When I decided to write about the Italian influence on Washington wine, I looked at it as just another story about wine. My wife, Kathy, and I traveled to Eastern Washington to meet with and interview the descendants of those early Italian pioneers. … read more

A wine is rendered sweet due to its residual sugar (RS) content. Sweet wines are usually named ice, late harvest, fortified or dessert wines and can be either red or white. The wines selected herein can be found in many of the local … read more

There are a wide variety of sparkling wines made throughout the world. Lets first establish the idea of champagne vs. sparkling wine. Sparkling wine can only be called champagne if it comes from the region of Champagne, which is just outside of Paris. … read more

Before starting his Slaughter County Brewing Co., Scott Kirvan had been home-brewing for about 30 years. “That’s how I got started, and Slaughter County Brewery is my first time doing professional brewing,” he said. “‘Been doing this, at this location, for about two … read more

I have been curious about the origin of wines and their names since I began writing about wine in 1988, so I decided to start researching the information. Here is the first look, along with some tasting notes, so be prepared for more … read more

Bainbridge Vineyards is the new name of what was once Gerard and JoAnne Bentryn’s Bainbridge Island Winery and Vineyards, located at the same address. The winery closed in 2009 following the Bentryns’ retirement. Ms. Betsey Wittick and a group of volunteers maintained the … read more

The grand opening of The Slippery Pig Brewery in Poulsbo in June saw a huge amount of excited craft-brew lovers pack the brewery rooms. These were people who enjoy the craft-beer trade and knew that Slippery Pig beers were some of the best … read more

Riesling is a white grape variety that is said to have originated in the Rhine region of Germany. It is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semisweet, sweet and … read more