Monte Antico Toscana, 2006

Monte Antico Toscana, 2006

The 2006 Monte Antico Rosso is a blend of 85% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from various Tuscan vinyards. This wine is blended then aged in oak for about one year. This everyday Italian red is imported by Neil Empson and created by acclaimed oenologist Franco Bernabei. The wine has a deep ruby color and a nose of dark berries and earth. This is a medium bodied wine with flavors of ripe plums, chocolate covered cherries and dried currents. Tannins are soft and supple and there is gripping acidity that lingers on a mineral accented, toasty finish. This wine screams out for a wood fired pizza or a bowl of Pasta Bolognese. This is a great “go-to” wine for any casual Italian dinner. This wine is available at Pete’s Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for around $12.

Hatch Chile Salsa

Hatch Chile Salsa

The town of Hatch, New Mexico is the self proclaimed chile capitol of the world. This year our local QFC supermarkets brought in hundreds of cases of fresh Hatch chile peppers to spread a little love in the Seattle area. I bought my fare share of these medium hot red and green chilies and made some large batches of this great salsa.


3 Pounds Fresh Hatch Chile Peppers
6 medium Tomatillos, shucked
1 medium Onion, peeled (cut in half)
2 cloves Garlic, peeled
1 small bunch Cilantro
1 small Lime, juice only
1 tsp. Mexican Oregano, ground
1 tsp. Cumin, ground
1 tsp. Salt
1 tbs. Honey

Place chile peppers, tomatillos and onion halves on hot grill and cook until all are completely charred and soft. Place these vegetables in a large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap, allow cooling down for about 30 minutes. Remove and discard stems, seeds and charred skins from the chile peppers. Place all ingredients in food processor and pulse until well blended and chopped. Serve with crispy tortilla chips or use to create savory dishes such as Chicken Chile Stew. Salsa can be stored in sealed container, in refrigerator, for up to 2 weeks.

Parris Cabernet Sauvignon, 2002

Parris Cabernet Sauvignon, 2002

This Parris Cabernet Sauvignon is a flagship reserve wine from Chandler Reach Vineyards of Benton City Washington. For the past 10 years, owner/winemaker, Len Parris, has been producing lovely wines from estate grapes grown on north-facing slopes adjacent to the Red Mountain appellation. We had cellared this wine for the past 3 years. The wine shows a deep ruby color with good clarity, but nearly opaque. The nose is packed with black fruit and hints of spicy oak. The flavors are bold, full bodied and intense. Flavors of red raspberry, blackberry, espresso and cassis are framed with tones of earth, leather and vanilla oak. The flavors are balanced by gentle acidity in fully integrated tannins creating a wine with excellent depth and length. Chandler Reach Vineyards should be proud of this elegant wine. The current vintage of this wine is being sold for about $40.

Dominio Dostares Leione, 2005

Dominio Dostares Leione, 2005

Last night we dined at Bourbon Steak, located at the Fairmont resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. Bourbon Steak is one of the highly acclaimed restaurants owned by the outstanding chef, Michael Mina. As I thumbed through their impressive wine book, I was trying to select a wine that would go well with our dinner and one that would not break the bank. I selected the Dominio Dostares Leione ($42), which is from the Castilla y Leon region of Spain. This wine is made from 100% Prieto Picudo grapes from vines more than 90 years old. This is a relatively obscure grape that is used to produce both red and rose wines in this region of Spain. On the nose is massive dark fruit and berries with a hint of vanilla and spice. The color is a deep garnet red with nice clarity and vivid legs. This is a fruit forward wine with black plum, cherry and currant. There are moderate toasty oak flavors along with cocoa and exotic Indian spice. This wine is modern in style, medium bodied, with abundant smooth tannins and a zesty acidity. It was and enjoyable wine to accompany rich food like Grilled Kobe Flat Iron Steak, Braised Shortribs with Garam Masala and a tasty order of crispy “duck-fat” French Fries!

Columbia Crest Reserve Syrah, 2000

Columbia Crest Reserve Syrah, 2000

Columbia Crest is one of the largest wineries in Washington and produces quality wines across a large price range. We purchased this reserve Syrah, from the winery, back in the autumn of 2002. This wine was highly acclaimed and made the Wine Spectator “Top 100” list in 2002. Last night we decided to open this wine to enjoy over the Labor Day Holiday. We decanted this reserve wine for about one hour before tasting. The color was a dark, opaque purple with black highlights and a ruby rim. The nose was packed with fresh blackberry, plum and spice. This was a big wine with plump flavors of dark berries, chocolate covered cherries and some white pepper. The mouth feel was thick and rich with abundant smooth tannins and gentle acidity. There was a cream cheese component that complimented the generous fruit flavors. This wine cellared very well over the past 6-7 years. This wine was produced from Columbia Crest's best syrah grapes, in small quantities, and was sold at the winery for about $25. This was a stunningly good wine from one of Washington States “Big Boys”.

WishWilling Pinot Noir, 2005

WishWilling Pinot Noir, 2005

One of the great things about living in the Pacific Northwest is the proximity to the Washington State and Oregon Wine Country. Throughout the years, we have tasted many great wines and had the good fortune of meeting many local winemakers. This bottle of WishWilling Pinot Noir, 2005, was given to us by winemaker Gary Bunker. The Pinot Noir grapes were picked from 30 year old vines on the south-facing slopes of the Murto Vineyard near Dundee, Oregon. This is a lovely wine with a dark ruby color, nice clarity, but nearly opaque. On the nose are fresh aromas of sweet strawberry compote, plums, cinnamon and flint. This is a medium bodied wine with a seductively smooth texture packed with cherry, raspberry and plum all wrapped up with a cloak of leather, black pepper and orange rind. There is a lovely balance of fruit, earth and spice along with gentle tannins and acidity that contribute to a long and persistent finish. This is an elegant Pinot Noir that is a true delight. Thank you for the lovely wine!

Palestra, 2007

Palestra, 2007

Earlier this summer we enjoyed a bottle of the 2006 Palestra and found it was quite delightful at a very good price. Now we just enjoyed a bottle of the newly released 2007 vintage, and once again were impressed. The Encostas do Douro Palestra is a blend of Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz. All these grapes are indigenous to the Douro Region of Portugal. This wine has a dark ruby/purple color and a rich nose of black cherry, blackberry and spice. This is a medium bodied wine with flavors of dark berry, cherry, licorice and lingering black pepper. This wine has a gentle and rich mouth feel from abundant, but well integrated, dusty tannins. The finish is soft and elegant, dry with no harsh edges. This 2007 vintage of the Palestra is another example of a great table wine, from Portugal, that can be found in the Seattle area for about $9. We enjoyed this nice wine with some tasty grilled chicken and vegetables on a great summer day! Seek out this wine.

Green Goat Cheese Spread

Green Goat Cheese Spread

Here is a simple spread that can be made in minutes and is interesting and tastes great. The Edamame are high in fiber and protein and beautifully compliment the Goat Cheese. Serve in a bowl alongside sliced baguette or sturdy crackers or spread on toasted slices of baguette as an elegant crostini.

3/4 cup Shelled Soybean Edamame
5 ounce Creamy Goat Cheese (Chevre)
1 Clove Garlic
1 tablespoon Chopped Fresh Thyme
2 tablespoon Milk

Baguette (narrow French bread) sliced and toasted

Add Edamame, Goat Cheese, Garlic, Thyme and Milk to food processor. Process these ingredients for about 30 seconds until well blended to a creamy consistency. Place in serving dish or spread directly on toasted slices of baguette. Garnish with a small sprig of thyme. This appetizer will pair will with a crisp, un-oaked Chardonnay.


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Woodinville Wine Cellars Merlot, 2003

Woodinville Wine Cellars Merlot, 2003

Woodinville Wine Cellars is an excellent winery that produces small quantities of handcrafted wines from grapes bought from several prominent Washington State vineyards. Their wines are fermented in small lots and barrel aged for up to 18 months, using French Oak selected to complement, not mask the terroir. Last night we went for dinner to the Purple Café, in Kirkland. After scanning our wine cellar, I decided to bring a bottle of the Woodinville Wine Cellars 2003 Merlot. This bottle was signed by the winemaker, Sean Boyd, and had been in our cellar for about 3 years. What a great wine! In any given year, there are a few wines that really “blow you away” and will be fondly remembered for the next few years. This Merlot is one of those. The color is a deep ruby red with a faint violet rim. This wine has a beautiful nose with concentrated aromas of blackberry, chocolate, cassis and a hint of spicy oak. On the palate, ripe black fruit, espresso, spice, marshmallow and mocha commingle to create a luscious and balanced wine. This is a medium to full bodied wine with abundant sweet, soft tannins and gentle acidity creating a closely woven texture and a long, long finish. We had tasted this wine 3 years ago and new it was good, however, three years of cellaring revealed this wines full potential. We purchased this stunner at Pete’s Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $20. Great job Sean!

Vega Sindoa Red Wine, 2007

Vega Sindoa Red Wine, 2007

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 70% Tempranillo and 30% Merlot. This is a simple, straight forward wine with a deep red color and pleasant aromas of black berry jam and licorice. This is a medium bodied wine made in a modern style with rich flavors of black cherries, strawberries, prune, slate and black pepper. This is a zesty wine with a smooth mouth-feel and gentle tannins that linger with the long finish. I am a fan of this winery that is run by Concha Vecino, the most acclaimed woman winemaker in Spain. This is another lovely wine imported by Jorge Ordonez. You can find this lovely value wine at Esquin, in Seattle, for under $10.