Karen Nelson, wine rep for Columbia Wine Distributors headed up the first tasting of the new season Thursday, September 10 at the Mullis Community Center. The theme of the tasting was "Screaming Deals in September". Karen searched her portfolio carefully to find some gems that were also good values. She did an excellent job and the tasters appreciated the line-up. We also introduced a beer line-up for those who wanted to try some nice micro-brews. Deschutes was presented by Lance Mitchell, regional rep for the company. I am a big fan of Deschutes and it was nice to have this variation at the tasting. By the reaction from the crowd, they liked it too. Here is a brief review of the wines presented.

2008 Masked Rider Pinot Noir... This was one of the favorites of the night especially considering the price it was offered at. Lighter in style it had some nice cherry and strawberry tones with soft tannins and perhaps a dash of syrah? Whatever the case this wine tasted like it was a pinot for under ten bucks; that is hard to find. 86 points

2008 Masked Rider Gunsmoke Red... Again, this was a popular wine at the event. Under ten bucks and it showed nicely. Believe it or not, this wine needed a little decanting and it opened up nicely. Dark berries and some black pepper on the front and mid-palate, this wine jumped around the mouth a little and even had a little earthy funk to it which was quite interesting and I liked it. This wine was not my personal favorite but it got a lot of attention from the tasters. 84 points

N/V Villa Sandi Prosecco... Prosecco is a category that is growing rapidly. Many like the freshness that this sparkler shows and it matches up nicely with seafood. This prosecco showed some nice vanilla and orange peel on the nose. This sparkler was soft and fresh with good acidity and lots of perfume, orange, lemon on the palate. The finish was a touch shallow but over-all this wine is an excellent value and very tasty. 88 points

2008 Crios Torrontes... I am a big fan of Torrontes and would like to get as many as possible to try it. This was an excellent example of the varietal with it’s banana, orange, mango and honey bouquet. Creamy on the palate with notes of papaya, toast and vanilla with a good hit of acidity and tangerine on a pleasing finish that was fairly long. 89 points

2008 " The Crusher " Viognier .... Another great varietal that deserves a little more attention and seems to be growing in popularity. This viognier showed incredible richness on the nose with hints of honey, papaya and apricot. Round and viscous on the palate with notes of kiwi, peach, melons and white flowers. The finish reminded me of watermelon marinated in honey with a hit of toasted peach pits on the finish. This baby came dangerously close to a Condrieu... Amazing! 90 points

St. Francis Red... Sorry, I missed the vintage on this in my notes. This was the crowd favorite. I have always been a fan of this wine and it was nice to revisit it. This had a nose of mint, anise and cherry. A very intense palate of dark berries, black olive, oak and blackberries. A beautiful finish of dark cherries, plum and cedar tones. This little red is a lot more serious then the inexpensive price tag might suggest. An excellent value. 89 points

2007 "The Show" Cabernet Sauvignon... This cab had a splash of petite sirah giving it a unique edge. Violets and cherry pie on the nose with whiffs of herbaciousness. Cherry and ripe blackberries resting on sweet tannins with hints of black pepper on the back of the mid-palate. Soft and plush with a slight grip on the finish. Even though I was not sold on this wine, it was the came in second to the St. Francis as far as the tasters were concerned. 86 points

2006 Windmill Zinfandel by Michael David Winery... The nose was most intriguing with wonderful smokey black cherry notes. In a blind tasting I might have guessed this a syrah. Solid core of ripe cherries and black raspberries on the palate with some candied fruit on the back end. The smokiness on this wine persisted through to the finish. I loved this wine a lot more then the crowd and was convinced that they had accidently put syrah in the bottle instead of zin. An excellent value. 88 points

2007 Pillar Box Red... This wine generally receives excellent scores by the critics. I have had some mixed feelings about it in the past so I approached this wine tentatively. This wine had a wild bouquet with hits of alcohol mixed with fruit jam and a little menthol. Meaty on the palate with dark fruit notes, cassis and dark raspberries. Excellent balance of acidity and fruit. This wine wants to be over-the-top but never quite gets there. Very plush and decadent. A fabulous wine. 92 points.

EarthQuake Petite Sirah by Michael David Winery... A big powerful wine with mint, dark cherries and cassis on the nose. The nose almost reminded me of lamb with mint sauce. The palate showed mint, black pepper, candied blackberries and hints of maple syrup. The finish persisted and was very fat. The crowd was blown away by this wine. By far the most expensive wine presented and I was surprised at how many ordered this wine. It was a "Big Boy" wine. 88 points.

I would like to thank everyone who showed up for the first tasting of the new season and I look forward to the next one ... "Ten Wines Under Ten Bucks In October" along with Stone Brewery. Hope to see you there. Stan