Greetings, Friends of West Seattle Cellars,

You may have noticed that our calendar for the remainder of the year is pretty full, with a good number of Saturday tastings. This is one of those weeks, when we have our regular tasting on Thursday—this week featuring Spanish wines—then on Saturday we welcome Ryan Crane, of Kerloo Cellars, to pour his wines for us. Ryan has been called one of Washington’s “game-changing winemakers.” Come and see why!  

This Week’s Tastings:

Thursday, October 18, 5:30 to 8:00 pm — Spanish Wines
This week’s tasting takes us to all corners of Spain, featuring a wide variety of grapes and styles. We will be joined by the knowledgeable and informative Greg Finger, of American Northwest Distributors. Greg is a familiar face behind our tasting bar and has taught a number of classes here as well, including one on Sherries, so you’ll be in good hands! He will also be teaching (along with Tom) the upcoming class at South Seattle College on the foods and wines of Spain. Come to our tasting this Thursday and perhaps you’ll be inspired to explore further at the class next week!

CVNE, Cava — Founded in 1879, CVNE is one of the most historic wineries in Spain. While their focus has long been on still wines, at one time they produced a fair amount of sparkling wines as well. They have recently resurrected this tradition, producing a Cava from fruit grown in the Penedès region. It is fresh and balanced, with creamy texture and loads of small, enticing bubbles.

Senda Verde, Albariño — Senda Verde is a collection of artisanal wines from the lush, green northern part of Spain known as España Verde (or “green Spain”). Their Albariño comes from the coastal Rías Baixas region and is grown on granite soils with some chalk and clay. The result is a fresh, clean wine with crisp fruit flavors and mineral nuances. Perfect for shellfish and seafood. 

Isaac Cantalapiedra, Cantayano Verdejo — Isaac Cantalapiedra and his son work about 20 hectares of vines in and around the Rueda appellation. Their vineyards are certified organic and their winemaking is “resolutely natural.” This 100% Verdejo is sourced from three distinct parcels, wild yeast fermented, and aged on the lees for eight months. It has great structure, lovely stone fruit notes, and inviting herbal depth. 

Bodegas Viña Herminia, Reserva — This winery is located in Rioja Baja, at the southeastern end of the Rioja region. Their Reserva is 85% Tempranillo, with 10% Garnacha and 5% Graciano, aged five to six years in barrel and bottle before release. It is full-bodied and complex, with a touch of oak, ripe cherry flavors, and a long, rich finish.

Celler de Capçanes, Mas Picosa “Flor en Flor” — This winery is located in Spain’s northeast Montsant region. Mas Picosa is a blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Cab Sauv, with a bit of Tempranillo and Carignan. It is very Mediterranean in character, with notes of ripe fruit and spice and fresh minerality. It’s a great wine for lamb, chicken, pasta, or hearty vegetable dishes.
 
Emilio Mora, Finca Resalso Ribera de Duero — The Moro family has been farming the same vineyards in the Ribera del Duero region since 1932. Their 100% Tempranillo is ripe and expressive with subtle spice notes and savory depth. Great for grilled merguez sausage or spicy, smoky meats.

Alvarez Nölting, El Gran Loco Bobal — Utiel-Requena is a large wine region in southeast Spain, just inland from Valencia. Bobal is an important grape here, where it produces deep-colored red wines. This one, from a relatively young winery, is 100% Bobal and is elegant and expressive and a versatile food wine. 

Bodegas Hidalgo, Triana PX — From a historic estate founded in 1792 in Sanlúcar, this wine is made from Pedro Ximenez grapes that are dried in the sun before pressing. The wine is then aged using the solera system. The end result is a dense, velvety dessert wine with concentrated flavors of dried figs, caramel, and nuts. A decadent treat. 

SATURDAY, October 20, 3:00 to 5:00 pm — Kerloo Cellars, with Winemaker Ryan Crane 
Ryan Crane got his winemaking start as a volunteer at ANIMALE, and later worked at Forgeron and VaPiano before founding Kerloo Cellars in 2007. Today he is based in SoDo, where he produces small amounts of mostly Rhône-inspired wines, though he works with other styles as well, as the inspiration hits. The Wine Enthusiast recently featured him as one of four Washington “Game-Changing Winemakers” who are altering the landscape of northwest wine. Ryan also makes wines under his SoDo Cellars label, made from the same fruit sources as his Kerloo wines, but at more budget-friendly prices. Ryan will be in the shop this Saturday, pouring wines from both labels. Some are brand new releases and you can be among the first to taste them! Come meet Ryan and try his wines!

Kerloo. Grenache Blanc — This wine, made from the white Rhône grape, Grenache Blanc, is sourced from Blue Mountain Vineyard, in the Walla Walla Valley AVA. It is aromatic and flavorful, with notes of slate, stone fruit, and citrus, and fresh, balancing acidity. 

SoDo Cellars, “Love Birds” Rosé — Fall is a great time for Rosé and, as we always point out, it’s perfect for Thanksgiving. Ryan’s “Love Birds,” made under his SoDo label, is a Grenache/Mourvèdre blend and is pretty and refreshingly dry, with flavors of white peaches and apples, and a hint of grapefruit.  

Kerloo, Majestic GSM — This is a brand new release of Ryan’s Rhône-style red blend. It is 74% Grenache, 21% Mourvèdre, and 5% Syrah and he made just 432 cases of it. Those who attend on Saturday will be among the first to try this always-popular wine. 

Kerloo, Columbia Valley Syrah — This is also a new release and is a wine that doesn’t stick around long as he makes only a few hundred cases of it. Sourced from Red Willow and Upland vineyards and blended with 5% Viognier, it has aromatics of lavender, thyme, graphite, and dried meat, with red fruit flavors and velvety tannins. 

SoDo Cellars, Deadbird Cabernet Sauvignon — Ryan’s Cab Sauv, made under his SoDo label, is delicious and ready to enjoy anytime, with its full-bodied dark fruit flavors and balanced tannins. As he says on his website: “This is bang for your buck Cab Sauv!”

Upcoming Tasting and Class Schedule:

Our tastings are free and take place in the shop every Thursday, between 5:30 and 8:00, except as noted.

October 18, Thursday, 5:30 to 8:00 — Spanish Wines

October 20, SATURDAY, 3:00 to 5:00 — Kerloo Cellars, with winemaker Ryan Crane

October 25, Thursday, 5:30 to 8:00 — Wines from Bordeaux

November 1, Thursday, 5:30 to 8:00 — November Collector’s Club wines. Open to all

November 3, SATURDAY, 2:00 to 5:00 — Special Holiday tasting, featuring the wines of Burgundy

November 8, Thursday, 5:30 to 8:00 — California wines

November 15, Thursday, 5:30 to 8:00 — Cru Beaujolais

November 17, SATURDAY, 3:00 to 5:00 — Avennia, with winemaker Chris Peterson

November 23, FRIDAY, 5:00 to 8:00 — Sparkling wines from around the world

November 29, Thursday, 5:30 to 8:00 — December Collector’s Club wines. Open to all

December 6, Thursday, 5:30 to 8:00 — Ports from Porto Kopke and Porto Rocha

December 8, SATURDAY, 3:00 to 5:00 — Long Shadows Vintners

December 13 and 20, Thursday, 5:30 to 8:00 — tbd

December 15, SATURDAY, 1:00 to 5:00 — Grower Champagne tasting ($10 fee, refundable with purchase of any bottle of Grower Champagne)

December 27, Thursday, 5:30 to 8:00 — January Collector’s Club wines. Open to all

Fall Class Schedule:

October 26, Friday, 6:00 to 8:30 — Food and Wine Pairing - Spain class at South Seattle College, co-taught by Greg Finger, American Northwest Distributors, and Tom. ($39 plus $15 materials fee.)  Sign up at http://learnatsouth.org/. Some space left.

November 9, Friday, 7:30 to 9:30 — Wines of Burgundy, taught by Greg Finger, American Northwest Distributors. ($35 per person, $30 for club members.) Sign up at the shop. 11 seats available.

November 30, Friday, 7:30 to 9:30 — Grower Champagne, co-taught by Dan Armstrong, of Bianco-Rosso Imports, and Tom. ($35 per person, $30 for club members.) SOLD OUT

Tom and Jan

West Seattle Cellars
6026 California Ave SW
Seattle WA  98136
206.937.2868
westseattlewinecellars.com

Hours:
Tuesday through Friday: 11:00 - 7:00 (later on Thursday for our free tastings)
Saturday: 12:00 to 5:00
Closed Sunday and Monday
Contact us at: info@wscellars.com