Wine and Art at Waterbrook.

Last evening I spent entirely too long enjoying wine, art and good conversation at Waterbrook Winery for the opening of a new art show, Nanology, by renowned bronze sculptor Nano Lopez.

Waterbrook's facility is one of the more visually appealing tasting rooms in Walla Walla and was a brilliant setting for many of Nano's pieces.  While Nano has his foundry in Walla Walla, he has never had a show in the valley.  Many of the pieces on display were from his Nanimals period and feature his beautiful, deconstructed signature style.

Waterbrook was pouring two of their wines officially last night, the 2007 Melange Noir and the 2008 Melange Blanc.  The wines were quite tasty, especially for the price.  I find Waterbrook's lineup to be pretty solid, and some of their wines (2008 Chardonnay, for example) give wines twice as expensive a run for their money.  The Noir was ripe with berries and tobacco and had a nice cedar-ish finish in my book.  The Blanc, while a bit sweeter than I typically care for, was rich with honey and stone fruit on the noise.  The palate was reminiscent of watermelon and peach with a surprisingly crisp finish.

The biggest surprise of the evening was a devilishly good Shiraz from Shingleback of McLaren Vale, Australia.  Precept Brands (the owners of Waterbrook) recently partnered with Shingleback and are their distribution partner in the United States.  Their 2005 Shiraz had a beautifully rich and complex nose punctuated by dark chocolate, ripe berries and pencil shavings.  The wine is extremely full-bodied and velvety, filled with rich fruit and just the right amount of oak.  This wine was amazing as it finished and lingered on my palate for quite some time after I finished it.  I would highly recommend you check this guy out if you have the opportunity!

Spring Release Weekend Dos and Don'ts - Courtesy of the Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman

It’s that time of year again, when we make our lists and we check them twice, trying to find out which wines are naughty or nice.  That’s right.  It’s Spring Release in  Walla Walla!

We love our wine tourists from near and far.  We want you to get the most of your Spring Release Weekend.  Now, you have probably heard all of these tips from me before, but here are some easy Do’s and Don’ts to ensure a great weekend for you and everybody.

Do hydrate-hydrate-hydrate. Drink lots of water and your head will thank you for it.

Do eat a big breakfast.  This isn’t the time to be all dainty and munch on a granola bar.  You are going to need some fuel to contain the wine so make it a biscuits-and-sausage gravy-kind of breakfast. Okay, if you insist, make it a Kobe beef striploin, foie gras hash browns and quail eggs paired with espresso.  But you get my point.

Do step away from the fragrance.  You may not be able to smell yourself, but everyone in the tasting room can, making their Merlot taste like grandpa’s “Old Spice.”

Don’t forget a designated driver.  And seriously, even if you have a designated driver, what is the point of visiting 15 wineries in one day?  Even after five wineries the palate begins to fatigue after several tastes and you become obnoxious.  So pimp the ride, but un-pimp the ‘tude.

Do keep your cell phone ring off and if you must keep it on so your Secret Service people can keep track of you (because we know how important you are), at least keep it on vibrate.  And if you must talk on your phone, please take it outside so your call doesn’t distract from the tasting room ambiance.  Nobody wants to hear about how many poo-poos Johnny made in his diaper.

Do keep an open your mind to wine. Seriously. Don’t be turning your nose up at the tasting room staff when they ask if you would like to try a chardonnay, riesling or a pretty pink rosé. Taste it. Who knows? You might even like it. And it’s okay for real men to drink rosés. Really.

Do join a wine club.  There are many great wine clubs in the Walla Walla Valley offering affordable memberships with discounts and special one of a kind releases.  It’s also a great way to get in on some fabulous wine club events that will leave long lasting memories.

And one more thing.  In the words of  Robert Fulgham’s  All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten :  Share everything, play fair, don’t hit people, put things back where you found them, clean up your own mess, don’t take things that aren’t yours, hold hands when you cross the streets, say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody, wash your hands before you eat and flush.

Have a great time in the Walla Walla Valley!

Visit Catie's blog at http://wildwallawallawinewoman.blogspot.com/