March 20 was the second tasting at the Grange Hall and it turned out to be a real treat for those who made room in their schedule to attend. Barnard Griffin was the featured winery and I chose them since I believe that Rob Griffin is one of the best in Washington wine making. March is Washington Wine Month and I thought it appropriate to have this winery for the aforementioned reasons. Steve Schaeffer, National Sales Manager and Chris Arsers, Pacific NW Regional Manager for Barnard Griffin came geared up to taste wines, and they were fabulous. No surprise since they had such great wines to share. Also there to help with the experience was Chuck Marush and Pete Stephenson both from Noble Wines who are the distributors of Barnard Griffin in Western Washington State. The line-up was terrific and I would like to take just a moment and mention some of the highlights of the tasting.

Many were impressed with the Sangiovese Rose. This is a very hearty rose with a lot more fruit in it then your average, yet dry enough to satisfy the discerning palate. The other obvious favorite was the non vintage cab-merlot blend. I have always recommended this wine as one of the best values in reds. Many had a chance to taste it for the first time and were blown away by the quality. One of the sleepers in the Barnard Griffin portfolio is their semillon. Semillon tends to be softer in style then sauvignon blanc and not nearly as big as a chardonnay can be. Rob Griffin has found a happy medium with this varietal and as a result produces an outstanding white. Many were surprised at how good this wine was and we sold a lot more of it then I expected.

Also available to taste were the reserve reds. Many lingered a little while longer in front of these wines as they savored the intensity of flavors. There were a reserve cab, merlot, syrah, and barbera that were all simply outstanding.

Overall, I would have to say that this was another outstanding experience in wine-tasting at the Grange and I hope that many more will get a chance

to be at this fun and educational event.

Stan