Palouse Winery Blogletter

Lots of Great Things to Share from Palouse!

2011-11-08T08:10:00.001-08:00

The 2011 Crush is Over!

Hello Everyone,

We're happy and very excited to report we just crushed our last grapes of the year! There is still plenty of work to do as we continue to ferment, press and barrel-age the wines, but we are done getting grapes. This year was a very trying year for most of the vineyards we work with as they had low yields on most things and we got less than expected of most grapes. The good news is the grapes we got are amazing, as the plants' energy was given to less fruit. So, being the intrepid winemakers we are, we ventured further out on a limb to try a few new varieties. We are very excited about doing a ton of Tempranillo and also a new Malbec from a different vineyard source! Just when we think we need to par down and pick one or two varieties, we get offered something new and it is so hard to resist. You can look forward to these new wines in 2013. Many will go only to the wine club so you better get on the list now…

Palouse Scored BIG with the Revered Experts!

Next, we just have to talk about the Robert Parker Advocate scores we just received: 91 points on our 2008 Dineen Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon! If you have been to the tasting room you will recognize this as the one marked Linda’s favorite. If you haven’t been here, you'd better hightail it to us as we only sell this here at the winery and a few select places. We also received a 90 point score on the 2008 Dineen Syrah. We are so pumped and proud about this! We thought the Seattle Wine Awards is really something but The Advocate - this is the top honor for wines! We'll be sending in our wines to The Spectator next. One of our club members wrote us with the great news:

George & Linda,
In case you hadn’t heard, you made the big leagues. Three wines scored by the Wine Advocate, two of which scored 90 points or better. The scores only validate what we already knew; Palouse makes damn fine wine. The scores and notes are below:

eRobertParker.com #197
Oct 2011 Jay Miller 91 Drink: 2014 - 2023 $29 (29) The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Dineen Vineyard is a classy offering. Enticing aromas of sandalwood, Asian spices, violets, leather, and assorted black fruits set the stage for a ripe, layered, nicely proportioned wine that has several years of aging potential. Drink it from 2014 to 2023+.

eRobertParker.com #197
Oct 2011 Jay Miller 90 Drink: N/A $29 (29) Considerably more serious is the 2008 Syrah Rattlesnake Hills. Scents of grilled bacon, wood smoke, pepper, and blueberry inform the nose of a plush, spicy, full-flavored Syrah that has enough structure to evolve for 1-2 years but which can be approached now.

Palouse & Your Holidays

Finally, we have several events coming up to announce:

Ladies Night at Vashon Island Lumber Monday/tonight November 7th from 5:30pm-9:00pm
Palouse's Annual "Prisoner Release" New Wine Release Party Saturday November 19th from 4:00pm-9:00pm
24-Hour Black Friday Sales Event starting at midnight Friday November 25th: call or order online, or stop into the winery from 2:00pm-7:00pm to take advantage of great specials!
First Friday Art Walk Wine Bar from 5:00pm-9:00pm

Plus, the winery we'll be open extended days and hours, Thursdays-Sundays from 2:00pm-7:00pm 11/25-12/24. You can come by for tastings, purchase wines and wine gift packages, join the Palate Club or give the gift of the Palouse Palate Club.

Please check our website for full details on upcoming events and sales specials as post them www.palousewinery.com

Cheers to all in the upcoming season and thank you all for loving our wines and supporting our winery,

George & Linda Kirkish
Palouse Winery

2011-01-03T21:36:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy New Year!
We are rolling right on past Christmas and it is already the new year. The grapes are all pressed and barreled; we have even gotten through the first racking. We bought a bigger tank this year for our Riesling since we ran out of the 2009 vintage in August and are squeaking by with a few cases left from 2007. Wine is such a personal thing for most of us, just when we think we know what we like or don’t like, we find something can come along and challenge us. Apparently this is what the Cloud Nine does for many people. They will tell you they don’t drink whites, especially Rieslings, and then someone else will tell them, "you gotta try this” - next thing they know they are buying 3 cabs, 4 Eclipse and 2 Riesling. There are no absolutes.

We are all on a wine journey, our own odyssey if you will, to find our perfect wine. This really never ends since you continue to grow along this trail. George and I love to try new things but like to come back to our own tried and true loves. With this in mind, we are sharing with you some of our newest creations and some of our tried and true loves. Our newest vintage of 2008 has been wonderful and they are all terrific, but for me the Merlot is just a standout. I don’t know if it is because this is the first year we have done a standalone Merlot or if it is just far more exquisite.

Next we are sharing what is left of the Golden Pearl, Viognier. This will be the end of the 2009 vintage but we will have the 2010 completed hopefully by mid-March. Our tried and true for this shipment will be the Cab from 2007 which is still my all-time favorite. This wine just gets smoother and smoother……………..

For all of you red fans we have the Petite Sirah as this one is my second favorite. We did not make a Petite Sirah in 2008 and I don’t remember why. Maybe because we wanted to try doing the Merlot instead. As you all know we sometimes have a hard time saying no to grapes which is why we have so many varietals. We love to experiment with all that is offered in Washington.

For all of you who have asked for more of the Petit Verdot, we are, sadly, out of this but will have more next year. This was dedicated to you, our devoted Palate Club members and supporters who make this all possible, so thank you!

So here's wishing you and yours a happy, healthy and wine-filled 2011!

Linda

2010-10-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

We've Got Grapes!
We finally made a trip to Zillah for grapes! Everything has been a bit delayed this year. Actually, I think that every year but it really is delayed this year. It's the anticipation for it all to get started, it seems this time of year rolls around and I can't wait to take the first trip to Eastern Washington. Ask me in a few trips how I feel about it... We now have Syrah underway, just one ton so just a single bin right now but we are receiving emails of other grapes ripening as well. These are the smallest Syrah grapes I've ever seen, should be very concentrated wine. If you want to see what it looks like while it is fermenting join us here on the weekends for a little tasting and wine making. We are always open 2 to 5 Saturdays and Sundays.

Upcoming Events
We have a few things going on outside the winery, but the big thing coming up right now at the winery is the Prisoner Release which is set for November 20th. I get more excited about this every year. It is so fun and such a wonderful party that we already have people calling to ask when it is. It is going to be bigger than ever before. And all those Prisoners? They are really behaving themselves and I am certain they will be released for good behavior just in time for their big party.

We will be at Island Lumber on Vashon for their 6th Annual Ladies Night which is Monday November 8th. If you have never been to this, you gotta go, it is a crazy night of price slashing and grabbing good deals! There will be food and we'll be pouring lots of wine!

We'll also be doing an event called the Antiques Quest and Wine at the Glass Museum on October 30th. This is one way to get into the Glass Museum if you've always meant to go but never quite got around to it. Sometimes that's how it happens for me, so if you can relate to this, join me for a bit of wine, music, food, antiques and a wonderful time. To see all the events we'll be hosting or attending, just visit our website at http://www.palousewinery.com/.

I hope this fall season finds you all well, and at some point in time, finds you at Palouse Winery.

Cheers!
Linda

2010-10-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

We're ready to release the 4th quarter wines!

I hope you are ready for something really special as this time we are sending out a Petit Verdot which is still very rare in Washington. We made one barrel and we are almost out so once you taste this wine, if you want more please don’t wait to call us. I have a mere 4 cases left! And if George had his way, he would keep it all. We are also sending along nearly the last of the 2005 Eclipse Red Blend. This wine has improved over the years as I am sure all wines will but it has gotten so mellow and rich. Viognier will help these two reds keep company so expect some Golden Pearl with the 2005 Eclipse and the new Petit Verdot which we call Pure Velvet. You can just ask for the Velvet.

For those of you on the delivery program, you can expect to start receiving your wines next week. Everyone else can go ahead and stop by whenever you can. We are thinking of having a party for future pick-ups, but since we are so close to the Prisoner Release Event we didn’t want to do it this time. The Prisoner Release Event is November 20th, so mark your calendars because you won’t want to miss it!

We hope to see you all soon and remember (and tell your friends) we are open for tasting from 2 to 5 every Saturday and Sunday. Remember one of your Palate Club benefits is free tasting so come on by!

Linda

2010-09-08T20:03:00.000-07:00

Palouse Dinner Reminder
We only have a few seats left for our first ever dinner in the winery. Wally Bell, the chef, has been working hard at coming up with some wonderful pairings with the wines. We are hanging the lights and setting the table as I speak. So much to do still but i can't wait, the menu sounds amazing! Email or call me quickly if you would like to be part of our first ever Inaugural Dinner. Oh, here's the #: 206-567-4994.

Palouse Winery Inaugural Dinner Party Menu
Galician Scallops with Serrano Ham & Smoked Paprika ~ Viognier
Filo Parcels Stuffed with Chanterelle & Kurt’s Cheese ~ Cab Franc
Crisp Duck Breast with Huckleberry Anise Reduction ~ Petite Sirah
Blackberry & Apple Sorbet ~ Eclipse
Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Apricot & Cinnamon ~ Syrah
Ground Almond Frangipane Tart with Crème Fresh ~ Riesling

mmmm... sounds yummy!

Faith Goes Back to India
I can't stand the thought of it but it looks like Faith is leaving us for parts unknown (to me anyway). She will be returning to her real life as she calls it, to her husband and puppies and her guest house Skylark. I think it would be nice to do something fun on Sunday September 12th. If you would like to be part of a little get together celebration for Faith before she returns, please join us on Sunday. We will have special treats and plenty of wine to celebrate the occasion.

Hope to see some of you then,
Linda

2010-08-18T15:47:00.000-07:00

Long Time No Talk
After a rather slow start it looks like summer has finally arrived. Whew! Has it been hot enough? We have been rollicking here in the winery on the weekends, I know most you have noticed the new signage. Ever since the article about Kurt's cheesery people have been flocking to Vashon and all the new signs have told them where to go. When they come to the tasting room we like to think we show everyone what makes Vashon so special. Just good ole fun. It has been rocking. We love it, it keeps us so energized, positive.

We are Celebrating
We are especially excited because we finished the bottling early this year. We have the racking done and no work till "crush" which is really just around the corner. All the new wines show so much promise this year so early on that we feel we have to share. In the spirit of sharing we are having a Pre Release Release Party BBQ on Saturday August 28th 2010 between 3 and 7. We will share some of the new wines such as the brand new Mystic Merlot and the Pure Velvet Petit Verdot. We will hold off on the other wines until the Prisoner Release Party on November 20th 2010. Apparently they will not paroled until the Prisoner Release Party. We have had many people asking about the Prisoner Release so I thought I would let everyone get this date in their calendars as well.

We have been having all kinds of fun here with birthdays and tastings for special occasions. Also a lot of events this year. I have been so busy all year I can barely keep up. This last weekend was of course the Fur Ball Auction, one of our favorite and near and dear to our hearts. This event just gets better every year and the efforts made by those who organize this event are inspiring to the rest of us. We feel lucky to be living in such a wonderful place as Vashon. Be sure to go to support the Fields this Friday at Sound Foods.

We are launching a new website soon so if you have been looking at our former one wait till you see the new one. It is most gorgeous and will be very interactive. I can't wait. It is just the first step in our new marketing plan with Blonde Ambition.

Wine Dinner
We will have a wine inspired dinner here in the winery on Friday September 9th 2010 at 6:00 pm. This will be our first Wine dinner in the winery and will set the tone for anything following. I hope you will join us for this exquisite pairing of food and wine on Friday September 9th 2010 at 6 pm. There is limited seating as we can only handle 20 so be sure and let me know if you are interested. The following weekend we have a private function going on. I think Crush will be upon us after that...

Almost Forgot
We won a Gold Medal on the 2009 Viognier! I'm not sure I sent this info out yet but wanted include it. We are so proud, its a bit like your kids, you give birth to these wines and baby them along and provide everything they could possibly need or want. So, when they finally come "of Age" and do you proud, all you can do is beam (and brag)!

Later in October

2009-10-23T11:10:00.000-07:00

This is my new blog spot where I get to regale you with all of our adventures (misadventures?) in the wine making world. I felt a bit timid at first but as my husband would attest to, once I get going there is no shutting me up.

Sunday we picked up the last of our grapes for the season. This is a feeling akin to removing your finger from the door it was slammed in. It's really more of a sigh of relief. One part down and just fermentation and pressing to go. Stirring barrels for the next few months, selling, selling, selling................

This week we have been particularly busy. First there is the endless driving but this is an adventure in and of itself. You wouldn't believe some of the characters we meet along the way like the guy who makes dessert toppings out of ground up grape seeds, tasty too. You meet a lot of other winemakers while picking up fruit but sometimes the most interesting people are the ones producing the grapes. We were recently at Dineen Vineyard picking up Petite Verdot and the owner, a banker from Bellevue as another wine grape grower called him was actually out in the vineyard helping his pickers pick. Paul Portteus is one of the biggest characters I have ever met. His boys now run most of the wine stuff but he does the Vineyard. We got the most luscious looking Zin from him this year. I think his home and Vineyard are one of the most spectacular in Zillah. As you drive toward the buildings you are surrounded by vines, it is enough to make you look for property yourself. Yes, we have done that but decided we can't leave this little Island. As the climate heats up we may not have to go far to grow our own grapes. There are plenty of people doing just that right here on Vashon.

Patrick Rawn manages the Dineen Vineyard so we see and talk to him a lot. He and his brother Matt own 2Mountain Winery right there in Zillah. We are big fans of their wines as well since we know where they get their grapes. They are so helpful. At the Meek Vineyard we usually encounter chihuahuas first before Antonio gets us loaded up and on our way.

Connie and Charlie Crawford are also fantastic. Usually we end up in Prosser late at night somewhere around 10:00 trying to drop off bins in the dark. We drive out on this tiny little road next to the Roza Canal, just a little creepy on the side of the truck overlooking this. Did I say right next to? They have so many varieties we have not tried but their Viognier is so beautiful one of these days we may try a few other grapes. Both of them can load your truck with a precision many contractors would admire. This year they gave us some beautiful Butternut Squash I've already made soup out of.

Have I mentioned some of the fun things we are up to? I will be at Shilshole Bay Beach Club on October 28th between 6 and 9 doing a new event called the Cabernet Classic. This should be really great since our Cab is unbeatable in my estimation but then I am intimately aquainted with the winemakers. If you don't have somewhere to be come on over to the Cabernet Classic at Shilshole Beach Club for lots of Cabs and Cab blends. I think Otis Kenyon will be there also. Come on out and support your Island wineries.

I am most excited to be part of Ladies' Night at Island Lumber this year. This will happen on November 9th, between 6 and 9 and if you have never been, you gotta go! It is very fun and a great shopping night for all those tools you thought you would never need but believe me, you will. George and I will be there pouring wine so please come join us. The event is usually very well attended and there is food and now "good" wine. Great chance to buy Christmas gifts at discounted prices. Men are welcome too.

I am also pouring wine at an event called Sips and Shoes. This will be held at the Seattle Grand Hyatt on November 8th, 6 to 9. This too is mostly a ladies event but I think all are welcome. Sips and Shoes is a benefit for Ryther Child Center. We will get to preview the hottest shoes in town.

Since I now have a blog to write in I will send it out and you can view it or not, ask questions, make comments, but most of all I hope you will enable your computer to receive the posts as I publish them.

Thanks for listening.

Linda

Palouse Takes Home Major Awards!

2009-10-12T11:12:00.000-07:00

Palouse won big at the recent 2009 Seattle Wine Awards and the Taste of Washington Awards!

2009 Seattle Wine Awards
"Outstanding Washington Wine" Grand award of excellence - Petite Sirah, Riesling, "Eclipse" Bordeux blend, & Cab Franc

2009 Taste of Washington Awards
"Best Puget Sound Winery- Palouse"
"Best Riesling - Palouse"
"Best Syrah - Palouse"

Thanks to everyone who continues to support our winery - we couldn't have done this without you!

Palouse in October

2009-10-01T11:02:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

I feel a bit breathless with all the activity going on here. The grapes have arrived, well, some at least. They are just starting their descent upon us with Riesling arriving Monday, Tuesday we picked up Zin (oh, so deep and dark) and Cab Franc, tomorrow we pick up Merlot and Syrah. These are only a few of the vineyards we buy from and each has their own schedule. It seems a little unusual as we usually get Merlot the first of the reds with a week or more between them. I guess it’s been a hot summer in Eastern Washington.

We set up the crusher/destemmer this morning. I take pictures every year so we can remember how we did it last year as it is somewhat complicated. It is the structure in our yard that looks reminiscent of a gallows. I am also sending a couple of shots from the Dineen Vineyard so you can see how lovely the grapes look hanging. Ultimately, they will be perfection in the bottle. So far the grapes have been luscious and sweet.

We are still doing wine tasting on the weekends here so come on down and see the mess. Today, Oct 1, 2009 I am going to The Wine Alley in Renton for a pouring and on Saturday I will be in Tacoma at the Glass Museum doing an event. Last weekend we got to do the VAA Art Auction. In the mean time we are busy planning the Prisoner Release Party for November 21st, 2009. Feel free to join me at my various pourings whenever possible as I always love to see a familiar face when I do these events. I will have Faith with me since George will be busy crushing fruit this afternoon when it comes in.

Linda
Palouse Winery

Vashon Vinum Veritas

2009-03-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Last week we had a wonderful dinner with Nadia down at Sound Foods. I think we will try and do this again this coming summer when they have the garden open. We had a great time with food to completely match the wines. The music of Geordie’s Byre was absolutely delightful. Thank you to all who came and made this a successful event. Nadia has many plans for her restaurant. We look forward to working with her in the future.

Next up is Vashon Vinum Veritas. This is Vashon’s own celebration of all things wine. This is a unique opportunity to experience all the wine on Vashon. There are now 5 wineries and a 6th on the horizon. This is happening on March 28th and 29th. www.vashonvinumveritas.org is the website with all the info. We will be open this weekend in honor of this celebration. All the other wineries will be open also so bring your friends and family and come taste wine! We have the brand new Golden Pearl and the Cloud Nine and all the reds have been continuing to improve since bottling. On Saturday, after being open here 2 to 5, we will be at the Hardware Store pouring our new wines and they will be preparing dishes to go with these wines specifically. This will offer a different pairing opportunity in another setting. I hope many of you can make it for this. The Hardware Store is itself a spunky Vashon place. It is always fun there but this should be just a hoot. Come visit us in the Gallery area and stay for dinner. I know we will!

On Sunday we will again be open 2 to 5. Then we will be off to a fund raiser at O Space. Again pouring our whites and some reds. Stephen McClure of The Wine Shop came up with this incredible array of wine happenings. He perfectly orchestrated this whole weekend. Why go to Woodinville when there are so many opportunities in wine right here on Vashon. We are becoming a real wine trail.

If anyone needs more info on this please write me or call 206-567-4994. I will be more than happy to answer questions. Looking forward to seeing you……………………

Linda
Palouse Winery