Mount Baker Vineyards\u2019 Randy Finley could well be the role model for the old adage, \u201cwhen life gives you lemons, make lemonade.\u201d<\/p>\n
As owner\/winemaker, he\u2019s dealt with his share of setbacks over the past several years yet continued to make consistently high quality wines as Whatcom County\u2019s oldest winery.<\/p>\n
For starters, Finley lost not one, but two promising winemakers to other wineries. He\u2019s overcome those losses by making what he calls, \u201cwine by committee,\u201d drawing on his own experience along with the talents of this son, Maitland (formerly of A to Z Wineworks in Oregon), and the Mount Baker Vineyards staff.<\/p>\n
Then Finley was faced with an under ripe crop of last year\u2019s chasselas grapes at the winery\u2019s Whatcom County vineyard that was unfit for making wine. Instead of tossing the lot, he bottled it as Verjus Blanc, a tart, tasty non-alcoholic grape juice that can be used for deglazing, as a cocktail sour mix or a refreshing aperitif.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve always felt that there\u2019s something for everyone\u2019s tastes at Mount Baker Vineyards, and Finley does not disappoint by offering a huge selection of varietals. Here are a few of my favorites among his current releases:<\/p>\n
2010 Estate Chasselas <\/strong>(about $13) \u2013 Blended with five-percent viognier, this perfectly balanced white is a bit fuller in body than the winery\u2019s previous vintages. Gentle peach, pear and nectarine flavors are capped with a touch of sweetness and a splash of acidity.<\/p>\n 2010 Market Cellars Chardonnay <\/strong>(about $16) \u2013 I loved the complexities of this well-priced chardonnay. It begins with a whiff of butterscotch and sandalwood on the nose, creamy toffee and caramel flavors at the mid-palate and a hint of espresso on the finish. <\/p>\n 2008 Reserve Syrah<\/strong> (about $24) \u2013 Rich plum, black cherry, and black currant flavors are balanced with just the right amount of acidity to make this beautiful juice.<\/p>\n 2008 Barbera<\/strong> (about $25) \u2013 Enticing aromatics of cherry and mint lead to ample red fruit flavors suggesting pomegranate and currant. A dash of pekoe tea and spice in the background nicely accompany the wine\u2019s gentle tannins.<\/p>\n 2009 Grenache\/Syrah<\/strong> (about $25) \u2013 There\u2019s a striking contrast between the bright, cranberry flavors of the grenache and the dark, slightly smoky notes of the reserve syrah. Together they add up to a flavorful red wine with incredible balance and texture.<\/p>\n 2008 Market Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon <\/strong>(about $34) \u2013 Blackberry, dark plum, and a hint of black coffee lead off; then a trace of raspberry wraps around the finishing tannins.<\/p>\n Mount Baker Vineyards has two tasting rooms: near Deming off the Mount Baker Highway and at the Market Cellar Winery near Pike Place Market in Seattle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Mount Baker Vineyards\u2019 Randy Finley could well be the role model for the old adage, \u201cwhen life gives you lemons, make lemonade.\u201d As owner\/winemaker, he\u2019s dealt with his share of setbacks over the past several years yet continued to make consistently high quality wines as Whatcom County\u2019s oldest winery. For starters, Finley lost not one, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-washington-wines","category-from-the-bellingham-herald"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/859","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=859"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/859\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":860,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/859\/revisions\/860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=859"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danthewineguy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}