Quinta da Maritavora is located in the Douro region of Portugal. This red wine is a blend of Tinta Roriz, Tiuriga Franca and Touriga Nacional. The wine made by winemaker Jorge Borges and aged in French oak barrels for a total of 12 months. The color is red/purple with some nice opacity. The wine exhibits an alluring nose of fresh blackberries, cherries and some toasty oak. In the mouth this is a medium to full bodied wine with a zesty, focused personality. The flavors are those of raspberries, blueberries and cola balanced with ample acidity and fine grained tannins to make this wine quite delicious. The finish shows subtle vanilla and spice and helps to complete the whole package. We really enjoyed this wine for its fresh berry flavors and the rich, zesty mouth feel. We will stock-up on a few more bottles. This wine can be found at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $16.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Quinta da Maritavora 2004
Quinta da Maritavora 2004
Quinta da Maritavora is located in the Douro region of Portugal. This red wine is a blend of Tinta Roriz, Tiuriga Franca and Touriga Nacional. The wine made by winemaker Jorge Borges and aged in French oak barrels for a total of 12 months. The color is red/purple with some nice opacity. The wine exhibits an alluring nose of fresh blackberries, cherries and some toasty oak. In the mouth this is a medium to full bodied wine with a zesty, focused personality. The flavors are those of raspberries, blueberries and cola balanced with ample acidity and fine grained tannins to make this wine quite delicious. The finish shows subtle vanilla and spice and helps to complete the whole package. We really enjoyed this wine for its fresh berry flavors and the rich, zesty mouth feel. We will stock-up on a few more bottles. This wine can be found at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $16.
Quinta da Maritavora is located in the Douro region of Portugal. This red wine is a blend of Tinta Roriz, Tiuriga Franca and Touriga Nacional. The wine made by winemaker Jorge Borges and aged in French oak barrels for a total of 12 months. The color is red/purple with some nice opacity. The wine exhibits an alluring nose of fresh blackberries, cherries and some toasty oak. In the mouth this is a medium to full bodied wine with a zesty, focused personality. The flavors are those of raspberries, blueberries and cola balanced with ample acidity and fine grained tannins to make this wine quite delicious. The finish shows subtle vanilla and spice and helps to complete the whole package. We really enjoyed this wine for its fresh berry flavors and the rich, zesty mouth feel. We will stock-up on a few more bottles. This wine can be found at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $16.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Santa Rita Reserva Carménère, 2006
Santa Rita Reserva Carménère, 2006
The Santa Rita winery owns vineyards in Chile’s most exclusive wine making valleys.
It owns vineyards in the Maipo Valley, Casablanca Valley, Rapel Valley, Leyda Valley and in the Lontué Valley. Santa Rita is the second largest land-owning winery in Chile. With access to diverse climates and soils, Santa Rita is able to produce a wide variety of world-class wines showcasing the remarkable quality and versatility of the country.
Over the past decade Santa Rita’s viticulturists have adopted a number of practices to enhance site and varietal characteristics which include the following: sustainable agriculture, better clone material, improved trellising and irrigation techniques, balanced vine viticulture, restricted yields, leaf and canopy management, later harvesting, individual block farming, and small-lot vinification . We recently enjoyed a bottle of this reserve Carménère with a dinner off the grill. This wine is quite a "stand-out" for its dark fruit and vegetal
characteristics. On the nose are fresh green peppers, cherries and cedar. This is a medium to full bodied wine with a deep red color and an elegant, smooth mouth feel. On the palate, ripe black fruit, bell pepper, espresso, tomato and roasted herbs commingle to create a luscious and balanced wine. This wine will appeal to people who enjoy vegetable characteristics in their wine. Interesting and different!
The Santa Rita winery owns vineyards in Chile’s most exclusive wine making valleys.
It owns vineyards in the Maipo Valley, Casablanca Valley, Rapel Valley, Leyda Valley and in the Lontué Valley. Santa Rita is the second largest land-owning winery in Chile. With access to diverse climates and soils, Santa Rita is able to produce a wide variety of world-class wines showcasing the remarkable quality and versatility of the country.Over the past decade Santa Rita’s viticulturists have adopted a number of practices to enhance site and varietal characteristics which include the following: sustainable agriculture, better clone material, improved trellising and irrigation techniques, balanced vine viticulture, restricted yields, leaf and canopy management, later harvesting, individual block farming, and small-lot vinification . We recently enjoyed a bottle of this reserve Carménère with a dinner off the grill. This wine is quite a "stand-out" for its dark fruit and vegetal
characteristics. On the nose are fresh green peppers, cherries and cedar. This is a medium to full bodied wine with a deep red color and an elegant, smooth mouth feel. On the palate, ripe black fruit, bell pepper, espresso, tomato and roasted herbs commingle to create a luscious and balanced wine. This wine will appeal to people who enjoy vegetable characteristics in their wine. Interesting and different!
Fontanafredda Briccotondo Barbera, 2007
Fontanafredda Briccotondo Barbera, 2007
We love many wines from Piedmont, Italy and Barbera is definitely a great "food" wine. When we traveled in Piedmont, back in 2003, we stopped at Fontanafredda on a warm autumn day. Back in December of 2007 we had a bottle of the 2005 Barbera and found it "nice" but nothing special. Then the 2006 release of the Briccotondo Barbera was a delicious wine that far surpasses the previous vintage. New we tried the new 2007 release. The color is a deep ruby red with purple tones on the rim. On the nose are complex berry notes of blueberries and cherries along with grapes and plums. This is a medium bodied wine with a smooth texture and rich flavors of crushed berries and earth. There is ample acidity and light tannins that add to the balanced and harmonious finish. The 2006 vintage made the "Wine Spectator Top 100" list, last year, and this vintage is every bit as good. We bought this Barbera at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $13. This wine is a good choice for your next Italian dinner!
We love many wines from Piedmont, Italy and Barbera is definitely a great "food" wine. When we traveled in Piedmont, back in 2003, we stopped at Fontanafredda on a warm autumn day. Back in December of 2007 we had a bottle of the 2005 Barbera and found it "nice" but nothing special. Then the 2006 release of the Briccotondo Barbera was a delicious wine that far surpasses the previous vintage. New we tried the new 2007 release. The color is a deep ruby red with purple tones on the rim. On the nose are complex berry notes of blueberries and cherries along with grapes and plums. This is a medium bodied wine with a smooth texture and rich flavors of crushed berries and earth. There is ample acidity and light tannins that add to the balanced and harmonious finish. The 2006 vintage made the "Wine Spectator Top 100" list, last year, and this vintage is every bit as good. We bought this Barbera at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $13. This wine is a good choice for your next Italian dinner!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
337 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006
337 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006
Named for the French vine clone, 337 is a California Cabernet Sauvignon with prestigious Bordeaux roots. The grapes are grown in Lodi’s Clay Station Vineyard in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The wine has a deep ruby-red color and the nose is packed with black fruit, spice and floral notes. This is a medium bodied wine with concentrated blackberry, cassis and mocha. There are ample tannins and acidity to create a lingering and harmonious finish. This is a nice value California Cabernet Sauvignon that pairs well with a steak of the grill or a spicy pasta dish. We enjoyed this $15 wine with my Penne with Meatballs and Marjoram and Marinara.
Named for the French vine clone, 337 is a California Cabernet Sauvignon with prestigious Bordeaux roots. The grapes are grown in Lodi’s Clay Station Vineyard in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The wine has a deep ruby-red color and the nose is packed with black fruit, spice and floral notes. This is a medium bodied wine with concentrated blackberry, cassis and mocha. There are ample tannins and acidity to create a lingering and harmonious finish. This is a nice value California Cabernet Sauvignon that pairs well with a steak of the grill or a spicy pasta dish. We enjoyed this $15 wine with my Penne with Meatballs and Marjoram and Marinara.
Penne with Meatballs and Marjoram and Marinara
Penne with Meatballs and Marjoram and Marinara
Recently we had a fantastic dinner at Tavolata, a hip restaurant in the Belltown region of Seattle. We enjoyed a pasta dish of Rigatoni with Spicy Italian Sausage, Marjoram and Tomato. The dish was so memorable that we recreated our version of this to enjoy at home. I use low-fat ground turkey in my meatballs to keep it tasty, but light.
1 Package of Penne (12 oz.)
1 Jar of Marinara Sauce (26 oz.)
1 oz. Fresh Marjoram, de-stemmed
2 oz. Parmesan Cheese, grated
Olive Oil for drizzle
Meatballs
1 lb. Ground Turkey Breast (or meat of your choice)
1 Large Egg
3 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
¾ cup Dried Bread Crumbs
½ cup Red Wine
1 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
1 tablespoon Dried Basil
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Preheat oven 375 degrees.
Place all of the Meatball ingredients in a large bow and mix until well blended. Scoop and form small (1 oz.) meatballs and arrange in rows on a lightly oiled sheet pan. Place in oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes until lightly brown and firm. Remove from oven.
Transfer Meatballs to a large sauté pan and cover with Marinara sauce. Cook, on low, to lightly simmer.
Cook Penne pasta according to manufactures instructions.
Assemble the dish by adding the drained pasta to the meatballs and sauce. Add all the fresh Marjoram leaves to the mix. Toss to coat and cook for an additional minute or two. Serve with a topping of grated Parmesan Cheese and a drizzle of a quality Olive Oil.
Recently we had a fantastic dinner at Tavolata, a hip restaurant in the Belltown region of Seattle. We enjoyed a pasta dish of Rigatoni with Spicy Italian Sausage, Marjoram and Tomato. The dish was so memorable that we recreated our version of this to enjoy at home. I use low-fat ground turkey in my meatballs to keep it tasty, but light.
1 Package of Penne (12 oz.)
1 Jar of Marinara Sauce (26 oz.)
1 oz. Fresh Marjoram, de-stemmed
2 oz. Parmesan Cheese, grated
Olive Oil for drizzle
Meatballs
1 lb. Ground Turkey Breast (or meat of your choice)
1 Large Egg
3 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
¾ cup Dried Bread Crumbs
½ cup Red Wine
1 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
1 tablespoon Dried Basil
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Preheat oven 375 degrees.
Place all of the Meatball ingredients in a large bow and mix until well blended. Scoop and form small (1 oz.) meatballs and arrange in rows on a lightly oiled sheet pan. Place in oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes until lightly brown and firm. Remove from oven.
Transfer Meatballs to a large sauté pan and cover with Marinara sauce. Cook, on low, to lightly simmer.
Cook Penne pasta according to manufactures instructions.
Assemble the dish by adding the drained pasta to the meatballs and sauce. Add all the fresh Marjoram leaves to the mix. Toss to coat and cook for an additional minute or two. Serve with a topping of grated Parmesan Cheese and a drizzle of a quality Olive Oil.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Figs with Parmesan and Honey
Food and Wine Pairing
During the summer months I often cook things that reflect the bounty of the season. A great appetizer that goes well with a rich red wine or a crisp white sipper is fresh black figs. Here is a simple recipe that we will enjoy a few times each summer.
Figs with Parmesan and Honey
Fresh Figs (any variety)
Parmesan Cheese
Honey (I use Mesquite Honey from Trader Joe)
Remove stem from Figs, cut in half and place in oven-proof pan with the skin side down. Place a small wedge of Parmesan Cheese in the center of each fig. Place under broiler for about 3-5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden. Drizzle honey over figs and serve while still warm. Enjoy with a lovely red, white, or rose' wine.
During the summer months I often cook things that reflect the bounty of the season. A great appetizer that goes well with a rich red wine or a crisp white sipper is fresh black figs. Here is a simple recipe that we will enjoy a few times each summer.
Figs with Parmesan and Honey
Fresh Figs (any variety)
Parmesan Cheese
Honey (I use Mesquite Honey from Trader Joe)
Remove stem from Figs, cut in half and place in oven-proof pan with the skin side down. Place a small wedge of Parmesan Cheese in the center of each fig. Place under broiler for about 3-5 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden. Drizzle honey over figs and serve while still warm. Enjoy with a lovely red, white, or rose' wine.
Tamarack Firehouse Red, 2002
Tamarack Firehouse Red, 2002 
Tamarack Cellars was founded in 1998 by Ron and Jamie Coleman and is dedicated to the production of small lot, hand-crafted wines from select vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley, Rattle Snake Hills, Horse Heaven Hills, Wahluke Slope, Yakima Valley, Red Mountain and Columbia Valley appellations. The winery is located in a restored WW II fire station and barracks at the Walla Walla Airport Complex. This Firehouse Red is a blend of almost equal parts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot with a bit of Cabernet Franc and aged in new (40 percent) and used oak barrels from the United States, France and Hungary. This wine made the Wine Spectator "Top 100" list in the 2004 publication. The color is a deep ruby red with crimson highlights. In the nose is sweet raspberry, current, spice and some toasty oak. This is a polished wine with red plums and figs combined with red fruit and vanilla. The palate is quite elegant and rich and the smooth tannins ad great depth and length. This wine has cellared well over the past 4 years. The current vintage (2006) of the Tamarack Firehouse Red is available at Pete's Wine Shop for about $16.
Tamarack Cellars was founded in 1998 by Ron and Jamie Coleman and is dedicated to the production of small lot, hand-crafted wines from select vineyards in the Walla Walla Valley, Rattle Snake Hills, Horse Heaven Hills, Wahluke Slope, Yakima Valley, Red Mountain and Columbia Valley appellations. The winery is located in a restored WW II fire station and barracks at the Walla Walla Airport Complex. This Firehouse Red is a blend of almost equal parts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot with a bit of Cabernet Franc and aged in new (40 percent) and used oak barrels from the United States, France and Hungary. This wine made the Wine Spectator "Top 100" list in the 2004 publication. The color is a deep ruby red with crimson highlights. In the nose is sweet raspberry, current, spice and some toasty oak. This is a polished wine with red plums and figs combined with red fruit and vanilla. The palate is quite elegant and rich and the smooth tannins ad great depth and length. This wine has cellared well over the past 4 years. The current vintage (2006) of the Tamarack Firehouse Red is available at Pete's Wine Shop for about $16.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Más Que Vinos Ercavio, 2005
Más Que Vinos Ercavio, 2005 
This Ercavio Tempranilla Roble is one of the Eric Solomon Selections wines from the La Mancha district of central Spain. La Mancha is an area known for having very hot days and cool night that allow for excellent ripening of the Tempranillo grape (this is 100% Tempranillo). The soil is clay, limestone and granite which contribute to the interesting qualities of this wine. The color is deep red/purple and nearly opaque. The nose is reminiscent of chocolate covered black cherries with some smoky toast and wet rock. This wine has a distinctive texture of rich velvety tannins and a candy syrup feel and a gentle acidity. The flavors are quite fruit forward with abundant blueberry and raspberry with a layer of cocoa, flint and earth. There is a slight taste of oak, but it is the ripe, dark berries that linger on the very long finish. This wine is more New World verses Old World and represents a good value. We bought this at QFC, in Bellevue, for about $12.
This Ercavio Tempranilla Roble is one of the Eric Solomon Selections wines from the La Mancha district of central Spain. La Mancha is an area known for having very hot days and cool night that allow for excellent ripening of the Tempranillo grape (this is 100% Tempranillo). The soil is clay, limestone and granite which contribute to the interesting qualities of this wine. The color is deep red/purple and nearly opaque. The nose is reminiscent of chocolate covered black cherries with some smoky toast and wet rock. This wine has a distinctive texture of rich velvety tannins and a candy syrup feel and a gentle acidity. The flavors are quite fruit forward with abundant blueberry and raspberry with a layer of cocoa, flint and earth. There is a slight taste of oak, but it is the ripe, dark berries that linger on the very long finish. This wine is more New World verses Old World and represents a good value. We bought this at QFC, in Bellevue, for about $12.
Tilth Restaurant
Tilth Restaurant
1411 N. 45th St.
Seattle, WA 98103
206-633-0801
Chef/Owner Maria Hines was named one of Food & Wine magazine’s “Top Ten Best New Chefs in America” in 2005. Chef Hines has built a great reputation as providing flavorful food from local ingredients while at the helm of Earth & Ocean from 2003 - 2005.
Tilth specializes in “New American” cuisine and features the best from regional producers with most products being organic. They have renovated a bungalow style house that used to be home to a Burmese restaurant and brightened the look with a buttery interior and soft-green exterior. Light yellow walls, pale green wood chairs, golden hardwood floors help create a warm "country" feel. We found the staff to quite friendly, knowledgeable and attentive as we had a leisurely dinner this past Saturday night. The menu allows the option of each plate being small or large. Kate and I sheared "small plates" as we enjoyed a bottle of Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. We started with the house Hors D'Oeuvres which was a plate of 6 small crostini topped with pureed smoked dates, blue cheese mousse and a glazed almond. We followed this with the nightly special pasta that was house-made Plin (like rectangular ravioli) with fresh baby artichokes and garden herbs. From there we moved on to a fish plate and a poultry plate. The fish was St. Jude's Albacore Tuna, pan seared and served with corn milk, snap peas and pea leaves. The other dish was Mini Duck Burgers with spicy house-made ketchup, arugula, and red onion jam. The burgers were accompanied with super crisp, and delicious, fingerling potato chips. We also split a side order or Cheesy Anson Mills Polenta. For dessert we hade a lovely Chocolate Ganache Cake and a Fresh Peach Tartlet. Our overall experience at Tilth was great. We enjoyed the warm casual atmosphere of the restaurant and found all the food to be fresh, creative and delicious. We will certainly return to Tilth in the near future.
Tilth specializes in “New American” cuisine and features the best from regional producers with most products being organic. They have renovated a bungalow style house that used to be home to a Burmese restaurant and brightened the look with a buttery interior and soft-green exterior. Light yellow walls, pale green wood chairs, golden hardwood floors help create a warm "country" feel. We found the staff to quite friendly, knowledgeable and attentive as we had a leisurely dinner this past Saturday night. The menu allows the option of each plate being small or large. Kate and I sheared "small plates" as we enjoyed a bottle of Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. We started with the house Hors D'Oeuvres which was a plate of 6 small crostini topped with pureed smoked dates, blue cheese mousse and a glazed almond. We followed this with the nightly special pasta that was house-made Plin (like rectangular ravioli) with fresh baby artichokes and garden herbs. From there we moved on to a fish plate and a poultry plate. The fish was St. Jude's Albacore Tuna, pan seared and served with corn milk, snap peas and pea leaves. The other dish was Mini Duck Burgers with spicy house-made ketchup, arugula, and red onion jam. The burgers were accompanied with super crisp, and delicious, fingerling potato chips. We also split a side order or Cheesy Anson Mills Polenta. For dessert we hade a lovely Chocolate Ganache Cake and a Fresh Peach Tartlet. Our overall experience at Tilth was great. We enjoyed the warm casual atmosphere of the restaurant and found all the food to be fresh, creative and delicious. We will certainly return to Tilth in the near future. 
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2000
Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 2000
Last night we dined at Tilth, in Seattle, and we brought a bottle of Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon that we had in our cellar for the past 5 years. Each year Columbia Crest produces some reserve wines from grapes hand-picked from their top vineyard sites. Only 1000 cases of this reserve Cabernet Sauvignon were produced from the 2000 vintage and it was rated 93 points by Wine Spectator magazine. The head waiter kindly decanted the wine and provided us with some lovely Bordeaux style glasses. The color of the wine was deep red with some crimson. The aroma was both intense and exotic with lovely cherry, plum, coffee, cedar and spice. The mouth- feel was luscious with deep current, cherry, cocoa, earth and some toasty oak. This was a full bodied wine with abundant ultra-smooth mature tannins and excellent depth and length. The aging of this wine enhanced the elegant integration of the abundant fruit, toasty oak and tannins. This wine was well worth the $30 price tag (in 2003) and represents one of the best Columbia Valley Cabernets we have ever enjoyed.
Last night we dined at Tilth, in Seattle, and we brought a bottle of Columbia Crest Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon that we had in our cellar for the past 5 years. Each year Columbia Crest produces some reserve wines from grapes hand-picked from their top vineyard sites. Only 1000 cases of this reserve Cabernet Sauvignon were produced from the 2000 vintage and it was rated 93 points by Wine Spectator magazine. The head waiter kindly decanted the wine and provided us with some lovely Bordeaux style glasses. The color of the wine was deep red with some crimson. The aroma was both intense and exotic with lovely cherry, plum, coffee, cedar and spice. The mouth- feel was luscious with deep current, cherry, cocoa, earth and some toasty oak. This was a full bodied wine with abundant ultra-smooth mature tannins and excellent depth and length. The aging of this wine enhanced the elegant integration of the abundant fruit, toasty oak and tannins. This wine was well worth the $30 price tag (in 2003) and represents one of the best Columbia Valley Cabernets we have ever enjoyed.
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