"Pomum Cellars is the creation of Javier and Shyla Alfonso.  With family located in the both Ribera Del Duero Spain's Tempranillo region and in Zillah, Washington, Javier could run but couldn't hide very long from finding his place in the heart of Washington's wine industry.

"Pomum means fruit in Latin.  It is apparent this winemaker understands the fruit and the terroir it comes from.  Pomum wines deliver the message clearly that fine wine is all about the grape.....and the winemaker!

"They source their grapes from the Yakima Valley and surrounding region including DeBrul Vineyards, Elderding Vineyards, Snipes Canyon Ranch, Upland Vineyards, Dineen Vineyards and their own estate vineyard called AD Dunn." -NW Wine and Real Estate

Pomum Cellars 2008 Riesling $19.00

"One of the finest old vine Riesling vineyards is the excellent Upland Vineyard near Sunnyside. Approaching 40 years of age, these vines have become entrenched with their environment and therefore yield some the best expression of Washington State Riesling available.

Our 2008 Riesling is made with the utmost respect for the fruit. Our goal is to best convey the vines' complex story without any obstructions. This means no oak, fining or cold stabilization was used during winemaking. Aromas of citrus, apricot and nectarine are followed by noticeable minerality and a long finish that is perfectly balanced by the excellent acidity. This wine is ready to enjoy on release and may even evolve further in the bottle for a few years. One hundred and twenty five cases produced." -Pomum Cellars Website

Pomum Cellars 2007 Tinto $25.00

"In Spanish speaking countries if you want red wine you order "Tinto". In Spain you will typically be given a red wine made with the classic Tempranillo grape. Our 2007 Tinto was grown from some of the very first plantings of this varietal in Washington. Even though the vines are young and viticulture techniques are still being refined, our first encounter with the varietal shows great promise. The nose of the dark crimson wine exhibits elegant dark fruit and licorice aromas, characteristic of Spanish Tintos. Its medium body follows with plum and blackberry flavors and lush tannins. This wine incorporated 16% Cabernet Sauvignon for structure and 12% Merlot for acid balance. " -Pomum Cellars Website

Pomum Cellars 2007 Red Wine $19.99

"Oftentimes our enthusiasm for unique vineyards can get us in trouble as we end up with more wine of a particular type or vineyard than we can blend into our regular offerings. In the past we have sold this wine in bulk, but starting with the 2007 vintage we have put all this extra wine into our new Red Wine blend. After all, we have worked just as hard to make this wine and the quality is outstanding. In 2007 our blend consists of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21 % Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc from an array of top vineyards in the Yakima Valley including Upland and Snipes Canyon Ranch. The wine is brick-red in color with noticeable graphite and exotic spice aromas. On the palate, the wine expresses tart red cranberries and cherries. The finish, characteristic of all Pomum wines, is long and smooth. One hundred and forty cases produced." -Pomum Cellars Website

Pomum Cellars 2006 Syrah $36.00

"With our 2007 Syrah the crop yields swung in favor of Upland Vineyards with more then 75% of the blend. The remainder is from the outstanding Elerding Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills. The wine shows the characteristics of Upland Vineyards and the new Snipes Mountain AVA with moist rock, graphite and slate nuances on the nose followed by bright red and black fruit flavors. As always the wine is impeccably structured and exhibits prominent but well rounded tannins with considerable length. Decant if opened in the near term, otherwise enjoy from late 2010 through 2016. Two hundred and fifteen cases produced."  -Pomum Cellars Website

Pomum Cellars 2006 Shya Red $38.00

"In 2006 we selected our best lots to produce our signature red blend from the classic varietals traditionally grown in the Bordeaux region in France. The composition is similar to past vintages with 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec, and 1% Petite Verdot. Vineyard sourcing include notable names such as DuBrul, Elerding, Dineen and Upland. The Yakima Valley character shines through with bright and racy cherry, raspberry and cola aromas wrapped in an intensively perfumed nose of exotic spices and aromatic herbs. The full body mouth feel shows great acidity, tremendous structure and an endless source of fruit; all traits that will ensure enjoyment for years to come. Aerate aggressively." -Pomum Cellars Website

Wine guru Gary Vaynerchuk discovered Pomum Cellars' 2005 Shya Red and 2005 Syrah at a recent Taste Washington event.  It's fun to watch him go crazy over these wines in his Wine TV Espisode #452 in April of 2009, awarding the 2005 Shya Red 94 points and the 2005 Pomum Syrah 90 points. You can watch this if you click on the link below:




Cakebread Cellars 2008 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc  Formerly: $27.99;
Now It's $19.99

"A Gold medal was awarded our 2008 Sauvignon Blanc at this year's San Francisco Chronicle Wine competion. It features a beautifully fragrant nose of ripe pomelo, Golden delicious apple, honeydew melon, lime and mineral, with little of the herbaceousness that sometimes characterizes the variety. On the fleshy, full-bodied palate, ripe melon, grapefruit, kiwi and lemon-lime flavors lead to a long, flavorful finish enlivened by bright mineral tones. "Golden" and "sun-kissed" are words that pop to mind when sipping this delicious Sauvignon Blanc, which makes both a wonderful aphritif and a delectable companion to simply prepared seafood, poultry and vegetarian entrees." -Wine and Spirits Magazine

"This lightly fragrant has the classic 'cat pee on a gooseberry bush' character of the grape. It's clean and tart wine to serve with pasta tossed with English peas."  Wine & Spirits gave this wine a score of 90 points.
 -Cakebread Cellars

RMV Cellars 2009 Rosi of Cabernet Franc  $14.99

Michael Corliss and Lauri Darneille, whose portfolio includes Corliss Estates and Tranche Cellars acquired Sandhill Winery in the Red Mountain AVA in January of 2008.  Founded in 1998, Sandhill focused on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Gris. Red Mountain Vineyards (RMV), which surrounds the winery and provided Sandhill's estate fruit, was planted  20 years ago. Corliss and Darneille have rebranded Sandhill Winery as RMV Cellars launching its inaugural release this past spring.

Cottonwood Winery 2006 "Marina Piper" Pinot Noir  $24.99

"The grapes for our Marina Piper Pinot Noir come from Cottonwood Vineyard (13%), Durant Vineyard (34%) and Bayliss Vineyard (53%). This wine is medium bodied and packed with flavors that develop over a long period in the glass. The grapes from all three vineyards were carefully picked and then gently destemmed and allowed to cold macerate for four days. Once fermented dry they were lightly pressed and the wine transferred to barrels for aging. The wine was racked a total of three times to achieve clarity, it is unfined and unfiltered."  -Cottonwood Winery

NV Haystack Needle "The Eye" Super-Tuscan Blend, Columbia Valley  $9.99

Bob Bullock started Haystack Needle as a negociant label to fill the need for solid ten-buck Washington wines.  "Negociant" is a French term for someone who buys already-vinified wines from production wineries and blends them into something that is often "more than the sum of its parts."

"Bob's new "The Eye" is a super-Tuscan-style wine blend of 71% Sangiovese and a 17% dose of some very jazzy Columbia Valley Merlot, with a 12% shot of Cab for backbone and chewiness. If you've ever sampled around in the Italian realm of the "super-Tuscans" (wines made in Tuscany, from a mixture of Sangiovese and Bordeaux grapes), you'll instantly recognize this long, elegant flavor profile that wraps chewy red fruit flavors like Red Vines licorice, dried cranberries, red currants, and raspberry candy around a core of blackberries, black cherry, Friar plums, volcanic loess, baseball mitt, tar, and mocha, all framed by a texture that has an almost grainy feel in the mouth. -95 Points"

- Posted by Steve Body on SeattlePI.com, October 28, 2009

Brand 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley  $15.00

This affordable red offers a rich, structured and silky Cabernet Sauvignon custom made by a local winemaker from some of the best vineyards in Walla Walla and the Columbia Valley. With a price that shouts "buy me by the case" you'll discover a flavor profile full of ripe cherry and berry fruit, spice, and a smooth yet huge finish that delivers much more than you expect for this price.  Brand new on the market, it is already making waves as people rush to take it home.

Howe Sound Garibaldi Honey Pale Ale  $11.99 (1 liter)

The Howe Sound Inn and Brewing Company was founded in 1996 in downtown Squamish, British Columbia 45 minutes north of downtown Vancouver, B.C. They also operate a brewpub and restaurant on the site.

This one liter bottle comes with an old fashioned and re-closeable "pot-stopper" top like those used in North America and Europe quite widely before the 1950's.  Inside is a  refreshing, lightly hopped golden ale brewed with all-natural Lilooet honey, (from Lilooet, British Columbia), barely, hops, water and yeast.  This thirst-quenching beer with a milder malt and hop profile is made in honor of the B.C. "Sea to Sky" region's tallest peak, Mount Garabaldi which itself is named in honor of the famous Italian patriot, Gulsepe Garabaldi.

Howe Sound Nut Brown Rail Ale  $11.99
(1 liter)

This smooth and flavorful nut brown ale made with 100% barely, hops, water and yeast pairs well with hearty fare like hamburgers and sausages, stews or smoked fish.  It is named in honor the region's strong railway history and Squamish B.C.'s West Coast Railway Heritage Park.