What is #WAMerlot? Good question!
This evening, hundreds of wine lovers (everyone from winemakers to bloggers to winery staff to just plain ol' winos) are coming together on Twitter to all taste Washington Merlot at the same time. Why? First of all, it's just fun. This is promising to be a neat way to learn about a lot of different wineries all at one time. The Twitter tasting also serves as a great way to reach beyond Washington's borders to teach people about the great wines that we have to offer here. The organizers of this event are also hoping that by giving Washington some extra attention, we may see a few extra visitors in wine country this year. I also think that this event will highlight one of Washington's greatest varietals. Merlot, which has fallen out of favor in recent years, is one of the best grapes grown in Washington. Our warm days and cool nights produce Merlots that are earthier and a bit more austere than those coming from a few states south of us. Charlie also claims that this is his favorite varietal to work with.
I am going to be tasting two Washington Merlots this evening: the Fidelitas 2007 Champoux Vineyard Merlot (to be released in May) and Stevens Winery 2007 Yakima Valley Merlot (which I've never tried before). I have a feeling that these are going to be two very different, but very good wines. A few buddies are coming over and we are going to prepare some very Merlot friendly dishes - a Red Wine Mushroom Risotto and Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts. You know this makes me happy! I'll post soon about how it all turns out.
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