Spring Barrel Tasting a chance to sip, mingle

As Eastern Washington kicks into full spring, it signals the release of new wines and events that will draw people to wineries for tasting.

The Spring Barrel Tasting in Spokane will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., May 6 through 8 at all the wineries in the Spokane region. It’s Mother’s Day weekend, and the perfect opportunity to sample the very latest in new wines, taste wines that have not been released to the general public, try wines while still in the barrel and sample foods with wine.

Weekends like the Spring Barrel Tasting can yield tremendous knowledge for both novice and experienced wine enthusiasts. Winemakers want you to understand their wines and like them, so they are available for questions. Ask Don Townshend about his lengthy barrel program for his wines and ask him to explain all the flavor profiles in his wine.

Or, ask Kristina van Loben Sels, winemaker at Arbor Crest, to explain how she gets the hints of smokiness and cassis in her recent release of sangiovese.

More than half of these wineries are not regularly open to the public and some require appointments. For this weekend, all 10 wineries are open without appointment.

Two releases coming from Robert Karl Cellars are a must for the tasting – the 2002 Claret, and the 2004 Copper River Blush.

Owners Joe and Rebecca Gunselman are helping to put Spokane on the map for quality, premium wines. This is one of the wineries to watch for – and their recent Claret (a blend of 77 percent cabernet sauvignon, 12 percent merlot and 11 percent cabernet franc) will likely garner some accolades in the near future. It has layers of espresso, mocha and blackberry with a touch of vanilla in the nose. The Copper River Blush is the one to purchase for summer sipping – using cabernet franc grapes with skins removed.

Barrister Winery tripled its production this year and will have four new releases for the public to try. This is also a must-visit winery – Mike White and Greg Lipsker (both attorneys) are turning out some of the most interesting cabernet franc and merlot you will ever taste. New releases include the highly-anticipated Columbia Valley Cabernet Franc, the 2003 Red Mountain Merlot, the 2003 Walla Walla Merlot and a 2003 Walla Walla Syrah.

Maps of all winery locations are available at each facility including Arbor Crest, Barrister, Caterina, Grande Rhonde, Knipperath, Latah Creek, Lone Canary, Mountain Dome, Robert Karl and Townshend Cellars.

For more information call 927-9463.

Vines, steins and food, too

The third annual Vine, Stein and Dine fundraiser for the March of Dimes takes place from 7 to 10 p.m. May 20th at the Northern Quest Casino. Fundraisers like this benefit in two ways – money is raised to help the March of Dimes and the public has the opportunity to once again, taste wines and beer and learn what they like and what they might purchase in the future.

This fundraiser is not only featuring wines, but beers from around the world and some terrific food to accompany the beverages. Northern Quest Casino is a new location to this event and promises to a fun evening. It also includes an auction, featuring large bottles of wine, Mariner’s tickets and other special items.

Some of the wines will include Dunham Cellars (Walla Walla), Niebaum Copola Estate Winery (Napa Valley) Chateau Ste. Michelle (Woodinville) and Penfolds (from Australia). Beers include Redhook Ales, Full Sail, New Belgium Brewing Company, and Rogue Ales.

Tickets are $35. Call 325-SEAT.

Governor Gregoire to promote Washington wines

At the recent Taste Washington event in Seattle, Gov. Christine Gregoire made it clear she’ll support the Washington wine industry not just at trade shows but at home.

For about 12 years, the governor’s mansion in Olympia has had a no-red wine policy, ostensibly to prevent stains in the mansion carpet. With Gregoire’s arrival at the mansion, the policy was abolished.

“My husband (Mike) and I are fond of red wines and some of the finest red wines come from Washington State,” she said. “We will be serving Washington red wines in the mansion for formal dinners.”

Gregoire also will promote Washington wines and other products at trade shows in Paris, Germany and England in June.

“I’ll be talking about tourism and the wine country in our state is one of the destinations we want to promote,” Gregoire said.

Summer sipping just around the corner

Although I prefer red wines, as the weather heats up, I think about summer salads with a crisp, chilled glass of white wine. The varietals are plenty – chardonnay, semillon, viognier, sauvignon blanc, riesling, gewürztraminer and chenin blanc to name a few. Over the next couple of months, I will include some suggestions, with food pairing in each column.

In addition, some red wines are cool to drink chilled, such as a dolchetto, a sangiovese or even a light chianti. These wines also match well with lightly grilled foods and pasta as the weather turns on the heat. Stay tuned and your summer sipping and food pairing will keep you cool all summer.