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Contact
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Pete's
of Bellevue
134 105th Ave NE, Bellevue
phone: 425-454-1100
email: Sean_Boyd
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Recommendations |
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Wines
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Biography |
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Home > People
> Sean Boyd |
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Sean Boyd
Contributor, WineSquire.com
Sean first started in the wine industry in 1986,
as a wine salesman for a large California chain store called "Liquor
Barn." Sean worked there for five
years, then decided to see the
"production" side of the business and went overseas to
work in wineries such as Penfolds, Rosemount, Ramos-Pinto and
Torres. When he returned, Sean went to work for Beverages
& More and Plump Jack, before moving to the northwest to work
at Pete's Wine Shop
in Bellevue.
Sean inherited his infatuation for wine through his father,
Gerald D. Boyd. Sean's father started as a managing editor for the
popular magazine Wine Spectator, before moving on as a free-lance
writer for many wine publications, as well as the San Francisco
Chronicle Wine Expert. This influence was the
basis for Sean's passion to learn as much about wine as
possible, and to pass along this knowledge to other lovers of wine.
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Personal
Picks |
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High Altitude Malbec-Cabernet Sauvignon (Argentina) 2002 $9
A wonderful value, this bold Argentine red (65% Malbec 35%
Cabernet Sauvignon) is bursting with full, ripe fruit flavors and
a nice spicy finish. A perfect wine with grilled meats! Your head
will be in the clouds after you try this one!
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Woodinville Wine Company Merlot 2000 (Washington) $24
The 2000 Merlot is bright, featuring deep flavors of cherry and
cassis, with an intriguing nose of graphite, spices and a bowl of
red fruit. It has a full, firm mouth feel with a pleasant
lingering finesse. Ready to enjoy in 2004, or cellar it through
2010. –Sean Boyd
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Woodinville Wine Company Sauvignon Blanc 2002 (Washington) $14
Starting out with a slight grapefruit and tropical nose, followed
with fresh tropical fruits on the palate. This wine will be
wonderful as an aperitif, or a great summer BBQ wine.
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Lengs and Cooter “The Victor” Clare Valley 2001 (Australia) $15
In January everyone is going to be looking for a good bargain
without sacrificing flavor. This wine from Australia has a nice
spicy nose with plenty of berry fruit and balanced oak. 70% Shiraz
30% Grenache.
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Two Hands “Lily’s Garden” Mclaren Vale 2001 (Australia) $38
From one of the best Australian winemakers, Rolf Binder (Veritas,
Bartonvale) comes a wine that’s a mind blower. Rich blackberry,
chocolate and oak flavors make a very well balanced wine that will
drink well now, but will easily cellar for the next decade. This
is a must for the Shiraz freaks out there!
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Two Hands “Brave Faces” 2001 (Australia) $24
If you are familiar with the “Two Hands” wines that came out last
year, I think you will love this new wine from winemaker Rolf
Binder (Veritas). This wine has 70% Shiraz and 30% Grenache,
making for a wine with great depth and complexity. I think you
will like what the Grenache gives this wine, such as big juicy
black fruit and spice. I also like that it’s not as weighed down
with oak, as it’s bigger brothers.
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Hangtime Pinot Noir 2000 (California) $15
Wow…It’s tough to find a good Pinot Noir at a nice price! This
wine, made by Byron in Santa Maria, California, is a nice example
of a young Pinot Noir. It shows nice bright fruit and a slight
tart cherry finish. Drink with lighter beef dishes or tenderloin
of pork.
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Rex Hill/King's Ridge 2000 Pinot Noirs
It's difficult to find a good value Pinot Noir these days, but
during a recent trip to the Willamette Valley, I had the
opportunity to try not one, but two great value pinot noirs from
the wonderful people at Rex Hill. Both these selections can be
found for under $25. See below!
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Rex Hill Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2000 (Oregon) $25
The Rex Hill (Willamette Valley) Pinot Noir, has more depth and
plush fruit which would be nice to drink with Cooper River Salmon,
or put in your cellar for a few years, if you can keep your hands
off.
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King’s Ridge Pinot Noir 2000 (Oregon) $17
The King's Ridge Pinot Noir (Rex Hill's second label) offers great
fruit, a touch of smoke, and a nice value for those looking for a
great priced Pinot Noir.
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Conde de Valdamar Reserve Rioja 1996 (Spain) $18
While teaching our “Cheese and Wine” class at the Pete’s in
Bellevue, we had this Rioja with cheeses of the evening. It was a
smash hit! Great flavors of tobacco, smoke and nice spice. It has
a medium body with nice acidity to pair well with many dishes.
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Trentadue Old Patch Red 2000 (California) $15
A fine example of the classic turn-of-the-century Italian-American
field blend, this wine is ripe, jammy, soft, and lush, with hints
of tar and coffee. This proprietary blend can include Petite Sirah,
Zinfandel, and Carignane. This will please people looking for a
wine that's a great "bang for the buck".
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Andrake Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain Vineyard 1999
(Washington) $38
I'm a big fan of Washington wines. Over the last few years there
has been tremendous growth in the number of wineries popping up in
Washington, and a number of them have very talented winemakers
making fine wines. Bob Andrake is one of these people. Bob
handcrafts his wines at his home in Olympia with the kind of
enthusiasm that is lacking in the wine industry at times. This
Cabernet, from the famed Red Mountain vineyard, is dark ruby in
color with a beautiful nose of Black fruit, spices and even a
touch of tobacco. This wine is full-bodied, and loaded with enough
sweet tannin to be tempting now but will be a great treat if you
can hold on to it for 5-8 years. Try this wine with hearty dishes
such as grilled meats, and big game.
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Rancho Zabaco Heritage Vines Zinfandel (California) 1999 $11
Buy It Online!
Previous vintages have been reviewed by WineSquire.com, and Rancho
Zabaco has done it again! This may be the best vintage yet from
them. Flavors of big blackberry, hints of pepper, and a velvety
mouth feel make this an outstanding value that would be great
drinking through the summer for BBQ's or picnics. -Sean
Boyd
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Vila Santa by Joao Ramos 1999 (Portugal) $18
This wine from the Alentejo region of Portugal contains a great blend
of Tempranillo, Trincadiera, and a small amount of Alicante
Bouschet, and Cabernet Sauvignon. This wonderful wine combines
nice spice with smooth fruit flavors. The 100% Portuguese oak
gives the wine a unique quality. Drink with pork medallions and
glazes carrots.
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Andrew Will Sorella 1998 (Washington State) $60
The wines of Andrew Will have been some of my favorite wines I've
tasted from this state since I moved here three years ago. It was
a tough choice for me to pick just one wine to write about,
because I like all of them. I believe this is one of the best
Sorella's I've tasted, and a wine that shows a lot of power now in
it's youth, but will reward the patient collector. This wine has a
big foundation, with flavors of plum, black currents, chocolate,
and a hint of tobacco. Drink this wine in its prime with some
hearty foods, and you'll be rewarded with a great wine from
Washington State.
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Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva 1997 (Italy) $15
1997 is a banner year for the Tuscany region, and with some of the
"hyped" wines where reading about that fetch $100 or
more, we're in need of a wine that's a great buy. I like this wine
for it's soft texture, and good ripe fruit. This is a great
"everyday" wine that with goes great with pasta or even
pizza.
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Terra Rosa "Deaver Vineyard" Zinfandel 1998
(California) $20
This is a massive Zinfandel, that will please even the strongest
Zinfandel critic. When I had the 1997 version, I thought it was
the best Zin on the market for around $20. This 1998 offering is
another great effort, and will please for years to come. Big
fruit, nice pepper spice, and some blackberry jam notes make this
a hearty wine. Pair this with steak or heavy hors d'oeuvres.
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Falesco Merlot Umbria 1999 (Italy) $16
This Merlot from one of my favorite Italian producers, is one of
the best value Merlots I've seen on the market. Full-bodied,
intense fruit, and low acidity make this wine great for easy
drinking now. Only 2,500 cases where made, so act fast. Try with
grilled dishes including Tuna, or beef stew. This wine will cellar
well for 3-5 years effortlessly.
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Chateau Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon 1997 (California) $20
This Cabernet from the Alexander Valley is not only one of the
stars of the '97 vintage, it is also priced well below the
"average" cost of Cabernet's today. Black current,
toasty oak, spice, and amazing fruit, make this wine a must. This
wine is a great one to buy by the case!
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Arrowood Viognier Saralee's Vineyard 1998 (California) $27
For fans of white wines this one should not be missed! Richard
Arrowood has always been a fan of the Viognier grape, and this
offering from the famed "Saralee Vineyard" is a great
example of this variety. A brilliant medium-bodied wine, with a
full bouquet of mineral, honeysuckle, and peach flavors make this
wine worth the price. Come on Chardonnay drinkers!
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Steele Bien Nacido Pinot Blanc 1998 (California) $18
This is my favorite white wine from Jed Steele. A crisp
medium-bodied wine, with tropical fruit, and good acidity, give this
wine a great balance for those people trying to break the Chardonnay
habit. Try with fish, cheese, or even quiche Lorraine. Also pasta
with pesto.
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Yalumba Antique Tawny Non-Vintage NV (Australia) $16
The Holidays are here, and what better for a cold winter night than
a glass of Tawny Port. This Tawny is rich and aromatic with flavors
of honey, caramel and roasted nuts. This port has a great price and
will leave you feeling warm throughout your body. Try with a crumb
cake topped with roasted almonds.
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