Thoughts from Taste Washington 2013

I consider myself a Taste Washington veteran. I believe this is my ninth year of attending this event. I can truly say it gets better ever year. The two day format that was instituted last year was again very successful. With over 200 wineries and 65 restaurants, a game plan is a must.  My game plan is to not only visit my favorites, but also hit a few new ones as well.

Avennia - This one was at the top of my list to try.  I had read so much great press about this winery and it's wines...I was not disappointed.  Everything they were tasting was great, but I especially loved the Gravura red blend.

8 Bells Winery - This urban winery has a 2010 Red Willow Syrah that was one of my top three tastes of the day. Classic Red Willow, all from a 2006 planting.  They also produce a clonal Red Willow Syrah with 8 different clones that I am anxious to try.

Lauren Ashton Cellars - I enjoyed talking to the winemaker, Kit Singh, who was very engaging and informative about his history and his wines. The Cuvee Meline, a Sauv Blanc/Semillion blend, was absolutely lovely. I paired amazingly well with the spicy pepper spread next door.

Pomum Cellars - I have tried and loved Javier Alfonso's Idilico label, so I was excited to try his Pomum wines. Alfonso poured me the Tinto, a Tempranio/Garnacha/Graciano blend. He definitely has a knack with these varietals.  The acid is tempered, but not too much so the luscious flavors of dark berry and tobacco can shine through. Very nice.

A few other random notes - I like the chef stage at the one end of the room, I think it makes for less congestion.  I love the variety of foods, from high end restaurants to food trucks.  However; restaurants, please I beg you do not make food that requires utensils.  I usually will pass it up.  One bite, on a toast or a something neat and clean.  Thank you!  I noticed no cars this year, which is a good thing, but a large amount of space was dedicated to a beer sponsor.  Um, don't they have their own convention/festival/tasting events?

As usual, I enjoyed myself immensely.  I loved connecting with favorite winemakers and discovering new ones.  Special thanks to the Washington State Wine Commission and Visit Seattle for putting on another outstanding event.

Take The Bull By The Horns with Idilico

Idilico is the name of a 1200 lb bull in Spain that was granted a pardon by it's matador for fighting so valiantly.  It is also the name of the only Washington winery focusing on Spanish varietals exclusively.  Spanish winemaker, Javier Alfonso has created a line up of wines that are an excellent value for the money.

Idilico 2010 Garnacha - Grapes sourced from Upland (Snipes Mountain) and Elerding (Yakima Valley) vineyards, 240 cases made.  I have to say, a lot of value priced Garnacha (Grenache/French) tends to be on the sharp & acidic side. Almost pucker worthy.  This was not the case with this wine.  I opened this on a weekday. If I didn't have to work the next day, the bottle would not have survived the evening.  But alas, I was a good girl and saved the rest for the next night.  What struck me was how well balanced this wine was.  Great tart cherry up front, but it didn't drop off.  It slightly mellowed but was still there through the finish as well as some earthy mineral tones.  This wine in no way needed food, but I did try it with some BBQ meatballs.  It really sings with BBQ sauce.  The next evening, the robustness has suffered only slightly.  It was still very pleasant to drink.

I picked up this wine from Full Pull Wines and to be honest I haven't seen this wine at any retail location.  I highly recommend getting on Full Pull's mailing list, they have introduced me to some fabulous wines, including Idilico.

Annual Wine Dinner 2012 - A Celebration of Pacific Northwest Food & Wine

We decided to move our wine party a bit earlier in the year.  Normally we have it towards the end of November, this year we had it the beginning of October.  This allowed us to take advantage of the late summer harvest fruits and vegetables.  As much as possible, we try to support local farms and businesses.  This year was no exception, as you read on look for links to the sources of some of the wonderful additions & ingredients we were able to use.

As always we greeting our guest with bubbles. This year though, we mixed it up a bit.  We did a sparkling wine cocktail.  A sugar cube was placed in the bottom of the glass, a few drops homemade cranberry bitters were dripped on the sugar, topped off with Treveri Cellars Blanc de Blanc Brut.

First Course

Tomato Confit, Buffalo Mozzarella, Basil Oil

Watermelon, Basil, Gothberg Farms Feta, Honey Drizzle

This was our versions of a caprese salad. We slow roasted tomatoes with basil in oil, then chopped them up with some shallot and balsamic vinegar. After an exhaustive search for true water buffalo burrata, we settled for water buffalo mozzarella.  It offered a richness missing in cow's milk mozzarella, very nice. Secondly, we took squares of watermelon, layered with Gothberg Farms feta and basil. Gothberg Farms is a goat farm in Bow, WA.  Traditionally feta cheese is made from sheep's milk, Gothberg's goat feta is a bit richer and firmer so it was able to be sliced quite easily which aided it plating.  The dressing was a mixture of Bruce Bowen's Bees honey, champagne vinegar and olive oil.

The wine pairing for this course was Tranche Cellars Pink Pape and Saint Roch Les Vignes Provence Rose'.  This was are one and only blind tasting.  It was kind of a gimme.  The crowd had no problem picking out the Walla Walla Rose' vs the French Rose'. The Tranche was much darker in color and richer in flavor, it paired much better with both dishes.  I do have a soft spot in my heart for French Rose' from the Provence region.  I drink it pretty exclusively when we are on vacation in St. Martin.  However, in this setting the Tranche was the clear favorite.

Second Course

Duck Three Ways

Bluebird Grain Farms Farro Salad with Duck Confit, Honey Crisp Apples, Currants, Marscapone

Homemade Duck Pastrami, Balsamic Onions, Gothberg Farms Mustard Seed Gouda

Duck Fat Fingerling Potatoes

This was a shared plate per couple.  We were really pleased with how the farro salad turned out.  The farro had a nice chewiness to it, the duck skin cracklins were a nice touch on top.  The duck "reuben" was fantastic.  The dark caramelized onions and the creamy gouda (called Buck's Brew, a seasonal cheese brined in Boundary Bay Brewery Scotch Ale) complemented the pastrami so well.  The duck fat potatoes, well, they really don't need any explanation.  Simply awesome.

The wine pairing for this course was Northstar Winery 2006 Walla Walla Merlot and Woodward Canyon 2008 Charbonneau (77%Merlot/13%Petit Verdot/10%Cab Sauv).  This was a very interesting match up.  Two very different wines from very different areas of the Walla Walla AVA.  The Charbonneau was very elegant and layered.  The Northstar Merlot was big and bold, with dark fruits.  Both paired beautifully with the duck.

Third Course

Baked Egg in Truffle Cream

Poached Egg atop Root Vegetable Hash with Meurette Sauce

Yep, just like Anthony Bourdain, we too are self proclaimed "egg sluts".  Eggs in cream infused with truffles, what's not to love?  Roasted rutabagas, parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes, onions and bacon made up the hash.  Meurette sauce is this lovely, rich, wine sauce, poured over a perfectly poached egg.  Heavenly!

I was the most worried about this wine pairing.  After consulting my wine pairing bible, What to Drink with What You Eat: The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea - Even Water - Based on Expert Advice from America's Best Sommeliers I decided on a Rhone blend.  2010 Rotie Cellars Southern Blend (75% Grenache/15% Syrah/10% Mourvedre) and 2009 Gramercy Cellars The Third Man (50% Grenache/30% Syrah/20% Mourvedre).  This was probably my favorite pairing of the night.  The earthiness of both wines matched both with the truffles and the root vegetables.  Also, the acid brightness cut through the fat from the eggs beautifully.

Fourth Course

Celery Root Cream with Wild Mushroom Marmalade

Cold Beet Soup with Gothberg Farms Chevre

When we originally tested the cream soup it was with sunchokes and that was the plan, to use sunchokes.  Alas, when the time came to go grocery shopping, no sunchokes.  So celery root was the back up vegetable and let me tell you, it stepped up to the plate quite nicely.  The lovely thing about using root veg for a soup, is it almost always requires no thickener.  There is enough natural starch in the vegetable that none is needed. Added to it was this wonderful wild mushroom marmalade that added nice texture and flavor.  The beet soup was a curveball.  This thick, rich soup has rice, lentils and ground pistachios it in that provided a nutty, earthy texture.

I brought out the big guns for this pairing, two huge syrahs.  2006 Reininger Winery Ash Hollow Syrah and 2007 Waters Winery Forgotten Hills Syrah.  Great pairings across the board.  It was amazing to taste these two syrahs from completely opposite ends of the Walla Walla AVA.  Both having that wonderful earthy quality that is signature Walla Walla.

Main Course

Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Leek Cream

Elk Ragu with Trofie Pasta

Corn with Green Beans

Fig, Bacon, & Blue Cheese Empanadas

We chose classic dishes for our main course.  Roasted tenderloin is always a wonderful wine dish. Elk Ragu, with in-house hunted elk, was rich and slightly gamey.  The corn and green bean side dish was served warm. It had a wonderful lime and ginger dressing that provided a nice palate cleanse.  We kept the fall theme going with our fig, bacon, blue cheese empanadas.

For the wine pairings for this course, I just had to go Cabernet Sauvignon.  2007 Leonetti Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon and 2009 Tero Estates Windrow Field Blend.  Of course, the Leonetti was incredible; rich and perfectly decadent.  However, the Tero was up to the challenge.  A true field blend from one of Walla Walla's oldest vineyards, the Tero offered up a full and layered, beautiful cabernet sauvignon.

Dessert Course

Dark Chocolate Affogato

Rum Fig Salted Caramel Ice Cream with Rum Caramel Drizzle

What more can I say?  Yum, all around for these two dishes.  Affogato is an Italian dish that consists of a scoop of ice cream or gelato with hot espresso poured over it. The salted caramel ice cream is a bit of a play on rum raisin ice cream, only with rum soaked figs.  No wine pairing for this...none needed.

It was another successful wine dinner.  Yes, it is an extensive menu, but we served the first course at 6:00pm and served dessert at 11:00pm.  So everything was spaced out well and worked out fine for our guests.  I must mention Slough Food, our resource for the Gothberg Farms Cheese, as I was unable to make it out their farm store to buy directly from them.  Now to starting planning for next year!

Watermelon Feta Caprese

Duck Three Ways

Baked Egg in Truffle Cream

Corn & Green Beans

Poached Egg atop Root Vegetable Hash

Cold Beet Soup

 

Wine Blogger's Conference - Portland, OR

I just attended my 2nd Wine Blogger's Conference, this year in Portland, OR.  It was a wonderful, whirlwind experience.  Here are some of the highlights:

Beautiful vineyards at Stoller Family Estate

Stoller Family Estate - I headed down to Oregon the day before the conference in order to attend an event I was invited to at Stoller Family Estate Winery in Dayton. Stoller has 185 acres of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Tempranillo, and Syrah planted in their vineyards. Sebastien, our tour guide for the day, started us out with some crisp, refreshing Pinot Noir Rose.  This was much appreciated, since it was now about 95 degrees outside. Next we trekked out towards the vineyard to a lovely spot shaded by large Douglas Fir trees and enjoyed a box lunch and some Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  Then it was back to the winery to tour the fermentation room and the nice, cool barrel room. Thanks so much to Stoller Family Estate for a wonderful and educational experience.  It was the perfect way to kick off my WBC weekend!

On Thursday evening, the Oregon Wine Board rolled out the red carpet with a welcome reception.  It was a really great introduction to Oregon wines.  I was pleased to discover that along with fabulous Pinot Noir, Oregon wineries are producing some world class Chardonnay, Riesling and Rhone varietals.

Syrah & Grenache from Cowhorn Winery

For our winery excursion on Friday, I was fortunate enough to land on the bus going to Rex Hill Vineyards. Joining us there as well, was Ponzi Vineyards, Le Cadeau Vineyard, & Raptor Ridge Winery. Upon arrival, we were greeted with a nicely chilled glass of Pinot Noir Rose (I like this developing trend!).  Despite the heat, we headed out on a vineyard tour that was split into 3 different stations and conducted by the winemakers of each of the wineries. After the tour we gladly gathered down in the barrel room for a comparative tasting of Pinot Noir by each of the producers.  This was very informative and I was amazed by the difference between the different clones.

After the tasting we went back outside where an lovely dinner area was set up and the temperature had cooler off, so it was the perfect setting. Wildwood Restaurant from Portland provided us with a delicious dinner, my favorite was the sweet corn soup.  It was so fresh and yummy!

Probably the highlight of the evening was when Public Relations Manager, Mike Willison, broke out the 9 liter of 1992 Rex Hill Pinot Noir. What a treat! It was drinking beautifully and I am so honored that they shared it with us.

The grand finale of the conference was dinner Saturday. King Estate Winery went above and beyond by providing us with a stellar multi-course dinner paired with their line up of wines. The dinner started off with a well produced, very informative presentation about the people, the estate, and the philosophy of King Estate Winery.  They have a really nice blog post on their website with the video and lots of pics of dinner - WBC Blog Post

I am truly grateful and humbled by the hospitality of all of the sponsors, wineries, hotel staff who made WBC possible.  Thank you so much!  I am already planning to make it to WBC 2013 in Penticton B.C.!

Walla Walla - July 2012

I just returned from our annual pilgrimage to Walla Walla.  Once again, this wine region does not disappoint. We were able to visit some new wineries, as well as some continual favorites.  New finds for us included:

Rotie Cellars - Wow.  I mean, I had read all kinds of great things about this winery, and now I know....they are all true.  Sean Boyd is the Rhone Master of Washington State as far as I'm concerned.  The Northern Blend (95% Syrah/5% Viognier) is deep, dark and brooding. It's so rich and there is so much going on, but with an amazing balance of acid and tannin.  The Southern Blend (75% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre) is brighter, layered with licorice and spice. I was amazed at how smooth these wines were drinking, both the 2010 vintage.

Tertulia Cellars - We visited Tertulia on the hottest day of our our trip. With temps near 100 degrees, we were grateful for Tertulia's beautiful air conditioned tasting room.  We were fortunate to be there when Ryan, the winemaker, was there and he chatted us up about vineyards, weather and the vineyard process.  It was very informative and you can tell how much he cares about his craft.  Ryan makes regular appearances on Tertulia's Facebook page, posting videos with reviews on their wine, as well as videos from the vineyards as well.  The 2011 Rose' (73% Mourvedre, 24% Counoise, 3% Grenache) has wonderful floral notes and a refreshing crisp finish.  I was really impressed with the 2007 Les Collines Syrah. Classic Walla Walla Syrah, meaty, smoky, bacon, it is downright chewy. I love it.

Lunch at The Reserve House

One of the highlights our our trip was having lunch at  the Reserve House at Woodward Canyon.  They are doing lunch Fri-Sun starting at 11:30.  They have a seasonal menu, utilizing a lot of foods grown on site.  You can enjoy wines by the bottle or the glass.

We loved being back in Walla Walla.  July was a little hot, weather wise, but an awesome time to taste a lot wines before they are sold out.  We enjoying visiting some of our favorite stops including: Tero Estates, Waters Winery, Walla Walla Vintners, and Reininger Winery.

If you haven't been I highly recommend at trip to Walla Walla.  It is a great place to see where the grapes are grown, learn about how great wine is made.

Lavender in full bloom at Walla Walla Vintners