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What a year 2009 has been.
Washington bonded its 600th winery in February. The number of licensed wineries now exceeds 650, up from about 150 ten years ago. Two new American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) were approved in 2009 – the Snipes Mountain AVA and Lake Chelan AVA. This brings the total number of Washington AVAs to eleven with more expected in the coming year.
2009 was a year of unprecedented recognition for the Washington wine industry. Wine Spectator listed Columbia Crest's 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon as its 'Wine of the Year' – the first time a Washington wine has been in the top spot. Spectator included a total of nine wines in their annual top 100, a record number for this publication.
Wine Enthusiast listed Charles Smith's 2006 Royal City Syrah as their number two wine of the year. Enthusiast's Enthusiast 100 included eleven wines, their Best Buy list included fifteen Washington wines, and their Cellar Selections list included four.
But the accolades did not stop there. Wine & Spirits named Walla Walla's Charles Smith their 'Winemaker of the Year'. Wine Enthusiast named Ste. Michelle Wine Estate's CEO Ted Baseler 'Person of the Year.'
Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, and Wine Enthusiast each rated a large number of Washington wines 90 points or higher. Wine Spectator also gave its highest ratings ever for a Washington wine to a white wine and also its highest rating yet for a Washington red.
In other news, 2009 saw another print publication - Washington Tasting Room - added to the family. It also saw the opening of a Washington wine-dedicated retailer, Full Pull Wines.
The economy started putting pressure on eastern Washington wineries, and a number responded by opening tasting rooms west of the crest. Many wineries backed up on vintages, some chose not to make wine in 2009, and high end, mailing list-only wines appeared in quantities unseen on retail store shelves. While Washington wine sales increased nationwide, consumers started buying less expensive wines. The economy also affected the restaurant industry, perhaps most notably with five Walla Walla restaurants closing their doors at the beginning of the year.
Amazon.com decided to pull out of its foray into the wine selling business. Especially in a down economy, the effects of this will be far reaching on the Washington wine industry.
The 2009 growing season and harvest was more uneven than the state has seen in recent years, most notably due to the October frost. Time will tell what effect this will have on the wines from this vintage.
For all the happy moments in 2009, there were sad times as well including the passing of former Columbia Winery winemaker David Lake.
That's it for 2009 folks. Have a great New Year's Eve and a good start to the new year. Thanks reading the blog this year. Whatever 2010 may bring, one thing is clear. The future looks bright for the Washington wine industry. First post of 2010 will be next week.
A look back at 2009
What a year 2009 has been.
A look back at some of my personal favorites from the blog each month as we close out the year. Enjoy!
January saw the release of my 2008 Walla Walla Holiday Barrel Tasting Report. This one is more .pdf than post but...
February's was a post on the importance of buying wine directly from wineries and what wineries can do to help them.
March's was a Focus Report on Gramercy Cellars.
April's was a story on drawing the ire of Dionysus by drinking a wine too early, in this case a 2007 Leonetti Merlot.
May's was a look at Seattle Uncorked's annual Syrah event.
June's was a post on CellarTracker.
July's was a comparison of Washington Syrah to Australian Shiraz in terms of quality and price.
August's was a post on Cote Bonneville's record breaking Cabernet.
September's was a Focus Report on Kerloo and Rotie Cellars.
October's was a look at Quilceda Creek's 2006 Cabernets and the first post in the EAT & DRINK in the Northwest series.
November's was a series of posts comparing Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast. See Part I, II, and III (Note: The promised Part IV on final thoughts is coming next month).
December's was the 2009 Vintage Report and a look at Cayuse Vineyards 2007 Syrahs.
Happy New Year!
Washington Wine Report 's 2009 Wines of the Year
Note: This list is available with tasting notes in .pdf form here.
Others have weighed in. As we close out the year, it's my turn to list my top wines of 2009. First let me say that any such list is, of course, subjective. Perhaps some year I will make a bracket system and compare these wines directly against each other, but until then…
Let's start with some background.
1. To be considered for the list, a review of a wine needed to be published on my blog in 2009. There were a number of wines I sampled toward the end of this year, such as those from
2. I evaluated based on rating, my overall excitement about the wine, and price. In terms of rating, all wines below received either a double or single star in my rating system. In terms of excitement, I focused on wines that stood out in the weeks and months after I sampled them.
3. I excluded wines that were considered for last year's list, even if they were published this year (such as wines from 2008 Walla Walla Holiday Barrel Tasting which were published in January).
4. Although there were many wines I sampled this year, there were many (many) more that I did not. This is one of the things I find the most humbling and exciting about
What follows is therefore a list of Washington wines I sampled and posted on in 2009 that I was the most excited about. Nothing more. Nothing less. As with last year, I included only one wine from each winery. Without further ado…
1. Forgeron Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Champoux Vineyard 2004 $46
Of the many wines I tasted this year, none wowed me more than this gem from Marie-Eve Gilla at Forgeron. As I described in my original post, this was a wine that literally brought all conversation to a stop. From one of Washington's finest vineyards and one of its finest winemakers. Reviewed July 16, 2009
2. Quilceda Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Palengat Vineyard 2006 $83
While the Columbia Valley wine is its equal or better, the Palengat Cabernet is the one that impressed me the most from this vintage. This is Quilceda's first release from this recently acquired vineyard located near Champoux Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills (the vineyard was planted in the early part of the decade; fruit from this vineyard was previously used by other wineries). This wine stands tall with the other offerings in Quilceda's portfolio. Reviewed October 26, 2009
3. Betz Family Winery La Serenne Syrah 2007 $55
While the 2007 La Serenne Syrah from Betz Family Winery is probably the least immediately accessible of their new releases, it also brings the most long-term potential. The fruit from Dick Boushey's vineyard has never been better. This is a dark, brooding, intense wine that needs significant time in the cellar to fully blossom. Reviewed September 14, 2009
4. Leonetti Merlot Walla Walla Valley 2007 $70
In the sequel to Sideways, Miles is waterboarded with this wine. He comes away a believer. Read the original post for a cautionary tale about using decanters with rounded bottoms. Reviewed April 11, 2009
5. Corliss Estates Red Wine Columbia Valley 2004 $65
This is Corliss Estates' second released vintage, and none of their wines disappoint. This Bordeaux-style blend, while already five years old, will only improve with patience and time in the cellar. Reviewed September 29, 2009
6. Gramercy Cellars John Lewis Reserve Syrah 2006 $65
This is a wine that I literally lay awake thinking about for several weeks after I tried it. Was I thinking about this wine because I couldn't fall asleep, or could I not fall asleep because I was thinking about this wine? It's not clear. The bad news? This wine is long sold out at the winery. The good news? The 2007 vintage will be released next spring and is even better. Reviewed March 31, 2009
7. DeLille Cellars Harrison Hill 2006 $70
While many in Washington have gone big, this wine is notable for its elegant expression of a Bordeaux-style blend. The fruit comes from one of Washington's oldest vineyards. Reviewed February 7, 2009
8. Cayuse Cailloux Vineyard Walla Walla Valley 2007 $50
The grapes for this wine come from Cayuse's oldest plantings in the "rocks" region of the Walla Walla Valley AVA. It shows on this exceptional offering. Reviewed December 28, 2009
9. Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2006 $42
Winemaker John Abbott creates some of Washington's most compelling Cabernets. But he doesn't stop there, making a Syrah, Chardonnay, and a Merlot that are also standouts. Reviewed August 2, 2009
10. 21 Grams 2006 $125
This Bordeaux-style blend is a collaboration of two of Washington's finest wineries, Waters and Gramercy. One hundred cases are made annually with each vintage bearing a unique label made by artist Makoto Fujimura. Reviewed in 2008 Walla Walla Spring Release Report
11. Andrew Will Sorella Horse Heaven Hills 2006 $75
2009 marks the twentieth year since Andrew Will Winery was founded by Chris Camarda. The Sorella is the winery's flagship wine with fruit from Champoux Vineyard. Reviewed April 10, 2009
12. Kerloo Cellars Les Collines Vineyard Syrah 2007 $32
Few new wineries excited me as much in 2009 as Ryan Crane's Kerloo Cellars. This is one of two inaugural releases from this winery. The second is a Walla Walla Valley Syrah that goes head to head with this wine. Having tasted a number of wines in the barrel, there is much to look forward to from this winery. Reviewed September 11, 2009
13. Trust Cellars Columbia Valley Riesling 2008 $16
Riesling excels in Washington, and this offering from winemaker Steve Brooks shows the state at its best. Reviewed July 14, 2009
14. Beresan Stone River Walla Walla Valley 2005 $35
Beresan is a Walla Walla Valley winery nestled up against Pepper Bridge Vineyard. Fruit for the 2005 Stone River comes from Cobblestone Estate Vineyards and Pepper Bridge Vineyard. This is a thrilling wine that displays a unique aromatic and flavor profile from others in the state. Reviewed February 5, 2009
15. Rotie Cellars Southern Blend 2007 $35
This is another wine I have spent a lot of time thinking about in 2009. The 2007 Southern Blend is a wine that becomes more and more impressive with each sip. This is one of the inaugural releases from Sean Boyd's Rotie Cellars, a winery on the way up. Reviewed September 11, 2009
16. Spring Valley Vineyards Uriah Walla Walla Valley 2006 $50
Spring Valley Vineyards is situated in a unique spot in the Walla Walla Valley, far north from most of the AVAs' vineyards. The winery consistently produces exceptional wines that possess the ever elusive terroir. Reviewed July 21, 2009
17. Owen Roe Syrah Lady Rosa Yakima Valley 2007 $42
While Owen Roe is located in Oregon, many of the wines they produce use grapes from Washington such as this Syrah from the Yakima Valley. Reviewed April 28, 2009
18. Buty Sémillon, Sauvignon, Muscadelle Columbia Valley 2008 $24
For Buty winemaker Caleb Foster, this is the seventeenth vintage he has made this Bordeaux-style blend in Washington. It shows on this gorgeous wine. Reviewed September 15, 2009
19. K Vintners The Boy Walla Walla Valley 2007 $45
Fruit for this wine comes from Cayuse's Armada Vineyard. It seems like it might be time for a tasting alongside Cayuse's God Only Knows Grenache which hails from the same vineyard. Reviewed July 22, 2009
20. Walla Walla Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard Select Walla Walla Valley 2006 $48
Walla Walla Vintners favors an opulent style that is rich with chocolate and cherry aromas and flavors. In exceptional years, the winery makes a vineyard select wine. This was clearly such a year. Reviewed December 2, 2009
21. Pepper Bridge Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley 2006 $50
Pepper Bridge is situated in a picturesque location south of downtown Walla Walla. Winemaker Jean-Francois Pellet crafts some of the state's most compelling Cabernets. Reviewed April 12, 2009
22. Cadence Winery Taptiel Vineyard Red Mountain 2006 $44
While others accrue the accolades, winemaker Ben Smith quietly makes wines that are equally as good and that will outlive them all. Reviewed January 6, 2009
23. Mark Ryan Winery Dead Horse Ciel du Cheval Red Mountain 2007 $45
With 2007 one of Washington's finest vintages and the fruit for this wine coming from one of the state's best vineyards, how could acclaimed winemaker Mark Ryan McNeilly go wrong? He could not and does not on this excellent, age-worthy wine which perfectly displays the bold, rich style he favors. Reviewed October 20, 2009
24. Reynvaan Family Vineyards The Contender Walla Walla Valley 2007 $55
The Contender is one of the inaugural releases from Reynvaan Family Vineyards. This Syrah, which is co-fermented with Marsanne, is nothing short of exceptional. The fruit is from the initial plantings of the family's first vineyard, In the Rocks, in the southern section of the Walla Walla AVA. Vigneron Christophe Baron of Cayuse Vineyards serves as consultant. Reviewed December 22, 2009
25. Bunnell Family Cellar Boushey-McPherson Vineyard Syrah 2006 $42
Winemaker Ron Bunnell learned the trade at Chateau Ste. Michelle, Beringer Vineyards, and Kendall-Jackson before turning his attention to his own small, family-run winery. This Rhone varietal focused operation produces consistently impressive results. Reviewed May 6, 2009
26. Dusted Valley Vintners Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley 2006 $45
Dusted Valley Vintners is one of a number of eastern Washington wineries that opened tasting rooms in the Woodinville area in 2009. While this Reserve Cabernet was worth the five hour trip for west-siders, now you truly have no excuse. Reviewed September 25, 2009
27. Pomum Cellars Shya Red Wine Yakima Valley 2005 $38
Back in May then blogger/now Washington wine retailer Paul Zitarelli and I drew swords – each looking for a wine that was both extremely impressive and that the other had not tasted. While this battle continues (think "House of Flying Daggers" where seasons pass by as the two are locked in combat), this was a strong opening move by Mr. Zitarelli. In addition to this excellent Bordeaux-style blend, Pomum Cellars, located in Woodinville, is also one of a small number of Washington wineries to show success with Tempranillo. Reviewed May 13, 2009
28. Amavi Cellars Syrah Walla Walla Valley 2007 $28
Few make better wines at more compelling price points than Walla Walla's Amavi Cellars. The 2007 Syrah is a beautiful expression of this varietal from perhaps Washington's finest vintage. Reviewed October 6, 2009
29. Gorman Winery Evil Twin Red Mountain 2007 $55
Chris Gorman makes bold, expressive, small lot wines that display no shortage of fruit, tannins, French oak, and alcohol. Look for Gorman's Collaboration Series V from Grand Reve in the future. Reviewed September 18, 2009
30. Olsen Estates Chardonnay Yakima Valley 2007 $25
What's this you say? A Chardonnay on my list of top wines of 2009? No one could be more surprised than I am, yet here it is. This wine is a tribute to the varietal and proof that even long-time enemies can sometimes make up and be friends. Reviewed December 4, 2009
31. Walter Dacon Winery C'est Syrah Magnifique 2006 $42
Walter Dacon Winery is located in Shelton, Washington. Winemaker Lloyd Anderson, who previously worked with Doug McCrea at McCrea Cellars, devotes himself to Rhone and Mediterranean-style wines. Reviewed April 9, 2009
32. Va Piano Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia & Walla Walla Valley 2006 $38
Va Piano's motto is "He who goes slowly, goes safely and goes far." This Walla Walla winery not only boasts one of the most picturesque settings in the valley, it also produces some of its most enjoyable, understated wines. Reviewed August 5, 2009
33. Ardenvoir Sémillon Sauvignon Blanc 2008 $22
Ardenvoir is a second label for Walla Walla's Chateau Rollat that focuses on white wines and roses. Reviewed November 19, 2009
34. Long Shadows Pirouette Columbia Valley 2006 $55
Long Shadows Pirouette is a conundrum for me. I consistently enjoy this wine – a Bordeaux-style blend with a bit of Syrah - from winemakers Philippe Melka and Agustin Huneeus. That said, I often wonder whether the unique expression of Washington gets lost somewhere in the blend. Reviewed July 23, 2009
35. Lantz Cellars Syrah Rattlesnake Hills 2006 $28
Lantz Cellars is another new Washington winery celebrating its inaugural releases in 2009. This wine from winemaker Kevin Lantz came in first as the People's Choice at Seattle Uncorked's Annual Syrah Event. Reviewed August 7, 2009
36. Adams Bench Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon "V" 2006 $42
Adams Bench is located in Woodinville in a pastoral setting far away from the area's office parks. Chris Camarda of Andrew Will Winery is the winery's long-time consultant. Reviewed February 18, 2009
37. Col Solare Red Wine Columbia Valley 2006 $75
Col Solare is the flagship winery for Ste. Michelle Estates. The winery recently built a new facility high on Red Mountain. This is the first release produced at the new facility. Reviewed August 27, 2009
38. Balboa Winery Sayulita 2006 $40
Tom Glase serves as owner and winemaker for Balboa Winery. The winery is situated on the corner of Pepper Bridge Vineyard next to Beresan (Glase also serves as winemaker at this winery). Balboa uses neutral oak for its wines to put the focus on the fruit and the vineyards. This wine is named after a favorite surfing spot. Reviewed in 2008 Walla Walla Spring Release Report
39. Nefarious Cellars Riesling Stone's Throw Vineyard 2007 $18
Nefarious Cellars is located in the recently approved Lake Chelan AVA. Heather Neff makes the white wines and husband Dean makes the reds. Fruit for this Riesling comes from one of the winery's estate vineyards. Reviewed April 29, 2009
40. Waters Syrah Forgotten Hills Vineyard Walla Walla Valley 2006 $40
Waters Winery makes a number of vineyard-designated Syrahs. None are more compelling than this offering from Forgotten Hills Vineyard, located in the middle of the Walla Walla Valley AVA. Reviewed in 2009 Walla Walla Spring Release Report
41. Reininger Carménère Seven Hills Vineyard Walla Walla Valley 2006 $45
Reininger created its first Carmenére in the 2002 vintage. Since that time it has gone on to become a winery favorite. Reviewed in 2009 Walla Walla Spring Release Report
42. Syncline Wine Cellars Cuvee Elena Columbia Valley 2007 $35
Syncline Wine Cellars is located in the Columbia Gorge. This Southern Rhone-style blend shows winemaker James Mantone at his best. Mantone will also be making wines as part of Grand Reve's Collaboration Series. Reviewed December 10, 2009
43. Guardian Cellars Chalk Line Columbia Valley 2006 $25
While Guardian Cellars' winemaker calls this a "kitchen sink" wine, it does not resemble my kitchen sink in any way. Reviewed February 25, 2009
44. Long Shadows Sequel Syrah 2006 $55
Long Shadows is a venture by former Ste. Michelle Estates CEO Allen Shoup who pairs some of the world's top winemakers with Washington fruit. Here winemaker John Duval, whose previous efforts include Penfolds' Grange, sees what he can coax out of the state's Syrah with impressive results. Reviewed July 23, 2009
45. Soos Creek Red Wine Artist Series #5 2005 $28
David Larsen is one of a number of winemakers who had his start in the Boeing Wine Club. After spending twenty-eight years in the finance department at Boeing, Larsen retired in 2004 to spend more time on winemaking and other endeavors. Reviewed February 9, 2009
46. Tranche Cellars Rousanne Viognier Columbia Valley 2007 $30
Tranche Cellars is a second winery from Michael Corliss, Lauri Darneille, and Kendall Mix. The first winery, Corliss Estates, had its inaugural release last year. The third, Red Mountain Vineyards, will have its first release in 2010. Reviewed on May 22, 2009
47. Glencorrie Cuvee Marquis Columbia Valley 2006 $45
Glencorrie is another new winery marking its first release. The winery is located on the way in to Walla Walla. Charlie Hoppes of Fidelitas currently serves as winemaker. Reviewed June 19, 2009
48. Domaine Pouillon Gewurztraminer Columbia Gorge 2008 $17
Domaine Pouillon is located in the Columbia Gorge in Lyle, Washington. The winery is named after owners Alexis and Juliet Pouillon. Reviewed December 15, 2009
49. Novelty Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2005 $25
Novelty Hill is located in Woodinville. Mike Januik serves as winemaker. Reviewed February 14, 2009
50. Barnard Griffin Riesling Columbia Valley 2008 $8
I first tried this wine alongside several other Rieslings as part of my monthly Five Under Fifteen series. Washington makes many outstanding Rieslings, but few can compete with this wine on quality and price. Reviewed August 31, 2009
Wine Enthusiast Top 100 Lists 2009
Each year Wine Enthusiast publishes three Top 100 lists: Best Buys, the Enthusiast 100, and Top Cellar Selections. While having three Top 100 lists may seem excessive, doing so allows the publication to distinguish between wines that provide exceptional Quality to Price Ratios (QPR), wines that are their top wines overall, and wines that are both exceptional and noteworthy for their ageability.
Earlier this month the magazine published the last of these lists, so let's take a look at them. Continuing what has been an extraordinary year of recognition, Washington was well represented in all three Enthusiast lists. In the Best Buys of 2009, Washington had an astonishing fifteen wines in the Top 100, an exclamation point on the exceptional QPRs Washington is offering. Ten of these wines were white wines; five were red. Wineries represented included both large-scale wineries, such as Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest, and other Ste. Michelle Wine Estates holdings, as well as smaller wineries, such as Merry Cellars, Milbrandt Vineyards, and Upland Estates.
The Enthusiast 100 – which the publication describes as their "favorite wines of the year" - listed eleven Washington wines. In a reflection of the 100 point score contributing editor Paul Gregutt gave to Charles Smith's Royal City Syrah – his first - this wine was number two on the list. Other wines included long-time top producers Betz Family Winery, Andrew Will, Leonetti Cellar, and Woodward Canyon. However, the list also included up and coming wineries such as Fieldling Hills and Stevens. Of note, Rotie Cellars 2007 Southern Blend, one of the inaugural releases from this winery, also made the list (see a Focus Report on Rotie Cellars here).
While the Cellar Selections featured a smaller number of Washington wines than the other two lists, the wines were no less impressive. They included notable "lay me down" wines from Betz and Woodward Canyon. The second vintage of Chateau Rollat's Edouard de Rollat was also listed. Finally, McCrea Cellars – a winery that consistently puts out top quality wine and manages to fly below the radar – rounded out the list.
The Washington wines from each list along with their ranks and associated scores are shown below. Writer Paul Gregutt who reviews Oregon and Washington for Wine Enthusiast also creates a Top 100 list each year which is devoted to Washington wine. See this list here.
100 Best Buys of 2009 (15 wines)
3. Pacific Rim Pacific Rim Organic Riesling Columbia Valley WA 2008 $14 92 points
11. Washington Hills Summit Reserve Late Harvest Riesling 2007 89 points $8
13. Kirkland Signature Merlot Columbia Valley 2006 $9 89 points
17. McKinley Springs Viognier Horse Heaven Hills 2007 $14 91 points
21. Merry Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Wahluke Slope 2008 $14 91 points
38. Upland Estates Gewurtzraminer Yakima Valley Snipes Mountain 2007 $14 90 points
43. Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl Riesling Columbia Valley 2008 $12 89 points
57. Arbor Crest Merlot Columbia Valley 2006 $15 90 points
63. Milbrandt Vineyards Traditions Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2006 $15 90 points
69. Hogue Cellars Cabernet Merlot Columbia Valley 2006 $10 88 points
71. Chateau Ste. Michelle Sauvignon Blanc Columbia Valley 2007 $10 88 points
73. Snoqualmie Chardonnay Columbia Valley 2007 $10 88 points
76. Covey Run Reserve Chardonnay Columbia Valley 2006 $10 88 points
80. Hedges CMS Red Columbia Valley $13 89 points
89. Columbia Crest Two Vines Gewurztraminer Columbia Valley 2007 $8 87 points
The Enthusiast 100 2009 (11 wines)
2. Charles Smith Royal City Syrah WA State $80 100 points
8. Poet's Leap Riesling 2007 $20 94 points
16. Betz Pere de Famille 2006 $58 96 points
39. Fielding Hills Cabernet Sauvignon RiverBend Vineyard Wahluke Slope 2007 $38 95 points
62. Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley 2006 $85 96 points
73. Andrew Will Red Wine Ciel du Cheval Red Mountain 2006 $55 95 points
74. Buty 70% Semillon/26% Sauvignon/4% Musacadelle Columbia Valley 2007 $25 94 points
82. Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen Eroica Riesling Columbia Valley 2008 $24 93 points
86. Steven's Black Tongue Syrah Yakima Valley $32 94 points
95. Rotie Cellars Red Wine Southern Blend 2007 $35 94 points
97. Woodward Canyon Merlot Columbia Valley $39 94 points
Top Cellar Selections of 2009 (4 wines)
4. Betz Family Winery La Serenne Columbia Valley 2006 $55 95 points
12. Woodward Canyon Estate Red Walla Walla Valley 2006 $59 95 points
44. Chateau Rollat Edouard de Rollat Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley 2006 $65 94 points
95. McCrea Cellars Cuvee Orleans Syrah Yakima Valley 2005 $40 92 points
Cayuse Vineyards 2007 Syrah
Few wines in Washington are as compelling – or as controversial – as those from Cayuse Vineyards. The wines of Cayuse are quite simply unlike any other wines produced in the state. Many things contribute to this but they can all be summed up as follows – Christophe Baron.
Baron is a native of France who grew up studying enology in Champagne and Burgundy. Baron traveled in the Walla Walla Valley in the mid-1990s and noticed an orchard covered with large cobblestones that reminded him of those in Chateauneuf de Pape. In the ensuing years, Baron planted a number of vineyards in this unforgiving area, using crowbars to plant the vines.
Many things distinguish Cayuse from other wineries in the state. One of them is these vineyards. The vineyards are unique in a variety of respects in addition to the cobblestones (although Baron guards the stones carefully saying anyone who takes one is sentenced to seven years of bad sex). Unlike many in the state, Baron uses vines grafted to Phyloxera-resistant rootstock. He made this decision after talking with a French winemaker who told him he was an "idiot" if he did not (Note: An exception to this is Cailloux Vineyard which was planted in 1997). Baron also keeps yields extremely low, about two tons per acre to concentrate the fruit.
In farming the vineyards, Baron uses biodynamic principles. These principles were first laid out by Rudolf Steiner in the early 20th century. Biodynamic viticulture involves looking at the vineyard as a holistic system. While it shares some commonalities with organic farming, it also embraces a more spiritual and philosophical bent. Among other things, biodynamic farming involves creating a series of preparations that are applied to the vineyard, such as cow manure buried in a cow horn in the soil. While many debate the scientific effect of biodynamic principles on the resulting wine, one thing is clear. Embracing this philosophy requires a meticulous attention to detail and intense care for the vineyards.
As Cayuse Vineyards has grown in size to its current fifty-five acres, Baron says he has been forced to follow the biodynamic principles a bit differently than he did when he first started given that timing is essential. Though there are thirty people working at the vineyard full-time, plowing the vineyards all at the same time according to the lunar calendar is nearly impossible. Baron says he has had to become more pragmatic and flexible.
In terms of production, Baron ferments his wine in concrete tanks adorned with rocks from the vineyards before moving them to barrel. Baron jokes that these concrete tanks is where the minerality of his wines comes from. Still, he says it would be impossible to get the same effect he is looking for from other containers.
For his fermentation, Baron uses only native yeast – those that come from the grapes. This is in contrast to most winemakers who use designer yeast that is added to the juice. For this reason, fermentation at Cayuse is sluggish compared to many in the state, often taking more than three weeks (compared to 7-10 days for those that add yeast). This can create a number of challenges in the winemaking process. For example, for the 2009 vintage of one of the tanks had not started fermentation after seven days of waiting. Baron solved the issue by adding juice from a tank that was fermenting. Baron says that when the health of the vineyard is good, the yeast will be good saying "We don't use forces of death. All we use are forces of life."
Baron says he wants what is in the glass to provide "emotion". In this, he surely succeeds. People love, hate, or are just plain baffled by Cayuse wines because they are so distinct. The wines are marked by aromas and flavors of earth, mineral, blood, iodine, and meat. They are, quite simply, unlike any other wines being produced in Washington.
Cayuse distributes its wine exclusively via mailing list with a years-long waiting list. The wines are sold in three packs and come in boxes bearing the winery's logo. Since the initial releases, all of Cayuse's wines have been highly rated and sought after. And with good reason. These are not only among the most interesting wines being made in the state; Baron has also kept his prices reasonable despite the steady high scores and the stream of accolades.
Cayuse makes a series of vineyard-designated Syrah from what is referred to as "The Rocks" area of the Walla Walla Valley AVA. These vineyards are named Cailloux, En Cerise (French for cherry), En Chamberlin, and Armada. Bionic Frog is the name of the winery's top of the line Syrah. Cayuse also makes a Cabernet Franc-dominant Bordeaux blend (Flying Pig), a Cabernet-dominant Bordeaux blend (Camaspelo); a Cabernet (The Widowmaker); a Tempranillo (Impulsivo); a Grenache (God Only Knows); a Rose; and a Viognier.
Here we sample three vineyard-designated Syrah from the new 2007 vintage: the Cailloux, En Chamberlain, and En Cerise.
Note: All wines decanted two hours prior to tasting and sampled at 66 degrees.
Cayuse Vineyards Cailloux Vineyard Walla Walla Valley 2007 $50 Rating: **
A downright stinky nose with manure, burnt embers, and purple fruit. A well fleshed out, meaty palate dominated by olive flavors in its rich, expansive middle. Drinks like a well-cooked steak. 14.2% alcohol.
Cayuse Vineyards En Chamberlain Vineyard Walla Walla Valley 2007 $50 Rating: **
A funky, aromatic nose with mushroom, earth, mineral, streaky red fruit, floral notes, and healthy dose of black pepper. Thick and intense on a palate that has a perfect polish to it and is almost impenetrable. The palate shows lots of sliced black olives and pepper. The finish is seemingly endless. 14.6% alcohol.
Cayuse Vineyards En Cerise Vineyard Walla Walla Valley 2007 $50 Rating: *
Blood, smoked meat, mineral, and earth on a nose that is restrained initially yet powerful. The palate is rich with fruit and flavors of bloody roast beef. The finish lingers. A compelling wine that is missing a few layers on the palate compared to its littermates. 14.6% alcohol.
Washington Tasting Room magazine
Washington Tasting Room is a new print publication dedicated to Washington wine country. The magazine describes itself as a "tour guide to wineries and wine regions, people, restaurants and eateries, accommodations, sightseeing, entertainment, local artists, and will bring you ideas and inspiration for your home." The first issue was released in the Fall, and the second, Winter issue was recently released.
The first thing one notices about Washington Tasting Room is that it is beautiful in appearance. The magazine features a glossy cover and gorgeous, eye catching photographs throughout. Organizationally, the magazine is composed of a series of articles with event calendar information interspersed between them.
In terms of articles, the magazine features Tour, Taste, Travel, and At Home sections. The Tour section contains articles on wineries and vineyards. The Taste section contains articles on cheeses, restaurants, recipes, and a Sommelier Q&A. The Travel section includes articles about resorts, recreation, and entertainment. The At Home section contains articles on art and other areas of interest. Additionally, the magazine features sections on news and tasting room opening.
One can always tell a lot about a magazine from its advertisements – who are their readers or, in this case, who do they want their readers to be? Advertisements here include those from hotels, transportation services, and, of course, wineries. The magazine seems generally targeted toward wine tourists and is sure to be a tasting room staple. I can imagine seeing a copy on the nightstand of a B&B in wine country.
The choice of devoting a fairly substantial portion of the magazine to food and wine events seems an interesting one, and, again, telling about the overall intention of the magazine. Given that Washington Tasting Room is a quarterly, it can't provide up-to-the-minute listing of the latest goings on. Rather, these listings focus on various long-scheduled events in Washington wine country making one say "Oh look, there is a winemaker tasting in Bainbridge in February. Let's go!" Event listings are broken down into regions across the state.
Overall, Washington Tasting Room is an interesting, visually attractive magazine that one can either flip through and find short pieces of information or spend more time with, reading the longer articles if one so wishes. A perfect wine touring companion.
John Vitale serves as Washington Tasting Room's publisher and editor. Contributors include Linda Hagen Miller, a freelance writer; Steve Roberts, author of the WineTrails book series and websites; Kori Voorhees, editor of Wine Peeps; Jim Tassielli, owner of a consulting firm that works with cheese makers and retailers; David LeClaire, sommelier and founder of Seattle Uncorked; food writer Cynthia Nims; and freelance writer Jill Perillo Clark.
Washington Tasting Room produces four issues annually. Issues are available by subscription ($20 annually) or at various locations such as wineries, restaurants, wine bars, and retailers ($6.95 per issue).
Washington Wine Round-up: December 15th to 21st
No post tomorrow. Happy holidays everyone.
A round-up of stories on Washington wine from December 15th to 21st.
From around the country...
The Annapolis Capitol recommends Columbia Crest's Grand Estates Merlot and Cabernet.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch recommends Three Rivers 2007 River's Red.
The LA Times recommends giving Washington wines to bosses and associates with callouts to Pepper Bridge, Andrew Will, L'Ecole No. 41 and Col Solare.
From the blogosphere...
Wine and Beer of Washington State gives a list of favorite under fifteeners from local bloggers.
Through the Walla Walla Grapevine writes about Tru Cellars and Holiday Barrel Tasting.
Beyond the Bottle writes about a trip to the Lake Chelan AVA.
Wine Peeps goes back to old favorites. They also try Ch. Ste. Michelle's 2008 Chardonnay, Mountain Dome's 2004 sparkling wine, write about Basel Cellars, and talk with Becky Snyder of Hollywood Hills.
The Oregon Wine Blog writes about Washington port-style wines. They also write about stops at Kana, Gilbert Cellars, and Plaza Socievole.
WAwineman writes about Castillo de Feliciana's 2008 Pinot Grigio.
A Meal Without Wine writes about Lake Crest Winery.
Woodinville Wine Update writes about more Woodinville wineries who tweet.
WINO magazine writes about the Bunnell Family Cellars 2007 Vif. They also look at new Kamiak releases and write about Nodland Cellars and Nefarious Cellars.
The Examiner writes about Wedge Mountain Winery.
Yak Yak Wine writes about Alexandria Nicole 2007 Mr. Big Petite Syrah, winner of our 2009 Reader Survey Wine of the Year.
The Walla Walla Food and Wine Guy does some blending trials.
Wine Foot writes about the 2006 Col Solare (typo alert!).
Vint-Ed writes about Seven Hills Winery.
Pepper Bridge Winery writes about 2009 Holiday Barrel Tasting.
LaJollaMom reviews the 2006 Goose Ridge Red Wine.
The Washington Wine Guy writes about the 2006 Cayuse Armada and 2007 Reynvaan In the Rocks Syrah.
Toledo Wines and Vines writes about Washington wine with callouts to Thurston Wolfe, Alexandria Nicole, Five Star, Elegante, DaMa, and Make the Dash Count.
JustLuxe writes about Bunnell Family.
From the locals...
WSU writes about Washington wines in Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast's Top 100.
The San Francisco Chronicle puts 14 Washington wines in its top 100.
That's all folks!
EAT & DRINK in the Northwest - A holiday entertaining classic: Cheese & Wine
This is part of a series of monthly posts called EAT & DRINK In The Northwest. The series is written by Marcus Pape and Melissa Peterman, authors of books by the same name. Read more about the series here.
EAT & DRINK In The Northwest
When it comes to holiday gatherings, there is no offering more coveted in my opinion than the cheese tray. Whether it's specifically for pairing with wine or just another accompaniment, there are a few tips to know before setting out any old cheese selection.
Cheese Tray Tips
Choose a variety of cheeses made from a variety of milks: cow milk, goat milk and sheep's milk.
Think color. You don't want all your cheeses to be cream or white colored. There are several gorgeous blue cheeses, bright cheddars, wine-soaked rinds and yellow goudas.
Allow cheeses to come to room temperature before serving, approximately 25 minutes. Soft cheeses need to be served soft. When cheese is cold, just like wine, the true flavors are hidden.
With anything salty, it's always nice to pair it with something sweet. Add seasonal fruit, jam or mostarda to balance out the flavors as well as bring out the subtleties from the cheese. Many people add honey or even a lovely honeycomb for a show stopping presentation.
Think wine. If you are building a holiday cheese plate, you may be pairing it with deeper reds. That may lend you to more blue style cheeses, or other aged or richer styles like Camembert.
Provide a variety of "vehicles" for the cheese, like soft bread, crackers and pita chips. Nothings more sad than a gorgeous gooey brie with nothing to smear it on.
For a tasty and colorful twist to stark white goat cheese, you can mince a variety of fresh herbs and roll your goat cheese roll through it. Great to do it with spices, nuts or simple black pepper.
Lastly, presentation. There are so many lovely cheese trays, slate boards and granite slabs out there to show off your cheeses. For a nice wine themed tray you may even want to look into an oak barrel end.
Pairing Cheese & Wine
Cheese is one of the oldest and most common pairings with wine. When paired successfully, they can both do their part to bring out the best in each other. Just like wine, cheese comes in hundreds, if not thousands, of variations from body, flavor, smell, color and age. But with so many options for both cheese and wine the pairing decisions can be intimidating.
When pairing cheese with wine the first thing to remember is that if it tastes good do it! But of course not all wines taste good with all cheeses. Some flavorful cheeses can obliterate the wine they are paired with, making it taste flat and thin, and vice versa. So, even though it comes down to personal taste there are some general guidelines that may help the process. The following pairing suggestions provide a good place to start for pairing cheese and wine.
Cheese: Blue Cheese
Recommended Wines: Cabernet, Zinfandel, and Port
Featured WA Wine: Hogue Cellars Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
This wine is ripe and fruity on the palate with a touch of clove, cinnamon, and lavender.
Cheese: Camembert or Brie
Recommended Wines: Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sparkling Wine
Featured WA Wine: Mountain Dome Non-Vintage Brut, Washington
This wine is soft and appealing with its pepper, pear and spice flavors.
Cheese: Goat Cheese
Recommended Wines: Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, or Pinot Noir
Featured WA Wine: DiStefano Winery Sauvignon Blanc
Flavors of pears, white peaches, and green apple with a touch of lemon peel and lime in the background.
Reynvaan Family Vineyards
Reynvaan Family Vineyards was established by Mike and Gale Reynvaan in 2004. Mike and Gale's son Matt serves as winemaker. Reynvaan, who released its inaugural wines earlier this year, produces wines from 100% estate fruit from the Walla Walla Valley.
The winery currently has two vineyard sites. The first, In the Rocks, had its initial plantings in 2005. The family worked slowly, first planting five acres and then adding an additional five each year. The vineyard, which is currently fifteen acres, is planted to Syrah, Cabernet, Viognier, Marsanne, and Grenache Blanc. The second vineyard, Foothills in the Sun, is located near the Reynvaan family home. This location, which will be the site of the future winery, is nestled up against the Blue Mountains far along Cottonwood Road. The vineyard was planted in 2007 to Cabernet, Syrah, and Viognier. The first fruit from Foothills in the Sun is expected in 2010.
Earlier this year, Reynvaan announced that vigneron Christophe Baron of Cayuse Vineyards has been working as their viticulture and wine consultant. Baron has been involved in every step at the winery, from helping pick out vineyard sites to laying out the vineyards to making the 2007, 2008, and 2009 vintage wines at the Cayuse facility.
The inaugural releases from Reynvaan come from the first five acres planted at the In the Rocks vineyard. The first listed here is called "The Contender." While the name is audacious and harkens to the names of some of the K Vintners wines, the wine lives up to the billing. This wine, a Syrah co-fermented with Marsanne, brings compelling aromatics and is rich and focused on the palate. The second wine, named In the Rocks after the vineyard, is Syrah co-fermented with Viognier and a splash of Marsanne. This wine, while not as fully fleshed out as The Contender, still shows the exceptional promise of this vineyard. Both of these red wines display Cayuse influences with earth, mineral, and focused fruit flavors. The third is a different beast altogether. This wine, a Rhone-style blend of Marsanne and Viognier, is the most limited of the three. While this wine has a great deal of appeal, the alcohol comes off as a bit heavy at times.
In a similar fashion to how Baron offers his Cayuse wines, Reynvaan offers its wines a year in advance through a mailing list. The 2008 releases – which were sampled during Fall Release and will be included in my upcoming report of this event – show the additional heft of another year of vineyard age.
The 2007 Reynvaan releases are sold out at the winery but are available through a variety of retail stores as well as on-line. These wines, while unique from those offered by Cayuse, show as similar an inspiration as one will find in Washington. While the Cayuse mailing list is close to uncrackable, the Reynvaan mailing list is currently open. However, with releases like these, that is sure to change.
Reynvaan Family Vineyards The Contender Syrah WWV 2007 $55Rating: **
Nose is a bit restrained initially with campfire, reductive aromas, and game. As it opens up, it explodes with purple fruit, mineral aromas, manure, earth, and flowers pushing their way up through it all. Thick and intense on a palate rich with fruit and lots of soil and bacon flavors. Beautifully balanced with depth and layers of complexity. Finish hangs. Syrah co-fermented with Marsanne. 13.99% alcohol.
Reynvaan Family Vineyards In the Rocks Syrah WWV 2007 $45 Rating: *
An aromatic wine with smoke, bacon fat, potting soil, lots of floral notes, vegetable aromas, fruit, and savory notes. Vibrant on the palate with a lot of intense fruit flavors. Dips just a bit in the mid-palate and isn't entirely filled out at times but this will change as the vineyard matures. An excellent first release from this winery. Syrah co-fermented with 6.5% Viognier and 1.5% Marsanne. 14.44% alcohol.
Reynvaan Family Vineyards Queen's Road White Walla Walla Valley 2007 $40 Rating: +
Light golden color. Golden delicious apples on the nose along with spice. A good bit of weight to the palate that has almost an apple juice feel without the sweetness. A backsplash of alcohol toward the finish. 65% Marsanne, 35% Viognier. 14.79% alcohol.
Samples provided by winery.
December Virtual Tasting - Brian Carter Abracadabra '07
Note: Folks scrambling for last minute wine-related gifts, send me an email at email@example.com if you need some assistance.
December's Virtual Tasting is tonight! The wine is the Brian Carter Cellars 2007 Abracadabra. This wine retails for $20 and is widely available. For those of you in the Seattle area, Brian Carter is offering 15% off a purchase of a bottle of this wine at the winery through the 22nd. Also, as mentioned earlier, I have seen the 2006 vintage on the shelves in some spots, so I will be trying this wine as well. Feel free to pick it up if you see it.
As usual, I will be opening the wine about 7pm and will be updating this post with comments along the way. I will also be tweeting @wawinereport and using the hashtag #virtualtasting. Please join us in trying this wine and posting your comments/tweets either tonight or in the future.
7:00pm Update: And we're off! First, let's start with some background on the winery.
Brian Carter Cellars is located in Woodinville, Washington. Winemaker Brian Carter brings almost three decades of experience in the Washington wine industry and has made wines at Paul Thomas Winery (now defunct), Washington Hills, and Apex Cellars. Carter began making his own wines in 1997 with his first vintage of the Solesce. This wine, a Bordeaux-style blend, is now Brian Carter Cellar's flagship wine. Unlike most Washington wineries, Carter focuses exclusively on producing proprietary blended wines. These include two Bordeaux-style blends, a Super-Tuscan-style blend, and a Southern Rhone-style blend. The Abracadabra is Carter's table wine. This wine was first introduced in the 2005 vintage.
On to the wines.
7:30 Update: As I mentioned earlier, I am sampling both the 2006 and 2007 wines as I saw both on the shelves.
I'll start with the 2006. Popped and poured. Composite cork. Wine is at 66 degrees.
Let's see if we can dissect the components of this wine a bit. Pretty, smoky Syrah notes along with appealing Grenache red fruit on an enjoyable nose. Earth and slate aromas often seen in Washington Sangiovese. Also a nice component along with black licorice. I get a bit of alcohol on the nose. Taste is tart and front loaded with a lot of cherry fruit. A lot of different things going on that I'm having a tough time teasing out right now. My immediate impression is that I like the nose but the palate doesn't seem to entirely come together. Time to give the 2007 a try.
8:00 Update: Sticking with the 2006 for the moment, what I am finding most interesting about this wine is trying to dissect out the different components of the wine on the nose and taste. I'll scare up some information on the blend later but you can definitely pick up Syrah, Grenache, Sangiovese, and Cabernet. I find it a bit easier to pick them up on the nose than the taste right now.
Moving on to the 2007, this is an entirely different wine altogether. No surprise as Carter varies the composition of this wine each year. Lots of Cabernet on this beast. A pretty nose with cherry along with milk chocoate, light herbal notes, and black licorice. Harder right now to tease out the components of this wine on the nose outside of the Cabernet. The taste is, as with the 2006, quite thick and rich. This wine has a bit more immediate appeal than the 2006 with a more complete palate. Wait...what's that? Some Petit Verdot? Some Cabernet Franc?
8:30 Update: As I mentioned before, Brian Carter is reknowned for his blending skills.
The 2006 wine is predominantly Syrah. The winery states that "the following went into the cauldron"
Cabernet Sauvignon
Stone Tree
Cabernet Franc
Alder Creek
Total Sangiovese
Snipes Canyon
Petit Verdot
Stone Tree
Stone Tree
Snipes Canyon
Kudos to the winery for providing the vineyard information which I am always interested in seeing. The 2006 wine is 13.8% alcohol. 1,313 cases were produced.
By comparison, the 2007 Abracadabra predominantly Cabernet. The blend is:
35% Cabernet Sauvignon
17% Petit Verdot
14% Cabernet Franc
12% Syrah
11% Sangiovese
5% Malbec
3% Grenache
3% Mourvedre
The wine comes in at a somewhat surprising 13% alcohol, considerably lower that most in the state which are routinely between 14.5 and 15%. 1,599 cases were produced.
The 2007 vintage retails for $20. I received this wine as a sample from the winery. The 2006 wine retails for $18. I purchased this for $15 at Pete's Bellevue.
Next up, what the major publications had to say about these wines.
9:00 Update: Here what the major publications and others have to say.
Let's start with the 2006 vintage. Writing for Wine Enthusiast, Paul Gregutt gives this wine 87 points and writes:
Sappy, tannic and loaded with plum and blueberry, some cassis and chocolate. A good follow-up to the previous vintage, with very dark fruit, polished tannins and a lengthy, tasty finish of chocolate-covered cherries. - P.G. (12/31/2008) - 87
In CellarTracker, a total of 3 notes on the 2006 which averaged 85.5 points.
For the 2007 vintage, Wine Advocate gives the wine 88 points and says:
The red offering, the 2007 Abracadabra is a blend of 8 red grapes with Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot making up just over half of the blend. Dark ruby-colored, it displays an aromatic array of cigar box, cinnamon, violets, black cherry, and black currant. Medium to full-bodied, it has ample layered, savory fruit, a bit of structure, some complexity, and excellent length. It will offer pleasure over the next 3-4 years.
Only 1 note in CellarTracker for the 2007 which did not include a numerical rating but noted that the wine was initially a bit closed.
Some final thoughts on these wines. Both are, indeed, a cauldron of varietals. The 2006 brings a lot of interesting things on the nose including smoke, red fruit, and earth. The palate doesn't quite stand up by itself but would be fleshed out by some food. I like this wine a bit more for the intellectual exercise of teasing out the different varietals than straight-forward drinking enjoyment. I would give this wine somewhere between a . and + in my rating system. The 2007 brings more, especially on the palate which is pretty full-bodied, strongly dominated by the Bordeaux varietals. I would give this wine a + in my system.
Thanks to everyone who took part in this month's tasting. We'll do it all again next month. If you have a suggestion for the wine, pop me an email.
Palazzo Intercreative and WA Wine Commission team up on Unified Social Media Platform
Reminder that December's Virtual Tasting is the 2007 Brian Carter Cellars Abracadabra and takes place on Monday December 21st. Read more about it here.
Palazzo Intercreative, a Seattle-based marketing firm, has teamed up with the Washington Wine Commission to launch what it is calling a "Unified Social Media PlatformTM" on the Commission's website. The goal of the site is to increase information and awareness about Washington wine by promoting two-way communication with buyers, tourists, bloggers, and media.
The site aims to accomplish this goal in three main ways. The first is by providing video content on wineries, winemakers, vineyards, and growers. This content will be available both from winery websites as well as from the Commission's website. The videos that Palazzo produces will also be posted on the Washington Restaurant Association's website to provide exposure to restaurant owners, chefs, and sommeliers. (Last year, Palazzo supported the launch of a similar platform, "WRA-TV", for the Washington Restaurant Association.)
The second way is by working with wine bloggers nationwide through a "virtual blogging tour" to promote awareness of Washington wines by connecting bloggers with wineries.
The third way the site aims to increase awareness is by providing written information (an electronic press kit) about the wineries beyond what is currently available on the Commission's site.
The site is being launched this week, starting with the first five wineries Palazzo has been working with - L'Ecole No. 41, Lodmell Cellars, Maryhill Winery, Cave B Winery, and Wilridge Winery.
Pennie Pickering, Principal at Palazzo Intercreative, says "We developed this platform in response to requests we were getting from our clients to simplify and streamline their Social Media Marketing initiatives. We are very excited that the Wine Commission recognized the power of this idea and has allowed us to realize it for them."
The site will be linked from the main Washington Wine Commission website page under the listing "Social."


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Parking - Common Questions
The following information is provided as a public service to inform and educate citizens about unfamiliar and misunderstood parking regulations that are commonly violated.
Where is the Raleigh Parking office located?
Raleigh Parking is located at 310 W. Martin St. on the first floor of the Dillon Building, Suite 109. They are located across from the Employee Health Center. The Customer Service number is 919-996-3996.
Who is responsible for enforcing City parking ordinances?
Raleigh Parking Field Agents enforce parking primarily in the downtown area and along the Hillsborough Street corridor as well as in residential permit areas. The Raleigh Police Department also enforces parking regulations throughout the city.
When is parking enforced?
Parking regulations are enforced 24 hours every day except for a minimal number that have specific day and time restrictions such as for metered parking, loading zones and parking in travel lanes. Regulations of this nature are posted onsite to inform motorists. Metered parking is enforced from 8 AM to 5 PM Monday through Friday except for City-observed holidays.
What is the fine for meter and time zone violations?
The current fine is $20.00 plus a late fee of $20.00 if not paid within 21 days of issuance.
Do enforcement agents or the police ever write warnings?
Yes. The police and enforcement agents exercise their own discretion daily in the writing of a citation or a warning without any defined standard or instruction. The best advice is to obey the obvious regulations and do not assume when in doubt. Call the parking office at 919-996-3996 for clarification before leaving your vehicle parked.
How much does it cost to park in a metered space?
The current rate for on-street parking is $1 for 1 hour. More or less time can be purchased as desired depending on the posted time limits. Most parking in downtown Raleigh is moderated by electronic pay-by-space payment stations that accept coin, Visa, and MasterCard.
May I re-feed the parking meter or pay station?
No. Meters are intended for short-term parking up to the maximum time posted. If there is any chance that your visit could exceed the maximum time allowed you should park in a deck or a parking lot which provides for unlimited time.
How can I get a receipt for my payment?
Simply call the Raleigh Parking office at 919-996-3996, the number is also posted on each pay station, and request a receipt. You will be asked to provide the last four digits of your credit card number to confirm the transaction and the receipt will be mailed to your home address or sent via email. You may also attend the parking office to pick it up if more convenient for you.
Receipts for coin transactions take more time to process and verify payment. You will be asked to provide the following information: the street name and space number where you parked, the number of the pay station used, the time of payment, the total amount paid, and the denomination of the first coin deposited. A receipt will be mailed or emailed to you the following day.
What if a parking meter/pay station does not work?
Please call the Raleigh Parking Office at 919-996-3996. This number is also posted on each machine. Be sure to note the name of the street and the space number where you are parked. Because the pay stations communicate with each other you can also pay for your space at other close-by pay stations.
What are the minimum distances from which a vehicle can be legally parked?
- Not less than 50 feet from a railroad crossing
- Not less than 25 feet from an intersection, stop sign, flashing beacon or traffic control signal
- Not less than 15 feet from either side of a fire hydrant
- Not less than 12 feet from either side of a crosswalk
- Not less than 5 feet either side of a private or public driveway
What are the rules for parking next to curbs?
In unmarked (unlined) parking areas, vehicles must not be parked more than 12 inches from the curb or, if no curb exists, from the edge of the roadway. Where parking spaces are lined, such as with metered parking, vehicles must be parked inside the lines so that no portion is extended into another space or into the travel portion of the road.
May I park on a sidewalk?
No. Even if a sidewalk crosses over a private driveway, no portion of any vehicle parked in the driveway can protrude into the sidewalk.
How long may I park in a loading zone?
Not more than 1 hour. Police and enforcement agents are also looking for signs of active loading or unloading as stipulated by City ordinance or a citation can be issued.
What is the difference between "Commercial" and "Regular" loading zones?
Commercial loading zones are restricted to vehicles displaying a N.C. commercial license plate and/or the company or operator name/logo with letters at least 2" or greater in size permanently affixed on both sides of the vehicle. Regular loading zones may be used by any motorist but only for the purpose of active loading or unloading.
Can a large commercial vehicle be parked on a city street for any other purpose than loading and unloading?
City ordinance 11-2176 restricts commercial vehicles from using city streets for any other purpose than for transporting, loading and unloading. Only small trucks, City buses and school buses are exempt from this regulation.
What is the purpose of No Parking Anytime zones?
These zones are installed where views are obstructed between motorists, pedestrians and objects or in areas where parked vehicles jeopardize the safe flow of traffic.
May any portion of my vehicle be parked within a No Parking Zone legally?
No. City ordinance stipulates that no portion of a vehicle shall extend into a No Parking Zone or a citation may be issued. No Parking zones are clearly identified by signs and arrows indicating the beginning and ending of the zone.
Is parking on City Plaza permitted? If not, may I stop briefly at a pavilion or to use an ATM?
No. The Plaza was designed to be a pedestrian-friendly area. The inclined approach, the brick-paver surface, absence of curbing, and the presence of handcrafted stainless steel bollards creates a unique area which serves as a giant pedestrian mall and crosswalk for which all vehicles are legally required to slow down and yield right of way to pedestrians. Vehicles parked on the plaza would obstruct drivers' views of pedestrians making it more dangerous for them to cross the street. Without curbs to define the edge of the street the handcrafted bollards would be at risk of damage every time someone parks. There is ample parking space in the decks underneath and on the street north and south of the Plaza for those willing to walk a few extra steps.
Can I get a parking permit for Construction purposes?
Yes. Construction parking permits are issued by the Raleigh Parking office located at 310 W. Martin St Suite 109. Phone 919-996-3996. The fee is determined by the number of hours and days requested at the rate of $1 per hour.
Can I leave my boat parked on a city street?
No. It is against city ordinance to park a boat trailer or any other type of trailer on a city street except for temporary active loading or unloading of effects.
What are Residential Permits and how do I get one?
The Residential Permit Parking program was adopted by City Council many years ago to free up on-street parking for neighborhood residents by restricting non-residents from parking all day. Commuters are encouraged to take public transportation or park in nearby lots or decks. Annual permits are purchased from the Raleigh Parking Office. New applicants must show proof of residency such as a current utility bill, current notarized affidavit of the landlord, auto registration cards or deed in the name of the permittee and showing the address within the controlled parking area. Only legal residents with a vehicle qualify for a permit. You will also need to provide proof of DMV registration. Displaying the permit on a vehicle not registered with Raleigh Parking is a contravention punishable by fine. The cost of a permit is currently $20 annually.
Can I get a Residential Permit for a non-resident? (e.g., regular babysitter, nursing care, maid service, lawn maintenance service or relatives?)
Non-residents do not qualify for a residential permit. The only exception is nursing care. In such case Raleigh Parking will print a special permit allowing the vehicle to be parked for a certain time limit in accordance with the contracted time. The health care professional is required to apply in person to the Raleigh Parking office and provide documented proof of the time required to park as well as their vehicle registration.
How can I get my neighborhood into the Residential Permit program?
Begin by requesting a Residential Permit Petition from the Raleigh Parking Office 919-996-3996. The main requirements are that there must be a minimum of 8 contiguous blocks to form a Residential Permit Area with 75% of residents and property owners in favor.
What do I do if I get a parking citation?
You must pay or appeal the citation within 21 days of the citation issue date. Instructions are detailed on the back of the ticket.
How do I pay a parking citation?
Payments can be made in person, by mail or online. Visit our Paying A Parking Citation page for more information.
What if I fail to pay or appeal a parking citation within 21 days?
A late fee of $20.00 is applied to the violation penalty and you forfeit your right to appeal. If you continue to ignore your obligation to pay, the City may resort to other means of collection including booting your vehicle and/or referring your account to a collections agency.
What if I feel that a parking citation was issued in error or if I have a question or concern about the violation?
Contact the Raleigh Parking office to discuss as soon as possible either by phone 919-996-3996, in person or by registering a formal appeal which instruction is provided on the back of the citation or on our Citation Appeal Process page. Be advised that appeals are not accepted over the phone.
When would my vehicle be booted?
Vehicles with three (3) or more outstanding citations at least 90 days old are subject to being booted.
What should I do if my vehicle is booted?
- Contact Raleigh Parking at 919-996-3996 or attend the parking office at 310 W. Martin St Suite 109. Monday through Friday, 8:30 A.M.- 5:00 P.M.
- You must pay all fines and any additional fees within 24 hours to avoid your vehicle being towed at your expense. Only cash, cashier's check, or bank draft is accepted once a vehicle is booted.
When will the City of Raleigh tow a vehicle?
- Parking in a signed tow away zone
- Parking in a travel lane
- Parking in an area restricted by a posted notice by Raleigh Parking or the Raleigh Police Department
- Failing to pay all delinquent parking fines in relation to a booted vehicle within 24 hours
Can I be held responsible for parking citations issued to a vehicle that I own or co-own if I was not driving the vehicle at the time?
Yes. Regardless if you are the sole registered owner or a co-owner, you are still legally liable for any citations issued even if you were not present in the vehicle at the time.

subset: commoncrawl


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Aaron Sorkin – The Greatest Movie Line of ALL TIME Is ...
Aaron Sorkin The GREATEST Movie Line Of ALL TIME Is ...
"I'll be back" ... "You can't handle the truth" ... "Dude, where's my car?" ... some of the best movie lines in the history of cinema -- but Aaron Sorkin says the #1 quote is straight out of the '70s.
Sorkin -- the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of "The Social Network" ... and the guy who penned "A Few Good Men" ... was leaving the Chateau Marmont yesterday when our photog dropped the "best line ever" question on him.
Check out the clip for his answer ... but, we'll give you a clue -- here fishy fishy!
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Find us on:
1201 L Street, NWWashington, DC 20005-4015
1-800-321-0343 (Voice - Toll-free)202-842-4444 (Voice)202-842-3860 (FAX)
The American Health Care Association (AHCA) is a federation of 50 state health organizations, together representing nearly 12,000 non-profit and for-profit assisted living, nursing facility, and subacute care providers that care for more than one million elderly and disabled individuals nationally. AHCA was founded in 1949 to promote standards for professionals in long-term health care delivery and quality care for residents. AHCA was formerly called the American Nursing Home Association, and AHCA and its affiliates are nonprofit associations.
The Association publishes and disseminates many informational and educational materials on nursing home and long-term care facility services, management, personnel training, and health careers. Serial publications: AHCA Notes (newsletter), monthly--news for members; Provider (magazine), monthly--articles of interest for long-term health care managers and professionals. AHCA also publishes "How to Be a Nurse Assistant."
Thursday, Sep 17, 2015
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BLUE Wilderness® Wet Cat Food - Turkey | Blue Buffalo Turkey Recipe For Adult Cats
Inspired by the diet of the lynx, BLUE Wilderness Turkey Recipe is a high-protein food that will provide your cat with a higher concentration of the turkey she loves.
- 95% of the protein comes from real turkey.
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- NO chicken or poultry by-product meals, artificial preservatives, corn, wheat or soy.
- Fortified with vitamins and minerals.
BLUE Wilderness natural cat food is also a sensible alternative to less convenient raw diets, which often require additional supplementation to be nutritionally complete.Available in 3-oz. and 5.5-oz. cans.
ALWAYS Starts with Protein-Rich TURKEY
- NO Chicken (or Poultry) By-Product Meals
- NO Corn, Wheat or Soy
- NO Artificial Flavors or Preservatives
Guaranteed Analysis
|Crude Protein
|10.0% min
|Crude Fat
|9.0% min
|Crude Fiber
|1.5% max
|78.0% max
|0.10% max
Nutrition Statement
BLUE Wilderness Turkey Food for Cats is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles for maintenance.
Feeding Guidelines
Feeding Instructions
3-oz. Can: Feed 2 cans per 6 to 8 lbs. body weight per day.
5.5-oz. Can: Feed 1 can per 6 to 8 lbs. body weight per day.
Refrigerate unused portion.
Fresh Water
Be sure to have a clean bowl of cool, fresh water available at all times.
Note: Individual cat's requirements may vary due to age, breed, environment, and activity level. Adjust food as required to maintain optimal body condition, and ask your veterinarian if you are unsure.
Calorie Content:
3OZ 1,485 Kcals/kg, 126 Kcals/can. 5.5 OZ 1,485 Kcals/kg, 231 Kcals/can.


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Keeping Perspective
Rod quotes Gail Collins in a conversation with David Brooks:
The way you stop that is definitely not by declaring yourself an independent and leaving your party to the hard-core right [bold mine-DL] that brought it to its current disastrous state. It's by working from within. A conservative independent is just a Republican who's had his heart broken, David. I think they need you.
I've done more than my share of Brooks-bashing in my time, and for the most part it doesn't interest me to do more of it, but all of this talk of Brooks' "alienation" from the Republican Party and his poor, broken heart has to be qualified by the recognition that for the first five or six years of the Bush administration Brooks was not only a team player, but he was also a leading cheerleader of most of the disastrous moves that reduced the GOP to its current state. Brooks' disillusionment with the party began around the same time that everything the administration had done, particularly as it related to Iraq, began going horribly wrong.
The culture of incompetence, ignorance, cronyism and bluster that had always prevailed in the administration may have finally become too much for Brooks to stomach, but on the substance of policy it is rather crucial to remember that it was not anything like a "hard-core right" Republican agenda that destroyed the party. Such labeling makes no sense, unless you insist on labeling the mainstream GOP "hard-core right" and prefer calling its right-wing critics moderates. The GOP was destroyed by its support for a war waged in the name of nonproliferation, democracy promotion, nation-building, and the enforcement of United Nations resolutions, none of which can really be called "hard-core right" priorities. This war was most loudly cheered on by those "progressive globalists," as Brooks might call them, inside the Republican Party who see America as the superpower needed to ensure global governance. The most zealous and die-hard supporters of that war were those in the Republican Party whose policy views typically fall in the center or the left of the GOP, and this included Brooks. The "hard-core right" of the party did not by and large distinguish itself in any of this, either, but they are the ones left to take a disproportionate share of the blame as moderates such as Brooks take cover behind the label independent. The independent label can sometimes be accurate and necessary, but it is just as often a refuge for partisans who want to distance themselves from the consequences of the policies they favored back when they referred to themselves by a partisan label.
As DougJ noticed in Brooks' latest column, the Iraq war figured nowhere in his story of Republican collapse and self-destruction, which is what we might expect from Brooks. Like most Republican war supporters, he refuses to acknowledge the war's role in destroying the party and instead can't stop talking about excessive spending. If Brooks' heart has been broken by Republican failure, it is a self-inflicted wound.


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Today's game
Yes, it's that time of year again. All-Star balloting started online today and obviously we've found over the years that this is won by the Internet voters. While it's too early for my usual "Get out the Vote" speeches, I do think that we've got several players who are among the top players in the league at their respective positions and hope that you'll take the time to vote up to 25 times between now and the end of voting. It means quite a bit to the players who are selected and it shows the rest of the baseball world that Dodger fans aren't as passive as they think we are.
Also, for those who didn't see this morning's post, there are a limited number of spots left for Monday night's event. See below for details, but if you're interested, you've got to let us know ASAP as most of the spots are gone.
Former Rocky Chin-hui Tsao was recalled and it'd be interesting if he made his first big league appearance in almost two years against his former team.
Here's tonight's lineup:
Furcal, SS
Pierre, CF
Nomar, 1B
Lieberthal, C
Ethier, RF
Clark, LF
Betemit, 3B
Martinez, 2B
Lowe, P
43 Comments
Nice. Now, the Dodgers just need to beat Rodrigo Lopez. Come on guys, make the Orioles look a little smarter!
Are you serious? The only players with a legitimate chance from the Dodgers, to get a voted selection to the all star game are Rafael Martin Garciapara.
Wow, its the first give-away game since the princess left. And we might even take it.
I don't get it? I know guys need rest, but to rest Martin , Kent and Gonzo on the same day? How about different games for these 3 guys? Doesn't that make more sense ?
I agree, its a weak lineup… But behind Lowe in Coors, we need the best defense (thus Martinez).
The ball carries much better in the daytime so if having a choice between Kent, Gonzo and Martin in tonight's game or tomorrow's, I'd go with tomorrow afternoon's game as well. The obvious critique of the lineup is Lieberthal at cleanup, but let them play and then we can talk about that one. Go Dodgers!
I agree. Let them play this game and then we can talk about it. I have high hopes
Were on a roll- and some of the guys that need to rest are resting….
Its aaaaallllll good.
Some of the perma-gripers will gripe about the line up…. yea yea yea… well be just fine.
Personally, I vote all the complainers and ultra negative folks to the Dodger Thoughts Island for a while. (Its great not having to read all the Pierre stuff for a few days).
Go Dodgers.
Well i have to say this lineup isnt the one id put up every night but for one night at Coors with Lowe pitching i can stand this one. The only thing i would change is maybe put Ethier at clean-up hes been stroking the ball the last couple nights and last night he hit two balls that would have went out in any other ball park so that and also id start Valdez instead of Betemit but i can see that they want Wilson to get some confidence back in his game.
Ohhh i almost forgot . . .
VOTE 4 MARTIN!!!!!!!! VOTE 4 MARTIN!!!!!!!! VOTE 4 MARTIN!!!!!!!! VOTE 4 MARTIN!!!!!!!! VOTE 4 MARTIN!!!!!!!! VOTE 4 MARTIN!!!!!!!! VOTE 4 MARTIN!!!!!!!! VOTE 4 MARTIN!!!!!!!! I love that kid!
Betermit just struck out. This means that he has struck out 4 times as often (8 times) as he has gotten a hit (2 hits)…
geez… Lowe looks bad tonight. I think we can officially say that Andre Ethier is back.
I know that Andy LaRoche numbers are not that great, but he is really turning it around. Betemit is horrible. Lets bring up Andy!
BELIEVE IN LaRoche!
I agree. We need to get rid of Betemit, and bring up Laroche. The future is with Rays kids, not with guys like Betemit.
Like others, I thought it was a little odd to see Martin, Kent, and Gonzo sitting on the same day. That's a lot of good bats on the bench. I understand that if you're going to rest some of the older guys, best to do it with Lowe going for defensive purposes, and Martin has to rest today or tomorrow. But all three on the same day is strange. Hopefully Coors Field will help get some bats that have been slow (Betemit, Martinez, Lieberthal, who mostly just has not had a chance).
I know it's off-topic, but I wanted to comment on the Parking. I've been the three games–The Friday Freeway Series, and then Friday and Saturday vs. the Padres. A friend asked me about it, and I passed on these observations/suggestions. Not everyone will read this, but I hope that Josh can at least copy this and send it on. It's long, but the team says that they will consider what we say, and I think we have an obligation to keep our insights coming.
First, I consider myself a "general parking" type of person—unless it's a playoff game, I usually buy Top Deck tickets. But the firm I work for has season tickets with preferred parking, and I have used those tickets all three times so far, so I have had a little freedom.
Generally, my thoughts are this:
1) Getting in quickly is the most important thing. I know people want to leave quickly (I don't usually even bother trying, as I will wander around the gift shop or something), but if you can't get in quickly, you miss parts of the game. On most days, if you don't get out quickly, it's just a little later getting home. That being said, it looked like getting out on the Golden State Gate was problematic, but the Academy Gate was smooth-sailing.
2) As people learn the new system, they will figure it out, and there will be some more even distribution among the Gates. Overall, I think it's going to improve, and I think that, overall, it will be better than the old system. I'm in my 26th season, and like some long-timers, I will have to adjust to changes. But, going to enough games before means that I learned the old tricks, and I will learn the new ones.
3) The new system will be a better system for the preferred parking holders. None of us riff-raff (which is usually me) to clutter up their lots. I know that the team tries to take care of Season Ticket-holders, but typically, the real fans are people who buy tickets to 10 games a year, not corporations who buy 81 games a year, write it off, and have the seats sit empty sometimes or have people who are indifferent. And I say this despite getting access to free tickets from one of those corporations, but it's true. So, as adjustments are made, please account for the general parkers.
4) So far this year, I have arrived about 30 minutes prior to game time on the two Friday night games, and about an hour before the Saturday game. No problem any time getting in, and those were heavily attended (though not sold out) games. So, credit to the system. However, part of that is that I came in the Academy Gate, which is the least used gate. I drove by the Downtown Gate and it looked clogged. But then I braved the Downtown Gate, and remember that it expands at the top of the hill, so some of this is an illusory bottleneck. So, two gates look to be doing pretty well (although, that's still 30 minutes before the game, and traffic is heavier closer to game time).
5) There are downsides for us general parkers (some justified, some not):
a) Some gates are better for walk-up ticket buyers. Most seats are on the Reserved Level, and I think that most walk-up tickets are for the Reserved and Top Deck. Those entrances are pretty much behind Home Plate. All the General Parking Lots are serviced by the Downtown Gate. That is also a prime gate for Corporate Ticket-holders (from corporations downtown and on the West side via the 110 and 10). So the logjam at the gate is imposing. This suggests looking into rejiggering this gate slightly.
b) Not all gates are equal. The Golden State Gate is the primary entrance off of I-5, and seems the busiest gate. But all the parking for that Gate feeds into the furthest away parking lots. If it's a Wednesday night against the Pirates, you know attendance will be low, but you still get stuck parking far away. If there is a way to re-jigger this so you can park closer in, that's great.
c) The new system looses out on the "on street" parking in the inner-loop. In the past, you could park on the side of the lanes behind homeplate on the inner loop. That probably accounted for 100 spots or so. That is especially bad on sold out games, because you lose parking. Is it possible to direct some early-comers to those spots? I know that one is tough.
d) The new system prevents "sneaking" into the preferred lots. I was often able to get into the old Lot 2, which was good for sitting on the Top Deck. I suppose I was not "supposed" to park there, but no one was there to prevent it much of the time. Also, in games that are not sold out, you could sometimes sneak into the preferred lots. I cannot really complain about not being able to do what I was not supposed to do in the past, but this does need to be considered. A lot of those preferred lots close to the stadium go unfilled during some games because corporate ticket-holders may not show up at weeknight games, and the fans who do will have to schlep past empty parking spots. I don't know if there is a real solution here, but it should be considered.
6) Suggestions For Improvement
a) Add more attendants at each gate. The justification for the $5 increase is to hire more staff. But the biggest bottleneck in getting in is getting people through the gates. But you don't have to be in the booth to collect $15 from a car and give them the license. If you put one person in each booth, and one person in front of each booth, you could do two cars at the same time, nearly doubling the speed that people came into the parking lot. That would do a whole lot to improve the situation of people getting into the parking lot. There were a number of green vested attendants that did not seem to be really useful in some places. By adding more people to take the money and let cars into the stadium is probably the best thing they could do to improve the traffic flow. Once you are in the stadium, it becomes a lot easier to move around, especially since the controlled zone parking is designed to reduce merging, lane-changing, etc.
b) Address the lots that feed from the Downtown Gate.
c) Improve the signage inside and outside the Stadium. There are a lot of baseball signs directing fans to the Stadium. Some of them are falling apart, and since they are old, they don't indicate which gate you are being directed to, or which lot you are being directed to. If that information could be put up on those signs, it would help out. Signs inside the stadium need improvement too. There are old signs in the stadium indicated "Exit A" etc., but that's not a gate name anymore.
d) Work with the City to improve roads outside the Stadium. If I want to come from the I-5 North, but park behind homeplate, I have to work around to the Downtown Gate from the Stadium Way exit, or get off at Broadway and pass the Academy Gate, and work around to the Downtown Gate. Since you have to now maneuver outside of the stadium now, it would help to make that easier.
7) Some really out-of-the-box suggestions:
a) Consider building a parking structure in Lot 10 (the former Lot 7), which is the biggest behind home plate lot. It's also mostly set well below the grade of the stadium there, and people have to walk up the ramps. If you put two or three levels there, people could park much closer to the Stadium entrances.
b) Open up a new gate somewhere. I don't really know where, but it seems like there may be some more places.
c) Arrange a tram from the outer parking lots–like they do at Disneyland.
as I read about Willy Aybar's indefinite suspension from the Braves, I am reminded that Betemit is referred to as a utility infielder that was acquired in the trade, and so far tonight he is looking every bit the part. So, we have three utility infielders, no third basemen.
I feel really badly for Betemit. He could be one **** of an offensive threat if he ever gets his head on straight… but I'm afraid he's going to play his way onto the bench if his batting keeps up. Obviously from last year he had a tough time batting right handed… which brings up a question: I'm wondering if anyone can bring up an example of a young switch-hitter who eventually gave it up in favor of his stronger batting side? Does anyone know if this has ever happened before, because I'm thinking maybe Wilson had better just hit from one side until he learns to hit again. His power is incredible… and we could certainly use it… but he needs to start producing and quickly.
—definitely agree with you, I think he'd be better off batting exclusively from the left side, even if he has to be plantooned on occasion. He just looks awful batting right handed.
I know full well that you can't win every game, but this game seems like Little didn't care whether we won or lost. Hopefully everybody will be well rested for another week. I personally don't like Little, and pulling a lineup like this just reinforces that feeling. Looking for the team to come together for a strong season in spite of him.
Betemit and Seanez are beyond worthless
Hrmm Grady must not have wanted to win tonight.
Max… can it will you? You're becoming WAY beyond worthless with all your negativity. I can't remember the last time you actually posted something positive… and this team has the best record in baseball right now! One can only imagine how you'll respond when we go through our first losing streak, and I for one don't want to see you commit suicide.
why does Grady keep Seanez in for two innings? why does Seanez even make the team?! Betemit couldn't hit water if he fell out of a boat. Atleast play Valdez. Lowe had a bad night it was obvious from the start. Leaving pitches up i bet he had more fly ball outs then ground outs.
i don't see how grady doesn't see these things we all see. I hope he doesn't give everyone the night off on the same night again either.
What i saw was grady giving most of our 'A' team the night off for 2 reasons
1) they need the rest.
2)It's cold in Denver at night and tomorrow is such an early game he wants those guys rested and ready for the noon T off. Valdez will get the nod at 3rd.
Now if you would just chill everything will be fine because you are starting to get on my nerves also Max.
reyloveselaine "I know that Andy LaRoche numbers are not that great, but he is really turning it around. Betemit is horrible. Lets bring up Andy!
BELIEVE IN LaRoche!"
I don't wanna come off like I dislike Betemit but I saw him play in the Dominican winter league on tv & he really didn't look that impressive I'm sure he's a nice guy & I hope he turns it around but he really hasn't look good. Hoping he turns it around though.
1) I am all for the VOTE FOR MARTIN! post
2) Does anyone know the code for the Dodgers V Pirates game friday for the special field tickets 4 for $76? I thought is was tix76 but I was wrong. PLEASE HELP!
Sorry max, nothing personal, but I agree with above posters. You complain a lot and have little constructive to add to the discussion, and it gets a little old. "i don't see how grady doesn't see these things we all see. I hope he doesn't give everyone the night off on the same night again either." What a dumb comment. Yeah, you're right. This guy lives with the team for 7 months, and he doesn't pay attention or think about his decisions. You're really onto something there.
I was at the game at Coors tonight. Got there late due to traffic, just in time to see Ethier nail his triple. Then I noticed the lineup…questionable benching 3 of our best clutch hitters on the same night, and I think it ended up hurting. But, from Little's perspective before the game, he probably figured that Hendrickson would need the run support more than Lowe. A fair thought, but too bad he was wrong.
All things about the game aside – on the way to my car, I hear some commotion from some fans to my right. I look over, and realize I've been walking fairly close to Vin Scully for about a quarter of a block. I run to my car and grab a camera and chase him about a half of a block down the street. When I get closer behind him, I yell "Mr. Scully!" Unfortunately, he didn't even turn around a bit, and I just figured it was late and he maybe didn't want to be bothered. So instead of getting my ticket signed, I just took a picture of him walking away, for the memory's sake. So one day, when my kids ask "Dad, why did you take a picture of that man's *** and then frame it?" I'll say "Kids, that's not just any man's ***. That's Vin Scully's ***. Be sure to bow your head in deference whenever you look at this picture."
On the way home, I regretted not being more forward in trying to get an autograph…but I do have a picture of his backside. Good enough for now.
you guys know what you can get out of certain players. Lowe is good but he had an off night which is normal. I just don't see how Grady can stick with guys like Tomko and Hendrickson or Lugo last year. Specially with Seanez tonight. He got light up in his last outings there was a great chance of him getting light up again tonight too. Yet he was out there for two innings and the game got out of hand.
Betemit hasn't hit since last July. He had a terrible spring and a terrible winter ball. He has potentinal but honeslty Andy LaRoche can't be any worse and has way more upside then Betemit.
As for tonight…i understand guys need days off but why can't grady plan them for different days. You can't go into a game with your 4-5-6 guys out of the lineup and expect to have a competitive game.
Hendrickson throws tomorrow. He has been great out of relief this year and last. We all what he did last year in the Rotation. There is a good chance he'll get roughed up tomorrow and there's a chance he will throw 5 or 6 solid innings but odds are he'll get roughed up. Why not give someone else a shot. Like Billingsley or DJ Houlton. Houlton has been lights out in Triple A so far. He's 2-0 with a 1.62 ERA 15 K's 5 BB in 16.1 innings pitched.
Andy La Roche cannot play defense…. we all know this- I just feel like he gets nervous when he gets a shot, and rarely takes advantage of the opportunities he gets. He is always good in the minors, but always bad in ST– there is something to be said about that. Also, just to reiterate, his defense was horrible. I'd pull my hair out watching him bungle the most routine plays…
Ewk216…Brad Penny has awful spring trainings but he does well in the regular season. The rate Betemit is going he wont hit over .200 this season. Why not give La Roche a shot. You can't prove you're a major league player in the minors.
M Hendrickson
Max how short is that memory of yours and very selective too.You Don't remember DJ getting lit up like a christmas tree the ENTIRE time we had him up!Those are great AAA numbers but hendrickson's are in the show and against teams that were T ing off against Schmidt(not that he was throwing more then batting practice pitches).Hendrickson was horrible and sought help he has since been very tough and I for 1 and by the posts and what management is doing all agree he has earned this chance to start a game. I fully agree with ewk216 LaRoche is a huge defensive liability and is not swinging the bat well yet. The ONLY thing I question is what about Abreu??? He started atleast 1 game I saw in Vegas at 3rd base (no E) and is still killing the ball like ST. He showed alot of flash with the Leather and is in a good frame of mind. That kid is gonna be our Next Monster Rookie if he gets a shot before Kent retires.Kemp went 0fer tonight but will be back soon.
Pup That story was hilarious! Sorry you had to see the 'b' team but atleast Eithier is showing his stuff.
Back to topic in what I read tonight on the decisions made and the lineup what Grady did is to rest the tired but productive players against what would have been a tough pitcher to have then fresher for a more hittable pitcher and expected Lowe to be able to **** it up and he did **** but Lowe is always a break even pitcher early in the season he is the Stretch run Pitcher along with Bills,Schmidt and Penny,Tomko,Hendrickson,Wolf and the starting rotation of Vegas to fill the last 1/2 spots for the playoffs.All sid and done this was a loss but I won't complain about it nor even remember it after 3pm because it was just a game in 162 and we have all the pieces within the 40 man Roster to go all the way this year.
Go Blue 2007!!!
Max… gotta hand it to you… at least you try. I don't understand how you can even compare veteran pitcher Brad Penny's spring history to that of a rookie infielder like Andy LaRoche. They are two entirely different scenarios altogether. I'd much rather see Abreu given a shot at third than Andy LaRoche at this point in the season. Andy will get his shot… but once here he's got to prove himself worthy of playing… much like Martin, Ethier and Kemp have.
Right now the Dodgers do not have themselves a legitimate third base prospect, one that has the defensive and offensive capabilities this team so desperately needs. Betemit's body language walking back to the dugout after his at bats is an indication that he's lost at home plate. If he could get on track offensively, we'd be set. Maybe he should spend some time with Hendrickson's sports psychologist… anything to get that bat of his going again. 9 homers last year wasn't a fluke and his .959 fielding percentage is awfully good to have. But Grady isn't going to be too patient with his below .100 batting average for very much longer. The time is now for Betemit… or else… it's time for plan B, and in my humble opinion, I think Abreu should be given a shot playing third base.
Yes, Abreu is the man. He deserves a shot. On Little's resting personnel, that's fine
but, he did the same thing last year. When he decides to rest a player, he should do it, one at a time, NOT Three.
In re; to betemit, I believe it was Jose Valentine, who decided to end switching and Bat, stricktly from the left side and continue switching
during BP. It worked for him. That was a few yrs. ago….
I should also mention, that Raffy needs a day off. He's pressing and striking out, too much. he must be batting 100 point less than Pierre.
Something is wrong, with Furcal ????
All i can say is, "maybe next time", i for one dont think this was that bad of a line up as i posted earlier yesterday, well aside from the whole Betemit thing, but hey we had a bad game with a couple of bad plays and a loss we are still in first place and hey we have a game today that i will be listening to while i work away. I dont think yesterdays lineup had anything to do with Grady's skill level as a coach he made a decision and we all have to just go with the flow and hey let's remember that this is why he gets paid to do this, so for all you Grady haters out there ease up and lets see how the season ends up not just a series or a game. Also i agree with ya pat Raffy is certainly pressing and i think the cause of it is not just that hes not swinging very well i think its more he is not being patient and taking some pitches, last night on all of his at bats except for one i think he was swinging at the first pitch (granted he made a horrible swing on a 2-0 count) but i think he will get things going and then the all **** is gonna break loose on opposing pitchers. Maybe he should bat 2 look what its done for Pierre.hahaha
Dang it i forgot again
"Right now the Dodgers do not have themselves a legitimate third base prospect"
how can you call La Roche not a legitimate prospect? are you kidding me? you must have based that on his 0 major league apperences. The fact is La Roche is the top prospect in one of the richest farm systems in the league. He has to have SOME talent. He hit 19 home runs last year with a torn labrum.
Houlton can't do much worse then Hendrickson. Billingsley would be better but he's not a "proven veteran". Too bad Billingsley didn't lose 7 straight decisions last year..maybe he'd get a shot.
Nomar has the night off tonight. Killer TOmato is starting. I wonder if Grady will bench Furcal and Pierre so we could have 3 starters out of the line up at the same time for the second night in a row.
why are people panicking over Furcal? He missed the last two weeks of ST. Played two minor league games and now he's back to playing in the big leagues. Also remember last year he started off slow in april.
You are really annoying.
instead of calling me annoying, which i could careless if you or anyone else thinks that or not, why don't you try and counter my points? give me a reason why Hendrickson deserves this shot or why La Roche isn't a legit prospect. Or why it was smart for Grady to rest our three hotest bats on the same day and not spread then out over a couple of days?
I didn't really think your points needed refutation. I think, rather, that you should apply to manage the Dodgers in '09 or whenever it is Grady's contract is up. You seem to know a lot better than he does.
"With Thursday's day game following Wednesday's night game, Little felt the seniors had to miss one of the games, and their success against Thursday starter Aaron Cook forced the manager's hand. He also wanted Martin to catch Mark Hendrickson, who makes his first start of the season Thursday in place of the injured Jason Schmidt."
I didn't even have to refute you. Gurnick had already provided a pretty sensible analysis.
The person who said LaRoche isn't a legit prospect didn't say that. He said he was not a legit 3B prospect. He's awful defensively so far, so he's not a legit 3B prospect. He's a legit hitting prospect.
Hendrickson gets this start today simply because of the toll on Bills earlier in the week – Bills isn't fresh, Hendy is, and he's been pitching better this season regardless.
But please, continue enlightening us day after day about how awful the Dodgers' manager is.
there is no logical reason why he rested those 3 players on the same day. Spread them out next time please!
LaRoche is a legit 3b prospect. His defense may be suspect at times but so is Betemit's. Like i said before he is the number one prospect for the team for a reason.
Will someone, please send me the website, for the 51's…