Latest News
PMS Donation Update as of 8/31/23
We have been selling our Paul’s Mocha Stuff (PMS) since the beginning of June. We chose to have this wine be a “choose your own price” wine. Minimum $14, maximum “sky’s the limit.” Anything over …
Small-Batch Wine Processing
What do you do with that one row of grapes that you want to process but not through the usual methods of a de-stemmer, crusher, and press? Do it all by hand! Like we do …
How Do You Make Rosé?
Several ways! One way, crush red-skinned grapes, let them soak (macerate) for a while for some of the skin pigments to dissolve into the clear juice, then press the grapes to get pink juice to …
New Wine Releases
August has been a month with a lot of releases of new wine and new vintages. Paul’s Mocha Stuff, PMS First, we came out with Paul’s Mocha Stuff, PMS, a wine devoted to raising funds …
Grape Picking and Stomping
Harvest is starting up for the 2023 vintage. We will likely harvest Temprañillo in the next few days. On Monday, September 4, we will be picking our Muscat Blanc and Orange Muscat. This is a …
Wedding Anniversary Weekend (Labor Day Weekend)
In 2010 as our tenth anniversary approached, Barbara suggested a Wedding Anniversary Weekend Special, perhaps a 10% discount to customers. My question was, in addition to the 10% returning customer, 10% military, 10% passport discount, …
Xarel•lo Grape
First off, how to pronounce it? In Catalan they say shah-RELL-lo; in Castilian, hah-RELL-lo; in English, zah-RELL-oh. So, you can choose the one that is easiest for you. We usually say shah-RELL-lo. Xarel•lo has been …
How to Sample Grapes
As the ripening period begins, veraison and sampling of the grapes begin. The challenge is getting a valid sample. Pick 100 berries from 50 vines without looking. If you look you instinctively grab riper berries. …
Veraison: Why People Get Excited
Veraison is a fancy French word that says the ripening process has begun. The cultivars with purple pigments start to develop color. The unpigmented (green) varieties start to soften and become less green. As the …
New Wine Release: Angelica MRS
We decided to bottle our new non-vintage Angelica MRS in a regular-size wine bottle rather than the half-size bottles we have used in the past. We also added a bit of Xarel·lo, which is a …
How Many Grapes Does it Take to Make a Glass of Wine?
You would think this would be an easy calculation. What makes it difficult is that every variety of grapes has different cluster sizes. And the actual grape size is different across varieties. And the size …
Free Wine Delivery vs Free-Wine Delivery
This is for all the grammar nerds out there! Free Wine Delivery: We deliver the wine you purchase for free. Free-Wine Delivery: The wine is free! And also illegal, we aren’t allowed to give it …
Ethical Beef For Sale
There is a lot of conversation about food ethics. I am all in favor of the conversations! I have siblings who have chosen to be vegetarian largely because they don’t want to participate in the …
Cork Taint aka TCA
TCA is an acronym for the chemical compound 2,4,6-trichloroanisole also known as Cork Taint. It is a molecule that humans can detect in parts per billion and we don’t like it. Some postulate it is …
Wine Bottle Closures
There are at least six different kinds of wine bottle closures: cork, synthetic cork, screw, cap, glass, stopper, crown, champagne, and cork. Cork Natural cork closures are widely used for both wine and champagne. They …
Glass vs. Plastic Wine Glasses
Which is better? Take two wine glasses that look exactly the same although one is glass and one is plastic. Would this one difference actually change the taste of the wine? The answer is a …
What Does a Drought Year Mean for Grapes?
The Yakima River Basin is short of water this year, with insufficient snow in the mountains, and a very warm, dry May—the warmest May since 1895. Water is allocated. The oldest user has first dibs. …
Do You Get a Headache after a Glass of Wine?
Some think that sulfites, a preservative in wine, are to blame. But sulfite sensitivity usually causes breathing problems rather than headaches. Moreover, many white wines and other foods also contain sulfites. Getting a headache after …
What is Regenerative Farming?
It’s not organic farming which has stricter rules and certification, and it goes further than sustainable farming by seeking to improve the land rather than just preserve it. Soil on farms that had practiced regenerative …
Father’s Day Event
Fathers. We all have at least one although we may not know them. I hope you have at least one in your life. I am one and have been for 27 years! My Dad came …
Why Are There Rose Bushes in Vineyards?
Frequently you will see rose bushes at the end of vineyard rows. Why are they there? Are they just decorative or do they serve a purpose? Their original purpose was to be an early indicator …
Five Myths About Wine Bottles
Summary5 Wine Bottle Myths: Heavy bottles are used for the best wines The punt, or push-up at the bottom is for . . . Green glass is used to protect red wine from light Cans …
Rattlesnake Hills Wine Run
The annual Rattlesnake Hills Wine Run is back after a pandemic break. It is so great to have these events coming back to Zillah. When? May 20th, Saturday, 9am – 2pm Run the beautiful rattlesnake …
Spring Barrel Tasting
To avoid the over-busy Saturday, we are going to be offering Spring Barrel Tasting for ten days from 4/21-4/30.