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Avennia Acquires Gramercy Cellars
We share this big news in Washington wine as Avennia has acquired Gramercy Cellars. We have some big news in Washington wine as Avennia has acquired Gramercy Cellars, the Walla Walla-based winery founded twenty years ago by Master Sommelier Greg Harrington. “Gramercy Cellars is one of the wineries that compelled the rest of the country to take Washington seriously,” said Chris Peterson, co-founder and director of winemaking at Avennia. “Greg created and developed this winery with his own unique voice. Our job is not to change or reinvent his vision, but rather to provide him with the resources and support necessary to continue taking this project to new heights.” Both wineries will function independently and Gramercy will continue to operate its Walla Walla-based tasting room. Huge congrats to Avennia and their team
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VIADER
Here are the stunning 2023 releases by VIADER. It is my pleasure to share the incredible wines of VIADER. A tale of fortitude and dedication, Delia Viader only made one wine, a Bordeaux style blend, since 1986. Holding a PhD from Sorbonne University in Paris, founding winemaker Delia Viader founded Viader decades ago and was an amazing success amongst consumers and wine critics alike. Today her son, Alan, produces some brilliant red blends that are entirely sourced from their estate vineyard on Howell Mountain. A remarkable story, Delia stated VIADER while raising four children on her own. Since starting the winery she was met with some incredible critical acclaim for her pretty style of wine that typically incorporates a large amount of Cabernet Franc. I have loved these wines over 20 plus years. Delia’s son, Alan, served as VIADER vineyard manager since 2002 while studying winemaking at UC Davis. He has been lead winemaker at VIADER since 2006 and works with Delia on all wines.&
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Orr Wines
Great photo of Erica Orr. It is my pleasure to share the beautiful wines of Erica Orr. One of the amazing talents in Washington wine, Erica Orr has long been at the helm at Baer. Many years back she sought to re-create some of the Washington wines of yesteryear in crafting top class Chenin Blanc. This was a major hit for the consumer and somms alike. Erica Orr has a gorgeous new lineup. She makes one of the best Chenin Blanc wines in Washington. The 2025 Orr Wines Chenin Blanc (OB, 93) has amazing texture and flavor range. Learn more about these great wines at orrwines.com and here are my reviews of the new wines by Erica Orr. 2025 Orr Wines Chenin Blanc- One of the great wines of its kind, the 2025 Orr Wines Chenin Blanc offers a seamless texture on the approach. Loaded with cashew and melon fruits, with lovely damp earthy nuances, this is drinking marvelously right now. Don’t serve too cold! Drink 2026-2033- 93 2024 Orr Wines ‘Salumeria’ Red Wine - The outstanding 2024 ‘Salumeria’ is
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Long Shadows 'Julia's Dazzle' Rose
Here is the outstanding 2025 ‘Julia’s Dazzle’ Rose by Long Shadows. Summer might be almost over but it remains Rose season. And surely Football and great Rose are a great match. One of he top Rose wines made in Washington State, ‘Julia’s Dazzle’ is made my Long Shadows and winemaker Gilles Nicault. Each year this wine continues to impress, utilizing old vine Pinot Gris grapes that contribute greatly to the flavor density and mouthfeel. The 2022 Long Shadows ‘Julia’s Dazzle’ Rose (OB, 93) is a wine that is already singing but will become more and more complex as it ages. It seriously polished effort that is best consumed at a slightly warmer temperature. At around twenty dollars, the 2022 ‘Dazzle' is a steal in the Pacific Northwest Rose market. Learn more about these incredible wines at longshadows.com and here is my review of the 2022 Long Shadows ‘Julia’s Dazzle’ Rose. 2025 Long Shadows ‘Julia’s Dazzle’ Rose- The outstanding 2025 ‘Julia’s Dazzle’ is a gorgeous bottl
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Iterum
Joe Dobbes crafts a beautiful range of wines for Iterum. Sitting with Joe Dobbes in his house we share stories of his longstanding time in the Oregon wine industry. We tasted together and then headed to barrel taste his 2025 wines which show serious promise. Dobbes built and sold his namesake brand. He had a hiatus in wine and then built a new brand that focuses on wines from his his Orchard House estate the Eola-Amity Hills AVA as well as several other vineyards. Purchased in 2018, his Orchard House estate is making some of the best Sauvignon Blanc in Oregon. I love his 2025 Iterum ‘Orchard House Vineyard’ Sauvignon Blanc (OB, 93) which is one of the best wines of its kind in the state. Learn more about this outstanding house at https://iterumwines.com/ and here are my reviews of the new Iterum wines. 2025 Iterum ‘Orchard House Vineyard’ Sauvignon Blanc - The outstanding 2025 Iterum ‘Orchard House Vineyard’ Sauvignon Blanc comes from their estate in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA and
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Pepper Bridge and Amavi
Here are the outstanding new wines by Pepper Bridge and Amavi, made by Jean-Francois Pellet. It is my pleasure to share the fabulous wines made by Swiss-born winemaker Jean-François Pellet. Pellet is a third-generation wine grower. He is an incredible talent that worked with his father before coming to the Walla Walla Valley back in 1999. Pepper Bridge founder Norm McKibbon saw the potential in Pellet and made him Pepper Bridge winemaker. The brand has been going strong ever since. In addition to being winemaker at both Pepper Bridge and Amavi, Pellet is a partner in Artifex, the largest custom crush facility in Walla Walla, as well as the Octave Vineyard. Wines by Pellet have gotten better and better, even more consistent in the past ten years. I was able to try a few wines from the new vintage on the horizon, 2025. Pellet mentioned that “2025 was moderate in terms of 100 degree days. This helped with the white wine and Rose wines.” He was very fond of 2024 “And I think that this vint
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Alexana
Great photo of Dr. Madaiah Revana. Today we share the beautiful wines of eminent cardiologist, Dr. Madaiah Revana. He founded Alexana in the Dundee Hills AVA many years back. The winery has expensive views of the Dundee Hills and they are a modern facility that utilizes both gravity flow and is certified Gold LEED. Tresider Burns handles winemaking, formerly being head winemaker at White Rose. I love the wines that he makes, as I tasted with him several weeks ago. I adored the 2024 Alexana ‘Signature’ Chardonnay (OB, 94) which is a deep and powerful wine that is already neatly defined. which is another gorgeous edition of this wine. I love the 2024 Alexana ‘Landslide Blocks’ Pinot Noir (OB, 95) which is sourced from both volcanic and marine sedimentary soils at their estate vineyard. It has an amazing push/pull between stony and salty nuance. Learn more about this outstanding Oregon winery at http://www.alexanawinery.com Here are the great new release wines by Alexana.
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Lange
Here are the outstanding new wines by Lange. It is my pleasure to share the wines from one of the historic locations in Oregon. It was back in 1987 that Don and Wendy Lange bought a massive property in the Dundee Hills, with sweeping views of the valley. For many years Don crafted his namesake wines for and then his son, Jesse, transitioned into their head winemaker, taking over for his father. Jesse’s formal winemaking training occurred at New Zealand’s Lincoln University while on a student exchange scholarship from Oregon State in 1999. Jesse made world-class wines for years. The new 2024 wines were sensational across the board. I love the 2024 Lange ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir (OB, 95) which is big and well-structured with amazing aging potential. Learn more about these beautiful wines at https://www.langewinery.com/ and here are my reviews of the Lange wines. 2025 Lange ‘Reserve’ Pinot Gris- Stored in all neutral French oak puncheons, the 2025 Lange ‘Reserve’ Pinot Gris offers nutmeg drenc
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Walter Scott
Here are the thrilling new 2024 releases by Walter Scott. Today we share the world-class wines of Walter Scott, founded by Erica Landon and Ken Pahlow. Walter Scott honors two integral men in Ken’s life: Walter, Ken's grandfather, who was a flight engineer for Trans World Airlines and Scott, and Ken's nephew who passed away young and reminded both Ken and Erica that life can be exceedingly short. Their first vintage was produced in 2009 at Patricia Green Cellars and in 2011 Walter Scott began making Chardonnay, which was met immediately with seriously good critical acclaim. I have really enjoyed these from my personal cellar and they age so gracefully. The’22s and ‘23s were incredible. Each were done with a different style with the ‘22s a touch more mineral-laden. 2024 Walter Scott wines have amazing texture and stability. They are going to be exceedingly long-lasting wines. For my money one of the great Chardonnays made in North America, the 2024 Walter Scott ‘X Novo Vineyard’ Chardon
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Merryvale
Here are the beautiful grounds at Merryvale. Today we share one of the longstanding houses in Napa. Merryvale’s historic building was the first winery built in the Napa Valley after the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 and has become a favorite destination for visitors to the valley. This is a beautiful wine country setting, surrounded by French oak barrels and casks. I’ve enjoyed visiting this beautiful property many times and the surrounding serene vineyards. The property is owned by the Schlatter family. They have been making their ‘Profile’ red blend for many years and this years edition for my palate was the finest one yet! They have produced a brilliant range of wines and I adore the 2021 Merryvale ‘Profile’ Red Wine (OB, 97) which is a stunning wine from this warm vintage. This one even eclipses the incredible ’19 bottling. Learn more at https://www.merryvale.com and here are the beautiful new wines by Merryvale. 2022 Merryvale ‘Sonoma Coast’ Chardonnay- The 2022 ‘Sonoma Coast’ Cha
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Avennia and Liminal
Chris Peterson crafts some incredible wines by Avennia and Liminal. It is my pleasure to share the incredible wines of Avennia and Liminal, both partnerships between famed winemaker Chris Peterson and former Microsoft exec Marty Taucher. They now have two lines of wines, from their estate vineyard on Red Mountain as well as wines from choice sites throughout the Columbia Valley. They are making some of the best Sauvignon Blanc and Rose in Washington State. The Liminal wines are entirely sourced from the famed WeatherEye Vineyard on the north slope of Red Mountain. I love the new wines by these wineries. I adored the 2024 Avennia ‘Arnaut’ Syrah (OB, 97) which is a total stunner that is arguably the finest edition of this wine. Learn more about Avennia at https://avennia.com and Liminal at https://www.liminalwine.com/ here are my reviews of the glorious new wines by Avennia and Liminal. 2024 Lydian White Wine- A blend of manly Sauvignon Blanc (80%) with the remainder Semillon, this offer
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Big Table Farm
Great photo of Clare Carver and Brian Marcy of Big Table Farm. Many years back Big Table Farm was founded by Clare Carver and Brian Marcy — two of the great people in Oregon wine. For years Marcy served as winemaker at Neyers in Napa. Claire and Brian have their home and working farm in the Willamette Valley and will soon make estate wines from their fruit. I adore the range of wines that they produced in 2024. Check out the amazing 2025 Big Table Farm Pinot Gris (OB, 94) which is an orange wine and one of the finest of its kind that you will taste in Oregon, with sensational aromatic and flavor range. Learn more about Big Table Farm at http://www.bigtablefarm.com/ Here are the fantastic new release wines by Big Table Farm. 2025 Big Table Farm ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Gris- Always an orange wine that saw extended skin contact, the 2025 Pinot Gris displays amazing flavor density with outstanding range. Pink Lady apple, bergamot, damp earth and rich melon fruits all combine on the palat
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Chateau Ste. Michelle
Chateau Ste. Michelle have a fabulous range of new wines. Today we share the wines from Washington State’s founding winery, Chateau Ste. Michelle. I have long loved enjoying and purchasing these wines for decades. They continue to make wines that offer sensational value. Winemaker Katie Nelson has a longstanding history in our industry. She does a glorious job with producing everything from inky Cabernet to crisp, mineral-filled Riesling wines. She has former stops at Charles Smith and head winemaker at Columbia Crest. I love the new 2025 Estival Chenin Blanc (OB, 92) which shows sensational texture and finesse. Even better was the 2024 Chateau Ste. Michelle ‘Impetus’ Chardonnay (OB, 94) which is a barrel selection wine that has at least a decade of life in front of it. Learn more about these outstanding wines at https://www.ste-michelle.com/ and here are my reviews of the new wines by Chateau Ste. Michelle. 2025 Estival Chenin Blanc- Sourced from several Columbia Valley sites, the 202
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VIADER
Beautiful new wines, ‘DARE’ by VIADER. One of the timeless Napa wines, VIADER is all about hard work and dedication. Delia Viader only made one wine for years, a Bordeaux style blend, which she first crafted all the way back in 1986. She achieved a a PhD from Sorbonne University in Paris, and founding winemaker Delia Viader found her beautiful wines in top Michelin star restaurants across the globe. Her son, Alan, is making some incredible wines now that all come from their estate site on Howell Mountain. This location is on a rocky hillside and has amazing stony character in the wines. I have tasted these wines for more than 20 plus years. I tried their new ‘DARE’ wines which have novel varietals grown at this stony location. I love the 2024 VIADER ‘DARE’ Grenache (OB, 94) which is stony and floral with amazing novelty. I don’t think there is anything quite like this in Napa. Learn more about this storied Napa winery at https://viader.com Here are the beautiful new wines by VIADER. 20
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Diamond Creek
Here is the dazzling 2023 lineup of Diamond Creek wines. An amazing Napa house, Diamond Creek was actually the first single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon wine as well as the first $100 bottle of wine from Napa. This was unique at the time and Diamond Creek proprietors the Brounsteins created three different wines to show each individual soil type in the vineyard which were all produced separately. At the time thee was nothing close to this made in the Napa Valley. The wines were exceptional in 2022. They were even better in 2023. I adored the 2023 Diamond Creek ‘Volcanic Hill’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 99) which is a dizzying bottling that flirts with perfection. These retail around $300 USD. They are collectors item that would be perfect for a special occasion. Learn more about this famed estate at https://www.diamondcreekvineyards.com and here are my notes on the new 2023 Diamond Creek releases. 2023 Diamond Creek ‘Three Vineyard Blend’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2023 Diamond Creek ‘Three V
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Champagne Bollinger
Here are the dazzling new wines by Champagne Bollinger. Today we share the storied Champagne house, Bollinger. What began back in 1829 in Ay by Hennequin de Villermont, Paul Renaudin and Jacques Bollinger, at the present day the house continues to be run by members of the Bollinger family. The winery is very popular in Britain as Bollinger Champagnes have been come to be known as “Bolly”. We can find the first roots back in 1585 when the Hennequins, one of the Bollinger founding families, owned land nearby. Before the Bollinger house was founded, in the 18th century the Villermont family made wine and then 1750, Villermont settled in the location 16 rue Jules Lobet, which would eventually become the head office for Bollinger. After the death of Jacques Bollinger in 1941, Lily Bollinger managed the brand and expanded production considerably. Since 1994, Ghislain de Mongolfier has managed Bollinger. A great-grandson of the founder, Mongolfier has also served as president of the Associati
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Review: Ritz-Carlton Portland, A 5 Star Hotel Showing Both Greatness and Major Flaws
Bellpine is the Ritz-Carlton Portland restaurant which we had mixed experiences at. Founded back in 2024, I had been waiting to finally stay at the Ritz-Carlton Portland hotel. We had a four night stay there for some rest and relaxation. This was the first actual week off I had experienced all year and the stay had some definite highs and lows. In some ways this hotel is considerably better than The Nines, another great downtown hotel. But in other ways our experience at the Ritz-Carlton was actually worse than what we experience at The Nines. Considering The Nines is half the price and sometimes more than half the price, this doesn’t exactly exude value in being at the Ritz-Carlton Portland. Check-in was excellent and quick. You expect that at any Ritz-Carlton. Service downstairs was thoughtful and excellent throughout our stay. The valet which we utilized was also excellent. We checked in and then made our way to our room, located on the 12th floor. I decided to upgrade our room to a
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Fidelitas
Great photo of the Fidelitas winemaking team. One of the great houses on Red Mountain, Fidelitas began with legendary Washington winemaker Charlie Hoppes and his vision to focus on making red wines from this famed AVA. Hoppes formerly served as former head winemaker for Chateau Ste. Michelle. A University of California, Davis grad, he had a brief job in Walla Walla in 1990 at Waterbrook Winery, and later began working with Mike Januik as a member of the winemaking team at Ste. Michelle in Woodinville. In 1993, he became the Head Red Winemaker and managed Ste. Michelle’s newest facility at the time, Canoe Ridge near Paterson, Washington. Hoppes had the pleasure of making the first vintages of Col Solare, from 1995-1998. Hoppes finally decided to purchase some land on Red Mountain, founding Fidelitas in 2000 -- and has produced fantastic reds and whites since that time. Fidelitas is known for their red and white Bordeaux blends, as well as their rich Cabernets. I love the new
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Cellar Selection: 2020 Bibi Graetz 'Testamatta' [1.5L'
Here is the dazzling 2020 Bibi Graetz ‘Testamatta’ [1.5L] which was amazing cellar pull for my friends. One of my favorite Tuscan houses is Bibi Graetz. I had an unforgettable visit there last year ( https://owenbargreen.com/blog/2025/7/7/bibi-graetz ). A total renegade in his region, Bibi has transformed the wines made in Tuscany. Since his inaugural release 25 years ago Graetz has become one of Tuscany’s cult winemakers without having any formal training in winemaking. The Testamatta and Colore bottling have made him an international success as these wines have been revered by critics across the globe. Bibi sources from old vines in Tuscany as well as old vines from the Isola del Giglio which is a remote island that has ancient indigenous vines planted. His wines are crafted from traditional varieties of Sangiovese, Colorino, and Canaiolo for the reds and the indigenous varieties of Ansonica and Vermentino for his whites wines. 2020 was a warm vintage but Bibi did such a great
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Valette
Great photo here of famed Sonoma-based chef, Dustin Valette. Today we share the magical wines of Chef Dustin Valette. Valette is a limited-production wine brand crafted by star winemakers such as Jesse Katz, Tom Rochioli and David Ramey. One of the famed Sonoma chefs, Valette formerly was at Thomas Keller’s one-Michelin-star Bouchon in the Napa Valley and later worked at Michelin-starred Aqua in San Francisco, finally as executive sous chef under Laurent Manrique. Back in 2015 he opened his own restaurant, Valette in Healdsburg. The cuisine here is focused on modern American with a French twist. I recently visited both Valette and his other outpost, The Matheson, and was floored by the food quality and service. I love this brand of wines. Katz and his fellow winemaker Hillary Sjolund have a knockout new wine, the 2023 Valette Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 100) which is sinfully good right now. I am so enamored by this wine that is very nervy from this slightly cooler vintage. So without
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Quilceda Creek
Here is the world-class winemaking team at Quilceda Creek (Paul Golitzin L and Mark Kaigas R). It is my great pleasure to share one of the world’s great producers of Cabernet Sauvignon. Yesterday marked my yearly pilgrimage to Quilceda Creek to review their pre-release 2024 wines [release date Spring 2027]. I had the chance to visit for the first time their 2024‘CVR’ Red Wine which along with the ’23 is one of the finest, if not the finest’CVRs’ made. Sitting with director of winemaking Paul Golitzin he explained how bullish he is on the 2024 vintage. “The consistency of the Columbia Valley is remarkable. A viticultural paradise in 2024” he explained. “We see the 2024 vintage like the ’18 vintage on steroids” said Paul Golitzin. “We missed out on the freeze and some people were wiped out in some lower areas but this was a beautiful, clean vintage.” The wines themselves shined with ebullient black and even blue fruit profiles. 2024 was a warm vintage with few heat spikes like 2023. Most
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Tamber Bey
Here is the Tamber Bey team including winemaker Sally Johnson Blum (R) who has made some amazing new wines. Today we share the great wines of Tamber Bey. Named after the Arabian horses at the estate, Tamber Bey began back in1999 and is a family-owned business, with Barry and Jennifer managing operations and marketing, and Barry's daughter, Kendra, managing the wine club. The winery is located in Calistoga and focuses on estate-grown wines at their Sundance Ranch, a functioning 22-acre equestrian facility. The new wines were seriously good. Sally Johnson Blum crafts an outstanding lineup and I adored her 2024 UV Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (OB, 95) which is deep and concentrated with amazing soil character. Learn more about these great wines at https://tamberbey.com/ and here are my reviews of the outstanding new Tamber Bey wines. 2024 Tamber Bey Sauvignon Blanc- Sourced from Lake County, this 2024 Sauvignon Blanc offers pear and gooseberry notes alongside stony minerals on the palate. Enjoy n
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Spring Valley
Here are the outstanding wines by Spring Valley and winemaker Kate Derby. It is my pleasure sharing the wines of Spring Valley, founded by Shari and Dean Derby. They planted vines on the land and made their first vintage in 1999. The Derbys’ son Devin Corkrum Derby served as winemaker until his passing in 2004. Serge Laville took over as winemaker and transformed the wine program. A few years back Kate Derby, a sixth-generation family farmer and winemaker, took over the help at Spring Valley Vineyard. She has worked at Spring Valley Vineyard for much of her life. Growing up she spent summers hoeing the vineyard rows with her grandfather and racking wine with Spring Valley’s first winemaker, her uncle Devin Derby. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she began her full time career with Spring Valley in the tasting room, then on the road representing the brand across the country and finally joining the winemaking team in 2011. She did a great job with the 2022 wines. The 2023 wine
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Rujaya
Here are the amazing fall 2026 releases by Rujaya. This is now the second time I have tasted the new wines by Rujaya. It is the second time that I have been seriously impressed with winemaker Benedict Almquist and his precision of crafting wines with a sense of place. For nearly a decade he worked alongside his cousin at Almquist Family Vintners in Seattle, and then in 2018 became their resident winemaker. Since spring of 2023, Benedict worked as assistant winemaker at Darby Winery in Woodinville, WA. He found his inspiration in a bottle of FX Pichler Riesling from the Wachau Valley, Austria and became infatuated with world-class Riesling. His first Riesling release was a home run! The new wines were even better than the first wines that I tasted. These are all fall 2026 releases. You don’t want to miss out on the 2024 ‘Icarus’ Grenache (OB, 95) which has amazing rocks character and is pretty and downright sexy in its incredible flavor range. Learn more about this electric new winery a