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« March 2008 | Main | May 2008 »

April 30, 2008

Vino Volo: Flights and Connections

Last August, I blogged about my experience at Vino Volo, a new wine bar located at Sea-Tac Airport. As a result of this review, I was interviewed a few weeks ago by a travel writer, Susan Catto, who was working on a New York Times article about fine dining in airports. The article, And Now, Foie Gras for People on the Go, appeared in today's edition as part of a special section on business travel with a feature on Vino Volo. After chatting with Susan, I started thinking more about how air travel today remains a study in contrasts....

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Posted by Thad at 07:28 AM | | Comments (2)

WIDWD: Apolloni 2005 Pinot Noir

What I Drank With Dinner (WIDWD) Here's a Willamette Valley wine that probably wasn't the best match with the grilled pork loin, fennel and asparagus meal we prepared with a rice pilaf on the side. I decided on a pinot noir to go with this meal, but paid no attention to the back label of the Apolloni 2005 Pinot Noir (13.7%). If I had, then I might have put it aside for another style of Oregon wine. Why? The bottle states that this wine "greets you with toasted vanilla and berries then opens up with black cherry, dark fruit...

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Posted by Thad at 06:26 AM | | Comments (0)

April 29, 2008

WIDWD: Boedecker Cellars 2004 Athena Pinot Noir

What I Drank With Dinner (WIDWD) While shopping for wine, I am always on the lookout for any 2004 or 2005 Oregon pinot noirs that I have yet to try. Such was the case with the Boedecker Cellars 2004 Athena Pinot Noir (13.9%), a wine I discovered at Esquin Wine Merchants a few weeks back. Unfortunately, I recall little after having this wine with dinner, while forgetting the meal entirely. Goes to show the downside of forgetting to write anything down. I guess it was due to being somewhat neutral on this wine. The label describes the wine as,...

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Posted by Thad at 05:56 AM | | Comments (0)

April 28, 2008

WIDWD: Six Vineyards 2005 Pinot Noir

What I Drank With Dinner (WIDWD) This Oregon pinot noir is crafted by Lemelson Vineyards based in Carlton. Other than the suggestive brand, "Six Vineyards", and the note on the producer, no other details are provided as to what went into this wine. In fact, I checked the Lemelson web site and nothing is available on this or previous vintages. What gives?!?! Regardless, one thing is clear, this is a wine that was surprisingly good relative to its price point of $21.99. Kari and I really enjoyed the Six Vineyards Pinot Noir (13.5%) with our grilled Jamaican jerk chicken...

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Posted by Thad at 05:48 AM | | Comments (0)

April 27, 2008

WIDWD: Francis Tannahill 2004 The Hermit Pinot Noir

What I Drank With Dinner (WIDWD) More often than not, it is a bottle of Oregon pinot noir that graces our dinner table each evening. My wife, Kari, and I have a preference for the style Oregon viticulturists and winemakers bring to crafting pinot noir, preferring them over their California and French counterparts. We like the expressive yet elegant style that Oregon pinot brings, as these wines tend to be more fruit-forward than the Old World style yet not over-ripe like California pinots can get. While enjoying a number of Oregon pinot noirs these last couple of weeks, there...

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Posted by Thad at 02:25 PM | | Comments (0)

April 20, 2008

Access Has Its Privileges

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend various events at Taste Washington as a member of the wine media. This was the first year I had gone to Taste Washington as a wine blogger, which made the experience truly extraordinary. Why? In years past, I had been to the event as either a wine consumer or winery volunteer. While both roles offered enjoyable experiences, they pale in comparison to the treatment I received as a wine blogger covering the weekend's events. Winemakers or winery staff who might have just poured me a glass were now...

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Posted by Thad at 01:28 PM | | Comments (0)

April 19, 2008

WIDWD: A Few That Fell Short

What I Drank With Dinner (WIDWD) As I have stated before, there's no joy in writing about wines that don't meet the bar, or better put, make it to my table. Which is why commenting on these wines gets put off, while more favorable experiences take priority. To make this easier on both of us, I will keep this brief, as I would rather invest time and energy in writing about the positive. The tasting notes for the Hedges 2006 CMS Red Wine (13.7%) were honest in describing the wine with a "sweet, round entry, ripe darker fruit, and...

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Posted by Thad at 01:52 PM | | Comments (0)

April 15, 2008

Review: The Local Vine

Last night, I finally got to try out The Local Vine, a wine bar in the Belltown area of Seattle, which has been open for a year or so now. Being a slow paced Monday evening, there were plenty of options available to sit near the panel of fireplaces, along the windows, or at the long bar. My buddy, Scott, and I chose to sit at the bar, which for the rest of our stay ended up to ourselves. Our server behind the bar handed us this thick packet of menus, which resembled an over-designed marketing brochure with a...

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Posted by Thad at 07:41 PM | | Comments (0)

April 12, 2008

Review: 26 Brix

Considering how often we visit Walla Walla to see famiy and friends, I can't believe it's taken us almost four years to finally eat at 26 Brix, a downtown restaurant that opened in 2004. During its first year in operation, we had heard that the place was a bit over-priced and high-brow, catering mostly to out-of-town tourists. It wasn't until the last two years or so that I had heard that 26 Brix had gone through a transformation, revamping its menu and lowering its prices to appeal to the local population. It seems these changes have paid off, for on...

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Posted by Thad at 05:44 AM | | Comments (0)

April 09, 2008

Isenhower Cellars: Team Terroir

While in Walla Walla weekend before last, I had the opportunity to stop by Isenhower Cellars to visit with my father-in-law, Bob, who works in their tasting room. For full disclosure, I have no financial or business interest in this winery, just a connection through family. It was an opportune visit, in that they had recently started pouring some of their new releases. At the same time, it was a very inspiring visit, for Isenhower Cellars has clearly set a new benchmark when it comes to focusing on terroir. While tasting through their new wines, I noticed how the...

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Posted by Thad at 07:38 PM | | Comments (2)

April 07, 2008

The Taste Washington Experience

After several seminars on Saturday and an afternoon of tasting on Sunday, I definitely feel more connected to the who, what and where of Washington wine. Overall, Taste Washington exceeded expectations in terms of the people met, the stories shared, and the wine enjoyed. In previous years, I had only attended the Sunday tasting event, never realizing how much I was missing by not going to the Saturday seminars. Seminars are one of the best ways to taste wine and learn more about the people and places behind each glass in front of you. Each session included a diverse...

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Posted by Thad at 07:08 PM | | Comments (5)

April 05, 2008

Taste WA Seminars Go Beyond the Bottle

I'm posting after attending a couple of fantastic seminars here at the Taste Washington event. This morning I attended a great panel discussion and multi-flight taste celebrating the wines of David Lake. It was an hour that went well beyond the bottle in terms of connecting folks to the person behind various Columbia Winery wines as well as the vineyards in our state. And I just finished a wonderful lunch seminar featuring wine and food pairings with real time commentary from the guest chef, Ilan Hall, and guest sommelier, Evan Goldstein. This was not only a well executed event, but...

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Posted by Thad at 12:07 PM | | Comments (0)

April 04, 2008

Taste Washington starts tomorrow

For those of you in Seattle, it is time to get your taste buds on and join hundreds of other wine enthusiasts at Taste Washington this weekend. On Saturday, there are a variety of seminars to learn more about our state's wine, combined with some interesting flights of wine. Sunday is the big event with over 200 wineries pouring current releases and dozens of restaurants offering a variety of food. Many wineries will be represented by their winemakers, providing an excellent opportunity to meet and get to know the people behind various Washington wines. Regardless of who might be pouring...

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Posted by Thad at 06:20 AM | | Comments (0)

April 03, 2008

Tertulia Cellars: A Social Approach

A few miles south of downtown Walla Walla amongst acres of wheat fields, a new colorful winery has arisen. Tertulia Cellars is a place that stands out amongst its peers in terms of architecture and design. From the outside, one is immediately struck by the bold multi-colored building as a place that might be taking a different approach to the winery experience. Walking inside only confirms what these folks have brought to the Walla Walla Valley: a place designed to be a social gathering around wine. The approach Tertulia Cellars is taking with their tasting room is in keeping...

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Posted by Thad at 09:13 PM | | Comments (0)

April 02, 2008

Weekend in Walla Walla

Yesterday I returned from a few days in Walla Walla visiting family. Weather wise, it was a bizarre weekend for late March, with snow showers throughout the day on Sunday. I did get a chance to visit a couple of wineries and eat at a few restaurants, which I will be writing about in the coming week. I was really jazzed about the wine experiences that were a result of this short trip. After going thru pages of notes that have yet to be crafted into worthwhile reading, I am feeling way behind on sharing my experiences with Washington and...

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Posted by Thad at 08:21 PM | | Comments (0)