Cabernet Day Is A Massive Success

 

“How do you taste wine online?” “Is it just me or am I the only one who doesn’t get mass twitter wine tastings?” These are a few of the questions, I’ve heard related to the “taste and tweet” phenomenon. What is the benefit to the mass twitter fury, chatter, and tweet noise? I’ve participated in about a dozen online wine taste and tweet events. Some are small affairs featuring one wine from one winery with a group of 10-15 people. Others are massive world-wide tastings that bring together consumers, trade, aficionados, and beginners for the joy of the grape. The benefits of participating are many!

The intimate twitter tastings have been fun and informative. Experiencing 1 or 2 wines with a group of people, and often times with the winery, opens up my eyes to new things about the business of wine and the joy of drinking it. Each time I walk away with at least one new piece of information and one new twitter friend.

Mass online wine tasting events are an adventure and can often be overwhelming as you sift through the incredible cacophony of chirps and tweets. The recent #Cabernet day, while organized by Rick Bakas of St. Supery winery, quickly grew to be owned by the entire online community. A true use of the organic nature of social media, #Cabernet day was celebrated in New Zealand, Australia, many European countries, South America and North America. I even saw tweets from China as Brian Wing of norcalwingman.com struggled to find good #Cabernet. Several dozen wineries in Walla Walla joined together for a trade celebration. Large meet-ups were organized in Seattle, Phoenix, San Francisco, New York and more. Morton’s Steakhouse restaurant chain promoted #Cabernet day at all of their locations. Five Spokane wineries got on board offering discounts to Cabernet lovers across the city. The result, the king grape Cabernet, showed its worldwide dominance. Pretty amazing for something that started as a single tweet. There is power in an interconnected community that embraces a collaborative spirit.

As I tweeted and tasted three amazing #Cabernet Sauvignon, a few things came to mind. One, wow, people love their Cabernet. The sheer volume of tweets and participants dwarfed the previous tastings I’ve hosted and participated in. Two, consumers were everywhere. Hundreds and thousands of tweets and Facebook wall posts from people not in the “trade” consumed my feed. Three, where was the media or power players? Apart from a large presence from WineLibrary.com and Corkd.com, I saw very little interaction and involvement from those who are proponents and communicators of wine news. Where was Wine Enthusiast or Wine Advocate? How come bloggers and writers like Dr. Vino, Vinography, Tom Wark and others weren’t involved? While I can’t claim to know their schedule or their reasons, it was just a curious observation.

As a newbie to the online community, involvement for me means connecting with people. Keeping up with the blur of tweets is an overwhelming challenge but tasting along with everyone else exposes me to new people and also helps introduce my blog to fellow wine lovers. As a blogger, I want people to read my blog. I write about wine. How often do you get the opportunity to potentially touch 2000-3000 like minded people at once with your brand? For me, not being involved is a missed opportunity in my book.

The Stats

Before I talk about #Cabernet day stats, it is helpful to put it in perspective with other successful broad scale online tastings. Bakas’ first event of the year, #CaliCabs generated about 1400 tweets from 275 participants. Our first Washington based tasting, #WAMerlot, brought 480 people together online for 1900 tweets. On May 6, #Chardonnay swelled to over 600 participants. Earlier in the summer, winetonite.com , suburbanwino.com, and sipwithme.blogspot.com hosted Pinot Noir with 2000 tweets by 325 people. This brings us to #Cabernet. Buzz leading up to the day indicated that the event was going to be massive. The twitter machines seemed to be coming alive with a love of #Cabernet. The result (according to www.wthashtag.com):

7200 tweets by nearly 1750 individuals

In addition to tracking tweets, Booshaka.com indicates that there were over 3500 Facebook wall posts mentioning Cabernet. This, combined with the 50+ in person tasting events easily drives potential participation rates to well north of 3000 people. Imagine the wine sales! Consider the economic impact! Keep in mind the total dollar amount spent to promote the event – $0

Upcoming Online Tasting Events

9/14 - Bubbly Tasting - Grab a sparkler and celebrate http://sparkling.eventbrite.com/ (Hosted by www.atlantawineguy.com)

10/28 – Champagne - Toast to wine made in Champagne, France http://champagne-day.eventbrite.com/ (Hosted by www.vintuba.com)

The NectarView – Hip Hip Hooray for my Cabernet

2007 Skylite Cellars Reserve Cabernet

• The Stuff: 100% Cabernet from three Walla Walla vineyard sources. No specific information available on web site. 13.5% ABV, winemaker Robert Smasne 
• The Swirl: Dark in the glass with about 70% opacity. Wonderfully thick with a slight cloudiness 
• The Sniff: Initially the wine presented a musty barrel room smell. After about an hour of decanting the nose came a live with cedar, dark cherry aromas, tobacco, and hints of burnt campfire wood (like right after you douse it with water). 
• The Sip: Very impressed with the mouth fell of the wine. An immediate attack of cherry fruit envelopes your whole mouth and then dissipates to include black tea and dark chocolate. The oak is well integrated and the finish is full with smoother tannin and nice acidity.  
• The Score: At only $32 this is a superb Cabernet that outperforms the price point. Drinks well with or without food but really shined when paired with our dinner, Guinness Angus burgers and blue cheese. 4/5

Scored 90 pts Wine Advocate and won gold at the 2010 Seattle Wine Awards  

2008 Caymus Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet

• The Stuff: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from various Napa Valley vineyards; 16 months in new French oak; 15.2%ABV; winemaker Chuck Wagner
• The Swirl: Medium body color with crimson highlights in the deep purple hue
• The Sniff: Coy nose with moderate fragrances of cranberry, vanilla and chocolate milk
• The Sip: A very smooth and elegant presentation of a Cabernet that offers up flavors of spiced oak, creamy vanilla and under ripe red berries. The mid-palate feels slightly hollow and the finish offers silky tannin and moderate acidity. Surprising balance with the high ABV as it’s not noticeable.
• The Score: At $60, this isn’t a big full bodied Cabernet that I would expect (especially for the age). The flavor is quite nice and will certainly impress even your most discriminating wine friends. I appreciated the easy sipping and well balanced flavor. 3+/5

2008 Caymus Special Selection Cabernet

• The Stuff: 100% Cabernet from select barrels of various Napa Valley vineyards. 16 months of new French oak; 15.4%ABV
• The Swirl: The dark purple colors are nearly opaque. The clarity is like liquid jewelry and the light refracts across the top.
• The Sniff: Vibrant aromas of eucalyptus, menthol, dark chocolate, and vanilla. A slight under-ripe red berry note is also detectable
• The Sip: An impressively well made wine that showcases the balance of fruit, oak treatment, and Napa Valley Cabernet. The wine has a flavor of thick cream, under-ripe red berries, and what I would imagine an evergreen tree to taste like. The finish is full and lush and the tannins have a surprisingly smooth velvet finish with only a slight chalkiness on the back end.
• The Score: Not many people have $120 to drop on a bottle of wine. If 2008 is a special year for you (celebrating a birth or a wedding), I can definitely recommend this wine as a buy and hold. The Special Selection performs nicely now, but will definitely live up to its price point in 7-10 years. 4/5

Check out this great video from Caymus Vineyards about part of the wine making process. 

*Wine was provided as an industry sample with the intention to review

Cabaret or Cabernet? Both Sound Like Fun

 

Ahhh, Cabaret…what’s not to love about a good French Cabaret? Singing, dancing, fishnet stocking…some Cabarets even tease with a hint of nudity…the whole thing can be quite a fun experience…

What? Cabernet…oh…that’s a completely different thing! Let’s try this again!

Attention, cows! Run in fear! Thursday, September 2 is the official international Cabernet Day. For 24 hours thousands of people across the world will celebrate with the king grape of Bordeaux. Left Bank lovers will longingly lap up the thick juice and their food accompaniment of choice will be a perfect cut of filet mignon or NY strip steak.

Cabernet Day is happening wherever you and Cabernet Sauvignon can be found. You can join at hundreds of Morton’s Steak Houses, dozens of participating wineries, or open your favorite Cabernet and join the online conversation using Twitter or Facebook. Visit the event site for specifics and additional information.

Participate using Twitter:

• Sign in to Twitter
• Talk about your wine
• Make sure your tweet uses the #cabernet hashtag
• Follow the conversation by using http://search.twitter.com/ ( or a program like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck) and search the hashtag #cabernet
• Engage, connect, learn, and have fun

Participate using Facebook:

• Sign in to Facebook
• Go to www.facebook.com/tasteandtweet “like it”
• Talk about your wine by writing on the wall and commenting on others wall posts
• Engage, connect, learn and have fun

Cabernet is so much fun. If you have enough you just might end up with some singing, dancing, fishnet stockings and a chance of nudity too…

Spokane Cabernet Sauvignon

For those of you in the Spokane area, 12 of our local wineries have you covered with 16 different big full bodies Cabernet Sauvignon. I’ve had the privilege of enjoying 13 of these wines and Spokane does Cabernet right! I encourage you to drink local for #Cabernet day and together we can show the world what Spokane winemakers are doing! If, for some reason you need another reason, check out “Eleven Reasons to Participate in #Cabernet Day” from my friend Ben Simons of Vinotology.

ARBOR CREST

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon; $20 – This complex and full-bodied Cab is a delicious blend from five unique vineyard sites in the Columbia Valley. A great value at $20. 3+/5

2007 Sillwater Creek Cabernet Sauvignon; $32 – Fruit from the well- regarded Stillwater Creek Vineyard lends intense concentration and depth to this wine’s black cherry, current, chocolate and cedar flavors. A nicely layered wine that doesn’t go over the top with tannin and pairs well with full bodied food. 4/5 (Recommend)

2006 Kipsun Cabernet Sauvignon; $32 – From one of the warmest, driest and most respected vineyards in Washington State. Sadly I have not experienced this wine.

*This wine is on Paul Gregutt’s “Best Varietally Labeled Cabernet Sauvignon” for Washington State list.

BARILI CELLARS

2008 Cabernet Sauvignon; $22 – Made from grapes from Dineen Vineyards and Seth Ryan Estate Vineyards, this 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon is the good blend of fruit and structure. Boasting chocolate, black raspberry, and a hint of cracked pepper, this wine delivers. Enjoyed this wine during release weekend. Comes across as a big sipper would recommend with food. 3+/5

BARRISTER WINERY

2007 Sagemoor Cabernet Sauvignon; $33 – This Cab is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon from  Sagemoor’s Weinbau Vineyard blended with 15% Merlot and 10% Syrah, both from Sagemoor’s Bacchus Vineyard. The wine has a nose of black cherry, red raspberry and dark cocoa with a hint of vanilla in the background. The Cab has a soft but full mouth feel, a nice mid palate and a finish that will last until your next sip. One of my favorite Cabernet offerings. 4/5 (Strongly Recommend)

*This wine is on Paul Gregutt’s “Best Varietally Labeled Cabernet Sauvignon” for Washington State list.

CATERINA WINERY

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon; $19.95 – This elegant Cabernet Sauvignon sets out a smorgasbord of flavors: plum, cassis, smoke, loam, a hint of the barnyard. It’s nicely balanced, with polished but astringent tannins that carry the flavors into a lingering finish (Wine Enthusiast 90 pts). An incredible Cabernet value. Open and decant to smooth out the finish and aroma. 3+/5 (Value buy)

*This wine is on Paul Gregutt’s “Best Varietally Labeled Cabernet Sauvignon” for Washington State list.

GRANDE RONDE

2008 Bridgepress Cabernet Sauvignon; $39.99 – Seven Hills Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley. 60% New French Oak, 40% one year old French barrels. I have not had the opportunity to try this wine.

2005 Pepperbridge Cabernet Sauvignon; $29.99 – An intense Cabernet that competes with the big boys from Walla Walla. I really enjoyed the full bodied fruit on this wine. It is aging nicely and could see an additional 2-3 years in the bottle before reaching its prime. Recommend decanting. 3+/5

LIBERTY LAKE WINE CELLARS

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon; $28 – This bold Red Mountain Cabernet is loaded with blueberries, plums and cherries. Ample acidity and tannins of green tea strike balance and there is a finish of milk chocolate and more cherries. Love Red Mountain fruit. Big and bold with a little bit of chewiness on the finish. 3+/5 (Recommend)

NODLAND CELLARS

2006 Walla Walla Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon; $45 – This is a classic Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon with big upfront fruit, an amazing mouth feel, and a long finish. Two years in French oak. Only 50 cases made. Limited quantities remain available. One of the finest offerings out of Spokane. It may be pricy for most, be definitely worth it. Drinking well now but will drink even better in 5-10 years. 4+/5 (Strongly Recommend)

OVERBLUFF CELLARS

2007 LaTour Cabernet Sauvignon; $24 – This is a single vineyard, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Made in the new world style, your palate will sense cherry, caramel, chocolate and spice. Exhibits bold front and mid-palate with an elegant and lingering finish. Nicely done. 3+/5

2007 Duality Cabernet; $31 – The Walla Walla Valley terroir shines through in this incredibly complex 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Chocolate, coffee, cherry, spice, toffee and blackberry notes in perfect balance. A well made wine that is still showing a little young. If opening now, decant for 30 minutes or buy and hold for 3-5 years. 3+/5 (Recommend)

ROBERT KARL CELLARS

2006 Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon; $30 – Pure varietal, this captures the house style perfectly, with a ripe blend of brambly berries set against crisp natural acids. Almond candy and chocolate graham cracker flavors appear, reflecting 28 months in 75% new oak barrels. The transition to the silky finish brings a refreshing minerality. -P.G. (Wine Enthusiast, 92pts). Loved this wine. 4/5 (Highly Recommend)

*This wine is on Paul Gregutt’s “Best Varietally Labeled Cabernet Sauvignon” for Washington State list.

TOWNSHEND CELLARS

2002 Cabernet Sauvignon; $27.95 – Aromas of black cherry cola & blackberry introduce flavors of bright plum, blackberry & cherry with an earthy, smokey lingering finish. The oldest “new release” I’ve had. After spending 30 months in oak and FIVE years in the bottle the wine is showing beautifully with several years of life still to come. 4/5 (Recommend)

VINTAGE HILL CELLARS 

2006 Cabernet Sauvignon; $25 – I have not had the privilege of having this wine.

WHITESTONE WINERY

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon; $28 – Spokane’s only fully estate vineyard operation, Michael Haig grows and produces a well balanced Cab that offers medium body, dark cherry fruit, coffee, and a slight minerality. The wine reminds me of an old world presentation of Cab. 3+/5

WAWine Wows the Wine World

Wine and conversation are natural allies. The more one flows, the more the other grows. Wine is a social lubricant and connecting adhesive that brings parties to life and people together. For three hours on June 3, a little thing called Twitter brought thousands of wine lovers together for one purpose; celebrate Washington Wine. While #WAWine may not have been the largest of this year’s tasting events by volume of tweets or number of tweeters, it arguably propelled the largest amount of wineries and businesses into action.

Twitter events are still in their infancy and range from specialized single winery focused events on TasteLive.com to worldwide emphasis events like #Chardonnay hosted by Rick Bakas of St. Supery Winery.  The May Chardonnay event established a benchmark with over 600 people contributing 2700 tweets. Our goal with Washington focused taste and tweets is to educate wineries on the benefits of using social media and to provide a collective state wide event leveraging the momentum of many to bring worldwide attention to Washington State wine. Each event widens the net of participation and awareness.

Success Is Consumer Participation

While big twitter numbers are fun to see, and is certainly an area to give greater focus in the future, the success of WAMerlot and WAWine is consumer participation AT the winery or event location. I like to evaluate each event by looking at the strengths and opportunities.

Strength in Numbers

• 105 wineries and 10-20 retail locations were involved at various levels for WAWine (one out of every six Washington Wineries)
• 370 people on Twitter and about 50 people on Facebook contributed 1850-2000 updates about WAWine.
• Between 1000-1500 (approx) people attended various events across the state
• WAWine was a trending topic in Seattle for most of the three hour event.
• Aggregating the number of followers by the main participants puts brand impressions over ONE MILLION.

For me the highlights that bring the most excitement were the collaborative events that were held by the Cascade Valley Wine Country in Wenatchee and Lake Chelan with 15 wineries representing these smaller areas and close to 100 people celebrating between both locations.  The other highlight is how the Walla Walla community came together at Olives Café with 17 wineries hosting a crowd of over 100.

Opportunities for Future

WAMerlot was the beginning, WAWine was an expansion of the idea and a future event (probably in the fall) will provide many opportunities to enhance the idea and continue education. For WAWine we provided several resources to assist wineries in the promotion of the event (Press Release, Tasting Room flyer, video primer, blogger contact information, etc). For greater success of future events, we’ll focus on the following:

• More lead time communication with wineries
• More aggressive PR to media
• Wineries leveraging Facebook and Email lists to ‘promote’
• Collaborative community events (similar to Walla Walla and Cascade Valley Wine Country)
• More winery connection to wine bloggers

Was WAWine a success? Yes, in huge proportion! Considering that zero money was spent in marketing dollars and the use of Twitter, Facebook, Blogging and Email motivated potentially a few thousand people to drink Washington Wine for a night, the event was a phenomenal success. I believe we’re just scratching the surface.

WAWine Posts you Must See

• DecanterBanter.com enjoys a great time with Cascade Valley Wine Country (VIDEO)
• WildWallaWallaWineWoman.com – Walla Walla comes together at Olives Cafe (VIDEO)
• WineTonite tweets from the East!
• WineRocks in Seattle – 189 Pictures
• Oregon_Wine_Blog – WAWine 140 Characters at a Time
• Wine Peeps – WAWine – Oh What a Night
• Woodinville Wine Update – WAWine Woodinville Style

I want to give a huge thanks to my main partner in crime, Sean Sullivan from www.wawinereport.com and the event sponsors www.washingtontastingroom.com and www.washingtonwine.org. Events like this could not be successful without the collective support of the entire wine writing community across the state (and even some across the country). While support certainly went beyond the co-supporters, we couldn’t have done it without you!

Washington Wine Writers
Josh Wade www.drinknectar.com Twitter: @nectarwine	Sean Sullivan www.wawinereport.com Twitter: @wawinereport
Barbara Evans www.seattlewinegal.com Twitter: @seattlewinegal	Kori Voorhees www.winepeeps.com Twitter: @winepeeps
Catie Walker www.wildwallawallawinewoman.com Twitter: @catie	Doug Haugen www.winomagazine.com Twitter: @winomagazine
Bean Fairbanks www.wine-beer-washington.com Twitter: @winebeerwa	Margot Savell www.writeforwine.com Twitter: @writeforwine
Shona Milne www.woodinvillewineupdate.com Twitter: @shona425	John Cooper www.visityakimavalley.org Twitter: @yakimavalley
Laurie Ross www.sipofspokane.com Twitter: @sipofspokane	Josh Gana; Clive Pursehouse www.theoregonwineblog.com Twitter: @or_wine_blog

 

The NectarView

2007 L’Ecole Perigee

• The Stuff: 100% Estate fruit from Seven Hills Vineyard with 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Cab Franc. Wine spent 22 months in a mix of new and used French oak. 14.5%abv; 1398 cases produced
• The Swirl: Dark crimson purple with a thick cloudy look. Presentation is about 90% opaque with beautiful jewel tones at the edges
• The Sniff: The Perigee is alive on the nose with rich cherry fruit and hints of clove, tobacco and vanilla.
• The Sip: This is a beautiful elegant wine with amazing balance of fruit, spice and structure. A slight sweetness grazes the front of your tongue as the dark cherry flavors wash across the middle of your tongue. Slight earthy leather, tobacco box, and cocoa prepare the finish for a smooth velvety wash.
• The Score: At $49, this wine may be out of reach for most people, but is certainly a wine I would recommend to anyone who has the opportunity to taste, buy or try. I can easily score this a 4 (out of 5). Get it down to $35 and buy a case!

*Wine provided as an industry sample with the intention to review

Chardonnay Twitter Tasting Recap

Twenty four hours of Chardonnay? When I heard the concept I was a little baffled. Previous online tasting events have been confined to a few short hours of frenzy and fury. 2000 tweets crammed into 2 hours can be pretty tough to tackle even for the most experienced twitter addict. The expanded time frame allows for other countries to participate in their own time zones and allows for a very relaxed tasting schedule.

Chardonnay? Really – why Chardonnay? I suppose when you think about it the much maligned US version of the grape isn’t really a great representation of what Chardonnay can be. There’s more to Chardonnay than apple pie and oak buttered toast. One of the most widely planted grapes in the world, Chardonnay is a wine makers grape that can take on many different characteristics shaped by the winemaker. The wine can be “naked,” fermented in stainless steel to showcase the pure essence of the grape. It can be fermented in combinations of new, used, American, or French oak to bring out various vanilla and cedar aroma. The grape can also undergo malolactic fermentation (conversion of tart apple citrus malic acid to smooth rich buttery lactic acid). Chardonnay is truly a world-wide grape with a wide range of appeal.

Hosted by St. Supery Winery’s Rick Bakas, the #Chardonnay tasting brought people together from all corners of the globe. During the tasting, I personally interacted with people from New Zealand, China, France, and South America. These type of events provide a vast opportunity to connect to other wine lovers and learn about the various manifestations of the wine. Rick has previously hosted #CaliCabs, #SauvBlanc, and #WineBlends. Each of these events has changed the way we think about online interaction and wine drinking.

Stats from www.wthashtag.com

#CaliCabs (February 11, 2010) 1400 tweets from 275 participants

#SauvBlanc (March 4, 2010) 2700 tweets from 610 participants

#WAMerlot (March 25) 1900 tweets from 480 participants

#WineBlends (April 1) Didn’t track but this analysis shows great participation

#Chardonnay (May 6) 2400 tweets from 605 participants

Activity for #Chardonnay was spread out over the course of the day which meant that I missed a good portion of the overseas tweets. The format allowed more people to participate on their own schedule but the saturation of tweets was diminished by the extended time.

The NectarView

During the event I had the privilege of tasting through four wines of various styles. The amazing observation was that each wine was completely different and unique and could never have been mistaken for the other. Each wine brought strengths to the table which made for a very fun review. The video is fast paced because I had to taste through four wines in under 8 minutes. Below are the notes and formal scores for each wine.

How Wines Are Reviewed

2009 St Supery Oak Free Chardonnay

• The Stuff: 100% estate fruit Chardonnay (Napa Valley) fermented in stainless steel with no malolactic fermentation. 13.7%abv 
• The Swirl: Golden tone with green hues. There is a mild cloudiness to the wine.
• The Sniff: Bright dynamic citrus notes of lemon and granny smith apples. Seems fizzy on the nose
• The Sip: If I could take a wine and snap it like celery, this would have a sharp crack to it. The fruit play is moderately sour pineapple and grapefruit. The flavors are abundant and the acidity is on the high side. There is a slight effervescence that comes through. The finish is moderate.
• The Score: At $22, I score this wine a solid 3 out of 5. The score is lowered slightly because of the disjointed balance between the fruit, acidity and minerality. It’s a very refreshing wine that I would buy again to pair with spicy food or to take on the boat!

No cellar tracker reviews for 2009 vintage. 2008 vintage has 5 reviews with 87 pt average

2008 Mer Soleil Silver Chardonnay

• The Stuff: 100% Chardonnay from winemaker Charlie Wagner. Fermented in concrete and stainless steel. No malolactic fermentation. 14.8%abv
• The Swirl: Yellow gold tone, clean and clear
• The Sniff: Subdued aroma of honeydew, pear and white tropical flowers. Mild yet intriguing
• The Sip: The impressive part of this wine is the balance from front to back. It does not present itself as an overly round Chardonnay flavor but instead brings hints of honeydew, perfume and minerality (concrete?). The acidity and finish are also very well balance making this wine good for either summer deck sipping or pairing with halibut, rockfish, shrimp, or pork.
• The Score: At $32 this is on the higher price range for most people’s Chardonnay budget but the beauty of the wine’s flavor, balance and finish score it a 3+ out of 5.

This wine comes in the most unique container. The 2008 Mer Soleil Silver is in a grey ceramic bottle.

No cellar tracker reviews for the 2008 vintage. 2007 vintage has 18 scores with 88 pt average

2006 Kiona Winery Chardonnay

• The Stuff: 85% Chardonnay, 9% Chenin Blanc, 3% Rousanne, 3% Viognier. Fermented in 75% stainless and 25% new oak; 13.7%abv with 2500 cases made
• The Swirl: Light pale straw, nearly clear in color. Medium viscosity
• The Sniff: The aromas are slightly disjointed with hints of pear and a baking spice or herb that throws it off a little.
• The Sip: The mouth feel is more reminiscent of a traditional Chardonnay without the heavy coating and thickness. The moderate melon and pear are thrown off by only what I can pinpoint as brown fruit or herbaciousness and soil. It lacks any significant acidity and the finish is limited.
• The Score: At only $10, this wine is no slouch but seems slightly off on the flavor profile. I score this wine 3 out of 5.

Check out JJ and Molly from Kiona Wine as they do a Chardonnay food and wine pairing video.

Cellar tracker score of 87 points on one review

2007 Mer Soleil Barrel Fermented Chardonnay

• The Stuff: 100% estate Chardonnay fermented in 100% new French oak (sorry, no other info)
• The Swirl: Very golden like a blond lager. The gold was so pure it seemed to ooze value and wealth.
• The Sniff: Beautiful notes of honey, sugar, and citrus melon. During a blind tasting of this wine (on another night) I pegged this wine as being the only oak fermented Chardonnay. It’s not overly oaked but the beauty of the vanilla comes through as a giveaway.
• The Sip: Wonderful mouth coating feel without being flabby and buttery. The aromas from the nose repeat themselves here with a balanced acidity that refreshed your palate and creates a crisp lengthy finish.
• The Score: At $35 this is a 4 (out of 5). The Mer Soleil Barrel Fermented Chardonnay brings credibility back to the process of using oak in a balanced and flavorful way. The regal Chardonnay fruit shines and presents a vast array of food pairing potential.

Cellar tracker score of 86 on 9 reviews

**Wines were provided as an industry sample with the intention to review

WAWine Brings Washington to the World

 

 WAWINE EVENT SITE

From the team that brought you WAMerlot on March 25, DrinkNectar, Washington Wine Report, and 12 prominent Washington wine writers are bringing Washington wine to the world through Twitter, Facebook and one hundred on location events.

The June 3 event is a connection between the virtual wine tasting community using social media and wineries across the state. WAWine allows people from across the world to interact with each other while drinking and celebrating Washington wine. Wineries also use the event as a springboard to bring people together inside their tasting room. WAWine is an opportunity to learn, connect and engage regardless of where you are in the world.

The event is sponsored by Washington Tasting Room Magazine and the Washington Wine Commission and will leverage the collective reach of 14 wine writers and Washington wine events Wine Rocks in Seattle, Taste Washington in Spokane and the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla. “Hundreds of wine loving eyes will be on Washington during June. This is a perfect event to kick off the month and connect people,” says the events co-creator, Josh Wade. As wine writers descend on the state, WAWine will get their palate primed for great Washington wine.

The first event in the series, WAMerlot saw millions of brand impressions for Washington state merlot, over 2000 tweets from 500 people on Twitter and over 1000 people in 80 locations across the state! Leveraging the momentum from WAMerlot, WAWine will bring even greater exposure to the variety and complexity of wine that grows in Washington.

HOW DO YOU PARTICIPATE?

Participation is simple. Visit the event site for details and tips. Support one of the participating wineries by buying one or more bottles of Washington wine and join in one of three ways: 

• Join in person at one of the participating wineries! Follow this link to see who is hosting an event.
• Log on to Twitter at 5pm Pacific Time on Thursday, June 3 and follow the hashtag #WAWine. To be connected with other participants be sure to use the words #WAWine in all your tweets.
• Lot on to Facebook and join the community at http://facebook.com/tasteandtweet. You can use this page to upload photos, share your experiences and connect with others.

Attention Wineries

Visit the WAWine for Wineries page to see how you can maximize the event.

• Social Media Tutorials
• Media Packet
• Downloadable print materials
• 7 ways to maximize sales
• and more…

Attention Wine Writers and Trade

We will be intentionally connecting YOU to Washington Wineries. Please register at the event site so we can connect with you, or leave a comment below.

ABOUT DRINKNECTAR.COM

DrinkNectar.com is an independent blog dedicated to exploring wine and coffee. Using primarily video reviews, DrinkNectar begins its focus in Spokane, WA and moves out to cover the Northwest and the rest of the wine world. DrinkNectar.com began in November 2009 and is now ranked among the top 10 wine blogs in the country by traffic and engagement (according to PostRank.com/wine). Josh Wade is the editor and also contributes for Corkd.com.

ABOUT WASHINGTON WINE REPORT

Washington Wine Report is an independent blog focused on bringing Washington wine to readers and bringing readers to Washington wine. The goal is to help readers select Washington wines at a variety of price levels, to keep up-to-date about the state’s wineries, vineyards, and individuals, to help plan trips to wine country and to connect people to the larger wine community. Washington Wine Report blog began in June 2007. Sean Sullivan is the editor.

Event Sponsors
Washington Tasting Room Magazine www.washingtontastingroom.com Twitter: @watastingroomWashington Wine Commission www.washingtonwine.org Twitter: @tastewashingtonDonate Dine & Wine	One Sponsorship Available
Washington Wine Writers
Josh Wade www.drinknectar.com Twitter: @nectarwine	Sean Sullivan www.wawinereport.com Twitter: @wawinereport
Barbara Evans www.seattlewinegal.com Twitter: @seattlewinegal	Kori Voorhees www.winepeeps.com Twitter: @winepeeps
Catie Walker www.wildwallawallawinewoman.com Twitter: @catie	Doug Haugen www.winomagazine.com Twitter: @winomagazine
Bean Fairbanks www.wine-beer-washington.com Twitter: @winebeerwa	Margot Savell www.writeforwine.com Twitter: @writeforwine
Marcus Pape www.winechatr.com Twitter: @winechatr	Shona Milne www.woodinvillewineupdate.com Twitter: @shona425
Barbara Glover www.wineyakimavalley.org Twitter: @wineeyak	John Cooper www.visityakimavalley.org Twitter: @yakimavalley
Laurie Ross www.sipofspokane.com Twitter: @sipofspokane	Josh Gana; Clive Pursehouse www.theoregonwineblog.com Twitter: @or_wine_blog

Additional Sponsorship by:

Maximize Participation in WAMerlot

The online Washington Wine Tasting Event of the year is on March 25. This leaves only a little time to secure your Washington Merlot and prepare your activity for the evening. The beauty of a Twitter Tasting is that you can participate however you feel comfortable. With nearly 80 Washington State wineries participating and hopefully 1000 tweeters, there will be plenty of opportunity to join the conversation. Think of it as a giant cocktail party. You may not be a part of every conversation happening in the room, but the opportunity to network, connect with other wine lovers, and learn about Washington State wine and the great wineries is awesome! You can even participate from the comfort of your living room…in your boxers (just close the blinds).

Below are two videos that showcase ways to maximize your participation in a taste and tweet event.

WINO PARTICIPATION

• If you’re near a participating winery – stop by their tasting room for a bottle of their Merlot. Join them for the event on March 25, starting at 5PM.
• OR…Get a group of friends together and host a tweet-up. You can do this from home or at a local bar or restaurant (just make sure they have Washington Merlot).
• OR…Shop local! Support your local wine shops and buy a Washington Merlot to drink from the comfort of your own home.
• Follow along on Twitter using the hashtag #WAMerlot (video shows instructions).
• Tweet what you’re drinking, join in the conversations, share your tasting notes.
• After the event you can search the hashtag #WAMerlot to follow new wine lovers and connect with the wineries
• HAVE FUN!

*If you’re not on Twitter, follow along at http://search.twitter.com – enter #WAMerlot in the search box to follow along.

WINERY PARTICIPATION TIPS

• Sign up at http://wamerlot.eventbrite.com so we can properly promote you before and after the event
• Promote your tasting room gathering using your email list, Facebook fan page, and on Twitter (use the #WAMerlot hashtag so we can re-tweet you)
• Offer a special on your Merlot through the event
• During the event, encourage people in your tasting room to tweet using the #WAMerlot hashtag. Even better, have them mention you too!
  • Some wineries are projecting a twitter stream on a wall for a visual Twitter interaction too
• Hopefully you’ll be busy, but if you have the opportunity tweet fun facts about your winery, Merlot, and Washington State
• Interact and have conversations with people tweeting
• After the event, search the #WAMerlot hashtag to follow new wine lovers and connect with people who mentioned you and were drinking your wine.
• HAVE FUN!

This is a celebration of Washington Merlot. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to @ me or DM me (@nectarwine) or send me an e-mail josh@nectarcoffeeandwine.com

This event would not be the success it is without the inspiration and participation of the following people on Twitter @RickBakas, @WAWineReport @SeattleWineGal @WineBeerWA, @Shona425, @yakimavalley @wineeyak, @wbcorbust, @nwwineandre, @catie, @lunabeanmedia

 

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