Clayhouse makes excellence affordable

Published 9:00 pm Saturday, May 14, 2005

Most intriguing to me about the world of wine is its dynamic nature. Something interesting is always spinning out of the wine industry’s perpetual movement, and I find it fascinating.

As I’ve noted before, “wine geeks” (loosely defined as “people who let an appreciation for a fermented beverage evolve into a passion that leads to a hobby that gets out of control”) have many different ways of expressing their captivation. Some just can’t help but dive headfirst into their newfound passion and become winemakers. Others feel the need to collect and build cellars.

I took my own devout consumerism and chased the wine bug into the realm of retail, with the overtly selfish motivation to unearth the next great wine that could be offered at an even greater price.

Granted, these days I don’t find myself in the trenches (I sold the shop) with the relentless onslaught of often useless wine information being shoveled into my foxhole. But, ever the diligent consumer and illuminator, I’m keeping my nose in the glass to sniff out those elusive gems. It is always much more satisfying to come upon a $10 to $15 dollar bottle of wine that tastes like a $30 to $40 dollar bottle than to be allowed a taste of a $50-plus bottle with high-falutin’ credentials.

I’ve come upon a new winery in Paso Robles, Calif., that I think you ought to put on the “must try” list. Clayhouse Vineyard is one of those wineries that come along every once in awhile that, after a taste, makes me want to shout, “Now that’s what I’m talking about!” An ultra-premium California wine that’s sensibly priced and presented in a beautiful package.

Clayhouse Vineyard wines are new in Washington as of May 1, when the first vintage was brought into the state to be distributed by Elliott Bay Distributing in Seattle. But the roots of the winery are deep in our Evergreen State, with the parent company of the winery, Anderson/Middleton, located in Hoquiam. The proprietor of Clayhouse is Rick Middleton Jr., whose family has been in the lumber and paper business in Washington for four generations. Rick is a University of Washington alumnus and continues to reside in our state with his wife, Ellen, and son, Trey.

The Clayhouse winery takes its name from a 110-year-old adobe house in Paso Robles, where the family has 2,500 acres of vineyards and has been providing fruit to wineries in California since the early 1970s. Their famous Peck Vineyard is home to the oldest petite sirah in the region, with the first harvest in 1971. Several area wineries have bought the fruit from this vineyard, and the EOS Winery has hit many of the vintages out of the park with huge ratings and glowing reviews.

“We just want to make great wines that are affordable,” said Tony Knox, marketing director of Clayhouse Vineyard. “So many of the wines that are coming out of California are priced out of reach of the average consumer, with wineries working on 80 percent markups or more. At Clayhouse, we are striving for a great wine for price ratio.” And after having the privilege to taste through the exciting portfolio of Clayhouse wines recently, I think that they are right on the money.

I should also mention that all of the Clayhouse wines are produced from estate-grown fruit with the exception of the 2004 sauvignon blanc. The Vineyard label and the Estate reserve labeled wines reflect fruit acquired from vineyards owned and managed by the winery.

Jeff Wicklund can be reached at 425-737-2600, or wick@colbyhospitality.com.