Second Label Stonecap Wines Makes an Awesome, Affordable Washington Syrah

Several wineries bottle their wines as something that’s referred to as a “second label.” A second label might showcase grapes from a separate vineyard but more commonly offers consumers a line of wines in a different price range – usually lower – than the winery’s primary label.

You shouldn’t assume, however, that you’ll be sacrificing a degree of quality by purchasing second label wines. A case in point is Stonecap Wines, a second label for Goose Ridge Vineyards in Kennewick. Goose Ridge has ties to winemaker guru Charlie Hoppes and Stonecap is an offshoot of this critically acclaimed Columbia Valley winery that offers wines a good $5 to $10 a bottle less than the Goose Ridge line.

I recently tried the Stonecap 2004 Syrah. This tasty Northwest wine has a beautiful blueberry aroma, smoky berry and plum flavors and a nice dash of acidity to balance everything out. Throw in the screw cap and about a $12 to $14 price tag (I picked up mine on sale at the Barkley Haggen for $9.99) and you’ve got an unostentatious, hidden gem of a wine.

Doug Charles of Compass Wines in Anacortes selected this Syrah as his 2006 Washington wine of the year; a noteworthy honor from someone who sells a lot of wine. Charles commented that, “This wine puts to rest the argument that great Washington wines need to be expensive.”

Other Stonecap current releases include a 2004 Chardonnay and a 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon – both retailing for around the same $12 to $14 a bottle price range. For more information visit www.stonecapwines.com.