WA Cabernet Sauvignon Sibling Rivalry

This past weekend featured the TASTE WA Grand Tasting, capping off Washington wine month. The Lucha Vino challenge stays with the Washington theme this week featuring a intra-family battle.   This sibling rivalry could get ugly.

Tildio Cabernet Sauvignon slam fest 2007 v 2008 v 2009 with family bragging rights on the line.

WA Barbera v. Piemonte

The spring classics are underway and the longest one day race of them all happened this past weekend.  Milan-San Remo, also known as la Classica di Primavera, begins in Milan and travels West to finish in San Remo.  The riders typically start in blustery, cold, conditions and finish on the warmer shores of the Mediteranean Sea.  This year there was snow on the first mountain pass that stood in the racer's path.  So much snow that the race had to be stopped and re-started on the other side of the pass.  The Italian's like a spectacle, but even this was too much for their sensibilities.

This year's edition of la Classica was shortened to a mere 246 km from the original 298 km.  Even at that length, the race still covered more than 130 miles to finish in a sprint featuring six riders that got away from the remnants of the peloton on the descent of the Poggio (usually you see a break away happen on the way UP a climb, not on the way DOWN - a good indication of the foul weather).

This week's Lucha Vino challenge honors Italian flare and the primary red grape of Northern Italy with a Barbera Brawl.

2009 Hard Row to Hoe Barbera v. 2010 Podere Ruggeri Corsini Armujan Barbera d'Alba

A Luchador's guide to Taste Washington

Know your opponent

There will be more than 200 wineries and over 60 restaurants at Taste Washington this weekend.  That is an extreme number of opponents.  Study up on the wineries and restaurants.  You can download the Taste Washington Event Guide here.


 Train, Train, Train

You need skills, strength and stamina to subdue your opponent.

Read solid advice from past participants and Washington Wine Gurus:

• Sean Sullivan's WAWineReport
• Clive at NW Wine Anthem
• Bob Silver of WA Wine PR breaks it down Part 1 and Part 2

Have a game plan

Strategy is key to success for Lucha Libre or visiting Taste Washington. 

• Do you want to focus on a single varietal?  
• Maybe there are some specific wine makers you would like to meet.  
• Or regions you would like to focus on.  

Make a set of priorities.  Who are your must see wineries?  Make a list and a map.  Things get crazy when you step into the ring.

Stay Focused

Keep your wits about you.  Keep your focus.  You can't follow your game plan if you are distracted.  Spit, hydrate and fuel.  Visit the restaurants that are taking part, drink water and limit the amount of alcohol that actually goes down the hatch.








Have an exit plan

All good wrestlers know when it is time to beat a hasty retreat from the ring.  In this case, have a ride, take public transit or walk.  Don't drive if you over indulge!  Be responsible.  Even Luchadors look out for their, and the public's, safety.




Celebrate

Finish strong and enjoy the day.  Washington state offers some of the most awesome wine on the planet.  Celebrate this opportunity to experience so much awesome all in one place!  Walk out of the ring with your hands in the air.

Taste of WA Brand Impact Study

Are you a winery that is a first time participant in Taste Washington?  Are you interested in taking part in my unscientific study on the impact of Taste Washington on your brand?

I am looking for three to four wineries to participate in a short interview regarding your expectations for attending Taste Washington and the impact it will have on your brand.  The interview will be featured on the NW Wine Anthem website in April.  

There would also be a follow up interview in 6 and/or 12 months to see how your results matched up with your projections.  The results of the follow up will be published on the NW Wine Anthem as a lead up to the 2014 Taste Washington event.

If you are interested in participating you can comment below or send me an email luchavino at gmail dot com.

Southern WA v. Chateauneuf du Pape

This week I am featuring a guest post from my friend Richard Foxall.  We are celebrating Paris-Nice, the Race to the Sun, and the anointing of a new Pope with a battle that features a Chateauneuf du Pape challenging a GSM from the South of Washington.

Nothing better than being invited by my good friend Lucha Vino to guest blog, especially when the bicycle race is the Paris-Nice, just wrapped up by Richie Porte, Team Sky member and Australian.  Of course, when I signed up to be Lucha’s equipe, I didn’t know that would be the outcome, or we might have done a tag-team match. 

WA Super Tuscan Style v. The Maestro

The Italians know how to live life with a certain flair.  This weekend's Strade Bianche was a prime example.  This 190 km one day race sends the pro bike racers across 57 km of unique white gravel roads in Tuscany, hence the name Strade Bianche.

In terms of the One Day Classic Races, the Strade Bianche is an infant.  This is just the seventh edition of the race and, surprisingly, no Italian had won the race.  Until this past Saturday when Moreno Moser took the race by storm attacking the main peleton on the final gravel road section.  He bridged to the remainders of the day's break away in the race's final 10 kilometers and then bided his time, finally attacking on the final climb leading into the Piazza del Campo.  Ultimately, soloing to victory and driving the Italian Tofosi into a frenzy.

This week's challenge honors Italian style and the strade bianchi with a Super Tuscan matchup.

2007 Brian Carter Tuttorosso v. 2009 Antonio Sanguineti Nessun Dorma Maestro Super Tuscan