Happy Hour Wine Tasting Featuring Dunham Cellars with Special Guest Mark Harmann

“Someone said drink the water, but I will drink the wine / Someone said take a poor man, the rich don’t have a dime / Go fool yourself, if you will, I just haven’t got the time / I’ll give you back your water, and I will take the wine.”

Frank Sinatra
The Voice

Water and wine are the only two things that I drink for the most part and hey why do we need water at all wine is 80-85% water!!

One more Happy Hour tasting this year and we will be featuring Washington State wines so I have included all the Washington state wines that we have in the store on this offering!

This tasting is a belly up to the bar, hang out with your friends and the food is casual, this is not a sit-down dinner- a true “Happy Hour” style event… but with GREAT wines.  Tonight, we have one of the original wineries of the Walla Walla wine region of Washington State, Dunham Cellars was winery #9 when they got started in 1995

The first people who planted grapes in Washington were the German and Italian immigrants and that was around 1825.

Chateau Ste. Michelle is Washington state’s Founding Winery, with some of the oldest and most acclaimed vineyards in the Columbia Valley.

Built on the 1912 estate owned by Seattle lumber baron Frederick Stimson, the winery’s roots date back to the Repeal of Prohibition, when the Pommerelle Wine Company and the National Wine Company were formed.  They merged in 1954 to form American Wine Growers. In 1967, American Wine Growers began a new line of premium vinifera wines called “Ste. Michelle Vintners” under the direction of legendary California winemaker Andre Tchelistcheff.

Ste. Michelle Vintners planted its first vines at Cold Creek Vineyard in Eastern Washington in 1972. Cold Creek remains one of the oldest and most renowned vineyards in the state. Ste. Michelle Vintners now own more than 3,500 prime vineyard acres in the Columbia Valley.

Some of the other founding fathers of the Washington state wine industry are- Leonetti Cellars, Woodward Canyon and Quilceda Creek.  These three producers are the first “cult wines” from Washington state and basically the second round of producers to move in.

Leonetti Cellar, which was bonded in 1977 by Founders Gary and Nancy Figgins, started as Gary’s vision to make world-class wines in Walla Walla has turned out to be a true American success story. Today, Leonetti Cellar produces some of the most sought after wines not onlyfrom Washington state but in the world.

Woodward Canyon Winery was one of the first two wineries to help put the Walla Walla Valley on Washington State's wine map.  From its first powerful 1981 cabernet sauvignon to the new releases today they have been among this state's top producers and we have actually have some of these wines in our tasting tonight!

Founded in 1979, Quilceda Creek has had an unbroken string of highly-rated vintages that has led Robert Parker Jr. to name it Washington State’s premier Cabernet Sauvignon producer with five vintages receiving (100 points) from Robert Parker Jr.'s The Wine Advocate, this is the mosxt sought after collectible.  Although we are not showing any Quilceda Creek this evening we do have several vintages available for sale after the notice of this tasting we have a list of all the Washington state wines in the store.

The industry and been expanding rapidly, Washington is the second largest wine producing state with just over 500 wineries in 2007.  Just a few short years later, today there are over 700 with the giant Chateau St. Michelle leading the way in terms of size. 
This tasting is a belly up to the bar, hang out with your friends and the food is casual, this is not a sit-down dinner- a true “Happy Hour” style event… but with GREAT wines.  Our Host this evening is the National Sales Director of Dunham Cellars Mark Harmann and chef Toni will be making some tasty treats to accompany the tasting wines.  We only have space for 25 tasters and the fee for this event is $55 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com

Happy Hour Wine Tasting Featuring Dunham Cellars
With Special Guest Mark Harmann National Director of Sales
Wednesday, September 22nd
6:00pm

2019 Dunham Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Columbia Valley
Price: $21.75       Your Price: $17.40
This is the 9th winery in Walla Walla but only the second vintage of Sauvignon Blanc has a good amount of that musky onion skin character to the green melon and lemon white grapefruit citrus and hints of briny mineral notes.  A good amount of zesty white grapefruit citrus character on the tongue tingly minerality here on the finish, leaves the tongue salivating for food.  Finish 30+               Very Good

2017 Dunham Cellars Chardonnay Shirley Mays Columbia
Price: $18.50       Sale $16.28
Fresh green apple, lemon citrus fruit with notes of white flowers and a bit of a briny mineral character just a whiff of oak spice.  A bright and crisp style of Chardonnay with a nice touch of spice tongue tingly minerality with a light and crisp finish.  Has 30% new oak and just a touch of that comes through on the finish.  Finish 35+            Very Good

2018 Dunham Cellars Three Legged Red Washington State
Price: $21.50       Sale $18.92
A blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and there is no indication on the label and this wine has a good amount of fresh berry pie like fruit, black cherry dark plum and blackberry fruit, notes of black licorice spice on the nose simple and straightforward.  This wine has a good amount of rich ripe fruit on the tongue, soft smooth tannins and a short but pleasant finish.  Finish 30+              Very Good

2017 Dunham Cellars Trutina Columbia Valley
Price: $32.50       Sale $28.60
A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, this wine has a pretty bouquet of sweet tobacco spice, milk chocolate and currant and red plum fruit with a note of that Flintstones baby vitamins.  A good amount of red berry and plum fruit with a nice hand of earth, sweet tobacco spice, cedar and good freshness on the finish.  Finish 35+                Very Good +

2016 Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley
Price: $48.50       Sale $42.68
A good amount of cedar and cigar box spice on the nose with dark currant and plum, nice complexity on the nose.  This wine spends 2 years in French oak and there is a bit of the other 4 Bordeaux Varietals but 92% varietal.  A big and chewy wine with lots of everything and some dry tannins on the finish but has wonderful balance, an elegance style of Cabernet Sauvignon with a long layered finish.  Finish 45+                Excellent +

2018 Dunham Cellars Syrah Columbia Valley
Price: $37.75       Sale $33.22
This wine has a good amount of rich ripe dark plum and dark cherry fruit, pretty floral notes and notes of new leather and this from the Lewis and 5-mile vineyard.  A big and chewy wine with lots of rich ripe fruit with soft round tannins very silky but has lots of stuffing and a firm hand of acidity.  Finish 45+       Most Excellent

2016 Dunham Cellars Riesling Columbia Valley
Price: $18.75      Sale $16.50

A bit of a fusil quality to the apple and peach like fruit with notes of wet stone this is a 300 acre vineyard.  A bright and fresh style of Riesling with that crisp apple and pear fruit and a bit of that fusil quality to the finish.  Finish 35+                Very Good

This tasting is a belly up to the bar, hang out with your friends and the food is casual, this is not a sit-down dinner- a true “Happy Hour” style event… but with GREAT wines.  Our Host this evening is the National Sales Director of Dunham Cellars Mark Harmann and chef Toni will be making some tasty treats to accompany the tasting wines.  We only have space for 25 tasters and the fee for this event is $55 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com

A bit about Dunham Cellars:
The winery makes its home in a rustic, remodeled World War II era airplane hangar in Walla Walla, Washington, and celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2020. The family-owned winery strives for excellence from vineyard to bottle, and sources fruit from several renowned estate vineyards in prime locations around the Walla Walla and Columbia Valley appellations. Dunham wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Trutina (Bordeaux-style blend), Three Legged Red (red table wine), Rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Chardonnay.

With a strong heritage and a brand well-known throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond, we are committed to producing premium wines through gentle treatment in all phases of the winemaking process. Our goal is to bring something to the bottle that we enjoy and are proud to label with the name Dunham.

Founding Winemaker Eric Dunham discovered his passion for wine at a young age. As a teenager in the early 1980's, he enjoyed helping himself to his parents' international wine collection. Even with those precious bottles safely tucked away in a locked wine cellar, Eric learned how to pick the lock. When the lock was upgraded, he discovered he could remove the hinges from the cellar door. Mike and Joanne never quite figured out how to keep Eric from his cellar sampling, and during his Navy years stationed at Moffett Field in Santa Clara County, Eric continued to pursue his passion by enjoying many trips to the Napa Valley. With a keen palate and admiration for the art of crafting the perfect bottle, Eric returned home for a father-son fishing trip with Mike. When his dad asked him what he wanted to do with his life, Eric had a clear vision: "I want to make wine."

Following this declaration, Eric landed a 6-month internship at Hogue Cellars in Prosser, Washington, after which he was hired as Assistant Winemaker at L'Ecole No. 41 in the Walla Walla Valley. With Winemaker Marty Clubb's blessing, Eric began making small lots of Dunham wine at L'Ecole, the first bottling being the 1995 Dunham Cabernet Sauvignon I. After the first few vintages of Dunham's eponymous wine were released to great acclaim, the aspiring young winemaker found warehouse space in an old WWII airplane hangar in Walla Walla, and was able to convince his parents to help him launch Dunham Cellars. A couple of years later, David and Cheryll Blair were introduced to the Dunhams. They subsequently joined the Dunhams in pursuit of their collective dream of making and pairing great wine with wonderful hospitality.

Vineyards

Our Estate
Family owned and operated for over 25 years, Dunham Cellars has become one of Walla Walla's most trusted and celebrated wineries. Our two estate vineyards, Kenny Hill and Lewis, provide the foundation for our acclaimed wines. Our complete control of the winemaking process, from the clonal selection, planting and farming of our vines, to the advanced technology and techniques in the cellar, reflects our steadfast commitment to detail and quality. Through these decades of experience growing and making wine in this Valley, we ensure that every bottle best expresses its varietal character and terroir.

 The Fruit
Dunham Cellars selects the finest fruit from several renowned vineyards in the Walla Walla and Columbia Valley Appellations. The winery works closely with its farming company, Appellation Management Group directed by Ken Hart, to ensure the fruit is of the highest quality. The commitment between grower and winemaker and the quality of these vineyards with their incredible combination of climate, soil and geography allows Dunham Cellars to create wines of structure and balance.

Sustainable Wine Growing
We implement sustainable vineyard growing practices in all our vineyards. Healthy soil is a key component of sustainability. Our goal is to meet the needs of the present without compromising future generations.