Morgante Nero d'Avola, 2006

Morgante Nero d'Avola, 2006

This is a new release of a Sicilian red that is 100% Nero d'Avola. The wine is aged in small oak barrels for 4 months and released after about 1 year in the bottle. The color is a beautiful dark ruby with purple tones. There are splendid aromas of blackberries, blueberries and cotton candy. This is a "New World" wine that is loaded with pure flavors of dark berries and cherries with a slight hint of mineral. This is a medium to full bodied wine with supple tannins and acidity that highlight the fruit driven style. This wine should appeal to any lovers of fruity Australian wines. The finish is rich and smooth. This wine would pair well with some good dark chocolate. This lovely wine is available at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $15.

Walla Walla Travel

Last week we spent a few days out in the Washington State wine country. We spent the first day in Prosser and enjoyed visits to Hogue Cellars, Desert Wind, Alexandria Nicole Cellars, Kiona and Chandler Reach. All of these wineries do a very nice job and are well worth the visit.

Desert Wind Winery in Prosser

Chandler Reach (Red Mountain)

Kiona Winery in Benton City (Red Mountain)


We spent two night out in Walla Walla enjoying the small town charm and great wineries. We really enjoyed the wines at Dusted Valley, Basil Cellars, Tamarack and Isenhower Cellars. It is great tasting wines in Walla Walla because there are great wines across the board. Here are a few pictures from our romp. We visited wineries, a lavender farm and wheat fields!

Dusted Valley Tasting Room

Developing Syrah grapes on the vine

Basel Cellars (Walla Walla)

Walla Walla Vineyards

Making the rounds in Walla Walla

Lavender Farm near Walla Walla

Wheat fields near Walla Walla Airport

Grilled Summer Vegetables with Balsamic Dressing

Grilled Summer Vegetables with Balsamic Dressing

I always look forward to summer and the bounty of fresh produce that comes with the season. Cooking vegetables on the grill is easy and delicious and is a pure pleasure of the season. This is a common preparation found throughout Italy and these vegetables can be served either hot, warm, room temperature or cold. I often use summer squash (both yellow and green), eggplant, peppers (red, yellow and green) and onions. Cut all your vegetables into sizes that are easy to handle on the grill. Squash and eggplant can be cut in rounds or lengthwise at about 1/2 inch thickness. Peppers are grilled whole allowing the skins to completely blacken. Lightly coat all the veggies with olive oil before placing on the grill. Keep you heat about 'medium" hot. Cook sliced veggies, on both sides, until browned and softened. As the vegetables finish cooking, place them orderly on a serving platter. The peppers will need to be skinned, seeded and sliced to complete their preparation. Drizzle the Balsamic Dressing over all the warm grilled vegetables and garnish with some fresh basil. Extra dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks and can be used on salads, veggies or whatever!

Jeff's Balsamic Dressing

1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 tablespoon Honey
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon ground Mustard Seed
8-10 Basil leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon ground Black Pepper

Add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together until well blended. Dressing can be stored, for up to three weeks, in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Vega Sindoa Cabernet Sauvignon-Tempranillo, 2005

Vega Sindoa Cabernet Sauvignon-Tempranillo, 2005

This red blend is produced by Bodegas Nekeas in the Navarra region of Spain. The Nekeas valley is located at the foothills of the Pyrenees and is buffeted from the winds of the Atlantic. Warm summer days and cool nights help the grapes reach full maturity on the vines. The various micro-climates of the area allow for nice conditions for numerous grape varieties including Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Grenache. This is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Tempranillo that was aged from 12 to 14 months in French and American oak casks. This wine has a deep ruby color with aromas of black cherries, leather and smoke. This is a medium bodied wine with dark berry, cassis, cherry and some underlying minerality. There is some smoke and leather that keep the fruit flavors under control. What helps to make this wine real nice are the abundant smooth tannins that fill the mouth with a cloak of velvet. The finish is fresh and impressive. We found this lovely value wine at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for under $10. This Spanish wine is worth seeking out.

Pascual Toso Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006

Pascual Toso Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006

Back in April we enjoyed a bottle of Pascual Toso Malbec from the 2006 vintage (Argentina). This time it is their Mendoza Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from the same vintage. This is a lovely wine that excels on all levels. In the glass this wine has a deep shimmering ruby/ crimson color. This is a ripe, luscious wine with complex flavors of dark cherries, plums, and cassis. The fruit flavors are mixed with secondary flavors of chocolate, caramel and coffee. This is a medium to full bodied Cabernet with a lingering, harmonious finish. There is good supple acidity and well integrated smooth tannins that make this wine good with a hardy meal or as a sipper with a fine cheese. We bought this wine at Costco, in Issaquah, for about $13. We will look for more of this on our next trip to Costco!

Hogue Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006

Hogue Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006

Hogue Cellars has been making a full range of Washington State wines for more than 25 years. This winery produces over 650,000 cases of wine per year with most of them being considered "value" wines, coming in below $16. This Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon sells for about $7 in the Seattle area and is widely available. The color is a dark ruby red with nice clarity. It has a pleasant perfume of black cherries and a hint of oak. This is a medium bodied wine that has a smooth mouth feel with light tannins. This is a young wine with fresh dark fruit and cassis intermixed with green herbs and oak. This is a rather simple wine that will pair well with a casual dinner. We enjoyed it with a fresh summer salad topped with house smoked Copper River Salmon.

Sinner's Punch, 2006

Sinner's Punch, 2006

This Columbia Valley Red from "The Giant Wine Company" is crafted by Chris Gorman and Mark Ryan McNeilly. It is a red blend that is 90% Syrah with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Both Gorman and McNeilly have their own wineries (in Woodinville, WA) where they produce some of the nicest wines in Washington State. The Giant Wine Company is their joint venture and they are producing some very nice wines with price points more toward value. This new release is from yet another very good Columbia Valley vintage, 2006, and is a tasty offering. The color is a deep purple, nearly opaque with a black hue. The nose is packed with fresh black fruit with sweet cream butterscotch stirred in. On the palate there are ripe cherries and blueberries spiked with exotic spice and some creamy oak. There are supple tannins and gentle acidity that highlight the fruit driven style in this medium bodied Syrah. The finish is smooth, satisfying and harmonious. Another nice wine from The Giant Wine Company that is available from Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $13.