Cork Dork: Grape Killers Come Alive in Woodinville

Grape Killers, a collaboration of seven wineries in Woodinville, will hold its annual Holiday in the ‘Hood wine tasting today.

For $40, guests can sample wines and paired appetizers at six wineries in Woodinville’s Warehouse District: , , , ,  and . Stevens Winery, the seventh member of Grape Killers, will not participate Friday as it is committed to a prior engagement.

“We are similar wineries,” said Gorman Winery founder and winemaker Chris Gorman of the seven-member Grape Killers collaborative. "We are friends. We hang out together a lot when we are not making wine.

“Our idea is to get the really serious person about wine in here and show them a good time while enjoying really good wines.”

A portion of all wine sales on Friday will benefit Woodinville's . For tickets, visit http://brownpapertickets.com/event/210021. Tickets will not be sold at the door.

I-1183 faces legal challenge

Initiative 1183, privatizing liquor sales in Washington state, has already been challenged legally before it goes into effect. Under I-1183, state liquor stores will go out of business by June. Two labor unions, including United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21, representing more than 700 state liquor store employees, has filed suit in King County challenging a rule that initiatives should address a single issue.

“Our democracy is threatened when one corporation like Costco can write a complex initiative, pay for the signatures, pay for the ads that control the debate, all the while avoiding discussion on the other parts of the proposal that are the true motivations by the corporation in the first place,” UFCW 21 spokesman Tom Geiger said in a statement. “Costco did it this way to hide the fact of these other provisions. And that is in essence the reason why the single subject rule exists. To limit the deceitfulness, it requires the advocates for an initiative to be truthful about what is and is not in the initiative.”

For local retailers such as  in Woodinville, the cumbersome initiative has become confusing.

“There’s a lot buried in that bill,” said Lisa Bowen, Village Wines’ proprietor. “I don’t really know how it’s going to affect business.”

Bowen maintains good relationships with local wineries selling wines from most of the producers in Woodinville. She has been buying directly from producers for years. She’s unsure if or how I-1183 will affect her buying from producers or distributors.

“A lot of it depends on how distributors will apply volume pricing,” Bowen said. “I can buy direct from Washington wineries. I buy a lot of wine from local producers right now. I don’t know how it will change with the new law.”

Village Wines quadrupled in size when it moved to its current location at 14450 Woodinville-Redmond Road NE but is still nowhere near the 10,000-square-foot requirement of I-1183 to sell hard liquor.

Influential Washington wine reviewer quits amid controversy

The wine critic Jay Miller of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate has left his post at the influential newsletter amid scrutiny that an associate of his was demanding appearance fees to review wines in several regions in Spain.

Miller, who covered Washington, Oregon, Spain, Argentina and Chile for the Wine Advocate, maintains he had been planning on leaving long before the allegations surfaced. He was stripped of his duties reviewing Australian wines amid concerns about his ties to producers, importers and promoters of Australian wines.

“Some may believe my stepping down is in response to my critics. Nothing could be further from the truth,” Miller said on eRobertParker.com. “I have never accepted (or requested) fees for visiting wine regions or wineries.”

David Schildknecht will cover Washington and Oregon wines for the Wine Advocate. Neal Martin will cover Spain, Argentina and Chile.

Some local winemakers don’t expect significant changes in the coverage of Washington wines by the Wine Advocate.

“I think I will be fine,” said Gorman Winery founder and winemaker Chris Gorman, who has received scores between 92 and 94 points by the Wine Advocate.

Gorman, who wholesaled wine before starting his winery, said Miller has tried his wines at his Woodinville winery. Miller has also tried Gorman Winery wines at a neutral location arranged by the Washington Wine Commission.

“I’ve never paid for (Miller) to get here,” Gorman said. “I paid for dinner. That’s about it. That is common for this industry. That’s marketing. That’s sales. We’ve been getting the same scores since we’ve been submitting wines to the Washington Wine Commission.

“I’ve been to Italy as a buyer. There they roll out the red carpet for you and take care of you. That’s sales.”

Wine Pick of the Week: 2009 Pepper Bridge Merlot, Walla Walla

French Swish winemaker Jean-François Pellet crafts a powerful, yet elegant, Merlot with 100 percent estate fruit; 55 percent of the fruit comes from Seven Hills Vineyard, the other 45 percent from Pepper Bridge Vineyard. Pellet’s French winemaking background comes through in his deft touch for blending a cuvee of 80 percent Merlot, 15 percent Cabernet Franc and five percent Malbec.

Layers of black fruit (blackberries, currants and black cherry), plums, spice, cigar box and chocolate dominate the nose. More juicy black fruit and velvety tannins greet the palate. Spice, courtesy of 10 percent Cabernet Franc, stony minerality and lithe acidity extend on the powerful and long finish.

This classic wine warrants a classic steak, a dry age grass-fed ribeye from Bill the Butcher with locations in Woodinville, Redmond and Bellevue. A robust wine such as the Pepper Bridge Merlot has plenty of structure to hold up to a hunk of meat like ribeye. The ribeye packs more flavor than the luxurious filet mignon.

The wine is available for around $50 at the Pepper Bridge Woodinville tasting room at 14810 NE 145th St., Building A-3, or at Seattle Wine Co. in Bellevue.