Wine adviser: Competition ever tougher for year's best state wines - With each passing year, my list of the year's Top 100 Washington wines gets more competitive. With almost 600 wineries in the...MORE...
Wine Adviser: What would the holidays be without new wine gadgets? - The annual flood tide of wine-related gifts and gadgets has washed ashore some particularly unusual creatures this holiday se...MORE...
12/10 Wine Q&A - Q. Got any ideas for a practical wine gift for the geek who has everything? A. See today's column for a lengthy list of inte...MORE...
Uncork special wine while cutting costs - It's no secret that consumers are trimming their wine budgets. According to wine industry analyst Jon Fredrikson (quoted in t...MORE...
Champagne from Champagne really worth the price - It's interesting that wine choices for entertaining during the holiday season, with its focus on friends, family and traditio...MORE...
Wine adviser: Now, for Thanksgiving reds ... - Continuing on the theme of last week -- planning your Thanksgiving wines -- here is Rule No. 3: Keep your red wine choices fr...MORE...
11/12/08 Wine Q&A - Q. As a recent retiree concerned about my health, I've read the benefits of drinking a nightly glass of wine. Quite frankly, ...MORE...
Sparkling wine can be good option for Thanksgiving table - With Thanksgiving just a couple of weeks away, perhaps you, like me, are flailing about in the kitchen trying to ensure a smo...MORE...
The New Walla Walla - The dramatic growth in the number of wineries based in Walla Walla -- up tenfold in the past decade -- has led to a far more ...MORE...
11/05/08 Wine Q&A - Q. As you taste a wine, what criteria do you use (tannins, etc.) to decide that this particular tasting would improve with ce...MORE...
David Lett is a wine pioneer who will be missed - The sad news that Eyrie Vineyards founder David Lett had passed away Oct. 9 at the age of 69 brought up a flood of memories. ...MORE...
Buying into this lifestyle wine - If you, like many consumers, do the majority of your wine buying as part of your grocery shopping, you see a lot of wines -- ...MORE...
Wine Q&A - Q. My husband and I like to travel over to the Yakima area every so often to do some wine tasting and bring back a trunk ful...MORE...
Lower the alcohol, boost the nuance - Many readers have requested that I include a mention of alcohol levels in my wine reviews. As much as space limitations allow...MORE...
10/15/08 Wine Q&A - Q. I am retiring from my present job in March 2009. I love wines, primarily red. I also love to cook and I want to learn how ...MORE...
Fall brings great debut wines to discover - Just when I fear that the old Gregutt palate is becoming a bit jaded, the magic happens. It has something to do with crush, a...MORE...
10/08/08 Wine Q&A - Many readers wrote in response to my recent column on checking wines as baggage when flying. Typical was this e-mail from Tim...MORE...
Many wineries trying to be more green - Q. We want the wines we purchase to be as green as possible. Who's doing the best job in your opinion? A. Many wineries are ...MORE...
Wine adviser: Building the Rattlesnake Hills name - It's a late summer morning, just ahead of the wine grape harvest, and I'm cruising the Rattlesnake Hills with Gail Puryear, t...MORE...
09/17/08 Wine Q&A - Q. I am in the process of moving to the Seattle area and shipped a few bottles of wine from my home in Florida. Unfortunately...MORE...
Wine Adviser: Taking a holiday trip? Know wine regulations - With the holidays looming, many wine lovers are planning to travel to family gatherings in other parts of the country. Perhap...MORE...
The road to exceptional wine touring leads to Prosser - Wine touring in the fall is especially thrilling, because it is the season of the harvest. The Crush is how winemakers refer ...MORE...
Wine adviser: Quest for value ends with Zillah's Kamiakins - Two themes run consistently through much of the wine literature written during the past three decades. One is the quest for v...MORE...
08/27/08 Wine Q&A - Q. My wife and I recently heard a story on Northwest Public Radio about new regulations in Italy for wines in boxes. Are you ...MORE...
The increasing value of Washington wine - A recurring complaint about Washington wines -- perhaps the most frequent wine whine that I hear -- is that they are overpric...MORE...
Georgia's in the news -- for wine, too - Attention, wine wonks! Kakheti is calling, all the way from Georgia. The former Soviet Republic, which lies east of the Black...MORE...
L'Ecole No 41 keeps new kid panache - L'Ecole No. 41, the third winery to open in Walla Walla in the modern era (and just the 20th in Washington state), has been a...MORE...
Oregon summer sippers easy on the pocketbook - Amid a sea of $30 to $60 wines from Northwest producers, the occasional budget jewel bobs to the surface. During the course o...MORE...
07/23/08 Wine Q&A - Q. While I am no wine aficionado, I have sent back wine a couple of times when I find that the wine bubbles across my tongue ...MORE...
Wine adviser: State crafts its take on roussanne - Roussanne, an aromatic white wine grape from the Rhone Valley of France, is one of a number of Rhone-inspired varietals being...MORE...
Italian whites made for summer sipping - Don't get me wrong, I am not one of those A-B-C (Anything But Chardonnay) people; in fact, I am very fond of chardonnay. Espe...MORE...
July Fourth -- whatever the weather -- calls for zin - Should we be expecting warm, sunny weather for July Fourth? Maybe, but I can't help but recall a Fourth of July some years ag...MORE...
In praise of what state does best: grenache, riesling - There is no more influential arbiter of the value and quality of Washington wines -- at least as far as the world at large is...MORE...
Go pink for summer - With summer weather, summer foods and summer entertaining -- especially summer weddings -- on the horizon, the wines to drink...MORE...
The Gorge for wines - Washington's Columbia Gorge AVA (viticultural area) was officially approved in 2004. This is not the same Gorge as the famous...MORE...
Spanish wines importer brings palate with him - Basilio Rodriguez Grueso followed his heart (and his future wife) to Bellingham, Wash. -- a long way from his home in La Ma...MORE...
05/14/08 Wine Q&A - Q. A recent wine column in the Wall Street Journal stated a large disappointment in merlots that cost $20 to $50. The final l...MORE...
Stock spring picnic with affordable Washington wines - A few weeks ago, I was asked to organize a wine tasting for a private event. The table was laid out with an assortment of p...MORE...
South Seattle wineries showcase wares, facilities - Saturday afternoon, the South Seattle Artisan Wineries (Cadence, Fall Line, :Nota Bene and OoS) will "Celebrate Spring" with ...MORE...
Novelty Hill carves a name for itself among state wines - Novelty Hill Winery, whose sleek, modern, well-appointed production facility and tasting room share space (and winemaking) wi...MORE...
'On fire' Argentine malbecs, Part 2 - Last week, I wrote about Argentine malbecs and struggled to whittle down several dozen excellent bottles to just a single cas...MORE...
Prepare yourself for Taste Washington - Taste Washington weekend is just ahead, with a full day of seminars on Saturday, and a wine-and-food-a-thon Sunday. It's the ...MORE...
03/26/08 Wine Q&A - Q. What's the difference (if any) between syrah and petite sirah? A. Big difference. Syrah (also called shiraz) is a pepper...MORE...
Washington winemaker at the top of his mark - We have reached a moment in the modern history of the Washington wine industry where some of the veteran winemakers are at th...MORE...
Grown in Washington, crafted in Oregon - It's perhaps no more than a curious coincidence, but have you noticed that some of the best Washington wines are being made i...MORE...
Loire Valley, Part 2: red wines - What I would term "authentic" red wines are those that best and most clearly express the specific flavors of the grape, the s...MORE...
02/27/08 Wine Q&A - Q. I received a bottle of Chateau Ste. Michelle 2005 Cinsault as a gift. Is this a red or a white wine? Could you describe it...MORE...
Loire Valley offers appealing white wines - The Loire Valley of France, though best known for its bookend white wines -- Muscadet in the far west, Sancerre in the east -...MORE...
Wine Q&A - Q. Thanks for your great articles about Washington state wine growing regions. I am seeking a list of the 500 or so wineries ...MORE...
Ageability of wine best determined in retrospect - By Paul Gregutt One of the enduring reference points for gauging a wine's quality and value is its estimated ageability. Est...MORE...
01/23/08 Wine Q&A - Q. What do sparging and ullage refer to? A. Sparging is part of the bottling process that helps to preserve wine freshness a...MORE...
A man with a true passion for wine and family - The love of wine grabs people by the throat and wallet and leads them down many different and fascinating pathways. I've met ...MORE...
Wine question and answer - Q. Some chefs and cookbooks recommend cooking with the same wine you are planning to drink with the meal; others say to use a...MORE...
A to Z pleases palate, pocketbook the palate and pocketbook - By Paul Gregutt Wine Adviser "Aristocratic wines at democratic prices" is the motto emblazoned across the home page of A to ...MORE...
01/09/08 Wine Q&A - Q. I accidentally left some wine in the back of my car overnight, and the temperatures outside dropped below freezing. I know...MORE...
State's grapes attract talent - It has become almost commonplace for celebrity winemakers to visit Washington state. They come from France, Australia, Italy,...MORE...
01/02/07 Wine Q&A - Q. I recently returned from a trip to Western Australia, visiting local wineries scattered throughout the region. Every bottl...MORE...
Resolve to learn more about wines in 2008 via blind tastings - Let's start the new year right, with a resolution to be pro-active about wine tasting in 2008. Let's face it, most wine encou...MORE...
12/26/07 Wine Q&A - Q. I'm trying to find a nice decanter for a gift but I'm not sure where to look. A. Most big department stores carry decante...MORE...
Wine Adviser's notes from 2007 - Wrapping out the year, some highlights, changes and memories ... I set out in January to focus this column's attention more...MORE...
12/19/07 Wine Q&A - Q. In a recent column you talked about some wines that were served to you that had some problems -- one had the wrong date, a...MORE...
State's best wines this year - Once again, in the retrospective spirit of the season, I offer a highly personal list of the year's Top 100 Washington wines....MORE...
12/12/07 Wine Q&A - Q. With respect to your recent article -- the correct way to store wines -- is it less important for long-term horizontal sto...MORE...

Throwing around terminology

- Throwing around terminology Think of the havoc that can be created when unregulated wine terms are tossed around. There are s...MORE...
10/28/09 Readers Recipe - Mayonnaise Cake I've taken this cake to many family gatherings for the last 70 or so years, and people always love it. Please...MORE...
Three Valley residents win baking prizes - Crystal Waddington of Harrah is this year's Central Washington State Fair blue-ribbon winner in the Bake Your Best Coffee Cak...MORE...
10/07/09 Reader Recipe - Bulgogi Marinade EDITOR'S NOTE: Bulgogi is a traditional Korean dish of marinated thin-sliced meat that can be grilled or pan...MORE...
Food safety myths -- how much do you really know? - Do you agree or disagree with the following statements? If a food tastes OK, it's safe to eat. Disagree. Don't rely on your ...MORE...
Keep up with production by preserving zucchini - If your zucchini patch is producing more zucchini than you can use, here are some ways you can preserve it. * Freeze it by wa...MORE...
Time is ripe to preserve apricots - Apricots are here and plentiful. They are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, dietary fiber and potassium. They contain po...MORE...
Tote food safety tips on summer outings - When the weather turns warm, Americans love to head outdoors. While ideal for picnics and barbecues, warm temperatures provid...MORE...
Exhibit, exploring 'America By Food,' comes to Yakima - The Smithsonian is also on a quest to discover what makes American cuisine. Beginning Saturday, the Yakima Valley Museum will...MORE...
WSU Extension: How to preserve cherries - Who doesn't love cherries? Besides being delicious, they are full of fiber, vitamin C and essential minerals such as calcium ...MORE...
WSU Extension report: Savings here, savings there, soon you save big - It is possible to save money shopping for groceries without cooking everything from scratch. Here are some cost-cutting stra...MORE...
Food preservation classes offered in May - WSU Extension will offer four food preservation classes for the public beginning in May. These classes will be held at the F...MORE...
Mom must carry safety awareness in pregnancy - During pregnancy, food safety becomes especially important. At this time there are two foodborne pathogens of concern: Liste...MORE...
Avoiding botulism - Perhaps you read about the nurse in her 30s with two children younger than 10 who were stricken with botulism last month in S...MORE...
Eating for heart health - By Sheila Ryan Extension Agent Since February is American Heart Month, why not consider making some small changes to your die...MORE...
Extension report: Keep an emergency food cache - Having an emergency food supply means you won't go hungry when transportation, weather, health or other problems prevent you ...MORE...
Talking about the menu staples: turkey, stuffing - Since turkey and stuffing are popular holiday foods, here are some tips for safely preparing your holiday bird. Buying your...MORE...
Eating an apple a day still healthful advice - Scientists are finding that apples can reduce some health risks our bodies face every day. Some studies have found that the a...MORE...
Apple coffee cake takes blue ribbon at the fair - Dorothy Brodrick of Yakima doesn't know firsthand, but the Washington Caramel Apple Coffee Cake she created is one tasty dess...MORE...
Cranberry crumble delicious year-round - We're so used to making crisps that when a new recipe lands in our inbox, the first thing we do is head for the kitchen -- wh...MORE...
Sweet potatoes with spirited kick - We remember the chill we felt years ago when we were asked to bring something "sweet potatoey" in a casserole to a potluck Th...MORE...
Local cook will dish on his dish - The Yakima Valley Museum's David Lynx really cooks. And this weekend, he'll appear on the Seattle public television show "KCT...MORE...
Save money shopping for groceries - It is possible to save money shopping for groceries without cooking everything from scratch. Here are some cost cutting strat...MORE...
How to preserve safe salsa - Salsa has become one of Americans' favorite foods. With the abundance of tomatoes, onions and peppers this time of year, peop...MORE...
Sensational sandies - Whenever we make Chocolate Caramel Pecan Sandies, the kitchen fills with the most delicious aroma that comes from baking with...MORE...
Remember food safety when reusing plastics - You may feel good about reusing your plastic margarine tubs for microwaving leftovers or using plastic grocery bags for food ...MORE...
Freeze strawberries to preserve summer flavor - I have had several calls recently on how to freeze strawberries with and without sugar. There are several methods that yield...MORE...
Yakima chef spotlights fresh foods - YAKIMA -- Yucca root, dandelion blossoms, cabbage leaves -- if anyone can make these sound delicious, Erika Cenci can. What's...MORE...
Cookies for the holiday - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS What are the holidays without several different kinds of cookies to taste? Here are just a few favorites...MORE...

Creation earns national prize for local writer

- Creation earns national prize for local writer By TERRY CAMPBELL Yakima Herald-Republic Yakima freelance writer Donna Scofiel...MORE...
PRE-BARREL (Click to Enlarge)