Wine group started about 5 years ago and has grown organically. I’m sure we’ve put the owner of Aspirin’s kids through college over the years by drinking many glasses of fun & new wine from around the world! After 5 years Sip Washington is making a change! You’ve heard tid bits over the past year about ideas and changes, but I’m here to announce the GREAT changes, many implemented by listening to what YOU want!

Here are the new changes:

** Monthly Wine Dinners: Sip Washington will now host small, intimate wine dinners focusing on creating friendships & laughter. We will hand select 8 people to join us for a Wednesday dinner pairing wines with a 3-course seasonal, local menu. We will support organic and quality products. Each menu is crafted to showcase what’s in season and create an experience for our guests, so stretch your picky childhood limits now! Those invited to join us at the table will receive a post card in the mail (snail mail!) about 3 weeks before the event. Payment and RSVP is needed in advance to hold your seat.

**Quarterly Events: Sip Washington used to host monthly wine tastings. This is now going to be a quarterly event so look for the invites via e-mail and on the event calendar (coming soon!). If you’d like to host let me know.

**Annual Events: Rachel and I are creating some FUN annual events in addition to the yearly Thanksgiving Potluck. Once those are created we will update all of you. This is going to be awesome! Get ready to party!

** Wine Video Stories: Yes, we want to see YOUR wine story on video! Hopefully this gets momentum and makes you laugh. If we get enough interest then it will hopefully be a monthly competition, the winner chosen by you, and a prize to be determined. Grab that camera and tell us a funny wine story/experience or show us the shenanigans that happen with wine.

**New Sip Washington Bio’s: Rachel Rausch Johnson has been fearlessly and passionately been the face behind those blog photos for years! I’m sure you’ve been fortunate enough to meet her at an event. She is the Owner of Rachel Rausch Photography and she is now on the Sip Washington team! You can read more about the good looking ladies of Sip Washington in the “About Julie & Rachel” page.

Overall, this is going to be a work in progress but we’re really looking forward to the small dinners, large quarterly events, creating new friends and reconnecting with current friends in 2012! If you know someone that would enhance our friendly group please send an introduction e-mail to Julie at: Juliehall@windermere.com ~ Cheers!

~ Find us on Facebook & Twitter ~

This month Sip Washington took it up a notch to “cheers” our groups accomplishments (weddings, jobs, etc.), and celebrate the end of a fun year.
So, Champagne is only from the Champagne region of France, so you got me on a technicality BUT I did stay in France with all of the wines, so kudos to a true comparison tasting!

IN OUR GLASSES:

Antech Cremant de Limoux Emotion $15

Bouillot Cremant de Bourgogne $13

Lucien Albrecht Cremant d’ Alsace $20 (My everyday fav!)

Nicolas Feuillatte Brut $27 (True Champagne)

**Every French cremant and Champagne was delicious!**

ON OUR PLATES:

Stuffed mushrooms

Prosciutto wrapped asparagus

Baked brie with cranberries, walnuts & basil

Cheese, bread, salami

Handmade cheese puffs

Pork tenderloin with sauteed apples, herbs and a port wine reduction

Flourless chocolate torte

Our wine group really cleans up! It was a lot of fun to dress up and sip with new & old friends. Long story short, champagne is not just for special occasions….pop open a bottle from France with cheese & crackers and good friends!

To see more photos visit: http://socalgal2008.smugmug.com/Other/Sip-Washington-December-2010/15142095_mdEPm#1132188510_FpGj7 (Photos courtesy of Rachel Rausch Johnson).

Frontaura was established in 1574 and “winemaking, as [Frontaura] sees it, is a creative process in connection with other artistic manifestations” (quoted from wineries website: http://www.bodegasfrontaura.es/).

The vineyards are pre-Phylloxera, which is very unique considering much of Europe was hit with this mean little bug in the late 1800′s that nearly ruined all of the vineyards – gosh, can you imagine how horrible that would be?

Toro is a D.O. region (Denominación de Origen) in Spain. A D.O. is a regulatory classification system in Spain to denote the quality levels and specific characteristics from a specific geographical region developed by the European Union. It was created to differentiate quality wines from table wines and quality is determined by geographical location, production method and management. D.O’s are from the European Union’s classification system called “Quality Wines Produced in Specified Regions” or QWPSR – France, Italy, Spain, etc. all have QWPSR’s. France’s QWPSR is called Appellation d’origine contrôlée which you may have seen on some French bottles.

There is such a rich history in Europe with so many sub-micro-climates that it would make sense to have a quality classification system to recognize the special characteristics of the land and how that affects the wine AND the food. I don’t want to confuse you with all of this new terminology, but the big picture is that all of Europe has a QWPSR with different names depending on the country or quality level – simple, right?

Many of the wines from Frontaura are from a grape called Tinto de Toro which is tempranillo from the D.O. of Toro in Spain. This region has tempranillo and grenache for red and verdejo for white. The levels of oak, a step that all winemakers control, all vary and are mentioned on many Spanish wines.

From little to significant  time in oak are the following notations: Cosecha, Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva. So, check out the bottles next time you shop.

I sipped:

2009 Vega Murillo Verdejo

2008 Vega Murillo Tinta de Toro

2005 Nexus Crianza

2008 Dominio de Valdelacasa Tinto de Toro

2005 Frontaura Crianza

The age of the vines and months in oak really differentiated each wine. All were quite good! To learn more about Frontaura visit their website http://www.bodegasfrontaura.es/ and if you want to know where Frontaura is pouring next just e-mail me! 

Go explore Tinto de Toro and Tempranillo!

This month we explored a great local winery & estate-vineyard called Whidbey Island Winery.

IN OUR GLASSES:

N/V Island White, Puget Sound $12

An estate-grown blend of Madeleine Angevine and Madeleine Sylvaner. If you haven’t heard of these white varietals then visit Whidbey for a well-crafted example. These 2 white varietals originate from the Loire Valley in France.  This is one to stock-up on, and I guess other people have as this is a best-seller! (Ps. non-vintage means the wines are from several years, not just one harvest year, like champagne!).

2009 Madeleine Angevine, Puget Sound $14

We finished the tasting with port, and a barbera port at that. Dark chocolate paired with a juicy kick of brandy and sexy dark fruits. This was a crowd pleaser!

* Butternut squash ravioli with brown-butter rosemary & roasted hazelnuts

* Kale, shrimp, pancetta, garlic, lemon

* Fresh arugula salad

* Cheese, baguette, crackers

* Dark & light chocolate

MORE DETAILS/PICTURES:

Whidbey Island Winery Web: www.WhidbeyIslandWinery.com

Link to other photos from event: http://socalgal2008.smugmug.com/Other/SipWashington-September-2010/14277382_iHyDT

Photos courtesy of Rachel Rausch Photography: rachelrauschphotography.com

“From wine what sudden friendship springs!” is my experience at the Red House…long time friends mingling in an old house nestled in historic down town Renton meeting new friends, drinking affordable/fun wines, eating bites and relaxing! It’s really like you’re at someones house. (Quote: John Gay)

Being a Realtor I had to look up the history of the Red House. It was built in 1900 with 2,950sf of restaurant net square footage. The building, now painted a rich red color, has so much character with its 110 year old history; the rustic stairs, sloping floors, and a warmth that you just cannot recreate in modern buildings.

Every Wednesday for $20 you can go to the Red House for sips & eats; totally worth the money. Visit www.redhousebeerandwine.com to learn more about tastings or to  find a new lunch/dinner spot.

I recently went to a Wednesday tasting with a good friend (which I first met at the Red House!) and we tried Southern Rhone wines  with Cavatappi Distribuzione.

We sipped the following 5 beauties:

2009 Chateau l’Ermitage Costieres de Nimes $11

A white blend of rousanne, white grenache, and viognier had a nice hay color with mineral, floral, green apple, juicy fruit, richer mouth feel with medium acidity and short finish. Very good!

2009 Little James Basket Press Blanc $15

60% viognier & 40% sauvignon blanc. Light lemon color with stone fruit, perfumed floral, mineral and a taste of mineral, citrus, candied mandarin orange and a long, structured finish. Who ever Little James is makes a gem of a white wine.

2008 Durban Beaumes-de-Venise Rouge $17

This grenache calls for Thanksgiving! The village of Beaumes-de-Venise is known for their dessert wines says the distributor.

2009 St. Cosme Cotes-du-Rhone $17

100% syrah yumminess! Juicy cherry, dark berries, spearmint, blueberry, cedar, graphine, wet stone, smoked meat, black pepper with medium tannin and acid. A complex wine to train your nose & palate!

2007 Pierre Amadieu “La Granglier” Vacqueyras $20

Vacqueyras is the little French AOC brother to the prestigious Châteauneuf-du-Pape region in Southern Rhone. This Grenache and Syrah blend was good with lots of fruity style & character. I was talking to new people by this point, thus the lack of notes

So, I encourage you to go find the unique places that help you create some wine memories. Start at the Red House! Cheers!

Ps. Let me know the cool spots that you find.

As you can tell we missed our photographer! All people need a vacation *sigh*

A little note about Syrah, Shiraz…it’s the same grape. Syrah originates in the Northern region of Rhone, France.

IN OUR GLASSES:

2004 Evans & Tate Shiraz, Margaret River, Australia $17

The Margaret River is in the cooler climate Western region of Australia. It’s a premier region offering some classy, complex structured beauties. I noted tar, leather, brandied ripe blackberry, mint, eucalyptus, black cherry, black licorice. Lush, rounded mouthfeel with food structure and finish. Not what I expected for Australia…this wine changed my opinion of the down-under fruit bombs! Yummy!

Web: www.mcwilliams.com.au

****

2007 Peter Lehmann Shiraz, Barossa Valley, Australia $15

Another premium region for Shiraz in hotter climate of Southern Australia! Peter Lehmann is respecfully called “The Baron of Barossa” for his legendary contribution to the Australian wine industry. This was a crowd favorite! Dark plum, chocolate, cedar, berries, a touch of floral and a velvet mouthfeel. Pretty bottle!

Web: www.peterlehmannwines.com

****

2006 Arrowood Russian River Syrah, Sonoma, California $20

I felt like singing “She’s my [blackberry] pie…” Wow, all those aromas of a holiday in a glass! I said blackberry pie with vanilla bean ice cream, cinnamon, subdued mint and a shorter finish compared to Australia while another said “smells like teen spirit” – Hmmm…

Web: www.arrowoodvineyards.com

****

2007 Ferraton Pere et Fils Crozes-Hermitage La Matiniere $18

Hermitage for less money! Hermitage is on the East bank of the Rhone River in Northern Rhone region of France. Crozes-hermitage is a small region within Hermitage. Since I have started studying about wine I am really getting into the old-world…I like to imagine the regions and the people who make the wine I’m drinking; the dedication is romantic. The website says: “A domaine attached to its roots, to its origins. Of men who are passionate, loyal to their heritage with which they have forged the identity Ferraton Père & Fils.” How could you not love that! This wine was was un-fooled around with…not a ton of oak and alcoholic style…but refined 100% syrah as an expression of the soils of Crozes-Hermitage; ripe red fruit, balanced, integrated tannins, just lovely!

Web: www.ferraton.fr

We paired it with Julia Child’s beef bourguignon recipe: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe?id=8222804

****

2002 Facelli Late Harvest Syrah, Bacchus Vineyard, WA $25

Facelli’s 2nd release of this wine & the first WA winery to make this style. Refreshingly not sicky sweet. A concentrated ripe blackberry liquour with a port-like experience. The acid wasn’t as firm as I wanted but then again I waited 8 years to drink it!  This 100% syrah paired really well with hazlenut dark chocolate and dark chocolate with cherries & praline. This was a fun wine to end the night. This wine can only be purchased at the winery.

Web: www.facelliwinery.com

Photos courtesy of Rachel Rausch Photography; www.rachelrauschphotography.com

IN OUR GLASSES:

2007 Woodward Canyon Nelms Road Merlot, Columbia Valley, WA $20

(This grape variety originates in Bordeaux, France).

I love Woodward Canyon however I found this merlot to be austere. I will admit my palette  is becoming accustomed to fruit bombs and my experience with Woodward is they make elegant wines.

Web: www.woodwardcanyon.com

****

2007 Four Vines Old Vine Cuvee, Zinfandel, California $11

(This grape originates from a grape variety native to Italy called Primitivo).

Typical raspberry, plum, jammy, brambly. A great BBQ & buzz value wine!

Web: www.fourvines.com

Ratings: 86 points, Wine Spectator

****

2006 Basel Syrah, Columbia Valley, Mirage & Lewis Vineyards $28

(This grape originates in the Northern Rhone region of France).

This was the crowd favorite! Inky dark purple with just enough earthy twist to make a new world syrah interesting. Dark chocolate, blackberry, warm spices, yummy.

Web: www.baselcellars.com

****

2006 Tertulia Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, WA $28

(This grape originates in the Bordeaux region of France).

Nicely  done from an interesting vineyard location, Phinney Hill Vineyard, which was home of the greatest eruption of basalt lava on earth and the ice age glacial floods that permanently altered the Eastern Washington landscape. I noticed a lot of common cab characteristics, which I love love love!! There was a little twist of “man” aroma’s…tobacco, asphalt, leather, cedar…we got a good laugh when I screamed that out!

Web: www.tertuliacellars.com

****

2007 Clos la Coutale Cahors, Malbec $17

(This grape originates in the Bordeaux region of France).

This had the makings of a fantastic wine and unfortunately I didn’t have time to cellar it. This is a tremendous value – grab some for your cellar and try in a few years! Very good from Cahors AOC, the oldest Malbec region in the world with a rich history since the Celtic times.

Web: http://closlacoutale.com/vin_en.html

Ratings: 90 Points, Wine Spectator

I have a dedicated following for monthly wine group – we all love wine, some more than when the group first started meeting 3 years ago. It’s easy for a 20′s wine group to turn into a party, but structure was needed. So, I am starting from the beginning, teaching the group what I know…

My goal for this tasting was to teach them about the major white wine varietals of the world so when they visit a tasting room or wine shop that they could generally know what to expect in each bottle. Sure, wine makers have stylistic variations but the grapes characteristics should be similar. (Wine reviews are after the photo gallery).

A special thank you to Rachel Rausch Photography for the images: http://www.rachelrauschphotography.com/

A special thank you to July wine tasting hosts Stacy Macfarlane and Paul Sauro for hosting in their swanky Belltown abode! Stacy Macfarlane owns Lormar Design, a custom upholstery business; http://lormardesigns.com/

IN OUR GLASSES:

2009 Bergstrom Wren Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc $25

This grape varietal originates in the Loire and Bordeaux region of France.

Classic sauvignon blanc characteristics from an Oregon winery! Complex citrus notes with a twist of minerality. Wine notes say “refreshingly juicy” (sounds appealing!)  with “ample mouth-feel and great vibrancy.” This paired well with the fresh goat cheese.

Production: 4 barrels yearly, so roughly 100 cases.

Web: http://www.bergstromwines.com/

The wine tasting group noted: Lemon, cirtus, very summery (I like that!), vegetal, acidic/dry, the citrus was softened by the goat cheese, I liked it!, floral aromas in the nose, sweet aftertaste.

****

2008 Lullaby Viognier, Walla Walla $28

This grape varietal originates from Rhone region of France.

Virginie Bourgue is a fantastic wine maker – go women wine makers!! She grew up in France and makes elegant, restrained, beautiful wines. She now has her own winery now called Lullaby and learned wine making from famous French wineries/vineyards.  Why is her new winery named Lullaby? She says, ““I’ve always had a dream of having my own winery; the dream is like a song that keeps playing in my head.”

Production: Limited. Virginie says “My goal remains to produce wines that have balance, softness, complexity, soul, and a sense of place.”

Web: http://www.lullabywinery.com/

The wine tasting group noted: Woody notes, floral, vanilla, exotic spices, enjoyed the nose immensly, fruity. I personally LOVED this wine – very elegant and smooth and complex. Viognier can be very flabby and this one was balanced and had a rich mouth-feel.

****

2005 Lucien Albrecht Cuvee Marie Gewürztraminer $29

This grape varietal originates in Alsace region of France.

Perfect with asian food! Very aromatic with exotic spicy notes, floral and lychee fruit is what this grape is all about. Usually made off-dry (so some residual sugar) which is why it pairs so well with spicy food because the sugar in the grape helps cut the heat of the food.

Web: www.lucien-albrecht.com

The wine tasting group noted: Strong aroma of roses, lychee, spices, honey, grapefruit. Long finish.

****

A Chardonnay comparison:

2007 Domaine Servin Chablis 1er Cru and 2007 Ramey Chardonnay, Carneros District

This grape varietal originates in Champagne and Burgundy region of France.

Note: 1er Cru means Premier Cru and that notes that the wine is from a single vineyard and the quality is higher/more focused.

Wines from Chablis are chardonnay. I wanted the group to learn about cool and warm climate characteristics and how that affects the wine. Chablis is a cool climate and California is a warm climate. Cool climate wines exhibit characteristics of stone fruit, citrus, mineral, high acid, and a lighter body while warm climate wines exhibit characteristics of ripe tropical fruits, less acid and more body. This was an interesting comparison because the Chablis didn’t show the characteristics I thought it would because I believe the wine maker used a little oak so it was richer than I expected. The Ramey was very rich, almost overwhelming, but well-balanced and well made for a oak loving chard drinker! Ramey is a well-respected winery that is consistently rated among the best wines in California.

Ratings: Ramey: 90 points Stephen Tanzer/91 Points Parker, The Wine Advocate

Web: www.rameywine.com

Web: http://www.axel-technologies.com/servin/

The wine tasting group noted: Chablis: crisp, floral, citrus, a little sweetness; Ramey: Ugh, rough (love that!), woody, rich mouth-feel, ripe pineapple, great acid.

****

2008 Reinhold Haart Piesporter Goldtropfchen Spatlese

This grape variety originates in Germany.

I am in LOVE LOVE LOVE with Spatlese riesling…it’s just so sexy, so mouthwatering and borderline addictive. The wine maker, Theo Haart, is the top producer in Piesport. The grapes grow on the South slope of the Mosel River (one of the 2 main rivers in Germany, the Mosel and Rhine Rivers. Ever see “mosel-saar-ruwer” on a label?  The heart of the wine region is the winding Mosel River. Two tributaries, the Saar and Ruwer Rivers, flow into the Mosel near Trier and is a well-known wine area for Germany. The soils here are very slate rich which gives the riesling a mineral edge. Let’s go to Germany!

Production: 200 cases made.

Web: http://www.haart.de/en_index.php

Ratings: 95 points Wine Spectator/90 points Stephen Tanzer.

The wine tasting group noted: This was by far the group favorite one! I could have auctioned off the last remaining drops…green apple, lemon, mineral, stone fruit, floral, delightful, refreshing, sweet finish to gripping acidity, delicious/love it!

At Willakenzie Estate Winery. Visit: http://www.willakenzie.com/

Who doesn’t like a road trip? The chance to stuff your face with delights from the dollar candy aisle in the gas station grocery store is worth it alone.  For me it was those tangy, slightly stale peach rings - so yummy!

Bon Jovi, blues Travelers, M&M and other classics passed the time on I-5 until we entered Oregon. Checked in at the Hilton – no romance package unfortunately…but drank some cheap bottles of red wine!

In the morning we grabbed a strong quadruple tall latte from a small stand in the morning to kickstart BREWFEST! If you’re picturing those crazy German movies…you’re on the right track.

The red bracelet was put on and it was drinking time! Lots of IPA, ESB…super-hopped beers. The browns were sold out before I got my thirsty hands on them (darn) and the darker beers (my favorite) were too heavy for a 90+ degree day but I sipped down a coconut porter – a little too sweet for my palate, but had the structure I enjoy from a good solid porter with coffee and chocolate tones too!

The next day we drove an hour South to the Northen Willamette wine country – so pretty! I love the winding roads and small town atmosphere. I tried to explain the lure of pinot to a friend who doesn’t like them.

So, what is the lure? I explained pinot as being an elegant, refined red wine that really shines with food. That the acid, fruit, and slight earth pair so well with a fatty, rich salmon, a roasted herb lamb, and anything Thanksgiving.

Pinot noir is really hard to make and when it is done well it’s a simple pleasure – just a little cherry, cola, earth, cranberry, baking spices with a fresh acidity and smooth mouthfeel. Letting the wine breathe for a few hours really develops what complexity, although refined, is in the glass.

Don’t be shy to open up a pinot noir for a week night dinner! Set aside your Northwest palate and compare the new world pinot of Oregon, California, and even some Puget Sound AVA wineries to the traditional old world wine style of Burgundy pinot noir.  Are they similar?

Cheers!