I had a great time with Angela at Le Chateau Winery in Walla Walla, WA. I was really stoked to get to try the first release of their Masterpiece Series before it was even released! Be sure to stop by and give it a taste yourself over Spring Barrel Tasting weekend, May 1-3.
Also check out the art by Bonnie Griffith, a superb artist who works in pastels. The show runs through June.
I spent a great afternoon hanging with Trina, the wine manager, and Chef Frank Magana at his restaurant, Picazo 7 Seventeen in Prosser, WA. They just won the Grand Award from Washington Wine Commission for their support of Washington wine. This is a great place that is consistently packed – calling ahead for a reservation is highly recommended, especially on Friday or Saturday evening. Wednesday night is Wine Industry Night, with discounts for anybody working in the wine industry.
I was honored to share a bottle of Spanish wine, Vinas Magana ’05 Merlot, given to him for his birthday. I also took home a bottle of my favorite Viogner from Maison Bleue Winery, also in Prosser, WA.
Want to learn more about your favorite wine and how it compares to others of the same variety? See Matt Wollen at Ellensburg WineWorks. Matt and I did a side by side comparison of a French Bordeaux from Chateau Bel-Air and a similar bordeaux, Camaraderie Grace from Washington State. Very eye-opening.
Ellensburg WineWorks is a great little place near downtown Ellensburg that has an impressive selection of wine not only from Washington, but from all over the world. And Matt is a very passionate and knowledgeable host. Every weekend in the shop he does a side by side comparison with a different theme.
They also have two well-appointed guest rooms upstairs (think B&B), at reasonable rates. Great location within steps of those downtown events. Stop in. You won’t be disappointed. Check their website for availability and rates.
I also took a bottle of RiverAerie 2007 Malbec to try out. Really looking forward to that.
This was a very informative and enlightening interview with Sharon Burns of First Aid Ed, who teaches CPR/First Aid with a twist. She teaches the only course in the country that also trains people how to deal with the emotional component that can paralyze first responders in an emergency. She tells a compelling story about how Heath Ledger didn’t necessarily have to die, had his masseuse (trained in CPR) not panicked. Valuable training to have, but only if you don’t panic. Sharon can help you with this.
I had an awesome time at the open mic at Walla Walla Village Winery a couple of weeks ago. Great crowd, excellent music, friendly proprietors. I have talked to Irish Clark recently and the turnout for subsequent Thursday open mics has been great, with more musicians, different musicians, and yes… it’s summer (close enough).
So if you are looking for a good time on a Thursday night in Walla Walla, head on over to the Walla Walla Village Winery. Good music, good wine, good people. What more could you ask for?
Translate the last line on the bottle label. It’s in German for a reason and is hilarious.
Jamie Adams is a rising young star on the local art scene. Her wine themed images are on display at Kestrel Vintners in Prosser, WA for the rest of this month. I am just amazed at how realistic some of the pieces look, yet she also has a great eye for design and a flair for the dramatic.
Jamie chose an ’05 Cabernet from Kestrel for us to taste and I also took home an ’05 Merlot.
Larry and Joyce Oates run Sleeping Dog Wines, a boutique winery (Joyce refers to it as nano boutique) in Benton City, WA. They produce only 600 cases per year and rely heavily on a large pool of dedicated volunteers to help with everything from de-stemming to bottling and labeling. And the volunteers are rewarded handsomely, learning the intricacies of winemaking from the ground up, sampling to help Larry decide on the next blend and sharing meals prepared by Joyce that are legendary around here.
I visited their place twice, once when they were doing some bottling and again to walk the vineyard (and drink) with Larry and Aurora, the wine dog. I was amazed by Larry’s depth of knowledge about the nuances of the micro-climates in the vineyard. We are not talking about just selecting which rows, but about each nook, cranny and dip in the row.
Afterward they invited me to dinner at Bella, and brought along an arm load of wine as well. Indulging in that much fun in one day should be illegal. Thanks, Larry and Joyce.
Who’d a thunk it? A girls roller derby team here in Tri-Cities, WA? Indeed. Laila and her crew meet and practice regularly at the outdoor skate flat track behind the Kennewick Library, near 14th and Union. They play bouts all over the Northwest and June 6th they are having a mini jamboree with two other teams at the flat track behind the Kennewick Library. Actively recruiting. And it’s Laila’s birthday! For details, please see their website
