Wine & Dine

Paul Gregutt
Wine adviser

Q. What is the best strategy for serving white wine? Chill it and let it warm up? Put it in an ice bucket? Leave it at cellar temperature?
A. Let’s talk about dry white wines first. My personal tastes run to less oaky styles, with plenty of acid and perhaps some herbal or mineral qualities. These wines can be very aromatic, so you do not want to over-chill them. Putting white wines in an ice bucket will chill them down to a point where you can’t smell much, and that means you are missing out on a lot of pleasure.
With a very fat, oaky chardonnay you may want to leave it in the ice bucket in order to give the wine some spine. And for sparkling wines an ice bucket is a good choice, although I personally don’t like to let them sit in there once they have chilled down.
For most dry white wines, I suggest you pop them into the fridge for about an hour, then serve them. You can also put them in the freezer for about a half hour, but set a timer so you don’t forget them or they’ll push their corks out. An even quicker way is to keep a wine chiller sleeve in the freezer; these re-usable sleeves slip over the bottle and bring it down to the proper temperature in just a few minutes.
It’s best not to leave unopened bottles in the fridge for days on end; the humidity is too low and the corks may dry out.
Sweet white wines may be chilled down to Champagne temperatures. Then let them gradually warm in the glass.

Paul Gregutt, author of “Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide,” can be reached at wine@paulgregutt.com.

Paul Gregutt
Wine adviser

When stating its case for joining the elite ranks of world-class wine regions, Washington has a bit of “splainin” to do.
It’s not that the wines don’t make the grade. But this state’s unusual geographic conditions, which have split growers and winemakers into separate camps, look a bit peculiar to those outside the region.
For example, the first time I met Cayuse winery founder Christophe Baron, he introduced himself as a vigneron. Vigneron is a French word that incorporates both wine-grape growing and winemaking. A vigneron is someone who owns the land, farms the grapes and makes the wine, usually all in the same place. It is the classic European model for wine production.
In Washington, the grape-growing industry began mostly as an adjunct to other types of farming. Columbia Valley and Yakima Valley farmers who were heavily invested in orchards, row crops, mint and hops decided to try planting a few acres of wine grapes. Some of those original vineyards are now 30 or 35 years old and going strong. A few have resulted in sizable, family-run winemaking operations.
But they remain the exception. Most of the wineries that have put Washington on the quality map have been small boutiques whose owners have purchased grapes. Often the grapes are grown hundreds of miles from the winery and trucked through desert, over mountains and sometimes across the water to be crushed and fermented.
Zut alors! No self-respecting French winemaker would condone such methods. Leave that to the négociants. The true vigneron, you see, knows that great wines are made in the vineyard.
I’m not saying that there haven’t been great wines made in Washington under these conditions, because there certainly have been. However, I cannot overstate the importance and significance of the recent appearance of more and more well-established growers who are now turning to winemaking on a serious scale.
Three recent examples are Milbrandt Vineyards, Gamache Vintners and Airfield Estates.

Milbrandt Vineyards
Brothers Butch and Jerry Milbrandt didn’t plant their first grapes until 1997 but have quickly grown to farm some 750 acres — mostly red — in Washington’s great new Wahluke Slope appellation. North of George, they have 600 acres planted at the Evergreen vineyard — a high-elevation (1,350 feet) site that will be part of the proposed Ancient Lakes AVA. Here the Milbrandts grow mostly Riesling, much of which goes into Ste. Michelle’s Eroica and Charles Smith’s Kungfu Girl brands.
Wanting complete control over the finished product, the brothers opened The Wahluke Wine Company in 2005 just outside Mattawa and began making wines for themselves. They hired a veteran hand, Gordon Hill, to do the winemaking. Ron Bunnell consults, and Jim McFerran is the lead viticulturalist.
The production facility is purely functional, no frills. The first metal shed was barely up in time for the crush in 2005. Initially the Milbrandts planned for a capacity of 250,000 gallons, hoping gradually to grow to that size. The winery was immediately too small, as other winemakers leased production space as fast as it could be added on. They quadrupled capacity to 1 million gallons in 2006, and plan to add another half-million gallons this year.
This combination of large vineyard holdings, a sizable on-site production facility and knowledgeable professionals supervising every aspect of the winemaking pays off where it counts — in the bottle.
The first releases of Milbrandt wines include two “tiers” named Traditions and Legacy. Among the Traditions wines are an off-dry, delicately floral Riesling ($12); a fresh and bracing chardonnay ($15); and a fleshy, vanilla-laced merlot ($15).
The Legacy wines are highlighted by a wonderful syrah ($25) with deep cherry and boysenberry fruit, tart acids that hint at lemon rind, a sharp peppery streak and a finish that somehow suggests chocolate and pineapple candy. The solid, appealing cabernet sauvignon and spicy, chocolatey merlot (both $25) are each broadly flavorful and engaging. There is also a pair of single vineyard chardonnays, from Sundance and Evergreen ($20). Both are recommended, but the Evergreen is my favorite.
These all feature a clever, tear-off back label to help you remember the wine.

Gamache Vintners
I first brought the wines of Gamache Vintners to your attention in a column written in March 2005, when these Columbia Basin growers had just released their first cabernet. Another brother operation, the Gamache vineyards date back to the early 1980s. Bob and Roger Gamache (pronounced guh-MASH) have grown grapes for such prestige wines as Northstar merlot, Eroica Riesling and Columbia Crest reserve cabernets. Abeja, Long Shadows and Tamarack are also customers.
Gamache Vintners’ production is up to 3,000 cases, and the lineup is expanding as the brothers add new plantings of such trendy varietals as malbec and roussanne. Gamache wines are made by Charlie Hoppes, and their new winery will be located adjacent to his Fidélitas winery on the lower slopes of Red Mountain.
Why did they get into winemaking after two decades as successful growers? “We were swallowed up for years by the big company (Ste. Michelle)” says Bob Gamache. “We wanted to see what we could do on our own. People have picked up on the fact that we make 100-percent varietal/100-percent estate wines. They say there’s something different about this. It made us think we might have accidentally stumbled on something here,” he says with a grin.
Personally, I love the pure varietal/estate vineyard concept, but it is very difficult to do well. Gamache has all the necessary ingredients to make it a success: established vines and a track record for carefully nurturing them, an experienced winemaker and a clear sense of varietal character.
It all comes through nicely in the 2005 Estate Merlot ($24) and 2004 Estate Syrah ($28), substantial wines that are still quite young and a bit rough around the edges. The 2004 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($28) breaks the pure varietal mold slightly with the addition of about 6 percent cabernet franc. Nonetheless, it’s a very firm, spicy and attractive wine from vines that were planted in 1985.

Airfield Estates
Airfield Estates opened its distinctive tasting room in the Prosser Vintner Village earlier this spring. The Miller family has owned and operated vineyards north of Prosser for almost 40 years, and they tell a very entertaining story about the origin of the winery name.
The “official” story is that H. Lloyd Miller leased land before World War II to the Olympic Air Transport Company, supposedly for an airbase to train South American fighter pilots. The “unofficial” story is that Olympic was really a C.I.A. front for a series of small airbases guarding the Hanford nuclear reservation, which was refining plutonium for the first atomic bombs.
In any event, Miller got his land back in 1950, along with some excellent buildings, and his son Don began planting grapes in 1968 at the urging of Dr. Walter Clore. Today Airfield Estates grows 25 different varietals on 750 acres.
Winemaker Marcus Miller is a recent graduate of Walla Walla Community College’s viticulture and enology program. Airfield’s first four releases consist of a luscious 2006 Pinot Gris ($16); a crisply styled 2006 Sauvignon Blanc ($14); a pretty, compact 2005 Merlot ($22); and an unctuous, buttery 2006 Riesling Ice Wine ($28).

Pick of the week
Morgan 2006 Monterey Sauvignon Blanc, $16.  When I want a truly refreshing, crisp, fruity and palate-pleasing white wine on a warm summer day, I almost always turn to this marvelous grape. New Zealand and France, Italy and Chile, Washington and California all make stand-up sauv blancs, so there are plenty of great choices. But I can’t think of a better bottle from Monterey than this new release from Morgan, aromatic and tart and loaded with grapefruit, citrus and sweet grass flavors. Just a touch of new oak was used, adding welcome spice to the finish.

Paul Gregutt, author of “Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide,” can be reached at wine@paulgregutt.com.

By Paul Gregutt
Wine adviser

Q. What about the physical designing and construction of a cellar? Can you recommend where to buy racks, a room cooler vs. just bottle coolers, etc.?
A. This is a big topic, which I cannot begin to cover in this brief column. However, there are many good options for doing your research. You will need to start by gathering some basic information about the size and location of the space you have available (basement, closet, garage), the amount of wine you want to store (10 cases, 100 cases, 250 cases), the temperature and humidity fluctuations in your proposed cellar space throughout the year, and how fancy or plain your budget will allow your cellar to be.
For a dedicated cellar space you’ll most likely need to install a room cooler. If you only want to cellar a couple of hundred bottles, you might save money with a free-standing wine refrigerator. Free advice on cellar design and appliances is available from Wine Enthusiast 800-377-3330 or www.wineenthusiast.com. ( I write for the company’s magazine, but have no connection or interest in their wine-cellar sales). Most local companies that design and build custom cellars will also offer free consultations.
Designing my own wine cellar was one of the most interesting and rewarding remodel projects I have ever done. (And believe me, I’ve done many!). My best advice is to build something that protects the wine and offers you easy access to your collection. Fancy displays and lighting really run up the costs. Better to spend that money on wine.

Paul Gregutt, author of “Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide,” can be reached at wine@paulgregutt.com.

By Paul Gregutt
Wine adviser

My recent columns on the growing acceptance of Stelvin (screw-cap) closures for both white and red wines have brought a flood of interesting reader mail. I do appreciate the thoughtfulness that goes into many of these communications. Here are some of the most interesting comments.
Some readers, I learned, reject screw-caps on environmental grounds:
“I object to screw-caps,” wrote David S. “A whole region of Portugal depends on cork oak trees for the livelihood of the people that live there. If they can’t make money by harvesting cork, they will likely cut down the trees and develop their beautiful oak savannah landscape into some economic usage that wrecks the feel of the place. Yay for cork in wine bottles!”
“In the past I would have agreed with your article on screw-caps,” wrote Kenneth B. “I thought corks were retained for their snob appeal. However, an article in National Wildlife magazine about a year ago explained how important the cork trees are to areas of Spain. The groves are important for wildlife and their production of cork prevents them from being bulldozed down and developed for condos or manufacturing. The article said the biggest threat came from the plastic type corks.”
While I have not read the National Wildlife story, this concern about saving the cork forests seems to be the latest volley in the escalating PR assault from the cork producers. Honestly, these arguments don’t pass the sniff test. What cork producers need to do is improve their product, so that bad corks do not ruin perfectly good wine. It is not the responsibility of wineries to fund the preservation of forests by purchasing faulty corks! As I wrote, wineries that use natural cork are still very much in the majority, and likely to remain so. And to make the record perfectly clear, I do not like or endorse plastic corks.
Onward. Some readers, it seems, don’t trust screw-caps:
“I am a huge fan of New Zealand sauvignon blancs,” writes Julie O. “Someone recently told me to stay away from screw tops because they put ether (I think) in them to help preserve them. I think he is thinking of the older cheaper wines that had screw tops. Your thoughts?”
No worries, Julie. I can’t find any reference to ether or anything remotely like it in conjunction with the manufacture of screw-caps. Wines are bottled with small amounts of sulfur dioxide. That may be what your friend was thinking of.
Here’s a different anti-screw-cap gripe, this from a reader in Canada:
“No argument about the quality of screw top wines but … in order to drink the wine it is necessary to be able to open the bottle. Having just returned from Australia I consumed plenty of wines with screw tops. Almost without exception they were difficult, if not impossible, to open. There is no serrated line to cut prior to turning, and turning by hand takes more strength than either my wife or I have. We have now resorted to using a pair of channel locks to open the top. Greatly needed are either an easier opening top or a device to replace a corkscrew.”
Good news. There are corkscrews made with a special fitting for wrenching off screw-caps. Check with your local wine shop and if they do not have one in stock, they should be able to order it for you.
“I’m not sure how something as nefarious as the oft-touted metal and plastic-based screw-caps can be considered a positive for the wine industry,” grumps Terry G. “These  ‘popular’ caps will add extra, non-biodegradable substance to our over-flowing landfills. Stick with cork; it’s fast growing, sustainable and biodegradable. With sulfites, pesticides and migrant worker labor being troublesome issues for the wine industry, would it be too much to ask to keep something that makes as much sense as a cork for our wine bottles?”
I will do further research on the environmental questions raised by Terry, but the main point I was making is that cork taint is a very real problem that affects a significant amount of wine. What do you suppose is the economic and environmental impact of all that wasted product?
“Another article on corks versus screw-caps,” writes Mark N., “and yet the central issue never seems to be fully addressed:  Is atmospheric oxygen involved in the aging process of wine? If that question is fully answered (and assuming the answer is ‘yes’) then it becomes a simple issue for both producer and consumer. Do I expect this wine to have aging potential? Then only buy it if it has a cork stopper. Do I care if New Zealand sauvignon blancs have screw-caps? No.”
Mark, I don’t think anyone would argue that corks are permeable, and allow some gentle oxidation to occur. But you are mistaken when you say that screw-caps do not. There are screw-caps that are designed to allow bottles to breathe, and wineries can choose the desired level of porosity. Aging wines under screw-cap has been (and is being) thoroughly researched. Winemaker James Mantone (of Syncline Wine Cellars) sent me this on aging (and bottling) wines under screw-cap:
“I just read your new article on Stelvin closures and white wines,” he writes, “and this is obviously a subject dear to me as we have recently gone ‘cork free’ at Syncline Wine Cellars. I have struggled with the idea of using such an anaerobic seal on wine for a number of years and began my experiments cautiously. The first wines bottled under screw cap were rosé and viognier. As we gained experience we have learned to deal with the potential anaerobic/reductive environment by modifying our winemaking techniques. Interestingly, this has led us back to some ‘traditional’ techniques:  extended lees aging, lees add-backs, bigger barrels, older barrels.
“In addition, we have noticed quite an effect on our sulfur dioxide levels. Under cork we may have gone in the bottle with 25-35 ppm sulfur dioxide. Six months later it was 15 ppm, and one year later it was 8-12 ppm. Under screw-cap the sulfur dioxide levels at six and 12 months remain the same as at bottling! This means that we are now going into the bottle with lower sulfur dioxide levels than previously and still maintaining a higher level of protection for aging.
“In relation to red wines and screw-caps, it took a bit more convincing before I was ready to make the move. Then I was exposed to 15-year-old Riesling under screw-cap that had all the petrol and waxy character you would expect from an older Riesling, yet it still tasted of lime and apricot flavors. This led me to believe that two processes are occurring in bottle: maturation and oxidation.
“Maturation is the development of the mature flavors and seems to occur even in an anaerobic condition, while oxidation is the degradation of the fruit, secondary flavors, and stability of the wine. I am therefore completely in support of screw-caps and the new vino-lock glass for white and red wines.”
Thank you James!
Pick of the Week
Covey Run 2004 “Quail Series” Syrah, $9. With the Washington Wine Month promotion in full swing, you may be able to find this budget-priced syrah for even less than the listed price. It offers hints of what make syrah such a rising star grape here in Washington. For a light red it has a bit of peppery bite, tart cranberry fruit, crisp acids and a lifted, citrusy finish. A good every day effort.

Paul Gregutt, author of “Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide,” can be reached at wine@paulgregutt.com.

Paul Gregutt
Wine adviser

Q. We’re looking for an interesting summertime dessert (not too heavy, not too alcoholic) that will work well with wine. Any ideas?
A. How about a dessert that is wine? Quady winery, best known for its sweet, Muscat-based wines, makes both a white and a red called Electra that brings something special. Made from the Orange and Black Muscat varieties, these are just four and five percent alcohol respectively, and finished in a lightly spritzy (frizzante) style.
Apart from the welcome relief that they offer from high alcohol fruit bombs, the extremely low alcohol of these wines means that you can freeze them. Pour the wine into a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and pop it in the freezer. It will take some hours to crystallize, and when completely frozen it can be easily chopped up into a granité (slushy) consistency. I’ve tried it and it is the easiest dessert you can possibly make that will absolutely dazzle your guests.
Electra wines sell for around $13 and are widely distributed in area supermarkets, wine shops, Fred Meyer and Cost Plus.
Paul Gregutt, author of “Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide,” can be reached at wine@paulgregutt.com.

Paul Gregutt
Wine adviser
   Oregon’s annual ode to pinot noir — the International Pinot Noir Celebration — was exceptional in almost every way this year. It was the 21st and the group’s president Alex Sokol-Blosser welcomed attendees by exclaiming “We’re 21 — we can drink now!”
The 2007 IPNC held last month on the campus of McMinnville’s Linfield College brought together winemakers from Oregon, California, New Zealand, Australia, Chile and Burgundy.
The featured seminar, dubbed “The Secret Life of Pinot Noir,” focused on Champagne and sparkling wines made from the versatile grape, while the bus tours took small groups to visit wineries for a closer look at appellations in Oregon and elsewhere.
Keynote speaker Georg Riedel, the tenth generation to take the helm of his family’s crystal stemware company, came to introduce a new Oregon pinot noir glass. “The wine is the music and the glass is the speaker,” Riedel proclaimed. “It conveys the message that the winemaker has put into the bottle.”
You may wonder, as I did, why Riedel needed yet another version of a pinot noir glass. Setting that question aside, I confess it was a lot of fun to schlub through dozens of wines while testing a new piece of gear. Wine drinkers, like golfers, never get enough gadgets. Perhaps, like a new putter, the Oregon pinot glass has a bit of magic in it.
With total attendance up to almost 800 this year, the emphasis on smaller, intimate group activities was especially welcome. Everyone gets a mystery bus trip to an unknown destination, accompanied by several winemakers.
This year we visited Adelsheim winery, a welcome chance to see David Adelsheim, one of the original founders of the Oregon wine industry. Unlike his mostly retired peers (David Lett, Dick Erath and Dick Ponzi), Adelsheim remains very much involved with his winery and IPNC.
Joining Adelsheim were winemakers from Scott Paul, August West, New Zealand’s Muddy Water winery and Burgundy’s Domaine Aleth Girardin. The appellation seminar included nine different wines, four of them from Oregon, and was intended to help tasters discover flavor characteristics that might be typical for each region.
To put it bluntly, I am not a fan of the newly installed appellations, six in all, that have divvied up the old, familiar Willamette Valley AVA in Oregon. Yes, you can make the argument that by itself it is too broad, just as the Columbia Valley AVA here in Washington is too broad. But the six new AVAs that have recently been designated — Chehalem Mountains, Ribbon Ridge, Yamhill-Carlton District, Eola-Amity Hills, McMinnville and Dundee Hills — seem to me to be the uneasy result of political wrangling, obtuse soil studies and an almost slavish devotion to the Burgundian paradigm.
The argument that is most commonly offered for these hair-splitting appellations is that they have different soil types, but it was pointed out by more than one winemaker that most of them are not limited to a single soil type but are quite diverse. In fact, if soil type is to be the motivating factor for defining AVAs, then many individual vineyards could be chopped up into bite-sized pieces.
Furthermore, most Oregon pinot noir labels already give you a lot of useful information. Along with Willamette Valley, many have the option to use Yamhill County. The majority of bottlings carry the name of a single vineyard, and sometimes a specific vineyard block or clone. How does a new AVA add any value to all that?
In fact, the name of the winery is always your first and best indication of style and quality. With the possible exception of Dundee Hills, these AVAs simply create more confusion.
For many of us lucky enough to call the Northwest home, it is remarkable to see the tremendous growth, both in quality and sheer numbers, of the region’s wineries. I visited some newcomers in Yamhill County while I was at IPNC, and I encourage you to add the region to your must-visit list.
The little town of Carlton is a great place to start. There are close to a dozen tasting rooms clustered there, along with another 10 wineries headquartered at the Carlton Winemakers’ Studio. I stopped in at Scott Paul, a 3,000-case boutique making elegant pinots with no fining, no filtering, no laboratory yeasts, no enzymes, no additives, no concentrators and no mechanical manipulation. In other words, authentic, real, un-fudged wine.
As owner Scott Wright explains, “We want to be one of the standard bearers for elegance. There can be tenderness in the heart of a lot of fruit.” Wright also imports a fine selection of Burgundies (available in Seattle through Cordon Selections) so tasting-room visitors may sample French pinots alongside the local juice.
Among my other visits were stops at Four Graces, where I enjoyed a lusciously leesy 2006 Pinot Gris; Winter’s Hill, a family-run winery practicing salmon-safe, sustainable viticulture; and Sineann, where winemaker Peter Rosback served up samples of his soon-to-be-bottled 2006s, most notably a stunning Cold Creek vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Another treat was Aaron Lieberman’s 2004 Cottonwood winery Marina Piper Pinot Noir, a soft and silky style of pinot that nicely captures the varietal essence of the finicky grape.
IPNC offers registration first to those who attended this year’s event, but check the Web site (www.ipnc.org) or call 800-775-4762 if you’d like to be on the notification list for tickets to the 22nd Celebration, scheduled for July 25–27, 2008.
Pick of the week
Bergevin Lane 2006 Calico White, $15. Many fine Viogniers are being made in Washington, and the popularity of this bright, floral white wine is soaring. Still, it is difficult to find a good one in the affordable ($15 and under) price range. So I’m offering up this delicious Calico White from Bergevin Lane, which blends two-thirds chardonnay with one-third viognier — enough to get the gist of it. Orange peel aromas set up the crisp flavors, and it has a delightfully zippy palate-cleansing presence.
Paul Gregutt, author of “Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide,” can be reached at wine@paulgregutt.com.

Paul Gregutt
Wine adviser
Q. What’s a good, inexpensive, surefire, all-purpose white wine for summer picnics? Not chardonnay!
A. Nothing wrong with chardonnay, but what I love in the summer is sauvignon blanc. Whether it’s a crisp Sancerre from France, or a zippy, lime-loaded New Zealand wine, or something from right here in Washington, you’ll find that the sauvignon blanc grape matches well with a wide array of summer salads and picnic foods.
For an especially good value, try the Columbia Valley bottling from Snoqualmie. Their 2006 Sauvignon Blanc sells for around $7, is widely distributed, and delivers light and fresh flavors of herb, melon and citrus.
Paul Gregutt, author of “Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide,” can be reached at wine@paulgregutt.com.

Paul Gregutt
Wine adviser
Brett and Denise Isenhower grew up in Midwest farm families, studied pharmacy and came to Walla Walla — and winemaking — after trying their hand at home-brewed beer. Isenhower Cellars was bonded as the Valley’s 23rd winery in 1999, and made their first vintage at what is now Abeja.
They recall that time with fondness. It was easy to meet everyone back then, and people pitched in willingly to help them find grapes. “Christophe (Baron), Rusty (Figgins) and Casey (McClellan) helped us find fruit,” says Brett. “It was a matter of ‘what can I get’ more than ‘what do I want?’”
These days, Isenhower is a confident player on the Walla Walla stage, sourcing fruit from all over the state, and making exceptionally good wines. I like the attitude that these wines convey — youthful, fresh, convivial and accessible, yet offering quality and complexity across the board.
“Wine represents a place better than any other agricultural crop,” Brett believes. “When it’s made with respect from vineyard to the bottle, it represents that slice of earth better than anything else.”
Recommended selections from Isenhower Cellars’ new releases.

• Isenhower 2006 Snapdragon Roussanne, $19. Isenhower regulars may remember this as Snapdragon White, but in 2006 the roussanne grape gets its name on the label, though the blend still includes a good proportion of viognier. It’s a racy, tasty, lightly peppery white wine.
• Isenhower 2006 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Roussanne, $22. For a few dollars more the winery offers this single vineyard roussanne, a denser, more fragrant and floral wine, with fruit flavors of white peach and pear.
• Isenhower 2005 Wild Thyme, $22. Isenhower does not hesitate to change blends and vineyards from vintage to vintage, and this edition of Wild Thyme is quite different from the 2004. This time around syrah makes up 60 percent of the blend (the rest is cabernet), and the interplay between the two creates a delightful mix of fruit, spice, herb, rock, acid, barrel and tannin. The star of the show.
• Isenhower 2005 Red Paintbrush, $26. This Bordeaux blend — mostly cabernet and merlot — is the first time the wine carries a Walla Walla appellation, and the first time it does not include syrah in the mix. It’s distinctive, evocative and stylish.
• Isenhower 2005 Wild Alfalfa Syrah, $28. This young, tart and tannic blend of grapes from the Horse Heaven Hills and Red Mountain appellations will please those who like a tight, herbal, snappy, peppery, Washington take on syrah. I believe this will age quite nicely for 6-8 years.
• Isenhower 2004 Bachelor’s Button Cabernet Sauvignon, $32. This is pure cabernet from 35-year-old vines. Brambly, delicate, ripe and detailed, this is a lovely bottle of wine.

A summer case of fresh, affordable Washington white wines
I think it’s safe to say that there have never been so many outstanding new Washington wines in the market, at great prices, as there are this summer. Let’s face it, there have never been so many wineries making them. Competition is tough. I’m finding better, truer flavors among these lower-priced wines than I can ever recall.
As a group, Washington’s 2006 white wines are balanced, crisp, fresh and appealing. Most have moderate alcohol levels; many are fermented in stainless steel for added verve and fruit forward flavor. I’ve listed my top dozen, ranked in order (a few favorites are missing, because they have been written up in recent columns). You’ll find some exciting newcomers on this list, along with some old friends. Bottom line:  These are all fragrant, crisp wines that will score in the 88 to 90 point range. In other words, affordable bottles you may turn to with confidence for any outdoor summer sipping. No need to fuss, just keep them chilled — not frozen! — and enjoy.

• Milbrandt Vineyards 2006 “Traditions” Riesling, $12. The Milbrandt brothers own some of Washington’s most desirable vineyards. They’ve launched their winery with this off-dry, leesy, delicately floral riesling.
• Gordon Brothers 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, $13. This light-on-its-feet, slightly peppery sauvignon blanc captures the grassy sweetness of the grape, and lingers into a long, elegant and satisfying finish.
• Upland Estates 2006 Gewürztraminer, $14. This little gem perfectly showcases the mix of flower, body powder, citrus and stone that makes a good gewurz. Off-dry, graceful and elegant.
• Cuvée Lucia 2006 Celilo Vineyard Pinot Gris, $15. From Andrew Will, this forward, ripe pinot gris sends out flavors of tangerine, lemongrass and sweet herb. An elegant wine for those who prize nuance.
• Snoqualmie 2006 “Naked” Riesling, $11. Round, spicy fruit accented with flavors of lemon tea and hints of sweet honey. All in all it’s a pretty good Washington rendition of a German Spatlese.
• Trio Vintners 2006 Lewis Vineyards Riesling $12. This is a sweet and tart orange blossom special. It’s penetrating and long, with lovely flavors of peaches, apricots and oranges.
• Maryhill 2006 Gewurztraminer, $14. Here is a spicy, off-dry gewurz that leans toward flavors that are sweetly grassy rather than perfumed or soapy. It comes across with authority and precision.
• Merry Cellars 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, $14. Columbia Valley. This Pullman winery’s sauv blanc is scented with fresh grain, grass and leaf. It’s pumped up with plush fruit, with a smooth, lingering finish.
• Airfield Estates 2006 Pinot Gris, $16. This wonderfully luscious and creamy pinot gris is like sucking on a pear-flavored cream sickle. Sealed with a screw-cap for convenience and freshness.
• San Juan Vineyards 2006 Madeleine Angevine, $14. Lovers of low alcohol wines will want this one. It’s just 11.4 percent alcohol yet still quite dry. The light and delicate fruit comes from the estate vineyard.
• Bergevin Lane 2006 Calico White, $15. Two-thirds chardonnay and one-third viognier, Bergevin’s Calico leads off with orange peel aromas, then delivers crisp, leesy and refreshing fruit flavors.
• Magnificent Wine Company “House Wine” 2006 Chardonnay, $10. House Wine’s first-ever chardonnay includes muscat, pinot grigio, riesling and gewurz in the blend. It’s a dry, snappy, all-purpose white wine.

Pick of the Week
Pine & Post 2005 Chardonnay, $6. OK, you don’t see a lot of six buck chardonnay here in Washington. This works. Don’t look for complexity, but it’s honest, straightforward, with supple, ripe fruit flavor and real weight. There’s nothing flabby, watery, thin or fake about it. Straight-ahead, no pretenses, and perfectly quaffable. (Distributed by Cavatappi)
Paul Gregutt, author of “Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide,” can be reached at wine@paulgregutt.com.

Paul Gregutt
Wine adviser
Q. Do you know of any local wineries where we could volunteer to work at during harvest?

A. Many of the smaller wineries throughout the region not only welcome, but rely upon volunteer helpers during the crazy run of non-stop activity during crush. The big wineries generally use their own paid labor, but the little boutiques are always looking for a few extra hands. I can’t begin to list them all, but a phone call to almost any small winery is likely to turn up opportunities ranging from picking, to sorting, to helping with some of the myriad chores that keep things going.
Pay is rarely offered, but you will almost always receive food, tastes of wine, and hands-on education. Here are a few wineries among the many that are looking for volunteer helpers in the fall:

• The North Sound Wineries Association — call 800-785-5495 to inquire about volunteer opportunities at any of the 10 North Sound area wineries.
• Willis Hall (in Marysville) — contact John Bell at wine@WillisHall.com.
• Bainbridge Island Vineyards — contact the owners through www.bainbridgevineyards.com.
• Waving Tree Winery (Goldendale) — call for “Picking Party” info 509-773-6552.
• Dunham Cellars (Walla Walla) — Contact the winery at 509-529-4685 or hannah@dunhamcellars.com.

Paul Gregutt, author of “Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide,” can be reached at wine@paulgregutt.com.