Our Own Backyard, A Wine Tasting Experience In Clark Count

I've enjoyed discovering wine tasting in Clark County. I hope you've enjoyed discovering it with me!

Finally, the slideshow you've been waiting for!

I've long been wanting to attend wine tasting at the Rusty Grape Vineyard's and was not disappointed last Friday the 14th when I took a group of friends with me to check it out. There were twelve of us, and everyone loved it. I've heard from several of my friends that they plan on going back. It was friendly and fun and one of our new favorite places to go. Great Reviews!

Rusty Grape Vineyards is family run by Heather and Jeremy Brown who add a personal touch to their Tuscan themed tasting room. Everyone working the tasting was enjoyable and so personable you felt like a neighbor stopping in. The grounds are scenic and accented by an enchanting courtyard and welcoming patio.

This local vineyard is a great example of a local Clark County winery with a cozy atmosphere, friendly people and good wine.

My favorite wines for the evening were the Sangiovese and the Strawberry wine. And just for fun, there was jewelry for sale so I bought a pretty freshwater pearl and citron necklace.
Bonus!

Their tasting room is open every Friday from 4:30-8:00, Saturdays varying from 12-5:00 or 8:00 and Sundays by Appt. (see calendar of events)
Check it out!

Friday March 7th I, along with two of my wine tasting accomplices, went to the Salut! tasting of Spanish wines. While I've been to Salut! numerous times to attend the Wine 101 class and to buy wine, this is the first of their wine tastings I've been to.

We had a great time. Not surprisingly, the the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. We arrived around 6:45 so the tasters were well on their way to having a great time. The owner, David Gray, was behind the counter helping pour as well as mingling in the crowd getting feedback from the tasters. Along with the staff, two canine buddies were there to greet the wine crowd. Regretfully, I didn't get their names but they were friendly and showed me where their treat jar was located. It was almost as if we were sharing a couple bottles of wine with a group of friends in someone's living room rather than a business.

My favorites for the evening were the Burgant 2006 Albarino for $12.99 a bottle, Alto Almanzora 2005 Este for $8.99 a bottle, and my very favorite was the Bodegas mas Alta 2005 Artigas Priorat at $39.99 a bottle (Spanish .. I don't know what they are either except white, red, red.) Besides the flavorful wines offered at wine tasting David has a comprehensive and eclectic selection of wines for sale. A great selection to choose from and all have been taste tested!

On Saturday I took a couple friends and drove out to Bethany Vineyards. Unfortunately there is a "Closed 4 Remodel" sign in the driveway. I guess that would explain why the 'events' page on their website is blank right now. There is a general message on the web page that their tasting room is open on Saturdays from 11-6 so when they re-open I will make it a point to go to one of their tastings. It's in a scenic area and looks like a great place for a spring Saturday.

Since we were unable to taste the Bethany wines we decided to try one of the other wine venues listed on the blog. We chose Vinetopia. I was well aware that Vinetopia was a different atmosphere for wine tasting. My impression of Vinetopia is a postmodern wine ATM machine. The wine tasting room is located off the side of the restaurant in Cinetopia. The walls are lined with bottles of wine behind glass. In order to taste the wine of your choice you purchase a plastic card for $3 and add money to your balance. Then you insert your card in the slot above the wine of your choice, push the little red electronic wine button and it dispenses an accurate ounce for a predetermined dollar amount ranging from $1.40 to $12.00 into the wine glass you're holding under the spout. It's all very mechanical and antiseptic. (Cold and impersonal). There wasn't anyone there hosting or available to tell us about the different wines, and there wasn't information posted about the wines available. However, there were two computers available if you so chose to look things up. (Just what I want to do when wine tasting).
I wasn't able to take any photo's of Vinetopia for the blog as I was told absolutely no photos, but have attached a link to the photo I could find on their website. Vinetopia. And for your viewing pleasure have attached comparison photos of Salut! and Vinetopia.

I'm sure Vinetopia has a specific clientele; those that know what wines they want to taste with no frills involved, or those that don't know any better. Clearly, Vinetopia isn't my cup of tea (glass of wine).

Due to the high attendance at the wine tasting event Friday last (February 29th) at Discount Tobacco and Wine I am once again compelled to sing their praises. South American wines were featured. My two favorites for the evening were a 2007 Cono Sur Organic Chardonnay from Chile and a 2006 Punto Final Malbec from Argentina. Both were reasonably priced at around ten dollars per bottle.
True to the ongoing theme of Clark County wine tasting there were tasters of all ages and varieties, (over twenty-one). There were beginning tasters, social tasters and a few experts in the room, including the owner, Rich Franklin who deemed himself the "Willy Wonka of Wines" for the night. Possibly because of the afore mentioned generous pour, almost comparable to the everlasting gobstopper.
I saw one taster in his sweats, most in jeans and a few in slacks but the overall impression for the evening was an across the board enjoyment of the wines in a casual atmosphere.
Because themes have not been discussed thus far in the blog I want to list some upcoming events:

March 7: K'Syrah, "First Friday: featuring Zinfandels (5 wines), 5-8 pm $10, dinner $25.00
Salut! Spanish Wines (7 wines) 5-8 pm, $10
Rusty Grape, 4:30-8 pm
Vanc. Gift & Wine Cellar, Argentinean Wines, 6-8 pm, $10
March 8: Rusty Grape, Tasting Room open 12-8
March 14: K'Syrah, Pinot Noir, CA vs. OR, (5 wines), 5-8 pm, $10, dinner $25
Salut! Cost + 10% (18 wines), Friday 5-8 pm $10, Sat. 12-6 pm $5, Sun. 12-5 $5
Rusty Grape, 4:30-8, Live Music!
Vanc. Gift & Wine Cellar, Gooleridge Wines, 6-8 pm, $10
March 15: Rusty Grape, Tasting Room open 12-8
March 19: Salut: Wine 101, 7-9 pm, $35
March 21: Rusty Grape, 4:30-8
Vanc. Gift & Wine Cellar, Gnarly Head Wines, 6-8 pm, $10
March 22: Rusty Grape, Tasting Room open 12-8
March 28: Rusty Grape, 4:30-8
Vanc. Gift & Wine Cellar, Zin Night, 6-8 pm, $10
March 29: Rusty Grape, Tasting Room open 12-8, Italian Wine makers dinner
April 4-6: English Estates, Grand Re-Opening, complimentary wine tasting


To follow: Additional events from Bethany Vineyards and Discount Tobacco & Beverage

Cheers!
Marcie

Friday the 22nd of February I attended the wine tasting featuring Italian wines at K'Syrah in Camas. I was with a friend who really tastes the wines while I generally drink them, decide which one I like the best and go back for more of the same. This is how the first comments went:
"I'm disappointed already."
"Really? I like it, it's so cute! Look at the candles, and the colors they've painted the walls, very cool place."
"I think your pour is bigger than mine."
"It says here each pour is one and a half ounces."
"Hmm, I don't know about that. How can they say it's tasting from Northern Italy and not include wines from ..." and then I quit listening because I don't know the different regions of Italy and was pretty sure I wouldn't retain them at that time.
This is a good introduction to the different levels of wine tasting. In my experience there are three to four levels of wine tasters. There is the beginner who is a little, maybe a lot, intimidated by the whole wine tasting arena. This is because they've heard the expert wine taster speak. We'll get there in a minute. The newbie is just learning the different wines and generally prefers to start with the sweeter wines and you hear, "Oh that's a good one, what kind of wine is this?"
The social wine taster (this is me) will know the different wines, will have a preference to different wines and wineries, but will still drink everything else. You will hear these type comments from the social wine taster, "Oh, I like that wine, I was hoping you'd have it tonight," and, "No thanks, I don't like Syrah, I'll just taste the Pinot again." And maybe even, "If you don't want the rest of that, I'll finish it."
Then there are (in my opinion) at least two levels of the expert wine taster. These guys know their stuff, where the grapes come from, when they are harvested, how long the wine should age, etc. This is what you overhear with the expert wine tasters, "It's aging well. I think it'll be good in about ten years." Ten years? Yeah right. Like I can let a bottle of wine sit in my house for ten years. Good luck with that! The expert wine taster will comment on the hint of oak and rosemary in the wine giving it a slight woody flavor with a fruity finish. They may even refer to the wines they dislike as 'swill'. Which I don't believe is an actual technical term of wine description.
K'Syrah seemed to cater to the newbie and social drinker, at least on the wine tasting event I attended. Much like it's counterpart, Salut!, K'Syrah is a little wine shop with weekly wine tasting events on Friday nights. The wine tastings are ten dollars for a flight (a flight is a taste of each one of the wines from the selection for the evening) and twenty-five dollars for dinner. We didn't have the dinner the night I went however, a friend of mine and her husband have previously gone for dinner and were able to buy a bottle of wine off the shelf (at the store price, not a restaurant price, so it is a better deal) and drink it with dinner.
Check out the link for K'Syrah and enjoy!

Clark County has developed its own atmosphere for wine tasting. It’s a deliberately quaint and laid back atmosphere in the ‘Couv. Upon review of the interviews thus far, Tommy O’s, Salut, Discount Tobacco and Wine, and Rusty Grape Vineyards, clearly the presentation of the wine atmosphere in Clark County is consistent. ‘Couv residents can walk into a wine tasting, a lounge, or a store knowing either a little or a lot about the wine, wearing either jeans and a t-shirt or slacks, tennis shoes or black high heeled boots and their dressed up or dressed down attitude fits in either way.
Jeremy, one of the owners of Rusty Grape Vineyards in Battle Ground, stresses the rustic Tuscan atmosphere they have developed at their winery. Rusty Grape Vineyards is open to barrel tasting and a wine tour anytime, without appointment or ceremony. “We’re not one of those places that want you to taste the wines and leave,” he states, “we encourage you to open the bottle, sit, relax and drink it here, take your time.” Besides wine and good times, Rusty Grape Vineyards offers free WiFi, “We get people in here with their laptops enjoying a bottle of wine sometimes even for a couple hours.” Sounds like Starbucks has some competition! Let’s see, wine or coffee?
Rich Franklin of Discount Tobacco and Wine states that they make their wine tasting events casual by design, presenting an event less intimidating to new wine drinkers. They also provide an educational setting, sharing information about wineries as well as information about different wine regions that interests both the novice and experienced wine drinkers.
David Gray of Salut!, voiced that same opinion in his interview. Vancouverites are here to enjoy the wine. Our atmosphere is different than that of Portland; we’re not here for the show, we’re here to enjoy the wine.
Tommy O’s is an example of a locally owned restaurant that offers a casually elegant atmosphere where the clientele can enjoy a selection of great wines at reasonable prices.
Vancouver has come into it’s own. Clark County residents need not cross the bridge into Portland or drive miles to Yakima Valley, Willamette Valley, or the Gorge to find a friendly place to get advise on which wines to buy, a quality and educational wine tasting event, or a quietly refined bistro to enjoy a bottle of Zinfandel. With wine tasting events offered weekly at numerous wineries and shops in Clark County we can enjoy being wine connoisseurs in our own backyard.

Discount Tobacco and Beverage is Vancouver’s best kept secret. They host wine tasting events on most Friday nights from 6-9 p.m for the past several years. It looks like a convenience store on the outside and it looks like a convenience store on the inside and I’m telling you, after you walk through the steel swinging doors that have the traditional “Authorized Personnel Only” sign in big red print into the back room it looks like wine tasting. The lights are dimmed in the back room that normally hosts cases of beer and beef jerky and is tastefully decorated in warm chocolate and saffron with candle sconces on the wall. There is a rich spread of appetizers and always a representation of wine that rivals the wines that are offered throughout the greater Vancouver/Portland, Willamette Valley, and Yakima areas. They always offer a large pour, which both invites and encourages their patrons.
The Franklins, who own the establishment, are glad to welcome the crowd on Friday nights. Although last season remarked that they had to turn the lights on to remind wine tasters it is nine o’clock and wine tasting is over. They’ve had an increasingly popular crowd and have chosen to promote through word of mouth, e-mail and the bulletin in front of their store.
Wine purchases have increased and the Franklins have found they have a loyal clientele that directly influence the wines they carry on their shelves.
They don’t have website which is why I have only offered it under the ‘check it out’ section on the blog. But please, check it out! It is well worth your time. I, and several friends have been enjoying their wine tasting events for several seasons.

Salut! Cheers For One of Vancouver's Greatest Wine Shops

Vancouver was in serious need of a wine shop according to David Gray, owner of Salut! Wine Co. in East Vancouver. The wine shop that had been in that location previously had closed when Salut! was opened five years ago. Salut! offers wine tastings on Friday nights. This last Friday wines from Walla Walla were featured and port wines in their "Port Weekend" the 15th - 17th this coming weekend will be spotlighted.
The Salut! store in Camas, which offers wine tastings and dinners each Friday was opened two years ago in response to the need for a catering kitchen. They are featuring a Valentines Day dinner on February 14th, (men take note of that date) and "Cab Frank & Sauv Blanc--Parents of Cabernet Sauvignon" night, Friday February 15th. Events
David Gray chose to open his wine shop in Vancouver because he is a Clark County resident. He has a sign in the window of his shop encouraging customers to support their local communities. "We are much more casual here," he replied in response to my question about the type of wine tasters he serves, "there is less attitude. It's like an art show in Portland versus wine appreciation here. We're not the society page; we're the people who enjoy the wine." Well stated!
Salut! offers several wine classes and events, one of which I participated in a number of months ago. I thought I knew a fair amount about the wines I drank, mainly what tasted good is good, right? The "Wine 101, Components of Wine" class taught me what it was I was tasting in the wine and also taught me the answers to the questions: "Why do wine tasters swish the glass around and sniff it?", "What do those descriptors, woody, aged, oak, really mean when they're talking about wine?" and more. I asked David which one of his classes is the most attended and he told me it is the Wine 101 class. His theory is that people need to learn about wine, it's like going to buy a house without an education, you won't find the house that fits your needs unless you educate yourself. The same applies to wine, you hear snippets here and there but they're not always consistent. For me, it was a safe learning environment, I've found wine that meets my needs, with yummy foods, fun people, and I learned that Sauvignon Blanc has a hint of a grapefruit smell.
Salut! Is another of our wine assets in the 'Couv. I've had more than one friend tell me they can go in there and ask for advise on which wines to serve or give as a gift. Salut! carries a great wine selection as well as great advise. It doesn't hurt that their merchandise tastes great!
Cheers!
Marcie

Yes, I know everywhere you look you can find wine reviews, where to go and what to drink, but my purpose is to focus in Clark County and what we have here in our own backyard. Vancouver, endearingly referred to by Portlanders as Vantucky, gets no credit for what we have. It's great that we can visit upwards to fifty wineries within driving distance of our homes and have all the fine restaurants in Portland to patronize but let's check out the 'Couv. There are a lot of opportunities to taste fine wines right here in our own community.

This weekend I went to Tommy O's, a locally owned Hawaiian bistro and enjoyed a bottle of Cline Zinfandel from Sonoma County. Attached to the restaurant is a lounge that provides a relaxing combination of elegance and simplicity. I spoke with the owner, Tommy Owens, and asked him why he chose to open his restaurant in Vancouver versus Portland. His answer suits the purpose of this blog, he wanted to stay on this side of the river. He also noted that he found his niche here in Vancouver. Tommy O's is a nice way to begin our tour of Clark County tastings. It's a locally owned bistro that promotes our community and provides a refined atmosphere right in the 'Couv.