Tis the season for Wine Member appreciation parties and celebrations, and no one does it better than the awesome folks at Page Cellars. Dee and Todd Krivoshein, owners, and winemakers, are two of the nicest people in the industry, and have a passion for people as big as their passion for wine, which makes any trip to Page Cellars a memorable one. When I was invited to attend their Summer Celebration, I knew I had to be there, not only for the fun time to be had, but they were unveiling their 2017 Red Mountain Reserve!

When we first arrived, the party was already rocking, with people inside and out, enjoying the beautiful weather, live band, great food, and their Page Cellar pours. I was greeted by one of my favorite Tasting Room managers, Laurel, who is such a sweetheart and makes any guest feel like an old friend. She slapped on some wristbands for the event, handed us our glasses, gave us a quick rundown, and we were off to the races. The first stop was inside the Tasting Room main entry, where behind the bar was the lovely Kristian, hands down the brightest and sparkiest pourer in the industry. After a big hug, she poured us our first drink, a delicious “Frosé” made from Page Cellars Rosé and a splash of their red blend (I wasn’t told the secret recipe, but it was something that Todd and Laurel had concocted that morning). Nothing starts a party as well on a sizzling summer day as a Rosé slushie in a wine glass! Her lovely partner in crime, Miranda, was also keeping glasses full and smiles on faces as she seemed to be everywhere at the party keeping things smooth and comfortable for all.

From there, guests had their choice of 5 pours in any combination they wanted with a vast selection to choose from. Among the list was their award-winning Riesling (Washington State Wine Awards Double Gold), Tickle Me Pink Rosé, ’18 Columbia Valley Merlot, ’17 James Henry Barbera, ’19 Syrah, ’18 Lick My Lips Merlot, ’18 Tryst Red Blend, and for Wine Club members, the new 2017 Red Mountain Reserve. Being familiar with all these bottles I felt it best to give them all a try anyways, just to make sure the quality remained the same 😉. Starting with the ’18 Columbia Valley Merlot, a lighter Merlot than most which made it a great summer sip, but still retained its velvety mouthfeel and ripe red fruit on the nose and palette. Next, I moved to the '17 James Henry Barbera, which is not a heavily grown grape in Washington, but Page does the Italian grape justice. Like its counterpart back in Piedmont, Italy, their Barbera is light bodied with low tannins and high acidity, which makes it juicy, with strawberries and cherries on the palette. After walking around and smelling the amazing BBQ being catered by J&L BBQ, I made myself a dish and filled up with the ’19 Syrah. A perfect wine to match up with the Pulled Pork and Brisket meats, bold and flavorful but not thick or filling when drinking alongside heavy foods. The peppery finish couldn’t have made for a better side with the amazing food.

With three down and two to go, I walked out of the production space and into the sunshine where everyone was having a blast, eating, drinking, and listening to the stellar band, Iris Drive. Playing acoustic covers of every genre it seemed like, they were fun but non-intrusive for those looking to carry on a conversation in a relatively small area. Dee was pouring outside and gave me a glass of the ’18 Tryst, a benchmark of Bordeaux style blends and a go-to for any big bold Bordeaux lovers. Made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah, it encompasses all the best dark fruit this state produces, equating to a delicious glass of fruity eastern Washington in a bottle.

Finally, the time had come, and I went for my pour of the long awaited 2017 Red Mountain Reserve. After Dee poured, Todd came over and I was able to chat him up about their new limited-edition bottle and what made it so special. He told me that after a “pain staking” process of tasting each of the sixteen or so barrels they had for this vintage, going back and forth between them, and really isolating the best juice, he and his team found the few that not only hit the bar of a perfect Red Mountain cuvee, but surpassed it. For those familiar, anything coming from Red Mountain is already amazing straight out of the bottle, but this ’17 Reserve was something else. Perfectly balanced with equal parts sugar and acid, big bold flavors you come to expect from the fruit grown in Central Washington, and a long smooth finish that feels thirst quenching but leaves you wanting more. As I reluctantly took my last sip, we talked about the delicate balance of time in the barrel and time in the bottle, and where to draw the line for both. While there is no easy answer, it’s the guessing game that makes wine fun and adventurous year after year. My final assessment is that the 2017 Red Mountain Reserve is equal parts luck, labor, and love.

So, if you are looking for your next weekend wine tasting or want to make some lifelong friends who by the way, make amazing wine, take a trip over to the warehouse district of Woodinville and see my friends Todd, Dee, Laurel, Kristian, and Miranda at Page Cellars!!