Cheers To You

Brynn writes:

I’m sure by now you’re all well aware that this weekend is supposed to be awesome, filled with warmth and blue, sunny skies.

What better way to enjoy our sneak peek at summer than with a glass (or two, or three) of a good wine.

Rolling Bay Winery on Bainbridge Island is open this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, from noon to 5:30 p.m. Their winery is a beautiful location just off Rolling Bay with outdoor tables, picturesque gardens and views of Seattle. See their website for more details.

Mosquito Fleet Winery in Belfair is opening its barrel room Saturday for people to taste its latest wines. This weekend marks the start of wine tasting season for the winery, which will open its doors every Saturday from now until September from noon to 5 p.m.

A recent email from the winery lists a calendar of events happening over the summer. If you’re super organized like me, you might want to write these dates down for future planning:

Spring has come fast and furious for us at MFW. We’ve been tasting and blending our 2011 wines and are excited to share them with you! We’ve also been busy creating a calendar of events to enjoy with you and your family and friends this summer. Check out some of  the upcoming events:

• May 4: Barrell Room opens every Saturday for wine tastings Noon – 5pm (May-Sept)
• May 17: Bainbridge Island: wine tasting and book signing. Author Richard Blumenthal will be at The Chapel on Echo Bay to discuss his book “Maritime Place Names”.  Come and learn all the interesting reasons why Washington waters and places are named the way they are. Time:  7- 10 p.m.
• May 17: Gig Harbor: Wine Tasting at The Wine Studio from 5-9 p.m.
• May 18: Winemakers dinner at Alderbrook Resort the breathtaking Hood Canal. Social hour begins at 6:30 / Dinner at 7 p.m.; $129 per person.
• May 26: Barrel tasting 2-5 p.m. with winemaker, Brian Petersen.  Sample a variety of wines in various barrels. Learn about the importance of barrel selection and how it affects the flavors.  $25 per person.
• June 27: Winemaker’s dinner at the Winery in the barrel room with one of our favorite chefs, Dustin Joseph of the Art House Café in Tacoma. $100 per person menu BTA. Enjoy a gourmet five course meal and wine with the owners of Mosquito Fleet Winery. Seating is limited.
• July 5: Winery open for tastings 4-8 p.m. Bring your family and visiting guests down for a taste!
• Aug 8: Salsa dancing lesson in the Barrel Room.  This is gonna be one HOT August night!! Bring your partner and a little attitude and we’ll bring the wine and appies! Tickets will be available soon.
• Sept 10: Bottling day. We’ll be bottling our 2011wines for your future enjoyment.

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Looking for something to do on Saturday? Well if you feel like spending the evening drinking some really, really, really good wine, check out this event planned on our side of the water. It combines the wines of DeLille Cellars with the beautiful setting of the Alderbrook Resort & Spa.

Here’s the information from a press release:

The evening will feature expertly prepared, locally sourced seafood dishes and wine from DeLille Cellars, one of the Pacific Northwest’s most renowned wineries. Signature dishes from Alderbrook’s Executive Chef Lucas Sautter will be complemented by DeLille’s delicious handcrafted wines.

Reservations can be made by calling (360) 898-5500. Want to make a night or two of it? Stay for the weekend and treat yourself at the full-service spa, play a round on the 18-hole PGA-class golf course or enjoy the fresh air on Alderbrook’s waterfront lawn. Room rates start at $159.

What: DeLille Cellars six course wine dinner at Alderbrook Resort & Spa
Where: Alderbrook Resort & Spa, 7101 East State Route 106, Union, WA 98592
Date: Saturday, April 13, 2013
Time: Pre-event social begins at 6:30 p.m., dinner starts at 7:00 p.m.
Cost: $129 per person
Wine Dinner Reservations: (360) 898-5500
Room Reservations: (360) 898-2200

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This post really should be titled “What we hope to be drinking” because it’s our short list of wineries we hope to visit while attending the Taste Washington event at the end of this month. (If you want more details on the event or how to get tickets, see our previous post here.)

How is it time for Taste Washington again, you might ask? Good question — we’re asking ourselves the same thing. It seems like only yesterday I was 8 months pregnant, waddling around the CenturyLink Event Center with Mary and Jeff taking tiny sips (and spitting) some great wines.

Thank goodness this year I’m free and clear to do as much wine tasting as my palate will allow (the baby is being dropped off at Grandma’s so mom and dad can get some good wine tasting quality time).

Before attending these large-scale tastings we always create a game plan — review the list of wineries and what they expect to pour, and then decide who we just can’t miss. Last year Jeff’s plan was to taste all of the most expensive wines being poured. That was a lot of fun.

While we create a plan, we almost never stick to it — winery ADD takes over when we get into the building. Nevertheless, we still like to pretend we have a plan.

This is who we’re excited to visit this year:

Mary’s list:

• Doubleback: Only time I’ll get to taste the most expensive wine at this event.
• Desert Wind: Love their wines and want to see what they’re up too.
• Two Mountain: Really love the wines, the guys who run it and just tasted a homemade port made from Two Mountain grapes.
• Buty Winery: Love their wine and they are sooo affordable.
• Powers Winery: Here’s a winery that has been around forever and still produces quality, affordable wines.
• Smasne: Tough to find in Kitsap so here’s my chance to see what they’ve been up to.
• Robert Ramsey: Ditto.
• Rotie: Have to try these as they produced our favorite wine last year.

Brynn’s list:

• Canoe Ridge Vineyard: After recently drinking a cab from this winery I’d like to see what else they have.
• Cave B: At our first Taste WA experience I tried their chardonnay and fell in love, it’s time to rekindle that romance.
• Efeste: I see their label everywhere but have never given then a try, now’s my chance.
• Maison Bleue Winery: Tried the wines a couple years ago at the Rhone Rangers tasting in Seattle, loved everything he poured.
• Rotie: Tops my list because I have a few bottles of their Northern Red(which was my all-time favorite wine tasted at last year’s Taste Washington).
• Woodward Canyon: Last on the Taste WA list, but certainly at the top of my list, especially because one of the winery owners has Bremerton roots.

Tom Douglas at Taste Washington 2012

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Brynn writes:

It’s March, do you know what that means? Beyond our days staying light a little longer and the daffodils starting to push through the soggy ground, it also means that it’s Washington Wine Month.

And what happens during Washington Wine Month? Taste Washington, of course!

This year the event is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, March 23-24. It will be at the CenturyLink Field Event Center — walking distance from the Colman ferry dock.

If you choose to go for two days, the ticket price for general admission is $125, or $80 for one day. Hours are 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Last year we loved that they expanded the event to two days. It gives you a chance to taste more wineries without overloading your tastebuds.

If you want to go all out, there’s a VIP package which includes an extra hour — 1 to 5 p.m. admission — and access to the barrel room, a VIP lounge; a “swag bag” and special giveaways during the VIP hour.

There’s also the chance to attend seminars on Saturday and Sunday, where you can learn about Washington’s wine industry from some of the state’s leaders. Seminars are 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day, and require an additional admission, which varies depending on topic. Visit the seminar page here for more information.

To buy tickets, or to see a complete list of wineries planning to pour at Taste Washington, visit the event website.

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Brynn writes:

What are you doing Monday, March 11? If you’re free in the evening from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. consider visiting McCaw Hall in Seattle for a Walla Walla Wine tasting.

Since it takes half a day to get to Walla Walla, this really is a great opportunity for wine lovers to get the chance to sample what the acclaimed wine region has to offer. Not to mention you save a lot of gas money, and you don’t have to drive from winery to winery — they’re all going to be under one roof.

More than 50 wineries from the Walla Walla Valley will be pouring wines. You not only will get the chance to taste these great wines, you’ll also get to meet the winemakers and winery owners behind the labels. These are the best kind of tasting events because you get to hear straight from the people who are in the field with the grapes and who put their heart and soul into making the wine.

Hearing from winemakers directly always help broaden an understanding of how wines are produced — and who knows it might even help you stumble on a new favorite winery. Appetizers will also be served.

Tickets are $50 and can be purchased from brownpapertickets.com. Or by clicking here.

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Brynn writes:

Struggling for ideas to surprise the love (or love interest) of your life this Valentine’s day? Look no farther than Bainbridge Island.

The winemakers that have put the island on the wine tour map are opening their doors for a Valentine’s day-themed wine tasting event Feb. 16 and 17. The weekend also coincides with the release of some of the wineries latest wines.

Here’s a list of the tasty treats they plan to serve:

• Amelia Wynn: Artisanal chocolates paired by the winemaker
• Eagle Harbor: Chocolates handmade by a Pasticceria of the Scuola di Arte Culinaria Cordon Bleu
• Eleven: Super-secret chocolate plans are afoot at Eleven
• Rolling Bay: Taste through a delicious line up of Theo Chocolates paired with our wines
• Perennial Vintners: Chocolatier Keith Jackson of Yukon Jackson’s chocolates will be serving several of his creations, including his Perennial Frambelle chocolate truffle

Also of note: Fletcher Bay winery will be closed because they are moving to a new location set to open in March.

The wineries are open both days, noon to 5 p.m. To see driving directions visit their collective website.

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Brynn writes:

Wine release party season is fast upon us as area wineries prepare to share their hard work with the drinking public.

Belfair-based Mosquito Fleet Winery is opening its doors the weekend of Feb. 9 and 10 for its release party celebration to showcase the release of its 2010 vintage wines. This is the winery’s second release. We attended the winery’s inaugural release party last year and were thoroughly impressed. We also had a chance last fall to taste some of the winery’s 2010 vintages while they were still in the works and again were extremely excited to taste the “final” bottled product.

(Click here for our story about last year’s release party; click here for a story about Mosquito Fleet Winery; click here for our review of MFW Cab).

Doors will be open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. For $10 you can taste the winery’s six wines. The fee is waived with purchase.

Here’s info sent by the winery with details of what to expect at the weekend celebration:

The crew at Mosquito Fleet is intent on rolling out an enjoyable spread of chocolates and cheeses. They have hired Chef Dustin Joseph of the ‘Art House Café’ to create food pairings for each of their six wines.

In addition, Mosquito Fleet contracted with Oh Chocolates of Mercer Island to create truffles using the winery’s own ‘Port style’ desert wine. The winery is also bringing in a different band on each day to play for guests.

Doors will be open from 11 a.m. to 5:00 pm both days. They will be serving six wines, five still wines and a dessert wine that will be served in small Swiss chocolate cups. The cost is only $10 per person with the winery waiving that fee with the purchase of a bottle of wine.

Mosquito Fleet Winery has operated for four years, but has only released one vintage (2009) thus far.  The 2010 varietals will be their second release.

“We are certainly wanting to remain patient and not release the wines before they are ready. We want to continue maximizing wine quality and creating a good first impression for the consumer,” said winemaker and co-owner Brian Petersen.

The MFW 2009 vintage sold out in a matter of months and received tremendous accolade. The winery believes the soon-to-be released 2010 wines are even better and the four owners anticipate tremendous sales this year as well.

The February release consists of only 1,000 cases and some varietals are extremely limited. With the tremendous local support and many commercial accounts clamoring to get their hands on this year’s production, it could go quickly.

“We are excited about the growing demand. We believe it’s a result of prioritizing quality over quantity… a stronghold of the Mosquito Fleet Winery philosophy,” Petersen said.

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Brynn writes:

This past weekend Mary and I had the pleasure of attending the fourth annual Kitsap Wine Festival.

It was our third year at the event — we missed the inaugural year — and unlike the last three years, this year the sun hid behind a bank of clouds. We heard from a lot of people they were happy it wasn’t as hot as years past, but I have to say I would have liked at least a little sun.

But I digress, we weren’t there for the weather, we were there for the wine!

This year 34 wineries were set up around the Bremerton Harborside Fountain Park, many of them returning from the previous year.

When we got there we went straight to the back, as we usually do at this type of event. Not too many people had arrived yet, so we were able to make our way around pretty quickly before it got crowded.

I was pulling double duty, triple duty actually, reporting on the event for Sunday’s paper (See the story here), taking photographs for the paper, and doing the wine blog thing with Mary.

The fact that I was mutli-tasking was a good thing because it made me run around to different booths and try wines that I might have otherwise overlooked.

Of course to start things off I went to two of my favorite wineries: Kiona Vineyards and Winery and McCrea Cellars.

Once again McCrea is taking the award of “Favorite white wine” from the festival for its Sirroco Blanc, a blend of Grenache blanc, marsanne, roussanne and picpoul — all my favorite white Rhone grapes. Looking back at our previous reviews of this weekend, McCrea ranks among our top picks.

The Sirroco Blanc is a medium-bodied white, with the weight of the marsanne balanced nicely by the mouth-puckering flavors of the picqpoul. The nose is floral and the finish has a slight tartness to it.

Here’s our reviews of some of the other wines that made our favorites list from the event:

 Forgeron Cellars:

 2010 Chardonnay: This wine is 100 percent fermented in oak, 1/3 of it new. Those who don’t like oaky chardonnay would love this wine. While there are hints of caramel from the oak in the wine, the fruit and citrus flavors take center stage. If I hadn’t been told it was fermented in oak I would have guessed the wine was aged in stainless steel. This wine follows the traditional winemaking style of Burgundy.

The winery labels its chardonnay as “unique”. I asked Don Gagne, who was there pouring for the winery, what makes it unique? He said it’s the fact that winemaker Marie-Eve Gilla uses grapes from four different vineyards. This allows for the mixing of different terroir. There’s also one barrel of Grenache blanc added to the mix. It was added because the winery had a barrel left after doing its Rhone blends and didn’t want it to go to waste, Gange said.

Retail: $25. Forgeron is available at the Port Orchard Fred Meyer.

2010 Late Harvest Riesling: This wine was apparently a fan favorite Saturday because by the time we made it up to the retail shop it had sold out.

This vintage is the winery’s first with Botrytis, or noble rot, which is what produces the concentrated flavors. The syrupy sweetness is evident on the nose, while the citrus flavors balance the middle. The winery recommends it paired with strong cheeses or tart cobblers, or as dessert in a glass. Retail: $19.

 Hightower Cellars:

 Out of Line 2009: This estate wine from the Red Mountain AVA is in its fourth year of production. It’s the winery’s Bordeaux Blend with 42 percent merlot, 34 percent cabernet sauvignon, 8 percent cabernet franc, 8 percent malbec and 8 percent petit verdot.

This earthy wine is complimented with notes of dark cherry, cedar, graphite, cassis and kola. It is a medium-bodied wine with a smooth finish that lingers.

 Naches Heights Vineyard and Winery:

 2010 Syrah: Unlike some Washington Syrah’s that can be chewy and fruity, this Syrah is more reminiscent of one from France’s northern Rhone Valley. That is probably because the vineyards are the highest planted syrah in the state, according to winery owner Phil Cline. The result of the cooler climate is a wine that retains its acidity, making it less aggressive on the fruit flavors and an elegant accompaniment to food. Retail: $20.

 Angel Vine:

 This winery is very unusual. Here is an Oregon winery producing the California grape (zinfandel) harvested in Washington. They also produce a Primitivo, which is a cousin to the zinfandel grape. Both wines have the typical scents of plum and black cherry and big, rich plum, berry, and peppery spicy flavors.

Convergence Zone Cellars:

 This winery produces award-winning wines in all categories — gold, silver and bronze. Their Storm Front Red 2009 is a wonderful blend of merlot, cab, cab franc and malbec from Red Mountain. It’s a blend that has aromas and flavors of plum, black cherry spiced and pencil lead with this jimmy finish. It just rocks!

Laurelhurst Cellars: 

This Seattle urban winery poured a Columbia Valley red blend of mostly cab with a little merlot, cabernet franc and malbec called Laurus Nobilis. We loved their 2008 Red Mountain Syrah.

Northwest Totem Cellars:

This is a small, family-owned winery producing handcrafted wines in Woodinville. Their consulting enologist, Cheryl Jones, has been making wine in Washington for a number of years and is well practiced at her craft. Mary especially liked the Qoné 2009 Red. It is a delicious blend of cab franc, cabernet sauvignon, syrah and petit verdot that smells of blackberry, cherries and vanilla, with a luscious berry and white pepper finish.

The first wine of the day for Mary was Finca Domingo’s 2011 Hermanos Torrontés from the Cafayate Valley in Argentina. This vineyard is located 5,500 feet up the foothills. Its tropical fruit aromas were delightful and the steely citrus and spice flavors refreshing.

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Brynn writes:

It’s that time of the year again, time to head down to the Bremerton waterfront for the annual Kitsap Wine Festival. The weather is set to once again be perfect — sun, sun and more sun — and we couldn’t think of a better way to spend our Saturday.

The event is from 2 to 5:30 p.m. at the Harborside Fountain Park next to the Bremerton Ferry Terminal. Tickets are still available. They’re $50 if bought by Friday (Aug. 17) and $60 at the door. Proceeds from the event benefit the Harrison Medical Center Foundation.

While the focus of the day will be on wine, for those who prefer a cold beer on a hot day there will be a selection of brews from local breweries. The event also includes small plates and bites from local restaurants and a chance to socialize in the sun.

Another nice thing about this event is the option to buy the wine. If you try something that you absolutely love you can head to the retail shop and buy it before heading home.

To see a complete list of wineries and breweries planning to be in attendance, visit the Kitsap Wine Festival site. You can also purchase your tickets from there.

We will be in attendance Saturday and like we’ve done in previous years will write up a review of our favorite wines tasted in the days following. If you do go, remember to slather on the sunscreen and drink plenty of water — it’s going to be a hot one!

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Last weekend we dusted off our wine glasses in preparation of our first joint tasting event where we could both do some serious tasting — while Brynn is still out on maternity leave she was able to get away to Bainbridge Island for a couple of hours for the Bainbridge Uncorked event.

We had the chance to attend a VIP event held Friday evening before the main event got started, giving us ample time to jump from table to table and to chat up each of the seven winemakers that were on hand to pour their wines.

The event also gave us a chance to try some of the wines that were recently recognized at the Seattle Wine Awards. Here’s a recap of those wines:

Amelia Wynn Winery

DOUBLE GOLD 2009 Amelia Wynn Winery Cuvée, Columbia Valley

The Cuvee is a beautiful blend of 62 percent Cab, 27 percent Merlot, and 11 percent Petit Verdot. The color is deep and rich with a black cherry and plum upfront and then wonderful mineral and herb aromas. This all comes together to produce a very balanced wine.  This is the wine’s second year as a Double Gold Medal winner.

DOUBLE GOLD 2009 Amelia Wynn Winery Sangiovese, Red Mountain

We love this Sangiovese, from its nose of cherries and herbs, the refreshing acidity, the balanced cherry, fruit and herbs, to the silky finish. A blend of Red Mountain’s Kiona Vineyard Sangiovese with a dollop of Merlot from the Vista Vineyard in Columbia Valley. This is a definite must try! And coming in 2013, winemaker Paul Bianchi will release a Sangiovese Rose.

Eleven Winery

DOUBLE GOLD 2009 Eleven Winery La Ronde, Washington State

Here’s a blend of all winemaker Matt Albee’s reds that he sources from Horse Heaven Hills. This version is Syrah (44 percent), Mourvedre (22 percent), Petite Verdot (22 percent) and Malbec (11 percent). It has a perfumed nose of raspberry and strawberry. On the palate, this purple-black wine is rich in texture and has a beautiful finish that matches the nose.

BRONZE 2010 Eleven Winery Roussanne, Yakima Valley

We tasted Albee’s 2011 Roussanne made from 10-year-old vines off Elephant Mountain.

What a gorgeous wine. It’s aromatic with a rich, unctuous feel. The full-bodied wine is floral with lemon and pear fruit flavors. It is so delicious. But hurry; there are only 90 cases of this gem.

Rolling Bay Winery

SILVER 2009 Rolling Bay Winery Cuvée Aldaro, Snipes Mountain

Winemaker Alphonse de Klerk’s Cuvee this year is a blend of 78 percent Cab, 12 percent Cab Franc, and 10 percent Merlot. This blend is dominated by an herbal Cabernet with notes of dark cherry and plum from the Cab Franc and Merlot. The finish is more herbal than fruit so we’d pair this one with a steak that has plenty of grilled green peppers or even pesto.

BRONZE 2009 Rolling Bay Winery Syrah, Snipes Mountain

This was a hot year on the south facing slopes of Snipes Mountain. And as a result, this wine is fruit-forward with lots of blackberry and plum flavors. It has a heady floral aroma and a deep purple hue. Almost two years in French oak, this medium-bodied wine has soft tannins. It would be a great pairing with grilled baby back ribs.

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