With harvest coming to an end soon, wineries are making room for their 2011 wines and getting ready to release their latest vintages (we see a lot of great 2009 reds coming down the pike). Wineries all over the state will be holding release events this month (Walla Walla wineries come together for an entire weekend each year).
Release weekends are a great opportunity to get to know winemakers, be the first to taste new vintages and get a behind-the-scenes look at the wineries themselves (many offer winery tours and possibly a barrel taste or two!).
New 2009 Releases We Can’t Wait to Try:
Sparkman Cellars
Sparkman Cellars 2009 Darkness Syrah – $56
sparkmancellars.com
Set to release November 5 and 6 at the Sparkman’s Warehouse District winery and tasting room, the 2009 Darkness Syrah. The event will feature live music from Woodinville-based band Four and food from Aqua by El Gaucho. This is a limited bottling and will sell out quickly, get your hands on it before anyone else does!
Gorman Winery
Gorman Winery 2009 Evil Twin – $65
gormanwinery.com
Starting next week Gorman Winery will be releasing three new exclusives wines, 2009 Pixie Syrah, 2009 Evil Twin and 2008 Albatross. All three recently received top scores from Wine Spectator (94 for Pixie, 95 for Evil Twin and 95 for Albatross). This month also marks the inauguration of the F.O.G. (Friends of Gorman) wine club. The club will be limited to the first 100 people (talk about an intimate group to belong too!) and includes top benefits and early access to these limited production wines.
Delille Cellars
Delille Cellars 2009 D2 – $38
delillecellars.com
One of the premier wineries in Washington state, Delille Cellars is set to introduce three wines at their upcoming release weekend (November 10-13). New wines include 2009 vintages of Delille’s Signature Syrah, Aix and the one we are most excited about, D2 (a red blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot). Space is limited at this exclusive event and reservations are highly recommended.
Convergence Zone Cellars
Convergence Zone Winery 2009 Storm Front – $24
czcellars.com
Convergence Zone Cellars will be hosting one hell of a release part Friday, November 11. Get your first taste of the 2009 Storm Front Merlot-Cabernet blend (the 2008 sold out earlier this year) as well as your last taste of the 2010 Dewpoint (there is one case left up for grabs at the event). They will also be previewing their 2011 Drizzle (100% Pinot Gris from Ciel du Cheval), the first wine we’ve seen of this year’s vintage (from Convergence Zone, “24 days from wine to bottle”). If you can’t make the Friday night event the winery will also be holding a public tasting on Saturday, November 12.
