Shout-outs, Mentions, and Thank You Taste Washington Seattle

Some overdue shout-outs and mentions. Last month I was at Taste Washington in Seattle, and it was a 7 hour rush. That is, I was rushing around on my “breaks” from greeting 3,000+ attendees. My breaks only allowed for a bit of time here and there to visit and taste. Today I’d like to say thank you to those I did not mention last month.

Shout-Outs!

Kitzke Cellars
Before the event started, I did manage to visit briefly with Vickie Kitzke and her friends Linda and Bill. This was their first time at Taste Washington. I reviewed Kitzke Cellars here. Their tasting room in West Richland is open by appointment. Check them out at Taste Washington Portland on May 1st if you missed them in Seattle.

Gordon Brothers Winery
I had hoped to visit with Katie Nelson of Gordon Brothers Winery, but she was engaged with a crowd of tasters when I stopped by. My last visit to Gordon Brothers is reviewed here. They too will be at Taste Washington Portland on May 1st.

Hedges Family Estate Winery
I only had time to breeze past Hedges booth for a quick chat. But, I did manage to snag one of their “Score Revolution” bumper stickers before they all disappeared. Learn more about their Manifesto here. They too will be at Taste Washington Portland on May 1st.

DeLille Cellars
By the time I managed to visit the DeLille booth, Jay Soloff was out of wine. He showed me all the empties; my loss. Jay represented DeLille Cellars last year at the Semillon panel for the 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla, my post about the panel, with videos, is here. DeLille will be at Taste Washington Portland on May 1st.

Mentions

Barnard Griffin Winery
I neglected to mention, that I had a wonderful visit with the daughters of Rob Griffin and Deborah Barnard. Both daughters are now working at the family winery on Tulip Lane. Daughter Megan is now working in the wine cellar and daughter Elise is working in the tasting room. My most recent visit to their tasting room is reviewed here.

2010 Rosé of Sangiovese – I also neglected to mention, that I finally had a chance to taste their Award Winning, Barnard Griffin 2010 Rosé of Sangiovese. Spectacular Washington Rosé, I can see why it won the Pink Sweepstake award at the 2011 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Who doesn't love Barnard Griffin wines?

Thank You!

Elliots Oyster House
A big thank you goes out to Elliots Oyster House for feeding me such wonderful, fresh, delicious food. I’m now following their tweets on twitter too. www.elliottsoysterhouse.com

Salty's Seafood Grill
Another big thank you to Salty’s for their Blackened halibut fish tacos. You guys saved me, I was hungry and that fish taco was totally tasty. One of the reasons I’ll buy a ticket next year, is so I can enjoy the food from all the fantastic restaurants at Taste Washington. www.saltys.com

Washington Wine Commission
A big thank you, again, to the Washington State Wine Commission for organizing and executing another successful Taste Washington Seattle. Where else can you go and visit with 200 Washington wineries? And the food, have I mentioned the food? Looking forward to Taste Washington Seattle 2012. www.washingtonwine.org

Cheers!

Review: Sho Chiku Bai, Unfiltered Sake

Last month in Seattle, I purchased a bottle of Nigori sake at Uwajimaya. Uwajimaya is one of the largest Asian grocery retailers in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve been visiting Uwajimaya for almost 40 years. When I was much younger, I’d buy model ship and plane kits, Japanese comic books (manga) and I never left without at least one steaming Humbow in hand. Today I buy the manga for my son; while I still enjoy the tasty steamed Humbows, now I never leave without at least one bottle of Sake in hand. Uwajimaya has a terrific selection of imported sake. This most recent visit, I left with a bottle of Sho Chiku Bai Nigori sake. Nigori sake is generally the sweetest of all sakes, with a fruity nose and a mild flavor, making a great drink to complement spicy foods or as a dessert wine. Typical sake is usually filtered to remove grain solids left behind after the fermentation process; however Nigori sake remains unfiltered, resulting in a cloudier beverage. Before serving, the bottle must

A Special Oregon Pinot Noir with Eastern North Carolina Inspired Ribs #OTBN #winePW 10

Open That Bottle Night - A great excuse for a Wine Pairing Weekend. February 28th was Open That Bottle Night - I selected a bottle of wine I helped blend using barrel samples of Pinot Noir from R. Stuart winery in McMinville, Oregon. I was saving this bottle for a special occasion and knew it was likely time to open and drink. I hoped it had improved. "Blending wine is no task for mere mortals." - William Pollard Jr. Our Wine Pairing Weekend group decided Open That Bottle Night would be an appropriate occasion to pair our selected bottle of wine with something special as well. After some consideration, I decided North Carolina ribs would likely pair well with my special bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir. For this post I'll review the wine first, then provide the recipe, and wrap up with the results of this wine + food pairing. *Note: What is Open That Bottle Night? Wife and Husband columnists Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher invented Open That Bottle

Spirit Review: Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine White Lightnin' @OleSmoky

Today I have crossed the line from wine to spirits. At 100 proof the Ole Smokey Tennessee Moonshine is definitely turning up the volume (ABV 50%). "Moonshine, white lightning, mountain dew, hooch, and Tennessee white whiskey are terms used to describe high-proof distilled spirits, generally produced illicitly...The word "moonshine" is believed to derive from the term "moonrakers" used for early English smugglers and the clandestine (i.e., by the light of the moon) nature of the operations of illegal Appalachian distillers who produced and distributed whiskey." Source Wikipedia My family is no stranger to Moonshine. That is, my great-grandfather and grandfather were not strangers. Evidently the family occasionally produced their own spirits on their Oregon ranch. My grandfather told me about his younger brother getting into his dads stash with predictable results. Grandmother also told me stories about midnight runs and secretive deliveries d

William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

Search This Blog