Wine for Normal People Friends of the Pod Series -- Ep 295: Sleight of Hand- Washington State's Wine Magic
Sleight of Hand Cellars is the fulfillment of two dreams. Jerry Solomon was a real estate attorney in San Diego who longed for a small town life and wanted wine to be part of it. Trey Busch was a Walla Walla winemaker who had insane talent but needed a partner to make his dream winery a reality.
The two created Sleight of Hand 12 years ago to create exceptional, terroir driven wines that reflect the unique land of Walla Walla and Columbia Valley. Jerry takes us on a journey of the winery, the land, and the beautiful wines they produce!
They will be at Underground Wine Event on November 9, 2019 – don’t miss it! www.undergroundwineevents.com/events
Here are the show notes:
- Jerry tells us how he and his wife Sandy made the move from San Diego Real Estate attorney to Director of Winemaking at the coolest winery in Walla Walla
- He talks about the wonderful friendship and partnership between him and Trey Busch, an Atlantan who became a skilled Walla Walla winemaker after working for several excellent wineries
- We talk about the special role of music at Sleight of Hand and how the winery got its name from a Pearl Jam song
- Jerry explains why the Columbia Valley, and Walla Walla, in particular, are so special for winemaking. We talk soil (loess, which the Walla Walla folks pronounce "luss" and basalt), sun exposure, latitude and why these wines are so different from those from California
- We talk about the variety of Sleight of Hand wines from Riesling, Chardonnay, Syrah, and red blends and what makes each so special
- We discuss why Syrah, in particular, is such a standout in Walla Walla ad why Milton-Freewater Rocks District is so insanely good
- I ask Jerry if he thinks Washington gets the respect it deserves on the world wine scene and why scores work against Washington wines
- We discuss why Sleight of Hand wants to stay small
- We close with how Neil Patrick Harris wound up on the Conjurer label!
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