While Mark and I sure had fun eating pizza, drinking beer, and talking wine at Big Mario's, there was a lack of tasting wine. So on a recent trip out to Woodinville I was determined to rectify that situation. First, a little bad news:

Noooooooooo! I knew this was coming, but seeing that 2009 will be the last vintage of Chardonnay was a serious bummer; it was probably my favorite from Washington. I loved how the oak provided richness and structure, without turning the wine into a liquid 2x4.

Rolled through an impressive lineup post-Chardonnay trauma. I have a similar, though not as fan-boy, fondness for the Viognier for the relatively light-handed style of production. (Brief rant: too much domestic Viognier just tastes like oaked-up, super-heavy, oily Chardonnay. And nothing stateside comes close to Condrieu, the supreme ruler of aromatically sumptuous Viognier.) My favorite reds were the accesible-now 2008 Dissident (a Columbia Valley Cab/Syrah/Merlot blend) and the 2007 Water Witch (a Klipsun Vineyard Cab/Merlot blend).

I was then unfairly teased by these wooden six-packs containing wines only for the lucky few members of the Dead Horse Club. (Sounds like a biker gang name or something.) Contact the winery if you want to get on the waiting list.

And here's a ubiquitous shot of me posing in front of this ultra-cool 1928 Indian Scout. Don't worry Mark, I didn't touch it. Nor did I spill any wine on it. (None that didn't wipe up pretty easily.) Special thanks to Joan for being a lovely and gracious host at the tasting room.