Springfield Business Journal
July 5, 2018

It’s hot, and wine producers, rising to the situation, are concentrating on refreshing white wines.

I do not want to insinuate that the producers were caught off guard by the earlier than usual heat wave, but the bottling of red wine has come to a grinding halt in favor of getting white wines into the marketplace.

White wines most often do not require the longer aging required by the reds and since the vintage year proved to be good, there are some fine wines arriving daily. As a side note, the red wines, when they are finally bottled, should be a bit better than average due to longer time in aging barrels.

Columbia Winery 2016 Chardonnay ($14)
This is not just another chardonnay; this is a chardonnay from Washington state. The climate and soil of Washington adds its own individual nuances to a wine, which is most clearly borne out by this offering from Columbia Winery. This is a comfortable wine that combines all of the elements of a fine chardonnay into a mellow, soft, flavorful and easy-to-drink hot weather beverage. The aroma is alive with the scents of pears, apples and vanilla with a hint of roasted nuts in the background. The flavor is bright, fruity and crisp, accenting green apples and pears. The finish is soft and possesses a toast-like element. This is worth far more than its modest $14 price tag.>>>Read the entire article on SBJ