Coyote Canyon's winning whites

My parents have to good fortune of living in the heart of Washington's wine country. And it shouldn't be surprising that I get my love for wine from them. So we couldn't have been more pleased when they shipped us two bottles of white from Cayote Canyon signed by winemaker, John Gabriel at a recent tasting event. Mike Andrews, owner and winemaker of Cayote Canyon and his team have a pretty amazing Albariño.
THE STATS:
Vineyard: Coyote Canyon
Vintage: 2009
Region: Horse Heaven Hills, Washington
Kind: White
Varietal: Albariño 100%
Price: $18

THE BOUQUET:
This particular wine has the distinction of being the only Albarino grown and bottled in Washington. The nose is bountifully fruity, with peach, pear and honeydew finishing with a touch of lime and limestone.

THE PALETTE:
Mouth-feel is a dream. Silky soft and honeydew. Finish is strong with citric acids and a touch of slate.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS:
Shellfish. We paired a cold shrimp scampi cocktail and bacon wrapped scallops. Think Manchego cheese.

THE STATS:
Vineyard: Coyote Canyon
Vintage: 2008
Region: Horse Heaven Hills, Washington
Kind: White
Varietal: Viognier 100%
Price: $15

THE BOUQUET:
Peaches and Bananas. Very old-world style. This wine evokes classic Cote-du-Rhone with its subtle tropical fruit and earthy backdrop.

THE PALETTE:
Vanilla and nectarine swirled around that old world stoniness. Vibrant lemon zest. A touch of mandarin orange surfaced for me as it warmed.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS:
See above! We drank this after the Albarino and added some smoked cheddar.
Cold shrimp scampi cocktail paired with my homemade cocktail sauce.

Pair with lobster: K Viognier

Another treat from our Bring Your Own Lobster dinner party: K Viognier. Even the cats know it's a good choice. PS: This photos was NOT staged, thank you very much.

THE STATS:
Vineyard: K Viognier
Vintage: 2007
Region: Columbia Valley, Washington
Kind: White
Varietal: Viognier 100%Web site: KVintners.com
Price: 26.99 at Crush Wine Cellar, their website lists it at $20, but also says it is sold out.

THE BOUQUET:
Now this is a wine close to my heart. This is one of the reasons I fell in love with Viognier and continue to have an on-again off-again affair with this varietal. Playfully sassy aromas of tropical fruit within a backdrop of sweet vanilla and a flutter of lemongrass.

THE PALETTE:
Light and fun on the tongue the citrus takes the drivers seat on the palette. It finishes with a lovely vanilla note. Not to heavy and not too light Viognier continues to be the "anti-Chardonnay" for me.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS:
Throw your own BYOL party. Or try ...Halibut or cod (fish and chips, really!) King crab or think light pasta with butter or olive oil.


As a designer, Annette loves this label.