Columbia Crest Horse Heaven Cabernet

Hello Wine Lovers!

I want to talk about this wine but usually it is out of the price range I write about ($10 or less) The fine folks at Binny's and Wine Discount Center have it on sale for $10.99 and the extra .99 is well worth me writing about for you folks! I also want to talk a little about the perception of wine... but first the wine.

Columbia Crest is a mass producer from Washington State that for the most part, put Washington on the map as far as wine production. There entry level wines certainly graced many family tables through the years with their low prices and easy drinking wines which were very approachable. As with any winery, they also wanted to produce higher end wines and to keep pushing the envelope with cutting edge developments and more "serious" wines.

Horse Heaven Wines are from a specific area south of the Yakima Valley and named after the wild horses that roamed the valley. (see map) The soil drains well with a sandy-loam soils and high winds through the region. H3 (the nickname) is made up of 88% Cabernet, 7% Merlot, 3% Syrah and 2% Malbec. You will find a mouthful of dark berries, cassis, licorice and a slight earthy finish which is smooth as a baby's butt. Nice wine for the money!

Now for the often misunderstood perception of the wine world. My beautiful Bride and myself volunteered Saturday morning (I played an elf and passed out presents along with Santa Claus for kids in need) and after it was over, we went to lunch with Santa Claus and his wife.(not the real one, but the one that played Santa... just so we're straight on this) We sat down and the waitress approached and of course asked us if we would like a drink to start off our meal. I ordered a glass of red wine and our friends ordered a beer and proceeded to tell me that he likes wine but is too intimidated to order it. So of course that started a long conversation about wine, food, cooking and restaurants! I asked him and his wife what intimidated them about wine. Both stated they liked to drink wine when someone else brings it to their home, but they don't like to drink it at a restaurant. They went on to say swirling the wine, smelling the the glass, looking at it, describing it in words they had no idea what they meant, and making such a fuss over something they drink was just too much for them. I asked them if they like the smell of apple pie baking in the oven, or the smell of steaks on a grill, or fresh bread in a bakery, or the smell of a rain shower in July. Of course, the answer was yes to all the questions I asked. I stated it was no different than smelling wine. I asked them if they smelled their beer before they tasted it, both said no. Needless to say, by this time I ordered a bottle of wine for all to share and the tutorial began. By the end of lunch they had a completely different thought process about food, wine and even the beer they drank. The bottom line is this.. too often we don't take the time to stop and smell the roses! Our sense of smell is connected to our memories, both past and present. Think of the first time you smelled your new baby, the first time you smelled a fresh cut lawn, Mom baking chocolate cookies... the point is smell is not intimidating. Maybe the wine snob that describes it is, but smell itself, is not! The moral of the story is this... don't worry about all the things someone tells you to smell, just take the time to smell, think of a memory of the smell, and drink the wine, beer, whiskey, scotch or what ever. You either like it or you don't, period! Have fun with whatever your experience at the time. If you are cooking or baking, take the time to smell. If you are drinking a new beer, take the time to smell it and really enjoy it! If you experience a new wine, take the time to smell, take the time to enjoy life to it's fullest! We only have one!

Cheers!

J