Cheers To You

Wine and Canada’s poutine, a great match

brynn grimley — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:00:53 +0000

Poutine, a common dish found in Canada, has started to make itself known in the states. What would probably be considered comfort food by our friendly neighbors to the north, is popping up as trendy food over the border in states like our own. With its savory flavors, hand-cut French fries and endless topping possibilities, [...]

What we’re drinking: Finca Sandoval Manchuela 2004

brynn grimley — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:00:53 +0000

Mary writes: I confess. When it comes to where to plant wine grapes, I’m not the visionary that David Lake, MW was. I scoffed at the idea of planting Syrah back in 1989 when Lake produced Washington’s first Syrah. After all, Washington was the land of Cab and Merlot. At this year’s Taste Washington I [...]

What we’re drinking: Bordeaux vs. Bordeaux

brynn grimley — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:00:45 +0000

Brynn writes: To keep my airline miles from expiring I recently had hundreds of magazines to choose from. The problem is I find I have no time to read magazines (just ask my husband, my growing stack of unread People’s is driving him nuts). But while perusing the list there was one name that caught [...]

Saturday a perfect day for wine tasting

brynn grimley — Fri, 03 May 2013 22:35:47 +0000

Brynn writes: I’m sure by now you’re all well aware that this weekend is supposed to be awesome, filled with warmth and blue, sunny skies. What better way to enjoy our sneak peek at summer than with a glass (or two, or three) of a good wine. Rolling Bay Winery on Bainbridge Island is open [...]

What we’re drinking: Spiral Wines

brynn grimley — Wed, 01 May 2013 14:00:18 +0000

Brynn writes: Every six months or so I try to get together with my girlfriend who I’ve known for 28 years. In that time her family moved to Orcas Island, we attended different schools, went off to college, graduated, lived in separate states, married and had children — her second child is just 5 weeks [...]

Weekly wine defined: Sultana

brynn grimley — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:00:20 +0000

Mary writes: Originally from the eastern Mediterranean, this thin skinned seedless white grape is used for dried or table grapes. It needs a hot climate to thrive as is susceptible to fungal diseases, which is why it never made it big in cool foggy Europe. Wine produced from Sultana is distilled and used to fortify [...]

Sherry and a couple recipes to try it with

brynn grimley — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:33:07 +0000

Mary writes: One of the most festive wine tastings to attend is a tapas party. Tapas are little bites that started out as a cover to keep the flies out of a glass of sherry. Tapas bars are very popular in Spain and have quickly picked up favor in the U.S. My friend Alan loves [...]

What we’re drinking: Don Ramon Tinto Barrica

brynn grimley — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:00:27 +0000

Mary writes: Looking for a good bargain wine? You’ve come to the right place. Being a seeker of great wine for under $10, I highly recommend wines from the northeast quarter of Spain known as Campo de Borja. This region is a Denominación de Origen (DO) with a mild climate, located in the shadow of [...]

Weekly wine defined: Criadera

brynn grimley — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:00:56 +0000

Mary writes: Criadera is the term used to refer to a group of barrels holding wine in a Sherry Solera. The barrels are also referred to as “butts”. In this case they hold 172 gallons of sherry. So what is a Solera? Imagine a pyramid of barrels stacked on top of each other, filled with [...]

A low alcohol, aromatic wine to pair with rhubarb muffins

brynn grimley — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:35:40 +0000

It’s sometimes hard to find a wine to match food that falls into a category where a wine accompaniment isn’t necessarily a natural connection. That’s the case with Ann Vogel’s rhubarb muffin recipe, which she recommends for breakfast or lunch. Most of us lean toward coffee, juice, or milk as our beverages of choice for [...]