January 2009

  • Valentine's with Washington Wine and Chocolate!

    By lisala on 1/31/09 10:14pm
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    It's not too late to make romantic, sexy, sensual plans for Valentines. This year Valentine's falls on the Saturday before President's day, a holiday for many. Image of a single long stemmed red rose bud.And Washington wineries are prepared. You and your sweetie can participate in a special wine and chocolate tasting designed to please both the oenophile and the chocoholic, at wineries all over the state. Typically, for a small fee, you receive a commemorative tasting glass, an opportunity to taste several very carefully chosen wines and accompanying gourmet chocolate. It's just about the perfect romantic event for anyone who likes wine or chocolate. Don't underestimate the mysteriously erotic and seductive properties of chocolate!

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  • Washington State Enology Courses Online

    By lisala on 1/28/09 4:49pm
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    The Washington State University Enology and Viticultural Certificate Program is now Image of a grape vineoffering the same curricula the University's Viticulture students take for credit as part of the official certificate program to anyone who pays the tuition fee. You don't earn a certificate, but you do get to study at your own pace and convenience, using the identical instructional materials the certificate students use. The online classes are geared towards people wanting to open their own winery and include courses in:

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  • Wine: It's What's With Dinner

    By lisala on 1/23/09 9:56pm
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    A few days ago we were shopping for wine in a local market. One of the things we do habitually when we discover a local store or market with a wine section is just browse. You can Image of a glass of white wine.often find wines you've heard or read about, or sometimes it's simply fun to try a wine you've never heard of, or read about, and had no idea existed, or the wine buyer might highlight a particular personal favorite wine, or a temporary special purchase. Then you go home and look up the winery, and . . . and pretty soon you've written a blog post.

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  • Future Ice Wine

    By lisala on 1/22/09 8:33pm
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    I mentioned in an earlier post that the unusual period of cold weather in Washington during December of 2008 would result in ice wine from Chateau Ste. Michelle in 2010.

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  • That Taste Of Honey... Tasting Much Sweeter Than Wine*

    By lisala on 1/21/09 8:15am
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    My first exposure to mead was in Britain. I'd tentatively tried local beers and ales, and found a few I'd liked. I'd also discovered I liked cider (but that's a different post). Early seventeenth century engraving of a bee-hiveThe mead though . . . I was at a faculty member's house, a medievalist, who pressed a glass of a lovely, golden colored fluid into my hand with a cheerful "Here. Try this. You'll like it, it's made from honey."

    Now, in hindsight, "made from honey" should have made me think "mead," but honestly, I heard "honey" and thought "non alcoholic." Fortunately, I didn't even get mildly tipsy, but I might have. Mead is quite lovely, and you very much can tell that it's made from honey, but it is quite alcoholic, and it is mead's alcoholic nature that has made mead famous (and infamous) in myth and poetry song.

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  • Stopping the Bottle

    By lisala on 1/18/09 12:01pm
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    I remember as a teenager knowing that there were two sorts of wine; the "table wine" my parents drank with dinner or just before. Wine that came in large green glass bottles (hence the name "jug wines") with a screw-cap, for "every day," and the "special" wine they had when my mom made "company dinners" and invited guests. Now of course, I know that it's not that simple. There are natural corks, artificial, plastic corks, and screw-caps, and increasingly, even the wines in the fifty dollar a bottle and up range are using screw caps. I've not seen the large green glass bottles though; I suspect jug wine has been replaced by box wine.

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  • Gewurtztraminer

    By lisala on 1/15/09 3:44pm
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    When I first started trying to learn about Washington wines, a friend said "If you like Rieslings," (and I do!) "you'll probably like Gewürtztraminners too" (and I do!).

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  • Washington Winter Wine Events

    By mous on 1/11/09 5:42pm
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    Here's a brief rundown of some of the most exciting upcoming wine events in our beautiful state!

    Jan 25th Spazzo Italian Grill & Wine Bar Welcomes Brian Carter Cellars

    For one night only, Spazzo Italian Grill in Redmond will be offering a 5 course menu (plus cheese and dessert!), each paired with a Brian Carter wine (one of our personal favorite wineries).

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  • Annual "A Celebration of Washington Wines" Event

    By lisala on 1/11/09 11:03am
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    On January 24, 2009 the eighth annual "Celebration of Washington Wines" black tie event will take place at Ste. Michelle Winery. The event is a benefit in support of the Washington State University program in Viticulture and Enology.

    The "Celebration of Washington Wines" includes dinner and a reception (both accompanied by Washington wines), but the main draw of the event, and the primary fund raiser, are the auctions; a silent auction before dinner, and then a live auction after dinner. Ticket are $250.00 each. Last year's event raised over $235,000.00, and helped endow a chair at Washington State. You can see some of the auction items here. They include items designed to tempt wine enthusiasts from anywhere, like the ultimate Washington Merlot collection, wine tasting parties, resort stays, limited edition Washington wines, and a number of smaller items. The official "Celebration of Washington Wines"Web site is here, and includes ticket purchasing instructions.

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