Combined Griffins Crossing release party and Tildio Winery tasting a big time hit!

Friday, August 12th saw Wicked Cellars bursting its seams during our Friday tasting as the shop filled with enthusiastic fans of new wineries Griffins Crossing of Lake Stevens and Tildio of Manson in the Lake Chelan region.

Griffins Crossing is the newest winery in Snohomish County and Friday was their official release party for their first release of their first three wines: a 2004 blend of chardonnay, semillon and sauvignon blanc called Olive's White as well as a 2000 Syrah and their 2003 cabernet and merlot blend. A boutique winery crafting small batches of fine wine, Griffins Crossing is owned and operated by Max Jensen, a Boeing employee and a member of the Boeing Wine Club, and his wife, Jennifer Jensen, a teacher with the Everett School District.

Jennifer's talents include catering, and she filled our back room with a delicious spread of tasty treats that drew wine tasters into the back again an again for yet another bite.

If you can picture Napa or Sonoma Valley right beside an incredibly long and beautiful mountain lake then you're getting close to what's developing in Washington's lively Lake Chelan wine region. Katy and Milum Perry, owners and operators of Tildio Winery have become part of that adventure with their new winery in Manson, Washington.

Katy was on hand at Wicked Cellars to represent and talk about her wines Friday night. She has earned serious credentials in the wine business with degrees in Enology and Viticulture from the University of California at Davis and had worked at several California wineries before joining Chateau Ste. Michelle as an assistant winemaker in 2000. By 2001 she and Milum had starting construction of their own winery and planted the first of their eight acres of vineyards. This summer they released their first vintage of wines and now welcome visitors at their tasting room in Manson.

Wicked Cellars is proud to be among the first to offer the wines of both Griffins Crossing and Tildio wineries.

On Friday, August 5th Wicked Cellars was honored to host the release party for the first vintage of wines produced by Willis Hall Winery, owned and operated by our old friend John Bell in nearby Marysville, Washington. An enthusiastic crowd filled the shop to taste the wines and salute John for his hard work and excellent product. Seven wines from John's first vintage, the 2003, were available for tasting as well as the soon to be available Wicked Cellars' own Bordeaux style blend also produced by John for the shop.  The crowd burned through the wines and carried many, many bottles home. Excellent treats to match the wine were produced by Ritch Sorgen and Marlies Egberding's Savory Table Catering and enjoyed by all that could reach them. If you weren't able to attend the event, please enjoy a few snaps taken during the melee!