This from the Woodinville Wine Country site:

Matthews Estate has undergone a change in ownership and must apply for a new license from the Federal Trade and Tax Bureau. Until our license is granted, we are required to suspend all winery operations, including wine tasting and wine sales. We thank you all for your interest in our winery, and we look forward to sharing our wines with the public again in the near future.

Please accept our apologies for any inconvience this interruption in service may have caused.

Thank you,
The Staff and Owners of Matthews Estate

Hours: None, currently

Matt Loso left the winery back in July, and he will be missed. I had a chance to meet him at a dinner he hosted at the winery back in 2000 and it was a real treat. There was a post a few weeks back by Kori at Wine Peeps who felt the staff provided sub-optimal service under the new management. Perhaps this break will give the new owners a chance to regroup.

More info here.

Delille, August 29, 2008
Acclaimed by the likes of Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, Delille Cellars is one of the most honored wineries in Washington State. Dining guests can enjoy complimentary tastings of wine from Delille Cellars and mingle with winemaker Jay Soloff. There is no extra charge for these tableside and bar-side tastings and the event lasts from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

JM Cellars, September 12, 2008
Best known for their full-bodied red blends, JM Cellars strives to create wines with complexity and intensity. Dining guests can enjoy complimentary tastings of wine from JM Cellars and mingle with winemaker John Bigelow. There is no extra charge for these tableside or bar-side tastings and the event lasts from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

From Wine Spectator March 31, 2008 issue:
Betz Family Winery Syrah Red Mountain La Côte Rousse 2005
Highly Recommended 94 points
“Ripe and focused. A plush mouthful of raspberry, black cherry and rhubarb pie flavors play nicely against refined tannins and hints of roasted red peppers and pomegranate on the long, expressive finish. An intense Syrah that seems to float in midair. Best from 2010 through 2015.”

Betz Family Winery Syrah Columbia Valley Syrah Chapitre 3 2005
93 points
“Supple and generous, with a spicy, peach-like note adding interest to the currant, blackberry and tar flavors. Finishes with an open texture that makes this feel subtle and graceful. Drink now through 2015.”

Betz Family Winery Syrah Columbia Valley La Serenne 2005
91 points
“Lithe and appealing for its bright raspberry and blueberry flavors, wrapped softly in a blanket of fine tannins. The fruit persists against white pepper notes on the long finish. Drink now through 2012.”

This just in from our friends at the Mark Ryan Winery:

“As part of the St Nick’s event, we are pleased to announce our first art showing at the Winery. Famed rock poster artist Justin Hampton will be will be at the Mark Ryan Winery on December 1st & 2nd. Many of you have asked to purchase the posters on our walls, now you can just in time for the holidays! Justin will be there in person showing some amazing original works of art as well as prints that have made him one of the most well known artists in the genre. They will be displayed at the winery for you to view and purchase. We’re also excited to unveil that Mr. Hampton is designing a new label for Mark Ryan’s 2006 Dissident wine which is coming very soon. Check out Justin’s stuff at http://www.justinhampton.com/.

Justin Hampton has been creating high impact imagery since his arrival on the art scene in 1990. He began his tenure in Seattle working for famed graphic designers Art Chantry and Jeff Kleinsmith at the Rocket Magazine. A decade and a half later, he is renowned as one of the leaders in the modern rock poster scene and has garnered international attention. His bold line work and sublime color palette mixed with a vivid imagination are unmistakable. His work can be seen in various galleries in Europe, Asia and Australia as well as the in states.

If you are not attending the St Nick’s event, but would like to come to check out and purchase Justin’s art, just down load this page and show it to the person at the door to gain admittance.

Woodinville Wine Country’s annual St Nick’s event is this weekend, December 1st and 2nd. This year the format will be like Passport. $50 gets you in everywhere with an event glass and winery booklet. Check the website to purchase tickets. Tickets are NOT sold at the wineries.”

Northwest Totem Cellars will be hosting their release party at the Hollywood Schoolhouse in Woodinville Dec 1-2.
Northwest Totem Cellars is a small Woodinville winery that produces hand-crafted wines. These 2005 reds will be released:

Cabernet Sauvignon - 175 cases produced

Low Man Red (Bordeaux blend) - 175 cases produced

Cabernet Franc - 50 cases produced

Syrah - 175 cases produced

Hope to see you there!

Guardian Cellars, the joint venture of Jerome Edward Riener, and Mark Ryan McNeilly is set to launch. Just got this mail from them. Hope to see you at the party.

Dear winery friends,

You are probably scratching your heads trying to figure out why you are getting this e-mail. In the last Mark Ryan Winery release letter we told you about Guardian Cellars, a new winery project created by myself, Jerome Edward Riener, and Mark Ryan McNeilly.

The time is finally here to unveil Guardian Cellars. Please join us from 12-4pm on Nov. 17th as we welcome Guardian Cellars to the Woodinville wine scene and release three wines, including the long-awaited return of Gun Metal. In the Mark Ryan Winery fashion, we will have great music, wine and food for the release party.

Guardian Cellars began with just two barrels of 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (49 cases) that we worked on between perfecting Dead Horse, Long Haul and the other spectacular wines in Mark’s collection. Mark and I moved ahead with two additional Guardian wines the following year.
The inaugural Cabernet, nicknamed “The Rookie,” will be joined by a 2004 Red Mountain Syrah (56 cases) and, of course, the 2004 Gun Metal (190 cases). Many of you Mark Ryan Winery fans will remember the 2003 Gun Metal. The 2004 vintage is the same grapes, barrels and winemaker, but we changed the label to Guardian Cellars.

We invite you to go to guardiancellars.com to check out the new web site for more information. We have posted the order form online as all the wines are extremely limited and will sell out quickly. Wines will be filled on a firstPary come first served basis. For those unable to attend the release party, you may pick up on a future weekend or your wines can be shipped.

Thanks for the support and hope to see you next month,

The Crew at Guardian Cellars.
Guardian Cellars
19501 144th Ave NE F-1100 | Woodinville, WA 98072
jerry@guardiancellars.com | 206-661-6733 | guardiancellars.com

Januik and Novelty Hill Wineries host “Fall Harvest” from Noon to 3 pm with a fall cooking class, a cozy meal, a selection of wine from both wineries and a tour of the winery. Cost: $90 per person. Call 425-481-5502. ...

According to their site:

The organic bounty of Snoqualmie Valley’s Oxbow Farms will be featured in our fall cooking class. Work alongside winery chef Charles Walpole to gain tips of the trade for showcasing the rich, bold flavors of the season in comforting dishes ranging from soups to braised meats. Afterwards, sit down to a cozy meal and a selection of Novelty Hill and Januik wines followed by a private tour of the winery for an insider’s look at winemaking in full harvest mode.

Fall Harvest • Sunday, September 30, 2007 • Noon – 3 p.m.
Cost: $90 per person
RSVP: sarah@noveltyhilljanuik.com or 425-481-5502

Catherine Fallis is the fifth woman in the world to have earned the title of Master Sommelier, and just posted a review of DiStefano’s 2002 Merlot. Below are some of her key findings.

Slightly hazy, deeply saturated ruby, and moderately viscous, the wine has aromas of earth, char, cedar, chocolate-covered raisin, stewed fruit, cherry jam, and a sweet Pinot-Noir like perfume. The entry is round and delicate. Dark berry, raisin, and molasses notes come out on the palate along with chewy oak tannins. The finish is long and spicy. This is the kind of wine that really demands food. Dishes such as lamb-stuffed eggplant, chicken mole, pappardelle with duck ragout, veal chops, Gouda or a smoked provolone come to mind.

The fruit came from two sources, the Roza Hills, and the Chandler Reach vineyards. It is blended with 3% Cabernet Sauvignon and was aged for 24 months in French oak. Only 571 cases were produced.

Catherine Fallis is the Founder and President of Planet Grape LLC. More of her reviews here.

Complete winemaker’s notes here.

DiStefano’s tasting room is open Saturdays & Sundays 12-5, Fridays 12-4.

August 11, 2007 11am-4pm. Each year, Columbia Winery searches through its extensive library and hand selects cellar-aged older vintages to sell at deep discounts at this annual one-day case sale. Stock your cellar from the more than 750 cases that they have selected for this year’s large format and case sale. Large formats include 1.5, 5, 6 and 9 liter bottles. Many are limited in quantity. Their wine shop will offer special discounts on current releases this weekend only.
Early bird admittance at 9:30 a.m. with $10 donation to Ryther Child Center. C
olumbia Winery, Woodinville, WA