Taste Washington Switched Out My Brain – Part 2

I ran three red lights yesterday afternoon. Not one, but three. Almost two full days after Taste Washington and I was still more dysfunctional than I normally am. Granted, I was talking on the phone but I’m usually much better than that!

Reflecting back onto Sunday afternoon, I can credit the core reason why I’m brain-dead to attempting to taste over 200 wineries’ selections and not spitting. Damn it, self!

I arrived in SODO promptly 17 minutes later than I planned on Sunday, checked my jacket which I almost left without 5 hours later and made it on my merry way. Since I focused my last food and wine event on the food (see: Seattle Food & Wine Experience), I decided to go my more natural route and touch on the wines only. Not a good idea when not spitting.

I did manage to take a picture collage of my favorites and texted descriptions to myself since I couldn’t find a notepad app on my incredible Droid. Here were my top billings:

El Corazon 2010 Red Frog Rose, Columbia Valley: I’ll drink whatever winemaker and owner Spencer Sievers puts in my glass. All things holy, he is pretty! And after batting my eyes and drinking (bad idea), subsequently all that got me was realizing that I was dizzy and that this wine is also pretty. With less than 60 cases made, it’s floral and full of red berry fruit and an awesome cumin spice element to give it an edge. Balanced, crisp and dry, patio sip that ish.

Hop Scotch Spring Beer & Scotch Festival

Washington Wine Month is coming to a close, culminating the the glorious Taste Washington last weekend. For many of us wine-media folks around Washington, last Sunday marked the last day of a month-long bender of pre-Taste wine events, giving credibility to the phrase, “You drink like a professional.” When it was over, some needed a break, some time away, some water.

This Friday marks a new month, however–a month that is not Washington Wine Month. Maybe it’s OK to take some time seeking other pleasures. Roaming in different pastures. Maybe it’s time for Hop Scotch.

When it started, the Hop Scotch Spring Beer & Scotch Festival was, well, a beer and scotch festival. Now, however, it’s a what I like to think of as a “wino lifestyle” event. After all, we winos enjoy more than just wine, but rather, we imbibe in all the fine beverages (and some not-so-fine) that can be swirled, sniffed, swished, swallowed and/or spit. Expanding every year, at this Friday’s Hop Scotch Festival, attendees will get intimately acquainted with beer, scotch, tequila, wine and even cigars.

For $30, you will get a 5-oz commemorative tasting glass and five drink tokens redeemable for beer and wine. For $35 you’ll get the glass and ten tokens. These tokens can be used at the pouring stations of your choice, and proceeds go to benefit the Seattle International Film Festival. Additional tokens are available for purchase at the event.

Beer

Hop Scotch will have more than 60 handcrafted microbrews and imports on tap, plus guest can hang out in the Heineken Green Room and hang out while listening to music and watching SIFF film clips. Beer is sampled using your event tokens.

Scotch

For an additional $10, you can get a flight of five scotches and take a self-guided tour. Or, for only $30 extra, you can join a scotch seminar presented by Johnny Walker and a master of whisky who will guide you through a tasting of eight different scotches while teaching you about where they’re from and how scotch is made. (These seminars are also available in various time slots on Saturday.)

Cigars

Rain City Cigars will be near the “Partagas and Punch Smokers Patio” selling rare and unusual cigars as well as all of your favorites. A perfect finish to any scotch tasting.

Tequila

For an additional $10, you can get a flight of five 100% agave tequilas from Cuervo and Don Julio and take a self-guided tour.

Wine

Small Lot Co-Op will be pouring vino from their portfolio of boutique wineries in Washington. Wine is sampled using your event tokens.

So much beer, spirits and wine in one room, this is sure to be a fun event.

 

Dry Falls Cellars Reserve Petit Verdot

In the summer of 2008, we took a whirlwind tour of North Central Washington wine country, reporting back on the tasting room experience, and we were surprised and happy to find two wineries in the outskirts of my home town of Moses Lake. One of these was Dry Falls Cellars, a small family-owned and operated winery making a large portfolio of elegant, well-structured wines, and pouring them in a swank little tasting room at their facility on 22nd Avenue. (The second of the two was Kyra Wines.)

While we were there, we toured the well-appropriated production facility, chatted with the great folks in the tasting room, and tasted through the wines before being invited to do a barrel tasting, which included a small batch of Petit Verdot. At the time, they weren’t really sure what they were going to do with it, but it was tasting so good in the barrel, they were really excited by it. After tasting it, we got excited, too–like kids with their first mouthfuls of cotton candy at a carnival.

I revisited the winery a few weeks ago, and tasted through the whole lineup again. A majority of DFC’s wines are surprisingly elegant, clean and nuanced, while a couple of them (like the Big Rack Red) were big, powerful and masculine. The Old Vine Chardonnay, is unlike any chard I’ve ever had.

What I didn’t get to try in the tasting room was the 2008 Reserve Petit Verdot, but I bought a bottle without hesitation, because I wanted to see how the program had developed after our barrel tasting nearly three years ago.

Petit Verdot is a powerful fruit, and on a global scale, is rarely bottled as a single varietal. It’s typically used to beef up blends, adding dense fruit, dark color, powerful flavors, and heavy tannins; but we’re starting to see growing popularity of PV as a stand-alone. In my mind, it’s an exciting development.

Dry Falls Cellars’ 2008 Reserve Petit Verdot is sourced from Lonesome Spring Ranch in the Yakima Valley, just outside of Benton City. According to winemaker Jim Englar, the fermentation was performed in stainless steel with minimal crush, hand punching, and minor whole fruit carbonic maceration before being gently bladder pressed. Malolactic fermentation was done in barrel after fermentation, followed by twenty-six months in French oak. Only thirty cases were produced of this Petit Verdot.

The nose on this PV elicited an immediate, “Whoa.” Savory and meaty with candied fig and ripe, dark fruit like black plumb and blackberries, the Cyrano de Bergerac nose gave every indication of what we were in for.

Blue Chip Wines for the Special Occasion

You’re ready to pull out your wallet and shatter the lid on what you typically spend for a bottle of wine. You’ve picked the special occasion worthy of breaking the bank and you love the idea of finally experiencing a world-class bottle. But for all the promise, for all the hype, and for all the anticipation, you just can’t pull the trigger on the purchase because you fear the Greasy Grosshauser Effect. The Greasy Grosshauser Effect happens when something falls way short of its huge expectations. (For one example of the GGE, Google “Herschel Walker trade”). The name stems from a kid in my elementary school: Greasy wore his dad’s clothes by the age of eleven and could remove lug nuts from cars with his bare hands. His older brothers and sisters each held a state record or two in various sports.

The problem with Greasy was that for all his athletic potential, he had the coordination of a giraffe in a potato sack race and the killer instinct of a sponge on Quaaludes. In addition, after half a lap around the track, Greasy was easily distracted by pretty butterflies. Coaches and teammates could only shake their heads.

Expensive wines can burn you with the GGE too. Nothing is more frustrating than dropping a huge bundle of cash on a bottle of wine only to have it leave you shaking your head like you just watched it miss a layup. Although some brands have a stellar reputation and history, none are immune to making a bad bottle on occasion. For that reason I have compiled a short list of high-end, special occasion wines that leave me feeling like a winner and are worthy of their high-end price.

Rombauer 2007, Chardonnay ($32.99): The creaminess in this wine creates a perfect pairing with Brie cheese. Just try to calculate the points you would earn by having them waiting for your husband/wife after work.

Domaine Serene 2005, Evenstad Pinot Noir ($59.99): Sour cherries, wet earth and cigar box linger throughout a long finish. Wet earth? Yes, in this wine it’s delicious.

Continuum 2005, Cabernet Sauvignon ($125.99): After the Robert Mondavi brand was bought out by a huge conglomerate, the family now runs the Continuum Winery. Balance is the key word here. Cherries, red fruit, cola, and oak are delivered on a silk plate. A big investment, yes, but still not as much as popcorn and candy for the kids at the theater.

To read more of Kris Barber’s insights on wine, visit his blog at www.winerogue.wordpress.com

 

Taste Washington Switched Out My Brain – Part 1

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Now that brain that you gave me. Was it Hans Delbruck’s?

Igor: No.

Frankenstein: Ah! Very good. Would you mind telling me whose brain I did put in?

Igor: Then you won’t be angry?

Frankenstein: I will not be angry!

Igor: Abby Someone.

Frankenstein: Abby Someone. Abby Who?

Igor: Abby Normal.

Frankenstein: Abby Normal.

Igor: I’m almost sure that was the name.

Frankenstein: Are you saying that I put an abnormal brain into a seven and a half foot long, fifty-four inch wide GORILLA?

That gorilla was this gal come 8:30 this morning. I overslept my alarm not once but three times, it took three oil-consistency cups of coffee to get my motor running and I ate two lunches instead of working through lunch to make up the time I lost.

Thank you, Taste Washington!, for transplanting an Abby Normal brain into me at some point this weekend without me noticing. I must have been so fixated on the show-stopping cast of wines represented at the 2011 Taste Washington! The Ultimate Food & Wine Experience that it was easier to do than… Well, normal.

2011 Taste Washington Restaurant Awards

If you couldn’t make it to the 2011 Taste Washington Restaurant Awards, you can watch the entire awards ceremony here. Our congratulations go to the many fine establishments that are not only committed to a high level of excellence, but are also dedicated to Washington wine.

First Date Dread

It was the first date I ever went on and I wasn’t going to get caught unprepared. I filled the tank with gas, I made sure I had plenty of cash, I knew exactly how to get from my date’s house to the theater, I checked the movie show times, and I wore my coolest sweater. I was ready for every eventuality—except the glass wall. The glass wall divided the ticket area from the lobby, and as I purchased the tickets, my date walked around the wall, through the doors, into the lobby, and back over next to me. She walked thirty feet but stood only five feet away behind the glass. I could see her perfectly.

As I put the change in my wallet, I looked up, smiled, and without seeing the wall, walked straight toward her. Up to this point, it had all gone so well. Up to this point, I was still living under the illusion that I was pretty cool. When I think of it, I’m still amazed at how quickly an illusion can be utterly annihilated. Let me give you the play by play: First contact was nose to glass. Next, my nose signaled my brain to commence emergency nose rescue sequence (ENRS) which involves wildly jerking my head back, instantly adopting an uncool panicky facial expression, increasing the flow of tears to the eyes, and letting out a puppy-like yelp (all directly in front of my date, mind you). Finally, my knees and chest hit the glass causing a giant Japanese gong-like noise alerting the entire lobby of movie-goers.

The aftermath was worse. As the entire crowd turned to look toward the source of the yelp/gong, they witnessed a scene that told them exactly what had happened. There on the glass wall at the exact height of my nose stood a single wet spot. And there, next to the wet spot, I stood with tear filled eyes holding my nose. Every picture tells a story.

The problem is that in some ways, buying wine can be like that date. You can try to account for every eventuality—read reviews, try other wines from the same label, get a recommendation from a friend or the store clerk–and still end up purchasing the wine equivalent of a glass face-plant.

This week’s recommendation comes from California. Try it. It’s much more sophisticated than I was.

Concannon 2009, Central Coast Riesling ($9.99): At ten bucks this wine doesn’t act like a cheap date. It’s just a little sweet but deeply complex—in a “this evening could end up fun” kind of way.

To read more of Kris Barber’s insights on wine, visit his blog at winerogue.wordpress.com

 

Vine & Sun: Home of Barons V and Winemaker Matthew Loso

Two Riedel decanters rest full of ruby juice on a pristine marble counter in the illuminated penthouse of Barons V partner Gary McLean. A Chihuly sculpture gleams through one of the wall-length windowpanes on a bright January afternoon and into the eyes of winemaker Matthew Loso.

He squints and introduces himself as if there hasn’t been decades of reviews written on his wines by nobler journalists than this one. He smiles and trades a handshake with an equally sun-shined wineglass.

Matthew Loso hails from self-made vintner pedigree. By setting the foundation for Matthews Cellars when he was months out of high school, he has the experience of a winemaker twice his age, the opportunity to get his pick of fruit in blocks next to the caliber of Betz Family Winery and Quilceda Creek and through trial, does not believe in vineyard terroir.

The cultivated Loso joined forces with and Gary McLean as well as three other shareholders to build Barons V parent company Vine & Sun, LLC. in 2001.

Although the wine company is lead by five “type AA personalities,” McLean said they leave the wine up to Loso. “We trust his forward palate, we give him our opinions and he runs with it in the way he sees best.”

Renovations at the Schoolhouse: L’Ecole No. 41′s New Look

In 1915, a schoolhouse was built in the Frenchtown community outside of Walla Walla, Washington. For the last three decades, the schoolhouse has been occupied by iconic Washington winery L’Ecole No. 41, a producer of now 30,000 cases of premium vino per year.

L’Ecole No. 41, French for “the school” in District number 41, was named to honor the viticultural efforts of the French descendants  in the 1800′s, a precursor to the booming wine industry in Walla Walla today.

Wine lovers have learned to look for the campy, whimsical L’Ecole label on the shelves at their local wine shop and grocery, one of the most immediately recognizable in the industry. Reminiscent of a child’s jumbo-Crayola drawing of a schoolhouse you’d expect to find posted on the refrigerator and a chalkboard noting the varietal, the brand has been loyal to the schoolhouse wherein the winery has come to maturity.

It seems L’Ecole No. 41 has reached graduation day. This week, the winery unveiled their new label design. According to the folks at L’Ecole, “Our newly redesigned label reflects the extensive experience and knowledge we have gained since the winery was founded nearly three decades ago.”

Setting aside crayon depiction of the schoolhouse, the winery has grown up while remaining dedicated to its history with an sepia etching of the Frenchtown schoolhouse. The more upscale logo and package design is intended to reflect the history, experience and “ultra-premium quality” of the winery. According to a press release issued this week:

L'Ecole's New Label Lineup

The new label design creates a clear delineation between the winery’s Columbia Valley and Walla Walla Valley product tiers.  L’Ecole’s Columbia Valley wines rely on the winery’s relationships with the state’s top vineyards to craft richness and complexity in such favorites as L’Ecole Columbia Valley Semillon, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.  The Walla Walla Valley wines showcase L’Ecole’s hometown vineyards, including such acclaimed wines as Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Merlot and Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.  Also included in the winery’s Walla Walla tier are L’Ecole’s signature blended reds, Pepper Bridge Vineyard Apogee and Seven Hills Vineyard Estate Perigee.  The new package was inspired, in part, by the Apogee and Perigee labels, though they too have been slightly revised to feature the new schoolhouse illustration.

L’Ecole No. 41′s new label design is a smart move. In a time where wine labels are fighting for attention on the shelves, L’Ecole has come to bank on its longstanding reputation, and doesn’t need to shout to be heard.

Familia Camarena Tequila

Everyone has a tequila story. A woman I once worked with liked to tell the story of how after years of trying to get pregnant with her husband, downed a fifth of Cuervo with him one night and her daughter was conceived. She believed in the experience so much that she treated it like folk medicine and prescribed it to another coworker who was having trouble conceiving. Nine months after filling the prescription, this young convert was using my office to pump.

Most tequila stories, unfortunately, involve  a combination of embarrassing behavior, uncharacteristic violence and cheap tequila; and because of this, tequila has gotten a pretty bad rep. I suspect, however, that this is due to the fact that aside from margaritas, consumption of tequila in America is largely relegated to shots with lime and salt–the former providing the shortest distance to intoxication, and the latter for the purpose of making the journey bearable. I’m a big fan of liquor, but I think shots are a waste. The point is to enjoy the aromatics, the flavor, the texture and the bite. In this respect, the enjoyment of liquor isn’t at all different than that of wine, and so I drink liquors that can be sipped and savored. However, there have been few tequilas that I could enjoy unadulterated in a tumbler without breaking the bank (one that I like, Tres Generaciones, runs in the $50 range); and margaritas, while sometimes refreshing on a hot day, merely mask the unpalatable nature of the tequila with which it’s made. So, if you’re not on a debaucherous rampage or if you’re not an impassioned tequila aficionado, there seems to be little place for you within the tequila family.  Consequently, for the most part, I had decided that I’m just not a tequila guy.

A couple of weeks ago, WINO was invited to a tasting of Familia Camarena Tequila, and when Casey Chapman, our regular contributor for Outside the Vines, was unavailable, I accepted the invitation with a skosh of hesitation. Not one to form premature and unqualified conclusions, though, I made my way to the Alexis Hotel with low expectations.

I was in for a surprise.

First things first, I tried Familia Camarena’s two tequilas neat, both the Silver and the Reposado, and they were brow-raisers, not brow-knitters. I immediately classified them as sipping tequilas, liquors that I could casually enjoy without mixers or chasers. These were not tequilas to be knocked back with abandon on Cinco de Mayo, or diluted in sweet-and-sour during lunch at Azteca. These were after-work tequilas to be enjoyed slowly while sitting at the bar with a friend.

Both the Camarena Silver and Camarena Reposado are incredibly smooth while not bland. They have character without being like the “funny guy” at a party who loves the sound of his own voice and won’t shut up. They have sufficient wit and depth of personality to be enjoyable without overstaying their welcome, and while they’ve got class, they’re highly approachable.

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