Caught in a Blind

A blind tasting is a good way to test your wine drinking palette. When you add the criteria that no bottle surpasses $15, it can make things rather tricky. This is what happened last night at Seattle Uncorked.

David LeClaire is the main dude behind Seattle Uncorked; he knows a thing or two about wine and events. Seattle Uncorked is a social networking and drinking club that has events every few weeks. Great chance to network and drink wine. Business cards aren't required, nor is snootiness. Last night, the blind tasting fee was $10 and we were treated to some good wines (and some not so good) but we also had some good food courtesy of Herban Feast.

Events like this happen all the time, so sign up today to join the fun of Seattle Uncorked. Membership is free if you sign up by the end of the year! Next up is a BC/Okanagan tasting of wines that David personally brought back from Canada. I'm intrigued, as are you, eh?

Wining and dining with Stephen Tanzer

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.

Eats in August

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!

Shock and Awe

If you're hankering for a good wine movie that would be the Chardonnay to Sideways' Pinot, there is a great one on the horizon called Bottle Shock.

Bottle Shock is about the famed Judgment of Paris Tasting of 1976, where Napa Valley wines beat French wines. The results of this tasting shook the wine world. It validated the U.S. as a producer of quality wines and it put the wineries of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and Chateau Montelena on the map.

Going into the movie we knew more about the Stag's Leap side of things. After getting a private tour of Stag's Leap through a friend, we learned about its history and how their Cask 23 Cabernet Sauvignon was the wine of distinction at the Paris tasting. So knowing more about the red side, we were looking forward to learning about the white wine side of things and Chateau Montelena's Chardonnay.

In June, we went to the Seattle International Film Festival's closing gala for Bottle Shock. It was a grand affair with the red carpet and appearances by Freddy Rodriguez and Bill Pullman. The whole event was great and justly so, the movie was excellent. It was a great story and the characters were wonderful. I highly suggest watching it when it comes around to your local theater.

The movie did a great job with telling the story of Chateau Montelena. Of course there was a bit of Hollywood twists and turns mixed in, but the execution was excellent. And it had Alan Rickman. Always awesome. The movie did a great job of romanticizing California Wine Country and the experience of this tasting. Just a really enjoyable movie.

It comes out August 6 to wide release and will slowly trickle in following weeks. Go see it, you'll have a great time.

Bite of Seattle

Along with the Northwest Folklife Festival in May and Bumbershoot in September, the Bite of Seattle is part of the triumvirate of community events at Seattle Center. The Bite hits the good folks of Seattle in July and it's the city's crowning achievement of food, gluttony, excess, and awesomeness. The Bite has always been one of my favorite events, and as I've gotten older I've grown to appreciate it even more.

The beauty of nostalgia has deepened the colors for me when it comes to the Bite. When I was younger my family would always go and I loved it! In my mind, Seattle Center was this huge massive grounds, there were food vendors everywhere, it wasn't anywhere near as crowded as it is now, and we would be there until the sun would set. It's a little different now, mostly in that it's super crowded and there are really only about four dozen food vendors there

The vibe at the Bite has definitely changed in recent years. Is that bad? No, if anything it's different, and the glow of my memory only enhances my appreciation of the event. It's a chance for many to wear their 'Bite outfit' they've been saving all summer. It's a chance to walk around with friends and feel important. And you can eat till your more full than you could imagine.

My favorite thing to eat when I was younger were the Filet Mignon sandwiches from Metropolitan Grill. I loved those things. These were one of the things I most looked forward to as I got out of school. Sadly, The Met no longer participates in the Bite, but scores of other great places offer new discoveries.

What are some of your favorite foods at the Bite of Seattle? Is it the roasted corn? Funnel Cakes? Shiskaberries? No matter what, all of these are the right choice!

Getting the most from a roast.

This past weekend, a bunch of us went down to Seattle Wine Outlet for their Salmon Roast. This was the second year that it's been going on, but the first for us. And it was awesome.

Richard Kinssies hosted this event at their Interbay location and provided free Copper River salmon off the grill. Elegantly dressed with salt, pepper, garlic, and rosemary; wrapped in foil, it was perfectly cooked off of the grill. And it was free! Top this off with the roasted garlic, wine tastings, cheese, and a fun atmosphere it made for the perfect summertime lunch.

What's great about the Seattle Wine Outlet besides the super cheap prices on wine (seriously, they are awesome) is that they have these really great informal classes (as mentioned in a previous post) and super cool events like this Salmon Roast. Earlier in the year they hosted a pig roast that was equally awesome. They bought a ton of roasted and bbq pork from the finest purveyor of pork in Seattle; Kau Kau. And that was free too!

Keep an eye out for other events at the Seattle Wine Outlet, a great chance to learn about wine at great prices and have some great food with fun people. In fact, why not just sign up for the newsletter?

Up in yo Grill at Joule

This summer, Joule will be doing something really cool. Every Sunday, they'll be hosting an Urban BBQ with a different theme as the week starts anew. What's cool is that they are treating it like one big family picnic; live music, kids encouraged to come, affordable prices ($3-12), there is no reason not to visit this Wallingford gem.

Went to Joule for Valentine's Day and had a great time. We more or less stumbled upon the place and were greeted and immediately seated. Not bad for not setting up a reservation on one of the more prominent date nights in the calendar. The menu is very original and intuitive. Three categories, with distinct cooking styles to each. We had a number of great dishes. A couple really stood out. One was the branzino. Branzino is a tasty fish that is usually served whole; head, bones, tail, all of it. Delicious. The other was anchovy potatoes, amazingly delicious. Anchovies are an item that most people shy from; we on the other hand, love it. They add a unique flavor and brine to dishes and are excellent on a toasted baguette. The balance of the saltiness from the tasty little fish, with the fruitiness of the olive oil, and the sublime texture of perfectly cooked potatoes combine into a near-perfect dish.

In addition to the food, the service, ambiance, and feel of Joule were top notch. It is a restaurant that's creative and inventive enough to make you curious to see what comes next. The chef/owners of Joule are Seif Chirchi and Rachel Yang. They come to us after doing their thing at Coupage in Madrona. They opened Joule late last year to spread their wings and showcase their skill with Korean and French techniques. Unique pairing, but one that allows for the pair to shine with interpretation and ingenuity.

I think that is why I'm so excited to try a couple of the Sunday BBQ dinners, to see their takes on all sorts of themes and ingredients. From chicken to pork, streetfood to salmon, I'm looking forward to seeing what Seif and Rachel have in store for us.

Joule Restaurant
1913 N. 45th St
Seattle, WA 98103
206.632.1913