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The 2016 Malbec has Arrived…

By Wine and Food No Comments

You’ve been toughing it out these past six months in quarantine or perhaps out on the front lines, settling into a routine, and for many of you, homeschooling is just around the corner. Whew. We’re here for you and will try to at least provide some moral support. That’s why we are so happy to announce the release of our very popular and very limited Baer Malbec. The 2016 Baer Malbec is an interesting wine that seasoned enophiles and novices alike enjoy. Let’s talk about Malbec as a varietal, as well as how it came to be one of our most sought-after wines.

A little history of Malbec…

Malbec is a thick-skinned grape that hails from France. It became a blending grape as one of five of Bordeaux’s top wine grapes. However, despite its thick skin, Malbec has a poor resistance to weather and pests. Therefore, Malbec never made it as a top variety in The Republic. Many people think of Argentina when they think of Malbec. That’s because Malbec found a new home in which to thrive back in the early 1800s in Mendoza, Argentina when the mayor ordered a French botanist to plant it. Because of Argentina’s climate and elevation, over 75% of today’s Malbec is planted in Argentina and the remainder spans across six other countries as it continues to grow more and more popular, especially here in Washington state.

The Baer Malbec Story…

The Baer Malbec was first crafted in 2013 when doing duty as a blend component for our flagship wine, Ursa. The fruit was intended to remain just as part of Baer’s blends. However, Nich Hanson, the Cellarmaster at the time, noticed that every time he opened the Malbec barrels for their topping up, he was hit with intense aromas of blackberry pie and cracked peppercorns. He knew the 2013 Malbec was a special wine that should stand on its own. He then proposed that it be bottled separately. The Baer team agreed and the Baer Malbec was born.

2016 Malbec…

Our 2016 Malbec was just released and is an extremely limited-production wine that we’re so proud to share with you all.  James Suckling awarded this wine 92 points and Owen Bargreen gave it 93, so you know it lives up to the hype. Blended with a bit of Syrah, the 2016 Malbec is concentrated and expressive. With aromas and flavors of blackberry, blueberry, mocha, and black licorice, it’s ripe and generous in the mouth with a long and lifted finish. Pair with anything from dark poultry and lean meats to dishes with spicy and earthy flavors. Consulting Winemaker, Erica Orr said, “It’s fun to make small lots like the Malbec in contrast to the larger volume Baer blends. The Malbec character is more upfront, bold, and expressive when compared to the flagship Ursa or a more serious Cabernet Sauvignon like the Arctos.”

If you’re ready to taste the 2016 Malbec for yourself, we’re currently offering a three-pack for just $99 and overnight shipping for the price of regular ground shipping (but only until September 8th). Just add the three-pack to your cart, choose regular ground shipping, and enter code OVERNIGHT at checkout. Enjoy!


3 Tips for Properly Storing Your Wine

By Wine and Food No Comments

Wine is more than just delicious to sip on with dinner or enjoy on the patio with your loved ones – it’s also an investment. You purchase certain wines to drink immediately, some to drink later, and some that you plan to hold on to for years to come. In order to store wine for a longer period, it’s essential to create an environment where your wines can grow old and thrive. Follow these 3 tips for properly storing your wine and you’ll never have to worry about the condition of your favorite bottles!

Stay Cool

It’s hot outside now and if you don’t have air conditioning or a temperature-controlled wine cellar, it can get hot inside too. Heat is wine’s number one enemy and you’ll want to avoid it if you want to age your wines to their peak drinking years. Any temperature above 70 degrees will age a wine much more quickly than is desirable; therefore, you should ideally store your wines between 45 and 65 degrees. We suggest keeping whites and reds at a perfect 55 degrees, whenever possible.

Expanding your collection during the Summer months can take more planning.  Wineries are leery of any extended transit time for wine shipments in warmer weather (or colder weather in Winter). We want to protect your investment and make sure our wines arrive at your doorstep safely, on time, and in good condition. So, we’ve just started offering overnight shipping for the price of regular ground shipping so that you can sip and savor, or cellar, your favorite Baer wines throughout the Summer! That means if you place an order with us any weekday before noon Pacific Time, we’ll have it to you the next day. All you have to do is fill your cart, select ground shipping, and then enter code OVERNIGHT at checkout.

Stay Consistent

If heat is wine’s first enemy, extreme and/or frequent changes in temperature are its second. Large swings in temperature have the ability to not only cook the wine but also expand and contract the liquid inside the bottle potentially causing the cork to be pushed out and leakage to ensue. To avoid this pitfall, pick a space in your home where the temperature is consistent. Humidity matters only in extreme cases. A humidifier in very dry weather conditions and a dehumidifier in very humid conditions should do the trick to keep your wine storage space safe (between 50 and 80 percent). Consistency is key, but don’t be too worried about small temperature changes.

Stay Sideways and Still

Store bottles on their side so that wine is always in contact with the cork. This technique, referred to as ‘laying down’ your wine, should keep the cork from drying out. A dry cork will shrink and can expose the wine to unwanted oxygen or other elements. Laying wine down also allows room for more wine storage (a bonus!), as well as less room for a misstep like accidentally bumping into a shelf and knocking bottles over.

It’s also important to choose a storage space where there are no significant vibrations to disturb the wine. Ideal spots to set up your wine storage area would include a cool basement, closet, or pantry.  It doesn’t need to be fancy.  If you don’t have such a place in your home and are concerned about keeping your wines at an ideal, consistent temperature, a wine fridge is a great investment, and depending on the size of your collection can also be an affordable option.

We hope this is helpful with what matters most when storing your favorite wines. If you’re anything like us, you’ve been pulling more from the cellar over the past few months and may be looking to build-up your quarantine supply. Take advantage of our Summer offer of overnight shipping for the price of ground shipping and get your Baer wines the next day. This way they’re not exposed to extreme, inconsistent temperatures in transit and you can be sipping on delicious Washington wines in no time!


Checking-In with Lisa Baer and Erica Orr

By Baer Winery No Comments

As public places are opening up and the country is beginning to come out of SIP, we’ve all started to venture out of our homes and reflect on what we’ve learned over the past few months. Maybe you’ve sharpened your baking skills or made a dent in your extensive reading list. We hope somewhere along the way you’ve enjoyed some Baer wines and maybe learned more about tasting descriptors and how the wines are made. We hope you’re safe and healthy as we prepare to reenter the world, we checked in with Co-owner, Lisa Baer, and winemaker, Erica Orr, to see how they spent their time in quarantine.

Lisa Baer

“I can’t believe how quickly time seems to go during this “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” period in Washington state. Each day I am fortunate to have both my day job at T-Mobile as well as the work of Baer Winery to keep me occupied. I’ve appreciated connecting virtually with friends, family, and coworkers, as well as having time to myself to reflect.

I’ve heard the phrase “silver linings” a lot over the past few months. There have been many. I’ve had more time to take a breath, finish a few books, and prepare some special meals (or just make a dinner out of cheese, crackers, wine, and chocolate). I enjoyed preparing the “Frog Box” from Woodinville’s Barking Frog and Chef Bobby. It included Halibut, fresh morels, and delicious local wines.

But, it’s also a solemn time. It’s important not to forget families touched by illness or worse, and those who don’t have the luxury of staying home and working to keep the rest of us healthy, safe, happy, and fed. I’m amazed at the creativity of the local communities and businesses to keep moving forward and make a contribution in ways we haven’t thought of before.

In addition to the many Zoom happy hours and wine club events, I’ve attended virtual fundraisers for organizations like PAWS, watched live-streamed local entertainment, and consumed more local food and wine than maybe I should have (all for a good cause). Our production team, my dad Les, and I loved connecting with some Baer Wine Club members virtually recently, and plan to have more fun events like that. Why didn’t we think of it before? We rarely, if ever, get to see our out-of-state members and this was the perfect chance. We look forward to a time when we’ll be able to open the doors of our tasting room again, but not until it’s safe and comfortable. Until then, wishing you and yours good health and peace.”

Erica Orr

“While under the SIP order, I still came out to the winery most days. In April, we assembled the 2018 Baer red blends, which are stunning! The blends will have some time to harmonize in barrel before we bottle them later this summer. The 2018 vintage as a whole has me very excited! The Bordeaux varietals from Stillwater Creek have beautiful ripeness as well as fresh approachability. It will be fun to taste these wines and see how they develop in bottle.

While at home, I walked a lot both for exercise and to socialize with some of my somm friends who have been furloughed from their restaurants in Seattle. The state parks have been reopened and the trails are more green and lush than ever before. The paths are almost overgrown with blooming wild berries and there are a lot of bald eagles flying around Lake Washington. 

I’ve also been cooking a ton trying to make some of my takeout favorites at home. The meals I’ve attempted include Thai salads, curry, and tacos. The serious eats website has some really nice step-by-step guides to Thai style fried shallots and a spicy peanut dipping sauce that I’ve been using to jazz up shaved red cabbage and chicken. I’ve also expanded my definition of a taco to anything folded into a hot corn tortilla. That includes bacon, lettuce, avocado, cheddar cheese, and apples with arugula, leftover Brussels sprouts with Lebanese garlic sauce, refried beans, and tomatillo salsa.

I had to enjoy all of these delicious wild flavors with something to drink, of course. I paired these foods with wines my friends have crafted including new 2019 Rosés, dry Columbia Valley Riesling, Chardonnay, and Chenin Blanc. The winemaking community is very generous. We tend to trade bottles with each other and I think we all are missing our usual tasting group immensely.”

We’d love to hear what you’ve been up to over the past three months and how you’ve incorporated Baer wines into your quarantine routine on social media! We hope our wines and the people who help make them have given you something to look forward to during these interesting and sometimes trying times. We look forward to hosting you in the tasting room in the near future.