Category Archives: Highly Recommended

A Historic Cabernet Tasting: 2025 Taste Washington Seminar Review

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In which I taste through some of the all-time heavy-hitters of Washington State Cabernet Sauvignon, and why you should attend a wine seminar….

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, readers! Up here in the Pacific Northwest, we are on the cusp of spring and the weather is acting accordingly: dreary, drizzly, rainy, windy, but with pink and white cherry blossoms and yellow daffodils fighting against the gloomy grey, like eager students waving their hands in the air to be called on. I am feeling hopeful for the new season that shall soon be upon us.

I don’t know why “they” picked both March and August, but March is officially Washington Wine Month: a chance to focus on and celebrate the great and special wine of the Evergreen State. Maybe they picked March because March is still basically winter and everyone is getting really sick and tired of the winter drudgery at this point (and needs some good wine to pull them to the spring finish line). Anyway, it’s when the Washington State Wine Commission puts on a week’s worth of special events in Seattle called Taste Washington, which encompasses everything from winemaker dinners to educational seminars.

In 2023 (I missed 2024), I attended Taste Washington’s Seminar, “Washington Vs. The World: The Ultimate Blind Tasting.” This was a fantastic event and I’m still baffled as to how it took me so long to figure out this happens annually in my city. We wine lovers gotta scratch our itch to learn about wine, and I can’t think of a better opportunity that delivers on that without costing you substantial time and money, like earning a certificate or diploma in wine. I am glad I found an activity worth doing every year for the enjoyment, the opportunity to try rare/expensive/unusual wines, and the chance to further my wine education.

I couldn’t resist attending this year, especially with one of the seminars titled, “King Cabernet: A Historic Tasting of Washington’s Finest.” I mean, really, would you pass up a chance to taste 10 of Washington’s finest/most premium/highest-scored Cabernets for way less than the cost of many of the bottles themselves? I think not! So, thanks to some birthday money from my in-laws, I went ahead and signed up. 🙂

Since the dress code called for business casual, I rounded up an outfit from the “distant work past” section of my wardrobe, put on makeup, and moved my personal items from a fanny pack to a leather handbag. My outfit was probably more business and less casual, when I think about it, but better to err on the side of formal than informal. After all, drinking wine is always a special occasion and sometimes we should approach it with some reverence. 🙂 I no longer need this kind of fancy wardrobe except for maybe once a year – thank God, because my legs hurt from traipsing around in my heeled leather boots – but from time to time it’s fun to dress up and feel a little more put together than my usual, painfully casual mom attire. 😉

My husband drove me to the seminar, which took place at the Embassy Suites Hotel right next to Lumen Field Event Center, where the Grand Tasting events (large scale event featuring tastings from over 200 wineries and over 75 restaurants) were happening immediately after the seminars. While I did my wine thing, he took the kids to explore the fabled Seattle waterfront in an effort to give the city a chance to prove we should not talk smack be entirely negative about it. I will not mention the sights and aromas of our last trip to the waterfront several years ago for an aquarium visit. But I digress….

Here is the official description of the seminar:

“Amazingly, Cabernet Sauvignon only became Washington’s most-produced grape variety just over a decade ago. Today, not only does it dominate production and plantings, but also defines many of our most critically acclaimed wines: wines that stand out for their balance, elegance, depth, and sense of place. Here, in the best flight of Cabernet Sauvignon ever poured at Taste Washington, we’ll present a show-stopping array of some of the state’s finest and most celebrated masterpieces. Discover what makes Washington Cabernet so distinctive, explore the regions where it shines brightest, and learn about the exciting future of this esteemed variety. Join us to experience why Cabernet Sauvignon has earned its title as Washington’s unrivaled king of grapes.”

The seminar was moderated by Bob Betz, MW (Master of Wine), a well-known Washington winemaker and figure in the state wine scene. Bob explained that he did select the lineup of wines based on critics’ scores – he wasn’t just pulling his personal favorites (his winery’s wines just happen to score in the top). 🙂 We were instructed to sip on the wines in whatever order we desired as the panel members talked. The panel consisted of the following individuals – all winemakers whose wines we were drinking except for one wine critic whose specialty was Cabernet Sauvignon:

  • Virginie Boone, JebDunnuck.com
  • Will Camarda, Andrew Will
  • Stephanie Cohen, Col Solare
  • Ray McKee, Trothe
  • Gilles Nicault, Long Shadows
  • Louis Skinner, Betz Family
Taste Washington Seminar 2025

Bob and the panel laughing about something. 🙂

There was a lot of talk about Cabernet Sauvignon: about why it’s a noble variety and one of the top quality wine grapes in the world, why it shines in Washington state, but the purpose of this post isn’t to lose you in the mire of technical details; in fact, I really didn’t even take notes, as I wanted to drink in the information but mainly just relax and drink up the wine. 🙂 Suffice it to say, it does really well with the climate and soils of Eastern Washington and makes a fine, long-lasting wine, thanks in part to its dark skins (anthocyanins) and skin to seed ratio. Essentially, it has the tannins, acid, and alcohol to make rich, bold, long-lasting wine.

Here is the illustrious lineup of Cabernet Sauvignons that I got to imbibe:

  • Andrew Will, Sorella, Champoux Vineyard, Horse Heaven Hills, 2018 ($97)
  • Betz Family, Heart of the Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, 2019 ($135)
  • Col Solare, Tenuta Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, 2019 ($200)
  • Corliss, Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain, 2019 ($125)
  • Côte Bonneville, Estate Bottled, DuBrul Vineyard, Yakima Valley, 2018 ($125)
  • L’Ecole No. 41, Estate Grown, Ferguson Vineyard, Walla Walla Valley, 2017 ($105)
  • Long Shadows, Feather Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, 2021 ($85)
  • Quilceda Creek, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, 2021 ($250)
  • Trothe, Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, 2021 ($240)
  • Woodward Canyon, Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington, 2021 ($110)

Before attending this seminar, I had already tried several of the wines, a couple of which I had won at charity auctions back in the day, including a Quilceda Creek red blend and Col Solare red blend. I’ve had L’Ecole No. 41 wines in Walla Walla at the winery, Côte Bonneville’s ultra-premium 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon at a special winemaker dinner in Woodinville, and Betz Family Syrah that I purchased from Total Wine for a blind tasting. For five of these it had been a minute since I’d tried them, so it was good to have a refresher course. And for the other five, it was a privilege to get to try producers that were new to me.

I appreciated trying the wines side by side with others from similar and different regions, vineyards, vintages, etc. to compare and contrast. For example, I would sniff all three of the 2019 Red Mountains from Col Solare, Corliss, and Betz side by side, comparing, or the Horse Heaven Hills wines (Trothe and Andrew Will). Some of the Cabs were very strong in fruit and floral aromatics, while others were more subdued, with less pronounced fruit and more herbal and mineral aromas. All were excellent; at this point it was just a matter of personal preference, sort of like comparing apples to apples. And when you factor in drinking one of these wines with a fine meal, who knows how that might change your perceptions.

Cabernet SauvignonsIn Washington state, winemakers are legally allowed to add small amounts of other wines (up to 25%) to get a single-varietal wine the way they want it to be (think other Bordeaux varietals, which are Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Carménère). So it can still be called Cabernet Sauvignon on the label as long as it is at least 75% Cabernet Sauvignon. I’ve had 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines before in lower price ranges. Do all the truly fine, upper echelon Cabs depend on dabs and dollops of Merlot and Cab Franc to put them at the top? Perhaps, but I don’t know.

My favorite of the day, if I had to pick, was Quilceda Creek. Sure, it was the most expensive wine, but I’m pretty good about not letting price bias me. It tasted magnificent in my mouth, no faults whatsoever. Pure bliss. I polished off the glass because it would have violated my conscience to leave it. It was a crime to leave the other wines on the table but that my friends is the nature of a wine tasting, and you just have to make peace with it. Otherwise your liver will revolt! 🙂

I noticed that the two gentlemen I sat between both polished off their Quilceda Creek with no problems as well, and they both admitted to loving it.

My other stand-out favorites were Woodward Canyon, Betz, and Col Solare.

But all the wines were memorable, wonderful, and superbly delicious. What a treat. ❤

As far as the question of price – is it really worth spending anywhere from $85 – $250 on a bottle of fine wine – my answer would be a) yes, if you can get someone else to buy it for you 😉 and b) if you’re buying it, and funds are finite, then just once in a great while. You could also go in with friends and decide to share one of these bottles with a fine meal or just some epic charcuterie.

Drinking fine wine is like enjoying a Wagyu steak: it’s still steak, but it’s so unique and almost different from steak it’s in its own category, and you don’t eat it every day. In fact, when I’ve gone out for fancy steak dinners, I sometimes prefer the lower-priced, corn-fed cuts because I like them. Fine red wine vis-à-vis less expensive red wine is the same. But here’s the really great news: you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to get FANTASTIC Cabernet Sauvignon (and so many other wines) in Washington State. You really don’t.

While there are numerous Taste Washington events – including The Grand Tasting, the two-day wine and food extravaganza at Lumen Field Event Center with hundreds of restaurants and wineries – if you have to choose just one event, I vote for attending one of the seminars. Why? For much less money (I spent $108, even after all the lovely added charges and fees), you get:

  • To sit and relax for an hour and a half, not having to spend hours on your feet jostling around in a crowd
  • To hear from the winemakers firsthand and learn a lot about your selected topic
  • To ask questions directly of the panel, should you so desire
  • 10-12 pours of outstanding wines (in this case, ultra-premium Cabernet Sauvignon)
  • Last I checked, general admission on Sunday (the cheaper of the two days, I believe) was hovering at around a $150 price tag. Sure, you get to try TONS of wineries and restaurants, but if you’re interested in a calmer, more focused sit-down experience, a seminar is the way to go. They offered three seminars this year, and since all happen concurrently, you have to pick just one.

I’ve been to wine festivals and those are definitely fun and have their place. I love wandering up to the tables and having excited people pour me sips of delicious wine, and rubbing elbows with fellow wine enthusiasts. But if you have limited time and resources, and have to be selective of where you spend your dollars, the seminars have my wholehearted recommendation.

What about you? Have you attended any Taste Washington events, in particular the seminars? Do you have any similar events in your town? Comment!

Casamara: A Dry Choice That Is Anything But “Dry”

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Dry. That word just sounds so sad. Makes me think of the perpetual state of my hands right now as a mom in the winter, or a tumbleweed bumbling across the desert, or a boring book or movie. Dry, dry, dry.

Obviously when it comes to wine, “dry” simply refers to a lack of sweetness, but here we are talking about the alcohol-free kind of dry.

Let’s talk for a minute about Dry January. For those of you who are unaware, Dry January is a concept of abstaining completely from all alcohol from January 1st – 31st, in the interest of starting a clean slate of health and possibly allowing one’s liver to recover from the overindulgence of November – December.

I think awareness around one’s health and personal threshold for alcohol is very important. But I do not think people should use Dry January as a virtue-signaling cheat to immediately stop binge drinking/overindulging and then hit the bottle again hard come February 1st. Extreme yo-yo-ing habits always bite you in the butt and are no way to live. Perhaps this is why there is a lot of annoyed hubbub over Dry January from winemakers and producers, which is understandable.

My tenet: enjoy wine as you wish, as you can, in moderation, year-round. It’s also important to remember alcohol serving sizes and numbers (different for men and women), and that individual factors like tolerance for different amounts/types of alcohol, whether it’s consumed with food, hydration levels, and temperament/stress level whilst enjoying play significant roles in alcohol metabolism for each person.

Anyway, enough philosophizing. I’ve been meaning to write a post on this particular beverage for a very long time, and I just haven’t gotten around to it until now. Dry January is the perfect opportunity to tell you about this product.

As a wine lover, it’s not often I try a non-alcoholic beverage and enjoy it more than the wine I’m consuming. Shocker. But it did happen! One afternoon out with my mom and kids at a wine bar, I ordered a glass of an obscure Italian varietal and my son ordered something off the non-alcoholic drinks menu that was effectively a soda pop. I sampled his pop and immediately was wowed. It tasted way better than my esoteric Italian varietal and compelled me with its elaborate layers and dimensions of flavors. It was called Casamara Club Onda. It reminded me of the Italian aperitif amaro, the florid combination of botanical herbs and citrus that I love. This drink did not feel AT ALL like drinking a coke or ginger ale or what have you. It felt sophisticated and very complex. So much to enjoy and explore in each sip.

So what is Casamara Club? It’s a business that crafts leisure sodas: “delicious, refreshing drinks… from unique botanical extracts, minimally processed in small batches. Each is thoughtfully blended into delicate, aromatic recipes inspired by far off places.” They have perfected the taste and impression of several cocktails from international vacation spots and reimagined them as dry incarnations. Lo adoro!

Casamara Club Onda Amaro Club Soda

Onda is their “Sicilian style botanical soda with coastal amaro aromatics and an extra dry finish.” The ingredients listed on the back of the bottle include: sparkling water, lemon juice, demerara cane sugar, extracts of Italian lemon, sage leaf, rhubarb root, Italian chinotto, juniper berry, anise, Mediterranean sea salt. So even though it contains sugar, the sugar is standing in the background quietly bringing balance, not stealing the spotlight. Simple, pure, refreshment for grown-ups (or kids with sophisticated palates, like mine). 😉

I think it’s great that there has been so much innovation in the non-alcoholic beverage department. Why not? I’m all for humans being creative. Not unlike advances in vegetarian/vegan cuisine, there are so many wonderful and amazing flavors and textures to explore but without the use of alcohol or animal products. I don’t agree with completely replacing meat or alcohol but certainly to have options that mimic the best parts of those foods is admirable. I know all too many folks who cannot imbibe alcohol for various health reasons, and to let them have the option of something that is a change of pace from pop or sparkling water I’m sure is long overdue and more than welcome. In fact, it’s welcome even for those of us who maybe reach our quota for the time being but still want to enjoy something beside plain old water, or who want to forgo the enamel-scraping sweetness of pop.

Give this a try. I think you will be just as surprised as I was. ❤

Are you practicing Dry January, or are you unfazed by such silly trends? 😉 Do you have other tasty non-alcoholic beverages you would recommend? Comment below!

Buzzing with Excitement: Celebrate World Bee Day with Oppegaard Mead

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Did you know that today – May 20 – is World Bee Day? As in the insects, not spelling bees. 🙂 Fun fact about me: I used to intentionally lose spelling bees as a kid because I knew all the words and was terrified of having to go to the state spelling bee and stand up and talk in front of other people. You might as well have told me I would be walking into an actual beehive.

But back on the apian track, or flight path. Considering the massive importance and amount of work these tiny heroes do to feed our planet, I thought it would be most appropriate to celebrate their hard work with a couple delicious mead recommendations on World Bee Day.

Just as hard cider is made from fermented apple juice, mead is an alcoholic beverage made of fermented honey and water. It dates back to ancient times, before even beer and wine had emerged on the scene. Africa is where it originated, and mead was likely the result of an accidental wild fermentation of honey. Keep in mind honey cannot ferment on its own unless a certain amount of water is added to it (otherwise we would all be getting buzzed whenever we used honey that was more than a few days old). The Vikings popularized mead in later centuries and this is the historical era which Oppegaard Meadery proudly touts.

Oppegaard Meadery hails from the hamlet of Tukwila, Washington. Owner Jon Oppegaard is super proud of his own Norwegian heritage and utilizes Viking designs on his bottle labels and Viking-themed tasting room. He offers a number of different meads, each of outstanding quality and style. From time to time he even does some wacky experiments and lets guests sample them (a number of years ago, my husband tried a taco mead made for Cinco de Mayo). 🙂

(Don’t worry, I am not blogging about taco mead today, promise). 🌮

It has been a long time since I tried these two meads but their deliciousness still haunts me (in a good way) to this day. When I drink mead, I definitely have to switch gears mentally because I can’t approach this beverage the same way as I do wine, beer, or cider. Mead shares a certain affinity with wine as its body/consistency is closer to that of wine than that of carbonated beer or cider. Alcohol levels are closer to wine, too.

Both of these beverages are technically melomels, or meads that have had fruit added to them. Oppegaard has crafted two impeccable meads that are truly delicious and dazzle with sumptuous, sweet flavors. The first is the aptly-named Dragon’s Blood Mead, which adds raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries with mead. Dark, gorgeous color, rich berry flavors, just right sweetness, nice weight on the palate. My notes from the first time I tasted this one read, “Pure awesomeness.” I still stand by that. $40/bottle.

Oppegaard Meadery Blackberry Mead

Nectar of the Nordic gods

The Blackberry Mead, priced at $30/bottle, was perhaps my top favorite of all their meads. Local, Pacific Northwest blackberries and honey, bottled into happily-ever-after bliss. So, so enjoyable. Just go get some already.

In addition to sampling the superb meads at Oppegaard, you can attend a medieval fair in their parking lot with combat fighters, food trucks, and entertainment, meet up with your gaming friends to play some Dungeons & Dragons, or even take a class where you learn how to make your own mead. Lots of really fun and unique events to foster community, which I love to see happening. Check out their website for a complete list of goings-on.

It seems curiously fitting that Viking explorers adopted the product of another group of fellow traveler-explorers: honeybees. Honeybees go from flower to flower, gathering up their beloved nectar and pollen to create honey. Vikings went from place to place “in search of wealth and adventure on the seas. During their travels they brought mead with them to trade and consume” (Oppegaard Mead bottle description). So it’s not only something they both make to sustain themselves, but it’s a gift for others to partake in.

A toast to the Vikings for their pioneering efforts and rich legacy in the realm of mead, and to the humble honeybee, on whom we all depend and whose work is greatly revered and appreciated. Cheers! 🐝

What’s the buzz? Do you like mead? Have you tried Oppegaard or another brand? Bee opinionated – comment!

In Praise of Pinot: Two Eggcellent Choices for Easter

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Disclosure Statement: This post contains affiliate links. When you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, I receive a commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.

Good morning?

Here we are on Good Friday, commemorating one of the most gruesome and horrific sacrifices in history, and I’m about to blabber away about Pinot Noir. The cup of wine that Jesus said represented his shed blood had now been literally poured out in his own death. There is something heavy and solemn about this sacred holiday that makes one feel a little off kilter, and it feels completely foreign to talk about celebrating on a day like this. Even my coffee demands to be drunk black today because anything else seems wrong.

But the end is not unknown, and there exists the hopeful realization that in just two days it will be Resurrection Sunday. Death doesn’t have the final say and the great suffering borne out of love accomplishes its purpose.

With that all kinds of fooding and feasting will commence, so it’s up to me to prepare you for such things and get you your wine recs in time. 🙂

I gabbed with you last year about the delights of Pinot Noir and Easter fare, and since my Pinot Noir recommendation cup runneth over, we are circling back to the same leitmotif with two new ones for 2024.

These two wines stole my heart last year at the McMinnville Food + Wine Classic, and while I gave them some brief lip service in my review of last year’s event, I have not spilled all the exclusive juicy details… until now!

Pinot Noir is one of the most food-friendly red wines available, thanks to its usually light to medium body and fruit/acid/tannin profile. These two elegant, refined, and beautiful Pinots are both worthy of a fine Easter meal (or whatever the occasion may be). They are fantastic on their own, but they are the awesome sauce to pork, lamb, duck, chicken, turkey, beef, fish, and vegetable/grain mains. You name it, it tends to work great with it!

Without further ado, here are two excellent Pinot Noirs for your consideration:
Patton Valley Vineyards Lange Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir

Patton Valley Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018
Lange Estate Vineyard
Dundee Hills AVA
$60/bottle
14.7% ABV
Per the bottle: “Planted in 2004, the Jory soils from this high elevation Dundee Hills site produce grapes that yield vibrant and aromatic wines. Partial whole cluster fermentation, combined with naturally vibrant acidity, gives this wine structure to balance the ripe and luscious profile.”
Absolutely enchanting and divine, is what I call this Pinot. And no wonder, as the grapes herald from one of my top favorite Willamette Valley AVAs (Dundee Hills). It’s got good acid so it makes for a good food-pairing Pinot. Do yourself a favor and pick up this wine, which boasts a “lush red fruited nose” and a “broad and silky palate.”
https://www.pattonvalley.com/Domaine Lumineux Pinot Noir

Domaine de Broglie 2019 Pinot Noir
(N.B.: The winery is now known as Domaine Lumineux but they are still selling some of their wines with the former Domaine de Broglie labels)
A Francis Coppola Wine | Clone 777 | Domaine de Broglie Vineyard, Dundee Hills

  • $62/bottle
  • ABV 13.4%
  • Medium garnet color
  • Bouquet that unfolds exquisitely in the mouth
  • Cherry, strawberry, chocolate, earth, mushroom, tea, and some subtle anise/licorice
  • Acidity is there and just right
  • Fruit is present but gentle and balanced
  • Long-lasting finish
  • From the bottle: “Clone 777 is known for producing low yielding, compact clusters that lead to rich, dark fruit flavors and notes of spicy leather on the velvety finish.”
  • My tasting notes at the time: “Wow! Heck yes. Awesome!”

Yet another Dundee Hills Pinot Noir, but what a stellar one! I clearly have my favorites. 🙂 (I will delve into some other really great Oregon Pinot AVAs in the future). Among other accolades, this particular wine won “Best of Show” and “Best Red Wine” at the 2023 McMinnville Wine Competition. I knew I had encountered something truly special when I first sipped it.
https://domainelumineux.com/

Ahhhhhhhh….

So there you have it: primo Pinot. The fancy sort that I find quite irresistible and perfect for opening up on special occasions. Perfect for celebrating the greatest universe-altering day in human history: when grace conquered sin and life conquered death.

Have you sipped either of these wines or others from Patton Valley Wines or Domaine Lumineux? What are you drinking for Easter? Let me know in the comments.

Happy Spring and Happy Easter. 🌷

Wine.com

Give ‘Em the Old Razzle Dazzle: Razzamatazz Dazzles Your Taste Buds

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Here in Washington, we are in the throes of beautiful summer weather. I imagine many of you are planning or already taking some vacations. We had planned a trip to Oregon this week which was going to include some wine tastings, but that had to be postponed due to me being diagnosed with pneumonia. Groan and groan. I am hoping to be able to make the trip sometime later once I recover.

In the mean time, you’re probably on the prowl for refreshing wines that enhance your summer moments. Let’s take a look at a breathtakingly gorgeous travel destination that also fits the bill for wine tasting, and one winery’s irresistible “summer” wine with a jazzy name.

I love the musical Chicago. It’s my all-time favorite. I’ve danced a fair amount of the choreography, saw it once live at the Paramount Theater in Seattle, and five times at the movie theater. One of my email addresses even includes the phrase, “all that jazz.” Me, obsessed? Nah. 😉

“Give ’em the old razzle dazzle” is the resounding battle cry of shyster courtroom attorney Billy Flynn, flanked by sequined and feathered showgirls. But Billy’s brand of razzle-dazzle is used to sidetrack one’s vision with a false optical illusion.

This wine, however, tastes as good as it looks; pure razzle dazzle for your taste buds! No deceptive trickery here.

Razzamatazz is a dessert wine concocted by Icicle Ridge Winery in Peshastin, WA, which is right next to Washington’s favorite Bavarian village, Leavenworth. Peshastin is in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains and is home to numerous orchards and farms, and the fruit grown in these parts is sensational. Leavenworth is home to many wonderful wineries (including an additional Icicle Ridge Winery tasting room in the heart of the town), but venture just a few minutes outside town and you can enjoy world-class views as you sip the wines at IRW’s log cabin tasting room. This is one of the most beautiful and scenic places I have ever tasted wine – add it to your wine tasting bucket list! Learn more about Icicle Ridge Winery here.

Icicle Ridge Winery Log Cabin Tasting Room, Peshastin, WA

Wish I was there right now! Icicle Ridge Winery Log Cabin Tasting Room, Peshastin, WA

Few dessert wines taste as truly refreshing with authentic raspberry flavors as Razzamatazz. Fresh raspberry juice is blended with Riesling for the ultimate Washington summer wine.

This is a well-orchestrated wine that is sweet, thirst-quenching, zippy, and delicious. In the glass, this perfectly balanced wine does everything you need it to do… the sweetness from the excellent Riesling is complemented and balanced by the juice of fresh, lush, tart raspberries. A glass of this just for dessert would be incredible.

The only trouble with IRW’s dessert wines is they go down super easy so be prepared and buy at least a couple bottles. But I can’t think of a better summer treat that shows off our beautiful WA vinicultural accomplishments than this wine. This wine also pairs exceptionally well with Fourth of July fireworks displays.

Razzle Dazzle ’em! 🙂

Troublemaker: A Raucous, Righteous Red to Add to Your Wine Arsenal

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Disclosure Statement: This post contains affiliate links. When you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, I receive a commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.

Howdy, readers! I’ve been going full throttle the last few months here on the blog, and while I still plan on posting frequently, I am also taking it down a notch as we enter the summer season. Let’s face it – blog readership dips in the summer months and also I plan to be less attached to my computer when the sun is out, friends are available, and excursions await. So you’ll see me around, but I won’t be quite as in your face (but please keep reading and sharing, thank you!). 🙂

As we head into summer aka BBQ season (see my last post on Mosquito Fleet Winery’s Cabernet Sauvignon), I want to turn our attention to BBRs – big bold reds that drink deliciously on their own but also make yummy matches for your sizzling grill fare.

This wine is one of my all-time favorite red blends ever anywhere that you can get at the grocery store, the specialty wine store, or online. It never disappoints, and tastes more expensive than it retails for. Lean in and I’ll tell you….

The wine world is funny: people will tell you it’s all about what YOU like to drink, don’t pay attention to what anyone else says, just follow your bliss. Then, when you speak up about a wine you like (why? because it tastes good, duh!) some of them will immediately about-face and snidely demean your choice of wine. Hypocrite much?

Really? Come on. No wonder people swear off wine and adopt beer or spirits as their drink of choice. Probably not as much drama over in those camps, right? Meh, probably… humans.

In winemaking, the ones who challenge the “rules” and experiment can often forge new territories and create delicious wine. And that takes honesty and integrity, to not let what others think dictate your path.

Maybe that’s why I like this wine so much… it embodies that confident attitude.

This is Troublemaker Red Blend. It’s for you red wine lovers who love a big, fat, ridiculous, crazy, full blend that charts its own course.

I first drank this wine at a pizzeria in Hawaii, where I recorded it was “mind-blowingly good and different. Way amazing mouth feel and finish.” Like waaayyy, dude (the nearby surf must have been affecting my vocabulary).

OK, you ask, why the name Troublemaker? It refers to winemaker Austin Hope of Hope Family Wines in Paso Robles, CA. The story is that young Austin frequently got into trouble as a kid and so as punishment he was sent out to work in the family vineyard to learn his lesson. Surprisingly enough, the biggest lesson Austin learned was that he loved the land and the world of wine would that would become his career and calling. Funny how things backfire on parents. 🙂

Look at this rad lineup of grapes… gnarly! You have to drink it to believe it: Syrah, Petite Sirah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, and Zinfandel. No wonder I’m utterly smitten; these are some of my favorite wine grapes!

Here are the details and my impressions of the wine:

Troublemaker Red BlendTroublemaker Red Blend

  • Austin Hope Winery, Paso Robles, CA
  • $18/bottle on wine.com
  • Deep, dark purple (almost black!) in the glass
  • Rich, smoldering, intense, full-bodied at 14.5% ABV
  • Aromas I get: smoky bonfire, blackberry, cherry, sage, leather, cinnamon, bay leaf/menthol/eucalyptus, iodine, pepper, licorice
  • Throat warming with higher alcohol, but still a good amount of acidity present
  • Well-integrated velvety tannins but still with an ultra-smooth texture
  • Nice, persistent finish

Let this be your five-star, go-to red for BBQ season, or any time wine is called for. Stir up a little trouble yourself when you surprise your “brahs” with this unusual and shockingly tasty blend.

Whenever I look at a bottle of Troublemaker, this song naturally starts playing in my head:

Wanna know something funny? My husband and I have recorded with Weezer. A number of years ago in Seattle, I entered a radio contest to get to play with Weezer in a “Hootenanny” and my husband and I were selected… likely because not very many people play upright bass (he played bass, I played tambourine). There were 3 upright bass players at this particular session. It was fun and now it’s a silly story to tell. 🙂

Weezer Hootenanny Badge

Proof!

Wine in Sacred Places

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In Which I Discover Phenomenal Cabernet from Mosquito Fleet Winery

Do you have those sacred places on earth where you feel at home, or somehow closer to heaven because of the beauty of the place? Is it a beach, a mountain, a cute small town? Hood Canal, WA is one such place that holds a special spot in my heart. My great-grandparents built a cabin out on a piece of property right on the water, and it’s still standing and in the family! It has been a huge part of my life, from childhood through parenthood. It’s been a refuge, especially during the pandemic when we were isolating and being careful. A place to fully relax and be.

Hood Canal

My sacred place… Hood Canal

In recent years, every time my husband and I would drive out for some down time at the cabin, we would pass by a tasting room in Belfair with “Mosquito Fleet Winery” printed in elegant script across the building, tempting us with the prospect of delicious wine. A wine-tasting room to me is like an iPad to a kid – very very hard to resist! 🙂 Every time we passed it we said to ourselves, “We’ve got to stop in there sometime.” But with young children in tow, and often on a tight schedule, it just didn’t happen.

Mosquito Fleet Winery SignageWell, we finally DID stop in – last summer, I believe. Our kids were with us but they are older and better able to handle the occasional wine tasting with Mom and Dad every once in a while. It’s not like it takes all day to sip 5 or 6 wine pours… it’s good to learn some patience and that the day is not just about what they want to do. The people working at the tasting room were very kind and even gave the kids some popcorn and juice for a snack.

I should pause a second and give you a quick bit of history on the winery’s name. And I must say, it’s nice to have a Washington state winery pay tribute to local history rather than donning an awkward mock French name like Château Belfair or Domaine du Canal. 🙂 Also, while there are literal fleets of mosquitos at Hood Canal (I wish they didn’t love me quite so much – must be the wine in my bloodstream?), the name has no connection to that ecological fact. 😉

For those of you unfamiliar with the name, Mosquito Fleet refers to the fleet of various steamboats that transported people and cargo throughout the many waterways of Washington state, from the inlets of Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands, from the 1840s until about the 1950s. Mosquito Fleet Winery honors the spirit of bringing people together through their wines. I love it!

Anyway, hubby and I each did a tasting and enjoyed the wines presented. We wound up going home with a gorgeous bottle of Mosquito Fleet Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2019. To me, this was a standout wine – the kind of excellent Washington Cabernet Sauvignon you can pull out and enjoy with an equally excellent steak dinner, or simply to savor uninhibited. Perfect for Memorial Day BBQ fare, I may add.

Here are the details of this particular wine:

Mosquito Fleet Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

Divine wine from Hood Canal: Mosquito Fleet Winery Cabernet Sauvignon

355 cases produced
$45/bottle
13.8% ABV
95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc
From the winemaker: “A beautiful Cabernet Sauvignon with notes of blueberry, blackberry and anise. It has a beautifully full mouthfeel with nice, juicy acids and beautifully rounded out tannins that linger. It was aged predominantly in new French oak barrels which lend a nice aroma of oak and elegance.”
My impression: superb fruit, rich yet elegant, appealing texture, noteworthy balance – a wine of outstanding quality! ❤

Mosquito Fleet Winery prides itself on producing wines that are “hand-crafted with time-tested ‘Old World’ winemaking techniques of centuries past. This small lot, labor intensive approach helps produce memorable wines and memorable times for any occasion.”

As someone who just purchased a very disappointing bottle of cheap-sad-crap-red from the grocery store for our latest excursion to the Canal (I’ll blame the economy, whether I’m justified or not), I understand and appreciate the effort that goes into crafting fine Cabernet Sauvignon using the best fruit, the best winemaking techniques, and new French oak barrels. There is such a difference, and while I can’t afford to drink higher-priced wines every day (let’s be real, I don’t drink wine every day), if I want to experience real pleasure from a wine, I usually have to spend a bit more. But it’s well worth it. There truly is nothing like a truly fine wine. Truly. 🙂

Hood Canal is a beautiful place to relax and unwind, especially with a visit to Mosquito Fleet Winery thrown in. Go try it sometime. Maybe it will become one of your special places. ❤

Drinking wine at Hood Canal

Full disclosure: this was not Mosquito Fleet Cab, rather, ’twas a bland and mediocre substitute, but I was still determined to enjoy my time at the beach! 🙂

Let’s toast to those who made the greatest sacrifice on this Memorial Day 2023. ❤

American Flag and MoonSpecial thanks to Jacquie for your assistance in answering my questions!

Nat Geo Wines of the World

Table for 12: Dishing Up Cooking and Community

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¡Ay, caramba! We’ve had a whirlwind tour of Mexico this past week, haven’t we? Maybe you’ve whipped up a Prickly Pear Margarita or considered trying some Mexican wine. Well, this week I’m wrapping it up with one last post focused on one of the world’s greatest cuisines: Mexican food.

The simple things are often the best things, and to me Mexican food is perennially popular because the ingredients are specific to Mexican land and culture but they are simple, wholesome, and flavorful, which gives the cuisine broad appeal.

If you follow me on Facebook and Twitter, you may have seen some photos I shared a while ago about a certain cooking class. That was in April, and so today here is the post I promised. Enjoy! (Hint, hint, this event makes a great Mother’s Day present for those shopping for the occasion.) 😉

Table for 12 Edmonds

Table for 12
Edmonds, Washington

My mom treated me and my husband to a night out in Edmonds at Table for 12, a recently-opened studio kitchen in which to take group cooking classes and also the home of food production company, 12 Tomatoes. Check out their drool-worthy videos on their YouTube channel! I’m fixing on making something from them soon.

The theme of our class was Street Taco Table. All of us rallied around the table and every person had a hand in creating this gigantic, awesome feast. The vibe is relaxed and all about being together and having fun while cooking, not trying to be Master Chefs. And whaddya know, we also learned some better cooking techniques too while having fun. 🙂

We each had several things to do throughout the night: I chopped veggies for salsa, shredded lettuce, made vinaigrette, and tossed salad, among other things. I also got to fry tortilla strips for the salad, which was good practice for me to deep fry without fear (I avoid deep frying in my home kitchen). My husband also chopped produce, roasted veggies for salsa, and helped make tortillas.

Chef Dom did a great job explaining our tasks and delegating just the right amount of work to each person. It’s great to have access to a professional chef for 3 hours to ask any and all your nagging cooking questions! I should also mention they pay the highest attention to hygiene and safety for all their events at Table for 12, and that all levels of cooking experience (or lack thereof!) are welcome.

I’ve been to a number of cooking classes and demonstrations over the years… ones where you are required to stand and cook most of the time, others where you are seated and watching a chef create magic. This event struck a happy balance between watching and learning from the chef-expert and getting to practice cooking skills (i.e. chopping, sautéing, etc.) – just the right amount of activity at each end of the spectrum. One cooking class I took in the past had me standing and hustling most of the night, with little to no chance to sit down. It was interesting and fun but tiring. This was definitely not tiring, with plenty of time to cook, seated or standing, and plenty of time to sit down and sip our wine or beer (or muy deliciosa agua fresca). 🙂

The event ran from 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm. Because you don’t eat the dinner until 9:30 pm or later that night, I recommend adjusting your eating schedule the day of your event and either have a late big lunch in the afternoon or normal lunch and then a light snack or meal to tide you over until later. We did have chips and salsa to nosh on, but the point is to be cooking, not sitting and dining.

All classes are limited to 12 people, and since there were about 4 no shows, we had a slightly smaller group. Group size is a very important factor for an event: just the right amount to get to know folks, but also not so few that all the work falls on a couple people. Can I also say how thankful I am to be back in person, out and about doing things with other humans after COVID? It’s so great. ❤

Street Taco Table, Table for 12 Edmonds

Street Taco Table
Table for 12
Edmonds, Washington

Here is the menu. Everything was fresh, colorful, flavorful, and delicious. It proved to us how relatively easy it is to prepare Mexican food at home that tastes WAY BETTER. We are not shy about making our own tortillas now. We got to take home printed copies of the recipes and we also got to take home leftover food. We gave it to my mom and she verified it was excellent. 🙂

Street Taco Table Menu

  • Crunchy Green Taco Salad 
    This is what salad is all about: rainbow colors, flavors, and textures. I could eat this salad every day. Sorry I don’t have a better picture of the salad; above it’s buried under other food.
  • Dry-Rubbed Carne Asada with Fresh Flour Tortillas and Salsa Roja
    Carne Asada was terrific. The salsa was fantastic. The freshly made tortillas beat anything I’ve bought at the store. Going to be making these at home.
  • Spanish Rice and Brothy Beans
    This was not your average rice n’ beans snooze fest from your average Mexican restaurant. Hearty and with amped up flavor. ❤
  • Mango Tres Leches with Fresh Mango and Salted Whipped Cream
    Even though I was getting quite stuffed after the main meal, I still saved a little room for dessert, and am I glad I did! This dessert was amazing not just for taste, but it was light and refreshing after a hefty meal – how many cake recipes do you know of that can achieve that after dinner?
Mango Tres Leches Cake, Table for 12 Edmonds

Mango Tres Leches Cake
Table for 12
Edmonds, Washington

While this was not a wine event per se, our tickets included two beverages (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) for the evening. We also had the option of purchasing additional beverages or bottles à la carte. I had a glass of both their featured white and red wines, which came from the excellent wine shop next door, Arista Wine Cellars (they are listed on my Places to Taste page). The white was the 2021 Domaine De L’arfentiere, Macon Uchizy Chardonnay Burgundy France and the red was the 2020 Mark Ryan Lu & Oly Red Blend Columbia Valley Washington. Both super delicious wines I enjoyed that each went very well with our Mexican cuisine.

Want to know something super cool? You can even take FREE CLASSES from Chef Dom online. He offers a wide variety of topics and recipes. Great option especially if you are out of town. Here is a class happening this Wednesday: Southern Comfort.

Personally, while I’m thankful for technology, nothing beats the in-person experience, so please take a look at their current classes, gather some friends (or go solo and make friends!) and go to a live class. Prices as of May 2023 are $99/person before tax and tip.

¡Salud! 🙂

Muchas gracias a mi madre por una noche sabrosa y divertida. ❤

Say “Kia Ora” for International Sauvignon Blanc Day

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Happy Cinco de Mayo! I trust you’re all set up now with your Mexican vino and Prickly Pear Margaritas for today. 🙂 But did you know that today is also International Sauvignon Blanc Day? Goodness gracious me, so it is. Better slap a blog post together! 😉

It’s been a while since I’ve chatted with you about Sauvignon Blanc, hasn’t it? I’m surveying my long list of wines to share, and this is one that MUST be shared. Absolutely MUST! In case you didn’t read that clearly, MUST. SHARE.

This is for all my friends and readers who belong to the white wine cult branch of Sauvignon Blanc. 😉 I’m probably more in the red wine cult branch of Cab/Pinot/Merlot type thing, but Sauvignon Blanc is a solid choice for utter white wine devotion.

For starters, Sauvignon Blanc is one of the noble grape varieties (it can be grown in a wide range of places and always exhibits specific characteristics, no matter where and how it is grown), traditionally hailing from France. It is planted all around the world, and excels mightily in New Zealand, especially in the prime region of Marlborough. Wines are typically light bodied, with high acid and moderate alcohol.

This Sauvignon Blanc serves as a great introduction to New Zealand Sauv Blanc as a genre (like California Cab or Argentine Malbec, places famous for excelling at certain varieties) and also stands squarely on its own as an outstanding wine. The reason I haven’t tried a lot of other NZ Sauvignon Blancs is because this one is so incredible and irresistible I keep returning to it. Why bother with anything else?

Here are the deets on this beguiling wine, the Kia Ora Signature Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc:

  • $17/bottle at totalwine.com
  • 13% ABV, light body, crisp and refreshing
  • FLAVOR EXPLOSIONS (caps intended!) of passionfruit, kiwi berry, lime, grapefruit and herbs
  • Mouthwatering acidity
  • “Reflects the ultimate New Zealand flavor profile”

I tasted this wine at Total Wine one time and I commented to the gentleman pouring that I’d had it before and loved it. He said his wife loves it so much they buy it by the case. I believe it!

Fun fact: my grandmother lived in New Zealand for part of her childhood on a sheep ranch. She always wanted to go back to visit, but never got the chance. I figure this is one small way I can honor her memory of this beautiful, vibrant land. That and watch Lord of the Rings whilst quaffing this Sauv Blanc (hey, there’s a Friday night idea).

According to Wikipedia, kia ora is a Māori greeting which means “have life” or “be healthy”, wishing the essence of life upon someone. So, kia ora, readers! 🙂

Happy International Sauvignon Blanc Day! Any favorite Sauvignon Blancs you would like to share? Comment below!

Prickly Pear Margaritas for Cinco de Mayo (and Beyond)

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Disclosure Statement: This post contains affiliate links. When you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, I receive a commission at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.

Cinco de Mayo is happening this Friday. Or, for those whom the actual holiday has no personal cultural relevance, Cinco de Drinko: a day for Americans to down Margaritas and Mexican food.

I hope you enjoyed my post on Mexican wine, but – de veras – this holiday demands a Margarita. Nothing short of a Margarita will suffice for today. And this Margarita recipe is sin igual in terms of show stopping good looks and jaw dropping flavors.

This recipe is courtesy of Keli Sim DeRitis – an artist, designer, passionate cook, teacher, and tour guide. Her business, Poggi Bonsi, offers all manner of gorgeous and delicious things, including cooking classes, European tours, and special import gifts and food items for your home kitchen.

My husband and I took a cooking class with her a couple years ago on Sicilian cooking and wines and it was fantastic and utterly delicious! You can buy her cookbook on Amazon (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying links), which includes several themed menus grouped by European travel destination. Check out her website for more information.

What makes this Margarita extra special is the Prickly Pear syrup. Prickly Pear is a flowering plant of the cactus family, and according to the Mayo Clinic is reputed to help treat diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity, and hangovers.

Laugh. Out. Loud. Combining this lovely plant with sugar and alcohol per-rob-ably won’t help with the above ailments, but, like the overweight American who orders the Diet Coke with the huge cheeseburger and extra large French fries, we optimistically and ignorantly think that one small “good” deed outweighs all the other poor dietary choices.

Gotta laugh at ourselves, right? 😉

This Magnificent Magenta Margarita is not only supremely photogenic, its refreshing and diverse flavors sweep over you and ferry you to Margarita bliss.

Give it a try, I’m pretty sure you’ll love it. 🙂

Recipe notes: I doubled the recipe to make 2 drinks. Use only fresh-squeezed lime juice. For the sugar/salt/lime zest mix for the glass rim, massage the three ingredients together with your fingers to release those lovely lime essential oils.

*Prickly pear syrup can be purchased online. Look for Cheri’s Desert Harvest. The only ingredients are sugar, prickly pear cactus, lemon, and citrus pectin. And yes, that color is real! (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying links).

For an alcohol-free mocktail: throw some prickly pear syrup, fresh-squeezed lime juice, and club soda together. ¡Deliciosa!

PRICKLY PEAR MARGARITA

Prickly Pear MargaritasIngredients

  • 3 ounces tequila blanco (aka silver tequila or tequila plata)
  • 1/2-ounce Cointreau or Triple Sec
  • 1 1/2 ounces freshly-squeezed lime juice
  • 2 ounces prickly pear syrup*
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest
  • Prickly pear or lime slice for garnish

Directions

  1. Pour the tequila, Cointreau, lime juice and prickly pear syrup into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously to incorporate. Alternately, you can blend the cocktail ingredients with ice in a blender.
  2. Combine the salt, sugar, and lime zest on a small plate. Run a slice of lime around the rim of a chilled glass and dip into the mixture and coat the edge.
  3. Fill the glass with ice and pour in the margarita. Garnish with a prickly pear slice (available at many Hispanic and Asian markets) or a slice of lime.