This week we have some real treats! For the whites we have TRANCHE CHARDONNAY, PINOT GRIS AND ROUSSANE/VIOGNIER. Tranche is the name of the brand, and it is a sister program to Corliss Estates - not a second label. Tranche will have its own winery - the former Nicholas Cole winery - and will focus principally on Chardonnay and Rhone varietals. We are excited that we can share these with you.

CHARDONNAY - $30.99 - Just 300 cases of this Celilo vineyard Chardonnay were made. The aromatics suggest apples, pears, hints of honey and toast; it has a very polished and elegant mouthfeel, truly Burgundian. Flavors revolve around apple, Asian pear and melon, with a bit of popcorn from the malolactic fermentation. Good length, and at this quality level, good value.

PINOT GRIS - $16.99 - Another Columbia Gorge wine, sourced from the Swiftwater vineyard, which is cooler, higher and a little farther west than Celilo. This is fifth leaf fruit, still quite young, showing some green herb, cilantro, and a fair amount of residual sugar. This style is perfect for the type of cooking at Wild Ginger and other pan-Asian restaurants.

ROUSSANNE/VIOGNIER - $30.99 - There are 350 cases of this blend, a mix of two thirds roussane from Sagemoor (fifth leaf, but first crop) and one third viognier from Evergreen. The roussane was barrel fermented in neutral and second year oak; in barrel for about six months, then blended. The viognier was stainless fermented. The wine is light and deft, with nicely-defined streaks of melon, grapefruit and orange peel. It warms up mid-palate and gets some caramel/butterscotch streaks as it winds down. It falls away gracefully, without bitterness, a little heat the only off note.

(the above is from Paul Gregutt - Seattle Times wine columnist)

TASAWIK VINEYARDS - The vineyard is named after the Palouse Indian village of the Tasawiks which was located by the shores of the Snake below the vineyard site. It is owned and operated by Erik Dahle and Sara Broetje. They are committed to growing the best grapes their land can provide, and to make the best wine they can from those grapes. They call this "dedication from vine to wine". At Tasawik they don't strive to copy the fine wines of Bordeaux or Tuscany, they don't even strive to copy their previous vintage. Every year is different due to variations in temperature, water, wind, winter conditions, and many other factors. Therefore their wines will be different every year as well. But one thing that the land has consistently provided is a well rounded and balanced wine where you can really taste the fruit. As winemakers they simply try to preserve these qualities. When you swirl your glass and take in the aromas, you will get a sense of the unique terroir where the fruit was grown.

From the Tasawik website: Our Wines ----- At Tasawik we take our time. We planted the vineyard in 2003, and had our first harvest in 2005. We wanted to start out with wines from our own grapes, so we did not go out and buy bulk wine to get a quick start. The 2005 wines were patiently aged 30 months in oak barrels, were bottled in March ‘08 and released in August 2008. We want our wines to be a true representation of our very special vineyard site. They ‘05 vintage does just that. The fruit is clearly in focus, the wines are well structured, and are characterized by soft tannins.

Join us and meet the winemaker/owner Erik Dahle between 1 and 4.

JULY 18 is fast approaching. It is time to get your names turned in to guarentee your place in the lineup. If you need a registration form stop by and pick one up. (We do ask for a $10 registration fee)

You don't want to stomp? Support a team by making a pledge for each pound of juice they manange to stomp out of their grapes. Remember that the money raised this year goes to help the Des Moines Food Bank so they can help CRUSH HUNGER.

So, mark your calendars for JULY 18 at 4 PM to have some good old fashioned fun. The barrels will be set up right here in our parking lot.

The Rotary 500 Pop and Drop is also on July 18th in Beach Park at 1 pm. Watch as the balls are released and see which one is closest to the target. The balls are numbered and correspond to tickets which Rotary is selling to support their yearly projects. Find any Rotarian around town to get your $5 ticket and you could win $500 if your number is the lucky one! (don't know a Rotarian? we have tickets available also)

Breeders Theater launches its 16th production with a new show, The Last Magician ------ A comedy with music, The Last Magician is an environmental parable about sacrifice and responsibility. Book and lyrics are by T.M. Sell with music by Nancy Warren. ---- Shows are July 10, 11, 15, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25 at 7 p.m. and July 19 and 26 at 2 p.m. ---- All performances are at E.B. Foote Winery, 127B SW 153rd St., Burien, 206-242-3852. ---- Tickets are availabe at the winery or at CorkyCellars in Des Moines, 22511 Marine View Drive, 206-824-9462. ---- Tickets are still only $20 and include wine tasting and hors d'oeuvres.

We hope that all you Dads have a great day.

PSST!!!! ----- If you haven't picked up something for your dad yet why not a nice bottle of wine or port?