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Earlier this year we went to a Winemaker Dinner at The WAC celebrating the wines of àMaurice. A big reason why we went is because one of us knew the winemaker, Anna Schafer. We had a great time getting to know Anna and tasting her wines created a fondness for àMaurice that most of us carry to this day. So imagine my surprise when I found out they were making a table wine.
Based in Walla Walla, àMaurice is creating some exciting stuff..or as Stephen Tanzer mentioned at Art of the Table "... àMaurice was a surprising and exciting winery.... " Very cool stuff. They make awesome wines, ranging from Malbec to Merlot, Viognier to Chardonnay, and more.
So imagine my surprise this week when I went to the Uptown Metropolitan Market and noticed a white table wine from them called "Pour Me". Table wines are usually a blend of grapes and have a lot of flavor that's pretty front and center. In this case Pour Me is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, and Chardonnay. And Pour Me clocks in at under $15. Sold!
We were excited to try it, because we knew Anna's talent and the quality of vine that àMaurice plays with.
When we tasted it, Pour Me exceeded our expectations. A pretty full body with good acidity and evident fruit; this was a really nice wine. And it had a great finish! Creamy and lush: malolactic fermentation perhaps? This is a really fun wine. Definitely as good as some Washington whites at twice it's price.
Another cool thing about Pour Me is that it's a Metropolitan Market exclusive. In other words, once they're sold out, you've missed your chance. You've been properly warned; get yours.
Last weekend, my friend Julie invited me to this really cool event a wine dude from Microsoft organized. It was an evening eating and drinking with acclaimed wine writer, Stephen Tanzer. The event was to taste 10 of the best Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah that Washington could produce. I knew I had to attend; how often do opportunities where you can drink great wine and learn a ton happen?
David Hamilton was the guy that organized this event, and it was awesome. It was located at the wonderful Art of the Table restaurant in Wallingford. I could go on and on about how great the food was, but I'll save that for another time, as Chef Dustin Ronspies has some great themes ahead for dinner. I'm looking forward to going back for the Julia Childs' dinner. Chef Dustin is a really cool guy and all the praise Art of the Table is getting is well deserved.
But yes, the wine and Steve. Every summer, Steve visits Washington to do some tastings and check out the pulse of the industry as he preps for his renowned wine articles. He tries a ton of stuff from all sorts of different producers. He wanted to have an event to taste the absolute best that Washington can produce, which brought us to that evening. Five Cabs and five Syrahs. All were excellent and with Steve's expertise, we were able to understand the unique differences of these wines and the future of the Washington wine industry.
In tasting, Steve looks for two main things; aromatic complexity and definition of flavor. I thought this was cool. It's easy to drink wine, but with tasting having a game plan helps out in appreciating wine. He also mentioned some exciting producers that he was surprised by. From Gramercy to Long Shadows, Trust to Va Piano, even our friends at aMaurice, these were all wineries to keep an eye on.
For the Cabernet, my personal favorite was the 2004 Leonetti Cellar Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. This was an utterly brilliant wine that felt like silk on my palette. From the full, lush nose, to the clean and long lasting finish. This was a wine that as Steve mentioned, 'is a classic expression of Walla Walla.' The wine was spicy, slightly acidic thus making it a great food wine. And the soft tannins made it easily drinkable. Here was a cool way that Steve mentioned accounting for tannins; think about them as grains. Are the grains fine? Smooth and elegant? Or are they granular? Chunky and bold? Things to consider.
The Leonetti was excellent. Not surprising as they have always been one of the finest purveyors of Washington Wine. Plus, winemaker Chris Figgins is a supersmart and talented dude.
I was really looking forward to the Syrah tasting. I haven't drank as much Syrah as I used too. For a stretch it was the 'in' grape; much like how it used to be Merlot, now it is Pinot. So there were a ton of Syrah out there, and I slowly started to try other wines. But the Syrah that we drank were all great. Very different from the Syrah that I use to drink (or was I just drinking some inconsistent stuff?). A really cool thing that Steve mentioned is that the best is yet to come for Washington Syrah.
Of the Syrah's we tasted, my personal favorite was the 2006 Betz La Serenne Columbia Valley Syrah. This was an excellent wine. Bob Betz always comes through with great wines and this was no exception. It had a smoky nose with hints of tobacco and meat. It rolls along the palette with a ton of body and finishes with a nice lushness that goes on and on. Couple this with the malolactic fermentation, this was a wine with a ton of mouthfeel. I really did love this wine, it reminded me of late summer. I don't know how to quantify that, but it just felt like late summer, the enjoyment of looking back and the hope of looking forward.
Betz Family Winery is considered one of the best of Washington, and this Syrah proves that. Another cool thing is that Bob Betz has always been supportive of retail, in other words, it shouldn't be too hard to find this wine, he always makes sure to allocate wine to his friends in retail.
Here were the other wines on the menu, all were excellent:
- 2005 Gramercy Cellars Walla Walla Valley Syrah
- 2005 Waters Forgotten Hills Walla Walla Valley Syrah
- 2005 K Vintners Walls Walla Walla Valley Syrah
- 2004 Cayuse Cailloux Vineyard Walla Walla Valley Syrah
- 2005 L'Ecole No. 41 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2005 Abeja Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2005 Chateau Rollat Edouard de Rollat Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2004 Quilceda Creek Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
So yeah, we had a great time tasting some truly awesome wines. Thanks David for organizing. Thanks Julie for inviting me! And thanks Steve! For dropping the knowledge and teaching us the potential and greatness of Washington wine.
Seattle's food scene is one of the best in the country. I don't have much proof to that statement, but I don't really think I'm going out on a limb with it. From our restaurants to the local ingredients and Washington wine, we have a distinct culture of food here that should to be explored and appreciated. And along those lines are some really cool events in the coming weeks that Seattle foodies would be proud of.
In the batter's box is Pike Place Market's Sunset Supper. This event happens on Friday, August 15th from 7:30 to 11pm. After the market closes, some of our finest restaurants in Seattle occupy the stands in the market to do their thing. What's also cool is that it benefits the Market Foundation. Prices are $85 or $125, and get your tickets here. Bring your appetite! Seattlest had a great write up on the event, check it out.
On deck is the Pig & Pipes event in Ballard on August 23. On that particular Saturday, the Olde Pequliar will be hosting this really cool event. As the name implies there will be two roasted pigs on the menu and the pipes portion will be coming from the bagpipes. Holla. This event will be supporting Seattle's Bravest, a charity to support the Seattle Fire Department. I found out about it on Nancy Leson's wonderful All You Can Eat blog. The event is $15, there'll be drink specials, and doors open at noon. As before bring your appetite.Waiting in the dugout is the Incredible Feast. We went last year and had an awesome time. It's in Phinney Ridge where their Farmer's Market normally occurs, at 67th and Phinney. This event spotlights local farmers, and some of our finest local restaurants will be using the farmer's bounty in their offerings. The Incredible Feast has been going for a few years now, and was started by Brasa's own Tamara Murphy. She wanted to make sure that local farmers got their due and this event is the result. It'll be on Sunday, August 24 from 4:30 to 7:30, and it's $65. Get tickets here. I don't need to say it, but may as well; bring your appetite.
Happy eating and hope to see you getting full at one of these!
Earlier in the year, a friend tipped me off that Costco was selling Mexican Coke. This I had to try. Because Coke is so intrinsic to Mexican culture the bottlers used cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, the flavor should be better. I knew I had to try it.
And now I'm a convert. It's so much better and it's now my mission to inform anyone I know the gift of Mexican Coca-Cola. Think of it like this; imagine growing up and only knowing frozen yogurt. It's good, you like it, but you don't know there is something different out there and it's better. Ice cream. That is the jump I notice with Mexican coke to the stuff we normally get.
The flavor is so much deeper. Softer and not as harsh on the palate. The carbonation is restrained and you won't feel like burping instantly. Another cool thing is that it actually has a smell! And it's rad! It reminds me of fresh cinnamon rolls, very pleasing and smooth. It's just a better product!
I highly suggest you make your way to Costco or your local Latino grocery store and pick it up in the delightfuly retro glass bottle. You can even grab it from Amazon. You'll love it and you'll never go back to cans or plastic bottles.
Life tastes Good. With Mexican Coca-Cola.
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