Another Year……..

The vines are now asleep; the wine is aging in the barrels and we gather with family and friends to celebrate the holiday season and the end of 2018.

It has been another fantastic year for discovering new wines and revisiting old favorites.  Our busy lives kept us mostly in Oregon and Washington this year but its amazing what you can find in your own neighborhood.

Palouse Winery - Vashon Island, Washington was a great find.  On our way to a friend’s wedding, we stopped for a quick sample and discovered a complete line of beautiful crafted wines.  We took the opportunity to come back on another day and experience the full line up.  If you have an opportunity to visit Vashon Island you must stop and visit Palouse.

Denise discovered Olalla Winery in Olalla, Washington.  This is a family operated winery that has become a local gem.  Evenings of music out on the lawn, while sipping great wine and nibbling on your favorite appetizer.  Throughout the spring and summer, we revisited this winery over and over.  We love the lush whites and fruity reds.  Lots of love and care has gone into continuing this family winery and the quality wines.

What would a year be without our annual trip to Walla Walla, Washington.  Once again, we met up with old friends and enjoyed great wines from some of our favorite vintners.  We enjoyed a pre-harvest dinner a Dumas Station Winery in Dayton, Washington.  Jay is hard at work creating some of the best wines in the Walla Walla Valley.

We also had to say good bye to Joe Grant of Grantwood Winery, Walla Walla, Washington.  Joe has decided to seek new adventures but will still be open until all the wine is gone.  Joe makes one of the best Petit Verdot wines you will ever find.  I will miss his craftsman ship with this varietal and all the other wines he has produced. 

Those of us who enjoy wine know, vines that are challenged and given the proper care produce some of the best fruit.  2018 was a challenging year but we grew from it and now reap the rewards of love from our family and friends. 

Denise and I wish you all the very best for the holiday season and hope 2019 brings you joy, love and peace.  We look forward to sharing more wine adventures in 2019.

Merry Christmas!  Cheers…..LaDonna

Cinco de Mayo, break out from the standard Sangria, Margarita or Corona….try Tempranillo.

Tempranillo/Rioja is one of the oldest variety of grapes.  Why isn’t is more poplar?  I wanted to taste for myself and I came to find out it’s fantastic!

Tempranillo pairs so well with spicy food, we served it for our tasting event with baked goat cheese topped with roasted tomato pesto, smoked chicken and roasted corn empanadas with spicy adobo dipping sauce and spicy guacamole, grilled shrimp topped cucumbers.   Tempranillo brought out the spicy notes of the food and the food brought out the spicy, berry and earthy notes of the Tempranillo.  Next time you think of getting a margarita, go for the Tempranillo instead, you will be pleasantly surprised!

At our tasting we tried two Rioja from Spain which were 100% Tempranillo grape and Tempranillo from Oregon, sometime Rioja can be mixed with other variety’s however usually predominantly Tempranillo. Oregon and Washington state have some wonderful Tempranillo being produced, please be sure to give a try for yourself.

Cheers, Denise

Finca Nueva, Rioja Crianza 2010

Casado Morales, Rioja, 2011

Domain Trouvere, Umpqua Valley Oregon, Tempranillo 2013

If you are driving along Highway 101 past Port Angeles Washington and you see this sign…. STOP! 

You will find the most unexpected fantastic wine lineup and experience.  Not just because Harbinger Winery is such a random out of the way place, but from their wide variety of wines offered which all have great fruit and depth of flavor.

Starting from their White Table Wine, to their poplar Dynamo Red Blend, a wonderful Malbec, my favorite Sangiovese with rich rustic flavors, to the ever so surprising Blackberry Bliss.

Check out their website for their wines and great pairing ideas.

Cheers!

Denise

Discovering Hidden Washington Wine Country

A beautiful pastoral scene you want to capture and keep with you…. you can with a bottle of Olalla Vineyards Wine.  Country setting, small batch wines that have creative and well-developed flavors, what more can you ask for on a summer day.  Check out this hidden gem in Pacific Northwest community of Olalla for some old world flavor and style.

Cheers,
Denise

2016 – Another Year Over……2017 - A New Year Has Begun

Happy New Year!  2017 brings a promise of new and exciting things for all of us.  Will 2017 be a good year for the vines?  What excitement, what anticipation……but before we move ahead, I want to take a moment and look back at all the wonderful wine experiences Denise and I shared in 2016.

We kicked off 2016 at McCall Hall on February 8^th with the Walla Walla Wine Tasting event.  I really liked how they did this event.  Lots of Vintners from the Walla Walla valley and a good pairing of food to go with it.  It was our goal to seek out wineries that we had not tried before.  We were not disappointed.  I love how the Walla Walla valley keeps producing some of the most amazing wines in our region and the wine makers hone their craft to perfection.  

February 21^st found us at the “Seattle Food and Wine Experience.  I just love this event.  So many wines to sample and the food is outstanding.  Besides wine there is also beer and spirits to sample.  You could never sample everything so pace yourself.  Also I highly recommend taking a taxi or Uber car to and from the event. 

In March, Denise and I attended the "Rose' Revival" - sponsored by Seattle Uncorked Wine Club - at Ray's Boathouse in Ballard, Washington and did their wine tasting/judging event.  Denise was honored the year before to be a judge for the Rose’ wines.  This year she brought me along and I too was able to experience my first time at judging.  It was a fun event but I can see there is definitely a fine art to good judging.  I hope to grow my palette in 2017 and learn more about the finer points of judging.

Oregon AVA Wine Event at Seattle’s World Trade Center – March 21^st – Denise and I were invited to experience this event.  The word is AMAZING!  The Oregon vendors brought a sample of their soil to this event so you could see just what the vines had been grown in.  We don’t usually think of the soil as we sip wine but it has such a huge influence on the grapes and we definitely can taste the earth if we know what we are looking for.  Great representation from the growers and it was so nice to be able to speak with them one on one and not have to hurry.  The wine was excellent too!

Our first trip of the season to Walla Walla was on April 29^th.  Our dear friends opened their home to us once again and shared the bounty from their budding garden.  We in turn introduced them to some new wine discoveries.  As always, Walla Walla does not disappoint. I hope that if you have never experienced a wine region before, let Walla Walla be your first experience.  It is still a small region and very personable.  However, it is growing fast so you will want to get a visit in soon.

One of the best local finds we found was Laurelhurst Winey in Seattle. (Georgetown)  Business men by day and wine makers by night/weekend and any other free time they can squeeze out.  They had a wine tasting event for their wine club in June and it was a lovely event.  Each time we go to this winery the wine gets better and better.  I’m so glad they are over on our side of the mountains and only a ferry boat ride away.

If you haven’t read Denise’s blog entitled “Ballad of the Syrah's” then you need to read it.  In late June Denise hosted a blind Syrah tasting event.  The wines ranged from high and low and the food pairs were out of this world.  I was completely humbled by this event.  I thought I had really grown as a wine taster but once again I was tripped up by my own wine prejudices.  I didn’t even guess half of the wines correctly but I really enjoyed drinking them all. J  Thank you Denise for making it a truly special event.

In the summer Denise and I are so busy with our families and summer activities that we don’t do many wine tastings.  However, a new Total Wine store opened up this year and every Saturday and Sunday they have wine, beer and spirits tasting.  My neighbor Robin introduced us to this experience. J  Needless to say I have discovered some pretty good wines.  The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful.  Great customer service!

September rolled around and found us heading to Port Townsend, Washington.  The last time I had been in Port Townsend was when we started our blog in April of 2010 and we wrote about Fairwinds Winery.  It seemed only right that we re-visit Fairwinds and see how they were doing.  The winery was still having great success and the wine was as delicious as ever.  We had a nice long chat with the owner, Michael Cavett and some of his friends while we sipped the afternoon away.  We also promised not to stay away so long. J

Our second trip to Walla Walla was in the middle of October.  I was on a serious hunt for 100% Petit Verdot and I found it!  Grantwood Winery has some of the best wines around for very reasonable prices.  The gentlemen who own and run the winery are some of the nicest men I have met.  We arrived in the middle of crush so we were able to see them working (punching down) their vats and smell the aroma of freshly crushed grapes and fermentation.  It’s a heady smell and I love it.  Their Petit Verdot is the best and I can’t wait till they have more.  I took one of their last two bottles they had available for sale.

Earlier in the year we attended the Seattle Food and Wine Experience and the folks that host that event put on the Seattle Holiday Wine Event in November.  This event was even better.  Less crowds, great vendors and excellent information.  Of course it being the first year the crowds would be less.  Some of the best vendors were there and it was a great pleasure to have the time to speak to the wine brokers and vintners.  I really was impressed how many women vintners were present and they have some fantastic wines.

The year was over before we knew it and now a new one has already begun.  What will 2017 hold for all of us?  Who knows, but no matter what, sharing moments with our friends and family is the most important thing we can do.  Denise and I raise a glass to all of you and wish you the happiest of new years and pray that we all have a safe, happy and joyous 2017.  Cheers!! LaDonna

Wine tasting etiquette

You are not a camel; therefor learn to spit

When implementing the spitting method during a tasting, I found it is best to use a paper cup and spit directly into the cup, not a mile away into the bucket they have on the table.  If there isn’t a paper cup in sight and you find yourself having to use the bucket provided, please try to get close enough to get inside but not too close that there is splash back….ewww!  Practice at home is my suggestion to get it down, better safe than sorry.

It’s always “no white after Labor Day”

 Not the time to wear your white anything; shirt, dress, slacks.  Stay on the safe side and wear dark colors to avoid any embarrassing splashes and stains.

Not a BYOB party

 Do NOT bring your own bottle, that is just poor manners. If you don’t like red and they only pour red, then you are now the designated driver.  I suggest that you keep an open mind and try the red that is poured, you just might find that you like it and have now broadened your palette.

Wine snobs leave your smoking jacket at home

Don’t attempt to stump the wine server or try to “take them down” just to impress…you’re not. Everyone around you is rolling their eyes and trying to hide to make sure others know they are not part of your group. You may be a wine expert however; you are now in someone else’s place. Please show respect, listen, learn and appreciate.

Have some French toast

Be sure to not start your day on an empty stomach.  Have a good breakfast and be sure to cleanse your palate afterwards with some water before setting out on your wine tasting.  Also make sure to partake of any food offerings that are provided along the way as well as drinking plenty of water, read my previous water blog post.

You are not on the Iron Throne ‘‘bring me some wine”

Don’t tap your glass on the bar when you want a refill. The wine tasting room attendants are very busy trying to serve and answer questions to all, please practice patience, sit back, relax and savor the moment and the wine.

Don’t try to make your own Hangover movie

Please don’t keep asking to “re-visit” several times just to get drunk on your tasting fee.  Revisiting a wine that you have tasted is truly a great thing to do if you are interested in the wine for purchase, however very poor manners if you don’t intend to purchase and you just want to chug wine on the cheap.

You are not auditioning for Coyote Ugly or Real Housewives

Wine tour bachelorette parties are a fun idea and a great experience however; please have respect, purchase wine and no bar dancing or disruptive behavior please!  Wineries have tasting rooms to showcase their wines, not your dancing skills or drama.

Purple mouth syndrome

The simple solution to avoid purple teeth and lips is to drink water and I swish it around a little.  Brushing your teeth in-between tasting and gum can affect your palette so it isn’t recommended. Brushing your teeth before you leave home works best and some people swear by wine wipes, give them a try for yourself and see.

Lipstick on the collar not on the glass

Lipstick leaves heavy film on glasses which is hard to remove, leave the lipstick off for the tasting trip.

Skip the Chanel No. 5

Your nose when tasting is an important part of the experience.  Your fragrance can affect you and others around you so please keep it off for tastings.

Making friends

When at tasting event, get your wine and then step aside if there is a line behind you. Allow the line to go down then ask the server your questions and get the next pour offered.  I have been to some events when there is someone in front telling their life story, tasting all the wines, oblivious to others behind. Do not hold up the line for all of questions or to taste all the flights offered, be courteous to the others behind you.  I get my wine, go back later once the rush is over and then I have more time to talk to the server about the wine and re-visit if needed, which they love to do for the wine enthusiast.

Plan Ahead

If you have a large group plan ahead by calling the wine tasting room to let them know you are coming.  Do not just show up 5 minutes before closing hours. Be sure to note all the of the winery’s hours before you start your trip, some open early and close early.

Take Note

Write it down, or better yet I take pictures of the bottle labels.  If you are tasting several wines in a day this is the best way to remember what you have tried. If the event or wine tasting room gives out tasting notes, then use this to add comments or I use a 3-star system to simplify what I like or no stars if I don’t.  Circle tasting notes you are getting or write your own tasting notes, I also enjoy writing down the food I would love to pair with the wine.

There are good days and some bad days

 Most tasting rooms and events have amazing servers that have so much knowledge and love what they do.  Once in a while I have run into servers who don’t know anything about the wine, care to be there or talk to you…these are usually at events they have to assign a volunteer to help out at.  Don’t let this turn you off from the wine or the winery, if you go visit the winery again let them know politely of your previous experience so they are aware, to make corrections in the future.

Remember, always make sure you have ID no matter your age and please don’t give the wine attendant a hard time for asking.

If visiting several wineries… plan your tasting trip for your palate; sparkling wines first, whites, then richer whites then reds.

Cheers!

Denise

Ballad of Syrah’s…   

Syrah or sometimes called Shiraz is a dark-skinned grape grown throughout the world; Syrah should not be confused with Petite Sirah which is a different grape.

Syrah is full-bodied, dark colored with soft tannin, jammie fruit and spice with notes of licorice, anise and earth, which makes it so wonderful paired with rich meats.

Here are some we sampled at a resent WLW wine tasting event:

Dumas Station, 2012 Walla Walla

Rich garnet color, jammie fruit with a hint of floral and smoky spice nose. Ripe fruit, spicy and creamy generously lasting thru to the finish.

Pairs well with roasted asparagus, dark chocolate, roasted meat and smoked herb potato.

Laurelhurst Cellar, 2012 Walla Walla

Intoxicating nose with hint of fruit and spice, long harmonious layered fruit finish.

Paired well with caramelized onion, roasted mushroom, smoked potato wedge, triple cheese blackberry melba appetizer and dark chocolate.

Dumas Station, 2013 The Excursion, Walla Walla

Excursions amazingness starts with the color you cannot get any deeper rich jewel tones.  Spice hits the noses up front with smoky notes and then continues thru to the pallet on your first sip.  Focused and concentrated earthy notes with full fruit running thru to the finish.

Pairs well with rich smoked meats, BBQ sauce, grilled vegetables, dark chocolate, triple cheese black berry melba appetizer.

a’Maurice Cellars, 2014 Walla Walla

Rich garnet color, smoky nose which leads to a hint of spice. Flavors play and gain thru the finish of deep current fruit.

Pairs well with, smoked gouda, dark chocolate, smoked

roasted potato.

Paringa, 2013 Shiraz South Australia

Dark earthy red color which continue thru to its earthy black current nose, a harmony of dark berry fruit notes and hint of dark chocolate finish.

Pairs well with fresh red grape, dark chocolate, roasted vegetable, triple cheese blackberry melba appetizer.

Isabella Grace 2012 Syrah, Yakima Valley

Extraordinary nose which invites you in to its expressive floral overtone and fruit flavors. Rich chocolate, spice and mineral finish.

Pairs well with dark chocolate, triple cheese berry appetizer and roasted meat.

Machey Vineyard, 2010 Columbia Valley

Deep plum color, juicy berry aromas, rich fruit with hint of spice at the finish.

Pairs will with roasted garbanzo taco, smoked potato wedge, smoked cheddar cheese and dark chocolate.

Va Piano, 2013 Columbia Valley

Beautiful garnet color, smooth floral and silky spice texture glides across the palette with Tabaco and sweet notes at finish which went well with dark chocolate

Paired well with roasted herb chicken thigh, BBQ sauce, triple cheese and blackberry melba

appetizer.

We started the event blind tasting so we could focus on the color, flavor and food pairing without getting influenced by winery or region, which made it fun and interesting!  Then off came the covers after the first tasting to reveal some surprises for some and reaffirmed favorites for others.

Please read again my previous blog post from February 2014 on wine tasting events. There are many fun options you can explore when hosting a wine tasting event of your own.

Pairing recipes we served with this event will be coming soon on the WLW recipes tab.

Cheers!

Denise