Whining Around

Next weekend is St. Nicks!

2009-11-29T09:02:00.001-08:00

Next weekend, Dec. 5th & 6th is the annual Woodinville St. Nicks Wine celebration when many of the wineries will be open - and you can visit as many as you want if you have a ticket. It's a huge bargain, and a great opportunity to discover what Woodinville wineries have to offer. A few years about, my wife & I went -- which is what set us out to discover & explore wine.

There might even be tickets still available - http://www.woodinvillewinecountry.com/Details.cfm?ProdID=39&category=0

If not, plan on going to the "big" event - Passport to Woodinville in April.

As for me, well, look for me at Covington Cellars on Saturday.

Ch. Ste. Michelle Fall Red release

2009-08-22T15:36:00.000-07:00

Quick post...

2006 Malbec (2% merlot)

Violet.
Light pleasant on the nose but the merlot spoils the palate for me giving an acidy finish that time might help.

Arist series Meritage:

Cab forward 58% nice nose. Ruby colored. Very nice soft mouthfeel. The merlot 37% is very present on the finish.

Having some Boreal (Syrah with viognier) to clear my palate.

Sent from my Windows Mobile® phone.

August 2009 Brian Carter Cellars release

2009-08-06T19:28:00.001-07:00

Today (8/6) Brian Carter Cellars is releasing their 2005 Solesce and 2006 Abracadabra.

I did a side-by-side tasting of the 2004 and 2005 Solesce, and I was somewhat surprised by what I found. The two are very different –last year’s release (2004) has a lovely garnet color—the 2005, although the tasting notes call it garnet is really more of a brilliant ruby to my eye.

If I was to paint with a broad brush, I’d say that the ‘05 was softer & mellower … more silky/satiny than the ‘04 in most respects. Both have blackberry & cedar on the nose – the ‘05 just a touch softer feeling. On the palate, the ‘04 has chalky tannins that sit on the sides of my tongue – and that sort of acidy fruit-ness that I’ve come to associate with merlots & merlot-heavy blends (the ‘04 is 29% Merlot from Solstice Vineyards that sits at the middle of my tongue & the back of my mouth.

Here’s the surprise – the ‘05, although it has a bit more merlot (34%), again from Solstice Vineyards in Yakima Valley, doesn’t bring that acidy-ness that makes me not like merlot. It’s smooth … silky .. almost velvety mouth feel softens the merlot component and makes it a very enjoyable wine for me. The tannins are still a bit chalky – but the superb mouth feel makes them blend in … I’m happy.

I wonder how Brian Carter achieved it – looking at the analysis, I see the ‘05 actually is a bit more to the acid than the ‘04 (pH of 3.65 vs. 3.72) and has nearly a percent more alcohol - (14.7% vs. 13.8%). I need to learn more about how these numbers affect the palate. :0

The 2006 Abracadabra has been out for a bit – and I like it – especially the bacon notes in the nose. :) Maybe I’ll pair it with bacon-wrapped scallops or something. Or maybe bacon wrapped bacon. Hm.

Camping trips...

2009-07-07T15:13:00.001-07:00

What's the "must have" wine for camping trips? Let me know what you think!

On our most recent trip up to Masonic Park in Granite Falls over Independence weekend, we focused on the fact that it was going to be hot -- and took summer wines. The first was a bottle from our stash of the "old" Kennedy Shah Picnic Blend, which is Chardonnay based - and to me, has always represented "Summer in a Bottle". We've only got a few bottles of this left -- I got the last of them while working at Woodhouse this past April for the Woodinville Passport event, and I'm glad that I did. Not that the new interpretation of the Picnic Blend isn't good (it's more like "Late Spring in a Bottle") -- it's just that the old one is phenominal.

The second wine we took with us is the 2008 Covington Cellars Josie Rose, which I'm pleased to note is indeed as good as the previous vintage. Unfortunately, they only made 45 cases (and we bought one), so there's probably not any of it left - but if there is, I encouage you to get some.

We did take two reds with us as well for the evenings, but due to the heat, only opened one -- the Ch. Ste. Michelle Boreal that I mentioned a post or two ago. I've been craving Syrahs, but not wanting to open any of the "good" Syrahs we have without having company to share it with, and this was a good way to satisfy my craving.

2009-06-16T16:02:00.001-07:00

Ch. Ste. Michelle Classic Summer release. 2008 "Waussie" Reisling ... Dry citrus-y reisling ... A nice surprise. Clear & colorless...like water but very flavorful.

2006 Boreal red.. Syrah co fermented with a bit of viognier. Nice. Typical for that.

I bought a California Wine today…

2009-06-06T19:51:00.001-07:00

I know. Lots of people buy lots of California wines. As a Washington Wine Ambassador, though, I generally prefer to support our local wineries & Washington wine producers and tend to avoid wines from a couple of states due south.

But when a Washington Winery buys some California juice, and makes it into wine in Washington, maybe that’s different?

Anyway… the winery in question is Northwest Cellars, which opened their tasting room in Kirkland (11909 124th Ave NE) today, right across the parking lot from Dance Time, the studio where my daughter takes dance, which is how I found them.

Their grand opening celebration continues tomorrow starting at noon. I recommending checking them out. They were offering four wines today:

2008 Adagio (Columbia Valley) – 61% Sauvignon Blanc, 39% Chardonnay) A lovely crisp white blend with tropical fruit notes on the nose. Looking forward to drinking the two bottles I picked up on a hot day this summer.

2007 Chardonnay (Yakima Valley) – this barrel-fermented Chard had prominent kiwi & pineapple notes – something that would have to sit in my glass & mellow out for awhile in order for me to enjoy it – but that’s just me.

2005 Merlot (Yakima Valley) – at 75% Merlot, 13% Syrah & 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, this Gold medal winner (Seattle Wine Awards), was quite pleasing – smoky nose, with nice peppery notes on the palate. I was surprised – this one had none of the acid feeling that merlots typically have (and which are why I largely don’t like merlots).

2005 Intrigue (Columbia Valley) – a “Washington Bordeaux” blend of 50% Merlot, 28% Syrah, 16% Cabernet, 4% Cab Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. Nice, but not memorable, although it is also a multiple award-winner. Maybe I’ve had too many merlot-forward blends.

In addition to these four, I tasted their other two current vintages:

2006 Pinot Noir (Williamette Valley, Oregon) – I wish I had known about this one when I started, since it’s too light bodied to follow the others. It seemed like a typical Oregon Pinot – exactly what you’d expect a Washington winery to shoot for when using Oregon juice :).

The last one was the aforementioned California wine: 2005 Petite Sirah, (Enver Salman Vineyard, Northern California). The best way to describe this was “chewy”. I just loved it.

I chatted with founder (his business card says “Wine Geek”!) Bob Delf about their wines and about the other side of their business – private label wines for restaurants, corporations, individuals and non-profits. The private-label idea is one that I’m going to look into further, as I’m on the Board of a charity (RiteCare of Washington) and this might be a great fundraising idea.

If you’re in the Kirkland area on a weekend, I recommend checking Northwest Cellars new tasting room out!

Seattle

2009-05-25T15:58:00.000-07:00

Seattle

Food & Wine magazine's 2009 Seattle City Guide.

Why is it that I keep reading about Cafe Juanita and never go there, even though we drive past it all the time?

Toscano is a great caterer….

2009-04-23T12:24:00.001-07:00

Last weekend was the annual Passport to Woodinville event – where people get to buy a “Passport” that lets them visit participating wineries (many of whom are only open that weekend) for a special tasting. This event, which is sponsored by Woodinville Wine Country, is a great opportunity to get out & experience the many varied wineries in Woodinville for a single tasting fee.

There’s a winter version too, in December called “St. Nick’s”. I encourage you all to check these events out.

During these large events, the local wineries often have volunteers working – pouring wine, handling order fulfillment etc. As a member of the Washington Wine Ambassadors, I helped out at Woodhouse Family Cellars during the Passport Event.

So what does this have to do with Toscano? Well, as part of their Passport offering, Woodhouse Family Cellars had great food catered by Toscano – pizzas, spring rolls, an interesting Spanish Beef tapas dish, among others. Wow. The food was great – so much so that I heard from some of the visitors that people were talking about at one of the other wineries, which is really cool.

So. Toscano is a great caterer, and I would recommend them for that.

On the other hand, based on the experience over the weekend, my family went to Toscano (on 108th in Bellvue, by the way), for dinner last night to celebrate my daughter’s 9th birthday. After an amuse bouche of smoked salmon mousse & asparagus, I had the pan-seared scallops (topped with caviar) that were really good, and a glass of L’Ecole No. 41 Cabernet. After dinner, they brought my daughter a trio of creme brulee (vanilla/orange/chocolate) with a candle in it, which was really nice.

But that’s about it for goodness. Oh, my wife said the tilapia she had itself was good – but the baby shrimp & stuff that was on top had too many flavors in it. My dad’s bolognese was “OK”, and my daughter’s pasta with butter & cheese was bland (and didn’t have cheese) – although she liked my scallops too.

Overall, we were very disappointed with the dine-in experience, and we’ll be taking my daughter out this weekend for a birthday re-do.

So, Toscano is a great caterer – but don’t bother going to the restaurant itself.

Purple Cafe tonight March 24 09

2009-03-24T19:19:00.001-07:00

Wines... L‛Ecole Recess Red 2007. Fruit forward . Lightly peppery finish. Yum.

Food .. Well they changed their Tomato Soup recipe... Instead of creamy tomato goodness‚ we have something thats reminds me of Ragu tomato sauce ... Except Ragu doesnt have bitter seeds. What a disappointment.

Wine Friday - Sept 5th '08

2008-09-06T12:05:00.001-07:00

One of the very cool things about working where I do is that there are lots of people with interests similar to ours around. Wine is one of those common interests, and for some time now, on an unfortunately irregular schedule (note to self: need to do something about that) we get together in someone's office and open a bottle or three.

I mentioned in my last post my fascination with wines made with the fruit of the DuBrul vineyard to which I was was introduced by a colleague whose family owns the vineyard. Well, last night, said colleague brought a couple of estate bottled wines for the group to enjoy.

The first was the the 2006 Côte Bonneville Chardonnay, which really tasted like what the tasting note says -- it was bright, with notes of pineapple and just a touch of oak with a finish -- oh, the finish! -- that lingered like a lover's goodnight kiss on the doorstep...

The second was one I've had a number of times before - the one that's got me on my DuBrul kick, the Côte Bonneville Carriage House. Very dark, very deep and another lovely long finish. I want more of this.

In contrast, we finished with something we're not likely to ever have again, largely because we're not ever likely to see it again. This was a bottle with a tattered label; a bottle with some personal history for some of our friends. As we opened it, we didn't know if it was going to be a great experience, or whether it was going to be like the moment on "Frasier" when they opened a bottle they'd been saving for years only to find it was better used for paint remover.

Well, fortunately, the 1982 Chateau Plagnac Medoc didn't disappoint. An aged brown color - and a bottle full of sediment - the wine was quite pleasant for something 25+ years old that appeared in the "Caveat Emptor" section of wine auctions nearly 10 years ago.

As time went on, the wine opened up nicely in the glass - I think this one had a chance at greatness if we had been able to give it some more time in a decanter. I think it would be interesting to try some more recent vintages of this one and see.

Tonight's wine - Lone Canary Bird House Red

2008-08-26T20:34:00.001-07:00

One of my colleagues at work is fortunate (?!) enough to have been born into a family that now owns one of the premier vineyards in the state -- along with a top notch winery. Thanks to him, we've become acquainted with them -- and know that whenever we see a wine made from their grapes, there's a good chance it's going to be good. After all, in order to make great wine, you've got to start with great grapes.

The vineyard in question is DeBrul vineyard -- and although tonight's wine wasn't completely sourced from there, since it's a weekday, after all, my quest for a DeBrul wine led me to tonight's bottle.

I was looking for the 2004 DeBrul Vineyard Reserve from Lone Canary Winery (http://www.lonecanary.com/techsheets/04DuBrul.pdf), which a mutual friend had discovered. It's an award winning blend of Merlot & Cabernet Sauvingon made & bottled by Lone Canary, which is clear on the other side of the state in Spokane. My quest led me to Malt & Vine (www.maltandvine.com <http://www.maltandvine.com/> ) here in Redmond, which has a wide selection of Lone Canary wines, including a couple of bottles of the DeBrul, which I bought.

I also found, in their "under $20" rack, a bottle of the Lone Canary "Bird House Red", an American style blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese. These days, I like pretty much anything with Syrah & Sangiovese in it (and this one is 16% sourced from DeBrul...), and so I decided to pick this up to have with dinner. I wasn't disappointed -- a nice nose with hints of berry and chocolate, with a spicy/smoky finish that I've come to love. It went along really well with the Braised Pork Belly I had waiting in the fridge (I finished the belly with a nice sear before serving, so maybe it was a Seared Braised Pork Belly?).

Anyway, I went looking for one DeBrul sourced weekend wine -- and found an outstanding table wine too.

Bottle Shock!

2008-08-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

We went to see Bottle Shock on Friday at the Big Picture in Redmond.

Bottle Shock is a dramatization of the events surrounding what is probably the one of the most significant events that ever happened for wines made outside of France, since it marks the point at which the world starting taking American, and eventually many other countries' wines, seriously.

The event, for those who aren't aware, was a blind side by side tasting of French and Californian wines staged by a British wine shop (and school) owner (played by Alan Rickman) in France. In an effort to expand his business outside of just French wines, he traveled Napa Valley, selecting and bringing back a selection of Californian wines to put up against the best that France had to offer.

To make a long story short, the French wine snob...err... experts chose the wines that they were certain were the French ones (since no non-French wine could, of course, be worthy of drinking). When all was said and done, though, the top wines in both the white and red categories were from California.

The world of wine has never been the same since. The movie, which got 3 1/2 stars from Roger Ebert, does a great job of connecting with the viewer -- go see it!

When we were there, the Big Picture was serving glasses of the current vintage of the winning wines, but we thought the $25/glass for the Stags Leap Artemis Cabernet was a bit too pricey - especially since it goes for about $55/bottle in wine shops.

One gripe -- it would've been nice if they had mentioned Washington at the end of the movie when they plugged New Zealand and other places. I mean, after all, Washington is #2 in premium wine production...