Sean P. Sullivan Northwest Wine Report

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Sean P. Sullivan Northwest Wine Report An independent publication bringing Northwest wine to you and bringing you to Northwest wine

02/01/2026

Happy 2026 folks! I hope that you all had a wonderful end to the year. What's everyone opening up this evening?

People who accepted the 2025 Northwest Wine Challenge, make sure to look for my post from earlier tonight asking what Northwest Grenache you had in December and what our challenge wine should be in 2026.

Let's get this year started!

P.S. If you're doing Dry January, feel free to tell us about that too!

02/01/2026

Okay people who accepted the 2025 Northwest Wine Challenge, 2025. Is. History! Three questions:

1. What Northwest Grenache did you open in December?

2. How many months did you participate in the 2025 Northwest Wine Challenge?

3. What are your suggestions for challenge wines in 2026?

Previous varieties we have have already done (which we would likely not do again unless there's huge demand) are Merlot (2019), Riesling (2020), Syrah (2021), Chardonnay (2022), Cabernet Franc (2023), Rhône-style blends (2024), and Grenache (2025).

What should we do in 2026?

My December wine was the 2015 Horsepower Sur Echalas Grenache. That wine is insane. I had a Northwest Grenache 10/12 months.

Okay, let's have it. Go!



1.
2. .mercer
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9. Adam Dirkes
10. Barb Cary
11. Barbara Blankenship
12. Bill Davis
13. Billy Farrow
14. Bobby Lynn
15. Brenda Durr Collons
16. Brent Cochran
17. Brian O'Connell
18. Brian Vargas Haskell
19. Camas Cellars
20. Carly H Little
21. Carrie Alexander
22. Charles Auclair
23. Charlie Ball
24. Cheryl Nolan Booth
25. Chris Messina
26. Colin Carpenter
27. Curtis Docken Jr.
28. Dave Rice
29. Dawn Proffitt-Schrag
30. Echolands Winery
31. Eric Naftzger
32. Fortuity Cellars
33. Gail Moore Hyden
34. Greg Lovell
35. Hazel Lynn Singer
36. Heather Butler Jeter
37. Hospice du Rhône
38. Jack Colby W
39. James Stripes
40. Janee Gale
41. Jeanine Pohl Smith
42. Jenise Stone
43. Jennifer Cochran
44. Jenny Brumfiel
45. Jerry LaRocca
46. Joan Kappes
47. Joe Devera
48. John Glas
49. John Peacock
50. Jolene Rolf Kelley
51. Julianne Mitchell
52. Kaci Caldwell
53. Karen La Bonte
54. Kari Bonafilia
55. Kathryn Johnson
56. Keith Porter
57. Kelly Pettiss Ibe & Shaun Ibe
58. Kent Waliser
59. Kristin Jostad
60. Lane Cellars
61. Lisa Stevens
62. Lori Nes
63. Lorne C. D**e
64. Mackenzie Cox
65. Mandy Szigethy
66. Margot Sinclair Savell
67. Marty Sparks
68. Matt Velasco
69. Michael Spencer
70. Michael Stumpf
71. Michele Todd
72. Michelle Johnson Crowell
73. Namik Brett Alkan
74. Nancy Teague Lee
75. Necia Monroe Leach
76. Pete Berry
77. Peter Freese
78. Rachael Lucas
79. Rich Estrin
80. Robert Frost
81. Robert Hansen
82. Ryder Langley
83. Sandro Andretti
84. Sarah Ness
85. Scot Keith
86. Scott Kieser
87. Scott Pysher
88. Sean Horrigan
89. Serena Gordon
90. Sherri Davis Hainje
91. Stephen Costigan
92. Stewart Winter
93. Susan Bunnell
94. Susan McCullough-Berry
95. Teresa Schoenfeld
96. Testimony Wine Bar
97. Tom Ross
98. Tony Farina
99. Trevor Moon
100. Vicki Collette Heimark
101. Victor de la Luz
102. Wine Flights With SueAnn

At exactly 11:56pm last night, I went to get our Champagne out, when I realized that I had made a horrible mistake. I'd ...
01/01/2026

At exactly 11:56pm last night, I went to get our Champagne out, when I realized that I had made a horrible mistake. I'd done a rapid chill on it earlier in the night so that we could have glass or two before dinner. Then I put it back in....

The freezer. 😱

I left it there for four and a half hours!

With mere minutes before the New Year, there was no time to spare. I turned on the hot water on our kitchen to the hottest that it would go, and I put the completely frozen bottle underneath. I turned it repeatedly to try and evenly warm the bottle and also to dissolve the GIANT Champagne iceberg in the bottle.

All the while, I kept track of the countdown on Time.is on my phone. With 15 seconds left to go, I pulled the bottle out, poured my wife and I glass of VERY cold but now fully reconstituted Champagne, and saved 2026 from starting with an early fumble.

Happy New Year everyone! May you all make Champagne out of frozen wine in 2026!

Dinner tonight. Lobster tails from Seattle Fish Company basted with butter, lemon, and garlic along with fresh, homemade...
01/01/2026

Dinner tonight. Lobster tails from Seattle Fish Company basted with butter, lemon, and garlic along with fresh, homemade fettuccini tossed with garlic, shallot, capers, lemon, and butter sauce. Paired with Devison Vintners Sauvignon Blanc.

01/01/2026

Ring out the old, ring in the new! Happy New Year's Eve everyone!

Question 1: What's everyone celebrating with tonight?

Question 2: What's the most memorable bottle you had in 2025?

People who accepted the 2025 Northwest Wine Challenge, last night to try your December Northwest Grenache and complete ALL makeup work! Tomorrow or Friday, I'll post asking what wine everyone had to keep us all accountable.

YES we will be having a 2026 Northwest Challenge wine. I'll post in the next day or two looking for ideas.

Okay, have a happy, safe end to 2025 and start to 2026. Go!

Here’s to more Horsepower in 2026!
31/12/2025

Here’s to more Horsepower in 2026!

Tonight, a 2016 Leonetti Walla Walla Valley Merlot. 2016 was a usual mixture of an extremely hot start - the hottest on ...
29/12/2025

Tonight, a 2016 Leonetti Walla Walla Valley Merlot. 2016 was a usual mixture of an extremely hot start - the hottest on record - then a cool finish. The wines bring an intriguing mix of those two factors.

This wine is in a beautiful spot. I expect it to remain there a good 5-7 years, possibly longer, and then age gracefully beyond that.

Paired with Supreme cheese pizza with fresh basil, garlic, and - yes - ‘Home Alone.’

Gah! Between the holidays, being on vacation, and being under the weather, I completely forgot what day of the week it i...
28/12/2025

Gah! Between the holidays, being on vacation, and being under the weather, I completely forgot what day of the week it is! 🤣🤣🤣

What’s everyone drinking this evening? If you didn’t tell us what you were opening for Christmas Day when I posted on the 24th, feel free to tell us that too. My bottle from Christmas pictured here, along with a mushroom Wellington made by my wife.

Finally, people who accepted the 2025 Northwest Wine Challenge, only a few days for the December bottle and all makeup work.

Okay, sorry for flaking, go!

Onward with vintage lookbacks, 2013 Passing Time Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills. I posted about the 2012 v...
27/12/2025

Onward with vintage lookbacks, 2013 Passing Time Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Horse Heaven Hills. I posted about the 2012 vintage a couple days ago. Multi-day mini-vertical. 😉

This is the second vintage that the winery made. It’s still on the upswing. Give it additional time in bottle or a 20 minute decant.

It will have a long life ahead of it. I’d expect it to reach its peak in about 3-4 years and to stay there another 12ish (until about 2041 or so). It will age gracefully well beyond that.

As with 2012, most of the fruit came from Discovery Vineyard.

As I wrote the other day, Passing Time is a top five Cabernet Sauvignon producer in Washington. Check them out if you haven’t already.

Main event from DeLille. 1999 was a cool vintage. One of those wines with sun beams shooting out of it. Merry Christmas ...
25/12/2025

Main event from DeLille. 1999 was a cool vintage. One of those wines with sun beams shooting out of it. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Started here, with a crab boil and the consistently delicious Januik Chardonnay. Snow crab from Pure Food Fish Market. M...
25/12/2025

Started here, with a crab boil and the consistently delicious Januik Chardonnay. Snow crab from Pure Food Fish Market. Merry Christmas Eve everyone!

Merry Christmas eve folks! What's everyone opening up tonight and tomorrow? Wishing you all a wonderful holiday.
25/12/2025

Merry Christmas eve folks! What's everyone opening up tonight and tomorrow? Wishing you all a wonderful holiday.

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