Chris Sparkman spent a couple of decades as sommelier and wine buyer in some of the U.S.’s best restaurants before locating in Woodinville and starting making a plethora of big, bold Washington wines (there are 21 wines in current release.)  This Saturday we’ll be sampling a few of them with Sparkman’s winemaker, Linn Scott who will narrate the details of these distinct wines.  Stop in and give them a try.

2012 Birdie Riesling  $20
This is bone dry Riesling is made in a sort of Alsatian manner, from German clones planted at Bacchus vineyard.  It smells like apple, peach and pear decorated with delicate flowers, honey and spice and tastes like tree fruits, citrus and a touch of the tropics. It is a surprisingly unique wine.

2011 L’Autre Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley  $28
L’Autre is a Pinot Noir sourced from Temperance Hill Vineyard in the Willamette Valley. The 2011 vintage smells like the forest, of those delicate little mushrooms that grow at the base of huge old trees. Maybe some wild strawberries got smashed against the tree.

2012 Kindered Red  $20
67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 7% Malbec 3% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc
The Kindred blends all five of the traditional Bordeaux varietals, but it is distinctly Washington.  Loaded with earthy Cabernet Sauvignon and sweet oaky goodness, it opens with smoky black fruit and herbs on the nose and explodes with a spicy silky velvet texture across the palate, building to a long iron laced, chocolate covered blueberry lovebomb.

2011 Ruckus Syrah  $50
88% Syrah, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon
From Klipsun and Ciel du Cheval vineyards, the Ruckus takes the wild game, bramble, stone and smoke of Red Mountain Syrah and fuses it with the black fruit, cedar, cigar box and iron of Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon to produce a rich, supple, layered soulful goodness.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 4-5 selections on a theme every Saturday from 2 until the bottles run out and on Sunday we offer a mini-tasting of two wines all day from 11-5. No matter what day you stop by we always have something open to sample.