December 5th, 2010

Impressive New Releases from Dusted Valley

I was invited to a sneak peak of the new releases from Dusted Valley, so the hubby and I went down to their Woodinville tasting room to check it out. We were greeting warmly by winemakers, Chad Johnson and Corey Braunel, as well as the enticing aroma of some good food cooking.

I have always been impressed with Dusted Valley’s offerings and this year is no exception. Here is a rundown of what we tasted:... Read More

October 17, 2010

Taste of Tulalip

The second annual Taste of Tulalip is November 12 & 13. This event is a must attend for all foodies, winos, culinary artists etc. It kicks off Friday, the 13th with an incredible 5 course dinner inspired under the direction of Executive Chef Perry Mascitti, and paired with wines carefully selected by Sommelier Tommy Thompson...Read More

September 20, 2010

Cooper Wine Company Grand Opening

Every once in a while you get to feel as if you are part of something special. It’s a feeling that you belong, a feeling that you are where you need to be at this exact moment. That is the feeling my husband and I felt last weekend at the grand opening of Cooper Wine Company on Red Mountain...Read More

September 3, 2010

“World-Class Wine In Your Own Backyard”

The Washington State Wine Commission has done a tremendous job at the promotion of Washington State wine. From amazing charity events like the Auction of Washington Wines to Taste Washington, an event showcasing the bounty that Washington has to offer. Well, they have done it again. They just announced their first ever locally focused promotional campaign... Read More

August 23, 2010

Auction of Washington Wine Barrel Auction & Picnic

The Barrel Auction and Picnic with the Winemakers is the kickoff event for the Annual Auction of Washington Wines. This is an annual event, now in its 24th year, that benefits the uncompensated care program at Seattle Children’s Hospital as well as the Washington Wine Education Foundation.

The iffy weather turned out to be perfect once the picnic started. Not too hot, not too cold. Chateau St. Michelle did a wonderful job transforming their grounds for the picnic...Read More

August 1st, 2010

Cider Braised Cold Smoked Salmon

This recipe was an attempt to recreate a dish that I had at Trellis, the restaurant at the Heathman Hotel in Kirkland, WA.

Cold Smoking is used to add a touch of smoke flavor. Unless the food properly cured, it should be cooked after cold smoking either by grilling, braising etc...Read More

July 17th, 2010

WBC 2010 Part 2 - A Sumptuous Feast

WBC for me was a bit like a multi course dinner with 300 of your best friends, most of whom you are meeting for the first time in the flesh. A dinner that you prepare, save and anticipate for months.

The “amuse bouche” was on Friday with the incredibly generous goodie bag filled with books, wine, jump drives, CDs and magazines. Just like an amuse bouche before a meal, it was a wonderful surprise. I want to thank all the generous sponsors for that gift. I was grateful that I was staying there at the motel, that puppy was heavy and I was able to take it back to my room and not have to carry it around like some did...Read More

July 2nd, 2010

WBC 2010 Part 1 - Half the Fun is Getting There

The anticipation had starting building weeks before. I started June with a calendar chock full of both work and play, with the climax being the Wine Blogger’s Conference I would be attending the last weekend. Finally the time had arrived. Although I live within driving distance to Walla Walla, I still had a long day ahead of me. But you know it is a lot easier to get up at 5:00am when you are excited to go! I was accompanied by my husband and our best wino friends. The 4 of us loaded up the SUV and we were off... Read More

June 15, 2010

Have Wine, Will Travel

Ah, camping in the Northwest. It can be risky this early in the year. You’d better have your tarps and waterproof matches at the ready. Armed with a positive weather forecast and low tides, we loaded up our gear and headed to Dosewallips State Park on the Hood Canal. Of course, just because you are “roughing it” doesn’t mean you can’t have wine... Read More

May 31, 2010

Vintage Party 2010

We hosted our Vintage Party, a blind tasting wine dinner for a few of our close friends, this past weekend. I love doing a blind tasting, as it promotes great conversation. Plus, since there are no wrong answers, people feel free to express what they are seeing, smelling, and tasting.

We pulled some of our best bottles out of the cellar for this event. All the wines had been decanted for 6 hours. We invited six guests, and assigned each guest to a bottle. Starting with wine #1, we asked the assigned person to taste and describe the wine to the group. Then we poured tastes for the remainder of the group and discussed the wine. This format worked well and made for a nice pace in tasting as well...Read More

April 21, 2010

Are you in the club?

I am no expert on wine clubs. In fact, due to budget I belong to exactly 2 wine clubs. Given my love of wine, this takes some diligence because if I could I would belong to far more. So, it really takes something special to move me to join a winery's wine club.

We have been fans of Fidelitas Wines for a long time. In fact, we are fans of most of the wines that Charlie Hoppes has a hand in. It was about 2 years ago we jumped onto the Fidelitas wine club and we have been enjoying the ride. I find myself comparing every other wine club I am looking to join to theirs. Let me tell you why... Read More

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