A couple of months ago I was asked by Andy Perdue- Editor of Wine Press Northwest Magazine- if I’d be interested in the Iberian Judging that was coming up. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity to taste and judge with some of the industry’s finest. The latest issue of Wine Press Northwest Magazine (Fall 2010) that has the results of the Iberian Peninsula tasting is on newsstands now.
My first trip to Washington wine country was to Apex Cellars’ Winemaker Dinner with Brian Carter in 2001. My wife still remembers the final course… a dense pound cake served with fresh plump blueberries and drizzled with the winemakers Late Harvest Riesling, served with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream. This was the trip that started me thinking about the endless possibilities available for me here in wine country.
First the name and introductions… “DavenLore” is taken from the names of the owner Joan Davenport (Dr. Dirt) and Gordon Taylor. Joan or “Dr. Dirt”- which is how her card reads- has a PhD in Soil Chemistry from the University of Guelph in the mid 80’s in Ontario, Canada. Joan is employed here in Prosser at the WSU Irrigated Agriculture Research & Extension Center and has been since early 1997. The two meet while Gordon was working up at U of Guelph after receiving his Ag Degree.
