Olympic Cellars Winery

It's February in Paris at Olympic Cellars

2012-01-29T15:34:00.000-08:00

love Love LOVE Red Wine

When there is an event at the winery we. The Working Girls, love to go all out... Red Wine & Chocolate is just that event.

So each year we try to take that perfect pairing to another level . . . another place. This year we’re taking it – and our guests – to Paris! We have a growing “French connection” at Olympic Cellars that began with our previous winemaker, Benoit Murat, and continues with our current winemaker, Virginie Bourgue. Add to that our French speaking Working Girl, Cally Tauran,and French photographer Phil Tauran, and it just made sense to celebrate the city of light and love.”

So, get ready... It's February in Paris at Olympic Cellars

Travel is always a topic on the minds of us Northwesterners during the wet, gray days of February, and when Valentine’s Day rolls around what better place to be than the City of Light?! You can go to Paris this year, and there’s no passport or plane ticket required. Olympic Cellars is bringing a little bit of this romantic city to Port Angeles during the Olympic Peninsula Wineries’ Red Wine & Chocolate Tour, February 11-12 and 18-20 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Come and take a sensory journey!

Upon arrival at the winery, you will be drawn to the cellar by music; a sound vaguely familiar but from long ago. Could that be Édith Piaf, the famous French singer? Through the cellar doors one is immediately transported to a quaint Parisian street – somewhere near Canal Saint-Martin, perhaps. There’s an artist sketching on a “sidewalk” in front of a bustling café. The smell of warm pain au chocolate and coffee is in the air, and there is a bar where red wines are being carefully paired with the perfect chocolate. Next door to the café is a Chapelier with lovely hats for sale.

“A few doors down,” French photographer Phil Tauran is taking individual and group photos in Le Petit Studio, a replica of Paris’ Studio Harcourt, famous for its signature photos of many of the greatest figures of the 20^th and 21^st centuries. All photos are black & white with an emphasis on lighting in the style created by Cosette Harcourt.

I will email over the next couple of weeks all the special details, event specials and how to make appointment for the limited photo sittings with photographer, Phil Tauran. Below are the highlights of the event.

Au Revoir... for now... Kathy

Red Wine, Chocolate & More
Olympic Cellars will feature two new releases during both event weekends, the 2008 Merlot and 2008 Syrah (just awarded a Gold Medal), and nearly all of its other wines -- whites to reds, varietals to blends, still to sparkling, dry to sweet and multiple vineyards/appellations -- will be available for tasting.

Local Chocolatier Yvonne Yakota will serve a variety of custom chocolates specifically paired with different wines, including a special Ganache style chocolate infused with Cabernet Sauvignon. Information on chocolate sources will be on hand. The chocolates will also be available for purchase.

Chaulk Art in the Street

Warm pain au chocolate and French coffee in the Café

Wine specials and packages just during the event (available at the winery and on the website)

Wine and Chocolate Tasting Notes

Drawing for one of our favorite items from our gift shop

A Proud Update

2012-01-06T11:28:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe we’re in a New Year… 2012. Let me say right now… it will be a very good year! The power of positive thinking and lots of hard work.

The winery hit a milestone in 2011 that I’m extremely proud to report. Most of you know that giving back in our community has been a core principle of Olympic Cellars. We started with wine donations back in 2002, which evolved into our Charity of Choice program when we released the Working Girl Wines in 2004. Our first donation check in 2004 totaled $88, payable to the Gynocare Fund that provides diagnostic care for under and uninsured women.

As our business evolved and grew, so did a Network of Support that expanded to multiple non-profits in our community. The Network continues to expand and evolve today. Through creative partnerships with local non-profits our August concert series has become the cornerstone for funding programs and services for women and families in the areas of health care, education and childcare.

At the close of 2011, the winery hit the $100,000 mark in cash and wine contributions. We could not have achieved this goal without your continued support and patronage.

Our commitment going forth remains steadfast even during these tough economic times.

We can’t say it enough… Thank you for buying our wine.

The Working Girls,

Molly, Lisa, Kristi and Kathy

How To Read the Sparkling Wine Label

2011-12-29T11:24:00.000-08:00

I found this reference guide from a Snooth Blog very handy. I just printed it off and took it with me to shop for my bubbly. Cheers, Kathy

PS. If you didn't get to read my blog, Because We Care, it received lots of emails that the information was very much appreciated and was forwarded to many family and friends.

Because We Care

2011-12-22T21:39:00.000-08:00

I was listening to the radio while working today and in addition to great Christmas music there were regular public service announcements…

Drink Responsibly, Don’t Drink and Drive, Alcohol – Know your Limit

The last slogan, Alcohol – Know Your Limit, had me Googling…

So some basic facts...

Your body processes alcohol at a constant rate of .5 oz. per hour, regardless of how many ounces you consume.
Blood Alcohol Level (BAL) is the amount of alcohol present in your blood as you drink
In all 50 states, the legal limit for drunk driving is a BAL level of .08.
Eating protein and fatty foods supposedly can slow down alcohol absorption but I couldn’t find any detailed, statistical supporting facts
A 120-pound woman can reach a .08 BAC level after only two drinks and a 180-pound man can be at .08 after only four drinks

What got my attention!

One drink is defined as having one-half ounce of pure ethyl alcohol; each of the following is considered "one drink."

10 oz to 12 oz of beer at 4% to 5% alcohol, or
8 oz to 12 oz of wine cooler at 4% to 6% alcohol, or
4 oz to 5 oz of table wine at 9% to 12% alcohol, or
2.5 oz of fortified wine at 20% alcohol, or
1.25 oz of 80 proof distilled spirits at 40%alcohol, or
1 oz of 100 proof distilled spirits at 50% alcohol.

As I type this blog, I’m drinking one of my favorite beers… One 12 oz Stout at 9% alcohol. (This would be 2 drinks)

Wines today, especially reds, weigh in on the average of 13-14+% alcohol, and the average glass pour is not 4-5 ounces.

One martini is equal to two drinks, one margarita equal to 1.5 drinks

The messages are still Drink Responsibly, Don’t Drink & Drive and Alcohol – Know your Limit

Know Your Limit, though, has a much broader message. It’s as important but in a different way than “don’t drink and drive”. We all know that when we drink, we’re a bit freer in mind and good decision making is diluted with alcohol.

So, my friends…

Because we care,

The Working Girls of Olympic Cellars

PS…. The tables below will help you estimate your Blood Alcohol Level

If you're a WOMAN, your Blood Alcohol Level is:

Weight
# of drinks in 1 hour	100 lbs.	120 lbs.	140 lbs.	160 lbs.	180 lbs.	200 lbs.	220 lbs.	240 lbs.
1	.05	.04	.04	.03	.03	.03	.02	.02
2	.10	.08	.07	.06	.06	.05	.05	.04
3	.15	.13	.11	.10	.08	.08	.07	.06
4	.20	.17	.15	.13	.11	.10	.09	.09
5	.25	.21	.18	.16	.14	.13	.12	.11
6	.30	.26	.22	.19	.17	.15	.14	.13
7	.36	.30	.26	.22	.20	.18	.16	.15
8	.41	.33	.29	.26	.23	.20	.19	.17
9	.46	.38	.33	.29	.26	.23	.21	.19
10	.51	.42	.36	.32	.28	.25	.23	.21
11	.56	.46	.40	.35	.31	.27	.25	.23
12	.61	.50	.43	.37	.33	.30	.28	.25
13	.66	.55	47	.40	.36	.32	.30	.27
14	.71	.59	.51	.43	.39	.35	.32	.29

If you're a MAN, your Blood Alcohol Level is:

Weight
# of drinks in 1 hour	100 lbs.	120 lbs.	140 lbs.	160 lbs.	180 lbs.	200 lbs.	220 lbs.	240 lbs.
1	.04	.04	.03	.03	.02	.02	.02	.02
2	.09	.07	.06	.05	.05	.04	.04	.04
4	.17	.15	.13	.11	.10	.09	.08	.07
5	.22	.18	.16	.14	.12	.11	.10	.09
6	.26	.22	.19	.16	.15	.13	.12	.11
7	.30	.25	.22	.19	.17	.15	.14	.13
8	.35	.29	.25	.22	.19	.17	.16	.14
9	.37	.32	.26	.24	.20	.19	.17	.15
10	.39	.35	.28	.25	.22	.20	.18	.16
11	.48	.40	.34	.30	.26	.24	.22	.20
12	.53	.43	.37	.32	.29	.26	.24	.21
13	.57	.47	.40	.35	.31	.29	.26	.23
14	.62	.50	.43	.37	.34	.31	.28	.25

Just Reach Out

2011-12-20T21:49:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I went to an art show in Port Angeles featuring one of my favorite artists, Melissa Klein. I’ve been drawn to her work because of her eccentric humor... poking fun at social convention.

The first painting I purchased was the “Curse of the Good Girl” that inspired one of my favorite blogs. Some days when my genetically inbred “Guilt-O-Meter” gets into the red zone, I think of the picture’s chant… There’s no place like home, there’s no place like work and try to rid myself of the curse!

This art show, though, was different.

As usual I started to circle the room but was stopped short by one painting which immediately drew me in. I wasn’t sure why but all I could do was focus on the girl straining forward with one arm outstretched.

The painting was multi-media and there was a gossamer fabric overlaying part of the painting lightly covering the picture below.

Finally I dragged by eyes away and read the card by the painting.

“Passing Through” by Melissa Klein

Melissa then walked over and stood by me. We didn’t say anything for a few minutes both lost in our thoughts. Then she quietly told me the story…

“My cousin wrote to me when I lost my friend who died very young…
The veil between life and death is very thin.
It’s comforting to realize that we're not so far from those who have departed.

I've always felt strongly that this was a very personal piece.
That it was a healing process to create and one that I almost wouldn't show.

When I was preparing for my art show, here was this painting staring at me and I knew my friend would want me to show it… even to the point of kicking my butt to do it.”

So why that night and why that show?

I told my husband at the last minute, I’m going. Don’t know why the strong pull. But, I put a hat on my head and was out the door.

I bought the painting and Melissa emailed me to say… “I'm glad that someone I know and trust will be her new caretaker, and that the healing passes on to you.”

As I walk around my house decorated for the holidays, there are so many memories of children growing up, of parents who have passed. Family gatherings also have dwindled over time living so far apart. And, this year dear friends have lost so much it's hard to comprehend.

This is the season when all of our feelings and emotions seem to tumble down upon us… sometimes more like a babbling brook with laughter floating ever so gently then an unexpected waterfall that threatens to pull us under.

I’m looking at the painting and these words keep rumbling in my heart.

Just reach out, Reach through… you and yours will be united within.

Thank you Melissa for entrusting me with such a precious gift.

Kathy

Artist, Melissa Klein

An Unexpected Gift

2011-12-17T13:40:00.000-08:00

Saturday I snuck away from the winery for a few hours of shopping in my home communities of Sequim and Port Angeles.

I was feeling overwhelmed with the quintessential “Holiday Pressures” & a long list of “got-to do’s.” Yet in each store I was greeted with warm smiles (hugs in some cases), offers to help, relaxed atmospheres, friends chatting (sharing ideas for a grandma in need). The list goes on. I could actually even hear the Christmas music.

Obviously, as a small business owner shopping local is near and dear to my heart. Usually I’m on the other side of the counter (behind our bar, in my case) greeting customers with a focus on my guests.

Now I was on the ‘receiving end’ and it was an incredible experience.

I found the gift selections unique and abundant. While small businesses may not have large inventories, each item had been personally chosen by the owner for their store. And with each store visited, I found myself getting more festive and also a bit more thoughtful.

I’m formally from Dallas, and believe me, I know my way around Malls. Trying to make your way through one is like trying to cross a NYC street at 5PM. Hesitate and you’re nudged not so kindly out of the way.

But “Local Shopping” was a gift to me personally. As a “customer” I got way more than what I bought. I was given the “Gift of the Christmas Spirit.”

Finally, I realized I had a story to tell about each purchase… with every gift having a connection not just a credit card receipt. As my family opens these I can tell them about the shop, the people that own it, where it was located and the history.

A big thank you to our business community (and to the joy of shopping local).

Kathy Charlton
Olympic Cellars Winery

Choose Local Campaign - City of Port Angeles, Graphic Design & logo by Laurel Black Design

The Twelve Days of "Wine" Christmas

2011-12-02T10:31:00.000-08:00

The Twelve Days of Christmas is part of everyone’s holiday tradition. I used to drive my Dad crazy singing it over and over.

I heard it on the radio today and I started humming “On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me… a bottle of Working Girl Wine.” You can now just imagine… the challenge was on.

So this year I created a Working Girl version of this classic.

Now if you used the original poem as inspiration for gifts you might have trouble finding that partridge in a pear tree or eight geese a laying…

But in my version, it’s simple. It’s all about wine and I know us Working Girls can help.

Read on and enjoy. I’ve left a copy for my husband and circled some critical stanzas.

In addition, at the end we have the “Twelve Days of "Wine" Christmas Package (and yes, it’s really available) and the “more affordable” versions.

Cheers & Best Holiday Wishes, Kathy

“A Working Girl’s Twelve Days of Christmas”
On the first day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
One bottle of Merlot
And told me to go play in the snow

On the second day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Two bottles of Cabernet
And said have a great day

On the third day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Three bottles Syrah
And told me to have a massage at the spa

On the fourth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Four bottles of Lemberger
And fixed me my favorite Vege-burger

On the fifth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Five bottles of Cranberry Jubilee
And told me it was time to decorate the tree

On the sixth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Six bottles of Chardonnay
And took me for a ride in a Sleigh

On the seventh day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Seven bottles of Petit Verdot
And told me my nose was a-glow

On the eighth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Eight bottles of Rosé
And took me to the ballet

On the ninth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Nine bottles of Riesling
And asked me to stop all that singing

On the tenth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Ten bottles of Go Girl Red
And said I probably needed to go to bed

On the eleventh day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Eleven bottles of La Galopine
And told me they were fit for a Queen

On the twelfth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Twelve bottles of Sparkling Syrah
And yelled Hurrah!!!

Merry Christmas!

“Twelve Days of "Wine" Christmas” Package

78 Bottles of Olympic Cellars Wines as described in the poem
Signed and Framed copy of the Working Girl’s Twelve Days of Christmas Poem
Collector’s Magnum Etched Bottle of Rosé the Riveter wine
Complimentary Tickets to all 2012 Winery Events and Concertsb
Cost $1457.94
No tax
Shipping complimentary
“You deserve it”

And, the “more affordable” packages with our gift to you.

Purchase 8 bottles and receive 4 Olympic Cellars Logo Wine Glasses, value $28
Purchase 4 bottles and receive 2 Olympic Cellars Wine Glasses, Value $14
Purchase 2 bottles and receive your choice of one of our Working Girl Wine Glasses

Just order the wine you want in any of the above quantities and we will ship the wine glasses with the wine!

The Patriot Guard Riders Documentary Screening

2011-11-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

Soldier Down, Kickstands Up
Motorcycle Group Silences Funeral Protesters and Honors Military Dead

A new documentary, “Patriot Guard Riders” will be screened at Olympic Cellars, Port Angeles, WA on Veteran’s Day, Friday, November 11th, 2011. ViewTrailer

“Patriot Guard Riders” traces a motorcycle group that formed to protect people attending military funerals from the Westboro Baptist Church, a hate group who claims that American war casualties are divine retribution for the country’s tolerance of homosexuality. Now 250,000 strong, bereaved families nationwide invite the group to escort fallen soldiers from the airport to the burial grounds where they stand in flag lines even when the protesters don't show up.

This fundraising event is co-sponsored by Peninsula Community Mental Health Center and Olympic Cellars. Peter Casey, Executive Director of the Center, says, “We are thrilled to share this documentary with the community and pleased that all profits will be directed to unfunded Veteran services.” The Director, Ellen Frick will be in attendance and take part in a Q&A conducted by film critic, Rebecca Redshaw following the screening.

Location: Olympic Cellars, 255410 Highway 101
Port Angeles, WA
Donation: $25.00
Date: Friday, November 11, 2011
Time: 6 p.m. No Host Bar with light refreshments / 7 p.m. screening
Tickets: Port Book & News, Purchase Tickets Online or call the winery (360) 452-0160

Halloween in the Cellar with French Photographer

2011-10-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

Olympic Cellars Host French
Photographer Phil Tauran

"Costumed Guests Memorialized For Time Immortal"

Calling all Adult “Young At Heart” Kids…

Trick or Treat Olympic Cellars Winery in costume on Saturday, October 29 and receive a complimentary wine tasting, treats, and an opportunity to have your photo taken by a professional photographer. Phil Turaun will be in the winery cellar between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to photograph winery customers in their spooky attire.

Vamp it up amongst the barrels, eat some candy, and sip some wine. The cellar will be decorated in a Halloween “tableau” providing the backdrop to memorialize your image for time immortal. Your 4-legged costumed friend is also welcome to join in the photo shoot.

New to Sequim from France, Tauran studied graphic design in Bordeaux, working as such for 2 decades, before deciding to move to Sequim to follow his passion, fine art photography. Exhibited throughout Provence, Tauran’s inspirations include American photographers Dennis Hopper, Walker Evans and Ansel Adams, as well as the beauty of the Olympic Peninsula.

Phil is an artist with a camera as his medium; his canvas has been France and now is the Peninsula. This is a very special opportunity to be photographed by Phil as he starts is new business in Sequim.

Visit his website at http://www.philtauranphotography.com/

For a $10 sitting fee guests receive a 5x7 photo, available for pick up at the winery on Monday, October 31 between 11-6 p.m. or by prior arrangement. Additional prints can be purchased. (Costumes are your choice.)

For more information, contact Olympic Cellars at 360.452.0160.

Olympic Cellars Honored to Host American Veterans Traveling Tribute and Wall

2011-09-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

Peninsula Patriot Days
September 28 – October 1, 2011
Olympic Cellars Winery Grounds Open 24 hours a Day, Sept 29-Oct 1

AVTT (www.avtt.org) is a veteran-owned project that travels the USA to provide a forum for communities to HONOR-RESPECT-REMEMBER all who have sacrificed their lives for our country's freedom... All who served, are serving and have sacrificed their lives for our country's freedom; Military, Police, Firemen.

AVTT was founded on the principles that American Heroes must be honored and remembered. Additionally, AVTT allows those without the means or ability to travel to our great national memorial sites to pay respect and share in the experience of honoring our heroes.

Steve Doty, one of the co-owners, grew up in Port Angeles. Bringing the Tribute Wall back to his home town was very important to him. Early this year when we started planning for this event he asked if the winery would do a private label and donate a portion of the sales to local veterans groups. Steve also designed the label and suggested their names... Patriot Red and Celebration White. These labels are also a special tribute to Steve who passed away from cancer just a few weeks ago.

Our local veterans groups and supporters of this event have worked non-stop. The last meeting I attended they asked if the winery's donation could go to the Port Angeles High School Junior Naval ROTC in our community. This program stresses leadership, academics, athletics and community service. In June the United States Navy awarded them with the Navy's highest award, The Distinguished Unit with Honors. This groups will Post the Colors each Day at the winery.

We will donate 20% of all Patriot wine sales to the Port Angeles High School Naval Junior ROTC. You can purchase these wines via our web store or in the tasting room.

The winery tasting room will be open 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the winery grounds will be open to tribute visitors 24 hours a day.

Representatives of AVTT will be there to assist all who visit. A complete listing of each day's schedule is on our website. Parking close to the winery will be reserved for handicap with additional ample parking on our lower field.

Respectfully, Kathy

Chill

2011-09-05T16:53:00.000-07:00

Dedicated to us… Four Fab Friends

Looking around my office is like walking down memory lane… or maybe it’s Working Girl Lane up to the winery. I’m not a hoarder and I don’t like clutter but I do like to gaze beyond my monitor and look at the stuff that represents the evolution of this Working Girl.

Thinking about these relics of my past can put me in a zone when I need creativity or kick me out of the proverbial funk. Each has a story. I remember the immediate rush when I first pounced on the object or idea… emotionally pegging what I was dealing with, even if I didn’t know it at the time.

First vintage of the Working Girl Wines… a beginning
Painting “Curse of the Good Girls”
A Pamela Hastings’ doll “Love Yourself” with a bit of the Hot Flash couture
Collection of white rocks and hearts
“I’m so tired of being the bitch” t-shirt
Small Quilt “Go With the Flow”
Message In a Bottle
And, solid brass balls

This week a new “art piece” joined the menagerie and along with it comes this story…

A few weeks ago, the four fab friends (me being one of them) headed to Seattle for a 24 hour get-away. All have businesses and it took some finagling to get us loaded up and out of town. Then we crossed Hood Canal Bridge. I may have imagined it but there seemed to be a collective sigh and a slight release of that every day level of own your own business type tension. We all started talking. Chill

The reason for our trip was a special goodbye to one of our friends who was moving across the country. This was not an easy decision for her and she seemed to have her emotions on hold talking about the move in a distant sort of way. Chill

This trip was a new adventure as we are all new to this “girlfriend experience”. Conversation was still on a safe level. We all admitted, though, that we never really had girlfriends. Chill

Still hadn’t really started to relax… needed to drop off wine in Auburn on the way and got totally lost. Car GPS and phone GPS taking us two different routes. Again tense. I was wasting our precious time. I’m the queen of the u-turns, finally found I-5. OK Chill

Arrived at hotel. Had surprise bottle of champagne and strawberries in room. Popped the cork, sipped cold champagne and talked some more. The hotel was serving our Working Girl Wines during wine hour in the lobby. Needed to make an appearance. Never did. This was our time. Chill

Conversation turned to tattoos… believe it or not. Two of us had tattoos and it turned out after more champagne that we all wanted a shared memory tattoo… we decided on a peace symbol as our theme and each would pick their own design. A few calls later we had a 10 p.m. appointment (after dinner and martinis). Picture four “gracefully aging” ladies walking into a skanky tattoo parlor. All I can remember before make a fast retreat was this very large guy, bare butt up with a guy working on his tattoo. Really Chill

Walked the city and talked more. About ex’s and everything in between. Sweet Chilling.

The “morning after” we noshed through the market and reality starts to set in. We’re on a schedule. Back to work. Race for the ferry. Chill

Turns out we all did get our tattoos a few days later, each of us overlapping time slots for moral support. We forgot that the guy doing our tattoo was in the room, the buzz of his instrument just became background noise. We started at 9:30 a.m. and finished at 6:30 p.m. The damn tattoos hurt but not as much as saying goodbye. Chill

Back at work. I look to the right of my monitor. A doll, appropriately named “Chill” greets me every morning. She reminds me of my three new friends… all individuals, learning to chill, dropping our guard, opening up to trust.

In friendship, Kathy

PS... my tattoo

The Beatles Are Coming!

2011-08-19T14:13:00.000-07:00

Yeah, yeah, yeah Ye-ah...

Well, maybe not really... but as close as it gets. The awesome Beatles Tribute Band, Crème Tangerine will play in concert at Olympic Cellars on Saturday, August 27 at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased on-line or at the door.

And look what I found below... two YouTube videos of Crème Tangerine and the Beatles playing the same song, "Get Back" from a rooftop venue.

August 27 will be our finale Hot August Nights Concert. Garden Bistro is serving their artisan wood fired Pizza and we'll be serving wine.

This Saturday, August 20 Fat Chance will be at the winery...
a local legend on the Olympic Peninsula.

So, I'll sign off here with a Beatles refrain... Cheers, Kathy (can you hear me singing...)

Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude
Nah nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah, hey Jude (fade out)

Crème Tangerine performing The Beatles rooftop at Pike Place Market in Seattle

The Beatles playing same song in rooftop concert

How to Build a Makeshift Closet Wine Cellar

2011-07-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

My last blog... Buy To Store or Buy To Drink went into the gory details of wine storage. I recently came by this info on building out a closet wine cellar. Didn't seem too difficult or expensive... and leaves more of your disposable income for the wine you want!
------------------------
While digging a large hole in the basement would seem the most effective thing to do to best store your wine, that would be a major undertaking, and will cost you quite a bit. A closet wine cellar is ideal for the every day wine lover, and will probably only cost you around two, three hundred dollars. Be sure you are committed, however, because it's not always easy to convert back into a regular closet.

Find an empty, out of the way closet on the ground floor of your house.
Glue strips of 1" foam board to the walls and ceiling of the closet, using construction cement as a glue.
Replace the door with an insulated door (preferably steel). If you would like, you can also glue the foam to this.
Attach weather stripping to the edges of the door to make sure that no air gets in or out—heat could ruin the wine.
Make sure that the temperature is relatively cool. There are numerous devices you can use to decrease the temperature in the closet—find one that suits your particular closet.

Cheers, Kathy

Buy to Store or Buy To Drink?

2011-06-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

I was off researching another blog with a complete summary of the best “golden nuggets” on proper wine storage. Frankly it was a subject I just didn’t connect to personally so I kept putting it off.

Today I said to myself… Kathy, Just Do It! I started researching again and came across some tips that caught my attention. One such tip…

“If you’re like most Americans, we drink wine within 48 hours of purchase. That said if you do want to lay wine down then you want the coldest, darkest, quietest part of the house. That’s the best you can do. Modern refrigerators are built with dehumidifiers so if you leave the wine too long you will dry the cork out and risk the wine spoiling. You can leave the wine in the cellar but it warms up in the summer. So if you don’t have a proper temperature controlled room,
then just drink it.”

Since I’m NOT into delayed gratification, I related to this and also most wines today when release are ready to drink. I recently purchased 2 bottles of Goose Ridge Cab and immediately went home and opened the first bottle, promising myself I would hold on to the second. Well, my husband has always said, “Kathy, you can justify anything you really want to do” and tonight is Friday. I want the Cab!

Creating a proper storage environment is as easy as buying a refrigerated wine storage cabinet that controls temperature and humidity. You can also build a cellar or convert a closet. It just takes some time and $money$.

Or, consider drinking wine purchased within 6 months to one year and follow these few simple guidelines.

Store your wine sideways in a clean, cool, free of vibration, good ventilation, quiet, dark area with very limited movement and temperature variations. Also, safe from breakage and not stored with other items that have a strong odor which can taint the wine. An interior closet is usually a satisfactory solution. A lot to think about just for short storage.

5 Places You Shouldn’t Store Wine

On top of the fridge — or any appliance for that matter.The heat from the fridge or microwave will cook the wine and make it completely undrinkable. Appliances vibrate. Opening the door can over time move wine racks into precarious positions.
Near a windowsill.The area surrounding windows is likely the hottest spot in an apartment or house. Constant direct sunlight will overheat and spoil the wine.
In the fridge for a long period of time. When you place wine in the fridge, you should drink it within the next couple of weeks. Why? Keeping wine at a chilled temperature long term can do as much damage as overheating it. Whites and sparklers shouldn't be left in the fridge longer than six months; after that, bubbly will start to lose its fizz.
In the kitchen cabinet.Since the kitchen can get very hot (when the oven is on, a bunch of people are over for dinner, etc.), it's not a good place to keep wine long term.
In a crystal decanter.In a surprising finding, scientists from Columbia University in New York recently reported that tiny amounts of lead began to migrate within a few minutes after wine was poured into many lead crystal decanters and wine glasses. Large amounts of lead were found in wine that had been stored for a long time in a decanter but the amounts varied widely among the crystal containers tested.

Since I started with 13 pages of notes, I’m going to end with the “ideal” long storage guidelines. Well, not really guidelines, these are rules to follow if you want those expensive wines to age properly and not be left with something you have to pour down the kitchen sink along with your tears.

Wine is alive and it breathes. As such it reacts either positively or negatively to its environment. How it is treated will determine how fast or slow it will age and how it will turn out in the end. In general, more expensive wines are usually designed to become better with age. Most inexpensive wines do not benefit from aging.

TEMPERATURE is the most important factor and the factor that should be sought after above all others. The optimum temperature is 50 to 55°F. However, any constant temperature within 40-65°F will do. More important than the actual temperature you will be able to achieve, is the degree and rapidity of fluctuation the wine is subjected to. A slow change of temperature of ten or so degrees between winter and summer is not a big problem. But this kind of fluctuation on a daily or weekly basis will cause damage to your wines and age them prematurely. Wines kept at too high a temperature will age faster than wines kept at a cold temperature. Theoretically, wines kept at 68°F will age twice as fast as those kept at 50°F. Finally, keep in mind that white wines are affected far more by temperature problems than red wines.

HUMIDITY is important so as to keep the corks in good resilient condition and thereby preventing them from shrinking. A relative humidity of 50-80% is the acceptable range, but about 70% is recommended. FYI: A home kept at 68F will generally have about 50% humidity.

DARKNESS Light will prematurely age a bottle of wine. Naturally, clear bottles are most susceptible to this problem, but ultraviolet light will penetrate even dark colored glass. Ultraviolet light may give a wine unpleasant aromas and ruin it.

CALM Wines should be stored in such a way that you don't have to move them around to get at a particular bottle. Once a wine is laid down, it should stay there until it is opened. It should be remembered that excessive sound creates vibrations that may be harmful as well.

CLEANLINESS AND VENTILATION The space should be free from smells and debris. Extraneous smells can enter through the cork and contaminate the wine. Proper ventilation will help with this problem and keep the cellar from giving the wine a musty taste.

ANGLE OF STORAGE Table wine is stored horizontally so that the wine stays in contact with the cork. This keeps the cork moist thereby preventing air from entering the wine.

Whatever your decision, Enjoy!

Cheers, Kathy

A Bony Ass Wine

2011-05-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

This had my jaw dropping. I’ve read a lot of wine reviews and tasting notes but got to admit this was a first.

I’ve even got over the disgusting use of on how cat-pee aromas in wine are good, yet horse manure bad? Wet slate is in, wet dog is out? Sweat is positive, but dirty gym socks are not?

But, A Bony Ass Wine. Now where did that come from?

Of course, I Googled it. The 1988 movie, Working Girl memorable quotes, had about equal the number of hits as “some kind of xx-sites”. But no references to wine anywhere.

Got me thinking… what does that phrase conjure up? A few words immediately popped into my head (all non-gender specific). Thin, flabby, flat, sharp, OK… and sort of bony.

Then I thought of wine in those terms and I got it. Wow, this may become my favorite expression to describe a red wine I don’t like.

So back to Google and the eParker.com glossary of wine terms.

And, eureka… I found the words that perfectly sum up this very descriptive and a bit outrageous wine term, A Bony Ass Wine. Maybe Robert Parker will add it to his list!

Angular: Angular wines are wines that lack roundness, generosity, and depth. Wine from poor vintages or wines that are too acidic are often described as being angular.

Flabby - A wine without enough structure, particularly acid and tannin, to stand up to its other components can be described as flabby. It feels flat and without intensity and can even seem syrupy.

Lean: Lean wines are slim, rather streamlined wines that lack generosity and fatness.

Sharp: An undesirable trait, sharp wines are bitter and unpleasant with hard, pointed edges

Thin Bodied (Opposite of full bodied; Fills the mouth, has a winey taste, alcohol is present, the wine has "weight on the tongue".

Now, what is the opposite of A Bony Ass Wine? Hmm… I’m not going there. But I can describe what makes a good red wine for me. Good Structure, full bodied, not overly fat but with could fleshy notes, round, mature, big, with depth.

Well, that is so much poppy cock wine-speak. What I should have said is I like my red wine Big, Bad and Bodacious. Cheers, Kathy

Round: A very desirable character of wines, roundness occurs in fully mature wines that have lost their youthful, astringent tannins, and also in young wines that have soft tannins and low acidity.

Fat: Full bodied, juicy, rich. Opposite of lean. A super sort of maturity after a hot summer, are often quite rich and concentrated, with low to average acidity. Often such wines are said to be fat, which is a prized commodity. If they become too fat, that is a flaw and they are then called flabby.

Fleshy: Fleshy is a synonym for chewy, meaty, or beefy. It denotes that the wine has a lot of body, alcohol and extraction

Body: Body is the weight and fullness of a wine that can be sensed as it crosses the palate. Full-bodied wines tend to have a lot of alcohol, concentration, and glycerin.

Big: A big wine is a large-framed, full-bodied wine with an intense and concentrated feel on the palate.

Structure: The structure of a wine is those components which tend to support the body of the wine, holding it together, giving it lift and intensity. Acid, tannin and alcohol can all be said to be parts of a wine's structure and balance is the goal.

Mother’s Day Weekend at Olympic Cellars

2011-05-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

One of my friends asked… can you do something at the winery for Mothers whose kids live far away?

“Yes, of course”, I said. “Just come to the winery, we’ll have the Sparkling Syrah open. You know we’re all mothers or daughters of mothers and we’d love to pour you some wine, nosh and look at pictures… so bring your family album!!”

Then I got to thinking about my family. One of my best memories with my daughter was enjoying a glass of wine with her and some of her friends… and THEN they started telling stories. Yea, the ones that were better heard years later. I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard in a long time.

The winery is a Gathering Place.

If your children won’t be with you this weekend, then stop in.
If you’re wanting to treat your Mom or Grandmother, then stop in.
If you want just some time to yourself with your girlfriends, then stop in.
If your family wants to take you out, then stop in.

Spend some time in what we call the Girl Friend corner… besides the bar… it’s the other place in the winery where laughter rings out and the barn smiles.

Update… Just talked to Molly. We have a menu for the “noshing”. It starts with crème puffs and M&Ms… and goes on from there.

Happy Mother’s Day,
The Working Girls
Molly, Lisa, Neilu, Kristi and Kathy

PS. Don’t forget your pictures

Cheese - It's All About Family

2011-04-13T21:35:00.000-07:00

I’m behind on my email trail through Washington Creameries. Never fear, I will showcase the remaining creameries/farms before our event weekend.

Right now I’m in Seattle. I’ve just now caught up on email and am in my favorite restaurant working on this email to you. Yes, I’ve picked my wine and am sipping and writing…

There really is a bigger story here. As I spend time on the websites of each creamery and write about their cheeses served at the winery this weekend…. I lose track of time as I read their family stories, the farm history, the next generation… And, I really get pulled in when they talk about the animals… sheep, cows, goats and newborns! It’s all about FAMILY.

American values, hard work. REAL, healthy foods are produced on these small, farmstead family farms. So let me get on my soap box… Shopping at your local farmers’ market is the #1 way to support local farms, farmers and get the highest quality, best tasting food for your family!

Golden Glen Creamery- Family Tradition, Family Farming, Family Values Their website is like sitting with your grandparents, paging through the picture albums and hearing the stories about family you’ve never met. You know it’s your heritage that has been handed down to carry on.

Golden Glen Creamery is a family owned and operated dairy and creamery found in the heart of the beautiful and bountiful Skagit Valley in Washington State.

We’re featuring their Garlic and Dill Cheddar paired with our Dungeness Red Lemberger. This cheese says "summer"! The flavor of fresh dill with a hint of crushed garlic makes this cheese perfect for anything you can think to do with it.

Our Lemberger has its own spice and the pairing is fantastic. Lemberger is a wine that loves a bit of chill on it… summer, cool reds, cool cheese!!! It can't get any better than that.

Cheers, Kathy

A Working Girl who is eating way too much cheese Olympic Cellars On-Line Store

Gobbly-Gook or Wine & Cheese Pairing Advice

2011-04-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

The Marriage of Wine & Cheese

The old school of thought about cheese and wine pairing used to be simple: Eat Cheese with Red Wine. This is about as old & out of date as “drink white wine with fish/poultry and red wine with beef”.

There are, though, some general rules that are worth following to help create successful cheese and wine pairings, and more --- to create evocative, sensual memories of the perfect food experience.

Cheeses and wines should be paired either because they share similar characteristics or because they have contrasting but complementary characteristics... why a marriage works!

Basically, wine is made up of acid, alcohol, sugar and tannins. The variations in each of these components plus production style & aging gives each wine its unique flavor. Cheese share some of the same components, including acid, but is also made up of protein and fat. The concentration of these components contribute to the final flavor of cheese and leads to the successful or unsuccessful marriage with different wines.

Right now if you didn’t read further… what I just wrote in the last paragraph
is more like Gobbley-Gook then wine-cheese pairing advice

The following guidelines made sense to me and you know I’m challenged in the kitchen. And, just like at my tasting bar, every person’s palate is different. That’s why tasting events like our NW Wine & Cheese Tour has so much to offer… a variety of artisan cheeses at each boutique winery all paired with different hand-crafted wines. We’re very excited that Lynn Keenan, Washington cheese expert and owner of Port Angeles’ Renaissance, will be in our cellar talking about the artisan cheeses, their farms and creameries.

Light young cheeses with light white wines. Farmer’s, some Feta, Fromage blanc with Chenin Blanc, Müller-Thurgau from Olympic Cellars released this summer

High-acid, younger cheese with high-acid white wines (Chevre, fresh goat cheese, with sauvignon blanc)

Low-acid, more aged cheeses with low-acid white wines (aged cows’ milk cheese with oak aged Chardonnay). Samish Bay Cheese Company, organic cheddar, aged 18 months served with Olympic Cellars new release, 2009 Chardonnay at NW Wine & Cheese Tour

Stronger cheeses with stronger wines (aged cheddar with Syrah) Pleasant Valley Dairy Farm’s Gouda with Fine Herbs and Olympic Cellars 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon at NW Wine & Cheese Tour

Strong salty cheeses with dessert wines or fortified wines (blue cheese with late-harvest Riesling) Willapa Hills Farm Pluvius and Big Boy Blue served with Olympic Cellars My Sweet Syrah at NW Wine & Cheese Tour

Creamy cheeses or those with a high fat and protein content will soften tannins in red wine (Camembert or creamier-style blue cheese with a big, bold, in your face Cabernet) My all time favorite, Mt. Townsend Cirrus with Olympic Cellars Syrah and Cab Franc

Again, in general, sweeter white wines will work with cheese more often than dry white wines do. Consider Dungeness White Riesling and Working Girl White (Chardonnay & Riesling)

Cheers, Kathy
A Working Girl at Olympic Cellars
Olympic Cellars On-Line Store

Willapa Hills Farmstead Cheese – Singing the Blues!

2011-04-05T18:05:00.000-07:00

Northwest Wine and Cheese Tour April 16-17

Willapa Hills Farm... one of our featured creameries

I found the video “I Am An Artisan Cheesemaker".

Willapa Hills is represented. Each cheesemaker describes “artisan” in just a few words, then combined with beautiful pictures… their story is told. You will fall in love with cheese all over again.

Willipa Farm, Doty WA

Three generations of the family are involved in raising dairy sheep and making farmstead and artisan cheese on their farm in Southwest Washington State.

Owners, Stephen and Amy Turnbull, have a passion for blue sheep and cow milk cheese and their emerging family of cheeses reflects their love of blue! Many years of hard work have turned their century old historic barn into a fully functioning milk parlor and state-of-the-art creamery. Inside the barn on the banks of the Chehalis River you will find a flurry of activity from sunrise to sunset.

Twice a day from late February through early September the flock of Lacaune-East Friesian cross dairy ewes amble into the barn and gift the Turnbull’s with some of the freshest and creamiest milk you can imagine.

Their sheep are raised on pasture without exposure to pesticides, commercial fertilizers or growth hormones. Feed is free of animal byproducts and grass hay is locally grown and nourished by the 70+ inches of rainfall that keeps the eastern edge of the Willapa Hills lush and green.

We chose two of their cheeses for our Reserve Tasting: Pluvius and Big Boy Blue and our port style “My Sweet Syrah”. I’ve served Pluvius twice for private wine tasting groups. Of all the cheeses I’ve served, all my guests go back to this cheese… scraping every last morsel off the plate. It is just that good!

Pluvius (named for the Greek God of Rain) is Willapa Hills’ only natural rind aged cheese that is not Blue. Pluvius has road appeal due to its texture and mild flavor profile and has quickly developed a following since its introduction at farmers markets in the spring and summer of 2010.

Pluvius is often sent to market quite young. Firm in texture with subtle nutty notes, it grows in complexity as it ages. Over time, the natural rind begins to ripen the outer edge of the cheese, creating a deliciously soft creamy layer that increases over time.

Ode to a Slug

2011-03-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

Harley and I visit the outdoors one last time each night

Spring is upon us and our slug is back

Each night slowly crossing the driveway toward the flower bed

Harley’s favorite sniff of the night

I stand there with flash light in hand looking at the slug

Listening to the waves on the spit, loud but still quiet

Stars some nights, rain others but our slug moves slowly ever diligent

Toward her goal and back before the morning light

Before Harley, I never heard the night or met our slug

Missing the beauty, breathing slower… through the eyes of our slug.

---------------------------------

Savor the Flavors

Let your senses take over… yes it’s hard to slow down to a slug’s pace.

But try. Block out the world.

Test it. Just for the sheer pleasure. Close your eyes. Take a bit of cheese, melt it in your mouth and sip some wine. Now isn’t this better?

Northwest Wine and Cheese Tour

Olympic Cellars, April 16-17 Port Angeles, WA

Rosé Wine, Rosie & International Women's Day

2011-03-08T13:52:00.000-08:00

March 8, 2011

The following are my opening comments to Welcome All Who Gathered at Olympic Cellars, Port Angeles WA to celebrate International Women’s Day(IWD) and its 100th Anniversary. By Kathy Charlton
----------
I want start out tonight talking about our Rosé wine. And, if you bear with me a bit there really is a link to tonight’s celebration of IWD.

Most of you know we have a new winemaker, Virginie Bourgue. We are going to release her first Olympic Cellars wine during the July 4 weekend. It’s a beautiful 2010 Lemberger Rose known to all as Rosé the Riveter and affectionally known as Rosie.

So my first thought… how best to distinguish her wines from Benoit’s, market and celebrate Virginie’s first Olympic Cellars wine release?

Lisa came up with the answer… bring back the Dungeness Rosé label which I retired years ago as the Working Girl Wines evolved and the Rosé the Riveter label was conceived.

A perfect solution. You know we tend to go back to our roots in life and for us our winery heritage.

Then I started thinking… Big Mistake. Big Mistake! How can you just retire Rosie, our iconic label? Many a time I’ve looked at her poster in the cellar and muttered to myself when facing wine production madness… We Can Do It. Yes, We CAN Do It, Too! (I muttered it so many times I felt like Dorothy in Oz, I want to go home, I want to go home.)

For those of you that know me, you know my brain may be miss-wired. I think there is a ping pong ball inside my head. As a thought or idea starts to form, it bounces precariously around. When I make a decision… if I described the path it took through my brain you would definitely label me certifiable.

But I’m going to explain the path of one idea… Rosie is the perfect example.

The work issue… we want to sell out our current Rosé in time to release the 2010 vintage. How best to do this?

First, the marketing side of me kicks in… Well, we’ll just announce that the Rosie label is off to the “Cellar” Vault just like Disney. As you know, the studio simply places a moratorium on a film and halts production until the timing is right for a re-release. Issue solved… Rosie will be featured, sold out, not to return until the time is right.

Then I got to thinking about Geraldine Hoff Doyle, the face of Rosie that inspired this well known poster by J Howard Miller. Sadly Geraldine passed away on December 30, 2010.

Now I’m thinking… Is this a sign? Shouldn’t I retire our Rosie label for good?

Next ping pong ball bounce… it’s the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day. Pretty momentous occasion. This dayhonors the work of so many, celebrates women's success, and reminds of inequities still to be redressed. That's why we’re here tonight.

Oh lord… the ball is bouncing back and I’m thinking… Rosie is part of this 100th Anniversary of Accomplishments. She changed the workplace for women. We can’t retire Rosie!

But, Are we past the slogan “We Can Do It”. Didn’t We Do It? Haven’t We Done It?“We’ve Come a Long Way Baby” floated through my mind.

Then I gagged, wasn’t that the tag line for the Virginia Slims cigarette commercial? Actually it was YOU’VE Come A Long Way Baby. (To me that is so condescending.) This hideous reminder was quickly cooled by the recollection that Loretta Lynn also wrote a song “We’ve Come A long Way Baby”. OK, I’m feeling Much Better.

As women we’ve made monumental strides in every arena of life around the world. And we all know that there is so much more that needs to be done.

Damn, I still don’t know what to do with Rosie? So I Googled her and watched A Library of Congress Rosie video 7 times.

What stood out in the video is another war slogan that I’ve never seen before: The More Women At Work the Sooner We Win.

This slogan obviously is referring to WWII. But I’m thinking… isn’t this more applicable and urgent today?

War is everywhere but not here. Hunger is here but not so visible. Education is lacking but we have schools. Violence happens but not in our neighborhood. I could continue but you get the picture.

Women have always Gathered and solved problems. It’s in our genetic makeup. So tonight, the 100th Anniversary of IWD I’m personally asking each of you to get involved in something that is core to you and to your roots… where your passion lies.

It takes a village and be it a 100 years ago or today, we still have Work To do.

Rosie’s Fate? She’s headed to the “Cellar” Vault! She will return, maybe reincarnated.

For now, drink her wine…. And consider the possibilities of The More Women At Work the Sooner We Win.

Kathy Charlton
A Working Girl
Olympic Cellars Winery

Follow These Steps to Unadulterated Wine Loving Consumption

2011-02-28T14:45:00.000-08:00

I happened on The 8 Step Program to Enjoying Wines. It got me to wondering… are there other multiple step wine programs out there that might teach me a thing or three.

Well, with just a few quick Google searches I bring to you the ultimate in Follow These Steps to True Wine Loving Consumption…

4 Steps to Wine Tasting
6 Steps to Loving Red Wines
8 Steps to Enjoying Wines
10 Steps to Ordering Wines in a Romantic Restaurant

The first three I only summarized the highlights with links to the original blogs.

The 10 Steps… was just so much fun to read, I kept trying to summarize. Frankly I would just click on the link and read the original unadulterated version!

Now obviously you might be thinking… I bet Kathy didn’t stop at 10 Steps.

Of course not! I continued my Google search for the 12 Steps to Wine Something?

And, you know what I got; “The” 12 Step Program. So I thought it best to stop there.

Cheers, Kathy

4 Steps To Wine Tasting
http://www.askmen.com/money/body_and_mind_150/186_better_living.html

Step 1: Evaluate its appearance. Before you chug it back, observe the color and the odor of the wine.
Step 2: Check the bouquet. Don’t be shy; stick your nose in the glass. Young wines will tend to have fruity smells, while older ones will have more complex fragrances." If you smell the barn yard… send it back!
Step 3: Pay attention to the taste. You discern most of the flavor of the wine at the back of your throat, not your tongue.
Step 4: Evaluate the finish of the wine. After you swallow, notice how long the wine stays with you; that's called the "finish." Generally speaking; the longer the finish, the better the wine.

6 Easy Steps To Loving Red Wines
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/loveredwine

1. Shop for a "ripe and round" red wine. At your local wine merchant, ask for the wine manager, owner or a knowledgeable wine sales person. Use descriptors to describe the rich flavors you want: jammy, ripe, lush, black fruit, round, big fruit, ripe, blackberry, cherry or rich. A wine with a "jammy" characteristic will have a perceived taste of "sweetness," even though the wine is not sweet.

2. Request a medium-bodied wine. Some foods are best with a full-bodied wine, but medium-bodied is a good place to start, and works well with or without food. A lighter-bodied red wine can be risky. Lighter" may result in "thinner," and thinner wines are not attractive.

3. Ask about wines made from these grapes: Shiraz, Syrah, Grenache, Zinfandel (red Zinfandel - not white Zinfandel), and perhaps some Merlots and Cabernet Sauvignons. The Shiraz, Syrah, Grenache and Zinfandel grapes are inherently a bit fruitier than the noble grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

4. Only buy red wine that have a grape-name on its label, such as those listed in No. 3 above. A wine made from a specific grape(s) should always be better than just a “red” wine. (Not sure I agree with this, blends can be outstanding but get advice from someone who knows.)

5. State your price range. For $8.00 to $17.00 you can find a really lovely red wine.

6. Practice. Pour about three ounces of your red wine in, at least, an 8-ounce glass. Let the wine breathe. Place your fingers on the base of the glass and get the wine swirling. This puts air into the wine and softens the tannins (the “bitter” taste). Food is essential to learning to love red wine, food first then wine. Crackers or bread will ready your palate for the wine. Resist the urge to try the wine without food. With the first couple of sips, moisten all the taste buds in your mouth (this absolutely makes the wine taste better) – resist throwing it to the back of your mouth and swallowing. Be determined – don’t lose heart if the first couple of wines aren’t appealing – it grows on you!

Eight Step Program to Enjoying Wine
http://www.winecurmudgeon.com/my_weblog/the-eightstep-program-to-.html

1. The best wine is wine that you like. If you don't like it, don't drink it. Or, as the legendary Josh Wesson says, "Would you eat chocolate ice cream just because I told you to, even though you like vanilla better?"
2. Don't be afraid to try something different.
3. Price is not always an indication of quality. Inexpensive wine can be well-made, just like expensive wine.
4. Wine is supposed to be fun.
5. Wine snobs are not fun.
6. Wine speak is for wine snobs.
7. Wine is not rocket science. Anyone can learn about wine, as long as they're willing to drink it.
8. Wine and food pairings, no matter how good, are just suggestions. The wine police will not come and arrest you if you drink white wine with beef or red wine with chicken. In fact, red wine and roast chicken are good together.

10 Steps to Ordering Wine in a Romantic Restaurant
http://www.hawaiidiner.com/articles/article.php?article=147

So, gentlemen: for once, you've had the presence of mind to make dinner reservations ahead of time for Valentine's night - the second busiest day of the year (after Mother's Day) for restaurants.

So what are you going to do if you know she prefers wine, but you know absolutely nothing about it? Tell her, "Why don't we just go for two pints of Guinness?" Wrong! If your dining partner is truly important to you, it is definitely to your advantage to whisper the three magic words: "Let's have wine." And this I can say after 25+ years in the restaurant business: women prefer wine!

1. Bone up. It doesn't take more than a few minutes to prepare by absorbing the introduction of a wine book. So now that you've done some homework, here's what you do once you've made it to the restaurant, and you've just been seated.

2. First, a waiter will approach to ask if you would like to start with a cocktail or glass of wine. Rule #1: remember that you are there to please your date, not a server. So without breaking the gaze between your eyes, the thing to do is to simply ask, "Would you care to join me with a glass of Champagne?"

3. Plan to order a full bottle of wine. Why? Bottles are so much more romantic than glasses! Don't worry about quantity. If you say something like, "Let's not worry about finishing it, since the best wines always come in full bottles," how do you think she'll feel? Do words like dashing and debonair mean anything?

4. Do take a good look at the wine list, whether you know what you're looking at or not. The important thing is to look good doing it -- this is romance, after all, not a driver's test. You might consider practicing beforehand -- furrowing your brows, raising one side or the other or glancing up with a smile as you turn the pages.

5. Now it's time to order the wine. If you've already forgotten what little you've learnt, don't panic. Just follow this full-proof method: select one of the two most food-flexible wines in the world, one of which is a white, and the other a red. So you ask her, "Would you prefer a white or a red?" If she says white, look for a Riesling (pronounced "REEZ-ling") type wine from Germany; preferably one that says it is of Kabinett or Qualitatswein ("quality wine") level.

6. If she says she prefers a red, look for a Pinot Noir ("PEE-no NWAH") from either California or Oregon. Like Rieslings, Pinot Noirs tend to be light yet zesty enough to go with everything from fish to red meats.

7. Say you are hopeless, and can't navigate through a wine list no matter what. Then it doesn't hurt to ask for help! I believe most women are impressed by that anyhow - like asking for directions on the road. Again, the idea is to look good doing it. Call over your waiter - or in the finest places, the sommelier ("so-mo-YAY"), also known as a wine steward - and ask for a recommendation for a good, medium range German Riesling or American style Pinot Noir. Practice this - letting the names roll off your tongue like a native language, maybe even with a politician's wave of the hand. If you must, invite the sommelier to look over your shoulder and point out his suggestions on the list. Make it look like a conspiracy - like the two of you are cooking up something truly special.

8. Now I need to prepare you for two possible curves; because as in all things, not everything goes as planned. First, if your date happens to say she likes a very DRY white wine - as opposed to a slightly sweet Riesling - then the coolest, most food-versatile dry white you can possibly order is a Pinot Gris (PEE-no GREE) from Oregon or California, also known as Pinot Grigio (GREE-gee-o) when it comes from Italy. Secondly, if you happen to be in an Italian restaurant, the best possible red wine to order is a Chianti Classico (kee-AHN-tee CLASS-see-ko) - which, like Pinot Noir, is amazing with both fish and red meats, only even better in the context of ingredients like olive and truffle oils, balsamic vinegars, garlic, pesto, porcini, etc.

9. The waiter or sommelier will then wish to perform the serving ritual; which is when he shows you the bottle, opens it, and asks you to taste and approve it. There are few ordeals (like circumcision) worse than this, and so the least made of the entire rigmarole the better. So when he brings over the bottle, look him straight in the eye and ask, "Is this the wine we ordered?" This will make him read the label himself and tell you yes or no, and all you need to do is nod knowingly. Then you ask him to do this simple favor: "Please open the bottle and leave it on the table" (or in the ice bucket, if it's a white). Once he has departed, you can go ahead and do the honors for her and for you -- the proper amount to pour, by the way, is no more than half-way at a time -- before raising your glasses with an appropriate, or even rakishly clever, toast.

10. Finally, the finishing touch: how many women don't like chocolate, or sweets in general? Not many at all. So if you really want to make a mark, do not automatically order coffee with your chocolate desserts - but a small glass of Tawny Port from Portugal.

Eat That Frog First

2011-01-01T16:58:00.000-08:00

It’s New Year’s Day and like many of you I’m having fleeting thoughts of New Year’s Resolutions. You know. All the oh-so-familiar, year-in-and-year-out ones… eat better, eat less sweets, exercise more, work harder, set goals, take more time off, sell more wine… and so forth. None of these have hit the written page yet… as if that helped before.

My husband has always made me a bit crazy because he’s always talking about something that he’s “gonna, should of, need to” DO almost every day. And, then tells me I “should” too.

Well, I’m just a stubborn cuss… Don’t tell me what to do! Or maybe it’s after too many broken New Year’s Resolutions that I decided to stop beating up on myself.

I keep telling my husband, “WHEN I’m ready, I’ll do it” but I’m not going to talk about it ‘til then. That’s just a recipe for guilt. And, as a mother (or is it just being of the female gender) that we’re genetically born with guilt so why add to it.

Lisa, my partner at the winery, called out as she left yesterday, “I got to get home, I didn’t eat my frog”. I made an about face and called from the bar “what the heck are you talking about?”

As the door closed all I could hear was her parting words, “Google It”.

So I did. It’s an old saying… "If the first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day long! It has also been said, if you have to eat two frogs, eat the ugliest one first!"

The FROG is the thing you are most likely to procrastinate on if you don't do something about it now! It is also the one task that can have the greatest positive impact on your life and/or business results at the moment.

Right now I’m looking for a wacky Frog to sit on my desk daring me to EAT it every day.

So instead of a long list of goals and to do’s, I’m going to approach 2011 one day at a time, eating That Frog each day and making it matter.

Cheers,
Kathy

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Red Wine Headache - Take An Aspirin And Call Me In The Morning

2010-12-24T14:56:00.000-08:00

Red Wine Headaches (The RWH Syndrome)

Roxi, a colleague, recently asked me on Facebook what caused her headaches when she drank wine. My standard “bar talk” on the subject was not enough because she gets headaches from all kinds of wine, red and white including grape juice but not the actual fresh unfermented grapes.

So I was stumped and started researching the subject more. I’ve read everything from the Harvard Health Letter, to a great New York Times article to a blog from Winegeeks.

What I found was a plethora of information and for the last few days I’ve immersed myself in ‘wine headaches’. I had to smile though because every article or research paper ended with words to this affect. “Don’t confuse red wine headaches with the headache that comes after a full evening of drinking. That's called a hangover!” You think?

Bottom line I found out there is no definitive answer because the food you eat is so unbelievably coupled with your body's chemistry that each of us may react differently to what we consume. While there seems to be no doubt the syndrome exists, definitive causes of it are as varied as the cure for hiccups.

I did find many helpful suggestions from the research that can help you conduct your own personal tests with different wines looking for a grape varietal type, production style or origin of grape that would provide relief from Wine Headaches. If you have RWH syndrome it can come on within 15 minutes of drinking red wine and be accompanied by nausea and flushing.

First, here is the list of top causes of wine headaches. I tried to keep it short and concise. The more practical suggestions and testing options follow.

Top Causes of Wine Headaches

Sulfites are a naturally occurring compound that nature uses to prevent the microbial growth found on grapes and is used as a preservative for dried fruits, lunchmeats and cheeses. White wines generally contain more sulfites than red wine. Sweet white wines have the most sulfites. Sulfite can cause an allergic reaction and will give headaches to asthmatics. Over 20 years ago the FDA determined that a little less than 1% of the population is allergic to sulfites, meaning they lack the digestive enzyme which would allow the processing of sulfites commonly found in foods like lunch meat, sausage, and cheese. Therefore, the FDA required that wines containing certain levels of this compound say so by placing the phrase "contains sulfites" on the label. This information has long been translated by some into a warning that people who get headaches from red wine should stay away BECAUSE OF the sulfites. That is incorrect. The language is intended only as a warning to that small minority who are in fact allergic to sulfites. At this point in time, no study has proved that sulfites are the culprit.

Alcohol has a powerful dilation effect on the blood vessels of the skin and your extremities. This means that it causes the vessels to open, allowing increased blood flow. The alcohol stimulates blood flow to the skin and extremities making you feel warm inside. However, it also makes you lose body heat more quickly. Therefore, the alcohol in wine can cause the blood vessels in your nose and sinus area to swell causing a feeling of pressure. Depending on how sensitive you are to this effect, you might experience a headache.

Histamines Many people may be sensitive to histamines. Histamines are found in many food products, but mostly in fermented foods and beverages, and are more common in red wines than in white wines. Histamines have also taken quite a bit of blame for causing red wine headaches. Histamines are compounds found in plant and animal tissues that cause an allergic reaction in humans. They stimulate gastric secretion and cause dilation of capillaries, constriction of bronchial smooth muscle and decreased blood pressure.
While histamines are found in grape skins, researchers believe that they are not found in high enough volumes to be considered problematic.

Tannins have recently taken most of the blame for causing red wine headaches. Tannins are natural defense mechanisms in plants that create a bitter, astringent taste which induces a negative response when consumed. In wine, these plant polyphenols are derived from the grape skins and provide the flavanoids in wine that give you the dry, puckery mouth sensation. They’re not only found in wine, but also in cheese, nuts, chocolate and tea. The tea industry has recently been touting the healthy effects of antioxidants provided by the tannins.

One possible link is the fact that tannins bind starches together, and prevent these starches from being used by the body to produce serotonin. Serotonin is used to dilate and constrict blood vessels in the brains. When there is a serotonin deficiency, these vessels tend to constrict, thereby reducing blood flow to the brain, which will cause a migraine. Tannins are also naturally found in wood, especially in oak. Most wine is aged in oak, so logically the tannins found within the oak are going to be transferred into the wine.

Suggestions and Testing:

1. Dried Fruit Headache? If you think you’re allergic to sulfites, eat a dried apricot or other dried fruits which have a higher sulfite level than wine. This will cause a stronger headache than red wine would.
2. Chocolate Headache? Tea, soy, or chocolate — though all contain tannins. So if chocolate doesn't give you a headache look for other causes. I didn't even get in to the cacao chocolate content and tannins.
3. Young or Older Wine: Joe Coulombe, the founder of Trader Joe's, may have an explanation. He opines that most Americans today drink very young California red wines. Some of the substances which cause hangovers become inert with age, so Coulombe believes that drinking older wines will reduce exposure to both hangovers and wine headaches.
4. French or American Oak: Something that has not been studied is the difference between tannin transference from American oak and French oak. We know that American oak leaves stronger impressions in wines and wines stored in French oak barrels receive more subtle barrel flavors. Why is this important? Because many people have claimed to be receive a migraine every time they drink American red wine, while they are able to drink most French and Italian red wines without any ill effects.
5. Take and Aspirin and Call Me In the Morning: One suggestion for histamine sensitivity, take a non-sedating antihistamine like Sudafed, Claritin or take an aspirin to stop production of prostaglandins which cause pain and swelling.
6. You Get What You Pay For: Stick to the Good Stuff. Many articles mentioned that the quality of wine can have a great effect on a possible headache.
7. Rotate Black Tea and Wine: If you suffer from headaches and/or flushed skin when drinking wine, try drinking a cup of black tea before you drink the wine. If you will be drinking over the course of an evening, have another cup or two of black tea during the evening. Quercetin, a bioflavonoid found in black tea, significantly inhibits the headache/flush response (which is an inflammatory effect from histamines), according to Tareq Khan, M.D., a pain expert with St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in Houston, Texas.
8. Bottom Line Experiment: This could help lick your problem. Dr. Fred Freitag (read a lot of his research) advises a potentially long, maybe painful, and costly experiment. A sufferer of the headaches himself, Dr. Freitag finds that he can drink some reds and not others. “Try different brands, different grapes, different countries of origin. That’s the only way you are going to find out.” Drink a half a glass of red wine; if it is going to give you a headache, it will do so within 15 minutes. If there is no reaction, stick with that wine for the evening, keeping your alcohol consumption to no more than two glasses. Keep a journal.

Whew! That's it. If you suffer from Red Wine Headaches, please consider this an executive summary. There is so much info on the internet.

Cheers, Kathy
Olympic Cellars Winery
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Bucket List or Afternoon Delight?

2010-12-10T15:36:00.000-08:00

I’m a WORKING GIRL. That’s who I am and what I do. My work over the years has defined me, more so then being a mother or a wife. Hard to say this in print but work and career were at the top of my list too many times.

I always felt something was wrong with me… feeling more comfortable at work then at home. I failed miserably at soccer Mom, car pooling and after school play dates. My daughter even took control of her hair brush in third grade… apparently I didn’t know how to “do” hair.

Maybe all this started with my Dad. I grew up in the 50’s with a stay at home Mom. My parents were always entertaining, my mother in the kitchen. And me… I was the bartender! The evening always found the men and women split into two groups, with me hanging around the guys talking business.

It’s just ironic that 60 years later I stand behind a bar and have a wine brand called Working Girl.

I’ve been talking and planning all the things I was going to do during my “60th decade” birthday for some time. It was the “biggest” of all birthdays to me. To be honest, it scared the crap out of me. My own mortality was not far from my mind, my parents both passing away in their very early 60s. It also didn’t help that I had the sheer pleasure of regretting my ‘fun in the sun’ years with a new nose via skin cancer in December 2009.

2010 was the year to do all that ‘stuff’ I had put off for so many years. Tick-Toc, Tick-Toc. But of course, what I was planning was also tied to events or marketing at the winery. Still just couldn’t have fun without a business purpose.

But all that changed.

First, someone asked if my plans were my bucket list? Well I don’t know where I was when the phrase was coined but I’d never heard of it. (If you haven’t either… it’s your list of what you plan to do before you kick the bucket”.)

So can that… I’m too superstitious. What if I accomplished everything then I really did kick the bucket! I would predetermine my own destiny. I know… GROSS… but all this was going through my head.

So I quietly got out of my comfort zone… trying not to be so structured and inflexible. Stop rating the success of the day by how much was checked off the list. Everything in my life had been scheduled… and yes even time in the bedroom if you get my drift.

My routine was predictable even down to when I poured myself a glass of wine… at 7:30 p.m. Then one more hour of work, fix dinner, watch TV for an hour, get ready for bed, read for an hour… sleep. Boring.

Then I heard an old song from my past, “Afternoon Delight”. Yeah, I know the lyrics but the song to me meant way more than an afternoon in bed.

Think about it for a moment… these lyrics from the song taken out of context says it all.

My motto's always been; when it's right, it's right.
Why wait until the middle of a cold dark night.
Sky rockets in flight. Afternoon delight. Afternoon delight.

Are you humming the tune yet? Do you feel like just dancing right out of your office? The song says “Do It, Don’t Wait” until your 60, or you retire or when the house is cleaned.

I’m making progress. I did do a few things on my list… walked on fire, got a tattoo and a dog.

And, I’m considering a new Working Girl Wine… Afternoon Delight!

Might have to explain this one a bit but damn it will be good.

Who knows what I’ll do next.

Cheers, Kathy

Working Girl, Olympic Cellars Winery

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