Taste Washingon - II

Two hundred fifteen wineries, 850 wines, 3500 attendees, 1700 lemongrass satays, 700 papaya salads, 3000 wicked shrimp, 3500 top sirloin crostinis, 5000 oysters, 250 lbs of flat iron steak, 3500 Riedel glasses, one Maserati and a partridge in a pear tree. I like to think I made a significant dent in the 5000 oysters. But 850 wines get blurred. Here's my lowdown on the wineries in attendance by region. I skipped all Woodinville wineries as Woodinville Passport is coming up this weekend. Of Yakima wineries, I only got to Airfield Estates, Apex, Gilbert, Kana and Milbrandt Vineyards. Chinook, Desert Wind (check out the Ruah), Kestrel, McKinley Springs and Sheridan are almost always good bets. Kyra Wines is neighbors with the De Hart clan at Moses Lake. Saint Laurent made interesting reds this year and I tasted Stemelt wines for the first time. Latah Creek and Townsend Cellars in Spokane made some good wines, while Gordon Bros, Goose Ridge and Barnard Griffin produce some of the best Washington values in The Tri-Cities area. Somehow I missed all the Red Mountain wineries present. Hightower and Terra Blanca can usually be counted on the produce excellent wines. I concentrated on Walla Walla wineries because my grandson's birthday fell on the same day as Taste Walla Walla in Seattle this year, so I missed it. Brett Isenhauer was producing at his usual high level of quality again this year. His Riesling was in that very dry style I like so much. Alsace, move over! L'Ecole and Reininger seem to have regained their old quality after a bad patch last year. Seven Hills wines were good. Amaurice, Buty and Five Star continue their stellar performances. Long Shadows continues to make great wine. Tertulia and Trust continue in the style to which they become accustomed. Old Walla Walla favorites I missed include Amavi, Buty, Cougar Crest, Canoe Ridge, Dusted Valley, Forgeron, Gifford Hirlinger, Pepper Bridge, Nelms Road, Nicholas Cole, Northstar, Saviah, SYZYGY, and Yellow Hawk. New wineries in Walla Walla that I didn't have a chance to check out included Caderetta, Charles Smith and Hence. Next time, I will list new wineries, tasted and not.