Oregon Bounty - The Vintner's Kitchen Wine Dinner

Greetings and salutations, loyal readers.  We're excited to bring you this review of The Oregon Wine Blog's Winter Pairing Dinner -- unique in that it not only chronicles the wine and food from our dinner, but also the cookbook utilized for 90% of the recipes:  The Vintner's Kitchen: Celebrating the Wines of Oregon.

Published in 2008, The Vintner's Kitchen is the second volume in Arnica Publishing's A Chef's Bounty Cookbook Series.  Written by Bill King, the book "honors the pioneering spirit displayed by our regional wineries and vintners in their quest to produce phenomal, award-winning wines."  The cookbook takes gourmet recipes covering the spectrum of culinary adventure and ingredients in Oregon and pairs them with specific wines from the state.  The result is a fusion of food and wine that will leave the diner in a state of euphoric delight.

From the minute I picked up The Vintner's Kitchen, I knew in it's pages contained the vision for the winter wine dinner our staff had been talking about.  We entered the project with the highest of hopes - to present every course of the dinner directly from the book, matched exactly with the listed wines.  We selected the menu, listed below, and approached the wineries requesting samples for the dinner.  We quickly found that most of the wines or vintages listed were not available, so we took editorial discretion and made local pairing decisions based on our knowledge of the wines we used.  We're grateful to the selected wineries for providing the wine for review, in typical The Oregon Wine Blog style, our plans changed drastically from start to finish and the outcome was amazing.  I'll take you through each course and the respective wine, sharing the thoughts and tastes of our esteemed panel of judges:  myself, Rick Goranflo, Micheal Seraphin, Drew Desilet, Alyssa Dart, and Megan Beresford.

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Appetizer
Spicy Oregon Pear Salsa with Oregon Jack Cheese and Hazelnut Crisps
2007 Tyee Estate Pinot Gris

Starting off the night was a dish unlike any we had ever prepared before. In short, this dish is a tortilla with Oregon jack cheese, hazelnuts, and a pear salsa. Most notable about this dish is the fact that the hazelnuts used on the crisps were supplied by the same folks that produced the wine; Tyee. That's right, Tyee Wine Cellars also sells hazelnuts grown right next to their grapes and we were the lucky recipients of five pounds of them. It only makes sense to pair them with Tyee wine.

I would say this dish had the widest array of expectations as none of us had ever had a pear-based salsa. While it didn't come out spicy, many diners agreed that its end result of being more refreshing was actually a welcome trait. Diners noted the "nice combination of hazelnuts, cheese, and salsa" as well as the hazelnut adding a welcome texture.

The wine was described as "tangy," "very tart," "crisp," and hinting notes of apple. More to the point, the pairing was perfect. While the salsa didn't come out spicy as anticipated, the wine would have worked just as well with some added heat.  Tyee is a great winery and their gris is a nice catch.

First Course
Northwest Shellfish Stew with Artisan Bread
Corn and Cheese Chowder with Artisan Bread
2007 Willamette Valley Vineyard Dijon Clone Chardonnay

Let me first preface that we did not pair both dishes for all diners. While many of us believe creatures pulled from the bottom of the ocean to be some of the most delicious critters on the planet, two of our guests did not. Instead of making them suffer through something we already knew they wouldn't enjoy, we created an alternative dish lacking any seafood; corn and cheese chowder.

I'll also preface that like most multi-course dinners, everybody expected this course to be good, but not the crowning achievement of the night. It's a soup and salad dish, right? Right, but both completely different soups were largely considered the most delicious courses of the night matched with one of the best wine pairings.

Regarding the shellfish stew, all but one of us immediately noted a strong hue of orange brought on by it's fresh orange zest. Also surprising was a bit of unexpected spiciness, which one noted somewhat challenged the wine. We all agreed that the stew itself was absolutely delicious and a dish that will have to be made again.

The chowder produced just as much praise, albeit a completely different dish. While a simpler dish, the combination of melted cheese, large pieces of cracked pepper, and Yukon gold potatoes perhaps made the most perfect pairing of the night.

For more about the wine, check out our previous review of Willamette Valley Vineyard's 2007 Dijon Clone Chardonnay.  Willamette Valley Vineyards is always a solid choice.

Main Course
Cornish Hen Diavolo with Steamed Broccoli
2006 Zerba Cellars Columbia Valley Syrah

While not necessarily cheating, I will preface that Josh and I had made the cornish hens before. Why did we decide to use them for an event such as one of our regionally-famous wine dinners? Because they're damn good.

This sentiment was shared by all as the spice rub was delcared the perfect amount of spice for everybody while also not overpowering the wine. This course was declared a great main course, but in all honestly, many of us were still reveling from how awesome the last course was. I also way over did the broccoli due to a timing issue with the hens. Oh well!

People did have a lot to say about Zerba's 2006 Columbia Valley Syrah, however. Michael was the first to note that it wasn't as heavy as some syrahs, but spicy enough to remind you it is from Eastern Washington. Other popular hues brought out by this wine are those of tobacco, currant, and a little bit of smoke. Alyssa specifically noted cherries or plum. All in all a fantastic syrah that many agreed would hold up on its own.  We wanted to hit Zerba last time we were in the Walla Walla Valley, and now will definitely have make it.

Dessert
Rustic Pear Tart with Dessert Wine Syrup and Crème Fraiche
2007 Harris Bridge Winery Sarah’s Stories Pinot Gris

I'm going to put out there that neither of us are bakers. We can cook some mean food, but are often at a loss when baking and having to troubleshoot. Luckily, Alyssa is quite comfortable baking and was a huge help in making this dish a success. What was at one point thought to be a potentially disasterous dish ended up being exactly the opposite. In fact, half of our guests considered this their favorite course.

This dish is a crust of mostly butter and flour stacked with slices of pear drizzled in a dessert wine reduction and creme fraiche. Like all of the above? So did we. Many people noted that their favorite part happened to be the crust, while others also mentioned that the creme fraiche actually mellowed out the sweetness.

I would also like to take a minute to recognize the wine donated by our new friends at Harris Bridge Vineyard. This small winery only produces dessert wines and their offerings are becoming available at more and more shops around Corvallis. The other cool part about their wine is that the winemakers live about three blocks away from us and gave us among their first review bottles.

Also noteworthy about Harris Bridge is that pretty much the entire operation is done by hand. The first thing you'll notice with every bottle is a short story tied around the top. Every story is written by Sarah herself, which is numbered on the top so you can select wines according to the story attached. We received stories 1 and 3, which means we have a few more to collect.  With full time vocations outside of wine, Nathan and Amanda are able to run their winery the way they want to -- with attention on small lot production not profit.  The wine, Sarah's Story, was the only wine universally enjoyed by all guests.  A dessert Pinot Gris, it brings forth an essence of apple and some peach but is unlike most dessert wines you will taste.  With a nice lightness but plenty of sweet, I guarantee you'll love this one whether you like dessert wine or not.

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Are you salivating yet? You should be! As you can tell, all of these dishes were absolutely delicious, and we'd suggest picking up a copy of The Vintner's Kitchen available for $29.95. A quick word of warning, some of the recipes are a bit vague so we relied on our confidence as chefs to produce the results. If you need everything exactly prescribed and timed in the kitchen, you may need some trial and error before being successful.  Please support the wineries that contributed to our dinner as they all make great wine, are good people, and support the local economy.

We're already working on concepts for our Spring Wine Dinner. Some ideas we're looking at include a Sake tasting, or, a "farm to mouth" in 100 miles dinner. What ideas do you have for a wine pairing dinner?

Fortified (Port-Style) Wine of the Yakima Valley: Episode 1; Cabernet Sauvignon

When a wine is referred to as 'fortified,' it means it's been made stronger (or 'fortified') by adding a distilled beverage, traditionally brandy. The brandy is added before the fermentation process is complete, which kills the yeast, leaving behind more sugar, which results in a stronger, sweeter beverage. As I mentioned here, to properly be called Port, the wine must hail from the Duoro Valley in Portugal. Since the wines I received were grown and bottled in Washington, they are more properly 'port-style' or 'fortified wines.'

I would like to take you on a figurative journey through the fortified or Port-style wines of Yakima Valley, through nine Yakima Valley wineries and one Idaho winery. In order to give you a sense of what I had the pleasure to taste, I'll be breaking out my posts based on varietal. We'll be touring fortified wines made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sangiovese, or using a traditional port-style blend. Today's post will focus on the fortified wine made from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape.

Without further ado...Cabernet Sauvignon

I received three samples of fortified wine made from Cabernet Sauvignon: The Forte from Terra Blanca and two American Port-Style wines from Eaton Hill, Lot 99 and Lot 03. Because port-style wines are so enjoyable, I asked some friends to join us for the tasting of the Cabernets.

We started with the Terra Blanca Forte, 2005 ($42), which is 100% Cabernet. Put simply, it was quite good. This fortified wine is Terra Blanca's homage to the great Ports of the Duoro Valley. The nose had cherries and raisins, and one friend "definitely smelled raspberries." It went beautifully with dried figs and chocolate truffles, which enhanced flavor elements of the wine, including a resounding plum flavor that everyone picked up. Gwynne cited cassis which sent the group into a disagreement over what cassis actually was. Gwynne was right. The technical notes mentioned that the grapes were left to hang until mid-November. The sweetness that came out of that resulted in a very smooth texture in this delicious dark ruby wine.

Eaton Hill sent two fortified wines, the Lot 03, and the Lot 99, the respected harvest years of the fruit used in each.

The Lot 99 ($40) is made from Cabernet grapes and aged 17 months in oak barrels. This wine was awarded a silver medal at the 2003 San Diego National Wine Competition, and it came with a cool little silver sticker on the bottle. Gwynne described the nose of this wine perfectly: "it smells like a hot sunny day with over-ripened black berries crushed on the sidewalk." It had flavors of plum and caramel. We drank this along side the Theo Bread and Chocolate bar, which was a hit.

The Eaton Hill Lot 03 ($50) was amazing. Stunning. The nose of this wine is unbelievably luxuriant. This wine certainly benefited from the 30 months it spent in oak. Though it paired very well with the chocolate, cheese and dried figs we had on hand, this wine is a dessert in and of itself, with a nose of dried rose petals and vanilla. The wine tastes of chocolate, cherries and plum jam. One guest even a smoothness and depth of flavor reminiscent of crème brûlée. The wine was silky smooth and by far our favorite of the evening, and it had the jewelry to match. With six silver medals and one bronze medal this wine had more bling than Lil' John.

My next fortified wine post will be coming soon, but in the meantime, if you find yourself in need of an after-dinner drink, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any one of the Terra Blanca Forte, Eaton Hill Lot 99 or Eaton Hill Lot 03.

Seattle's Urban Wineries Part 3: A Nano-Winery in Ballard

WineGirl Wines came to my attention recently as a perfect fit in my Seattle Urban Wineries series. Angela Jacobs is the "Wine Girl" behind WineGirl Wines. Making wine since 2001, she fell in love with wine while working at Cucina Cucina and made her first release (a Pinot Noir) before she turned 21. Angela agreed to meet me for lunch at Guancos Tacos, a delicious pupusería in Seattle's University District.

We had an excellent conversation over lunch, touching on social media and wine and the role it plays before we turned to WineGirl Wines. Angela describes her operation as a "nano-winery" because of its small size - annually, WineGirl Wines produces 200 cases a year. She told me that she owes a lot to Derek DesVoigne at Cuillin Hills. Given her small size she needs to be very efficient and effective in selling her wine so that she'll have the capital necessary to make the next vintage. Angela is still working it out. But she's also got long term plans for WineGirl Wines, including a vineyard plot she just acquired in Lake Chelan. She's also toying with the idea of opening a tasting room in the next year, though she still hasn't nailed down a location. For the time being, her wine making operation is based in Sammamish, WA, and sells her wine out of her Ballard home.

Of the 200 cases produced annually, the largest single production is the Kamari Black Label Reserve ($33), a Walla Walla Valley blend of which she made 48 cases. Angela makes three labels right now: the Firá, the Derby Wife, and the Kamari. Her Firá wines are named after the Greek word for fire and are her most affordable wines. These excellent wines go fast, and only the Chardonnay is still available. She also makes a My Derby Wife Merlot ($27) from Wahluke Slope in homage to the Rat City Roller Girls roller derby club, of which Angela is herself a member. The third label is her high-end wine: Kamari, named after the black sand beaches of Greece and made from sustainably grown grapes from Zerba Cellars in Walla Walla. The Kamari wines, represented by a beautiful black label, include a Malbec ($29), the Black Label Reserve ($33) and a Cabernet Franc ($26). As of this writing, there are fewer than two cases remaining of the Malbec and Cab Franc.

Angela was kind enough to bring me a bottle of the Kamari Black Label Reserve to sample. It is a decadent blend of four Bordeaux varietals - 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 17% Malbec, and 15% Cabernet Franc, and has a beautiful dark ruby color. The twenty months it spent in oak are evident in toasty vanilla notes on the nose. The palette shows black cherry and chocolate in an unbelievably smooth and well-structured wine. One reviewer in the online store described the Black Label Reserve as "the perfect combination between boldness and quiet charm," an apt description that I think fits this well-crafted wine very well. This wine is the very definition of boutique wine-making done right.

Angela's wines can be purchased online as well as at various Seattle area retailers. Having had the Black Label Reserve, I can tell you that I'll be looking to pick up more of Angela's wines, and I recommend you do the same.

The Best of 2009 - The Oregon Wine Blog Style

It's been a fantastic year for The Oregon Wine Blog.  We've met some great people, drank some fabulous wine, enjoyed culinary delights, and experienced the true bounty of our region.  We made 78 posts on the blog and grew to a staff of 4 regular contributors, and site visits are up 56% over last year.

Early in December we started kicking around the idea of doing a "Best of 2009" feature and nearly immediately hit a roadblock in discussing the logistics of this post.  Should it be the best wine we drank in 2009...or the best wine released in 2009...or the our favorite experience associated with the blog during the year?  Well, in the true organic style of our blog, we decided that each writer could "do whatever the hell they want" as long as it involves wine and 2009.  So here goes - our staff's Best of 2009 - for what it's worth!

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Josh's Pick
Narrowing down to a favorite of 2009 was very difficult for me. There are particular wines that stick out, particular experiences that were phenomenal, and as you can probably tell from our posts that we have some wineries that are solidly great, 100% of the time. I decided to focus on a wine and experience that was a surprise, versus a place like Willamette Valley Vineyards where we know it will always excel. The surprise, in a very good way, and my Best of 2009 is Terra Blanca Winery and their 2003 Pantheon.

2003 Terra Blanca Pantheon

We've detailed a few of the reasons that Terra Blanca is a favorite in previous postings, but in short both times the blog has officially visited the estate we have been blown away by the culture, the experience, and the wine.

 This summer we had one of those afternoons where we walked through the door expecting to taste through and be out, and we ended up chatting with the winemaker for nearly an hour, getting a wonderful tour of the cellar, and tasting wines that are demonstrative of the Red Mountain amazingness. The 2003 Pantheon is one of those wines. I wish I had purchased a bottle while I was there as it wasn't available the next time I visited the tasting room. A new take on Nebbiolo, the Pantheon is 81% Nebbiolo, 17% Cab Sauv, and 2% Dolcetto and it is everything that is great about an Eastern Washington spin on an Italian wine. As noted by the winemaker, "A full-bodied blend bursting with flavor and the aromas of violets, the Nebbiolo shines while the Cabernet Sauvignon provides the depth and backbone of the wine. On the palate, flavors of cherries and licorice dominate." Thank you, Terra Blanca, for what you are doing in the industry.

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Rick's Pick
Picking just one wine as my favorite for the year is a very difficult decision. I've had some absolutely phenomenal wine, met some folks producing world class varietals, and had the opportunity to participate in some really fun events. Over and over again we continue to write about the entire wine experience, which is just as important to me as the wine itself. After a lot of deliberation, I kept coming back to one bottle of wine that was not only delicious, but was part of a really great experience:

2005 Col Solare

I don't mean to sound like a broken record mentioning Col Solare again, but the very first bottle of 2005 Col Solare Josh and I enjoyed together has been perhaps the most enjoyable bottle of wine I have ever had the pleasure to uncork. For a full write up, check out the article we wrote.

Long story short, Josh and I had been talking about wanting to try Col Solare for quite some time. $75 for a bottle of wine is quite a stretch for two guys that write for a wine blog that creates zero revenue, but I finally pulled the trigger. I had just finished grad school and officially started my career, whilst Josh was getting ready for a business trip to England and having a generally frustrating day. It wasn't anything fancy, but we popped the bottle and reflected on all the great stuff that had happened in recent months while he packed for the trip.

The wine itself was phenomenal as well. Col Solare essentially gets first pick of all of Chateau St. Michelle's fruit with the sole purpose of making the best red blend possible This mix of Cab Sauv, Merlot, and Cab Franc succeeded with flying colors.

Since then, Josh, Chris, and I later had the opportunity to visit Col Solare's winery on Red Mountain. Not only is their wine phenomenal, but Wendy gave us what I would consider the most special wine tour I have ever had. Col Solare could be the most pretentious winery in the entire Northwest, but Wendy's down-to-earth mentality and willingness to be open with us made the experience even better. To pass on word from Wendy herself, it's not invitation-only to go on a tour, but you do need to make an appointment. It is certainly well worth it.

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Clive's Pick
When I reflect on what the best or most interesting bottle of wine I had in 2009, one particular wine stands out. As someone who has scoffed at this type of wine in the past, I can't believe I'm about to admit this, but the most interesting wine I drank in 2009 was a Rosé. Yes, I said it. DeLille's 2008 Doyenne Rosé is quite simply the best rosé I’ve ever had.

2008 DeLille Doyenne Rosé

DeLille made this Rosé in the Bandol style; the blend is 70% mourvedre, 15% grenache and 15% cinsault. The wine is a beautiful salmon color in the glass with touches of strawberry and meadow on the nose. The wine has a wonderful crispness to it that make it work very well as a stand alone wine and equally well with food. I’ve volunteered at DeLille for a few years and while I think the experience I had with the wine and with the people who are involved in making it contributed to how I felt about it, there is no question that this wine is phenomenal in its own right.

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Micheal's Pick
2009 was far from my best year in terms of wine, primarily because I did not drink as much of it as I would have liked. So when the idea came across the staff e-mail asking us to write about our favorite of 2009, it was relatively easy for me. My best of 2009, was, unfortunately, not a wine whose grapes were grown, picked, fermented, or bottled in 2009. This is a bottle from 2004 that I received in the spring of 2008, and this would be the last wine that I had in my old apartment in July before I moved to my new place in August. For me, the best of 2009 would be the 2004 Westrey Pinot Noir from Abbey Ridge Vineyard, which is located in the Dundee Hills area of Oregon.

2004 Westrey Pinot Noir - Abbey Ridge Vineyard

I received this bottle of wine at the end of my first academic year at Willamette University (my current employer). After my first year, my role would change and I would no longer be in the same department that originally brought me to Willamette. My Director at the time wanted to give me something as a "going away" gift, and she knew I liked wine, but she herself did not know a lot about wine. She spoke with the Vice President I would now be reporting to. He, has and remains a wine connoisseur, having written wine reviews for either the Statesman or the Oregonian (I forget which one), and this bottle was among the bottles he recommended and I received.

I recall very clearly the day I opened this Pinot Noir. I had two friends, Ross and Denise visiting from Chicago - they decided to spend their one year wedding anniversary in Oregon, and spent a couple of days with me. We had spent the day driving up the Pacific Coast Highway, and had traveled from Salem to Newport to Lincoln City to Tillamook, and back to Salem. After such a long day, I thought it would be best to unwind with a bottle of wine, and as we had had a couple of really warm days and I was worried about this wine going bad, I thought it would be a great treat to have. I remember three things about this wine - the color, the nose, and way it was on the palate. The color - a rich red that was bold and stood out, yet it still had some transparency to it. The nose - oaky and spicy in a way that put a smile on your face. When sniffing this wine, you knew you were about to enjoy a great glass of wine. The palate - the way this wine landed on your palate, coated it, and you tasted every aspect of the wine - made you tingle. I remember enjoying the spices and the way they were subtle and not overpowering, and how my sense of smell enhanced the way my sense of taste absorbed this wine, and my brain processed it. In short, having this pinot was a full body experience.

This wine will hold a place in my heart for so many reasons and I am glad that I can say this was my best wine of 2009.

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There we have it folks, 2009 is in the bag. As you can see, each special bottle has a backstory to it that makes it all the more meaningful to each of us.

What is your "best of", in whatever non-linear way you define best?