Paul Gregutt

Paul Gregutt has been reviewing the wines and wineries of the Pacific Northwest since the mid-1980s. Career highlights include serving as the wine columnist for the Seattle Times (2002 – 2013) and Contributing Editor for Wine Enthusiast magazine (1998 – 2022). He lives with his wife Karen and his rescue dog Cookie in Waitsburg (pop. 1204), a Walla Walla County farm community. When not tasting and writing about wine he writes songs, plays guitar and sings in his band the DavePaul5 (davepaul5.com). Follow his writing here and at www.paulgregutt.substack.com.

Surprise: Arizona has an Impressive Wine Industry

Arizona has more than 30 wineries and three certified AVAs – Sonoita and Willcox in the southeast, and newly-sanctioned Verde Valley in the north central part of the state.

Going Orange: Wine for the Adventurous

Orange wines, which are made by leaving white wine grapes to ferment on their skins rather than being pressed off immediately, offer a range of scents and flavors that can seem unbounded.

Why Aren’t Younger People Drinking Wine?

The idea that somehow it’s the taste of wine that is to blame for the industry’s woes is way off the mark.

How do you get Your Wines Reviewed? Some Tips…

Send the wines that you have in wide distribution. On the other hand, if your best wines are not in that group, you’re not likely to get the kind of reviews that will propel sales or even drive consumers to your website for a further look.

Reinventing Walla Walla Vintners; Plus a New Oregon AVA?

I recently had the chance to tour the new Walla Walla Vintners facilities with owner Scott Haladay, and tasted through some upcoming releases from winemaker Derrek Vipond.

Making Music; Making Wine

Wine and music are the two art forms I work in and for me they compliment each other.

What’s Your “Hero” Wine?

For me, in most flights, there is one standout. Possibly a standout based strictly on flavor; maybe the one wine that offers the greatest value. Sometimes it might be a truly unusual or unique effort, or something so off the wall that it tickles my curiosity.

Washington’s Gone (And Mostly Forgotten) Wineries

Tom Stockley’s “Winery Trails of the Pacific Northwest” was published in 1977 as “a complete guide to the wineries of Washington, Oregon and British Columbia”. It included just eight entries from Washington, and only two of them (Ste. Michelle and AV – now Columbia) still exist, albeit in much-diminished circumstances.

Do Wine Labels Matter?

Price matters, shelf placement matters, and packaging matters. What counts the most as far as successful wine packaging? I’d say it’s the label’s graphic design and the name on the bottle. Same as shampoo.

Engage This: The Art of Wine Tasting Notes

Over the years I’ve seen many slings and arrows aimed at writers of wine tasting notes. I’ve seen half-baked attempts at ‘modernizing’ tasting terms by comparing wines to cars...

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