussion Points:What is the Debt Ceiling?: This episode unpacks the debt ceiling concept, which is the maximum amount of money Congress authorizes the federal government to borrow to meet its bills. It's crucial to note that these expenses are pre-approved, indicating that Congress is aware of expenses surpassing the revenue.The Global Perspective: In a world where only the US and Denmark have a fixed debt ceiling, we ponder whether this approach is antiquated. Should the discussion also revolve around changing the formula?Historical Precedents: We reflect on the four instances when the US, arguably, defaulted, and the closest we came to a default in 2011, which resulted in the loss of the AAA rating.Potential Impact of a Default: The episode then explores the sobering potential consequences if the US were to default - including substantial GDP drop, millions of job losses, and the consequent hike in borrowing costs.The 14th Amendment as a Solution? Finally, we discuss the implications of invoking the 14th Amendment to entirely remove the debt ceiling, a significant shift in our financial structure.If you found our episode enlightening and engaging, don't hesitate to like, rate, and subscribe to Wine and Dime for more discussions that harmonize the world of wine and personal finance. Got queries or topics you want us to uncork in our future episodes? Feel free to reach out. Tune in next time for more financial insights as we continue our journey from the roots of your financial vineyard to the tips of your flourishing vines. Cheers to your financial well-being!Wine Region Recommendation:In true Wine and Dime fashion, we can't explore the complexities of the Debt Ceiling without a fine wine to accompany our discussion. This episode, Amy takes us on a virtual wine tour to the lesser-known but nonetheless impressive Walla Walla Valley in Washington State.Amy's journey into this stunning viticulture region reveals a treasure trove of deep, sumptuous red wines that promise to delight your palate. The Walla Walla Valley might not be as famous as its neighbors, the Columbia Valley and Willamette Valley, but its wines have a distinctive character that's worth seeking out. With rich, full-bodied...

Give as you go. That's the motto of our podcast guest, Dennis Murphy. As the founder and winemaker at Caprio Cellars in Washington's Walla Walla Valley, Dennis proves that making great tasting wine and making a difference in the world go hand in hand. From building homes and communities to making wine, Dennis' story is inspiring - so much so that he's one of Wine Industry Advisor's most inspring people in wine. We have no doubt you'll admire all that Dennis has done and continues to do. At Caprio Cellars, Dennis is also disrupting the winery hospitality model, offering complimentary (yes free!) wine and food pairings that rival a top restaurant three-course tasting menu. Get to know what motivates Dennis and how he's changing the wine world one glass at a time.

April is Walla Walla Valley Wine Month and the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance's Shelby Gillin says there will be more in-person wine events to celebrate.

April is Walla Walla Valley Wine Month and the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance's Shelby Gillin says there will be more in-person wine events to celebrate.

In today's episode, Shelley and Phil sit down with L'Ecole No. 41 Winemaker, Marcus Rafanelli, and taste through four wines produced from the little schoolhouse winery. L'Ecole No. 41 was the third Walla Walla Valley Winery and the 20th in the state of Washington. They are celebrating 40 years of making delicious wines and we get to learn all about the story behind this notorious winery! #HappyFriday! #ItsWineTime! #Cheersing Wines this episode:2021 L'Ecole No 41 Sémillon, Columbia Valley - $17

Sadie DrurySadie Drury is a Walla Walla native who decided to combine her love for agriculture with her interest for wine by attending the Center for Enology and Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College and pursuing a career in viticulture. Sadie worked on Red Mountain for 5 years before joining the North Slope Management team in early 2013. She currently manages6vineyardsin the Walla Walla Valley AVA including the famed Seven Hills Vineyard. Sadie is passionate about sustainable agriculture and has worked closely with LIVE as a past Technical Chair and is now on the Governance Council for Sustainable WA. Sadie is the current Chair for the Washington State Wine Commission. She is the 2019Power's Sabbatical Recipient, the 2020 Washington Winegrowers Erick Hanson Memorial Grower of the Year, and a 2021 Wine Enthusiast 40 Under 40 Tastemaker.https://www.instagram.com/vitnerd/?hl=en Marty Clubb, L'Ecole N°41Marty Clubb is Managing Winemaker and co-owner with his wife Megan of L'Ecole N°41.This third generation, family-owned winery is located in the old Frenchtown Schoolhouse depicted on their label. Founded in 1983, L'Ecole was the third winery in the Walla Walla Valley. L'Ecole has been named a “Winery of the Year” by Wine & Spirits Magazine sixteen times. L'Ecole is a partner in the highly acclaimed Seven Hills Vineyard as well as the nearby1,500 acre vineyard development–SeVein–home to L'Ecole's exclusive estate vineyard named Ferguson. The first vintage of wine from this vineyard, 2011 Estate Ferguson, was named best Bordeaux blend in the world over £15 at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards in London in 2014.The 2013Estate Ferguson was named Best New World Bordeaux Blend at Six Nations Wine Challenge in Australia in 2016.Marty's ongoing dedication and commitment to the Washington State wine industry is evident in his many leadership roles. He has served more than thirty years on the Boards of various wine industry associations, including the Washington Wine Commission. He is currently a Director of the Washington Wine Institute and Wine America. Marty was instrumental in the founding of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance, serving as its first President. Marty worked with other industry pioneers in the development of the Walla Walla Community College Center for Enology and Viticulture and continues to serve as an emeritus member of its wine advisory board.https://www.lecole.com/our-story/family/ The Wine Concierge Clubhttps://thewineconcierge.co/  Discount Code: SWIRL VineMeUp Newsletterhttps://www.vinemeupdc.com/newsletter    Follow The Swirl Suite: SwirlSuite@gmail.com @SwirlSuite www.swirlsuite.com Sarita @VineMeUp Tanisha @GirlMeetsGlass Leslie @Vino301 Glynis @Vino_Noire

Sadie DrurySadie Drury is a Walla Walla native who decided to combine her love for agriculture with her interest for wine by attending the Center for Enology and Viticulture at Walla Walla Community College and pursuing a career in viticulture. Sadie worked on Red Mountain for 5 years before joining the North Slope Management team in early 2013. She currently manages6vineyardsin the Walla Walla Valley AVA including the famed Seven Hills Vineyard. Sadie is passionate about sustainable agriculture and has worked closely with LIVE as a past Technical Chair and is now on the Governance Council for Sustainable WA. Sadie is the current Chair for the Washington State Wine Commission. She is the 2019Powers Sabbatical Recipient, the 2020 Washington Winegrowers Erick Hanson Memorial Grower of the Year, and a 2021 Wine Enthusiast 40 Under 40 Tastemaker.https://www.instagram.com/vitnerd/?hl=en Marty Clubb, LEcole N41Marty Clubb is Managing Winemaker and co-owner with his wife Megan of LEcole N41.This third generation, family-owned winery is located in the old Frenchtown Schoolhouse depicted on their label. Founded in 1983, LEcole was the third winery in the Walla Walla Valley. LEcole has been named a Winery of the Year by Wine & Spirits Magazine sixteen times. LEcole is a partner in the highly acclaimed Seven Hills Vineyard as well as the nearby1,500 acre vineyard developmentSeVeinhome to LEcoles exclusive estate vineyard named Ferguson. The first vintage of wine from this vineyard, 2011 Estate Ferguson, was named best Bordeaux blend in the world over 15 at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards in London in 2014.The 2013Estate Ferguson was named Best New World Bordeaux Blend at Six Nations Wine Challenge in Australia in 2016.Martys ongoing dedication and commitment to the Washington State wine industry is evident in his many leadership roles. He has served more than thirty years on the Boards of various wine industry associations, including the Washington Wine Commission. He is currently a Director of the Washington Wine Institute and Wine America. Marty was instrumental in the founding of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance, serving as its first President. Marty worked with other industry pioneers in the development of the Walla Walla Community College Center for Enology and Viticulture and continues to serve as an emeritus member of its wine advisory board.https://www.lecole.com/our-story/family/The Wine Concierge Clubhttps://thewineconcierge.co/ Discount Code: SWIRLVineMeUp Newsletterhttps://www.vinemeupdc.com/newsletter Follow The Swirl Suite:SwirlSuite@gmail.com@SwirlSuite www.swirlsuite.comSarita @VineMeUpTanisha @GirlMeetsGlassLeslie @Vino301Glynis @Vino_Noire

Wine lovers can adventure through the Walla Walla Valley this fall with a 'Wander Walla Walla' itinerary, according to Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance's new Executive Director, Liz Knapke.

Wine lovers can adventure through the Walla Walla Valley this fall with a 'Wander Walla Walla' itinerary, according to Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance's new Executive Director, Liz Knapke.

The year 1858 marked a watershed moment in the history of the confrontation between Native American tribes in the Evergreen State and the growing interests of the United States government. Fur traders, missionaries, and gold hunters were followed by farmers and stock raisers, who were able to expand their domains at the expense of the tribes while they continued to trade with them. The tensions created by the situation prompted the white settlers to organize militias and, eventually, to request the assistance of U.S. military to protect themselves. Fights erupted around the Puget Sound shoreline, the Yakima Valley, and the Walla Walla Valley during the summer of 1855. By 1858, things had begun to quiet down. Thus, Colonel Edward Steptoe had no reservations about leading a small and weakly equipped column of men through the heart of Columbia Plateau Indian territory. A crushing defeat at the Battle of Pine Creek pushed him on to seek vengeance against those who had dealt him such a humiliating defeat. Few months after the Steptoe fiasco, Colonel George Wright led a major display of military power through the Spokane Valley, ultimately eliminating the Natives' ability and desire to fight the government.Listen now to learn more!A special thank you goes out to Al Hirsch for providing the music for the podcast, check him out on YouTube.Find merchandise for the podcast now available at:     https://washington-history-by-jon-c.creator-spring.comIf you enjoy the podcast and would like to contribute, please visit: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/EvergreenpodIf you have any questions, episode ideas you'd like to see explored, or just have a general comment, please reach out at Historyoftheevergreenstatepod@gmail.comTo keep up on news for the podcast and other related announcements, please like and follow:https://www.facebook.com/HistoryoftheevergreenstatepodcastThank you for listening!

In between guests for the podcast again, Mike is puttering in the garden at home, cooking, and of course sipping wine! Hear all about the change of the seasons in Northern California, tasting notes on two VERY different Cabernets, plus a few other things.Don't forget to rate the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Write a review if you're moved to do so. Want to communicate a little more directly? Drop an email - to TallMikeWine@gmail.com - and for pictures of everything, follow Mike on Instagram @tallmikewine - tag Mike when you post pictures of what you're drinking!Wines discussed this episode:2013 Castello di Querceto / Querceto Cignale Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT2018 Brook & Bull Cabernet Sauvignon, Walla Walla Valley

Delmas/SJR Vineyard had a problem. It's a prime Syrah vineyard in the The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA in Walla Walla Valley but extreme winter temperatures were wreaking havoc on the vines and threatening the viability of the vineyard. Rather than keep doing what everyone else did, Brooke Delmas Roberts came up with a radical new way of pruning and training the vines-MHT or Mini Head Trained vines were born. Hear all about their vineyard, their wines and this premier OREGON appellation. [EP 219]

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Eat, Drink & Be Merry" show features travel writer Linda Kissam "Food, Wine & Shopping Diva" and Constance Savage, General Manager & COO of L'Ecole N° 41 Winery.Founded in 1983, L'Ecole N° 41 is a third-generation, family-owned artisan winery located in the historic Frenchtown School in Walla Walla, Washington. The third oldest winery in the Walla Walla Valley, this award-winning winery has become one of the most prominent and visible wineries in the region, with national and international distribution. Read Linda's review and tasting notes with pairing tips and recipes: https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/lecole-wines-scores-big-in-incredible-value-and-taste/

This episode of Big Blend Radio's "Eat, Drink & Be Merry" show features travel writer Linda Kissam "Food, Wine & Shopping Diva" and Constance Savage, General Manager & COO of L'Ecole N° 41 Winery. Founded in 1983, L'Ecole N° 41 is a third-generation, family-owned artisan winery located in the historic Frenchtown School in Walla Walla, Washington. The third oldest winery in the Walla Walla Valley, this award-winning winery has become one of the most prominent and visible wineries in the region, with national and international distribution. Read Linda's review and tasting notes with pairing tips and recipes:https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/lecole-wines-scores-big-in-incredible-value-and-taste/ 

“Caprio Cellars is a small producer of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Sauvignon Blanc located in the heart of Walla Walla Valley, WA., one of the premier wine-growing regions in the world.” “Winemaker/Owner Dennis Murphy purchased the land where … Continue reading → The post Show 448, October 23, 2021: Dennis Murphy, Winemaker & Proprietor, Caprio Cellars, Walla Walla, Washington Part One appeared first on SoCal Restaurant Show.

“Caprio Cellars is a small producer of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Sauvignon Blanc located in the heart of Walla Walla Valley, WA., one of the premier wine-growing regions in the world.” “Winemaker/Owner Dennis Murphy purchased the land where … Continue reading → The post Show 448, October 23, 2021: Dennis Murphy, Winemaker & Proprietor, Caprio Cellars, Walla Walla, Washington Part Two appeared first on SoCal Restaurant Show.

The secret was out a long time ago as families were migrating to the Walla Walla Valley long before it became a trend during the pandemic. Walla Walla got its name from the indigenous tribe of the same name, which means "many waters", as the Columbia, Snake and Walla Walla Rivers converge in this basin. These days it's all about the finest Washington wines in a small town setting. In this episode, Walla Walla natives and sister team Kate McCaw and Kyle Waetje welcome us to their hometown.

Caprio Cellars makes wines from estate vineyards in the Walla Walla viticultural area of eastern Washington. Owner and winemaker, Dennis Murphy crafts wines mainly from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from his three Walla Walla vineyards, one of which is named after his Italian grandmother Eleanor Caprio, and another for his great grandmother Sanitella Caprio. In the show, Dennis shares some good information about Walla Walla and its climate, soils, and the region's unique position in the wine world. The bulk of the show is dedicated to my conversation with him, and he gives us a different perspective from others we've talked to in Walla Walla, like Sleight of Hand Cellars (who doesn't love Jerry Solomon and Episode 295) and Amavi/ Pepperbridge (Eric McKibben rocks out Episode 294). But a lot of Dennis's references are to seminal figures in the Walla Walla wine industry.   Photo: Dennis Murphy, Caprio Cellars Given that, in the first part of the show, I spend a few minutes telling you about the founding figures in the Walla Walla wine industry.  Not only does this help in explaining the references, it sets you up to understand all of Walla Walla -- if you ever talk to anyone about the region or go visit, these names will come up over and over again. They are...   Norm McKibben. A founding father of Walla Walla's wine industry, and he founded Pepper Bridge Cellars and Amavi. His mentorship, forward thinking attitude (he was an early proponent of sustainability), and openness are a big part of the success of Walla Walla. Jean-Francois Pellet is the Director of Winemaking and a partner at Pepper Bridge and Amavi. He was born and raised in Switzerland, and is a third-generation wine grower. After working in vineyards around Europe and for Heitz Cellars in the Napa Valley, he was recruited by Norm to Pepper Bridge  and also helped start Amavi. He is an active partner in the businessl and an important force in the Walla Walla wine scene. Marty Clubb is Managing Winemaker and co-owner of L'Ecole N° 41 with his wife, Megan, and their children, Riley and Rebecca.  Megan's parents, Jean and Baker Ferguson, founded L'Ecole in 1983. In 1989, Marty and Megan moved to Walla Walla and Marty became manager and winemaker of L'Ecole.  Marty, along with Norm McKibben and Gary Figgins (see below) were the three most important figures in starting viticulture in the Walla Walla Valley.  Marty is one of the most revered figures in Walla Walla.   Gary Figgins is the founder of Leonetti Cellar, which was Walla Walla's first commercial winery. The Figgins family has been in Walla Walla for over a century and Gary learned viticulture from his uncles, who were farmers. He is self-taught and has done miraculous things for Walla Walla – Leonetti's wines were among the first to gain high scores and national recognition for the valley. Gary and his wife Nancy passed on the winery to their kids, Chris and Amy, but Gary is a major figure in the development of Walla Walla and is still active in vineyard consulting.   Christophe Baron is a native of Champagne and came to Walla Walla in 1993 while doing an internship at a vineyard in Oregon. He saw the famed “rocks” of the Milton-Freewater district that looked like the puddingstone in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and decided to buy 10 acres for his Cayuse Vineyards. The waitlist for the winery is many years deep, so Cayuse's wines are only available to us on the secondary market (auctions and stuff – there is a podcast to come on auctions that will make that secondary market easy to understand!). He's essential to helping make Walla Walla wine a coveted, hard to get luxury!   Dennis Murphy mentions other important wineries: Gramercy Cellars, Va Piano, and Hanatoro, to name a few!    Finally, we discuss a few vineyards: Seven Hills and Sevein: These are top vineyards of Walla Walla. They have unique soils and are managed by the founding fathers of Walla Walla – Norm McKibben, Marty, Clubb, Gary Figgins, and a few others, with many top wineries sourcing from this land. Photo: Seven Hills Vineyard After the intro, Dennis and I discuss Caprio, and its vineyards and its wines, which are quite tasty. Dennis discusses winemaking techniques, viticulture and sustainability, and his unique, very welcoming hospitality model. He has recently purchased a stake in Pepper Bridge and Amavi, so we discuss that briefly as well.   If you haven't been to Walla Walla, put it on the list. In many ways it represents the. best of the American wine industry -- collegial, entrepreneurial, with a focus on hard work and quality. Who could ask for more?   Photo: Caprio Cellars _________________________________________________________________ Registration for the FREE Wines of the Médoc Class is here:  Session 1, October 21 at 8 PM Eastern Session 2, October 28, at 8 PM Eastern   Thanks for our sponsors this week: Wine Access: Access to the best wines for the best prices! For 15% off your next order, go to www.wineaccess.com/normal To become a member of Patreon go to www.patreon.com/winefornormalpeople To register for an AWESOME, LIVE WFNP class with Elizabeth go to: www.winefornormalpeople.com/classes

Join Stephanie Forrer, founder of "Eat, Drink, Travel, Y'all," as she has delicious conversations with the most intriguing industry professionals in the culinary world. Subscribe on all podcasting apps, rate & review on iTunes and Apple Podcasts! Follow us on social media at @stephforrer and @eddpodnetPresented by the Eat Drink Dine Podcast Network

If yo u cannot see the audio controls, listen/download the audio file here Liz Knapke - Communications And Marketing Director, Walla Walla Valley Wine Tres Goetting - Winemaker, Robert Biale Vineyards

Joining the Huddle this week is NFL Qb Drew Bledsoe. The First pick in the 1993 draft. Drew helped improve the fortunes of the Patriots, who had fallen on hard times. During his tenure as starting quarterback, the Patriots ended a seven-year postseason drought, qualified for the playoffs four times, and made one Super Bowl appearance. He also made it to three Pro Bowls. Drew suffered a near-fatal injury early in the 2001 season; he got hit by New York Jets linebacker Mo Lewis and suffered a sheared blood vessel in his chest, which almost resulted in his death. This terrible injury leads to his backup Tom Brady becoming the team's starter. He could not regain his starting position for the remainder of the season due to Brady's success; Bledsoe subsequently played three seasons with the Bills. He made a fourth Pro Bowl appearance, and two with the Dallas Cowboys, before retiring during the 2007 offseason. Upon his retirement from the NFL in 2007, Drew Bledsoe "doubled back" to his hometown of Walla Walla, Washington, to realize a long-held dream. Drew and his wife, Maura, purchased a piece of property on the southern edge of the Walla Walla Valley and subsequently launched Doubleback, https://doubleback.com, as an estate-focused winery to craft America's best Cabernet Sauvignon. Drew had long been planning for this moment during his years playing football, and success came immediately as the first vintage earned a spot in Wine Spectator's Top 100 List.

S.B. Alger is an artist in almost every category:He currently works in mixed media visual arts & photo-manipulative digital arts, as well as fine art sculpture, and music, with a focus on voice/guitar and songwriting.He's also dabbled in various investigative writing, non-fiction, short stories and even occasional poetry when he can't resist the urge!S.B. was Trained in "Hip Hop/Jazz dance" in the late 80s and early 90s via MTV, by masters like M.C. Hammer, Bobby Brown, Janet Jackson, Bel Biv Devoe and also other lesser named choreographers. He was gifted 'formal Jazz Dance Training' by a benevolent teacher in the Walla Walla Valley who's name is Kristen Dewey-Johnson.He's currently 'infamous on the internet' via his 'Variety Show Production' called, "Rx Only PICTURESHOW", which he co-produced with the Sculptor James Maiden and the dearly departed "Occult and Esoteric Research Master", Tracy R. Twyman.S.B. has been "seeking the real truth" and "Studying Conspiracy's and Disinformation Strategies" since at least 1996. Politically he is "Anti-Communitarian".S.B. is available for visual art jobs and other similar works as listed above.(DM or Email for quotes or details.)S.B. is also trained as a "Release Coach" via the Journey Code Certification Program provided by 'life purpose and business training coach' Beth Martensof Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada.Examples of his "inner-visionary" digital art can be found Via Instagram, Facebook and select pieces are currently for sale at Fine Arts America:https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-sean-algerPlease reach out via the social media DMs or the email contact info via his homepage.S.B. would love to hear from you about inquiries, or other information, or just to say "Wassup".You can find S.B. here:Web https://sbalger.com/Web https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-sean-alger

Walla Walla Washington, ONIONS! WINE! ONION WINE! (j/k that would be DISGUSTING) This week’s episode is all about one of Washington’s most well known AVAs, the Walla Walla Valley. We take a deep dive on the area and wineries to explore when visiting. We also finally unpack the Missoula Floods, which you have probably heard people name drop in a wine tasting and you just smile and nod like you know what they are talking about. Well now you get to know!

April is Walla Walla Valley Wine Month that goes on in spite of pandemic restrictions.

April is Walla Walla Valley Wine Month that goes on in spite of pandemic restrictions.

April is Walla Walla Valley Wine Month that goes on in spite of pandemic restrictions.

“L’Ecole N° 41 is a third-generation family-owned, artisan winery located in the historic Frenchtown School depicted on their label.  Founded in 1983, L’Ecole is the third winery established in the Walla Walla Valley.  Over the years they have become one … Continue reading → The post Show 410, January 30, 2021: L’Ecole No. 41 with General Manager Constance Savage and Winemaker Marcus Rafenelli Part Two appeared first on SoCal Restaurant Show.

“L’Ecole N° 41 is a third-generation family-owned, artisan winery located in the historic Frenchtown School depicted on their label.  Founded in 1983, L’Ecole is the third winery established in the Walla Walla Valley.  Over the years they have become one … Continue reading → The post Show 410, January 30, 2021: L’Ecole No. 41 with General Manager Constance Savage and Winemaker Marcus Rafenelli Part One appeared first on SoCal Restaurant Show.

Upon his retirement from the NFL in 2007, Drew Bledsoe "doubled back" to his hometown of Walla Walla, Washington to realize a long held dream. Drew and his Wife, Maura, purchased a piece of property on the southern edge of the Walla Walla Valley AVA and subsequently launched Doubleback as an estate focused winery with the goal of crafting America's best Cabernet Sauvignon in an elegant, true to varietal way. Drew had long been planning for this moment during his years playing football and success came immediately as the very first vintage earned a spot in Wine Spectator's Top 100 List. Drew hired Josh McDaniels, now CEO & Director of Winemaking, away from Figgins Family Wine Estates where he had trained for almost a decade under their longtime mentor and friend, Chris Figgins. Josh, also a Walla Walla native, has been named a "Washington Prodigy" and a "Game Changer of Washington Wine" by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The collaboration between Drew and Josh is a competitive partnership that pushes them to continue the pursuit of perfection in Cabernet Sauvignon every day. Doubleback remains a small, family owned winery located on the southern edge of Walla Walla in its new home that was completed in 2018. The winery has four estate vineyards all located in the Walla Walla Valley and all unique to the other. Each vineyard is sustainably certified and farmed by its own incredible farming crew that is an integral part of the team. The team welcomes it's mailing list customers by appointment only daily.  Listen to ILAB 168 on iTunes here or subscribe on your favorite podcast app.   Where we are: Johnny FD – Sri Lanka / IG @johnnyfdk Sam Marks – Thailand / IG @imsammarks Derek Spartz - Los Angeles / IG @DerekRadio Sponsor: Our CrowdGet access to invest directly, easily and early in pre-IPO companies with OurCrowd. Sign up free now  Support Invest Like a Boss: Join our Patreon Discussed: Bledsoe Wine Estates Bledsoe|McDaniels Doubleback Bledsoe Family Winery Like these investments? Try them with these special ILAB links: ArtofFX – Start with just a $10,000 account (reduced from $25,000) Fundrise – Start with only $1,000 into their REIT funds (non-accredited investors OK) Betterment – Get up to 1 year managed free Wealthfront – Get your first $15,000 managed free PeerStreet – Get a 1% yield bump on your first loan *Johnny and Sam use all of the above services personally. Time Stamps: 10:42 – When did you know you wanted to go into the wine business? 13:20 – Has Walla Walla always been producing really good wines? 16:30 – What kind of investment advice is given to young athletes? 21:20  – Have you had other crazy investment proposals during your career? 24:58 – How was the transitioning for the NFL to the Wine Estates? 29:05 – How did you start with Doubleback once you retired? 31:06 – Did you know the economics of the wine business? 34:15 – Why do you think a lot of winery businesses fail? 40:06 – What are the future plans for the estates? 44:08 – Do you see this business staying in the family?  50:26 – Sam and Derek review If you enjoyed this episode, do us a favor and share it! Also if you haven’t already, please take a minute to leave us a 5-star review on iTunes and claim your bonus here!  Copyright 2021. All rights reserved. Read our disclaimer here.

A great episode and the fascinating story of an amazing individual and his journey from NFL to amazing wines! For former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe, owning a winery has been a longtime aspiration that would allow him to combine his passion for fine wine and the love of the Walla Walla Valley. We got to chat with Drew and his winemaker Josh to learn more about how they got to where they are - the creators of a truly amazing portfolio. Grab a glass and join us! Doubleback Bledsoe Family Winery

What is Outside Walla Walla? Why are we doing this? Outside Walla Walla is an experience. One that leads to great adventures. A website packed full of tales of exploring the wild and ideas about how to create your own story. There are so many scenic, historic, protected, magical places surrounding the Walla Walla Valley, and we want to show them to you. Call it a staycation or long weekend. Join our passion for learning more about our natural world as well as supporting the local economies that make the area so unique. Adventure awaits at outsidewallawalla.com.

This interview is with Norm McKibben of Pepper Bridge Winery and includes topics such as McKibben's transition from the construction industry to wine, his involvement in the expansion of the Walla Walla AVA, and the uniqueness of the Walla Walla Valley as a grape-growing region. McKibben discusses the role he played in the expansion of the Walla Walla AVA and his involvement in the Oregon Wine Board. He also covers how important the business and marketing sides of the wine industry are to the success of a winery and wine region. This interview was conducted by Rachael Woody and Melissa Salrin on July 16, 2014.

This interview is with Gordy Venneri of Walla Walla Vintners. In this interview, Venneri talks about the community-oriented approach to winemaking in the Walla Walla Valley, Walla Walla Valley identity as a wine region, and Venneri's advice to new winemakers. HE also speaks about the close relationship shared by the older wineries in the area and recalls all the assistance they have provided for each other. He explores how this relationship may develop as even more wineries are started in the area. This interview was conducted by Rachael Woody and Melissa Salrin on July 18, 2014.

Joining the list of events postponed due to coronavirus, the First Annual Walla Walla Valley Wine Month festivities will have to wait.

Joining the list of events postponed due to coronavirus, the First Annual Walla Walla Valley Wine Month festivities will have to wait.

This interview is with Doug Roskelley of Tero Estates. In this interview, Roskelley discusses how he became a winemaker, the Walla Walla climate as it relates to agriculture, and the relationship Tero Estates has with the older wineries in the area. He also speaks about the dynamic of being a newer winery and his relationship to the more established winemakers in the area. He also covers the Walla Walla Valley's unique climate and how well suited it is not just for grape growing but for agriculture in general. This interview was conducted by Rachael Woody and Melissa Salrin on July 18, 2014.

Founded in 1983 as the third winery in the Walla Walla Valley, L'Ecole No. 41 enters its fifth decade as an American favorite and an international player. As Sara Schneider wrote in Robb Report "L'Ecole... has turned into a world ambassador with Ferguson." Those accolades, the result of claiming Best Bordeaux Blend in the World with the 2011 Estate Ferguson at the prestigious 2014 Decanter World Wine Awards. Owner & Managing Winemaker Marty Clubb joins Brian to share the L'Ecole No. 41 story and the wines that are grabbing headlines.

Walla Walla Wine community big enough now to have its own month, with April being the first annual Walla Walla Valley Wine Month.

Walla Walla Wine community big enough now to have its own month, with April being the first annual Walla Walla Valley Wine Month.

(2020)  In our first new show of the new year, we take you to one of the big operations in the Walla Walla Valley for a really fun wine story. Our guests this week share the stories behind Woodward Canyon of Walla Walla, and Beardslee Public House of Bothell --- a unique place for food and TWO different types of adult beverages!  Join host Brian Calvert for all this, plus our new features "Wine in the News" and "Grapevine," a listing for Northwest events featuring wine and beer.  Master of Wine Bob Betz of Betz Family Winery stops by to answer our wine questions in his segment "Ask Bob," and Justin Stiefel of Heritage Distilling Company mixes-up our "Drink of the Week."

A Who's Who of Washington's top vintners calls the Walla Walla Valley home. And with the wineries and tasting rooms within a short drive, it makes this region one of the most enjoyable to visit. Just north of the historic Marcus Whitman Hotel, Mike & Lauri Corliss welcome you to experience one of the most magnificent wineries & tasting rooms in America, with the wines to back it up. Brian travels to Walla Walla for a rare interview with Mike Corliss as he reflects on the past, present and future of the region.

We talk to three of the best winemakers in Washington State, known for Bordeaux and Rhone varietals. Marty Clubb, L'Ecole, Alex Stewart, Quilceda Creek, and Greg Harrington, MS, Gramercy Cellars. Join Sam Benrubi of The Grape Nation for a discussion of the characteristics of the Walla Walla Valley, sustainability, climate change, canopy management, and experimentation with new grape varietals. Heritage Radio Network on Tour is powered by Simplecast.

There’s so much to talk about and so little time to do it, so, where to start. First off I’d like to talk about the show in general. Not publishing as often as I’d like. (end of the quarter and all that) Working very hard on my print course and coming up with ideas for future courses. Very busy quarter ahead. 48 in my intro to digital imaging course, 32 in my principles of photography course. Plus putting my dossier together. This quarter will be busy. Going to try out a shorter show format for a while. It will be hard because I love talking photography. But with a shorter show to get out it may not seem so daunting of a task and I might be able to keep at it on a more regular basis. My goal is still twice per month. I do have my workshops that still have several spots left. If shooting the total solar eclipse and other great spots in Chile interests you, please consider signing up. I’ve reserved a large apartment that has flexible sleeping arrangements, but I also have an option about doing your own lodging if you’d prefer. Check out the listing on my site and see if that would work for you. It’ll be so much fun and quite the adventure. We’ll learn some photography along the way too of course. And my Croatia workshop too. If you love waterfalls and historic city centers then this trip is for you. Something I’d like to really stress is that we have some flexibility on the dates. If the first part of the trip can’t work for you please consider the second part. It’s only a half-week but I can easily extend that to a full week if that would be a better fit for your schedule.  The problem is we’re coming up on the cancellation deadline which is March 31, 2019. If I don’t have the minimum signed up I’ll have to cancel. So please check it out and reach out to me if you have any questions. My website is experiencing some changes lately. I’m preparing for publishing my course and it will be right there in my main site, http://brentbergherm.com I’ve got the videos edited, I just need to polish them off and get them organized on the site. When I publish the course I’ll do another episode that will walk you through everything in basic detail so you know what’s what and what to expect. I’m so excited to be so close to being finished. I’m spending my spring break getting this thing online and ready to go.  It will be way more than just a set of videos to download.  I will make the first announcements about the course release to my email list and my Workshops group on facebook. Just search for Brent Bergherm Photo Workshops on facebook and ask to join, or find the link at the bottom of every page on my site and join the email list. I email out my most recent blog posts and other pertinent stuff.  I’ll be missing so many of you at the Create Photography Retreat later this week, but please know I’m working super hard to get this wonderful course out to you. Of course, I also have the Walla Walla Print-n-Shoot workshop as well. With this workshop you’ll get access to the print course online when it’s published, but you’ll also have time with me here in the beautiful Walla Walla Valley where we’ll spend a week going out and shooting great images and then you’ll learn tons of post-production and print process techniques to create fine art prints from your photographs. The cost of the workshop includes all the ink and paper you’ll need to print several fine enlargements. I’m still looking for submissions for my next theme where I talk about listener submitted images. For now I’m still hosting that on the facebook group. It should be the first thing you see and the theme this month is RED. I’ll record an episode in late March or early April 2019 and review and comment on three listener submitted images and then we’ll also talk about what red means in an image. Also, I picked up a book by Ibarionex Perello titled “Making Photographs” and so far I recommend it. I’d love to chat with someone about this book. So if you want to get yourself a copy and read it by this summer please do so. We’ll then do an episode that’s a book review of sorts. I think it’ll be fun, check out the link in the show notes or just search for “Making Photographs” at your favorite bookseller. https://www.amazon.com/Making-Photographs-Developing-Personal-Workflow/dp/1681983990/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?keywords=ibonarex+perello&qid=1553205526&s=gateway&sr=8-2-fkmr0 Shooting Macro. Spring is here and I love to shoot macro images of all sorts of subjects. Flowers, bugs and other details. It’s so fun to look at the amazing detail in God’s beautiful creation. So often we just miss out on the details, but when we take a macro lens and inspect it for all it’s worth, I don’t know, for me it’s just absolutely amazing. I wrote a blog post on this and I’ll link it in the show notes as well: https://brentbergherm.com/shooting-macro/ Other links mentioned: Chile Total Solar Eclipse Workshop: https://brentbergherm.com/workshops/chile-2019/ Croatia Creative Composition Workshop: https://brentbergherm.com/workshops/croatia-2019/ Walla Walla Shoot-n-Print Workshop: https://brentbergherm.com/workshops/ww-print/

Whether the blends are Bordeaux, Rhône-style, or something completely unique, Washington is serving notice that its red wines made from a mix of grapes are world-class. This week we talk to Wine Enthusiast Contributing Editor Sean Sullivan and get to know bottles from three unique regions, Red Mountain, Horse Heaven Hills, and Walla Walla Valley, and how vineyard site impacts what ends up in your glass.  Wines Discussed: @5:25 Underground Wine Project 2015 Idle Hands Red (Red Mountain) @12:11 Buty 2014 Columbia Rediviva Phinny Hill Vineyard Red (Horse Heaven Hills) @16:37 La Rata 2014 Red (Walla Walla Valley (WA)) Transcript: Jameson Fink: Welcome to Wine Enthusiast's "What We're Tasting" podcast. I'm your host, Jameson Fink. Join me as we discuss three fantastic wines and why each one belongs in your glass. This episode, we're looking at red blends from Washington state with Sean Sullivan, Wine Enthusiast contributing editor who covers and reviews wines from the region. "What We're Tasting" is sponsored by Vivino. With the largest online inventory, Vivino finds the right wine every time, including wines from my dear home state for a decade of Washington. Download Vivino to discover and buy your favorites. Stock up at vivino.com/wineenthusiast. One of the conversations we always have about a wine region or a state is having a signature grape, does it have to have a signature grape. Definitely with Washington, what's really interesting about that is you could probably say Merlot, you could say Cabernet, perhaps even Syrah. I think what's interesting about Washington, besides its diversity in grapes, is its red blends. For me, that's where a lot of excitement is so I'm excited to speak with you about this, Sean. Welcome to the show. Sean Sullivan: Thank you very much for having me. Jameson Fink: With red blends, I think ... Also, I should mention that you wrote a really interesting article for winemag.com about wine blending and red grapes. If you go to winemag.com and search for wine blending, it will come up. I was thinking about Bordeaux-style blends, your Cabernet-Merlot, Cabernet-Franc, et cetera, based blends. Rhone blends, which are your Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, and a few other suspects might be involved in that, too. Sean, is Rhone ... Are the Rhone blends, the red blends, is that really where a lot of kind of the excitement and really interesting things are being done in Washington? Sean Sullivan: Yeah. I think that in terms of ... Bordeaux-style blends have really been done for quite some time in Washington now. It's really only more recently ... If you look at it, Syrah has really only been in the state ... It was first planted in 1986 and the plantings have been growing ever since, so it's a reasonably short history. It's really only much more recent that we've started to see an increasing number of wines using Grenache and using Mourvedre and some of the other varieties, as well, in Rhone blends. Definitely, we see a lot of those, as well some very exciting wines being made in that category, but we see people blending with pretty much everything under the sun in the state. We have over 70 different grape varieties planted here and people are experimenting with a lot of different things and they're trying to blend with a lot of different things and seeing what they find. Jameson Fink: Do you think, just because I think Syrah has been such a rising star, that that's kind of ... Obviously, some of these blends are Grenache-heavy or possibly Syrah-heavy or another grape, but it seems like, with sort of the ascending stardom of Syrah, where it has that kind of savory Old World notes and some good acid and some of that kind of New World lift and power, is that kind of playing a part in the popularity of Rhone-style blends? Sean Sullivan: Not just in Rhone-style blends. Even in Bordeaux-style blends, we see some wineries blending in sometimes a little bit of Syrah, sometimes a lot of Syrah, which you could say is that still a Bordeaux-style blend or not. I think one of the things you get with Syrah, in addition to the things you said, is that you get that nice plush richness of fruit flavor that a lot of consumers find very, very appealing. I think we see Syrah being used in a variety of different types of blends in addition to the Rhone-style blends. Jameson Fink: I kind of think of ... This is something just when I first came to Washington in 2004, 2005, that I found interesting, and I really hadn't seen it anywhere else, is it seems like there's a lot of Syrah-Cabernet blends that kind of ... A little bit of Syrah, a little it of a Cabernet, is that kind of a signature Washington blend? It seems really interesting. Sean Sullivan: Yeah, it's definitely something that you see a lot of in the state and people have been doing at least going back to the early 2000s, if not earlier. There are two ... Right, you see it a little bit elsewhere in the world, such as Australia. You see those types of blends, but it's definitely something that we see a good bit of here in Washington and something that I think can be done very, very well in Washington. It's a good marriage of the two varieties. Jameson Fink: Yeah. You're not sort of ... That's one of the nice things about a fairly young wine region is you're not kind of bound by tradition, like, "Okay, we can either make a Bordeaux-style blend or we have to make a Rhone-style blend." It's like, "Hey, let's take a little bit from Column A and Column B." Sean Sullivan: Well, I was told a great story by Steve Griessel at Betz Family Winery where he was saying that he had a winemaker in from Bordeaux, from a fairly well-regarded winery. They were working with a series of barrel samples and he said the first thing the Bordeaux winemaker did was take some Syrah and try blending it into the Bordeaux blends and kind of seeing what that looked like. It's something that I think a lot of people are experimenting with. As you said here, it's early days and very much the Wild West, and so people are trying different things and trying to see what works. It leads to a lot of excitement and a lot of interesting wines being made. Jameson Fink: Yeah. Well, let's talk about one of those interesting wines. The first one I wanted to talk about was the Underground Wine Project 2015 Idle Hands red from Red Mountain, 90 points. When we were talking about this earlier, that ... It's 90% Syrah, 10% Cabernet, so it really could be labeled as Syrah. Sean Sullivan: Correct, could be labeled as Syrah. They actually make ... Underground Wine Project makes another wine that's the flip of these wines called the Devil's Playground that's 90% Syrah ... Excuse me, 90% Cabernet and 10% Syrah, as well. Yes, this wine could be ... To be a varietally labeled wine, it needs to be at least 75% of this variety. At 90% for this particular wine, it's well above that but they're labeling it as a red blend. I think partly in doing so, it gives them the flexibility to change that blend over time if they wish, and partly red blends are just a very, very hot category now and have been for the past few years. Jameson Fink: Yeah. I picked ... That was something I wanted to talk about, just because a lot of ... We might be drinking a lot more blends than we even know, just because any bottle of Cabernet or a single variety grape, whether red or white, it can have a certain percentage of other grapes in it. I think that is kind of an interesting development. A lot of people might not know that when they buy a Syrah. They're like, "Okay, it's a Syrah," but you know what? It might have 10% Cab, it might have 15%. I think that's kind of an interesting thing for people to kind of dig deeper in if you're ... Those lovely PDF tech sheets with all the wine data on them, it's pretty interesting when you sort of dig down a little and get the blend. Sean Sullivan: Yeah, absolutely. I think most wines are blends of some type. Either they're blends of different barrels, they're blends of different varieties, they're blends of different vineyards, they're blends of different appellations, and so it can be very interesting to look down in that and say, "Okay, what is the 5% of this? What does it bring to the wine? Why did the winemaker add it?" Sometimes, you can try to figure that out and try to taste that in the wines, and sometimes it's much more subtle and it can be hard to do. It's definitely interesting to think about. Jameson Fink: It's like all the wine world is a blend. Sean Sullivan: All the wine world is a blend. Exactly. Jameson Fink: Actually, that ... When you said a little, kind of detecting those smaller percentages, I thought it was really interesting, just going back to your article about wine blending when you talked to James from Syncline about one of his blends has 2% of something in it. A lot of people would be like, "2%? What the hell is that going to do? That's not going to contribute anything," but he was ... He spoke very strongly about, "Yeah, that's something ... When it's there, you can taste it and, when it's not there, it's a different wine." Sean Sullivan: Yeah, absolutely. Another part of that conversation with James which didn't make it into the article, he was also talking about sparkling wines. He was talking about the dosage or adding of sugar to those wines, as well, and he was saying that as much as a quarter of a milliliter can radically affect the taste and overall sensation of the wine in a sparkling wine. It seems ... 2% in a 750 mL bottle seems like an extremely small amount but he's saying even tiny drops of sugar to wine can also radically affect them, as well. That's part of the article. Jameson Fink: Yeah. Look, I'm just going to give a little sidebar even though we're talking about red blends, that the Syncline sparkling wines are great, and the sparkling Gruner is really cool. Sean Sullivan: Yeah, it's definitely ... It's both an extreme rarity and absolutely delicious and well worth people seeking out. Jameson Fink: Just going back to the Underground Project Wine, just something you said I thought was real interesting, too, just not calling it a Syrah, giving that flexibility. With red blends, such a hot category, and having those kind of proprietary names like Idle Hands or the Prisoner or something like that, one year to the next, people are like ... They're responding to the name, the packaging, and then the wine inside, of course, but it does give you that. Maybe next year it will be 80% Syrah or maybe there will be another grape in there. As long as it's got that kind of, I think, maybe stylistic consistency that people expect, and this is a project with, I should say, between Trey Busch and Mark McNeilly, that people are going to respond to it. They're kind of looking for that kind of profile with these wines. Would you agree with that? Sean Sullivan: Yeah, I would absolutely agree. Yeah, Trey Busch, Sleigh of Hand sellers, Mark McNeilly, Mark Ryan Winery. The wine coming from Red Mountain, known as a very, very warm area of Washington state, so wines with a lot of ripeness of fruit but also a lot of structure to them, as well, when we're talking about Cabernet Sauvignon in particular. Big, powerful wines that I think are very, very consumer-friendly. Jameson Fink: Yeah. One thing I'm glad you mentioned, Red Mountain, it's a really ... As far as appellations in Washington go, Red Mountain is a tiny place, right? Sean Sullivan: Yeah, it's only 4,040 acres total in size, so really, really a small growing region, but, if you go there, it is extensively planted to wine grapes. I don't know what the current number is. It's at least 2,600 acres, I want to say, planted to wine grapes at this point, so it's very much wine country there, and specifically red wine the vast majority of grapes grown there are red wine grapes because of the heat. Jameson Fink: Are you seeing more collaborations like this with winemakers, more projects where two or more winemakers are kind of getting together and making something together, a new brand, kind of something that's different than what they're doing with their own winery? Sean Sullivan: I definitely think there's some interest in doing that. One of the things that I think makes Washington such a fun area to cover and such a fun area to visit is it's a very small industry and everyone really still knows each other. In this case, Trey Busch and Mark McNeilly made this wine because they've been friends forever and were interested in working together and doing something together. I think those types of collaborations are definitely something that is very Washington. A lot of winemakers here, in areas like Woodenville, they're sharing equipment, they're sharing presses, they're sharing all sorts of different things during the harvest time, and that lends itself to a really nice kind of collegial atmosphere that then leads to people doing various joint projects together. Jameson Fink: Yeah, and they share beers and pizza. Actually, interesting. Earlier, you talked about how there's another Underground Wine Project wine that's kind of the flip of that heavy Syrah-Cab blend. Actually, the second wine is kind of like that, the Buty 2014 Columbia Rediviva Phinny Hill Vineyard red from the Horse Heaven Hills, 91 points. That's 80% Cabernet, 20% Syrah. My experience with Buty is actually more of ... To me, their white wine, their white Bordeaux, their Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle is, to me, a really iconic Washington white wine. Can you talk about this particular red wine? Sean Sullivan: Yeah. I agree, the Buty white wine is definitely one of the iconic white wines of Washington state. Here, we see one of their reds with the 2014 Columbia Rediviva from Phinny Hill Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills. Horse Heaven Hills is a pretty warm growing region in Washington, near the Columbia River. This particular vineyard is right next to Champoux Vineyard, one of the most famous vineyards in Washington state, so we see this really nice ripeness of fruit flavor from that Cabernet Sauvignon, a lot of nice structure to it, too. Oh, really nice fruitfulness coming from the Syrah, this kind of plum flavor. They also, at Buty, make a wine that is, again, kind of the flip of this, focusing more on Syrah, called the Rediviva of the Stones. That's coming out of the Walla Walla Valley appellation where the winery is actually located. We see in Washington a number of wineries that are playing with these Cabernet-Syrah blends. Some will be Cab-dominant, and then sometimes they'll make another one that's kind of Syrah-dominant with the opposite percentage. It makes for an interesting comparison between the two wines. Jameson Fink: One thing ... Reading your review, you called Phinny Hill Vineyard "up and coming." Is that because of its location next to Champoux, or is it relatively new? What's kind of exciting about it to you? Sean Sullivan: Yeah. This is a vineyard where, if you talk to different wine makers, they're ... One of the things about Washington I should say, just back up for a moment, is we don't have as much of the estate model here in Washington, where we have a vineyard with a chateau or winery sitting next to it. Instead, we have wineries sourcing fruit from different vineyards across the Columbia Valley, which is Washington's largest growing region. A lot of different wineries are sourcing fruit from Phinny Hill Vineyard, and there's just a lot of excitement about the fruit that's coming out of that particular area. In particular, Gramercy Cellars, a lot of their Cabernet Sauvignon, which is an outstanding wine coming from Washington, is coming from the Phinny Hill Vineyard, as well. It's definitely one that, when you talk to winemakers about what they're excited about that's in their cellars, Phinny Hill is definitely one of those places. Jameson Fink: It's pretty interesting because these are some, like Champoux, Phinny Hill, some really prestigious vineyards, but the appellation Horse Heaven Hills, I went there once and my instructions were like, "There's this lonely gas station and, if you don't get gas there if you need gas, you might be in trouble," and it was a very lonely gas station so it wasn't exaggerated. Can you talk about Horse Heaven Hills, where this wine comes from, because I think there's obviously a lot of maybe more high production type of wines that come from there, but then there are these really prestigious vineyards. Sean Sullivan: Yeah. The interesting thing about the Horse Heaven Hills is it is a very remote growing region. The closest major town would probably be Prosser, which is about an hour, maybe a little bit less than that, away. It's a pretty remote growing region, but some exceptional growing conditions. As I said before, it's down close to the Columbia River so you get a nice river effect, which helps protect against frost and freezes, which is one of our issues that we can potentially have here in Washington. There's also a very nice wind flow coming through, in part because of that river, which helps make thicker tannins and concentrate the fruit a little bit more. I think it's a very interesting growing region. I've also ... I was initially a little bit skeptical of how good of a region it might be for Syrah, mainly because of the warmth of the regions, but I've recently seen some very high quality Syrahs coming out of the Horse Heaven Hill, as well. It's a very interesting growing region, but it is extremely remote. Jameson Fink: Okay, so the first two wines were pretty much wines with 90% Syrah, 80% Cabernet, but now let's really get into a blend for real, serious time. The La Rata 2014 Red from Walla Walla Valley, 93 points. It's a Grenache 53%, Cabernet 34%, and 13% Syrah blend. Sean, can you just talk about the winemaker who is making this wine because there's a lot going on there? Sean Sullivan: Yeah, there's definitely a lot going on here. This is a project, this was started in 2012 by Elizabeth Bourcier, who is the assistant vigneronne at Cayuse Vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley. She was kind of inspired by a bottle of Priorat to think, "Well ..." In the Rocks area of the Walla Walla Valley, you have Cabernet Sauvignon growing right next to Grenache and they tend to ripen around the same time period, so she thought, a la with Priorat, maybe she could blend these together and come up with something interesting. Her first vintage was in 2012, and a really interesting blend of these two varieties. The Rocks is one of the more distinct growing regions in the Pacific Northwest. It's in the Walla Walla Valley but it's on the Oregon side of the Walla Walla Valley. The soil, if you can call it that, is made up of fist-sized cobblestones from the bed of the Walla Walla River. It gives the wines this very unique profile with a lot of earth notes, a lot of savory notes, a lot of mineral notes that are either compelling. People either love them or they hate them. Elizabeth was really the first person to, in that region, to take some of these varieties and say, "Well, let's take Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon and put them together." With the 2014 vintage, she's added in a little bit of Syrah, as well. That's the first time in this wine. It's a very compelling and interesting bottle of wine, and really is the only one like it, certainly coming out of the Walla Walla Valley. Jameson Fink: Yeah. The Rocks, it's such an interesting place. If you want to make ... For me, if you want to make an argument about Terroir, Chablis comes to mind, but tasting those Rocks wines have such an interesting signature. Then, just being there, they're like, like you said, these kind of brain-sized rocks and that's the soil. It's so weird to think ... You think soil, you think dirt. You grab it in your hands and compress it. These are big rocks. [was-alt 00:19:14] the first place I ever saw being plowed by a horse. I remember I was visiting Cayuse and I was like, "Wow, there's just a giant horse there with a plow." It was pretty dramatic. It was probably planned for us because we were media but it was still pretty dramatic. Sean Sullivan: Yeah, it's a very, very fascinating growing region. To plant the vines, you literally need crowbars to kind of pry between the rocks to get the vines down in there. One of the things that's happening is the rocks are absorbing all this heat and then transmitting it in the infrared back up at the grape clusters. It gives the wines an extremely unique signature, and one that you see really almost trumps variety in that particular region, which I think is very unusual, certainly for Washington. You can detect that. I remember having a wine several years back where I thought ... It was a Syrah and I thought, "Is there some Rocks fruit in this particular wine?" I think it had 6% Rocks fruit in it but you could tell because it's such a distinctive signature. Jameson Fink: James from Syncline would be very proud of you for pointing that out. Then, we got to talk about ... This whole Rocks appellation, which is now the Rocks of Milton Freewater, I think it is, but ... Let me see if I can describe this right. This wine is made from grapes in the state of Oregon but it's ... I don't know why it's Walla Walla Valley or is it a Washington wine or what is it? I'm confused. I'm still confused and I live there. Sean Sullivan: Yeah, it's ... I think the Walla Walla Valley is a very interesting appellation in that it spans both the Washington and Oregon borders and there's extensive plantings on both sides of the appellation. That said, of the, let's say, 110 or so wineries and tasting rooms in the area, the vast, vast, vast majority of them are on the Washington side so you see a lot of wines being made in that area that are blends of fruit from the Washington and Oregon side or maybe they're all from the Oregon side but they're being vinified in a winery in Washington. It gets a little confusing in terms of whether that wine is ... It's definitely a Walla Walla Valley wine. Is it a Washington wine or is it an Oregon wine? That becomes much harder to say. I think it's more clear where the winery is. In Oregon, the Rocks are all located in Oregon. If the winery is there, it's definitely an Oregon wine. If it's a Washington winery that's using that fruit, I can tell you they will call it a Walla Walla Valley, Washington, wine. I think that can be a little bit confusing to people, certainly. Jameson Fink: Or it could be contentious, too. You're talking about is this Oregon's wine or Washington's wine. Sean Sullivan: Yeah, no, absolutely. It's something that, in ... Going back a little bit in history, where kind of all of the Walla Walla Valley wineries, or most of them, really, were on the Washington side, you look back historically, a winery like Seven Hills originally started on the Oregon side, then moved to the Washington side. As in many other areas, they were just a little bit before their time because now you're seeing wineries on the Oregon side, as well. It just gets difficult to say where do ... If a wine is 51% Washington fruit, 49% Oregon fruit, made by a Washington winery versus an Oregon winery, it's hard to say what exactly the factors are that determine where that wine is from and how that wine should be labeled. It gets more interesting, in terms of the Rocks district, where it's a sub-appellation of the Walla Walla Valley but it's all wholly located on the Oregon side of the valley. There's actually, and this is very insider baseball, to put something on the label, to put an appellation on the label, the wine needs to be what's called fully finished in the state in which that appellation lies, so wineries in the Walla Walla Valley cannot currently use the Rocks District of Milton Freewater on their label because they're in Washington, even though it's only five, 10 miles away from the Rocks district. They can't currently put that on the label. That's something the government is looking into, and hopefully we'll figure out a way around that in the future. Jameson Fink: Yeah. This is the not fun, bureaucratic side of wine. Sean Sullivan: Absolutely. Jameson Fink: But the wines are ... I guess kind of to summarize that, though, if you can find, and maybe just go to your wine shop or you're at a restaurant and just say, "I want to try a wine made with fruit from the Rocks district," I really think they are just ... There's something about them. I guess their sort of savoriness, meatiness, maybe a little gaminess is very ... It's just one of those things where you're just like, "Wow, this is really ..." When you have a line-up of Washington reds, I think it's pretty ... It has such a signature that really pops if the rest of them aren't from there. Sean Sullivan: Yes, absolutely. There are wines that, if you blind taste them in a line-up, you can absolutely point out which wines are coming from this area because they have that unique aromatic signature and also flavor signature. These wines are also a higher pH and it gives them this very soft, kind of luxurious mouthfeel, as well, which is also something that's very distinctive. Sometimes, people say, tasting these wines, like, "Wow, these wines remind me of wines from the northern Rhone," in terms of that savory aspect, but that higher pH, to me, is always kind of the tell of them being from the Rocks district, among other things. That mouthfeel that you get from these wines is very, very distinctive, as well. Jameson Fink: Yeah. Well, a lot of the blends from the Rocks district are really fascinating, and all over Washington, Red Mountain, Horse Heaven Hills. Like I said at the beginning, there is certainly a great Cabernet, there's great Merlot, there's great Syrah, and lots of other interesting grapes, but it's really worth exploring the blends of Washington state because there's some really exciting and unique blends being made by winemakers all over. Sean, thanks for shining a little light on some of the great wines from Washington state. Sean Sullivan: Thanks so much again for having me, Jameson. Jameson Fink: Okay. My pleasure. Thank you for listening to the "What We're Tasting" podcast, sponsored by Vivino. Wine made easy. The three wines we discussed today were Underground Wine Project 2015 Idle Hands red, Buty 2014 Columbia Rediviva Phinny Hill Vineyard red, and La Rata 2014 red. Find "What We're Tasting" on iTunes, Google Play, or wherever you find podcasts. If you liked today's episode, please give us a five star rating on iTunes, leave a comment, and tell your friends. What We're Tasting" is a Wine Enthusiast podcast. Check out Wine Enthusiast online at winemag.com.

Chris Interviews Wayne Williams of the Key Family Fruit Farm. Wayne talks about growing tree fruit on a family farm in the Walla Walla Valley and marketing it at regional farmers markets.

(2018)  On this episode, we meet a winemaker with a true passion for both his wine, and the land that yields it.  We take you to the heart of the Walla Walla Valley for the story behind Gifford Hirlinger, and the young family making a great go of it. Then we take a road trip to Garden City, Idaho, to meet one of the only cider makers in the area.  Wait til you hear what kind of effort it takes to make the great products at Meriwether Cider Company.  We then swing over to Oregon and enjoy the story behind Sno Road Winery...the first winery in Echo. Join host Brian Calvert for all this, plus Master of Wine Bob Betz of Betz Family Winery stops by to answer our wine questions, Justin Stiefel of Heritage Distilling Company mixes-up our "Drink of the Week." and Idaho Wine presents "Bites and Bottles," a fun food pairing with wine, craft beer, and spirits featuring Chef Kathy Casey.

This week on The Tasting Room I’m talking with Justin Vajgert, National Brand Sales Manager, for the Reininger Winery and Helix Wines.  Justin Vajgert Today Justin and I are talking about the Walla Walla area and its wine. Walla Walla officially became an American Viticulture Area in 1984 but it was settled by Italian immigrants in the 1850’s who realized its potential to grow grapes. Justin and I will be talking about Chuck Reininger the man behind the wines we are discussing today but first I want to give you a little background on my guest. Justin’s background is a similar journey of many guests I have the pleasure of talking with on the show. Justin grew up just outside of Chicago and relocated to the Walla Walla area in 2005 attending the Institute for Viticulture and Enology.  Justin Vajgert worked the grape harvest in 2005 with Waterbrook Winery in Walla Walla. It was shortly thereafter that he joined forces with the Reininger Winery in November of 2005.  Reininger Winery tasting room The Reininger Winery is located in the heart of the Walla Walla Valley. Head winemaker, Chuck Reininger, specializes in crafting elegant and finely structured red wines from hand-harvested, ultra premium grapes.  Glacial Lake Missoula was a prehistoric glacial lake in Western Montana that existed periodically at the end of the last ice age.  As warming periodically occurred Lake Missoula would flood carrying its alluvial soil matter to Washington State, and to the Walla Walla American Viticulture Area.  The Walla Walla area soils are composed of alluvial soil material and layers of volcanic ash from eruptions throughout history. These layers of soil and rock have created ideal soil to grow grapes in.  The days are warm to hot and the night air is cool, perfect for growing world-class grapes that make fabulous wines. Justin worked at Reininger all through school doing everything from cellar work, to pouring wine in the tasting room, to painting bathrooms, when you work at a winery everyone does what needs to be done. During Justin’s tenure, his roles have evolved and he moved into a sales role beginning with local sales and then after the school moved into his current national sales position.  He’s been doing that ever since.  Distribution for the Reininger and Helix brands has grown to 17 states.  Justin eventually wants to make wine though, it’s his passion. Let’s sit back and listen to my conversation with Justin Vajgert for the Reininger Winery and Helix wines and learn a little more about these gems from Walla Walla. Tasting Notes The Helix 2013 Pomotia is a blend of grapes from the Pepper Bridge, Phinny Hill, Seven Hills, Stillwater Creek, Stone Tree, Weinbau and XL vineyards. The blend is 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah, 18% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and has been barrel aged for 2 years. The nose is lovely and rich, sweet yet spicy, black currant, plum, cardamom, and violets an aroma that is downright captivating. Its velvety texture bathes the palate with luscious black cherry and succulent dried dark fruit that’s stimulated by a soft yet vibrant acidity. On the finish, a gentle wave of focused fruit is a bobbing streak of perfumed wood spice impregnated with specs of loam. This wine is delicious! The 2011 Helix Syrah is 100% Syrah; grapes are from the Phinny Hill, Stone Tree & Clifton Hill Vineyards, and is 100% Merlot. On the nose black currant, red berries, cherry, and a delicate sweetness. The palate does not disappoint, rich and round with flavors of blue fruits and wonderful savory quality with a finish of tea and wet slate, this is a good thing. This wine has been barrel aged in 100% French Oak for 2 years. The 2011 Reininger Merlot grapes are from the Pepper Bridge and Seven Hills Vineyards and are 100% Merlot. This wine has been barrel aged in 53% French, 47% American, and 5% new oak for 2 years. This is a big, powerful, and robust Merlot, with very ripe fruit balanced by sweet oak spice from the French and American oak.  The fruit aromatics and flavors are of dark cherry, ripe plum, spicy tobacco, caramel and toasty oak. A touch of acidity lifts the fruit forward toward the end for a long, bright finish. From my table to yours, www.wineguymike.com 

Drew Bledsoe was a star quarterback at Washington State University before he skipped his senior year to go professional. In 1993, he was the No. 1 NFL draft pick and joined the New England Patriots. After nearly eight years he was traded to the Buffalo Bills, then moved to the Dallas Cowboys, before retiring in 2007. Post NFL, Bledsoe pursued a longtime aspiration of owning a winery, which would allow him to combine his passion for fine wine and love of the Walla Walla Valley. In This Episode: -How his parents fueled his curiosity growing up -Why public speaking was the most important class he ever took -The moment where his mentality on going for it changed forever -Why a strong family structure allowed him to not be afraid of failure -Why football was never on the list of his top 3 goals -Putting an emphasis on the minutia on and off field -The most important interview question he asks -How he dealt with losing his job to Tom Brady -Leadership in understanding when people needed a hug vs. the whip -Visualization leading to confidence -Comparing his situation to Dak Prescott & Tony Romo -Embracing pressure rather than seeing it as negative

The post L’Ecole No. 41 tops Six Nations judging with Ferguson was written by Great Northwest Wine. SYDNEY, Australia – For the second time in three years, a Walla Walla Valley wine is on top of the world. On Thursday, it was announced that the L’Ecole No. 41 2013 Ferguson was awarded Best New World Bordeaux Blend at the prestigious Six Nations Wine Challenge, one of the most interesting wine competitions in […] The post L’Ecole No. 41 tops Six Nations judging with Ferguson was written by Great Northwest Wine.

Road trip! This week we’re in the gorgeous Walla Walla Valley in Washington state, to check out longtime NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe’s Doubleback Winery. We talk to Drew about becoming a “gentleman farmer,” his aptly named winemaker, and which wines he’d gift to Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and other NFL icons. PLUS (24:00 mark): We rate the raps of NBA stars Damian Lillard and Iman Shumpert. And we beg them to get into the studio to make “B-Ball’s Best Kept Secrets: Vol. 2.” C’mon, guys, let’s do this already. Subscribe on iTunes: http://apple.co/1NDjrZs Listen on SoundCloud: http://bit.ly/21VZ8fE Follow on Twitter: @JustNotSports www.JustNotSports.com

Meet long-time wine journalist, judge and media mogul Andy Perdue of Great Northwest Wine and Jean-Francois Pellet of Pepper Bridge and Amavi Cellars in Walla Walla Valley.