Woehler on
Wine

August, 2001

by Bob Woehler

Bob Woehler has been writing about grapes and wines of the Pacific Northwest since 1978. His columns appear twice monthly in the Tri-City Herald in Tri-Cities, Wash.

Past columns:

Bob Woehler has been writing about grapes and wines of the Pacific Northwest since 1978. His columns appear twice monthly in the Tri-City Herald in Tri-Cities, Wash.

Fine wineries flying
into old Walla Walla airport

Tamarack Cellars--Reininger

The small new start-up wineries at the old Walla Walla airport are no fly-by-night affairs.

Currently, five wineries are at the airport, which was built during World War II and is adjacent to the new airport. By this time next year, there could be as many as nine in a variety of old airport buildings.

But just because these wineries began in humble surroundings doesn't mean the wines are second rate.

A recent visit to two airport wineries - Reininger Winery and Tamarack Cellars - showed it's not the digs that make the wine, but the dedication of the winemakers.

Ron Coleman and his wife, Jamie, own Tamarack Cellars. The building's past incarnations have included service as a military barracks and a fire station.

He ran a retail wine shop once in Wisconsin, and the couple were living in Seattle when they thought they wanted to return to their small-town roots.

Jamie is an ophthalmologist and quickly got a job in the Walla Walla area. Ron wanted to get into wine and worked first for Waterbrook and then Canoe Ridge before starting Tamarack in 1998.

Ron still has a day job running the popular Iceburg hamburger place in Walla Walla.

Like his hamburgers, Coleman's wines are also proving very popular.

Tamarack 1999 merlot Columbia Valley was awarded the coveted outstanding designation by Wine Press Northwest tasting panel for the second vintage in a row. Great fruit, nice vanilla and spice aromas. The flavors are ripe plums and cherries with a good mouth feel.

Tamarack 1999 red table wine, Walla Walla Valley is a blend of 60 percent cabernet sauvignon, 35 percent syrah and a splash of cabernet franc and merlot. Good oak aromas with black pepper and some berries.

Next-door neighbor at the airport is Chuck Reininger, who came to Walla Walla in 1992 because his wife, Tracy, was raised there.

They arrived without jobs but with a lot of determination. Reininger has to have determination because he is also a professional mountain climbing guide.

He learned the wine ropes from Eric Rindal at Waterbrook, and in 1997 the couple took the plunge.

Chuck and Tracy are devoted full time to the winery and have had some early success in getting rave reviews about their wines.

Reininger 1999 Walla Walla Valley syrah won a double gold at the prestigious San Francisco International wine competition and a gold at the Northwest Wine Summit at Mount Hood.

It is big and fruity, with flavorful berry jam qualities with a long-lasting finish.

Reininger 1999 Walla Walla Valley merlot to be released in September shows a beautiful marriage of vanilla oak aromas and flavors of fruit, including plums. It is easy drinking and tasty.

Reininger 1999 Walla Walla valley cabernet sauvignon is smooth with lots of dark chocolate and berry flavors and toasty oak aromas.

New releases
Chateau Ste. Michelle 1999 chardonnay Indian Wells Vineyard - Good vanilla, toasty oak aromas with citrus and tropical fruit flavors and a crisp finish.

Chateau Ste. Michelle 2000 Eroica riesling - A collaboration of German winemaker Ernst Loosen and Chateau Ste. Michelle winemaker Erik Olsen. Charming riesling aromas, grapefruit and apples flavors. Nice, crisp finish.

Ste. Chapelle 1999 Idaho chardonnay - An outstanding food-friendly wine. Rich fruit flavors, apples, lemon and tropical fruit. Well balanced, clean and dry, Great with poached halibut. A best buy.

Ste. Chapelle 1999 Idaho chardonnay, winemaker's series - Impressive acids, flavorful fruit with a lingering aftertaste. Another good food wine. Try with Chilean sea bass.

Covey Run 2000 morio muskat, Yakima Valley - Nobody does it better with a muscat than Covey Run. An outstanding fruity, very aromatic wine with loads of tropical fruit and a great finish. Great for a brunch or picnic.

Covey Run 1998 merlot, barrel select, Columbia Valley - Delightful cherries and currants, nicely balanced with oak and fruit. A smooth finish.

Columbia Winery 1998 syrah, Yakima Valley - Winemaker David Lake has been making syrahs probably longer than any Northwest winemaker, and it shows. An outstanding example of a robust jamlike syrah that is rich and muscular, but with a light tasty touch of oak toast and dry cherries. Great for barbecue.

Kestrel Vintners 1999 syrah, Yakima Valley - Rich and youthful with concentrated fruit, heavy oak and black cherries.

Walla Walla Vintners 1999 sangiovese, Columbia Valley - Outstanding blackberries with black peppercorns backed by vanilla and almond extracts. An abundance of fruit along with solid tannins.

Hyatt 1998 cabernet sauvignon, Yakima Valley - Tar, cedar and berries with touches of vanilla dominate this big red wine. Great with a ribeye.

August 2001
Fine wineries flying
into old Walla Walla airport

June 2001
Washington Chardonnay

March 28 2001
L'Ecole Winery

March 7 2001
Di Stefano Winery

Feb 20 2001
National Recognition
of NW Wines

Dec 5 2000
Northwest Ports

Nov 15 2000
Tri City Awards

Oct 26 2000
Canadian Wines

Oct 5 2000
Preston Premium Wines

colums reprinted with permission

Reprinted by permission of Wine Press NW

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