14 HANDS COLUMBIA VALLEY
WASHINGTON STATE RED BLEND
More and more red-blend wines are appearing in the marketplace; even the more prestigious and upscale vineyards are now jumping on the red-blend bandwagon. The main reason for this trend is that red blends are meant, in most cases, to be immediately drinkable: open and drink. The vast majority of wine buyers purchase wines on their way home from work to be consumed that evening with dinner, or they buy wine for weekend consumption. There is little thought of cellaring (storing a wine, in some cases for years, until it matures). Many people, not having the time or the patience, find the need for aeration (exposure to air for a certain length of time to achieve maximum flavor) to be a nuisance. The vintner (wine maker), in making the red blend, acts like a chemist, adding a particular varietal of grape/wine to achieve a desired effect. Perhaps a particular blend-in-the-making needs more fruit (add more Merlot), perhaps it needs a hint of wood (Cabernet Sauvignon), perhaps it needs some spice (Zinfandel), and so forth. 14 HANDS, a red blend from Columbia Valley, is one of those wines that make you smile after the first sip. I am partial to the red wines - especially the Merlots - produced from grapes grown in the Columbia Valley which has desert-like conditions (hot days, abundant sunshine, and cool nights), rich volcanic soil, and plentiful runoff water from the Cascade Mountains which is utilized as needed. In the 1950s, the predominant, almost exclusive, crop grown there was sugar beets. Sugar beets! Then along came someone who envisioned great wine. Good for him! Good for us! 14 HANDS is deep ruby red, full-bodied, full-flavored, a mouthful of ripe dark berries, with hints of mocha and wood. The percentage of each varietal of grape/wine is not revealed, but I suspect it is mainly Merlot (only Bordeaux and Tuscany produce equally exceptional, luscious Merlots), with lesser percentages of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. At $12.99, it is an affordable, everyday wine. Harney's has many such satisfying red-blend wines at reasonable prices. Other recommended red-blend wines: Menage a Trois, Sterling Meritage, Piccini Memoro. Ed, the Wine Guy, is available at Harney's, Wed. through Sat. 4:00 to 7:00.