Welcome to binNotes | a wine blog.
by. L.M. Archer, FWS | Bourgogne ML
Red Thread™ | Q & A
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binNotes is still on the road talking to wine makers for the new Red Thread™ wine maker interview series. A big shout out to all the wine makers thus far for their graciousness, hospitality, and kindness towards Lucca, the Red Thread™ mascot.
Some have asked me the difference between binNotes and the Red Thread™ . The Red Thread™ series is an adjunct to binNotes | a wine blog.
Some people ask me why I created the Red Thread™. Why I write a wine blog. As most of you have figured out by now, it’s clearly not for the money. Nor for free wine. Nor for power or prestige. I write about wine makers because I’m a human being with a need for inspiration, creation and connection. I don’t think I’m alone in these desires.
Add to the mix that I’m also a shy introvert with an unexpected flip side – exceptional curiosity and risk-taking. Go figure. So my leap of faith into wine writing most days feels more like a thud.
But I write binNotes and create the Red Thread ™ because I feel it’s important to put skin in the game. My skin. My blood. To travel this path less taken, to tell these wine maker stories. Stories about people with exceptional vision, guts, and artistry. People willing to suffer, sometimes bleed, and maybe lose some sleep in pursuit of a dream, a need, a desire to create something beautiful.
The world needs beauty. It needs heroes. It needs these stories. I hope you find as much inspiration in them as I do. And I hope this helps answer some of your questions. Please feel free to leave more if you have them. Cheers.
Care to share? Please feel free to leave your comments below.
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Copyrighted binNotes 2015. All Rights Reserved. All photos courtesy the author.
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Posted in Wine, Wine Tasting | Tagged artisan wine makers, wine, wine makers | 4 Comments
Red Thread™ Exclusive | Damsel Cellars
Posted on February 15, 2015 by binNotes© | a wine blog.
binNotes | a wine blog
Red Thread™ Exclusive | Damsel Cellars
by L.M. Archer, FWS | Bourgogne ML
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“I don’t damsel well. Distress, I can do. Damseling? Not so much.”
― James Patterson, Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports
Welcome to the Red Thread™.
A writer’s job is to listen.
This means allowing wine growers, wine makers, and wine regions a place to say their say on the page.
The Red Thread™ chronicles stories about wine, the red thread that binds us all.
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A winemaker’s story is a true hero’s journey, involving obstacles, an occasional mentor, and the ultimate reward – wine. Details may vary, but never the storyline. Today Mari Womack of Damsel Cellars in Woodinville, WA. shares her story with in the Red Thread.™
I know Mari through her affiliation with Darby Winery, where she runs the tasting room and serves as assistant wine maker. But savoring Mari’s own wines calls to mind a comment our instructor at BIVB in Burgundy sometimes made.
“Ah, yes,” he would say.”This wine captures the personality of the wine maker.” If the remark ended with a sly smile, one knew the wine maker was a woman.
Mari’s wines capture her personality – equal parts elegance and strength. Attending her recent Release event, it’s easy to understand why many consider her a rising star in the Washington wine scene.
NOTE: Mari’s 2012 Damsel Cellars Syrah recently garnered 91 pts. in Wine Enthusiast.
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b/N: Who or what brought you to the world of wine?
MW: My path to winemaking was not a straight line. I began working in restaurants in college and was introduced to some lovely wines and wine/food pairings and a whole new world opened up.
I caught the wine bug and began doing research on my own, attending industry tastings and starting the process that eventually led me to where I am now. I continued to work in the restaurant business and wine was always an interest, but it was relegated to the sidelines until 2011, when I decided it was time to find out what really goes on in the wine business.
First, I began volunteering in tasting rooms in Woodinville and during crush. Soon after, I was hired by Darby Winery to manage the tasting rooms. The one condition of employment I had for Darby was that he would teach me how to make wine.
b/N: Tell readers a little bit about the history of Damsel Cellars. How did it evolve, and what makes it unique?
MW: Damsel Cellars is a project that is still in its infancy. I’m very interested to see how it’s going to evolve. My main goal with Damsel currently is very simple: make great wine that people want to buy and enjoy.
I’m still honing my craft and there are so many variables that go into the process of winemaking. I’m constantly learning and the evolution of Damsel will be directly influenced simply by me getting smarter and better at what I do.
b/N: You currently make wine under three different labels. What, if any, differences do you see in your approach at Damsel Cellars vs. working with your brother at Rivalry or as assistant winemaker at Darby Winery? How do you juggle it all during crush?
MW: I think the major differences between working with the different wines (Damsel, Rivalry & Darby) is really about who is making the final decision during each step of the process.
Damsel, I feel, is really my baby and the purest expression of my style as a winemaker. Rivalry is a wonderful collaboration with my brother and we make decisions together and as the assistant to Darby, he’s definitely calling the shots and I’m helping to execute his vision for his wines.
b/N: Do you consider yourself more old world or new world in your wine making style?
MW: My process isn’t really new or old world. I think there are benefits to learning new techniques and continuing to keep up with the advances of the industry, but wine has been around for a very long time and there is a beauty to simply letting the wine do what it’s going to do with minimal interference.
b/N: Does the concept of terroir influence your wine making at all? Where do you source your grapes? Do you have any favorite AVA’s or vineyards?
MW: I think there are very distinct differences in the grapes coming from the different AVAs in Washington State. I’m specifically intrigued by the nuances in Syrah from the various AVAs. I’m currently sourcing fruit from Boushey Vineyard (Yakima Valley) and Stillwater Creek Vineyard (Wahluke Slope).
My first goal was to find amazing fruit to work with and doing that meant finding great vineyards. I’ve been very impressed with the quality of fruit from both Boushey and Stillwater Creek. I feel going forward I would love to pick up some Syrah from Walla Walla and if there is a little extra Cabernet Sauvignon from Discovery Vineyard in Horse Heaven Hills, I’d be very happy to work with that fruit.
b/N: Do you have any wine region(s) or wine maker(s) that inspire(s) you? If so, why?
MW: I’m around winemakers in Woodinville that are constantly inspiring me. Not only are many of them making delicious wine, they are happy to share their knowledge and experience with the sincere goal of elevating Washington wines. It’s a creative and competitive environment, but competitive in the best sense of the word.
Praise for a Washington winemaker really helps us all and raises the reputation of wine from our region.
b/N: Any insights on being a woman wine maker in Washington state?
MW: All the women working in the wine industry that I’ve met so far have been awesome. The women I know are driven, hardworking and passionate about what they do. As far as being a woman winemaker in Washington, the goal remains the same – to work hard and make great wine.
bN: What are your greatest challenges as a wine maker at Damsel Cellars?
MW: The greatest challenge for Damsel at this point is growing and creating a brand that endures. After only three (3) vintages, I’m finding that making the wine is the fun and easy part; getting out there and selling it is the greater challenge.
bN: Anything else you care to share?
MW: Wine for me is filled with romance and ritual. There is such a rich history to wine that I wanted to be a part of that story. I love the ritual of opening a bottle of wine, pulling the cork, smelling it, pouring that gorgeous liquid into a big decanter and savoring that first sip…it’s romantic and I love it.
bN: Finally: “If wine making has taught me anything, it’s taught me…”
MW: Wine making is teaching me patience. It’s teaching me to slow down, to observe and to wait. So much of wine is a waiting game and patience has never been my strong suit. It’s a challenge, but I’m learning to give the wine time.
Learn more about Damsel Cellars here.
Red Thread™ | Damsel Cellars | ©2015 L.M. Archer from binNotes on Vimeo.
Santé!
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Copyrighted binNotes 2015. All Rights Reserved.
Thank you:
Mari Womack, Damsel Cellars
Images: Courtesy Mari Womack, Damsel Cellars.
Note: binNotes sometimes pours for Darby Winery.
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Posted in Washington State Wineries, Washington Wines, Wine, Wine Maker, Wine Tasting, Woodinville Wine Country, Woodinville Wineries | Tagged Damsel Cellars,Darby Winery, washington state wines, women wine makers, Woodinville Wine Country | Leave a comment
V Day | CC & W+C
Posted on February 13, 2015 by binNotes© | a wine blog.
Welcome to binNotes | a wine blog.
by. L.M. Archer, FWS | Bourgogne ML
Valentine’s Day | 2015
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“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”
― Lao Tzu
May you enjoy conscious coupling with the one you love this romantic holiday…and may it include wine and chocolate…Santé!
Care to share your fave wine and chocolate pairings? Leave your comments below…
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Copyrighted binNotes 2015. All Rights Reserved.
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Posted in Wine | Tagged chocolate, love, Valentine’s Day, wine | Leave a comment
WITWIB? #WWWineSEA 2015
Posted on February 10, 2015 by binNotes© | a wine blog.
Welcome to binNotes | a wine blog.
by. L.M. Archer, FWS | Bourgogne ML
Walla Walla Wine @McCaw Hall | Seattle 2015
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“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.”
― Victor Hugo
No coincidence that Walla Walla Wine chose Seattle’s McCaw Hall to host their 2015 road show. binNotes attended this event, and breaks it down for you in three (3) easy pieces:
I. Lyric
An undeniable musicality underscores the wines of Walla Walla, running the gamut of high, low and mid-notes with varying acumen.
For example, noteworthy performer G. Cuneo Cellars 2011 Bonatello Riserva Sangiovese lilts with supple grace across the palate like a Puccinilibretto, while Kerloo Cellar’s 2012 Upland Grenache pours out with Carmen-esque coloratura, as Gifford Hirlinger 2012 Estate Malbec struts and frets like The Tales of Hoffman.
Scene Stealer: Waitsburg Cellars
Utterly original renditions of old world standards with new-world phrasing.
A tri-part harmony of understated brilliance. Sui generis.
2013 Cheninieres | Snipes Mountain
2013 Chevray | Snipes Mountain
2013 Three White | Yakima Valley
II. Luminous
“Wine is sunlight, held together by water.” Galileo once observed. Apt when referencing the luminous wash of wines from Walla Walla. They illuminate like broad bolts of sunlight across the region’s epic expanse of hills. Something in the sun, soil, soul of the place that pulses through the vines and wines with a super-charged energy. It’s the same savage beauty experienced during my visit to Walla Walla last summer, as noted in Ode to Walla Walla.
III. Luscious
Get real. Most Walla Walla vignerons will tell you that the fruit comes first – they just grow it, then get out of the way, and allow the wine to speak – or sing – for itself. Indeed. Walla Walla belts out some lyrical, luminous, luscious wines.
Santé!
Care to share? Please feel free to leave your comments below.
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Thank you:
Walla Walla Wine Alliance
Copyrighted binNotes 2015. All Rights Reserved.
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Posted in Walla Walla Wineries, Walla Walla, WA., Washington State Wineries, Washington Wines, Wine, Wine Tasting | Tagged McCaw Hall, Walla Walla Wine at McCaw Hall 2015, Walla Walla wines, wine, Wine tasting | Leave a comment
WITWIB? #WTCWAWINE @LakeChelanAVA
Posted on February 3, 2015 by binNotes© | a wine blog.
Welcome to binNotes | a wine blog.
by. L.M. Archer, FWS | Bourgogne ML
Lake Chelan Wine Valley | Top 3 Takeaways
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“Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake.” -Wallace Stevens
Washington State Wine Commission makes it look so easy…
Recently Washington State Wine Commission teed up Lake Chelan Wine Valley trade event portside at World Trade Center Seattle.
binNotes offers top three (3) takeaways from her ‘walk around the lake':
1. Attitude
Lake Chelan Wine Valley boasts a ‘naturally intoxicating‘ effect – and for good reason! The area attracts those drawn to a destination resort lifestyle offering outdoor adventure, first-class farm-to-table fare, and year-round cultural events such as the upcoming Red Wine and Chocolate Festival. It’s easy to fall in love with Lake Chelan Wine Valley, while falling in love with its wine!
2. Altitude
Lake Chelan Wine Valley rims its namesake, a 50.5 mile, 1, 486 foot deep, pristine glacier-formed lake punctuated by sky-high Cascade Mountains. Subsequently, Lake Chelan Wine Valley enjoys ‘the lake effect,’ a moderating influence translating into a longer grape-growing season and less danger of frost. Moreover, Lake Chelan AVA’s unique combination of sandy sediment and crystalline quartz, granite and mica soils add to the wine region’s viticulture complexity.
3. Assortment
Taste through the wines of Lake Chelan Wine Valley, and you’ll find nuanced flavor profiles running the gamut from the bracing Alsatian intricacy of Vin du Lac 2011 Lehm Gewurtraminer, to the crisp Alto Adige clarity of Lake Chelan Winery 2013 Pinot Grigio, to the precise Austrian minerality of Chelan Estate Winery 2008 Pinot Noir.
Varietals also span the spectrum, including Syrah, Viognier, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, Malbec, Barbera and Nebbiolo.
binNotes fave(s):
Super affordable dark-horse Atam Winery 2013 Malbec. A surprisingly silky smooth sipper.
Cairdeas Winery 2013 Southern White Blend. A succulent deck, dock or bonfire-ready blend of Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Picpoul, and Viognier.
Chelan Estates Winery 2008 Estate Grown Pinot Noir. Chiseled, stealthy stunner.
So what are you waiting for? Find your own truth in a ‘walk around the lake’ of Lake Chelan Wine Valley.
Santé!
Care to share? Leave your comments below…thanks for stopping by.
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Thank you:
Washington State Wine Commission
Copyrighted binNotes 2015. All Rights Reserved.
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Posted in Washington State Wineries, Washington Wines, Wine, Wine Tasting | Tagged lake chelan chamber of commerce, lake chelan wine alliance, lake chelan wine valley, Washington State Wine Commission, wine, world trade center seattle | Leave a comment
CI: SBUX RRTR | Zomato Seattle
Posted on January 29, 2015 by binNotes© | a wine blog.
Welcome to binNotes | a wine blog.
by. L.M. Archer, FWS | Bourgogne ML
Culinary Interventions: Starbucks Reserve® Roastery & Tasting Room | Zomato Seattle
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“As long as there was coffee in the world, how bad could things be?” -Cassandra Clare, City of Ashes.
Urbanspoon Loses the Spoon…and adds a Fork!
Greetings, dear readers! Did you know that India’s powerhouse Zomato recently acquired Urbanspoon?
As a food blogger for Urbanspoon, binNotes attended the exclusive Zomato Seattle Meetup at Starbucks Reserve® Roastery & Tasting Room on Capitol Hill to celebrate this union.
Good News:
Starbucks Reserve® Roastery & Tasting Room stole the show, and for good reason:
1. Vision: What were you thinking, Howard Schulz?! Turning a former urban auto garage into a world-class Roastery & Tasting Room?? Guess what? It works.
Not only does it work, it brings full-circle a thirty-year friendship between Schultz and Serious Pie owner Tom Douglas. Both began their careers down the block from one another in Pike Place Market, Schultz at the first Starbucks, Douglas at Cafe Sport. Each have gone on to immense success in their respective fields – yet maintain the friendship, and their dedication to providing superior food and beverage experiences. Starbucks Reserve® Roastery & Tasting Room showcases two maestros collaborating at the height of their innovative powers. Good stuff.
2. Artistry: Howard Schultz creates this sacred space from the heart, and it shows. The site riffs like a great jazz piece. Part Bauhaus, part Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory, and a whole lotta urban chic, it’s a great place to get lost in sensory bliss amidst discrete luxury.
The Roastery boasts over 90% repurposed materials throughout, including a stunning carved staircase, leather-bound railings, and stylish burlap curtains. The jaw-dropper? A colossal Alaskan copper roaster, hand-crafted with devotion by a long-time Starbucks partner.
Settle in at the top Tasting Bar for a front row seat to the swoosh overhead of five (5) different blends of coffee destined from roaster to back bar via an elaborate pneumatic copper tubing system. Get lost in gadgetry at the lower Tasting Bar, home to five (5) different coffee brewers sure to amaze those hankering for more than the usual pour-over.
All Roastery baristas undergo rigorous training in the alchemy and operation of various brewing methods, from Starbucks Clover® to elaborate glass vessels heated over gas flames. The showmanship and technique on display rivals that of the Serious Pie mixologists strutting their stuff topside.
3. Flavor: Belly up for a rare opportunity to taste quality-driven, sustainably-produced brews bound for China and Europe exclusively. You can’t get these pours at any other Starbucks in the United States. Period.
Starbucks Reserve® Roastery & Tasting Room uses only single-source, immaculately-maintained estates throughout the world. Just like fine wine, terroir influences fine coffee. And like fine wine, it takes time to age roasted coffee – typically seven (7) days from initial roasting. Risk less aromatics and more astringency should you opt to drink early. Luckily, knowledgable staff will assist with proper pour times at purchase.
Don’t forget the food! Serious Pie pastries and savories tap dance across coffee-infused palates with impunity. Again, it’s the only Starbucks anywhere to offer Tom Douglas fare. Period.
Enjoy a variety of flatbreads, charcuterie, roasted vegies, tasty salads, and superb wine, beer, and cocktails. Dessert? Double down on cream pie bites, paired with a delicate, I-can’t-believe-this-is-decaf Decaf Costa Rica Bella Vista F.W. Tres Rios. Unlike the coffees, no aging time required on the food pairings.
Bad News:
Only one Starbucks Reserve® Roastery & Tasting Room. In the universe. But so worth a visit.
Santé!
Care to share? Leave your comments below…thanks for stopping by.
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