Wine Club Insider coming at you from on the road this week!

Yup… actually had to go out of town to do some work for a living… I pride myself on being one of the busiest unemployed people I know, but every once in a while, I have to do something at least mildly productive, even if just to keep my wife happy.

With that in mind, I had to make the trip to Bend, Or. to teach a small clinic. I drove down Sunday, and it was an awesome day… mid 80s (warmest day this year around here!), sunny… perfect! By the looks of it, the wine industry isn’t suffering quite as mush as the rest of us in these troubled times… people will always keep sipping their vino, I guess. It was great to see all of the new wineries dotting the Columbia River and Oregon hillsides as I made the trip. I’m planning in hitting a few of them on the way home – strictly for educational purposes, of course!

On a side note, the unsettled weather seems to be following me; the drive down was perfect, it was 86 yesterday, and today, after giving it a chance to catch up, it’s 66 and raining – in the high desert. Oh well… just seems to be my luck this spring. I did get a great run in this morning before the clouds rolled in, though, so no worries!

The folks I’m staying with in Bend are also foodie/winos, so we manage to always find something to drink, eat and chat about, even if it’s just a simple salad, watermelon and cheese like we had Sunday night, accompanied by a very pleasant surprise that I dragged out of my cellar and brought along for the ride…

We opened a 2002 A Mano Puglia, which is made from 100% Primitivo (Basically Zinfandel, or at least modern Zin’s grandfather). It was huge! Rich, full, but not over done. Yup… Zin is my current favorite red grape… it’s been working toward it for a year, and over the past 3 or 4 months, I don’t think I’ve had a bad Zin!

Last night, friends came over for lasagna, salad and bread, and brought, of all things, a Ravenswood Zin. A great coincidence! The Ravenswood was excellent, as usual, but lacked some of the fruit of the A Mano, to my mind. Still a terrific wine, though.

Tonight, I’m facing off against one of the chefs here in town in an Iron Chef-meets-Chopped contest, with pride and a good bottle on the line… I’ll let you know how it goes on Thursday!

(I think I have an edge, because I also brought the fabulous 2003 Borra “Fusion,” the Syrah-Cab Sauv-Merlot-Zin blend from from Lodi for the entree, and with my dessert, I’m serving one of the last 6 remaining bottles of Renaissance 1982 Late Harvest Sauv Blanc in a 750… it’s the color of dark caramel, and will carry the evening for me, I’m sure, no matter what I make!) Almost a shame to have to throw in work in the middle of all of it, but it keeps me in vino, laptops and mountain bikes, so it’s all good!

Have a great week!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out.

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Wine Club Insider back with you.

Rain, Rain, go away, come again another year…

Another day of substandard temps, buckets of rain and overcast here in the northwest. Our summers and falls are marvelous, but Spring kind of sucks until the rain ends… they give us just enough nice days so we don’t move away, but then the next wave of storms comes through, and our drought worries ease for another year!

One good thing is that it’s great for the grapes, though! Wet spring, long, hot, dry summer… maybe that’s why Columbia Valley fruit is getting such a great reputation!

In doing my normal weekly tromp around the cyber-vineyards of the Internet, I came across a new (to me, at least) site called “The Wine Society” out of England.  www.thewinesociety.com

Founded in 1874, it is reputed to be the World’s oldest wine club, and their stated goal is to introduce people to some of the world’s great wines at a fair price.

The way they work their membership is that you actually buy a share in the WIne Society for $60-ish (40 British pounds) and it is good for a lifetime, with no pressure to buy.

Even though shipping to the US isn’t an easy option, there are still plenty of other reasons to join, especially if you want a great wine education or have the option of travelling to the UK or to France at all…

Their wine list is over 800 deep, stuffed full of some of the great treasures from the US, Europe, Australia and beyond. They have a great online library, and if you live in England, they will deliver your wines with their own vans!

They also have several tastings, controlled storage for their members, and a nice futures program. They also have retail outlets in England and France if you “just have to have it today.”

I’m actually thinking about joining just for the extras, and picking up my wine when I next get there… and if I can’t bring it back with me, I guess I’ll just be forced to drink it with a nice piece of cheese and some fresh bread out in the English countryside… could be worse, I guess.

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out

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Wine Club Insider back with you!

I am going to apologize in advance: We’re hosting a 1300 person event with 24 different sessions over 10 days coming up in early June, and as things get closer, I may be a bit sporadic on my postings… I will do what I can to keep current, and will promise to make up any that I miss afterwards.

This is one of the biggest events we have ever done, and it’s rapidly turning into a 25 hour/day project!

Anyway, I hope you all had a marvelous Mother’s Day! We certainly did around here. My own mom passed away very young from cancer, but my wife not only has her mom, she also has a 96 year old grandmother (Omi) and a 93 year old grandmother, both in excellent health (well, excellent for 93 and 96… I’d settle for being that healthy at that age!) so we had a full table of moms.., my wife and I are also expecting our own first child within the next couple of weeks, so she almost counted in the motherhood department this year.

Being a chef, one of the greatest joys is being able to cook for the family, especially one that enjoys good food, as ours does, so I get the pleasant task of doing the family holiday meals, of which Mother’s Day ranks right up there.

Here’s what we did to keep body and soul together for Mother’s Day; our family are big fish eaters, so I based the meal around some wonderful halibut fillets I found, and went from there.

Appetizers:   Cold smoked sockeye salmon (yes, I smoked it myself) with minced egg, herbed cream cheese and home made croutons, accompanied by a nice cheese tray with Havarti, smoked Gouda, aged cheddar and Berliner, an excellent, aged Irish white cheese.

For our first beverage I made one of our signature champagne cocktails, using Whidbey’s Loganberry Liqueur, and then pouring the champagne in so slowly that the liqueur (which is a rich, deep purple) stays on the bottom. Add a raspberry into the drink and straddle a strawberry on the rim, and you have one attractive drink that tastes good, too!

Salad:  We had a spinach salad topped with strawberries, raspberries, diced pears, candied walnuts, feta, and a hot bacon raspberry vinagreitte dressing, served with warm soft rolls. I served a delightful Argentinian wine called “Chumeia,” which is an off-dry, almost effervescent blend of Torrontes and Chenin Blanc that offset the salad very nicely.

For the main course, I seasoned the halibut with sea salt and thyme, sauteed them in olive oil, and served them up over a bit of cooked spinach in a nice three pepper sauce. We also had some pan fried new red baby potatoes and some crisp asparagus, and I topped the halibut with a sauteed giant prawn.

Our two wines were the single vineyard Ironstone “Rosato de Sangiovese,” a bone dry sangio blush that everyone loved, to some surprise. Since our family are mainly red wine drinkers, I also opened a bottle of the 2004 Isenhower “Red Paintbrush.” I ‘ve mentioned this beauty before, and likely will again, as this merlot based blend is an awesome wine, and is drinking perfectly right now.

A quick note on food and wine pairings:  The days of “white with fish, red with meat” are long gone, my friends. Experiment with all sorts of pairings, and you’ll be surprised with what you find that works well. Also, basically, it comes down to “drink what you like,” though that is NOT an excuse to not try new and different wines, even if they’re white, and you’re a “red wine drinker,” or vice versa!

For dessert, I created something new in the spring time vein, and was pleased with how it came out…

I sliced up an Angel food cake loaf, and then French-toasted the slices in egg, powdered sugar and more of the Whidbey’s liqueur. Yummm. Yes, it tasted as good as it sounds. I covered the slices with a bit of strawberry whipped cream, fresh strawbs, and for a touch of flavor and color, I added a splash of Rhubarb and strawberry coulis I whipped up the night before. It was, I must say, excellent. The grandparents were almost licking their plates! We served it with a bottle of Golddigger Cellars 2002 Late Harvest Sauv Blanc for the crowning touch.

Well, that was it for us. I’d love to hear what you all do for traditions, or what you did for meals to bless our moms… let me know, and I can hopefully post some of the best ones.

Until next time,

Cheers!

WIne Club Insider out.

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Wine Club Insider back with you!

Yesterday, we took part in one of the great festival/sporting events anywhere in the USA; The Lilac Bloomsday Run, a 12 k (7.46 mile) run through the streets of Spokane with 52,000(!) of our closest friends.

In its 22rd year, Bloomsday – www.bloomsdayrun.org – is one of the largest (2nd largest, I believe, behind Bay to Breakers), best organized runs anywhere, and is a giant party that captivates an entire region for several days, including a huge fitness expo, community fitness and training classes etc.

It is also held the 1st Sunday in May, which nicely coincides with “Cinco de Mayo” festivities, which, this year, is being celebrated on the 5th of May…

I have to admit that I spent Saturday evening with my friends Jose and Margarita, rather than wine, but still managed to complete the pretty challenging run in 58 minutes, which isn’t bad for an old guy!

Dessert wines, as I have mentioned, are some of my favorites, with Ice Wine – or Eiswein – topping that list (okay, maybe Port is right up there).

We’ve talked a bit about Port in an earlier article, but I wanted to chat about how Ice Wines are made, since several vintages will be coming to market soon, just in time for your summer enjoyment.

So, what do you get when you let the grapes freeze on the vine, waiting until December or even January to pick them, by hand, in the dead of night, at less than 10 degrees?

Ice Wine, or Eiswein in Germany, is perhaps the most difficult to make, best-crafted wine in the world, and creates wine with such character and depth that it is hard to describe until you have tried it. These are world class wonders of delight and delicacy, with world class prices, to boot. In Germany, Riesling grapes are used for Eiswein, but other varietals are used around the world, including Gewurtztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc, Vidal, Muscat, Pinot Gris, Semillon, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and even Pinot Noir and Catawba. Canadian Ice Wines are viewed as perhaps the greatest in the world, and can easily fetch more the $90 for a 375 ml bottle! New Zealand, Austria and the US also make wonderful Ice Wines.

Here are just a few of your choices:

Inniskillin (Canada)                             Vidal and Riesling         $65 – 90/375ml (maybe the best in the world!)

Terra Blanca (Washington)                  Chenin Blanc                $50/375 ml

Bonny Doon ‘Vin Glaciere’                    Muscat                         $24

Mission Hill Reserve     (Canada)          Vidal                             $60

Selaks (New Zealand) and Covey Run (Washington) make excellent Ice Wines for under $30!

Of course, there are a whole raft of German Eisweins, including the famous Dr. Loosens, which are spectacular, if a bit pricey.

Some wineries freeze their own grapes, which seems to me like cheating, but there is little argument about the finished product. Dolce from Far Niente Vineyard ($80/375 ml) is a great example.

So, there’s a bit of a primer on “the Nectar of the Gods.” Enjoy!!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out.

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Wine Club Insider back with you!

It appears my predictions of the final demise of old man winter were a bit pre-mature, and did nothing but stir him up, as went from a nice mid 70′s on Monday-Tuesday, to the current conditions, which include a temp of 35, blustery wind, and an inch of new snow (!) on the ground. I apologize, and will keep my mouth shut from now on. Is it just me, or is anyone else looking forward to the shift into summer mode?

Have you noticed if your wine tastes change as the weather gets warmer? I continue to like reds anytime, but I do find I drink more whites and roses in the warmer weather… anyone else?

All Whining (as opposed to “wineing,” which never goes out of style!) aside, I have a nice site to recommend to you.

I was cruising the Web yesterday, and came across a new-to-me site called Bottlenotes at www.bottlenotes.com. At first I was struck by the “cleanliness” of the site… crisp, bright colors, easy to navigate, but as I puttered around, I was impressed with the wide variety of information they offered; they had everything from comprehensive tasting notes and reviews, easily navigable by price, varietal, winery etc, as well as access to their own podcasts featuring such notables as Jack Cakebread, Pete Mondavi jr., etc.

They have a nice feature called “Winecylopedia,” which is a pretty extensive collection of wine info, and they also have “The Daily Sip,” which is, as they describe it, like a cross between “Daily Candy,” and “US Weekly” for the wine industry.

Aside from all of these little perks, they also offer some really fun wine clubs, and their “hook,” so to speak, is that they will completely customize your wine club to your tastes, budget, schedule etc.

They have 9 offerings, including the Explorer’s Wine Club, which is pretty much the standard “get started for $25″ club, and they also have the obligatory Intermediate wine club (The perhaps less than originally named “Connoisseurs Club”) and a high end offering called ”Limited Addictions” (nice name!) wine club, which features pretty high end, rare products such as Gaja, Pavie etc.

From there, they start to get cool, though…

They have a seasonal wine club, which is also customizeable, so you can choose Rhone in the spring, Napa cabs in the fall, etc.

Perhaps the coolest wine clubs they offer are the smallest…

They have a “Jet Setters,” which is a  tour of the world’s wines, they have a “Dinner party in a box” club, which provides all the wines for before, during and after a dinner party (a neat idea, really!), “Pop,” a champagne and sparkling club, a Kosher club for those looking for something beyond Manischewitz (who knew?), and a new Sake club, with some premium sakes on the menu.

All in all, a pretty nice stop on the web, and I’d recommend you check them out for the extras, as well as the interesting wine clubs.

Until next time,

Cheers!

Wine Club Insider out.

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Wine Club Insider back with you after a very busy weekend!

On Friday, some friends were passing through town, and stopped for the evening, forcing us to open some wine… I mean, what is a host supposed to do, right?

They were kind enough to bring a couple of bottles with them, as any good guest would, and to my surprise, they were both Petite Syrahs, a favorite of one of the guests.

The first was the 2005 Concannon Petite Syrah, which at less than $10/bottle, is an amazing value. It was also an awesome wine! For me, Petite Syrahs have always been a bit austere to me, but this was pretty soft, while still being dry enough for pleasure’s sake.

The second wine was the Bogle Petite Syrah, which was also tasty, with a nice berry finish. It was also a great value at only $12!

So far, the evening was going well, and to contribute to the festivities, I opened a bottle of 2002 Weston Cabernet Franc from Caldwell, Idaho… yes, you read that correctly, Idaho.

I love Cab Francs, as many of you know, but with its affordable price tag, this was a very pleasant surprise!

It was a robust, well crafted wine with hints of cherry and chocolate. Even though it was from Idaho, the winery uses Columbia Valley fruit, and, as is the case with several of the Columbia Valley Can Francs, this was a pretty hefty wine.

We finished the evening with a nice Gold Digger Cellars Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc, which is just a gem of a wine… sweet, but not cloying, refreshing, and very much like fresh apples, to my mind. We enjoyed it with some fresh Havarti cheese, and it was the perfect end to a great evening.

The weather is turning for the better, spring has sprung (I’m getting to play golf today before going to dinner at Beverley’s in the Coeur d’ Alene Resort, which features one of the world’s finest wine lists!) and it’s time to get out with friends, enjoy some great wine and celebrate life… see you there!

Cheers!

Wine Club Insider out.

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Wine Club Insider backatcha!

We’re in the turbulent “April showers” period, alternating between 65 and sunny, and 35 and snowy, but generally getting warmer… the golf courses are all open now, even if they’re still passing out hand warmers at the first tee.

This past weekend, we split our time between Seattle and Coeur d’ Alene, where we donated a wine dinner for 8 to the local Chamber of Commerce “Aw$um Auction,” their major fundraiser of the year.

We participate in several charity events each year, and I’ve got to say that they are some of the most enjoyable things we do.

There are so many worthy causes and charities, and this is a great way to be a part of the community and to help people. Just as important, you get to meet some great people, many with similar interests, and the networking that happens can be fantastic!

Even beyond the people who win our dinners, they always bring friends who have friends, and so the circle grows.

We also try to attend as many of the functions ourselves as we can, because, hey, they’re plain fun! The best events may have as many as 100 wineries pouring several hundred different wines, so you’ve got to plan your tastings accordingly… learning to taste and spit is essential if you don’t want to end up under a table somewhere (not that I know ANYONE who would have done that…)

I’m not sure how many different wines I have bought or ordered at these things, but it’s in the hundreds of bottles… I admit that I can get caught up in the moment, but, hey, it’s all for a good cause, and the wineries often go all out… I’ve also joined a few wine clubs based on the wines I’ve tasted.

Many of the large format bottles I have collected (most autographed) I have won at various live and silent auctions during charity events, and because of that, they have a certain special significance that you can’t buy at the store.

So, go ahead and check out your local charity and wine event scene… you’ll end up hooked on helping good causes, as well as on having a great time, and you’ll probably end up with some free wine glasses!

Cheers,

WIne Club Insider out.

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Wine Club Insider back with you!

I think, finally, that yes, spring has arrived, as we hit temperatures in the 60s for the first time in what seems like a year, and that means the spring barrel tastings will be happening soon… ummm!

Also today I had a chance to stop in at a relatively new wine shop in Post Falls, Idaho named “Enoteca.” You can visit them at www.corkjoy.com, but just know that they have  terrific selection of wines and craft beers, as well as an awesome wine club. I spent quite a bit of time with Russell, the owner, and was impressed by his knowledge and his enthusiasm.

While there, I was perusing the sparkling wine selection, thinking of my favorite sparkling wine – Schramsberg’s “J Schram” – and when I got home tonight, voila, in my inbox was an email from Schramsberg telling me about their newest offering; a Cabernet Sauvignon named “JD.”

Now, this isn’t a complete departure from bubbly wines, as they make one of my all-time favorite wines, the J. Davies Cab.

Anyhoo, they’ve gone back and made J. a little brother:

“The genesis of jd came about as Hugh Davies and Sean Thompson were re-tasting the barrels of wines remaining after the final blend of 2006 J. Davies. These additional wines were really delicious but did not fit into the style of the first label. When growing grapes on a site as exceptional as our estate Diamond Mountain District historic vineyards, the overall quality is very high, and until the final blending, all wines are treated with the same care. The winemakers started began blending trials, not wanting to part with such great base wines. It is in the process of blending, where winemakers express their creativity and artistry. The results of the blending trials were so compelling that they decided to bottle a small quantity of a second wine. From now on, for each vintage, jd will be released in the spring and J. Davies in the fall. ”

The cool thing is that it’s going to sell for only $40/bottle, and with only 300 cases produced, you’re getting a pretty special wine here.

Check it out!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out.

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Wine Club Insider back, yet again!

I hope you all had a great weekend… I was out camping, but somehow :managed” to stow a bottle of Rombauer Zin and a bottle of Katherin Hills Cab in the pack for the trip… oh, the sacrifices I make for the team!

There’s something about drinking a nice wine along the bank of the river by a campfire that just increases the enjoyment, somehow.

I was doing a little wine buying from one of my favorite establishments, Dean and Deluca – www.deandeluca.com – and while chatting with their wine consultant, she mentioned that I should check out their new wine clubs… intrigued, I hopped on line, and lo and behold, not only do they have wine clubs, they have FIVE wine clubs. Now, so what, you’re probably thinking, but in the spirit of all things D & D, they haven’t gone the “normal” route…

The main thing that makes them different is that four of the clubs each have their own full-time wine steward (one of them does two), and they custom design the programs to your needs. Okay, but that’s not THAT cool, you say…

Ahhh, it gets better! Yes, they have the “regular” “Great Introductions” club at $60/month, and an “Artisan” club at $100 for those little known gems, oh, and the “Great Comparisons” club that looks at regional wines from around the world at $150… wait, you say… STILL not that impressed? Seen it before, you say?

Possibly, though not done this well, I would suggest, but from here they go into pretty uncharted territory.

Their 4th club is called the “Cult” club, and with the resources that only a shop like D&D could manage, they offer, for $1000/quarter, at least three of the world’s rarest wines, and I’m talking BIG names… they asked me not to mention them by name, as the makeup changes, but trust me, these are Big Names!

The 5th club is the “Cellar Rarities,” which takes it a step further… for the 50 lucky members, and only $300/month, they offer you the rarest of the rare, and again, though I’m only speaking, um, hypothetically, think Maya, Harlan, etc…

One of the advantages D&D has is their buying power and their reputation, and now, they have provided a chance for some of us to share it with them through their great wine clubs. Check them out!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out.

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Wine Club Insider back again!

Have you ever got to the point, in late March-early April, where the snow is still coming down, blowing sideways, that you’re almost ready for spring? My wimpy, (smart?) warm-climate friends are playing golf, wearing shorts, sitting on the back deck while we’re still shoveling snow… hmmm… might have to consider this situation… anyone have a condo to rent in Phoenix?

Ah, well… it is what it is, so to make the best of it, I stopped in at one of my favorite local watering holes, “Bardenay,” which is a nautical term used by sailors to announce the arrival of cocktail hour – “Bardenay Time,” which means I like the place already!

Now, Bardenay – www.bardenay.com- which has three locations in Idaho, is a great place with a terrific menu (today they had red bean and chorizo stew and Mojito “small batch” ice cream on the specials list), and a really top notch wine list!

They have 30 wines by the glass, and another couple hundred in bottles, ranging from Uber-affordable, to Classy big names such as Gaja, Caymus, Krug etc. They also have a very nice port selection, with almost a dozen choices between Ports, Madieras and Sherrys.

However, I have to tell you that the reason I like it is they are the nation’s first distillery-restaurant, with the distillery right here on premises, so they make their own rum, gin and vodka, and it’s pretty tasty, I have to say!

My favorite cocktail of choice right now is the Mojito, and in the middle of winter, they aren’t always that easy to get, but Bardenay never disappoints, with fresh mint on hand, rum from right here, and just the right touch of sweetness…

They also hand squeeze all of their juices, and have a terrific atmosphere with a patio, fireplace, and happy, talented servers… ahhh, maybe summer isn’t so far away after all!

Cheers,

Wine Club Insider out!

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