Fidelitas Wine Club

This Blog has Moved!

2010-09-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

We have a new website for Fidelitas Wines! Among the many cool new features, we now have our blog embedded in the site: www.fidelitaswines.com
Head on over and tell me what you think!

A Week in Review

2010-08-20T12:40:00.001-07:00

I have just had one of the busiest, but most fun weeks filled with wine events around Western Washington. Since there are so many, I am going to do just a recap of each one...

#1 - this is not a Fidelitas event, but was one of my favorite things from the past week. If you have not gone already, do visit the Thursday evening Farmer's Market at the Olympic Sculpture Park. Unique vendors, chef demonstrations, live music in the amphitheater, yummy food and reasonably priced wine from the SAM Taste crew. So much fun.

Braised greens panini with sweet onions and a wheat berry salad, along with Oregon Pinot Gris and a view of the band below.

#2 - Pour on the Plaza at El Gaucho Bellevue: this is a great event in it's second year. Last year it was drizzling and cold all day. This year, it was HOT. People loved the Fidelitas Optu White, which I was keeping on ice. Red Mountain Red is always hard to turn down, but didn't compliment the heat as well. This has consistently been an event with some hand-picked, top wineries from Washington and Oregon. I would definitely recommend attending next year.

#3 - Red Mountain AVA Tasting at DeLille Cellars: this was technically a trade tasting for restaurant folks, distributors and wine buyers. The wineries pouring are all part of the Red Mountain AVA Alliance, and were pouring their best wines from Red Mountain. It was a great opportunity for people to taste the unique characteristics that come from Red Mountain terroir. We showcased the Red Mountain Red, Ciel du Cheval Cab, and Red Mountain Cab Franc. Again, the weather was WARM for showcasing red wines, but I think everyone had a great time.Just before the event began - the beautiful tents at DeLille Cellars in Woodinville.

#4 - WINE CLUB PARTY! We had our annual club event for Seattle-area wine club members on Wednesday evening at the Palace Ballroom. Top Fidelitas wines, Tom Douglas tacos, and a few of our closest Fidelitas fans...it was a great night. I don't have any pictures (guess I was running too much!) but remember seeing a few people with cameras. If you have any shots of the night, send them along!

#5 - Auction of Washington Wines Barrel Auction and Picnic with the Winemakers: finally the weather cooled a bit and made for a very comfortable evening at Chateau Ste Michelle. We featured samples from the barrel of our 2009 vintage of Red Mountain Merlot (to be released spring 2012) and poured tastes of our 2007 Red Mountain Merlot (released last April). It was really fun for people to taste these two wines side by side. Bidders competed to wine a case of the 2009 vintage, to be shipped to them in two years. By the end of the evening, our five cases of future wine made $3250 for Children's Hospital.

A pouring table filled with barrel samples, current releases and...Jag?

The final barrel auction winning bids are up on the board.

Needless to say, I am excited for a quieter week ahead...

Next big events to come: Winemaker Dinner with Charlie at Bin 20 in Pasco on August 25th, Optu Vertical Dinner at the winery on September 17th (sold out!), club shipment to go out September 20th, Crush Weekend (details TBD) September 24 - 26.

Fidelitas Tasting Party

2010-08-03T12:55:00.000-07:00

As much as I enjoy working with wine submissions, website updates and product development, my favorite part of my job is working with our club members. These are the people who remind me why I do all of the other things. They are the ones that I have fun with, and ultimately, share my passion for Fidelitas with. There are tons of things that I do for and with our members (one member wrote the most flattering post on her blog, Northwest Cork and Fork) but one of the most fun is to host private tastings with our wines.

Earlier this month, a few members invited me into their home to for a tasting of Fidelitas wines paired with food. It was really fun for me, because they requested that the menu be mainly vegetarian, which is how I usually eat. These are long time members (club number 4!) who invited several of their friends, including some other Fidelitas fans (numbers 19 and 28!!!). Below are a few photos of the evening...

She's not a member yet, but after tasting the Champoux Cabernet, I think she will be!

Dara (who is always willing to help at a party) with a platter of raspberry fudge brownies. I always state that I don't believe in the "red wine and chocolate" concept, but I am really trying to find a recipe that will make me change my mind. I may fiddle with this one a bit more and then share it.

Our hosts! David is originally from BC and so generously sent us home with some amazing Okanagan wines: Burrowing Owl and Osoyoos Larose.

Vineyard Pics

2010-07-23T10:38:00.001-07:00

I left (way too) chilly Seattle to visit (almost too) warm Red Mountain earlier this week. What a great time to come! Beyond warming up a little, it has been great seeing all of my friends and coworkers at Fidelitas. As an added bonus, we had an event here with our favorite taco wagon, so I got to gorge myself on yummy food. Does life get any better?
I was also delighted to see our thriving little vines in our year old vineyard. The grow tubes recently came off, with the exception of some bright pink and purple ones that Mr. Boushey is experimenting with. They are growing so well that they even received a little pruning this week. (for those that don't remember the beautiful dirt vineyard we had for awhile, visit last year's post here) Here are some pictures of their progress:

Beau guarding the vines

Not a part of the vineyard, but I had to share this crazy clematis that is growing on my porch. How cool is that!?!?

June

2010-06-25T14:38:00.000-07:00

Here I am, nearly one month after I last posted about how quickly time goes by. While I generally try to keep this blog about Fidelitas, I have to share just a few items from this month that just flew by!

First...a few items of business:

For those who haven't heard, Fidelitas blends are awesome! Wine & Spirits Magazine recently awarded the 2007 Boushey Red Wine with 92 Points and the 2007 Red Mountain Red Wine with 93 Points. Wow!
Our new website is still in the works. When that happens, this whole blog will be a part of that site! We're moving a little slow, but I promise it will be great once it gets going.
And...mark your calendars! The Fidelitas club event in Seattle is scheduled for August 18th. I have to secure a few more items before I can release any more details but be sure to save the date!

Okay, and now here is my favorite news for the month of June. I just got married! Charlie was kind enough to allow Ben and I to have our wedding at Fidelitas earlier this month. We were blessed by gorgeous weather, and surrounded by our closest family and friends for this special day. Here are few shots taken by friends of ours.

the gorgeous table settings, later filled with yummy food from Picazo717.

calming our (my) nerves prior to the ceremony with bubbles in front of Cooper Wine Co.

must be excited...

Ben's parents built the arch using vines from Red Mountain.

Time Flies...

2010-05-24T15:24:00.000-07:00

I just realized that it has been ages since I posted anything! For those who do check in, here is a brief description of my whereabouts and Fidelitas updates from the past month...

I am now less than three weeks away from getting married! While I try to not let this get in the way too much, we are definitely getting down to the wire now.
We have released a few new vintages: 2008 Semillon (just in time for summer!), 2007 Columbia Valley Merlot (unbelievable chocolate and spice notes), along with the Champoux Cab, Merlot and Ciel du Cheval Cabernet.
We're getting a new website! I am so excited about this, and have been working to get all of the details together.
Finally, I'm learning all about how to maintain my new yard during a sunny/then hot/then rainy Western Washington spring.

I promise to have more to come very soon!

Riedel Tasting at Anelare Winery

2010-05-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

Our friends at Anelare are hosting an incredible tasting class at their tasting studio in Kennewick. What a cool class - and you get glasses at the end of it! Here is some more information from the wonderful Kahryn at Anelare:

Join us... for a "journey through Riedel's world of glasses and senses." On the following evenings, "you will learn detailed information about Riedel glass creations and their unique philosophies on the ultimate enjoyment of wine."

"The finest glasses for both technical and hedonistic purposes are those made by Riedel. The effect of these glasses on fine wine is profound. I cannot emphasize enough what a difference they make." (Quelle: Robert M. Parker, Jr. The Wine Advocate)

Classes will be held at our tasting studio, there is room for 20 people each evening. Trained representatives from Riedel will be taking us though the course. Each person will receive 4 crystal glasses to take home; we will taste though wines and enjoy appetizers after class. Cost is $100 per person, value of stemware alone is worth over $100!
Wednesday, May 12th 6:30 pm- sold out
Thursday, May 13th 6:30 pm

Call Kahryn at (509)521-8926 to reserve your seat- or contact via email at info@anelare.com.

Recipes for Two Great Cabernets

2010-05-04T13:02:00.001-07:00

Generally, I love to gather a group of friends together when I am working on the recipes for our new releases. However, after a wild spring, I realized that what Ben and I really needed was a quiet night in with just the two of us. The recipes for these new releases are fairly simple and quick, yet were special enough for our much deserved dinner at home.

For the Ciel du Cheval, I really wanted to capture the classic notes of this Red Mountain Vineyard. Coffee and spice seemed to be the perfect match. I've also heard of this rub being used for "cowboy steaks" but for the fun of it, we'll call them "Red Mountain Medallions". On the side, we served some braised baby bok choy that had come in my CSA box and heavenly smashed potatoes, sans the parmesan cheese.

Coffee and Chile Rubbed Tenderloin Medallions
1 tsp ancho chile powder
1 tsp instant espresso
1 tsp brown sugar
¼ tsp dry mustard
¼ tsp dry oregano
¼ tsp coriander
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 lb tenderloin medallions
Combine all dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Spray a cast iron skillet with non-stick spray and heat over medium-high heat. Press the coffee rub into both sides of the medallions, coating well. Add the steaks to the skillet and cook for about 6 minutes on each side, to preferred doneness. Allow to sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

Getting ready to go in the pan with plenty of rub.

A little on the done side, but so tasty.

As many of you know, I am one of those people who do not think that red wine and chocolate is a good idea (gasp!). The theory is that if your dish is sweeter than your wine, it will make the wine appear thin and tart. However, to satisfy everyone who loves red wine and chocolate together, I decided to give it a shot. This vintage of Champoux Cabernet offers such bold fruit with a touch of vanilla, that I felt like it could stand up to this not so sweet chocolate torte.

Chocolate Port Torte with Blueberry Cabernet Sauce
serves 4
for the torte
¼ c unsalted butter (plus a bit more to butter the pan)
5 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tbs tawny port
4 large eggs, separated
½ c sugar
small pinch of salt
1 tbs orange zest
Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly butter the inside of a 9” springform pan and line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper. In a small saucepan, melt the butter but do not let it foam. Add in the chopped chocolate and whisk until fully melted. Stir in the port, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with ¼ cup of the sugar. Stir the chocolate mixture and set aside.
In a large bowl or electric stand mixer, beat the egg whites with a whisk attachment. Mix in the salt, orange zest and remaining sugar and beat until the whites hold stiff peaks. Carefully mix in a small amount of the whites into the chocolate and yolk mixture, blending thoroughly before folding in the remainder of the whites.
Pour the batter into the prepared springform. Bake for 35 minutes. The top will appear cracked when it is done.
for the blueberry cabernet sauce
1 ½ tbs unsalted butter
2 c frozen blueberries
½ c cabernet
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter then add the blueberries. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, until the berries are soft and beginning to pop. Add the cabernet, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 more minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
To assemble, cut the cake into small wedges, top with a generous amount of blueberry sauce and garnish with mint.

I'll admit it - the results were good!

The Fidelitas Gnome

2010-05-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

A few of you may remember Dane from a few posts back (see the original post here). Dane is one of my favorite club members because he travels to wineries wearing his Fidelitas gear with pride. This is now turning into a "where in the world will Fidelitas go next?" type situation. Charlie recently gave Dane a new Fidelitas shirt for all of his promo work, and I just found out it made its winery debut all the way out in North Carolina.

Where next, Dane?

On an entirely different note, I PROMISE to have recipes out in the next day or two. I am so excited about what I came up with for the new releases: Ciel du Cheval and Champoux Cabernets. Yum!

Happy Wine Country Travels

2010-04-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

If you are anything like me, you are probably not only a fan of wine, but also of visiting wineries. In the past year, I have been able to visit tasting rooms in Santa Barbara, Napa and Willamette, in addition to all the great areas in Washington. Below are a few of my favorite hints to maximize your wine country experience, while avoiding hiccups along the way:
· Plan before you go. Several wineries have limited hours, tasting fees or special requests in regards to groups, especially on busy weekends. Check websites or call for the most up to date information. I make appointments if I’m travelling with a group of any size, which often leads to a more personalized experience while I’m there. Also think ahead about dinner reservations, as most restaurants will fill up quickly during event weekends.
· Travel at a leisurely pace. Plan to visit just a few wineries each day, taking the time for rest and food in between. My palate is best for three or four wineries at most.
· Be aware of tasting versus drinking. To make the most of your trip, keep a clean palate and clear head by spitting when necessary and drinking plenty of water.
· Use a designated driver. Take advantage of a limousine service, hire a friend or switch tasting days with your travelling buddies.
· Watch out for hot weather! Purchasing as you go is great, but warm temps in your car can ruin your new wines. Pack a cooler for the day and bring your wines inside with you in the evening.
· Pack cash. Many tasting rooms have minimal tasting fees (and many are refundable with a wine purchase). It can be helpful to bring plenty of cash for these occasions.
· Talk to the tasting room staff! We at Fidelitas love to talk about wine and our winery, and we are certain that others do too. You can learn a lot!

A trip across the border (to Oregon, that is)

2010-04-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

I joke around that being a part of a winery means that you tend to just visit that one tasting room. Rarely do I travel up Sunset Road and turn into any driveway but our own. So, I was really excited when I found out that I got to go to Portland and Willamette Valley for my bachelorette party. (Don’t get any wrong ideas here. We had multiple people claim that we were the calmest bachelorette group they had ever seen…at least in the tasting rooms.) To avoid rambling on too long, I am going to just highlight the places that we visited.
In Portland, a few favorite places include Oregon Wines on Broadway (of course, great Oregon selection, but also with some Washington slipped in and GREAT champagnes), Noble Rot (awesome view of the city even in the rainy weather, fun selection of international and domestic wines) and Serratto (incredible halibut with harrissa and gigantes beans).

Dizzy? The staircase at Domaine Serene

Our trip out to Willamette was awesome. We were lucky enough to have Leland at the wheel, giving us an amazing amount of information about the area. Our first stop was at Domaine Serene, one of the fanciest places in the area and home of one of my favorite white wines – the Cote Sud Chardonnay. We had a wonderful tour of the entire facility and tasted some awesome wines. Next was Penner Ash, recommended to us for the view. While cloudy, it was quite impressive. We had a Riesling that was (mistakenly) labeled at $218, but found that it was quite tasty for the real price of $18, and an interesting, smoky Pinot Noir/Syrah blend. Our last stop of the day was at Arbor Brook, which my parents insisted we try since they enjoyed their visit last fall. The facility definitely was not as upscale as the first two (it is in an adorable, but chilly, old barn) but in some ways we felt more at home. The Pinots were tasty (especially the 07…yum!) and they also had a Red Mountain Wine – a late harvest Semillon from Klipsun Vineyard.
We stayed at the swanky Nines Hotel, right in the middle of downtown and loved looking into the sim city-esque Urban Farmer restaurant below our room. All in all, a great trip that I would recommend to anyone looking for a weekend away. Thanks, girls!

Leland and the ladies outside the Nines.

#WAMerlot Recap and Recipes

2010-03-26T14:53:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I had a ton of fun with the #WAMerlot event last night. I didn't know what to expect going into it, but ended up really enjoying myself. Beyond seeing all of the awesome Washington Merlots that people ended up tasting, I loved how many people from out of the state ended up joining in. There were people from all over the country that searched out Washington Merlots to taste and tweet about. I even saw someone from New Zealand that was bummed because she couldn't find anything down there, but still wanted to join in. A big thank you to everyone who helped to coordinate this event. I would consider it a big success!
After my poor Huskies were defeated last night, I set in to my fun task of the evening. I had some friends over and we made a dinner designed just for Washington Merlot. The Fidelitas 2007 Champoux Vineyard Merlot I was tasting is a great example of a complex, rich Merlot. Tons of earthiness, herbal tones and bright fruit make it an excellent pairing for a dish with the same qualities. I decided to make a Red Wine, Mushroom Risotto to highlight that earthiness and added a ton of fresh herbs to compliment those notes in the wine as well. The match was phenomenal! We were all floored. On the side were Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts, a rich vegetable dish, powerful enough to stand up to the wine, and a simple green salad with pears and toasted hazelnuts to cleanse our palates.
All of these recipes were fairly simple, and worth the stirring time over the stove. Enjoy!

Red Wine, Mushroom Risotto
adapted from AllRecipes

serves 4 as a vegetarian main course

1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups boiling water
4 tbs butter
1 ½ lbs cremini mushrooms, wiped clean, trimmed and quartered
¾ c chopped onion
1 tbs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tbs fresh sage, finely chopped
1 ½ c Arborio rice
1 c dry red wine
4 cups vegetable broth, brought to a simmer
2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for serving.
1 c grated parmesan, plus more for serving

Place dried porcinis in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to stand until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain porcinis, reserving the soaking liquid, and roughly chop.
Heat butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add cremini mushrooms and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chopped onion and herbs, cooking until herbs are fragrant and onion is softened. Stir in rice and cook for about 1 minute. Add red wine and cook, stirring constantly, until completely absorbed. Add porcinis and soaking liquid and stir until absorbed.
Begin to add simmering broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly. Be sure that each cup of liquid is absorbed completely before adding the next. Continue until the rice is tender and creamy, about 20 minutes.
Stir in parsley and parmesan cheese. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with additional parmesan and parsley.

Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

serves 4 as a side

½ c fresh bread crumbs
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus ½ tbs
2 tbs unsalted butter
1 lb small brussels sprouts, trimmed but left whole
2 tbs minced shallot
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ c balsamic vinegar
1 ½ vegetable broth
2 tbs chopped parsley

Heat ½ tbs olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add bread crumbs and thyme. Toast bread crumbs until lightly golden and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat remaining olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Allow butter to foam slightly, then add whole brussels sprouts. Sauté, tossing frequently, until browned and slightly softened, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the shallots and garlic. Sauté until softened, about 2 minutes.
Increase heat to high, then add the broth and balsamic vinegar. If you have an overhead fan, now is a nice time to use it. Cook the brussels sprouts, tossing frequently, until they are glazed and tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and stir in parsley. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with toasted bread crumbs.

Slightly large pieces of shaved parmesan but oh so good.

Preparing for the #WAMerlot Tasting

2010-03-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

What is #WAMerlot? Good question!
This evening, hundreds of wine lovers (everyone from winemakers to bloggers to winery staff to just plain ol' winos) are coming together on Twitter to all taste Washington Merlot at the same time. Why? First of all, it's just fun. This is promising to be a neat way to learn about a lot of different wineries all at one time. The Twitter tasting also serves as a great way to reach beyond Washington's borders to teach people about the great wines that we have to offer here. The organizers of this event are also hoping that by giving Washington some extra attention, we may see a few extra visitors in wine country this year. I also think that this event will highlight one of Washington's greatest varietals. Merlot, which has fallen out of favor in recent years, is one of the best grapes grown in Washington. Our warm days and cool nights produce Merlots that are earthier and a bit more austere than those coming from a few states south of us. Charlie also claims that this is his favorite varietal to work with.
I am going to be tasting two Washington Merlots this evening: the Fidelitas 2007 Champoux Vineyard Merlot (to be released in May) and Stevens Winery 2007 Yakima Valley Merlot (which I've never tried before). I have a feeling that these are going to be two very different, but very good wines. A few buddies are coming over and we are going to prepare some very Merlot friendly dishes - a Red Wine Mushroom Risotto and Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts. You know this makes me happy! I'll post soon about how it all turns out.

A Wonderful West Seattle Day

2010-03-19T08:49:00.000-07:00

Like everyone else in the city, this gorgeous Seattle weather has been putting me in the best mood recently. Earlier this week, I was lucky enough to break out of my office a little early and head to West Seattle for a meeting with our designer, Joe (exciting things coming soon!). After my meeting, I decided to explore California Avenue a bit and visited a few great shops.

If you haven't been to West Seattle Wine Cellars, and are ever in the neighborhood, definitely take the time to stop by. Go slow as you drive down California, or you might drive right past it. Inside the tiny store front are some of the most fun wines I've seen in while. Beside a great selection of Fidelitas wines, they feature several other small Washington wineries, some great selections from Spain and Portugal, really great French finds (including lots of yummy bubbles) and much more. They also offer some very interesting looking classes that will take you beyond just the basics of wine. As you all know, I am a big fan of small independently owned shops like West Seattle Wine Cellars, and would highly encourage you to check them out.

A little later on, I met a good friend at Fresh Bistro, the restaurant attached to local catering company Herban Feast. Their focus is on local, sustainable foods, but they also feature a fun, global wine list. We just sampled a few of their appetizers, but loved everything that we tried. If you are looking for an uncrowded happy hour spot in West Seattle, this is it. Bites are $5 and all glass pours are half off - a good time to try something new and fun! The deep fried gnocchi with chanterelles, cippolinis, lemon and sage was amazing. Something about being deep fried, I guess.

After all this fun, I got to cruise along the Alaskan Way Viaduct to enjoy the bright, beautiful sunshine at 6:30(?!?). A perfect spring afternoon.

Winemaker Dinner at Russell's in Woodinville, March 23

2010-03-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

Charlie is going to be eating well next week! I just received the final menu from Russell's in Woodinville, where he'll be hosting a winemaker dinner next Tuesday night. Everything looks amazing! What a great menu with tons of seasonal touches.

Wild Mushroom Bisque
Ramps, forest mushroom, micro arugula

Seared Halibut Cheek
Frisee, manchego, avocado, champagne vinaigrette, dried apricots

Duck Confit Risotto Cake
Machѐ, roasted garlic, butternut squash, duck natural

Spring Rack of Lamb
White Cheddar Gratin, Yakima asparagus, braised chippolini onion, heirloom carrots, bing cherry demi glaze

Warm Dark Chocolate Torte
Marcona almond crust, white chocolate amoretto

Just a few seats left! For more information, visit http://rdlcatering.com/events.html

Winemaker Dinner March 25 at Dockside Bistro in Olympia

2010-03-12T12:32:00.000-08:00

There are a few wine club members who have been pushing me forever to get a winemaker dinner organized at their favorite restaurant in Olympia. Well boys, the day has arrived and the menu looks amazing! I've been drooling about this since it showed up in my inbox...

Quinault Razor Clam Ceviche, Vermicelli Salad, Papaya Vinaigrette
2007 Semillon ~ Columbia Valley
Hazelnut Finished Pork Belly, Stinging Nettle Soup & Hazelnut Tuile
2006 Merlot ~ Columbia Valley
Columbia River King Salmon, Huckleberry Butter & Lavender Gastrique
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon ~ Columbia Valley (91 pts WS)
Sorbet
Anchovy Stuffed Ellensburg Lamb, Winter Purslane & Kalamata Olive Tapenade
2006 Optu Red Wine ~ Columbia Valley (91 pts WS)
Crepes Grilled Plums with Amarena Cherries Chocolate Ice Cream
2006 Boushey Vineyard Red Wine ~ Yakima Valley (91 pts WS; 93 pts WA)

Menu Prepared by Chef Cedar Martin and Laurie Nguyen

Check out more details at: www.docksidebistro.com

I think the dessert alone might be enough to make me drive to Olympia!

Winemaker Dinner at The Stone House, March 24th

2010-03-11T08:29:00.000-08:00

Charlie will be hosting a Winemaker Dinner at the Stone House in Redmond on Wednesday, March 24th. I just got a peek at the lovely menu...

Seared Sea Scallops, Artichoke and Morel Risotto, Meyer Lemon Buerre Blanc
2008 Optu White
English Pea Soup, Dungeness Crab Cake, Piquillo Pepper Foam
2007 Semillon
Grilled Quail, Wilted Dandelion Greens, Corn Bread Crotons, Lardoons, Bourbon Jus
2007 Malbec
Braised Beef Cheeks with Leek-Brioche Bread Pudding Tomato Confit
2006 Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Espresso and Coco Nib Pot de Crème
2006 Merlot

I believe that there are still seats available for this dinner (if Dane hasn't reserved them all), and am thinking I might have to go!

I'll post the menu for the Dockside Bistro soon.

French Themed Dinner Recipes

2010-03-03T13:21:00.000-08:00

I've been so excited about the release of these new wines that I never posted the recipes! Looking at them again, I really am pleased with the way this whole dinner turned out. I originally tested them on a fairly large group and was amazed at how simply the whole thing came together. I was actually sitting with a glass of Optu White in mind hand (and a clean kitchen) when my first guests arrived. Pretty much everything can be done in advance and reheated before serving, with the exception of the lamb, which doesn't need too much attention. Additionally, several of the ingredients overlapped from course to course, making the grocery shopping pretty simple.

The inspiration for this dinner was to create a menu for our Bordeaux-styled wines that you might actually eat in Bordeaux. I wanted to keep everything simple, yet elegant, and as seasonal as possible. We went to the University Farmer's Market that day and purchased our cheeses, some herbs and produce, and the amazing lamb from Sea Breeze Farms who raise their animals on Vashon Island. Really, I give all credit for the lamb dish to the folks at Sea Breeze. It was so flavorful and tender, avoiding the gaminess that sometimes comes with lamb. And, they de-boned it for me right there at the market, which was awesome since I really didn't want to deal with that.

If you missed the original menu, you can find it just a few posts down...

Now - on to the recipes! I'm including the full recipes for the featured wines this month. The other items from the menu are pretty simple, but if you want a full recipe for any of those, just let me know.

Ratatouille
2007 Fidelitas Red Mountain Merlot
serves 4 as a first course

I love this recipe because I feel that it is a great example of a possible vegetarian dish/red wine pairing. It's great as a first course, but can easily be a main dish served over some creamy polenta. This is adapted from Julia Child's ratatouille recipe...just made a little more simple.

INGREDIENTS
1 large eggplant
2 zucchini
1 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 orange bell pepper, cut into strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large can diced tomatoes, with liquid
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
baguette
DIRECTIONS
To prepare the eggplant and zucchini: peel the eggplant and cut into 2” long matchsticks. Trim the ends of the zucchini and cut into similar size pieces. Spread the eggplant and zucchini on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes, then blot dry with a paper towel.
Heat 4 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add eggplant and zucchini to skillet and sauté until light golden, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to skillet, then the onion and peppers. Sauté until just tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the canned tomatoes over the onion and pepper mixture, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Begin to layer the tomato, onion and pepper mixture in a medium size pot. Add a third of the mixture to the bottom, then half of the eggplant and zucchini, continuing to layer until all of the vegetables are in the pot. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of parsley. Cover and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes. Uncover, bring the mixture to a simmer and baste the mixture with accumulated juices, cooking until only 2 tablespoons of liquid remain. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to individual bowls before serving. Top each dish with fresh parsley and serve with warm, fresh baguette.

Oh Julia, I love how you manage to use every dish in my kitchen...

Roast Leg of Lamb with Herb Jus and Cepes a la Bordelaise
2007 Fidelitas Red Mountain Red Wine
2007 Boushey Vineyard Red Wine
serves 6
I already raved about the lamb enough. The herb jus is wonderfully aromatic and accents the rosemary from the marinade. The crowd on my test evening loved it with the Boushey, but I think it is a great pairing with both of the wines. The cepes a la bordelaise is a great way to serve mushrooms on their own. Even the non-mushroom lovers liked this dish. With butter, shallots and lemon, how can you not?

ROAST LEG OF LAMB
INGREDIENTS
⅛ cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs fresh rosemary, minced
salt and pepper
5-pound leg of lamb (bone-in or boneless)
DIRECTIONS
Make a simple marinade with the olive oil, garlic, rosemary and ample amounts of salt and pepper (a splash of white wine is good here too). Place the lamb in a plastic bag, and pour the marinade over the top. Get as much air out of the bag as possible, seal the bag, put into a dish to catch any leaks. Allow the lamb to marinate, turning the bag occasionally, for at least 3 hours.
Preheat the oven to 425˚. Prepare a roasting pan by adding about an inch of water in the pan, under the rack, to catch any drippings. Place the lamb on the roasting rack with the fattiest side up. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, not touching the bone if the leg is bone-in.
Roast at 425˚ for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 300˚. Continue cooking for another 50-60 minutes until the thermometer reads 130˚ for medium rare. Allow to sit for 20-25 minutes at room temperature before carving and arranging on a platter.

HERB JUS
INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
½ tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ reduced chicken stock
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 1 cup, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat and strain through a mesh sieve into a small serving dish or drizzle over the platter of lamb.

CEPES A LA BORDELAISE
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 pound fresh wild mushrooms (porcini, cremini), wiped clean with stems removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon lemon zest
DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, melt the butter with the lemon juice over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add the olive oil, increase the heat, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Lower the heat and simmer until mushrooms are soft, about 20 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with the parsley and lemon zest.

The lamb platter with a hefty garnish of thyme and a small dish of cepes a la bordelaise.

March Shipment Coming Soon!

2010-02-19T13:03:00.000-08:00

The first Fidelitas Wine Club shipment of 2010 is scheduled to go out Monday, March 1st!
I am so excited about the release of the 2007 Boushey Red Wine and 2007 Red Mountain Red Wine that I can barely stand it. Shipments to be sent via FedEx will be sent March 1st. Those to be picked up are available now at our Red Mountain tasting room.
If you, like many others, have trouble being at home to sign for your shipments, see my list of shipping suggestions HERE.
Also, it's After Hours on Red Mountain next Wednesday, February 24th from 5 to 7pm. Come by to taste the new releases, pick up your shipment and visit with other members.
I look forward to seeing everyone soon!

Sneak Peek: French Themed Menu

2010-02-08T12:15:00.000-08:00

For our next round of releases, I decided to create a menu with French flair. We say that our wines are "Bordeaux-style", which refers to the grapes we use and Charlie's style of winemaking. With that in mind, I thought we would try a few French recipes that are meant to be enjoyed with Bordeaux wines. The result was fabulous. The food was all so simple, so yummy, and really showcased the wines.
A few friends and I made a day of it, visiting the farmers market to get the outstanding lamb from Sea Breeze Farms (from Vashon Island - even non-lamb eaters agreed this was incredible), along with some fresh herbs, cheeses and veggies. We took our time making dinner and really enjoyed the whole experience.

I'll share the recipes later this week, but was excited to show off the menu today. Please ignore any mistakes with my French - I tried my best!

hors d’oeuvres
la brie cuite avec le miel
(filo, brie, honey and thyme)
crudités
2008 OPTU WHITE WINE
1
ratatouille
baguette
2007 RED MOUNTAIN MERLOT
2
rôtir l’agneau
(roast leg of lamb)
jus de herbes
(herb jus)
pommes de terre
(fingerling potatoes)
cepes a la bordelaise
(Bordeaux mushrooms)
2007 RED MOUNTAIN RED WINE
2007 BOUSHEY VINEYARD RED WINE
3
cours de fromage
4
tartes aux pommes, glace à la vanille
(apple tarts, vanilla ice cream)

Our yummy tartes aux pommes waiting to go in the oven.

Beating the (shipping) Blues

2010-02-02T11:02:00.000-08:00

In general, I think that I am very lucky to have one of the best jobs around. For the most part, I really do get to sit around and chat about wine all day long (I try to stick with chatting about it rather than drinking it while I'm trying to be productive). This really is a fun, fast paced industry, and it's great to be a part of. However, if I were to list one un-fun part of the industry, it has to be the shipping of wine from point A to point B.
With a wine club shipment just around the corner, it led me to think just a little bit about shipping, and how we can all make this process a little easier. To start, we have to remember one thing: in this country, wine is always going to be a tricky thing. The Washington State Liquor Control Board will be the first to admit that we are still stuck with many laws from the prohibition...many of which just seem silly at this point in time. Because of that, and the fear that someone under the age of 21 might get their hands on your wine club shipment, shipping itself is always going to be a bit of a problem. Here are my favorite ways to make it better:

Ship to a business address: This is by far the easiest solution. Generally, someone will always be around to sign for your package. If we need to make any special notes on the box - let us know! We can do it! I suppose the only problem here is if you don't trust your coworkers to not drink your wine...
Ship to a FedEx location: I'm not talking about the big depot that always seems to be at least an hour from every one's house. Most FedEx locations will hold a package for you. I would be more than happy to help you select a location that is close to your home or work. In-state shipping, the cost is about the same as regular Ground or Home delivery. Out of state may be just a few dollars more, but seems to save on some stress, so it may be worth it.
Use Sip and Ship: Live in North Seattle? This is a great option. With locations in Ballard and Greenwood, Sip and Ship is able to receive your packages for you, and they have coffee and a cute gift shop right there. I'm not sure of the cost involved, but I know a few members use this and really like it.
Ship to your Wine Storage location: If you have off-site wine storage, many of these storage places will accept your packages for you and deliver directly to your storage locker. I keep some wine at Seattle Wine Storage and love the facility. If you don't have off-site, you may be surprised at how reasonable it actually is.
Ask for Saturday delivery: If you are generally home on the weekends, but not during the week, ask us to get your package delivered on Saturday. Again, FedEx does charge a dollar or two more for date specific delivery, but if it saves you from driving to the depot, isn't it worth it?

Hopefully some of these suggestions will make your next shipment a little more stress free - for the both of us. If you have any questions on any of these options, feel free to contact me!

Oh So Excited

2010-01-27T09:09:00.000-08:00

Finally! The time has come for my annual installment of "I don't play favorites, but...". Yep, the next vintage of Boushey Red Wine is almost ready to be released! I love the intense, earthy tones that I always find in Boushey wines, and find that they are so lovely to pair with food. In the 2007 vintage, the composition is more similar to the 2005 than the 2006 vintage, with merlot being the more prominent varietal. The blend is 53% merlot, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 7% cabernet franc. Yum!

Also in the upcoming releases come two wines from the Red Mountain AVA: the 2007 Red Mountain Red Wine (which will be in the club shipment with the Boushey) and the 2007 Red Mountain Merlot (an extra special treat that club members will be able to purchase). Both of these wines come from Red Mountain Vineyard. The Red Mountain Red is 62% cabernet sauvignon, 25% merlot and 13% cabernet franc, while the Red Mountain Merlot is 100% merlot.

In preparation for the release, I am planning a Bordeaux inspired menu with recipes to go with the wines. I haven't totally decided on what to do yet, but am going to start playing around with Sauce Bordelaise recipes, lamb dishes and possibly cassoulet. If anyone has a recipe that I must try, please pass it along!

Napa, Day 2

2010-01-15T14:55:00.001-08:00

Day Two
We started the day with a tour of the Seguin Moreau Cooperage at 8 am. After being in our hotel rooms for less than ten hours, I was expecting to be really tired, but this was a great way to wake up. For those of you who made it to the Seattle wine club party in 2008, these are the same guys who did barrel toasting demonstrations for us that night. The whole room smelled like baking bread (actually toasting oak) and I really wanted a marshmallow to roast over a smoldering barrel.

Above is the room where the barrel construction takes place. Through a process of applied heat and moisture, the barrels are shaped into form. Below, Charlie talks toast.
After the barrels are put together and toasted to perfection, they go on to be tested, tested again, fitted with new bands, sanded and hit with a laser. With less than 20 guys working, they average 50 barrels per day. Chris (our tour guide of sorts) said that if they have a big order, they can make it up to 100 barrels, and during really busy times, they'll be around 150. That's a lot of handmade barrels!

VISIT TWO, DAY TWO: Grgich Hills. I wanted the group to come here to learn a bit about the history of the valley, but I think we all gained so much more than that. Sure, we learned about Mike Grgich, the judgement of 1976 where Chateau Montelena Chardonnay beat out all the Burgundy whites, and the progression to 70,000 cases from there. However, we also learned about biodynamic farming (to which Pam said, "you're doing what with the cows what?") and how a big time winery can still seem small and humble.
The barrel room wasn't quite as shiny as some of the others we saw on our trip, but they sure did have an impressive racking system. That's me below, checking out the balance of all these full barrels.

John led us on a great tour, tasted us on some fun wines (we all like the Chardonnay for some reason...), and after this, we started to worry about where all of our purchases were going to fit in the van.

After Grgich, we took John's recommendation and stopped at Taylor's Refresher for lunch. Getting there just before the high school kids, we snagged a picnic table in the sun (yea!) and all enjoyed burgers and sweet potato fries.

VISIT THREE: HALL, Rutherford. We finally left the St. Helena Highway and crossed over to the Silverado Trail. By this point in time, the sun was out, and we were loving it. We carefully followed HALL's directions up one of the steepest, windiest roads our rental van had ever seen and found ourselves at the beautiful estate overlooking the valley.

We were greeted with Sauvignon Blanc and left to soak in the views before getting a tour of the surrounding vineyards and the amazing production and storage facility.
The caves dug into the hillside are completely constructed with bricks from former Austrian palaces, laid by a team from Austria who specialize in cave design. All the way through the property and into the back of the caves were beautiful pieces of art, highlighted by the sculpture below. Made to look like the root system of a grape vine, this huge piece hung over a table for 32 (I counted after feeling so small at our one end of the table). What are all those sparkles? Oh, just 1500 Swarovski crystals. We tasted three cabs, and were all impressed by the warmth and hospitality that we felt during our visit.

VISIT THREE: Paraduxx

By this point in time, the sun had overtaken our moods and we were all overjoyed to be able to sit and do our tasting on the porch of Paraduxx's small, clean, tasting room. I swear, I am going to make this my house someday...

We tasted just a bit of wine while visiting Paraduxx. Three different vintages of their zinfandel based blends, a syrah-grenache blend and their sister winery's pinot noir, all with cheeses along side. We were a happy group.

What did I learn here? You can be a huge winery (or group of wineries) and still have a small, intimate tasting experience.For a lasting image of the trip...one of the most beautiful trees I've ever seen.

Oh, Napa!

2010-01-15T14:02:00.000-08:00

This past week, a group of us left the cold temperatures of Washington state and headed south to Napa for a little educational field trip. I personally have not been to Napa in at least six years (except for a conference, where I got to hang out in the Napa Marriott), and was very excited to see what all the fuss was about. Here's how the trip went, and all of the fun things I learned:

Day One:

We land at the Napa airport just before noon, then head to lunch at Oakville Grocery. Such a cool shop with great food. However, this was one of the three rainy days per year in Napa so we got to eat in the van.

VISIT ONE: Benessere Vineyards in St. Helena

This is a pretty small winery (by Napa standards) that specializes in Italian varietals. We got to try some fun library sangioveses, dating back to 1998, and a very good muscat frizzante. We really enjoyed ducking out of the rain and touring their production facility. Here, I learned that it is possible to stay small and family owned in Napa.
VISIT TWO: Vineyard 29 on the St. Helena Highway

This was a special stop, made possible by our buddies at Cordon (thanks, Ken!). As our tour guide reminded us several times, they generally are never open for tours, so we were all made to feel very fortunate for our time at Vineyard 29. This is a winery that predominately sells just to their mailing list, and has some spectacular single vineyard wines. The one exception is a wine named "Cru" that sells just to restaurants. There is almost the same amount of Cru produced as our entire product line. Above are some impressive oak fermenters that are part of their gravity-flow (they use an elevator) system of vinification.

Down in the caves of Vineyard 29, we were able to meet their Director of Winemaking, Keith Emerson, who was great to listen to. Their winemaker is Philipe Melka, who has projects across the globe, including one with Long Shadows in Washington. Apparently, he has the ability to control a bit of the winemaking from his phone - how crazy is that!?! Below, Charlie sips Aida Cabernet in the library. I'm not able to pinpoint my main lesson from Vineyard 29, other than anything is possible, including winemaking via cell phone.

VISIT THREE: This was a non-tasting visit. We stopped by the gift shop at the Culinary Institute of America. My knuckles were white from attempting to keep my credit card in my pocket. How beautiful is this building?

Oddly enough, I don't have pictures from the remainder of the day. We visited Alpha Omega in the Rutherford AVA, also right on Highway 29. Coincidentally, they use Michel Roland (also a Long Shadows winemaker) as their consulting winemaker. I bought a lovely Chardonnay as a gift to my mom for puppy-sitting while I was gone. This is a winery that has only been around for about three years, but makes a ton of wine and pretty much sells it all direct. Pretty wild...

We had dinner at Bottega in Yountville. I wish that I could list everything that we ate, but that would take forever. My favorites were my hubbard squash tortelli and the "polenta under glass" appetizer that we shared. This was a beautiful restaurant where we procrastinated before going back out into the rain. Nedra and I spied on Michael Chiarello a bit while he worked in the kitchen before we finally braved the weather to go to the hotel.

I'm going to have to do Day 2 in just a bit, before I overload blogspot with my posts...

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T13:12:00.000-08:00

10 things I'm looking forward to in 2010:

1 - Fidelitas turns 10 in 2010! No better way to celebrate than with 10 great events.

2 - Getting married! Ben and I are making it official in June 2010 (this is not one of the 10 events).

3 - An opportunity to thank everyone who has been faithful, loyal and true to Fidelitas in our 10 years as a winery.

4 - Red Mountain: We have four Red Mountain AVA wines being released with our 2007 reds. And, while our vines won't be ready this year, I love watching their progress in our estate vineyard on the mountain.

5 - My new home. We've been here for four months now, and it really feels like home. Now I just have to start construction on a wine cellar somewhere...

6 - Parties at the tasting room: our 2nd Feast of St. Fidelis, the End of Harvest Celebration and a few more fun surprises to be announced.

7 - Parties away from the tasting room in some fun, exciting venues. Again, more to be announced.

8 - Friends, family and wine club members. I can tell that I'll have plenty of all three in 2010.

9 - My health. I'm a firm believer in red wine having health benefits.

10 - The wines! I already mentioned the four Red Mountain wines, but we have some awesome releases coming up that I am so excited about. Also, with the scores we received last year, I'm pretty sure the only place to go is up!

Red Wine Appetizers, Part Three

2009-12-08T11:19:00.000-08:00

I really can't believe it's taken me this long to get all of these recipes posted. I apologize...we hosted the party, then came Thanksgiving, then I travelled to Red Mountain for 11 days the day after Thanksgiving. I just got back last night, and was so happy to see my puppy and my house again!

So finally, the ending portion of recipes for a party that pair well with red wines.

(I also just realized that I forgot to add the "why it works" segment to the recipes posted last week. I've amended those recipes with added pairing points.)

Asian BBQ Chicken Skewers

makes about 30 skewers

Try with the 2007 Fidelitas Malbec
INGREDIENTS
for the sauce
1 c hoisin
½ c sweet chile sauce (Mae Ploy is my favorite)
¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tbs sesame oil
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs water
2 tablespoons ginger, finely minced
2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
for the skewers
4” bamboo skewers (about 30)
3 lbs chicken tenders, cut into small chunks
2 tbs vegetable oil
¼ tsp each: cardamom, cinnamon, ground ginger
Salt and freshly ground pepper
DIRECTIONS

Soak the bamboo skewers in a shallow baking dish filled with water.
In a blender, combine all ingredients for the bbq sauce. Puree until smooth, then transfer to a small saucepan. Simmer the sauce until it has thickened. This part can be made a day in advance. Slowly reheat before serving.
Preheat the oven broiler. In a large mixing bowl, combine the vegetable oil with the cardamom, cinnamon and ground ginger. Add the chicken tenders, season with salt and pepper and toss well to coat. Thread the chicken onto skewers, about three per skewer. Arrange the skewers on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil. Broil the chicken until cooked through, about 4-5 minutes, turning once.
Remove the skewers from the oven. Brush them liberally with the bbq sauce before transferring to a serving platter. Serve with additional sauce for dipping.

WHY IT WORKS: The Fidelitas Malbec is another wine that is nothing but fun to pair with food. I think that it more closely resembles a French Malbec (vs. those from South America) in that it has ripe fruit and full flavor, perfectly balanced by spice and a medium-full body. The tannins are not overwhelming and the acids are in balance, making this a great food wine. I chose chicken skewers for two obvious reasons - they are easy to make and are a great finger food. I chose an Asian BBQ sauce to compliment the ripe fruit (pluminess in the wine and pluminess in the hoisin) and the exotic spice notes (I really get some pungent cardamom and clove the aromas of the wine).

Chocolate Bark with Walnuts and Cherries
INGREDIENTS
9 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
2 cups walnut halves, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
DIRECTIONS
Melt the chocolate according to package directions.
Once melted, stir in the walnuts and cherries and coat with the chocolate.
Spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then freeze for at least 10 minutes. Remove from the freezer, break (or cut) into chunks and serve.
WHY IT WORKS: I personally am not a red wine and chocolate fan. There are so many things wrong in the basic wine/chocolate pairing that will ruin both a good glass of wine and a nice piece of chocolate. However, I think that there are a few pairings that can work in this arena. Bittersweet chocolate is definitely the best option. I doesn't have the sweetness that can make a wine taste sour like some other chocolates. Adding walnuts adds a tannic component while the cherries are a nice compliment to the ripe fruit in most red wines. These little chocolate chunks, along with those dates I mentioned earlier, were two of the easiest things to make and brought in the most compliments. Funny how that works sometimes...

Red Wine Appetizers, Part Two

2009-12-04T14:31:00.000-08:00

First, I apologize for the huge delay between appetizer posts. Thanksgiving and my trip to Red Mountain got in the way. So, on to the recipes: I have a few to start with now and promise the remaining recipes soon.
The biggest hit of the night was the easiest to make. Take small-medium sized, pitted California dates and cut a small slit vertically to open them up. Cut a small piece of parmigiano-regiano to fit inside of the date. Wrap very thin slice of prosciutto (we used about a third of a piece per date) around the date and secure with a toothpick. Bake at 450 for about 10-15 minutes, turning once. Serve hot. One of Ben's friends popped this into his mouth and proclaimed, "I think this is the best thing I've ever eaten!"

Sliders with Caramelized Red Onions, Gruyere and Arugula
makes 24 sliders
Try with Fidelitas eight Red Wine
INGREDIENTS
3 red onions, sliced
3 lbs ground beef (80/20)
2 tbs dijon mustard
3 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
6 tbs olive oil, divided
salt and pepper
6 oz gruyere, cut into squares
arugula
24 small dinner rolls (we used the Hawaiian rolls, which were actually great with these)
DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, heat 2 tbs olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the red onion and slowly cook until caramelized (about 30 minutes).
Prepare a bbq to medium-high heat. In a large bowl, gently mix the beef, mustard, thyme, garlic and 3 tbs of olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Shape into 24 patties, about 1 ½ - 2 inches in diameter.
Brush the grill with additional olive oil. In batches, cook the sliders on the bbq, for about 5 minutes on each side, or until desired doneness. Reserve in a warmer or low-heat oven. Toast dinner rolls on either the grill or under a broiler.
To assemble, place a slider on each roll, top with a piece of gruyere, then the caramelized onions and finish with a few leaves of arugula.
We did put out a few condiment dishes with ketchup and good mustard, but people seemed to be pleased with the sliders just as they were…
WHY IT WORKS: I've said it before, and I'll say it again - beef and cab just work. It's a matter of the fats complimenting (and calming) the tannins in the wine. However, I do get tired of fiddling with different steaks, etc, so wanted to try something new. The sliders are made with a fattier ground beef that not only helps to hold it all together, but also tastes soooo good with a young cabernet sauvignon, such as the eight red. The thyme and arugula compliment those earthy and peppery notes, while the gruyere and caramelized onions layer on richer elements to go with the dark fruit of the wine. And - sliders are so fun for parties. They were definitely the first thing to disappear from the table.

Eggplant and Bell Pepper Bruschetta
Try with the Fidelitas Red Mountain Cabernet Franc
INGREDIENTS
2 tbs olive oil
1 small red onion, diced
1 globe eggplant, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 baguette, sliced
DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the red onion and cook until soft, then add the eggplant. Cook the eggplant for about 10 minutes, then add the peppers. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the peppers become soft. Add the cardamom, thyme and fennel, then the red wine vinegar. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper and allow to cool slightly.
Toast the baguette slices under the broiler. Assemble on a platter and top each slice with a heaping amount of the eggplant and pepper mixture.
If I were to do this recipe again, I think that I would add a bit of chevre to each slice of baguette before placing under the broiler - I think it would add a little something special to the dish.
WHY IT WORKS: I really wanted a vegetarian dish to serve, and since the cabernet franc doesn't have those demanding tannins, this was a natural selection. I mentioned in my post earlier about cabernet franc that the earthy, spicy notes are great for peppers and spice. The eggplant added a nice, earthy component and the hint of fennel really brought out a similar note in the wine. The splash of red wine vinegar is key, lifting the flavors of the dish, but also elevating the acid level to meet the bright flavors of the wine.

Red Wine Appetizers, Part One

2009-11-23T10:05:00.000-08:00

Ben and I hosted a housewarming party last Saturday night in our new home. Knowing that people tend to drink red wine more on these crummy fall/winter evenings, I wanted to have appetizers on hand that are more red wine friendly, versus the white wine apps that are often so popular. I decided that, while I was at it, I might as well tailor the recipes to the newest wine club releases, coming out this next weekend. I'll get into the specifics of the recipes soon, but wanted to share the final menu:

spiced nut mix

prosciutto wrapped dates, stuffed with parmigiano-reggiano

red wine friendly cheese plate: english stilton, petit basque, vermont cheddar

eggplant and bell pepper crostini

paired with 2007 Red Mountain Cabernet Franc

asian bbq chicken skewers

paired with 2007 Columbia Valley Malbec

beef sliders with gruyere, arugula and carmelized red onions

paired with 2007 eight Red Wine

cherry, walnut, chocolate bark

Everything turned out great! I broke a few of my rules. I few of my dishes included cheese, which I hoped to not to and compete with the cheese plate itself (but who really minds a little extra cheese?). A few things were not able to be done entirely in advance. For example, we were able to make and form the sliders ahead of time, but my dear friend Erin got stuck actually cooking the mini-burgers as guests were arriving. Beyond that, I'm very happy with the way everything turned out. I'll share recipes soon.

My pre-party helpers: Dara, myself and Erin

Happy Beaujolais Nouveau Day!

2009-11-19T13:40:00.000-08:00

Here's a little sidebar away from Fidelitas for a minute with a toast to my puppy, Beau. I got him one year ago today, and being the wine lover that I am, named him after a celebration of wine. We also thought that Beaujolais was a little easier to say than Brouilly, which was also in the running for names. So, tonight Ben and I will drink Beajolais and think of all the accidents, chewing, barking, etc. that we have endured during our first year of dog ownership.

Beau then...

Beau now...

Red Mountain Cabernet Franc

2009-11-17T09:42:00.000-08:00

Since the 2007 Cab Franc is so limited, I have been waiting to open my precious bottle to give it a taste. Last night, I had a few friends over for dinner, and decided that it would be the perfect time. Honestly, I was blown away. This wine is unmistakably cabernet franc with rich layers of plum and blueberry, hints of tomato leaf, and velvety smooth tannins. It was also so Red Mountain - ripe cherry and spice notes highlighted the notoriously warmer AVA.
I've been doing a lot of thinking about wine pairings recently and saw that someone (reliable) recommended chevre with cabernet franc. I was very skeptical, but decided to give it a try. We made an appetizer that consisted of goat cheese, sauteed bell peppers and garlic with aromatic herbs and spices like fennel, coriander and rosemary, all baked together to make a warm mess topped with pine nuts. The result was surprisingly good with the wine. The fennel and rosemary complimented similar notes in the wine. The goat cheese, tamed by time in the oven, worked well with the acids in the wine and those silky tannins didn't overwhelm the food at all.
Ben and I are hosting a house warming party this weekend for our new home. I am going to be preparing appetizers that pair well with red wines for the party and am excited to try them with our other new releases. My goal is to have bites with the following criteria:
1 - I have to be able to prepare them (for the most part) in advance. I want to have fun at the party and not be stuck in the kitchen all night.
2 - no cheese in the appetizers. I am also going to do a red wine friendly cheese plate, so want to avoid cheese in other places. Researching recipes, this may be tough!
3 - have a variety that will please all of my guests. They are kind of a funny bunch - we have friends that are vegan, some with shellfish allergies/aversions, some that just don't eat meat but do eat seafood. I want to have something for everyone, which may be a challenge.
I'll share recipes, feedback and photos next week after the party.

Upcoming Events

2009-11-11T15:37:00.001-08:00

We have two awesome events coming up this week featuring Fidelitas:

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12 - Poco Wine Room in Seattle: A tasting of six Fidelitas wines at Poco Wine Room on Seattle's Capitol Hill from 6 pm to 9 pm. $15, advance reservations are not required. For more information, visit www.pocowineroom.com

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15 - Picazo 7 Seventeen in Prosser: The evening will begin at 5:30 pm with a half-hour social where appetizers will be provided as well as a wine selection. A four course dinner is served at 6 pm with wines that specifically pair with each course. Tickets are $65, inclusive of tax and gratuity, and must be purchased in advanced by calling 509.786.1116. Check out www.picazo717.com for more information.

I'll also be at Le Vin A Son Apogee this Saturday, a benefit for the Overlake Service League. Our 2006 Champoux Cabernet was selected by WWC Education Director and Master Sommelier (and my former ISG instructor!) Shayn Bjornholm as the best wine coming out of the Horse Heaven Hills AVA.
The following day I'll be pouring Optu, CV Merlot and Semillon at the Taste of Tulalip on Sunday at the Tulalip Casino. As many times as I've driven by the casino, I've never been in before so it should be interesting to check out.
What a busy weekend - should be fun!

Very Impressive

2009-10-30T13:45:00.000-07:00

Charlie is to modest to share, so I'll do the honors for him...
Here are the most recent reviews of Fidelitas from Jay Miller at Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:

94 POINTS:

2006 Champoux Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

93 Points: 2006 Boushey Vineyard Red Wine

92 Points: 2006 Ciel du Cheval Cabernet Sauvignon

91 Points: 2007 Optu White Wine (not the "oyster" white wine)

90 Points: 2006 Columbia Valley Malbec

90 Points: 2005 Optu Red Wine

Holy cow, Charlie! Way to go!

A few of these have already sold out, but the next vintage of each is in the (somewhat) near future.

End of Harvest Celebration

2009-10-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

What an outstanding weekend on Red Mountain! We celebrated the end of harvest this past Saturday with a great taco party on the Fidelitas patio. The weather could not have been better, the tacos were outstanding, and the special wines that appeared were tasting awesome. We featured a preview of the 2007 Malbec (which will be released in December with the club shipment) and snuck some 2006 Champoux Merlot and 2005 eight Red Wine out of the library. Yum, yum, yum.

We had a great turn out of members, friends and family. Everyone was loving the bright, sunny day.

Nedra and I with the special wines of the day.

I brought some friends and their moms over from Seattle with me for the weekend. They had a great time, especially since I was serving them on the patio.

I'm planning to post some more photos soon so stay tuned!

Cabernet Franc

2009-10-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

Since I posted the sneak peek last week, I have been getting a ton of excited members contacting me about the Red Mountain Cabernet Franc that we’ll be releasing in December. With the whirl of excitement, I thought that I might write a bit about why Cabernet Franc is so great.
According to Oz Clarke’s Grapes and Wines*, Cabernet Franc is the original grape in the Cabernet family. It’s offspring, Cabernet Sauvignon, it definitely the more widely known grape in the family and is admired for creating rich, dark, tannic wines, but these qualities are highlighted by the slightly sweeter, perfumed Franc. Clarke’s description can’t be beat: "At it’s best, Cabernet Franc has an unmistakeable and ridiculously appetizing flavour of raspberries, also pebbles washed clean by pure spring water and a refreshing tang of blackcurrant leaves."
It is thought that Cabernet Franc originated in France’s Bordeaux region where it is now one of five permissible red grapes in Bordeaux, and is used mainly for blending. It was then brought to the Loire Valley, planted mostly in Chinon and Bourgueil. A few years back, the six year old child of a friend of mine who had recently returned from France announced to me, “if you really love wine, then you must go to Chinon.” I’m not going to argue with her. The Francs from Loire are perfectly balanced with fruit and earth, making them wonderful food pairing wines.
Cabernet Franc is now planted around the globe, with strong holdings in Friuli in Northern Italy, some in Australia and New Zealand, some in Canada and a bit in the cooler regions of the US. There are several producers who are now making Cabernet Franc in Washington, but just a few who are maintaining that balance of ripe raspberry and the leafy/dusty quality that is so essential with this grape.
Due to very limited qualities, this wine will not be in the December club shipment. It will, however, be available to club members only and may be purchased along with the shipment of the tasty eight Red Wine and the newest release of Malbec. For the December recipes, I am going to focus on appetizers and finger foods that pair with red wines, since this is what we find ourselves eating and drinking so much of during the holiday season and am definitely going to feature a recipe for the Red Mountain Cabernet Franc as well. Stay tuned!

*Grapes and Wines by Oz Clarke and Margaret Rand is an amazing book that got me through my sommelier training. This is a very comprehensive listing of wine grapes, their characteristics, growing regions and top producers and has gorgeous pictures. It also has an awesome reference section that lists “which grapes make which wines” if you have ever been left scratching your head in the old world section of a wine shop. It is printed in the UK, but can be found on Amazon. The shipping takes a little while but is worth the wait.

Sneak Peek

2009-10-12T09:56:00.001-07:00

Red Mountain Red Wine, Ciel du Cheval Cabernet Sauvignon, Optu Red Wine, Boushey Red Wine, Champoux Cabernet Sauvignon, Eight Red

The Red Mountain Line Up: Red Mountain Merlot, Ciel du Cheval Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain Cabernet Franc, Red Mountain Red

This is when it seriously pays off to be in the Fidelitas wine club. A few of these are so limited (Red Mountain Cab Franc = 94 cases, Red Mountain Merlot = 144 cases, Ciel du Cheval Cab = 143 cases) that they will not be sold to anyone outside of the wine club. I am so excited for the release of the 2007 wines...

Optu Red and White Recipes

2009-09-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about our new format for recipes. I have to admit that we did attempt to work with a chef who did a winemaker dinner with us over the summer. However, things must have become busy for the chef, and the recipes never arrived! I was a little bummed at first, but decided to take this as an opportunity to share some of my passion for cooking with everyone. While I am no expert chef, I love to cook and LOVE pairing wine and food together. This is an attempt at sharing my knowledge from my sommelier training, along with some novice cooking skills...

To select these recipes, I spent some time thinking about the wines themselves first. What are the main flavor characteristics? How will the body and structure of the wine affect the food? What are the classic pairings for these types of wine? Then I invited a few friends (both wine club members) over and we started to talk about our favorite foods and began considering different recipes. What we came up with is definitely a combination of ideas, but we are very pleased with the results. My favorite part is that while the dishes do seem somewhat special, but they are simple enough to create in the kitchen I moved into less than three weeks ago.

Here we go:

Fresh Corn and Tomato Soup with Goat Cheese Crostini

2008 Fidelitas Optu White Wine

The Fidelitas Optu White is a classic white blend that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The Sauvignon Blanc provides luscious citrus notes and crisp acidity while the Semillon provides hints of pear and contributes to the medium full body. A white wine such as this, with bright fruit and hints of oak requires a dish that is fresh, yet rich at the same time.

This soup can be served hot or chilled. Sweet corn and vine-ripened tomato, both plentiful at the end of summer, highlight the refreshing quality of the Optu White. A creamy base compliments the round body and oak tones found in the wine. For accompaniment, the lemon-flecked goat cheese crostini brings all the flavors together.

For the soup:
4 ears of fresh corn
2 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp lemon zest, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
32 oz vegetable or chicken stock
1 c dry white wine
1 c heavy cream*
1 c cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tbs fresh basil, chopped
Using a sharp knife, remove the corn kernels and reserving the kernels and cobs.
In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the cumin, lemon zest and garlic. Cook for two more minutes, until the garlic softens. Add the corn kernels, cobs, stock and wine, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes.
Remove the corn cobs and discard. Stir in the heavy cream, then use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot. Stir in the tomatoes and basil. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
If chilling: consider using sour cream in place of the heavy cream. It adds a refreshing note that is best when cold.
For the crostini:
1 fresh baguette
5 oz fresh goat cheese
2 tbs scallion, chopped
½ tsp lemon zest
Slice the baguette into ½” slices and lay in a single layer on a baking sheet. Combine the goat cheese, scallion and lemon zest in a small bowl. Spread on the baguette slices, then broil the crostini until the cheese begins to brown. Serve warm alongside of the soup.

WHY IT WORKS

the flavors compliment one another: the lemon and basil in the dish match the citrus and fresh herb notes in the wine

the acids match: this is often a (mistakenly) overlooked part of food and wine pairing. That puckering quality found in food and wine must be equal in each.

the body matches: cream in the soup, oak on the wine. Both creamy and good.

Beef Tenderloin Medallions with Caramelized Onions and Herbed Polenta
2006 Fidelitas Columbia Valley Optu Red

Optu Red is a classic red blend from Fidelitas. This wine has been created in every vintage that Fidelitas has produced. The 2006 Optu Red is 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, lending notes of blackberry and firm tannins, 23% Merlot, that provides earth tones and a plush mouthfeel, and 9% Cabernet Franc, which contributes to the intense color and hints of black cherry. This wine begs for food - particularly food with a fat content that will compliment the tannic quality of the wine.
These tenderloin medallions are accompanied by a rich confit of caramelized onions that accentuates the beautiful earth tones of the wine. Serve with a variety of roasted vegetables alongside, such as bell peppers to match the classic capsicum notes from the Cabernet Sauvignon.

For the medallions and onions:
4 5-oz beef tenderloin medallions
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, sliced
2 large red onions, sliced
1 c shallots, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ c beef or veal stock
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbs fresh thyme, chopped
Heat olive oil in a cast iron, or large, heavy skillet, over medium high heat. Season each medallion with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Working in batches, sauté the medallions until brown on the outside and lightly pink inside, about two minutes on each side. Set medallions on a platter.
In the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium low and melt the butter. Add the onions, shallot and garlic. Cook until soft and golden, about 20 minutes. Add the stock and vinegar and continue to cook until the pan is dry, about 20 more minutes. Stir in thyme, then distribute the onions evenly between four plates.
Return the medallions to the pan to heat through, about two more minutes, then add to each plate on top of the caramelized onions.
For the herbed polenta:
3 c vegetable broth
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
¾ c polenta (corn grits)
¼ c whole milk
¾ c shredded parmesan cheese
In a medium saucepan, bring the broth and herbs to a boil. Slowly whisk in the polenta. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently, as the mixture thickens and polenta softens. Stir in the milk and parmesan, continuing to stir. Divide equally between the four plates and serve.

WHY IT WORKS

fat calms tannins: while we don't like to think about something being "fatty", it's a good thing in this instance. Without a bit of fat, the tannins would completely overwhelm the food.

the intensity matches: big wines want big preparation methods. Searing the steaks brings out the big, bold flavors of the food.

I already admitted that this was somewhat of a last minute preparation. However, I am already so excited and thinking about recipes for December. Tell me if you try these!

I Love IT

2009-09-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

Last week I was able to attend a conference in Napa that focused on the financial side of the wine industry. There were a lot of the big players from the industry who attended: wineries with high price tags, companies that own multiple wineries, etc. One of the main topics that continued to be discussed was "with a shaky economy, are people willing to spend as much on wine (and how will that affect us)?" Now, keep in mind that many Napa Cabs easily come out at over $100 per bottle. It is somewhat of a different ball game down there...

The research company Wine Opinions did a presentation on a survey they conducted within the California wine industry. Respondants were from wineries, restaurants, retail outlets and distributors. One of the questions was "Many people are 'trading down' and are not willing to spend $50 - $100 on a bottle of Napa Cabernet. What region provides the best quality to value ratio for bottles under $50?" Guess who won? Washington. 24% of the respondants (from within the trade!) felt that wines from Washington state provided the highest quality for the price. Washington even beat out Napa wines under $50.

On the way home, I saw a headline in the paper that read CONSUMERS STILL WANT IT BUT IT HAS CHANGED. The article was actually about 'trading down' on items like designer purses, but I felt that it really applied in this situation as well. People want to feel like they are getting something great, but may not care so much about the label as they do about the quality of the product.

Everyone we talked with down there felt that wineries like Fidelitas really are in that category of quality and value. The wines are still special, there is still a price tag involved, but they are filled with Charlie's experience and outstanding grapes rather than just a designer name.

This is kind of a funny time to share this picture, but if nothing else, we know that people are still enjoying themselves in a shaky economy. This was sent to me by a member who brought some Fidelitas on a trip to the Mayan Riveria.

On a fun note, I'll be posting later today about my big cooking feast this weekend, and sharing recipes for the new releases.

Awesome

2009-09-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

This is an email that I recently got from club member and just had to share...

"This became an inside joke among our close wine friends about me wearing a Fidelitas shirt to wine tasting afternoons in Woodinville, so I've purposely continued the tradition with recent visits to the Willamette Valley and Okanagan Valley in Oliver BC. I thought you might laugh for at least a couple seconds at the pictures.
In Oregon, I had 2 people comment on my shirt; an employee at Cana's Feast and the tasting room manager at Sokol Blosser. Both were familiar with Fidelitas and had great things to say about the wine. In Canadia, 4 people asked me about Fidelitas on the trip, all Canadians eh. Two were familiar with the name from wine publications and asked if I worked there, one had visited the winery last year and another knew of Red Mountain, but not Fidelitas.
I'm thinking I should step up my game and claim to be a "field marketer", so don't be alarmed if people start asking for me at the winery... and don't worry, I don't accept a salary. :)
Don't work too hard during harvest. Unless it's for a late harvest semillon."

in the Okanagan Valley

in the Willamette Valley

Thanks, Dane!

We're coming out with new t-shirts soon. Hopefully you'll all start sending me pictures so I can see where Fidelitas travels.

1000!

2009-09-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

We are now 1000 strong in the Fidelitas Wine Club! Welcome Ray and Jori!

Best of Luck, Jessica G!

2009-08-24T11:22:00.000-07:00

Jessica G, who has been working with our Tasting Room and Marketing & Sales for the past several years, is leaving us to pursue the production side of the wine industry. She has landed a great position for harvest that is going to keep her very, very busy. We all wish her the best of luck and greatly appreciate the hard work that she has put into Fidelitas over the years. From this point forward, I will be working very closely with Marilyn and Cyndy to cover all the pieces that Jessica handled in the past. I think we have our work cut out for us!

Jessica (on the right) handing me job responsibilites...from Ray's, of course.

Summer in the City - the Seattle Wine Club Event

2009-08-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

I think that I am finally recovered from the awesome wine club event that we held in Seattle this past Wednesday night. We had an awesome turnout, despite the really hot weather. I am glad that my co-workers from Red Mountain were able to make it over: Charlie, Cyndy, Jessica G and Marilyn - thank you for all of your hard work! Thanks also to our awesome team of volunteers: Sarah and Sarah, John, Ben (my fiance with the liberal malbec pours), Dara, Katie and Alissa - you guys were great! And last, but definitely not least, a HUGE thank you to our growers for coming over: Roger Gamache, Miguel Rodriguez and Dick Boushey. For those of you who were wondering, we were expecting Paul and Judy Champoux as well, but they are facing some health concerns right now. To Paul: We wish you a speedy recovery so we can party with you soon!

Miguel Rodriguez, from Weinbau, and Charlie. When I asked Miguel if he was hot, he told me it wasn't nearly as hot as it is in the vineyard. Thank you for coming, Miguel!

These are some existing members who just recruited new members. Thanks!

Hot in here? Oh yeah. A few people mentioned that Seattlites shouldn't complain about warm weather and sunny skies, but we all certainly had a healthy glow about us.

My grandmother (who I think a lot of you met!) and my good friend Dara. Dara spent most of her night running around keeping the white wines cool and wine in grandma's glass.

The GORGEOUS flowers were done by Ellen at Herban Floral. She does all sustainable flowers - most of which are from her own backyard. Ellen also Twitters daily about being green with flowers and weddings.

Much more pleasant temperatures on the patio. The view of the city wasn't bad either...

Wondering who to thank for bringing your wine across the pass? Neil, who deserves more than just the water glass I think he's holding.

Wondering who was running around taking pictures of you all night? It was my mom. Thanks, mom!

Pretty Optu shipments waiting to go home.

Thanks to John R. He and his wife are actually wine club members, but they stayed out front all night to make sure everyone got to go home with an icy water bottle.

Vineyard Tours, Part Two

2009-08-12T11:38:00.000-07:00

A few posts down, I started to talk about the days that Charlie took us around several of the vineyards from which we source our fruit. Part 1 consisted of the day that we spent at Champoux vineyard, playing with huge, old vines and tasting yummy Champoux wines. For day two, we head north from the Tri-Cities.

The Bacchus and Dionysus Vineyards at Sagemoor. We don't source fruit from these vineyards, but stopped to see the oldest vines in the state. This is sort of the "quintessential" way to plant vines, facing south/southwest for maximum sun exposure on all sides of the vines, on a slope for good drainage, and near a body of water for cooling effects and good air flow.

The perfect way to tour vineyards at 9 am...

At Conner-Lee Vineyard: Charlie and I talking amongst our rows of Malbec. Charlie said that he really loves this vineyard for the more herbaceous and earthy tones that it contributes to a wine.

Charlie with Miguel Rodriguez with Cabernet at Weinbau Vineyard. Miguel (who will be at our wine club event next week) has been working in this vineyard since he was just a kid. Now, he is the vineyard manager and lives on the property with his wife. Remember at Champoux Vineyard that the clusters were just starting to flower? A day later and few hours further north, little berries were forming. What a difference a day (and change in microclimate) makes.

More southwestern exposure at Stillwater Creek Vineyard.

Stillwater Creek - slightly cooler than Weinbau but with tiny, tiny grape berries beginning to form. Remember, this was early June.

Do NOT let this happen to your tractor tire.

AUGUST

2009-08-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

I never fail to be amazed by how quickly every August blazes past. Charlie and I have both been running around the state pouring tasty Fidelitas wines. Last week, I got to pour at an awesome little place called Picnic, on Seattle's Phinney Ridge. I shared five of our wines, while Picnic served up yummy, fuss free snacks for everyone. It was a great mix of Picnic regulars, wine club members, and people who wandered in for their first time. I would encourage anyone to stop by who is planning to be in the neighborhood. The same night, Charlie was at the Wine Alley in Renton. This is a well established wine shop that has always been a great supporter of our wines. In case you haven't heard me say this already: Please support your local wine shops! These are often small, independently owned shops who have been so important for wineries like Fidelitas and many more.
Over the weekend, I attended the Pour on the Plaza hosted by El Gaucho Bellevue. The grey clouds stayed dry for us, and it turned out to be a great event. This was their first time hosting, and I hope that they do it again next year! While there, the chef from Wild Ginger brought me a little banana leaf packet with salmon, coconut milk and kaffir leaves that had been cooked on the bbq. It was incredible. With our semillon, extra incredible.
Charlie and Jessica G. attended the Revelry on Red Mountain last night, and I heard it was awesome. Thank you to everyone who made it out to Col Solare. This was a great benefit event and a wonderful way to support the local wine industry.
So, now we are up for a winemaker dinner at Art of the Table this Wednesday (this place is AWESOME!), a tasting at Esquin next Tuesday, and then the Seattle wine club event next Friday (which is sold out). Busy, busy! On top of all of that, I'm buying a house and just got engaged! Wish me luck in August...

Vineyard Tours, Part One

2009-07-28T10:52:00.000-07:00

This is a much overdue post, but better late than never!

In the beginning of June, Charlie took the entire tasting room staff out for two days of vineyard tours. We visited many of the top vineyards that Fidelitas sources grapes from, including Champoux, Gamache, Connor-Lee, Weinbau and Stillwater Creek. I learned so much about our growers and the vineyards, but am choosing to share a bunch of pictures, rather than rambling on. Part One will be from Day One - Champoux Vineyard. Stay tuned for Day Two.

The whole gang in front of the new Fidelitas rows in one of the oldest blocks of Champoux Vineyard. We snuck in for a photo before the vines got trimmed, which will allow maximum growing power to the barely budding clusters.

Paul, explaining the formation of these clusters. Champoux is a comparatively cooler vineyard, so their grape clusters were still just flowering. The cooler temps produce more herbal tones in the wine, along with that nice capsicum note that I find in so many Champoux reds.

The boys talking business... Look at the size of that root stock! These vines were planted in 1972 by the Mercer Family.

The Baby Poux Vineyard is the first vineyard that Paul and Judy planted once they bought the land in the early 90's. Fidelitas has a few rows in here. We determined that this was now "going off to college Poux".

After our hard work walking through vines, we were treated to a full lunch and Champoux vineyard wines by Paul and Judy. We had OS Riesling to begin, Sinnean Cabernet Sauvignon with lunch, and Powers Port with a tasty little chocolate tart (which Marilyn and I really enjoyed). Needless to say, we were a jolly bunch.

The courtyard at Chateau Champoux. Judy's vineyard, Lady Hawk, is not too far from here.

Washington Wines Festival

2009-07-23T11:58:00.001-07:00

A couple of hot weekends ago, I got to attend the Washington Wines Festival at Camp Korey in Carnation. This is a truly worthwhile event that benefits the Washington Wine Education Foundation and Camp Korey. This is one of the Paul Newman Hole in the Wall Camps that services children who have life-threatening illnesses, providing a place where they feel safe and can just be kids, and their family know that they will be well taken care of during their stay. The "raise the paddle" portion of the auction alone raised more than $250,000 that will go directly to Camp Korey.

As a representative of Fidelitas, I poured wine during the winemaker lunch and got to chat with several wonderful people. I attended the auction, shared more Fidelitas Optu red and white (a lot of white since it was so hot), and then got to settle down for the real excitement of the evening - Carole King! Carole King is what I call my "wake up music". I listen to the Tapestry album on the Saturday mornings that I work at the wine shop, and shamelessly sing along while merchandising wine bottles. She came on stage and told the crowd of less than 200 people sprawled out on picnic blankets, "Welcome to my only stop of World Tour 2009". It was a great show.

Learn more about this worthwhile (and fun!) event: http://www.washingtonwinesfestival.com/

Sorry these are so gritty...

We were part of a "Magnum Lot" with Betz, Chateau Rollat, Chateau Ste Michelle, Dunham, Kestrel, L'Ecole, Leonetti Cellar, Northstar, Sparkman Cellars, Syncline, Va Piano, Waters and Woodhouse Family Cellars. All of the magnums were sand-carved and hand painted by the talented folks at Fresh NW Design. Some lucky bidder got the whole lot for $5000! I'm in the middle with Bob Betz, Ted Baseler, Chris Sparkman and Amy Figgins. Impressive group...

Sing it, Carole.

Optu Pairing Party

2009-07-20T09:04:00.000-07:00

Did you know that one of the perks of being an Optu member means that you are able to host your very own pairing party, complete with the Fidelitas Wine Concierge? Members Kemper and Travis knew and invited me over for a great evening last Friday. They are part of a tasting group that meets once a month to learn about and try different wines. The whole group came to their house with a variety of great dishes that we paired with five different Fidelitas wines. Everyone had the chance to taste through our wines, learn a bit more about Fidelitas, and learn about the basic principles of pairing wine and food.
If you are an Optu member that lives in either the Seattle area or around the Tri-Cities, and you want to set up a party, let me know. If you are not an Optu member, or are in another area, I have the entire party in a box so you can host the event on your own. I've done it a few times myself and have had tons of fun.

Why is Red Mountain so great?

2009-07-10T11:30:00.000-07:00

Let Harvey tell you:
http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Free/Video/0,4258,353514866,00.html?bcpid=353514866&bclid=196271124&bctid=27251699001

One Year Celebration

2009-07-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

I celebrated my one year anniversary of working with Fidelitas in May by opening a bottle of 2005 Optu red. This was keeping a tradition, since I celebrated my getting the job with a bottle of 2004 Optu red.
Coming this August, I am celebrating something that is almost more exciting for me: the one year anniversary of the Fidelitas Concierge Program. When I began my job with Fidelitas, I had the goal to create a wine club experience that was truly like no other that you would find. Since then, I've seen a few come close, but none are quite the same. In the past year, I have sent personalized gift packages around the country for friends of club members. I have arranged special tours for members as they are visiting Washington wine country, which can be Red Mountain, Walla Walla, even Woodinville where grapes are rarely seen. I have helped members plan special parties, have hosted food and wine parties, and frequently give out recipe suggestions for all of our wines.
I'm not saying this to pat myself on the back - just to simply reflect on the year as I gear up for the next. I truly love my job and all of the members that I get to work with. Please let me know how the Fidelitas Concierge Program can benefit you!
Here are some pictures of the new patio umbrellas at the tasting room. Now you can enjoy your picnic even on hot summer days!

For those that follow...

2009-06-26T11:12:00.001-07:00

I've promised in the past that this blog provides a sneak peek at upcoming events, so here we go:
The Seattle Wine Club Event will be held Wednesday, August 19th. This is a complimentary event that will fill up very quickly. I'll be sending out an invitation the week after July 4th, so keep your eyes open and RSVP quickly! We are also securing a few nearby hotels at a good rate, so those that want a mid-week vacation may want to take advantage of that.
More details (including the location) to follow!

Seattle Wine Awards

2009-06-25T15:24:00.001-07:00

How could I forget? A few Sundays ago, I had the pleasure of attending the Seattle Wine Awards. Fidelitas won a whopping five medals that day, including three golds for the Optu red wine, Optu white wine and Ciel du Cheval Cabernet. This is a particularly special award for us, as we are being judged mainly by our peers. The panel is comprised of Seattle-area sommeliers, wine buyers and other professionals in the industry. I will say, we were up against a lot of good competition, but I am very happy with the results.

The event was hosted at the lovely Rainier Club. It really is a neat venue, and pretty cool to see a lot of Seattle history in one place. It's also nice that the one time Boys-club decided to let us ladies in.

A big thank you to Christopher Chan and the rest of the panel!

A little, gritty picture - but you get the idea

Busy times!

2009-06-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

My goodness! We've had a busy past few weeks. I keep thinking that summer is the time to slow down just a bit, but I'm proving myself wrong. I had my "other half" Jessica G. come visit me in Seattle for a day of serious work, and a day of not so serious work visiting tasting rooms. The following week, I headed across the pass to Eastern Washington and was lucky enough to go tour the beautiful vineyards from which we source many of our grapes. Then, we hosted our first night of bocce and picnic fun at our Red Mountain tasting room. I'm going to try and get to all of these topics, but honestly, it may take me a bit.
First, Jessica G. and I traveled out to Woodinville's Wine Country to snoop around a bit and see some friends. We got a full tour of Januik/Novelty Hill including a very hidden room with rainbow lights in the basement. We had a wonderful time chatting with long-time friends of Charlie, Mike and Carolyn Januik. Next, we trekked into the beautifully landscaped gardens of DeLille while sipping their Bordeaux and Rhone styled blends. A big thank you to Shawna and Jay, who were wonderful hosts. After that, we said hello our one-time Tri-Cities neighbors at Bookwalter and got a sneak peak of the new tasting rooms for Mark Ryan and Ross Andrew. If you have any interest in concert posters, especially ones with Seattle bands, go visit Mark Ryan. The collection is almost as good as the wine. We ended our day at Efeste, who took over Januik's old space on the north side of Woodinville. The tasting room feels more like a living room, where you are welcome to just hang out and enjoy the wines. Brennan, the wonderful winemaker, was kind enough to preview us on some wines straight from the barrel, along with their great current releases.

If you ever find yourself traveling to any of the wine regions in Washington state, please be sure to contact me. I have suggestions for wineries to visit, restaurants to try and deals at many great accommodations. I'd love to introduce you to some of my friends to make your tasting visit as memorable as this one.

Inconvenient outfits for identification - Jessica G. and I on the foot bridge at DeLille.

This is a tasting room? I want it as my living room!

Jessica G., Brennan L. and Jess A. at Efeste

Wine Tasting Party

2009-06-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

Last night I gathered a few professional tasters (i.e. close friends) at my way too warm apartment to try out the new tasting party that I created for our members. We tasted through five wines using a format that I learned in my sommelier training to evaluate the wines. It was great for me to see how the party works with a crowd, and to really analyze these wines. It was great for them to learn a bit more about how wine tasting really works and how to pull out all of those aromas and flavors from the wine. By the end of our tasting, I think everyone felt that they had learned quite a bit.

Once we were done with the serious tasting part, we got in to the food and wine pairing part. I have created recipes for each of our wines, and we spent the evening tasting the different wines with the different dishes. It was a good thing we did because we learned to change a few of the pairings and adjust the dishes to highlight the wines. We also played with three different types of cheeses to see how they interact with different wine styles. We paired up the Semillon and the Malbec with a goat cheese, a sharp cheddar and a gruyere style cheese that we got at the Ballard Farmer's Market earlier in the day.

Here is what we decided on:

Semillon - great with the fig jam and goat cheese, surprisingly good with the sharp cheddar, horrible with the gruyere!

Malbec - great with the gruyere, okay with the goat cheese but really good with fig jam, not so good with the sharp cheddar. We also tried the Malbec with a grilled flank steak and chimichurri. We loved the chimichurri but found that it overwhelmed the wine a bit. Turns out, the Malbec was really good with the next dish...

eight Syrah - We had this with prawns sauteed in a Oaxacan black mole sauce. I know...shellfish and syrah? It worked because the mole had a great chocolate component that gave the dish good depth and brought the prawns up to the level of the Syrah. This dish was also really good with the Malbec.

CV Merlot - We used this wine in the tasting, but for the sake of making it to work this morning, skipped it for dinner. The recipe that I had created for this wine, we used for the Cabernet, but I think it would be awesome with either wine.

CV Cabernet Sauvignon - Oh yum: I loved this pairing. We did herbed parmesan polenta topped with a cherry tomato and wild mushroom ragout. So many times, people will tell you to avoid vegetarian dishes with Cabernet at all costs. However, there were so many earthy notes in this dish that it turned out to be a great pairing. This was also the dish that showcased the wine the best out of all of our courses.

If you are interested in hosting a tasting at some point in time, let me know! I can either send you the "tasting in a box" that we tried last night, or if you are an Optu member, we can arrange a private tasting for up to 10 guests.

Ben, preparing for the tasting.

Evaluating the eight Syrah.

Katie and Dara trying out the Semillon with goat cheese and fig jam.

(It was too hot inside...)

We even wore out the puppy.

Where in the world?

2009-05-27T12:37:00.001-07:00

As kids, my brother and I spent hours pouring over our "Where's Waldo?" books searching for that wacky character and all the things he left behind on his adventures. Now, there are times in my life where I feel that I'm almost doing the same thing, but instead of searching for Waldo, it's Charlie that I'm after. I swear that guy moves faster than anyone I've ever met, but I now have a solution. For those of you who, like me, are constantly wondering, "where is Charlie?", you can now find him on Twitter (http://twitter.com/cjhoppes). I'm really trying to start following him around more, and it's actually pretty fun! He has posted his most recent interview with Wine Press Northwest about our estate vineyards (http://www.winepressnw.com/wineknows/story/2823.html), there are photos of vineyards, and he's pretty good about posting his schedule. For instance, he's posted that this evening, he'll be at the AVA Wine Rooms in Kennewick featuring wines from the Horse Heaven Hills Appellation. Rumour has it, there may be some Champoux Merlot being poured...

Ciel du Cheval

2009-05-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

We are now sold out of our 94 Point 2006 Ciel du Cheval Cabernet Sauvignon. Enjoy what you have!

The Vineyard!

2009-05-07T12:31:00.000-07:00

Our vineyard has been planted! Dick Boushey, along with Charlie, oversaw the planting of our new Cabernet Sauvignon grapes on the three acres of our estate vineyard on Red Mountain. Here are some pics:

new rocks at the entry

empty vineyard

getting ready to plant

the green sleeves protect the new vines

Charlie and Dick

The Feast, the food drive, and a new pic

2009-04-28T15:29:00.000-07:00

I am back out on Red Mountain, visiting Eastern Washington for a week. Prior to heading over last week, I hosted a pick-up event in Seattle for Optu members in the area. We got to taste a few of the new releases and meet several members from around the Seattle region. It was great to see everyone and even found a new member in the group! At the request of Les (he's only made it a few times now), I've updated my photo for the blog. No more sunglasses. This is me cooking my own birthday dinner last month, since cooking is one of my favorite things to do.
Last Friday night, we hosted our Feast of St. Fidelis here at our Red Mountain Tasting Room. I didn't do any of the cooking, but Tip Pit BBQ did an incredible job. I was loved seeing member's plates overflowing with food, heading to a table in the sunshine with a taste of Fidelitas to go with it. It was a beautiful evening, with plenty of good cheer. We were able to pour just a bit of Champoux Merlot, which was lovely, along with a great selection of other wines. A big thank you to everyone who was able to join, and a really big thank you to all of the Fidelitas staff and volunteers who made this night happen.
Over the weekend we hosted a food drive to benefit Second Harvest, which serves the Mid-Columbia region of Washington. I was so happy to see members kick-off the drive Friday evening with generous monetary and food donations. By the end of the weekend, we filled two very large barrels of food and raised more than $2500 that all went directly to Second Harvest. Thank you so much to all of you who contributed. Spring can be particularly tough for food banks, especially this year. If you are able, I would highly encourage everyone to make a contribution to their local organization.
We are now in the middle of processing the May shipment of 2006 Champoux Merlot and 2006 Champoux Cabernet. These wines are awesome - enjoy them!

94 POINTS!

2009-04-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

2006 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Red Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
From Wine Spectator, April 15: Big, ripe and round, offering a generous mouthful of black currant, blueberry and cola flavors that keep pumping through the long, expressive finish. The tannins are present, but submerged under the richness. Best from 2010 through 2018. —H.S.

Now isn't the time for too much modesty...I am very proud of Charlie for producing his highest scoring wine to date. According to Wine Spectator, their scale is based on 100 points:
95-100 Classic: a great wine
90-94 Outstanding: a wine of superior character and style
85-89 Very good: a wine with special qualities
80-84 Good: a solid, well-made wine
75-79 Mediocre: a drinkable wine that may have minor flaws
50-74 Not recommended

We only have about 70 cases remaining of the Red Mountain Cab. It is $55 retail or $46.75 for members. It's going fast...

Feast of St. Fidelis is SOLD OUT!

2009-04-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

Taste Washington

2009-04-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, Charlie, Jessica G, Ron and I all teamed up at the Qwest Events Center for Taste Washington. All in all, it was a very good event. We got to see many friends from other wineries, restaurants, wine shops, the Wine Commission, and even a few club members. Jessica G and I spent some time tasting together (leaving Charlie and Ron in charge for only a brief amount of time) and had a great time introducing one another to friends in the industry. Some of the highlights included Sparkman Cellars' 2007 Lumiere Chardonnay, Guardian's (not yet released, coming from under the table) 2008 Angel Sauvignon Blanc, the Beresan 2006 Carmenere and a special 1998 Col Solare, which I know Ron was particularly fond of. A guest told me that our own Fidelitas 2006 Malbec (again, from under the table) was one of her favorites of the day as well.

After the day was done and our hands were stained purple, a group of us headed across to Pyramid to refuel. It was a great table of friends with people from Fidelitas, Gamache, Airfield, Champoux Vineyards and a few wine club members who snuck in too...

Taste Washington this Sunday in Seattle

2009-03-30T12:05:00.000-07:00

This upcoming Sunday, April 5th, Charlie, Jessica G, Ron and I will all be at Taste Washington in Seattle. For those of you who haven't been before, this is a HUGE event that features over 200 Washington wineries and more than 60 restaurants from around the state. It is a great opportunity to not only come taste our wines, but to explore and taste through several other wineries and restaurants. I've heard that the event is nearly sold out, so if you don't have tickets, act fast! Visit http://www.tastewashington.org/ for more information.

The Feast is filling up!

2009-03-27T09:20:00.000-07:00

A month away, and we are already more than half full for the Feast of St. Fidelis party on April 24th. If you have not received your invitation for this member-only wine club event, please let me know ASAP so you can join us! For more information, go to our website: www.fidelitaswines.com

Recipes!

2009-03-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

As you all know, we like to feature a chef each shipment and share a few recipes that have been created to pair with our wines. For March, I worked with the team at Sip Restaurant in Sammamish (and now Gig Harbor!). I chose this restaurant because of the countless amount of Fidelitas Fans who let me know the first time they discovered our wines was while dining at Sip. They do a wonderful job with many of our wines on their list, which of course, is much appreciated. Chef Marc Powers came up with two absolutely amazing recipes to go with our March wines. A Spice Rubbed Teras Major that is accompanied by braised greens, truffled potatoes and a mulled wine sauce pairs with the 2006 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. For the 2006 Walla Walla Cabernet Sauvignon, he created a beautiful Blackened Jumbo Tiger Shrimp that rests on a ginger rice cake and is surrounded by a zest Asian slaw.
We'll be sending these recipes out in our March Newsletter, and certainly have hard copies available as well. I'll also be featuring them on the blog here as I get the chance to make them myself. I just can't decide which to start with...
If you get the chance to pair one of these recipes with the wines, let me know what you think. Or, if you have any other great Fidelitas pairings, please share them. I'd love to hear what you enjoy most while sipping Fidelitas.

March is Washington Wine Month

2009-03-04T11:27:00.000-08:00

This March we celebrate Washington Wine Month, just as the 602nd Washington winery received it's license from the state. As members of our wine club and fans of Washington wine, you probably already know some of the great things about the wines that are produced in this state. Washington wines tend to show bright fruit, balanced acidity and silky tannins. Wineries from around the state are already producing well known varietals - riesling, sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah - and many are starting to experiment with lesser known grapes such as malbec (ours is a great example), roussane, carmenere and mourvedre.
The Washington Wine Commission states that Washington is the "Perfect Climate for Wine", and I'm not going to argue. We lay at about the same latitude as the top producing regions in France, meaning that our growing season and angle of the sun is very similar to those great regions. Eastern Washington experiences about 300 days of sun per year giving us a dry growing season with roughly 17 hours of sunlight per day during the summer. We have what is known as good diurnal shift which means that our grapes get plenty of warmth and sunlight during the day to build ripe sugars and cool temperatures at night to let the grapes rest and establish balanced acids.
Regions such as Red Mountain, where we are located, are especially good for grapes. This is due to our southwesterly slopes, poor soils (which are perfect for grape growing), and proximity to the Yakima River that wraps around the base.
With this, I propose a toast to Washington wine. To help me celebrate, go to one of the many tasting events around the state, whether it be the Sip of Snoqualmie or Taste Washington, or one that may be hosted at your local wine shop or restaurant. Take the time to visit the Washington Wine Commission's website to learn more about why this is such a wonderful place for wine production. Most importantly, please don't forget to support your local wine shops who support Washington wineries. Without them, many of the premier wineries in the state would not be where they are today. Go to these independent shops and talk to the people who work there to learn more about the wide variety of great wines that come from this state. I'm sure you'll be really glad you did.

Plenty of Events and a Shipment

2009-03-02T09:42:00.000-08:00

We are a bunch of busy bees around Fidelitas these days! I started with a pick-up event in Seattle for our OPTU members last week (definitely a perk of the OPTU level…), hosted a food and wine pairing event a few members over the weekend at the winery, and am about to issue our March wine club shipment. In addition to all of that, we have plenty of other fun things coming up:
Wednesday, March 4 - Wine Club After Hours: We’re staying open until 7pm for members to pick-up their shipments. Come by, say hi, taste the wines and have a few nibbles.
Saturday, March 7 - JDRF Auction: If any of you will be attending the Juvenile Diabetes Auction at the Sheraton, please be sure to come find me!
Sunday, March 8 - COCHON 555: As much as I’d like to taste all these great wines and munch on various parts of pig, I’m letting Charlie and Cyndy go to this one at Seattle's Bell Harbor. I think it’s going to be really fun!
Tuesday, March 10 - Legendary Swirl: This is an awesome line up of wineries at El Gaucho in Seattle. I’m really glad that we (specifically, me) get to be a part of this group.
Wednesday, March 11 - Winemaker Dinner on Red Mountain: I unfortunately won’t be able to attend this one either, but Charlie and Jessica will be there. I think it’s going to be so great.
Saturday, March 14 - Sip of Snoqualmie: Another great grouping of wineries at the brand new Snoqualmie Casino. Should be lively…
Sunday, March 15 - Tasting at Fine Wine and Cigars in Redmond: If you’re in the neighborhood, come taste Fidelitas wines from 1 – 5 with me!
March wine club shipments are being shipped on Monday, March 9th and are ready to be picked up now at the winery. These 2006 wines are really blowing me away right now. I have to say, the Columbia Valley Cab is drinking really well, and is definitely priced to be an unbelievable bargain.
As I mentioned earlier, I did a food and wine pairing event over the weekend. With my great love of both food and wine, this is definitely something I love to do. In upcoming blogs, I plan to go over a few points of pairing and give some examples of the dinner that we did. Stay tuned!

Red Wine and Chocolate

2009-02-20T08:35:00.000-08:00

What a fun few days at the winery! I really enjoyed myself during the Red Wine and Chocolate event this past weekend. The crowds were a bit calmer than some of the other big event weekends, so I was able to spend some time chatting with members. It was great to meet some existing members for the first time (Dale, Roger, Dolly and Rick and Barb - thanks for the nice note!) and to see some familiar faces again (Patty and AC - please bring Grandpa next time!). I also was able to chat with several new members, who are all formulating how they are going to take advantage of their member benefits. It was great to put faces to names, and the hear some feedback. Les, I'll change the photo soon, I promise.

We were pouring our two shipment wines - the 2006 Columbia Valley and Walla Walla Cabs - along with several wines available to members only like the Red Mountain Cab and the newly released 2006 Boushey (which was great!).

If you weren't able to stop by this past weekend but still want to chat with other members, please come on the 4th of March for extended hours. Or if you did come and had so much fun, come again! We'll be pouring a bunch of great wines, will have a few snacks and I'll be looking forward to spending more time with members.

proof that Charlie was there...

Boushey!

2009-02-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

I hate to pick favorites. If someone were to ask me which Fidelitas wine was my favorite, I honestly wouldn't be able to answer. For quite awhile, it was the Optu white, then the eight red wine, and also was loving the Columbia Valley Cabernet as it really started to open up.
However, I will say that I have really been missing the Boushey red since we ran out of it last fall. In October, the 2005 vintage received 90 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and 91 Points from Wine Spectator, and then, it was gone. Since then, I've been patiently waiting for Charlie to decide that the 2006 vintage is ready.
Finally, the 2006 Boushey is on it's way! We'll be pouring it for the first time this weekend at the tasting room during Red Wine and Chocolate. After that, it is ready to be ordered.
I know that I've learned from my past mistake and will be getting enough to last me through next winter...

Coopers (and Fidelitas!) in the News

2009-01-19T11:13:00.000-08:00

Just when I was needing a reminder of what summer felt like, our Wine Club event in Seattle from last August made it into this Sunday's Pacific Northwest Magazine (an insert of the Sunday Times/PI). Braiden Rex-Johnson, a local author who also wrote Pacific Northwest Wining and Dining, wrote a great article about the coopers from Seguin-Moreau who came to our wine club event and did barrel toasting demonstrations for all of the members who attended: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2008627873_pacificptaste18.html
The article gives insight into everything that goes into barrel making and why good barrels are so key to great wine. There are also some great quotes from Charlie, who has made some promises of creating a wine club only wine to be aged in the barrels toasted that evening...

At home in Seattle

2009-01-15T13:09:00.000-08:00

As I believe most of you know already, I am based in the Seattle area and work remotely. For me, it really is the best of both worlds. I grew up in Seattle and truly enjoy living here. However, I love Eastern Washington as well, and have a lot of family in the Tri-Cities area. That means that I am able to be with my friends and family here in grey-skied Seattle, but get to travel frequently to blue-skied Red Mountain.

This is great for so many of our Wine Club members in Washington State. Obviously, those who live near the winery get to swing by and pick up their favorite wines much more frequently than those who live in Western Washington. But now, people in the Seattle area have a Fidelitas contact as well. I do get to keep some great wines over here, and am always able to arrange a way to get those to you. I'm also available as a resource for restaurant recommendations (especially those that have Fidelitas on the list!) and places to see and stay. For those of you in and around Seattle, let me know if there is anything I can do for you!

For our out of state members, don't worry, we haven't forgotten about you. Charlie has been out touring the different markets with Fidelitas, and often hosts tastings while he's on the road. If he is coming your way, I'll be sure to let you know!

A view of the Space Needle, through the fog and a little sunshine.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season. I have a feeling that 95% of our wine club has some version of a story that involves way, way too much snow during their holidays. Mine includes two flats tires on a new (to me) car...
With all of that behind us now, I am really looking forward to 2009. We've been busy planning for the year, and have many things already in the works. I'm looking forward to a St. Fidelis party on Red Mountain in April, and big bash in Seattle in August, and some great wine club shipments in between. In the meantime, I'm focusing on the best part of Fidelitas - the wine.
For those of you who have already gotten into your December club shipment and loved the eight Syrah, remember that this is our final vintage of Syrah so you may want to stash a few away in your cellar for a later date. We're completely sold out of the eight red wine, which shows that it pays to act fast.
Did anyone have an outstanding food and wine pairing during the holidays? I brought a bottle of the 06 Malbec to one dinner that featured both pepper-crusted salmon and flank steak, along with a multitude of veggie side dishes. A menu this varied can always be a bit scary for wine pairing, especially with a red wine, but the Malbec did great! Being fruit forward with balanced acids meant that it could go with those sides without overpowering, was strong enough for the steak, and soft enough for the salmon. I was very impressed!
I wish everyone a wonderful 2009 full of good friends and family, and of course, great wine!

Putting your concierge to work

2008-12-12T10:14:00.001-08:00

As most of you know, my position with Fidelitas doesn't just consists of helping members with shipments and orders. I get to serve as the concierge for our members and am available for trip planning assistance, gift giving services, party planning and much more. Recently, members have contacted me for a number of these services.

One OPTU member from Western Washington took advantage of the trip assistance feature. Working together, we found wonderful accomodations, restaurants and wineries for him to visit while travelling through Walla Walla, the Tri Cities and Red Mountain.

Some Faithful, Loyal, True members recently contacted me about helping them with some gifts for an annual dinner party that they put on. We created baskets of "comfort food" with Optu wines, individual cookbooks and cookie and brownie mixes.

Just yesterday, a few members contacted me about a red wine party they had coming up and asked for a few of my favorite appetizer recipes that pair well with red wine. Drawing on my sommelier training, along with years of hosting food and wine pairing parties, I think we found a few good ones that will please both the hosts and the guests.

I love the opportunity to work with our members in planning these fun trips, gifts and parties, and look forward to doing it some more! I just finished "Host a Tasting" kit with step-by-step instructions on how to host your own tasting party with your friends, that is available to members of the Fidelitas Wine Club. I can't wait for someone to try it out!

Isn't this incredible? Looking west from the tasting room at sunset, just last week.

Shipment time!

2008-12-04T12:01:00.000-08:00

Today is batching day at the tasting room, which means that this is the day that we get every shipment ready to go out the door, whether they are being shipped or picked up. Here are a few big bits of news regarding our current wines:

Your shipment consists of the 2006 eight syrah and the 2005 eight red wine. These are two fabulous wines that are each special in their own way. The 2006 syrah will be our final vintage of syrah at Fidelitas. That means all of our syrah fans (and I know there are a lot of you!) better stock up now because there won't be any to come in the future. The eight red wine is a phenomenal red blend that is dominated by cabernet sauvignon and merlot, and finished with cabernet franc and malbec. We have so few of these that we are only able to provide members with an additional 2 bottles for reorders. Trust me...it's worth it.
We just released the 2006 Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a 100% cab that is 100% from Red Mountain. It's great now, but I'm already licking my lips thinking of what it will be in a few years.
And here's the big news...we are almost out of the 2005 Champoux Cabernet! If you've been waiting to order more, wait no more. We have about 14 cases left, that seem to disappear every time I turn around.

The tasting room on Red Mountain will be open until 7pm tonight. If you're in the area, please stop by, taste the wines and say hello!

Ciel du Cheval Release

2008-11-20T17:50:00.000-08:00

As I'm sure that most of you have heard by now, we are hosting the owner of Ciel du Cheval vineyard, Jim Holmes, at the Red Mountain tasting room on November 29th from 1pm - 3pm. This is such a wonderful opportunity to meet someone who has been an integral part not only in establishing Red Mountain and the now present AVA, but also the entire Washington wine industry. He has been a pivotal figure in the industry over the past thrity-odd years, and the quality of his grapes certainly shows it! Joining him will be the vineyard manager, Ryan Johnson, who is quite talented as well.
I will be at the tasting room for the weekend assisting with Thanksgiving in Wine Country, and then staying through the week for our December club shipment. We are staying open until 7pm on Thursday, December 4th in hopes to provide more of our members a time to stop by, taste the wines and pick up their shipment. I am really looking forward to seeing so many of our members!
Don't forget - we are offering free shipping for just one more week!

20Something

2008-11-18T11:16:00.000-08:00

Well, I went into the 20Something event knowing that it would be an exciting night, and I definitely wasn’t let down. With over 70 wineries and close to 20 restaurants, there was plenty of wine and food to go around. The Washington Wine Commission did a great job promoting this event and had nearly 1000 people attend. I got to see a few friends from other wineries and even spotted Tom Douglas in the crowd. I did see a few wine club members there, one of which is also a Washington Wine Ambassador and did a great job helping all of the wineries load in at the beginning of the night.

I'm including a few pictures from the event that were posted on flickr, just so you can believe me when I talk about the size of the crowd!

looking out over the crowd

the wine bottle display in the middle of the room (I think these are all empty...)

taking a break in the back with a few other winery folks (I'm third from the left) including people from DeLille, Flying Trout and the new Hollywood Hills winery

Upcoming Events

2008-11-11T10:46:00.000-08:00

In the excitement of free shipping last week, I forgot to mention a couple of upcoming events. This weekend, Fidelitas can be found on the road. Jessica G. will be at the Northwest Food and Wine Festival in Portland, which features over 600 wines and 50 restaurants. I will be pouring our wine at the Washington Wine Commission’s 20Something event in Seattle. I believe that there are still tickets available for both. If you live near Seattle or Portland and are able attend, please stop by and say hi to us!
I also wanted to mention that the tasting room is planning to stay open for extended hours on Thursday, December 4th. If you live close or will be in town, definitely plan to drop in, taste the new wines, and pick up your shipment a few days early. It will just be a fun, casual evening. I’ll be there that week making sure that the December shipment gets out the door, and would love to see a few of our members.
Below are a few pictures from production this fall that Jessica G. shared with me. Enjoy!

What a great idea

2008-11-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

As I’m sure most of you have seen from the November newsletter that just came out, we are offering FREE SHIPPING from now until Thanksgiving. In my mind, this couldn’t have come at a better time. First, we have Thanksgiving looming in the near future, which always calls for great wines on the table. The 2007 Optu white would be a knock out with the wide variety of dishes that can appear on a Thanksgiving dinner table, while the 2005 Columbia Valley merlot is a bright, food friendly red wine. Then, just four days after Thanksgiving is December 1st, which means the start of a whirlwind of gatherings and gifts. A very smart friend of mine (who also happens to be a Fidelitas wine club member) always keeps a case of her favorite wine on hand during December. That way, when she’s running out the door to a holiday party, she’s able to grab a bottle from the case, tie a ribbon around it and have the perfect hostess gift without a last minute stop at the store.
We are also within 30 days of our next shipment, which means that you will receive an additional 5% off select wines. Between that and free shipping, there is really no excuse to not stock up now - I know my friend will be.

The Next Two Months

2008-10-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

Every October, I make the same promise to myself: to have all of my holiday shopping done before Thanksgiving. Every December, I find myself waiting in hour long lines at stores and the post office, wishing that I had kept my promise. This year, I’m sticking to my promise and adding on to it by not only making the best use of my time during this wild season, but also to make the best use of my holiday dollars by sending out gifts that people will truly enjoy. Lucky for me (and my friends and family), I have access to great wine, which I am sure everyone will enjoy.
Our members have the opportunity to utilize a great gift giving services, where all they have to do is send me their list, and I can assist with creating unique gifts and shipping them directly to the recipient. Looking over a few packages, I was amazed at what a great deal the packages were once member discounts were added in.
I also think it would be great to host a holiday wine tasting party with friends, which is why I came up with everything you’d need to do it on your own – wines and instructions included!

Catch the Crush

2008-10-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was a first for me. I survived a wild three days on Red Mountain at the tasting room during Catch the Crush. Our little modern shed welcomed more than 400 people over the span of Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was by far the busiest with about 250 people stopping by to visit. It was great to meet so many current members, as well signing up some new ones!

We poured five wines last weekend, while always keeping something special on hand for our members who came to visit. Of course, the two new Optus were featured, along with the brand new release of the 2007 Semillon and our Columbia Valley Cabernet and Merlot. If anyone is hiding 2005 CV Cabernet in their cellar, I’d encourage to pop a bottle open and see how much it is already maturing. It was pouring beautifully this weekend, and many purchased bottles to see how they’ll be in another year or two. A recently opened 2004 knocked my socks off.

As a fun addition to the weekend, we also hosted a beautiful winemaker dinner on the patio Saturday evening. The safari-themed dinner was part of an auction that benefited Washington Wine Country, and featured Chef Jason Wilson from the restaurant Crush in Seattle, John and Gretchen from Bookwalter, Tim and Kelly from Hightower and Charlie pouring our own wines. It was a great event that I was happy to be a part of. The table was set beautifully, the food was incredible and I think everyone had a great time.

For those who haven’t heard yet, we received our Wine Spectator subscription Saturday morning to find that the 2005 Fidelitas Champoux Cabernet just scored 92 POINTS!

It's shipment time - what a week!

2008-09-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a week on Red Mountain getting ready for our fall wine club shipment. Since I started working with Fidelitas in May, after the Champoux shipment went out, this served as my very first time working to get a wine club shipment out the door. I swear I could have prepared all summer long, and still wouldn’t have been ready for what I witnessed last week. It was a flurry of database reports, phone calls and really a lot of fun. I emerged from our office there at the tasting room each evening feeling like a little shrew that hadn’t seen sunlight all day long. However, I’m now back at home feeling pretty successful, and am already starting to miss Jessica G, Marilyn and Nedra, who were my sidekicks throughout the process.

Most of you should be seeing your wines this week arriving via FedEx Ground if you have opted to have your wines shipped. For those of you who would like to pick-up, your shipments are ready to go at the tasting room whenever is convenient for you to stop by and visit. If you live in a warm state, or on the east coast, we are holding your shipments until October 1st. This is to prevent any potential heat damage from traveling across the country. Please be sure to contact me if you have any questions at all.

We also have some special library wines that were just released. Jessica G has some 2002 Optu red and 2003 Walla Walla cabernet sauvignon at the tasting room available for purchase. I was able to taste both of them while I was over there and enjoyed them both. I love our wines now, but it is always neat to see what a few years worth of aging can do for a wine. Also remember that we are within 30 days of the shipment, which means that most wines are available for an additional 5% discount. I’ve seen some really great deals go by. It’s also a great time to try your shipment wines and then stock your cellar with them.

Enjoy the Optus! They really are great. This weekend in the tasting room we had two groups debating whether the Optu white would be best with a lightly grilled halibut or crab cakes with mango salsa. If anyone wants to weigh in on the topic - or better yet, share the recipe you like the best – please do so! You can send it to me and I’ll try to get it posted for others to see.

Toasty Indeed!

2008-08-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

We just hosted one of our annual events for members in Seattle. This party was designed as a way to say thank you to our club members, as well as a way for them to get to know one another a bit better. It also happened to coincide with the much anticipated release of our 2005 Optu red wine and 2007 Optu white wine (also our fall wine club shipment), which are both fabulous wines. While I spent most of the night running around in circles, trying to meet as many people as possible, filling orders and passing out shipments, I think everyone had a great time.

Our event “Getting Toasty in the City” was held at the Northwest Wine Academy - my old stomping grounds (along with a few other wine club members!) from when I took some classes there a few years ago. If you live in the Seattle-area, are interested in wine and want to enhance your knowledge, I would strongly suggest you check out their program. Not only were they kind enough to let us host our party there, but the school gathered together a team of absolutely wonderful volunteers who came to set-up, pour wine all night long, and then stayed to tear it all down again. A big thank you to Reggie, Stacey and all of the volunteers – I literally could not have done it without you!

We were lucky enough to host a few master coopers from Seguin-Moreau, the infamous cooperage from Napa Valley. These hard working guys did barrel toasting demonstrations throughout the evening. Guests were able to watch a barrel being made all the way from being a pile of wood, through assembly and toasting to the finished product. I heard a rumor about a wine club wine being made from the barrels we all got to see produced…

One of my favorite parts of the night was definitely the food. After seeing an Airstream trailer driving around the city, making lunch in different neighborhoods each day, and then reading about them in Food & Wine Magazine, I knew that we had to have Skillet Street Food join us at this event. Josh and his crew pulled their trailer into the parking lot and started cooking up a storm. They even featured two dishes to pair with our new releases that evening: THE BURGER was incredible alongside the Optu red and their PRAWN PO’BOY was awesome with the Optu white wine. There was also a caprese salad and herbed fries that I managed to taste between tasks (thank you to Ben and Dara for making that happen!).

As I mentioned earlier, I got to meet so many wonderful people. Thank you to everyone who came that night and made it such a special event. A really BIG thank you to club member Laurie Hodges who took all of these wonderful photos that you’re seeing in this post (along with the pic of me at the top). Also, thanks to Duane at Winefoot and Doug and Josh with Wino Magazine for all of their kind words. It was great to have you there. Next time I see everyone, please take the time to come up and say hi!