“Wine Rocks” Rocked

On Thursday night, we attended the First Annual Wine Rocks event at the Gibson Guitar Showroom in Seattle. Actually, we didn’t just attend; we were working the doors, taking tickets and checking IDs for six hours as a favor to our good friend Jen Doak down at The Tasting Room, who spearheaded the collaborative project.

I’ve got to hand it to doormen and bouncers. It blows. To be stationed at the door when there’s so much going on inside (and so much wine to be consumed!) is maddening. But, with some clever logistical planning and a bit of gracious understanding from those running the event, we were able to keep sneaking away from our official duties to check out the scene, listen to the music, and enjoy the wine.

The Gibson Guitar Showroom is an amazing space. Unfortunately, it’s not open to the public on a daily basis, because it’s used as a private venue for music-industry players (no pun intended). But, it was the perfect spot for Wine Rocks. Musically inclined winemakers from around the state formed an ad hoc band and performed two sets on gorgeous Gibson guitars that they got to hand-pick for the show. And, the best part, their wines could be tasted all night. Performances and wines included:

• Jamie Brown, Waters Winery (Guitar, Syrah)
• Rob Newsom, Boudreaux Cellars (Guitar, Cab Sauv and Merlot)
• Rusty Figgins, Clos Sainte Rose (Drums, Brandy)
• Doug McCrea, McCrea Cellars (Saxophone, Syrah and Syrocco Blend)
• Bill Herzog, DiStefano Winery (Bass, Syrah)
• Gordy Rawson, Chatter Creek (Bass, Viognet, Grenache)
• Paul Gregutt, Seattle Times Columnist/Author of Washington Wines & Wineries,
The Essential Guide (Guitar)

Some of the wines were excellent, and all were good. My favorites included the Chatter Creek grenache, the DiStefano syrah and the Boudreaux cabernet sauvignon. I wasn’t expecting to see brandy at the event (from across the room, I thought I’d be trying a rosé), but the Clos Sainte Rose brandy was breathtaking–the best I’ve had in years.

You could also try chocolate from Theo Chocolate, artisan cured meats from Salumi, and handmade cheeses from Beecher’s, all of which were mouth-watering. In fact, I had to run out and buy some Beecher’s Flagship today, and I can’t wait to get my hands on some of Salumi’s Mole.

Even considering we spent most of our time at the door, I wouldn’t have missed the event. It would have been well worth the $35 ticket price, plus, all the proceeds went to benefit The Vera Project. It was a great night.

–DH