Northwest Wine Radio

Our first stop on this week's show is beautiful Whidbey Island, which is home to Blooms Winery.  Ken and Virginia join us to share their story, and the efforts of winemaking on the island.

Then a fascinating story of a brewery that's added a cidery!  Did you know Two Beers Brewing and Seattle Cider Company were under the same roof?  Well, sort of.  Their brewer and head cider-maker stop by the share their stories, and how the work together to make some really good products.

The Jolly Green Giant, Ronald McDonald, and the Geico Gecko all seemed to work, so why note create a new mascot for beer?  That's just what they did at Orlison Brewing, and you'll laugh along with us as we share how "Orlison" was created.

And then, what do you do when you want to name your winery after yourself, only to find out your name's meaning isn't the most flattering?  You do what they did at Truth Teller Winery, and you use a little fun creativity to come up with the perfect compliment to some really delicious wine!

 

 

Some have dreams of playing in a rock band, while others fantasize about making their wine.  On this week's show, we meet Chris Gorman, who's done both.  We find out more about the story behind Gorman Winery, and discover winemaker John Patterson of Patterson Cellars has a true passion that's not necessarily wine.

And when you hear the word "gin" you usually have one of two strong reactions.  The people behind Sea Bishop Distillery introduce us to their very different kind of gin, and how it's causing those who once made a "stink face" over this spirit to suddenly warm-up to it.

He's spent his life making custom furniture, but these days, doesn't have time because of his wine adventure!  We'll meet the man behind the appropriately named Craftsman Cellars, and then go to Narrows Brewing, where the view is as delicious as the beer!

Speaking of beer, our friend Eric Radovich with the Washington Beer Commission stops by with news of BelgianFest.  He says if you're new to beer, "Belgian style" is a great place for the wine drinker to start.

The title of this show is appropriate, because after you hear what one Oregon winemaker is up to, you may think he's in the Golden State.  Winemaker Paul Durant stops by to explain.

Are you a gin lover?  Most love or hate it, so why would a local distillery focus on it?  Because Scratch Distillery has a unique approach that's changing opinions daily.

There's the "Evergreen" state, the "Beaver" state, and apparently, the "Dystopian" state.  We meet the people behind Dystopian Brewery, and discover that it's not as frightening as its name might suggest.

Then we're off to Dayton, Oregon to meet the people behind Stoller Family Estate, and how a family farm has been transformed into a world-class wine operation.

For the first time, a wine region in the Northwest has been named "Wine Region of the Year" by Wine Enthusiast.  We'll talk with winemaker David Adelsheim about what this means to the Willamette Valley, and the rest of the Northwest.

We'll also visit with winemaker Kasia Kim about women in wine, and meet the team at Everett's Crucible Brewing.

 

He's made wine in Woodinville for years alongside his dad.  Now, Andrew Januik of Novelty Hill Januik has his own labels, and is preparing to make wine in another part of the world. Our friend Justin Stiefel with Heritage Distilling stops by to remind us about his unqiue Advent calendars, and we also meet Kurt Wettlaufer, who specializes in rum...all kinds of good rum...at SeaSpirits Distillery in Woodinville.

He bought the property for the historic mansion, and ended up with acres and acres of grapes.  So begins the story of Garnier Vineyards of Mosier, Oregon.

Hard Cider is becoming one of the fastest growing adult beverages in history, and Woodinville's Locust Cider has plenty of unique flavors.  But it's the story of WHY they make these ciders that will really touch your heart.

What do you do when two award-winning vineyards are basically next door to each other?  You collaborate and make an ever better wine! 

We sit down with the winemakers at Oregon's Hyland Estate and Solena Estate, and then we take you to the Yakima Wine Valley and talk about how wine grapes and hops co-exist peacefully. Speaking of hops, we'll also meet the brewer at Cloudburst Brewing, where the weather makes its way into some fun beer names.