According to an article on Yahoo News today, Drug Dealers buy Washington Vineyards to Hide Pot, “…their vineyards are producing tens of thousands of illegal marijuana plants — a crop that could easily surpass grapes in value this year.”

Now I’ve only reviewed a couple of good cheap wines in my wine quests from Washington vineyards so I guess I have been missing out. Neither Hogue Family Cellars or Columbia Winery offered anything in their tasting notes regarding marijuana. Let’s see, how would a vinter write those tasting notes.

Tasting Notes for Wine made with Grapes Grown with Pot:

“Complicated aromatics of cabernet; earthy, leafy fruit (blackberries, raspberries, strawberries) with a sleepy touch of oak and hemp. Surprisingly light weight palate making the tongue feel naked and longer with good fruit depth and notes of grasses yet… somehow smoky. The finish is long with cravings for Snickerdoodles, M&Ms mixed with peanuts or anything else chocolate in the house. Best enjoyed while listening to loud music, playing Halo or watching any movie with Will Ferrell. Guests will show their appreciation for this special grape variety by laughing loudly about nothing and a propensity to say “Dude, you know what?” a lot and then forgetting what they were going to tell you. They also stumble.”

Seems like a unique niche for a wine club as well. Labels maybe like “Bodacious Buds Beaujolais”, Zoned Out Zinfandel”, “Rasta Rufino”, “Stoner Cellar Syrah”, “Maryjane’s Mountain Merlot”…. shipping of course is at your own risk. So anyone up there in Yakima Valley, turn us onto any good cheap wine quests we should perform, under controlled conditions of course, in the name of culture that involve this very unique offering. Unfortunately I will not be participating in the test…but I have plenty of friends who will oblige us. I promise to get it on video. Now where did I put that Grateful Dead LP?

Cheers

ShareThis

Hogue 2005 Genesis Merlot – Red Wine

RATING: Good Enough for My Numb Tongue

“Boy (or boys) Behaving Badly” used to be a bit more edgy as I remember. I mean “back in the day” (as my mother in law loves to say) BBB was associated with a little risk. A pool cue…a ball game or concert without the girlfriends…loud cars… a pocket full of poker chips and a bad cigar… Circa 2008…BBB is much simpler. It’s sneaking a steak (YES – OH YES- RED MEAT- THERE I SAID IT!) out onto the grill when the spouse is out late with the girls. It’s enjoying a glass of wine on the deck with the radio on listening to baseball. The aroma coming off the grill, the ballgame, the warm weather, the wine, the sound of other people mowing their lawn…maybe 2008 version of Boy Behaving Badly is not all bad after all. Just mellower. To get a little more wild I might even dry my hands on a “nice” towel later in the bathroom. (Does everyone have “nice” towels and “regular” towels or does the rest of the world just have “towels”?) Anyway, I felt bad about the Hogue House wine review a few weeks ago so we tried them again. This time we went with the Columbia Valley, Hogue Cellars Genesis Merlot, 2005. (I think I just referred to myself in the plural. Wierd.)

What Others Say: Bevmo.com 89 PTS WINE SPECTATOR. The ‘04 Genesis Merlot expresses a velvety style; spicy oak, green olive and pretty blackberry and currant fruit, which mingle effectively on the persistent finish.

What I Thought:Eventually I vow to find a Hogue Cellars wine I would deem worthy to serve to guests. This time.. I got closer. This was not an unpleasant wine but a bit flat. Also the wine had a bit of a bitter aftertaste which is unusual for a Merlot from my experience. Is this acidity? I really need to talk to an expert (in a lot of ways.) Is that what Bevmo calls “green olive” expression? Would that green olive “expression” create a frown? It really wasn’t a bad come-along with the grilled steak but, is that the point? I would suggest trying it out for yourself because after all, the price is right and the grill is on but.. serve to yourself first. This was good enough for my numb tongue.

By the way, I wonder which passage(s) of Genesis this was named after? The “on the seventh day…” part or later on when the “begatting” began?

Cheers

ShareThis

Hogue Washington State Shiraz Columbia Valley 2005 SALE $4.99

RATING: OK to Cook With

From the maker: On the label we read, “Our Shiraz offers rich berry and cherry flavors, vanilla notes, and smooth tannins. A perfect companion to grilled meats, pizza or pasta. Three generations of Hogues have farmed the sandy loam soils of the Columbia Valley in Eastern Washington State. Discover the Hogue family farm, wines and recipes online. www.hoguecellars.com.”

Well, I did it again. (Britney would say “OOPS” right. Sorry. Couldn’t help it – I always wanted to create a link to Britney for no good reason like everyone else.) I bought a bottle of red wine due to price. Not just because it was cheap – remember I am supposed to be questing for cheap wine – but because it was ‘On Sale” for cheap. It was “On Sale” for $4.99! $4.99…pretty cheap. Worth the “Quest for Great Cheap Wines” status. Man am I a sucker for $4.99. Last time I hit on a $4.99 Sale, it was the Pepperwood Grove I wrote about in January Wine Quest post this year. That was a great well balanced wine with great highlights. I would definitelypay regular price for that one. So… I ignored the screw-top once again and quested away. This time..darn…not so lucky. By the way, I once won a stray dog that was rescued by the Sisters in a raffle held at my grade school. Remember Catholic schools are always looking for a way to raise money. True story..I used my donut money and bought a chance.. and of course, I won the dog and took him home on the bus…I was the coolest kid ever on that bus! My mom did NOT kill me though she threatened to have a long talk with Sister. I named the dog Lucky. Three days later he escaped from the yard and got hit by a garbage truck. You should have seen the truck drivers face when I told him my dog’s name. Not so Lucky after all I guess…anyway…

What I Thought: The whole Hogue family farm thing sounds awesome. I genuinely want to have Sunday family dinner with these folks, but only if I can bring the wine. Ok, that could be wrong. The Hogues do have other wines listed on their website so this could just be the runt of the family. Maybe 2005 was a bad year in the Valley. Does anyone know? Was it too wet, too dry or were there too many forest fires in Washington in 2005? Was there an early frost, late frost or no frost at all? Or was it the screw-cap! Sorry to say that the 05 Shiraz just didn’t do it. First off, I could really taste this wine on the sides of my tongue. Really a strange affect. Was this a tangy white trapped in a red body? I usually get a nice round taste first on top for a red. Next, the overall taste was a just a little light and fruity. I know a Shiraz is not supposed to be as full bodied as a Cab as an example but I found this one a little too lacking in intensity. Could just be my preference. Try it if you want an tell me I’m wrong

Another topic. What is with the screw cap avoids “cork taint” stuff some vinters put out. A little cork might have been welcome. The Hogue reserve Cabernet by the way seems to get some good write-ups so, if I can find some on sale for $4.99…oh heck…even $9.99…count me in for a quest.

ShareThis

Columbia Winery Cabernet 2004

RATING: OK for my numb tongue!

What I thought: I really don’t have time to type much today, and besides…it’s Lent and this is painful for me… so I’ll make it short. Decent wine, good taste but not better than my regular favs. Rich tasting wine?… certainly some complications on the tongue but to me just not special. I actually was in a pretty foul mood when I opened up the bottle. Maybe I’ll try it again when I have a better frame of mind. (Oh darn the bad luck.)

From The Maker:

Tasting Notes “Straightforward aromatics of Cabernet; briary fruit (blackberries, raspberries) with a touch of oak and cedar. Medium weight palate with good fruit depth and notes of sage. The finish is long with hints of black cherries.”

http://www.columbiawinery.com/img/pdf/2007/COL2004CVCabernetSauvignon_intranet.pdf

Final thoughts: A long finish is not always a good thing.

ShareThis