First, let me welcome you to our newly revised website! I greatly appreciate any comments, pro or con, as it’s through you that we learn what best provides interesting and current information in an easily navigated format.

It’s great to finally have the opportunity to “blog away” yet it seems a bit surreal having the e-world at my doorstep. In addition to being informative, I do hope that, in time, this space in our site will provide an opportunity for lively dialogue. Ultimately, we can comment about the world of wine, of course hopefully and mostly as it pertains to the McCrea wines.

With this first writing, I’d like to thank all of our loyal followers who have been with us for years or just for days, purchasing those precious bottles one by one. I’m very grateful for the incredible support we’ve received from all of our friends in the trade, be it restaurants, shops, markets, distributors, wine writers, our website guru, and hopefully none overlooked.

It’s amazing to think that we just completed our 20th crush! Just consider the remarkable quality of the fruit during our evolution! Today, we find ourselves in several of Washington’s finest vineyards with growers such as Dick Boushey, Jim Holmes and Joe Hattrup. Names like ‘Ciel du Cheval’, the ‘Grande Cote’ and “Elephant Mountain Vineyard’ represent the pinnacle in wine grapes. Their remarkable expertise has elevated our winery to world-class status as evidenced in such honors as Wine & Spirits ‘Top 100 Wineries In 2007′ and the San Francisco Chronicle’s ‘Top 100 Wines of 2007.’

I could never have imagined that we would find ourselves today producing wines from 10 Rhone varietals. Unquestionably, we also must thank the owners of Tablas Creek Winery & Vineyards in Paso Robles for their cuttings, now thriving in our State, yet from the genetic breed of Chateau de Beaucastel in Chateauneuf-du-Pope. Those legendary vines … what a thought.

So with Christmas just around the corner and the holidays in full swing, I simply want to wish each and everyone of you a rich and joyful season filled with good times and good memories. We at McCrea send our very best wishes! Doug McCrea