The Ponzi 2007 Pinot Noir Tavola Willamette Valley (13%) was a slightly cloudy medium red in the glass, with notes of strawberry fruit and dusty hints of menthol and eucalyptus on the nose. On the palate, this Oregon pinot noir offered a sour strawberry flavor, much like pureed strawberries that had been picked a bit under-ripe. At $25, I think there are better alternatives to consider. We paired the Ponzi Tavola with an Asian beef stir fry, which combined peanuts, chives, chilis, lime juice, and fresh cilantro on leaves of green lettuce and steamed rice. It was one of...

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Posted by Thad W. at 08:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What I Drank With Dinner (WIDWD) With this being an unusually cool and rainy spring in Seattle, we've started planning meals around the weather forecast so we can get outside and grill. So it was with the promise of good weather the next day, that Kari marinated a few thick pork chops in a brine that included garlic, peppercorns, and all spice seasoning. Fortunately, the forecast for decent weather came true, thus we were able to enjoy a grilled meal outside. Before cooking, we dried the chops and then rubbed them with a mix of brown sugar, cummin, cayenne...

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Posted by Thad W. at 06:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

While recently visiting wineries in the Dundee area, I had the opportunity to dine at The Dundee Bistro, which is located off highway 99W across from the Argyle Winery. The bistro shares a retail space with a wine bar and a store featuring local food and crafts. This "culinary center" as it is called, was created by the Ponzi Family, who maintain over 100 acres of vineyards in northern Willamette Valley producing a variety of estate wines. On the evening I visited, the dinner crowd was just starting to build, therefore I opted for a seat at the chef's bar....

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Posted by Thad W. at 03:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)