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Dan the Wine Guy

Posts on this web site under the category “Bellingham Herald Articles” were originally printed in the Bellingham Herald…the source for Whatcom County, Washington news.

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The old adage, “the bigger the better” certainly doesn’t apply to Washington wineries. Not to slam the big guys, but a smaller winery, such as Chinook Wines in Prosser, often provides you with such meticulous attention to the little details of winemaking that they literally jump right out of the glass and make you take notice.

Husband and wife owner/winemakers Clay Mackey and Kay Simon (pictured at left) recently marked Chinook’s 25th year of operations, and they continue to produce some of the Yakima Valley’s finest wines.

I met with Simon a few weeks ago at a wine and cheese tasting at Bellingham’s Quel Fromage in Fairhaven. One thing that struck me about her wines is how closely they resemble European, Old World-style varietals. That is, the fruit flavor component of her wines is very reserved, meaning you won’t get broadsided by a fruit bomb that might overwhelm the wine’s other characteristics. It also means that they make excellent wines to pair with a variety of foods.

Current releases include the 2006 Sauvignon Blanc (about $17), a lovely, dry white wine that’s slightly herbaceous. Fifty percent of the grapes were fermented in two to three year old oak barrels, while the other half was unoaked. Blended together, they produce a wine that I think is less acidic than many sauvignon blancs – and certainly more elegant. It paired beautifully with both a Guapier, a creamy Washington-made cheese that resembles a Morbier, and a Boschetto, a decadent Italian cheese made with black and white truffles.

Also available is the 2006 Cabernet Franc (about $21), another gem of a wine that begins with a sultry, smoky aroma, followed by complex flavors of dried cherry, tobacco and smoke. I loved how this wine was complemented by the creamy, nutty flavors of the Fleur des Alpes cheese from France that was served at the tasting.

In addition to Quel Fromage, Chinook Wines can be purchased at the Fairhaven Haggen, Compass Wines in Anacortes and Slough Food in Edison. They’re also served at the Rhododendron Café in Bow and the Willows Inn on Lummi Island.

The Mendoza region of west central Argentina is considered by many to be the country’s premiere wine grape growing area and is home to over 1,000 wineries.

Lately I’ve enjoyed a number of wines from Doña Paula Vineyards, an Argentinean winery that typifies what you can expect from the region – reasonably priced, well-balanced wines with good character and a nice measure of fruit flavors.

Doña Paula currently bottles its wines under two labels; the top-of-the-line Estate label, priced at about $12 to $14 a bottle, which utilizes lower yields and longer aging, and Los Cardos (meaning “the thistle”), a second label that doesn’t compromise on quality despite a slightly lower price of about $9 to $11 a bottle.

Here are my notes on a few of the winery’s current releases:

Los Cardos 2006 Chardonnay – Slightly citrusy to start, with apricot and apple flavors in the mid-palate and a touch of toasted oak on the finish for added depth. For a chardonnay at this price it’s really quite complex.

Los Cardos 2006 Syrah – Packed with plum and black cherry flavors with a scant bit of spice on the finish. Because the wine is still fairly young it’s a bit tannic – a minor quibble that should be easily resolved with additional cellaring time to allow it to become more plush and well rounded. In summary – fine now, but great aging potential.

Doña Paula Estate 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon – Lovely aroma of blueberries and violets followed by restrained dark fruit flavors and a finish of sweet, toasted oak. An excellent food wine to pair with beef or barbeque meats.

Doña Paula Estate 2006 Malbec – Generous, mouth watering dark plum and blackberry flavors followed by hints of anise and pepper. Gentle tannins and a silky finish make this an instantly enjoyable red wine.

All of these wines should be available locally at the Community Food Co-Op, Food Pavilion, and Haggen stores. If not in stock, they can be special ordered upon request and on hand for you to enjoy within three to five days.

I recently got word from John Powers of Chuckanut Ridge Wine Company that he stumbled upon a few of his earlier releases and was featuring them at his Bellingham tasting room. Visions of Geraldo Rivera opening Al Capone’s vault and finding nothing initially flashed through my head, but this is clearly not the case. Power’s finds include some pretty awesome stuff; namely his 2004 Bad Bunny Cabernet/Merlot blend, 2004 Porteus Cabernet, 2003 Syrah and 2004 Merlot.

They’re all drinking really well right now, but I particularly enjoyed the Cab and the Syrah. These are big, dense wines that have lots of dark fruit flavors and are incredibly long on the finish. The only bad news is that quantities are small…less than 10 cases of each remain, and when they’re gone, they’re gone.

Stop by the tasting room at 1017 North State Street in Bellingham and give them a test run. There’s also a full line up of other red and white wine current releases to sample and purchase. Current hours are from noon to 8:00 pm, Thursday through Saturday. Phone (360) 527-0900 for more information.