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An open letter to the editor at Bloomberg

On March 31, Bloomberg posted up what I call a “hit-piece” on Washington wine entitled: “Washington Wines Pack High Alcohol Wallop, Little Else“. In this post, the author samples a few wines from our State and then goes on to slander the industry here from that limited sampling. Here’s my open letter to the editor [...]

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The “ethics” of a winemaker critic

There’s been recent news that Washington wine critic of Wine Enthusiast, Paul Gregutt, has launched his own label of wine – made by Precept Brands. A wine journalist who I hold in high regard, Blake Gray, has posted up a thought-provoking blog post on the ethics of this move by Gregutt. A few points that [...]

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How wineries play the part of a male peacock

We may not realize it, but wineries all over the world are making profit off of our consumerism mentality. What do I mean by that, you ask? I mean that everything they do – from the label design to the type of bottle they choose for a particular wine is calculated. It has nothing to [...]

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Yakima Valley Red wine and Chocolate 2013 – Post Report

By Duane Pemberton It happens every year, the Yakima Valley teams with extra visitors hoping to check out some delicious red wine and chocolate pairings at wineries of the valley. One simply pays a $35 fee for a “passport” and it enables you to waive all the tasting fee’s at participating wineries – which includes [...]

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Wine medals, do consumers care?

As a member of the “Wine Media” – I hear about medals won by wine all the time – in fact, I have been to a number of events where the wines were judged and awarded medals. My questions for consumers are: – Does anyone in the general wine-drinking public care about these medals – [...]

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Photo courtesy of John Marshall

To the heart of Washington State – Wenatchee – in an Acura MDX

By Duane Pemberton It’s closer than most Seattleites might give it credit for – only about a 2.5 hour drive and you can find yourself in what’s consider the heart of Washington State and the Apple Capital of the World. Wenatchee has grown-up over the past few decades with a lot to offer both those looking [...]

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Le Cadeau – a diamond mine of good Pinot in Oregon’s Willamette Valley

By Duane Pemberton Winery website: www.lecadeauvineyard.com/ While there are clearly lots of good Pinot Noir producers in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, there are a few that seem to do a really good job of ever-so-slightly edging out the competition; one of those is Le Cadeau Vineyard and winery.  It’s a boutique winery in every [...]

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The Label Project

http://thelabelproject.co/ About two weeks ago, I got an offer to join in an experiment called “The Label Project”. The premise of it is two taste three different wines not just blind in terms of producer but totally blind to everything. I wouldn’t know the producer, the region, the variety or anything about the wine other [...]

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2012 Wine Rocks Seatte

This years Wine Rocks Seattle was bigger than ever – instead of being stuck in the ghetto-part of Seattle like last year, this one was right on pier 66 with an incredible view of Puget Sound. The Bell Harbor Convention Center is no stranger to wine events, nor is Jamie Peha – one of the [...]

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Washington’s King County looking to bleed wineries even more

By Duane Pemberton If you go into most winery tasting rooms around the country, it’s not at all uncommon to see them serving little bites of food – mostly crackers but some also serve cheeses and cured meats as well. I don’t know about you but I can’t think of any time in the history [...]

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