Spring Release 2010
4 New Wines Join the Sweet Valley Family
The last 6 months have been extremely busy at the winery and tasting room. In November we completed harvest and released 3 new vintages including the inaugural release of our Cabernet Sauvignon. With February came bottling followed by getting back into the vineyards for pruning and Josh’s recently completed travels and internship at Viña Cobos in Argentina. Now Spring Release is upon us and we are rushing around getting everything completed and in place for release weekend and the many tastings planned throughout the summer and into the fall.
What started out with 105 cases of Double Barrel Red in 2007 grew to 400 cases and 4 varieties in 2008, followed by 1750 cases and 8 varieties in 2009, including our new Righteous Wines label. With Spring Release 2010 we continue the growth and offerings of our Righteous Wines brand with 4 new varieties; Riesling, Viognier, Sangiovese and Tempranillo to compliment our Righteous Red. Summer will bring the release of our Sweet Valley Wines Viognier to join the Double Barrel Red followed by a fall release of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah just in time for the holidays. By the time 2010 comes to a close case production will be near 2000 cases and include 12 varieties.
Stop by the tasting room this spring to sample our new 2010 releases in addition to our Sweet Valley Double Barrel Red, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Righteous Wines Red Wine.
Cheers from the Sweet Valley Family to you and yours!!!
Josh McDaniels - "Winemaker of the Year!" - Small Lots Big Wines Napa, CA
Josh McDaniels was awarded Winemaker of the Year by Small Lots Big Wines, a Napa CA service company connecting wine enthusiasts with boutique wineries in Napa and Sonoma. Becky Tyner, founder, of Small Lots Big Wines wrote:
"When Sweet Valley winery owner, Shane Fischer, gave me a bottle of the Syrah from his winery up in Washington, I was skeptical. Not because it was from Walla Walla Washington, not because the wine was inexpensive, but because the winemaker was just barely 21 years old! However, I opened the wine at our family's celebration of my son's return from Afghanistan...and I was blown away. Full bodied, rich, and very drinkable, I was pretty impressed that what I was drinking in my glass was made from a young man the same age as my son."
Righteous Red chosen as top 10 wine under $20
Following the Tri-Cities Wine Festival, Wine Press Northwest chooses Sweet Valley's Righteous Red as a Top 10 Wine under $20. Eric Degerman's review of Righteous Red stated:
"To find a wine made in Walla Walla at this price is almost unheard of. It's a Merlot-based blend that fills your nose with blackberries, plums, allspice and cloves. The creamy palate tastes of blueberry, boysenberry, nutmeg and chocolate." Stop by the tasting room this spring to taste our Spring 2010 releases in addition to our Sweet Valley Double Barrel Red, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Righteous Wines Red Wine.
Vibrant Vine review of Sweet Valley Wines and Interview with Winemaker Josh McDaniels
Last month I received a phone call from my friend and distributor Ray. It seems we're both always in the car and talking bluetooth to bluetooth. "Hey, we're getting a new line and the wines are amazing. I really want you to try these." Okay, okay, so it is his job to sell me his line of wines, but the way Ray told me about this was like I was receiving inside information, like we'd be busted if we were on Wall Street. "Have you tasted them?" was my reply. "Yes, I have and you're going to be blown away. Josh McDaniels is the name of the winemaker. He started working as a cellar rat at Mannini and is currently an assistant winemaker at Leonetti." O.K. those two names got my attention. "Give me some of each of his lower priced blends and one bottle of each of his single varietals." "You'll get it Friday...don't wait to try them." He sounded like deepthroat on All The President's Men. When I got home, I went straight to my computer and binged Sweet Valley Wines. True to form, I jumped from their homepage to "about the winemaker" and clicked. What I read left me very anxious for Friday's delivery.... Read More