Here we go again…another fall season, and the beginning of a new round of monthly wine events. This year we’ll be tasting old wines, new wines, and perhaps some unusual wines. Again, we’ll have the companionship of friends with similar interests: a love of wine and good food to complement it, and an interest in learning more about various aspects of wine and the local wine industry.

This has been a crazy summer. It has been hot, making us ice down some summer whites to go with light summer fare. And it has been cold, causing us to dig out a sweater and a recipe for Spicy Pork and Peppers in Peanut Sauce, which goes wonderfully with Chateau Ste. Michelle’s Dry Riesling. Their white wines have been selling at great low prices this summer. Several times I found them at $5.99, with a 10% discount for buying six bottles. Grocery Outlet has had a lot of the German Struktur all season, too, at $4.99. Recently we found there a Jamieson Canyon Sangiovese and a Jamieson Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon we liked.

Most of the white wines complement such dishes as Thai Spicy Shrimp and Vegetable Soup and Spicy Shrimp and Vegetable Salad…the chief difference being in that one has liquid–hence, soup— and one doesn’t. They are quick and easy for summer dining. And if you don’t like ‘spicy’, you can omit the heat.

Today was “decorate the home winemakers’ booth at the Fair” day. John and Rose Butler joined Susan Massey, Alex and me, and while Alex set up bottles, Susan tore around like the efficient whirlwind she is, and got the whole thing done while some of us watched. Well, someone had to supervise. Rose hung a beautiful wine-themed quilt she had made and John assisted Susan. I supervised by going to the entry door and checking out the cookies. They were good.

I am sorry all this is so late. You who get it by e-mail will get it sooner. This has been a mad, mad time for all of us and Susan cannot get the letter out unless someone (mostly me this month) gets the information in.

You’ll find many fun events this coming season, and we hope to see you at most of them. I heard the Harvest Dinner is going to be a little different in a very good way. The Bonus Tasting will have a different twist, also. I am looking forward to it.

Joanne Saliby

My wife, Kathy, started something new for celebrating our anniversary between our 20th and 25th. I was to pack a bag for a surprise overnighter somewhere. She had made reservations at a nice motel in downtown Leavenworth, where we had a wonderful room overlooking Blackbird Island. It then became my turn to do something creative so for our 25th anniversary I surprised her by making reservations in Spokane at the recently remodeled Davenport Hotel without her knowledge and kept her guessing until we exited I-90.

 This summer, for our 30th anniversary, Kathy told me she had set up a two-night stay somewhere as a surprise. I didn’t figure out where until we reached White Trail Road in Quincy and she asked me what was the best route to get to Othello. I knew we wouldn’t stay there, but that direction ruled out the Yakima area and, for the most part, the Tri-cities as well, which left in my mind Walla Walla. She thought it would be fun to do some wine tasting there. Our first night was at a wonderful new bed and breakfast, Cameo Heights Mansion, which just opened last January outside of Touchet. Upon our arrival the owner took us through the home showing all of the various rooms that were decorated in themes like Spanish, Italian, Asian, etc. There were seven in all. We stayed in the Spanish room.

We then began touring wineries starting with Woodward Canyon, which is an older house on the highway to Walla Walla, in Lowden. We had decided we would share a single tasting since we planned to do several wineries. Kathy was in search of Syrahs with a peppery finish that she likes, while I was looking for flavorful Cabernet Sauvignons. We then tasted next door at L’Ecole No. 41, which is housed in an old school house. Next down the highway was the Cougar Crest Winery in their brand new facility followed by the Reininger Winery. Kathy was enjoying the conversations with the people who were pouring since that’s what she has been doing at Tsillan Cellars part-time this summer. Our last stop was at Three Rivers Winery, since we needed to be back to the bed & breakfast for dinner in our room by 6:00.

Our dinner at the bed and breakfast was nothing short of amazing. It was a fondue meal in our room that had several courses. The dinner started at 6:00 p.m., so the table was set when we got back to our room from wine tasting, and wasn’t over until 8:30 p.m. Our first course was a very simple dinner salad with vinaigrette dressing followed by a course of cheese fondue with a plate of vegetables. At this point both Kathy and I were getting full, but we pressed on. The third course had a small grill with a warming tray underneath accompanied by a plate of sautéed strips of two types of meat, shrimp, Walla Walla sweet onion slices, mushrooms and peppers. While we cooked on the top of the grill, underneath were scalloped potatoes with cheese melting over them. To top this all off we finished with, you guessed it, chocolate fondue with a plate of blueberries, strawberries, small pieces of cheesecake, and chocolate marbled marshmallows. By now we were bursting, but it was a fantastic dinner.

Our wake up call was at 8:00 am when a tray with a carafe of coffee for me, a large glass of orange juice for Kathy and a cherry danish for each of us was delivered. Then at 9:00 a.m. we had breakfast on the back deck overlooking the valley towards Walla Walla. Breakfast included more coffee/juice, fruit and yogurt in a parfait dish and a quiche that had lots of sausage. Before continuing our tasting we decided, since we had purchased several bottles of wine and were probably going to acquire more, we needed to buy some styrofoam coolers with ice to keep the wine from spoiling because the temperatures were in the upper 90s to 100s while we were there.

Needless to say we were fortified well for tasting the second day as we visited three wineries in downtown Walla Walla (Canoe Ridge Vineyard, Amavi Cellars Winery and Whitman’s Cellars) and two out by the airport (Dunham Cellars and Patit Creek Cellars). The second night we stayed at the Marcus Whitman downtown.

Most of the wineries had tasting fees, but as we found out, since Kathy has been working at Tsillan Cellars we had our tasting fees waived, as well as receiving various discount on the wines we purchased. Oh, by the way Kathy didn’t find her peppery Syrah at the wineries we visited, but we did come home with several bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon. I’m not sure what I will be doing to top this for our next anniversary adventure; she has definitely raised the bar.

Bruce Campbell

Summer is a time for memories, for remembering past summers and for making new memories on which to reflect in future summers. A cool glass of wine on a hot summer evening encourages reminiscing.

Recently PBS featured the Kingston Trio, perhaps the most important folk music group from 1957-1967. Listening and watching them, it brought back such memories that I wanted to cry. In June of 1967 I was at the Hungry I in San Francisco at their final public performance, and I did cry then. Our wines at the time were Bali Hi and Hearty Burgundy. Now today, that makes me want to cry!

A few years later, while we were away house hunting because of a job transfer, friends of our son decided to party at our home. They drank the case of 1972 Robert Mondavi Cab, given to us as a going away gift, and they mixed it WITH SEVEN-UP! I don’t know which made me angrier, the partying or the mixing of the Cab with the Seven-Up. It was a real occasion for tears, as our wine tastes had improved by then.

The Sangria years followed. Almost any red or white jug wine, when judiciously augmented with citrus and soda or 7-UP, made up a splendid pseudo-Spanish drink which graced many a summer party. Sangria seems to be making a come-back; now, where are the Kingston Trio, Gordon Lightfoot, and Joan Baez?

After a day of heat and work, what better than to relax in the cool of the evening with a glass of cool, refreshing wine. I just tried a German Riesling, Struktur, from Grocery Outlet. At $4.99 it’s a great buy; deliciously fruity and acidic, it paired well with a salad of finely shredded cabbage and carrot, with cilantro, mint, and scallions in a lime juice dressing. Topped with a sliced teriyaki chicken breast, it was all we needed after a 100+’ day. I found another good white, Kamiak from Gordon Bros,in a G.O. on the Other Side, and at even better prices. And our own TOP Foods has had several Chateau Ste. Michelle whites at under $7. Last week I picked up six bottles of Dry Riesling for $5.39 each . The State Stores have it at $5.97, with a 10% discount for a case purchase. In general, you can’t beat the State Store prices.

In temperatures such as these, when a white wine just won’t do, cool that red. Even a red wine seems better slightly chilled….not refrigerator cold, but around 55” to 60’. And when a wine isn’t as good as you had hoped, drop in an ice cube. You may be amazed at how it helps the wine. Try it and see.

Summer isn’t a time for sniffing and swirling, for examining and evaluating. Is it good? Do you like it? Is it satisfying? That’s all that is necessary. Enjoy it while recalling other summers, other warm evenings, and good times.

When did you begin to “look for something” in a wine, other than as a way to a happy evening? At what point did you find yourself a part of the wine culture which requires a detailed analysis of a wine before enjoying it? Too often we find ourselves “looking for something” in each wine we drink. Must we look for anything each and every time? If you like it, it’s good. That’s enough.

For a summer time – or anytime – red, Tres Picos Borsao Garnacha/Grenache is an excellent choice. Very food friendly, it goes with barbecue, Basque Lamb (a recent dinner), tomato based dishes, snapper Vera Cruz and lots else. At Pete’s in Bellevue, it’s around $10.right now. Argentina’s Santa Julia Malbec, under $10 at Esquin, is also great with grilled foods.

We have many wonderful wines right here in our own area; unfortunately, many aren’t budget friendly, and not always affordable for everyday consumption. While I believe in shopping locally to support our local economy, it isn’t always practical in today’s world, where families are often struggling with rising food costs, gas prices and mortgage difficulties.

Joanne Saliby

Kathy and I look forward to the summer. We spend lots of time at Lake Chelan in our 30+-year-old single wide at a very comfortable family resort. We can barely see the lake from our little abode, but it is just a short two minutes or less walk to a nice grassy beach. We do a lot of wine tasting during this time, either visiting the local wineries or just enjoying a nice Wapato Cellars’ Pinot Grigio or Tsillan Cellars’ Bocciolo d’Rosa down on the beach in the late afternoon.

Most recently we visited a new winery in Chelan called Four Lakes, which has only been open for about 3 or 4 months. It took a little work to find it, as it is located out near the airport (yes Chelan has an airport) on Howard Flats Road. The tasting staff was not working that day, but the winemaker had opened up the winery for tasting just before we arrived. Their facility is their operations building currently, but they hope to open their tasting room in Manson sometime in late August. We had my mother with us, who doesn’t drink much wine, but we were about to show her how to determine what she liked and disliked.

The name Four Lakes comes from the future site of their tasting room where much of their grape vines are grown. It sits on the top of a hill that overlooks Wapato Lake, Roses Lake, Dry Lake and Lake Chelan: thus, Four Lakes. Their wines are good and their Merlot has just won an award in Southern California. I was partial to their Cabernet Sauvignon. My mom enjoyed their Riesling and took a bottle home with her. The winemaker is probably in his late 20’s early 30’s and it was fun conversing with him.

We finished the day by visiting Benson Vineyards, one of our favorites, and had dinner and wine at Wapato Cellars. We learned that Lake Chelan Winery had a large number of guests for their Falling Cow Country Wine Festival, which featured Ray Sandidge’s new releases named after the cow that fell on a vehicle near Manson a little over a year ago and received national recognition. All in all it was our typical, nice relaxing day enjoying wine and food at Lake Chelan.

Bruce Campbell

It must be summer, as Memorial Day…or Decoration Day as I knew it growing up…is over. The many cars creeping through Leavenworth toward points east and north made me wonder if gas somehow costs less on the Other Side.

This summer, many usual vacationers will be taking “stay-cations”, a newly coined word popular with TV advertisers. As we here in NCW already live in vacation heaven, this shouldn’t be too hard on us. We have mountains for hiking, rivers for rafting, trails for walking or biking….or, if that is too active…we have porches and decks for sitting and enjoying the scenic views which surround us. Tired of your own view? Visit friends in the area and sit on their deck. Invite that person you’ve been wanting to see again, share some food, wine and conversation and get to know one another better.

Another near-to-home attraction we have in abundance these days is wineries. Many have an outdoor table or two where visitors can picnic, sip wine, and enjoy just ‘being’. Others serve delicious lunches in scenic settings while others offer evening events, dinners, and a variety of live entertainment. The point, in this time of economic slow-down, is to take advantage of what we have; shop locally and “stay-cation”. Help keep the local economy alive by spending vacation dollars here at home and discovering - or rediscovering - all that our area has to offer.

One thing I recently discovered is another - yes, another - winery: Kyra Winery in Moses Lake. Andy Perdue of Wine Press NW says it has the best Pinot Noir in the state. As soon as I get back to Wenatchee to the Wine Bin or Food Pavilion, I’ll look for it.

Tastings at the recent weekend barrel event proved more than satisfactory. We didn’t get past the Wenatchee area, but had some great barrel wines there. St. Laurent, Number One for scenery and ambiance, was sampling Syrah from their celebrated Wahluke Slope vineyards. Horan Estates offered a unique tasting with their Southern Rhone blend of Syrah, Cinsault, and Mourvedre, plus an excellent Cabernet Sauvignon and an exquisite, intensely rich Merlot. It was truly an Experience. Stemilt Creek’s outstanding Syrah was a spicy, fruity pleasure, as were the Cabernet Franc and Merlot. And of course tasting the Faire le Pont Elerding Cabernet Sauvignon was a must. Their futures offerings are a good way to buy some of their wines at a nice discount.

A wine unique among others tasted, and very popular among visitors to Wedge Mountain Winery, was the Lemberger. Also in the barrel was another of Charlie McKee’s Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignons. Here, too, people took advantage of futures offerings and are anticipating returning next spring to taste and to pick up their wines. And last, as an excellent end to an enjoyable day, we pulled into our driveway and stopped at Eagle Creek Winery for some of the fruity new Bacchus vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. I’m looking forward to enjoying these wines after they have been bottled and released.

While it was not possible in the time we had to go everywhere and taste every wine, I think those wines we did taste are a good indication of the growth - both in quantity and in quality - of the local wine industry. When asked, “Where is your favorite place to taste wine? I have to reply, “Wherever I am, that’s my favorite.” It’s impossible to choose one when each winery has something special about it. Location, scenery, friendliness, a favorite wine: all these help make each place special. So answering that question is almost like trying to answer, “Which is your favorite child?” We love them all.

A quick look at Grocery Outlet yesterday found some Washington Hills Rainier White at $2.99 ($8.99 for a 3 liter box). Also on the shelf were Pavin & Riley Shiraz and Riesling, and Struktur, a Riesling from the Mosel -Saar-Ruhr in Germany…all at $4.99 each. Avery Lane is back with a Red Blend at $2.99.

Having recently tasted NW Totem Wineries ‘Low Man Red’, I am really looking forward to the Northwest Totem Lake event, with wine sales, at the Museum June 19. I hope to see you there, too.

Joanne Saliby

How many of you have at some time bought a bottle of wine because of the label?

All of us have our favorite things to do. These hobbies, or passions, might be knitting, sewing, gardening, woodworking, sampling wine, reading, hunting, fishing, or numerous other activities. It is often fortunate and surprising that some of our passions overlap in our lives. I have experienced this as my passion for fly fishing and my passion for wine have come together, and as I have indicated earlier, when my fishing buddy, Barney (nickname … long story), and I plan our outings or while we are out on one of our adventures. In the past, one of the wines we shared was a nice Chardonnay from the Sawtooth Winery in Nampa, Idaho, which is located in the southwest part of the state not far from Boise. The wine is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes and was quite tasty out in the wilds of Montana.

I recently was pouring (get the pun?) over my newest edition of “Northwest Fly Fishing” magazine when I came across a small article about the Sawtooth Winery wines - in a fly fishing magazine! I have every edition of this magazine from its first edition, and the first-ever article about alcohol is about a winery whose wines I have personally sampled. For me, the unique thing about the wine is the label, which shows the snowcapped Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho in the background with a stream in the foreground. This is most likely the Snake River, as the Idaho portion of the Snake River is a major fishery for fly fisherman. The label shows a fly fisherman casting his fly forward into the stream. In addition, the foil wrapper over the top of the bottle has a dry fly image stamped into the top portion and the cork in the bottle also has a dry fly image on both ends.

Many times people are attracted to a wine by the image depicted on the label, such as that of a beautiful woman in a sleek red dress or of a favorite old pick-up truck. Sometimes the attraction is an imaginative name such as “Mad Housewife”, “Lady in Red”, or “Joe Blow Red”. These labels are done for the sake of marketing, and it works. Since the first time I saw the label and bought the Chardonnay from Sawtooth, I have also purchased and enjoyed their Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Marketing is certainly the key which opens the door to many good wines.

Sawtooth Winery wines are not bold, complex, set-the-world-on-fire wines, but they have a nice smooth taste which complements many different foods without overpowering them, and are reasonably priced at somewhere between $10 to $15. I have found their wines at Food Pavilion. Sawtooth Winery was given the 2006 Winery of the Year Award by Wine Press Northwest.

Bruce Campbell 

On the scale of wineology (my word) knowledge I am at maybe stage 2.5 out of 10, so it is fun for me to find different ways to sample wines, compare or pair them with various flavors and enjoy them with friends. I realize that many of you are much higher on the scale than I, but maybe you can share with all of us some of the ways you incorporate wine into your social events by sending in ideas for the Enological Society’s website.

Kathy and I have experienced several different types of events, other than those at the Enological Society’s tastings each month, with friends. We attended a vertical tasting last winter at a friends house in East Wenatchee where we compared Fielding Hills‘ Cabernet Sauvignon from 2001 thru 2005. It was educational to be able to learn the percentages of various grapes used in the making of each of the wines and the affect that composition had on the various years.

Horizontal tasting involves picking a specific year and varietal of wine to compare, such as 2005 Syrah’s from various wineries. You can take that one step farther and make the tasting blind by putting the bottles in bags so that people do not know which wines they are tasting and rate the wines as to preferences or identify the wines from a provided list of tasting notes for each of the wines. We did this last February for the Enological Society’s Cabernet and Chocolate event. Some other suggestions might be continent tastings, regional tastings, or country tastings. The potential is limitless.

Paring wines with specific foods is another way to have a delightful event with friends. I’m sure many of you probably have done your own research on pairing wines with specific foods. Joanne Saliby has shared many possibilities for us in her newsletter articles.

I encourage you to share your experiences with events or food pairings, along with recipes, with the rest of the society on the website. E-mail your information to Beth Stone at:
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Bruce Campbell

At last, around the edges of my gardens and on the north-facing slope, my daffodils are released from their prison of ice and snow. As Wordsworth wrote over two hundred years ago, “And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils.”

There’s no time left for winter blahs; with garden to tend, garage to clean, and wine events filling the calendar, who has time to remember the dark days of winter? My first “dance” was a trip to the second weekend of Chelan Nouveau, where the wineries were offering their new whites and rose’s for our delectation. Sunshine, bright tulips and daffodils, friendly winemakers and great wine: how could it get any better? With food, of course! Wapato Point Cellars and Vin du Lac offer lunches and snacks in idyllic settings; May 1, Lake Chelan Winery will begun serving lunch, while its evening barbecues are already well-known and popular.

Tunnel Hill, adjacent to the Sunshine Farm Market, has built an attractive new facility with a pleasant, comfortable tasting room and very friendly pouring staff. If things develop as planned, a major complex to rival Sun River and Whistler will be built between Tunnel Hill and Tsillan Cellars winery, and in the hills above.

In downtown Chelan a bit of sad news awaited us. The CR Sandidge tasting room and Bistro ceased operation April 30. CR Sandidge wines will be available online, through the Wine Club, and in various restaurants and stores. As always, the Tri*Umph was superb, as were the new Whistle Punk, the Klingele 2004 Syrah and Stonetree.

Scott Benson’s new Pinot Gris is a delight to the senses, as is the Viognier. He was also barrel tasting his new Cabernet Franc. I put in an order at once, as the 2005 sold out in a few weeks, before I even knew it. He recently released his 2006 Sangiovese and Pinot Noir, both good representatives of the grapes, and pleasantly food-friendly.

On up the road, Milum Perry of Tildio welcomed us with the new Sauvignon Blanc. Now I like grapefruit and am very fond of gooseberries, but not in my Sauvignon Blanc. Tildio’s was delightfully crisp and fresh, with hints of citrus and melon and a very faint whiff of gooseberry. The 2005 Robusto, an elegant blend of Merlot, Cab and Petit Verdot, topped off a fine morning; however, it was time for food, so we headed down to Wapato Point and tried their new lunch service, complete with rousing music, excellent service, and sun in a scenic outdoor setting. We tasted a new wine, also, and one which could become a standard for this annual event. Named “Chelan Nouveau” after the two-weekend celebration, the wine is styled on the order of the French Beaujolais Nouveau. It is light, fruity and red, and compatible with a variety of foods. Best served slightly chilled, it is refreshing and enjoyable.

At Lake Chelan Winery we tasted the new Maximum Meritage, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and think it is destined to be very popular. Apparently the Wine Spectator agrees, as they recently gave it a 90 rating.

Balsam Root Winery was a lively place Saturday, with family entertainment to accompany its excellent wines. The Cab Franc and the very lightly oaked Chardonnay are not to be missed.

The Pinot Gris “Grisant” at Vin du Lac is always a crisp, delightful accompaniment to their delicious food offering, and; their outdoor tasting room is one of the most pleasant places in the area to lunch and sip

One can only taste so much wine before one’s good sense says, “Enough. It’s a long drive home.” With the advent of more new wineries, tasting will take an extra day next year in order to cover them all. Meanwhile, area Barrel Tasting-May 16, 17, 18-is next. I hope to see you there..

Joanne Saliby

Coming soon!

Since I have been a member of the Enological Society, my fishing buddy and I have had a major change in how we dine when we are on a fishing trip. In the past, when planning for a trip to Montana, Idaho or somewhere in Washington, we always used to just go to the store with no forethought about what we were going to eat, and pick up such gourmet delicacies as macaroni and cheese, chili in a can or beef stew in a can. We would pick up some beer and we each had our own favorite hard liquor. We would then take off on our trip and just wing it in terms of what we would eat and drink when it came to dinner. Sometimes we would splurge and actually put some wieners in the mac and cheese to make a special meal, which was washed down with beer. Life was simple then; we didn’t know any better.

Now, before we begin a trip, we have a special meeting to plan our itinerary, our menus, and which kinds of red wines to serve. The dinners are now culinary events in which we trade off cooking and are a little fancier than in previous times. For example, for one of the nights I was to prepare a special chicken dinner, so I said I would make Chicken Cordon Bleu. Of course this had to be set up to be done on a barbecue grill and needed to be done as simply as possible. I jumped on the Internet and found some simple recipes for it and for a Mornay sauce. This called for a rich, creamy white wine, so on the way to the fishing and camping location we stopped at a local winery, where we sampled some fine white wines and selected one – a rich Chardonnay with nice citrus acidity - to go with the dinner. What a meal! As we ate, the other campers watched in amazement as we sat by the fire, savoring our evening feast. How fortunate we are to have so many choices of excellent wines here in North Central Washington.

Fishing trips will never be the same again.

Bruce Campbell