It’s not everyday that Bells Up’s wines get TV time, but that’s exactly what happened this week when the 2013 Titan Willamette Valley Pinot Noir was featured in Northwest Wine Night TV’s Episode 146: “Sandra’s Rough Night.” For those not familiar with this Internet phenomenon, Northwest Wine Night TV introduces viewers to wines produced in the pacific northwest.
Hosted by regional TV news broadcaster Brian Calvert (who is as self-deprecating as he is hilarious), the show brings together a group of four panelists who sample two wines of the same style and vintage—in this case, two Oregon 2013 Pinot Noirs (ours and one from The Pines 1852). Panelists taste the wines “blind,” that is, not knowing anything beyond the varietal they are tasting. In this episode The Pines 1852 Pinot is “Wine Orange,” while ours is “Wine Blue” (and yes, we were thrilled to be the blue wine!).
In this episode, panelists included Jacqueline Pruner, blogger at Heed The Hedonist; winemaker John Patterson of Patterson Cellars; radio personality Corwin Haeck of KOMO Newsradio in Seattle; and Sandra Lee, executive director of Woodinville Wine Country.
The panelists found the 2013 Titan (“Wine Blue”) evoked “earthy,” “rhubarby-esque,” “cherry,” and “Mr. Pibb/cola” notes. It was praised for having a “good acid balance” and a “sharp, tangy” finish. Ms. Lee called it “light and refreshing,” and suggested it would be an excellent replacement for summer cocktails.
Additionally, when asked to describe what vacation destination the 2013 Titan took each panelist to, answers ranged from a lakeside Maine cottage to a tropical Caribbean beach to Reykjavik, Iceland, where nearly every backyard garden grows rhubarb (who knew?). Want to see more, including which of the two wines was the panelists’ and the audiences’ favorite? Click here to watch the full episode.
