I grew up surrounded by wine. My parents were a major factor in making sure that any time we were in a country that allowed me to drink we would be sharing a bottle of wine. Back then the wines were French, Italian, German; the classic places that have been taken down a step by the huge variety of new wines being made all over the world.

I’m from Washington, a “remote” western state that, thanks to global warming, has become a recent hotspot for wine on the coat tails of California. Our vineyards produce wines that are now becoming world recognized. Even my parents’ friends make wine from these grapes, quite successfully, by buying them in bulk from the vineyards and pressing/processing the grapes into wine themselves with their neighbors.

The wine I’m featuring in this post is a consistently good bottle from Washington. It is a full and rich wine that you can generally get for 9-12 dollars a bottle. It is a red blend that has only gotten better in 2010. If you want a red wine that is neither light nor oppressively heavy, give this wine a try. The current 2010 is full and fruity, benefiting from the warm weather during that year.

Enjoy!