Christmas Eve Feast

We attended Christmas Eve service and then headed home to celebrate Christ's birth with some friends and our family. I was cooking beef tenderloin filets with bleu cheese on top. We enjoyed chunky mashed potatoes and green bean casserole. I planned to make green bean bundles, but my kids talked me into green bean casserole.

Our middle daughter was excited because we were finally going to enjoy some of my fresh baked bread. She had been smelling it for a week, but never got to eat it because I was giving it away to teachers, friends & family.

The men had Coronas, but I enjoyed Lenz Merlot. It was one of our favorites from Long Island. Smooth with a slight flavor of oak. Warms you up as you enjoy!

Christmas Party

With a few friends over, we enjoyed Lava Cap Chardonnay and Dunham Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, both from our wine clubs. As usual, I loved the Lava Cap. Well, I like almost every wine we get from Lava Cap. The Chardonnay is less fruity with some full body I can enjoy.

The Cabernet was a bit piney. Although it is much better than some of the cheap wines we enjoy, I haven't been as impressed with Dunham's wine since our wine tasting last February. We have one more bottle of their wine that we'll try. If it isn't outstanding, we'll probably cancel Dunham's wine club. The wines are good, but not worth $40ish a bottle.

Private Winemakers Walk

Marco is the winemaker at Castello DiBorghese so we decided to join his tour at 11am. There were only four of us; the other couple was from the Harvest Inn, too. We've taken tours of other wineries, but thought this would be different. Marco drove us to the back of their property where the wine is produced.



We also met his lovely wife, Ann Marie who told us about the pinot grapes nearby. She showed us the green grapes had not changed because they haven't received enough sun. A branch or cluster is hiding them from enough sun. As she says, pinot are the heartbreak grape...they can cause more problems than any of the others.

Marco drove us to other vines and grapes so we could see the difference in clusters. He reminded us that his vineyard is the first one on Long Island, planted about 1973. Thus, he has the oldest vines around. We drove back to the tasting room to get a real taste of what they make.



Marco poured each wine and told us about it. We started with their 06 Chardonnay that was stainless steel fermented. It was good, but not the type we really enjoyed.

Their 05 Chardonnay is oak barrel fermented and we really enjoyed it. Why? Because it has a slight oak taste that reduces the fruitiness of this wine. Chris and Marco call it their Steak White wine because they pair it with steak in their Wine Pairing Dinners. In other words, they don't follow the old saying "Reds with red meat and whites with white meat." This Chardonnay really will stand up to a steak.

Next was their Rose - a mildly dry and elegant Rose made from Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc grapes. This wine complements fish, poultry or just plain cheese and crackers. "Think Pink" and serve it slightly chilled. I'm not into roses, but this one was quite nice. Did you know the rose gets it light pink color from the red grape skins?

Moving on to the reds, we tried their Pinot Noir which was light and smooth. You can serve it with most anything.

Breakfast at Harvest

Breakfast was served around 9am in a wonderful setting. It was true New York style with the noise level growing in intensity. In other words, it was getting louder as we ate. All the others at the table were from New York. We enjoyed visiting with past Wine Campers and learning about their winery experiences in California and New York.

We also enjoyed Chris' wonderful breakfast, fresh fruit, banana/blueberry bread, frittata with home grown zucchini, and potatoes. All of it was delicious. I never thought about putting zucchini in eggs, but I really liked it!

We felt so at home at Harvest Inn. When we return, we will probably spend all our nights with Darolyn & Chris!



If you are interested in learning about wine, wineries or getting the scoop about North Fork, then stay at the Harvest Inn. Twice Chris called the owners to see if we could do something special. He called North Fork Table and Castello DiBorghese winery for us. We took him up on the special tour of DeBorghese vineyards, a winemakers walk with the winemaker, Marco!

Let me just say that Chris & Darolyn know the wineries in the area and can give you expert advice for your North Fork stay!

Jedediah Hawkins Inn

We got lost going to Jedediah Hawkins, but finally pulled into their gorgeous driveway. The Inn was the Designer Showcase a few years ago where several designers pulled together their talents and refurbished this house that was falling apart. Let me just say, this inn is beautiful. It is worth going just to see how beautiful it is.

We waited for them to reset our table and enjoyed a quiet meal. We split the soft-shell crab. I had a bowl of wild mushroom soup that was great along with their spice rolls. The sauce under the crab was wonderful. We're both not sure about eating the soft shells, but we did anyway.

I had a glass of Martha Clara Shiraz that really grew on me as I enjoyed it. Steve had a glass of Cabernet, I believe from Macari.

Although I enjoyed another evening of chef cooked food, I think I would have enjoyed at least one casual dinner. We already ate at Bobby Flay's and Scrimshaws and we plan to eat at the Frisy Oyster tomorrow night. If I could do it again, I would have found a cool, casual restaurant that had fried shrimp or hamburgers. Something not too fancy and down to earth.

Harvest Inn Bed & Breakfast

This is the one place I knew I wanted to stay on our visit. I'm so glad I did. When you stay with Chris & Darolyn, you feel like part of their family. As we walked up to the house, Chris put down his wine and showed us into their home. Previously, he was entertaining past Wine Campers on the porch. Darolyn showed us our room and told us we might want to visit with the Wine Campers outside.



I wanted to take a nap so I laid down for awhile. Steve joined everyone on the front porch. That's where he learned about various wineries on the island.

After my nap, I joined Steve on the porch and talked with others about their winery visits. Chris even called North Fork Table to see if they could squeeze us in tonight. We decided to keep our reservations at Jedediah Hawkins.

Paumanok Winery

Everyone recommended Paumanok. I don't know if it was just being the end of the day, but we weren't real impressed with their wines. I wanted to go back tomorrow, and see if we tasted them differently first thing in tomorrow. Oh well...

If I remember correctly, we tasted their red wines. They were good, but I still liked Macari Merlot for 9.99. You just can't beat that deal.

Jamesport Winery

After lunch we moved over to route 25 and drove to Jamesport Winery. Jamesport has been around for awhile. It is one of the older wineries on North Fork. We tasted their Red Wines and enjoyed them. Unfortunately, I can't remember what we drank and they didn't give us the tasting notes. I'll have to ask Steve more about them.

Macari

Our favorite vineyard of the day! Really!



Ask if Karen is pouring the day you go. She is extremely knowlegeable and will make your visit well worth it. We loved everything about Macari, except the fact we couldn't join their wine club and have our wine shipped to Texas. The laws are all screwy in New York and some wineries will ship to you and some won't. Just ask and see what you can work out. We were able to ship some wine back home that we ordered today.

We chose to taste the House and Premium Flights. I'm glad we did because we would have missed some great wines if we chose one or the other.

Here's a run-down on what I discovered.

The Collina 48 Chardonnay was fruity and pleasant. I am not a big fan of fruity wine, but this one was nice; something you could enjoy everyday. And at $7.99 a bottle, it is a GREAT VALUE!

The 2007 Sauvignon Blanc is one of their best wines. It is cool and crisp. You will taste grapefruit, lime and some lemon blossoms. It is fermented in a stainless barrel so you won't have those oakey flavors...it's all fruit!

Next we had a Rose 2007. Again, I'm not much of a rose girl, but this was delicious fruit. Soft coral in color (from the Merlot grape skins), aromas of watermelon, white cherries and Italian plums evolve into a friendly wine with a dry, fruity, crisp finish. I'm sure you will enjoy this wine.

We moved on to the reds...

The Collina 48 Merlot as one of my favorite wines today. I ordered several bottles and had them shipped back home. This Merlot is fantastic for everyday drinking or sipping. It is a great value and tasted as good as the $42 Shinn Merlot we just bought...really! It is full of spice and flavory with a rich, lingering finish.

We also tried the 2003 Merlot Estate and Sette. Both were good, as well as a good value at $14.99 a bottle. Steve enjoyed a very good and smooth wine with the Merlot Estate. YOu will taste a ripe, juicy black cherry in the Merlot.

The Sette is half Merlot and half Cabernet Franc. This wine also had an aroma of spice and fruit combined. I enjoyed a slight spicy flavor.

On we went to the 2004 Bergen Road Merlot which is extremely smooth. It should be at $42.99 a bottle. There are hints of nutmet and pepper aromas with wild berries, cherries, plums and vanilla. I found this a luscious, velvety finish.

We ended with an unexpected treat, the 2004 Block E, a dessert wine. We haven't had a good dessert wine in years, so we were very pleasantly surprised at this treat. As Karen told us, "You have this for dessert, not with dessert". Even if you are stuffed full, you will enjoy this terrific wine. It is much better than any Canada ice wine we tasted. It is like drinking fruit!

I discovered they don't have enough cold days to make a true ice wine, so Macari freezes their grapes and then makes wine from their frozen grapes.

Steve definitely wants to get one of the Block E bottles so we will have it shipped home.



We chose a cheese package with 4 cheeses, crackers, olives, pickles and almonds along with a bottle of Collina 48 Merlot. We each had a glass of Merlot on their patio and viewed their beautiful winery. I'm not much into big wineries but if you come on a week day, you'll have a glorious time at Macari. This was definitely our favorite stop today.

Shinn Estate Vineyards

We arrived at Shinn Estate Vineyards, another cute winery. Shinn has a few rooms for lodging along with their vineyards. We chose the 3 wine tasting for $6.50. we received a free tasting of "first fruit" Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon with our corks. I found it similar (once again) to Chenin Blanc. Not very much depth...just a plain wine.

On to our 3 red wine tastings...

The 2005 Estate Merlot was a good value at $26. (I hadn't see the other wines for that day yet) It wasn't my fav, but it was good flavor for the price.

The 2005 "Wild Boar Doe" was spicy and aromatic. This is a blend of Merlot, Cab Sauvignon, Malbec, petit VErdot, and Cab Franc. You might try it with seasoned meats or grilled meats.

Finally, we tried the 2005 Nine Barrel Rserve Merlot. This was smooth with flavors at the base of your tonge. There is a wonderful finish that doesn't disappear. The rich taste lingers for awhile.. The Nine Barrel includes mostly Merlot with some Petit Verdot, Cab France and Malbec. Only 9 barrels were produced (225 cases). If you like this wine, grab some now before it is all gone.

Sherwood Winery

After a huge breakfast, we started down route 48 to taste a few wines. The first winery we found was Sherwood Vineyards...what a cute tasting room. We discovered they won the award for Best Tasting Room the past 2 years by Dan's Paper (Long Island-Hamptons newspaper). When I saw the outdoor tasting room, I knew why they received their award. You will see cute outdoor decor along with an old Studebaker. Plus, your wine pourer will seat you at a patio table and bring your wines to you. We sat under an umbrella and enjoyed 7 wines.



The tasting was $10 for 7 wines, a pretty good Monday deal!

We had never tasted a White Merlot before so I was curious to see what it was like. I found it was similar to a Chenin Blanc from years past. The Chardonnay was flat. The 2007 Rose should reveal lots of aroma of strawberry and raspberry. I found it was too strawberry in flavor. Unfortunately, I was reminded of Boones Farm Straweberry Wine.

We moved on to the Merlot. Steve thought the 02 Merlot was OK and I liked it, seeing a variety of flavors. We both liked the 03 Oregon Road Merloot as a table wine. The bouquet was wonderful. As the winery states, this wine smells of spice and tastes of velvet. You can pair it with lighter dishes of chicken & duck or heavier dishes of beef and potatoes.

The Cabernet Franc was ok and we ended with the 04 Merliance. The Merliance is a combo of 5 vineyards which I enjoyed very much. At this time, less than 20 cases of Merliance remain.

We left with a few corks for a free tasting at Shinn.



Whether or not you like this wine, you should go to Sherwood for the experience of the quaint little wine tasting room. It is well worth the trip off route 48.

Lavender by the Bay

As we drove away from By The Bluff B&B, we ran right into Lavender By The Bay. We stopped and looked around at the lavender farm...quite interesting. I've always read about lavender and the calming effect it has. I had fun looking around and seeing their huge farm in back.

Scrimshaws

We drove to Georgetown for a quiet dinner at Scrimshaw. The drive was 5 minutes. We had reservations, but they didn't have a table on the water available so we decided to get a bottle of wine at the bar. The bartender helped us pick a nice cabernet. The first cab we tasted was local and a bit bland. So we moved on to a blend of cabernet & merlot from the western edge of West Australia. What I liked about this wine was the merlot taste overlaid with a spicey flavor. It was smooth and enjoyable, even though it was a bit pricey at $48.

Here's what the winery has to say about it.

Cape Mentelle
Cabernet Merlot 2004
Margaret River

The vineyards lie in the far southwest corner of Western Australia, where the Margaret River meets the Indian Ocean. This classic blend produces a beautifully balanced wine, characterized by fine grained, ripe fruit tannins. Traditional vinification methods, including maturation in French and American oak barrels, have produced an elegant blend with merlot adding softness to the finer cabernet. This wine can be enjoyed now or cellared for up to ten years.

Our wait for an outside table was short, about 15 minutes. Although it was a bit windy, the view was gorgeous. I tried to take a picture of the moon rising over the horizon, but it never worked. So, we took pictures of Scrimshaws.




Steve & I split the Pasta of the Day, Seafood Canneloni. I believe the pasta was homemade and stuffed with seafood and cheese. The rolls were like Parker House Rolls with a blend of spices on top.

The couples arriving after us walked outside and decided it was too windy. If you want to sit outside, without all the wind, you should probably arrive earlier than eight for dinner. At least that's my guess.

All in all, a nice way to end a long day.

By The Bluff

Off to East Marion the northern tip of Long Island's North Shore. We finally pulled into the driveway of our B&B, By The Bluff. Patricia greeted us with a hug at the front door. She showed us around their lovely home and introduced us to their 2 big saint bernards that weigh about 170 pounds, really!



As we walked upstairs, Patricia told us we picked a lovely room. She was right. The Leitrim Room was gorgeous with dark wood floors, white wrought-iron bed and classy white decor. I loved it. Then she showed us the lovely sitting room and bathroom off the side. I'm sitting at the old-fashiioned dressing table as I type. Patricia has thought of everything as she has a huge walk-in closet with lots of extras (iron, hair dryer, shoe rack, extra blankets and towels). There's even a cute towel wrap around to wear after your shower.

Before dinner, we walked to the beach which is about 2 minutes down the road. It is gorgeous. The beaches were covered with smooth rocks and pebbles. We learned from our waiter that the beaches on Long Island Sound (north side of north shore) are covered with pebbles and the Peconic Bay (south side of north shore) beaches have sand.

A Quick Wine Tasting Along The Way

Around 5:00 we left for our bed & breakfast at the tip of the north shore in East Marion. On the way, we stopped at Habres Family Farm for a quick wine tasting. One of their sons was working the tasting bar today, before he leaves for Cornell this week..

The family flight of wines was forgettable, 2 chardonnays and 1 merlot. I usually don't enjoy fruity wines, but I enjoyed their Yellow House Chardonnay which was a bit fruity. We moved over to the reserve tasting. The Reserve Chardonnay was interesting. At the end, there is a delicious taste of butterscotch which we both liked. The Merlot was nothing to write home about, so we bought a bottle of their Reserve Chardonnay. I look forward to enjoying that lingering taste of butterscotch back home.

If your kids are with you on your wine tasting, Habres Family Farm is a definite stop. Today they had pony rides, hay rides and live music. Kids will love it. The Habres Family has been farming for 30 years in this location. In the past 2 years they started producing wine from their vineyard. They also have lots of fresh produce you can buy as well.

Off to Sagamore Hill

After a series of crazy events, we finally got Gentry off to Philadelphia to meet Grandma. She'll spend the rest of her senior trip with my mom. My mom takes each granddaughter to Pennsylvania after they graduate.

It was quite interesting getting her off as our plans changed frequently. The rental car place did not have any cars in Manhattan so we took a cab to La Guardia because they were suppose to have cars at the airport. Wrong! But we only waited about 15 minutes and received an upgrade to a Jeep Cherokee. (Note to self: Cars are probably not available in NYC when you make reservation.)

Finally, we were on our way down Long Island. Our first stop was Sagamore Hill, Theodore Roosevelt's home. Before he married, TR bought 155 acres atop the hill overlooking Oyster Bay. After he & Edith were married, they moved into the huge house. TR's requirements for the house was it be big enough for a large family...lots of kids.



We toured the grounds and saw their pet cementery where several dogs and horses were buried. As we visited rooms in his home, I was pleasantly surprised to see books in almost every room. From my readings, TR read about 5 books a week. There is even an article he wrote called, "The Books That I Read And When and How I Do My Reading, by Theodore Roosevelt". He sounds like my kind of person. We discovered that his Gun Room has more books than any other room in the house.

Bar Americain

Steve suggested eating at one of Bobby Flay's restaurants. We discovered one a half block from our hotel. It was so cool. Upscale, classy and an absolutely wonderful experience. The waiter suggested a cabernet blend which was robust and full of flavor that lingers. I need to find the name of it so we can enjoy it later.

The basket of bread includes a corn fritter, roll and baguet - all warm from the oven! Yummy!


Gentry said her chicken was the most tender chicken she has ever eaten. We all enjoyed some of her potato chips with bleu cheese dip. Steve had duck with wild rice. Again, it was tender and moist. I had cheese grits with shrimp, bacon and green onions which was great!

We splurged and had dessert. Gentry ordered a Praline Chocolate Cake which was super, super rich! Steve ordered Bourbon Filled Cream Eclairs. I enjoyed both of them. What a fantastic meal to end our trip

Gallagher's Steak House

After resting in our hotel and waiting for the rain to quit, we walked down the street to Gallaghers Steak House.

Gallagher's was the creation of Helen Gallagher, a former Ziegfeld Follies dancer who billed Gallagher's as "the speakeasy that served steaks," when she opened it in 1927. Then when Prohibition came to an end six years later, the resourceful Mrs. Gallagher repositioned Gallagher's as "the steakhouse that served drinks."

Now in its 71st year, Gallagher's is truly a steakhouse to be reckoned with. Step inside and see the rows of U.S.D.A. prime beef dry-aging in the windowed 36F cooler. The grand circular bar will catch your eye along with the dark, wood-paneled walls lined with portraits of sport and movie stars.

The steaks were "to die for". Plus, the portions were huge so we took our leftovers so Steve could enjoy them for breakfast or lunch tomorrow. I had Lobster & Shrimp Bisque that had an interesting spice of nutmeg or pumpkin. I couldn't quite tell, but it was delicious.

Zinfandel Merlot

I didn’t like this as much as the Zinfandel because it was a bit stark or too much spice. Usually I think of Merlot as fruitier wine, but this one isn’t it. I will say that giving it time to breathe allows the flavors to blend.

Zinfandel Chardonnay

I like this cool chardonnay because it has a blend of fruit and buttery oak. The buttery flavor is mild and does not overtake the wine.

Barefoot wines were on sale for 4.99 so I bought one of each. We tried Zinfandel first and it had a good fruit flavor with some notes of cherry & raspberry.

Barefoot Zinfandel

Immense wine with inviting flavors of ripe cherry & wild raspberry. Aromas of vanilla and spice complement the lingering finish. Perfect with beef, red sauce, pastas, hearty soups and mild cheeses. Zinfully delicious.

Our First Meal Back Home

The moving van delivered all our belongings yesterday…yea! Tonight we had a wine that I bought at World Market. It was actually good for a cheap wine and great with an informal meal.

XS Red 2005

California Cabernet Sauvignon

Fruit forward robust red with blackberry and toasty oak. Delicious with your favorite pizza, pasta or BBQ. As the bottle says, “Sometimes a little XS is a good thing.”

Our 23rd Anniversary

Much to my dismay, there are no nice restaurants open on Sundays in Moscow, Pullman or Lewiston. What to do to celebrate our anniversary? With our move to Texas just around the corner, we didn’t want to drive far to celebrate.

So, we used some creativity…

After church we stopped at the Moscow Co-op and picked up a loaf of hot, fresh Salted French Bread (yum!) and a bottle of chilled Camas Prairie Chardonnay. Then, we picked up our dog and headed to a park with cheese and meat. We found a shady spot and spent the next few hours relaxing.

The Chardonnay was delicious. Of course, anything chilled on a ninety plus day tastes great. I can’t believe we didn’t try this wine earlier in our stay here in Moscow. Camas Prairie is a local winery that has some terrific reds. Their Chardonnay was buttery with a slight hint of oak….just the way we like a chardonnay.

Later, we drove to Uniontown to see a photo exhibit at the Dahmen Gallery and the Catholic Church. The Uniontown Catholic Church was the first church registered in Washington, back around 1910. Finally, we headed to Eleanor’s for a drink and a bite to eat. Eleanor’s is a quaint burger joint that Steve visited earlier this year.

This wasn’t your normal way to celebrate an anniversary, but I had a blast. Who wouldn’t enjoy a couple of hours with a great glass of wine, a book to read and a husband playing his guitar.

Ashley’s birthday dinner, 1 day later

Parmesan chicken, fettucini alfredo, broccoli with hollandaise sauce,

Crusty Cream cheese pound cake with ice cream

Dunham Cellars

2005 Syrah, Lewis Vineyard, Columbia Valley

Deep, dark berry. Sooo luscious

Complimented smooth flavors of meal

Passover Meal

Cashew Chicken with Artichokes

Amavi Syrah 2005, Walla Walla Valley– dark berry flavor. Fun

Amavi is combination of latin words for love (amor) and life (vita). That sums up wine!

Glacial & volcanic soils, long warm summer days and cool, high-desert evenings bless our world-class vineyards. We use only the finest hand-picked grapes to craft the elegant wines of Amavi Cellars.

Steve’s Birthday Dinner

We celebrated a day late with Steve’s request, fried chicken and cooked broccoli. We had another 2005 Matagrano Lava Cap Sangiovese from El Dorado county. It was spicy and smooth. I tasted a piney flavor that added to the spice. There was no significant berry flavors. This is a fun wine to drink.

Grapes for this wonderful Italian variety were grown by Frank Matagrano in a cool spot along the banks of the American River in El Dorado County. The wine is rich and full-bodied, yet has soft tannins and well balanced fruit and acidity. Enjoy with hearty pasta or grilled sausages and vegetables.

While Dad & Mom were visiting we enjoyed one of Ashley’s favorite wines, Lava Cap Cabernet Franc. The 2003 Reserve is delicious, a traditional Bordeaux variety produced on the Lava Cap vineyards in Sierra Nevada foothills. This well-balanced and elegant wine was aged in French oak barrel and is a perfect accompaniment for turkey, chicken, pasta, and roast beef. We actually had bleu cheese crusted filet.

Sunday Dinner

After church I cooked chicken marsala with pasta and parmesan. We decided to open one of our wine club bottles, Lava Cap 2005 Reserve Barbera. The Barbera had deep berry flavors with a hint of spice. I call it a lush flavor.

Student Lunch – we received 3 bottles of wine…wow!

We opened Red Diamond Merlot 2004. It’s a good wine at a very low cost.

Nice smooth Merlot

Merlot is king in Washington state, where it’s considered the crown jewel of red grapes. That’s why we call our wine Red Diamond. It’s a shining example of cordially tended fruit gently made into a polished wine with softly spiced black cherry, berry & plum flavors. And like a diamond, a Merlot goes with everything.

Easter

Just our family enjoyed Easter together. Steve cooked chucker stuffed with jalapeno and cream cheese, wrapped with bacon. We also ate roasted rosemary potatoes, potato & strawberry salad and asparagus covered in dressing and crumb topping.

Our favorite wine during our Walla Walla visit was Sapolil Shiraz so we shared it today. It was a Shiraz 2005…deep berry flavors with a charcoal that lingers. Yummy!

Passover Meal

Tonight we celebrated Passover a bit late. Today is Good Friday so we attended our Good Friday service. Then, we returned home for a nice meal including roasted chicken (with onions under the breast skin), potato latkes, charoset.

We enjoyed Lava Cap Chardonnay Reserve, one of my favorite chardonnay wines. It is quite smooth and buttery as usual.

Good with salad and meal

Kids were all at a basketball game. We had baked potatoes and wine.

Tempranillo 06 (Tertullia Cellars)

Berry nose & first taste

Round flavor

Similar to shiraz/merlot – not as spicy

Tertulia Cellars

After we left Casa Girasol, we stopped at Tertulia Cellars down the street form our B&B. The wine was mild. We decided to get some Tempranillo 2006 which was the most complex of the ones we tasted. They seem to appeal to a younger crowd, which included a modern-looking tasting room with an eclectic flair. I liked it so much I considered changing our living room when we return to Texas this summer.

Another Breakfast at the Girasol

We had a late breakfast with our innkeepers, Ed & Michelle. Ed cooked a - mushroom, chorizao, pepper frittata with potatoes, buttered wheat toast, homemade scones, with fruit & yogurt. Yummy! Although the food was delicious, we thoroughly enjoyed a great discussion about marketing. You see, Michelle coordinates direct marketing for several large wineries. We automatically had several things in common...wine, marketing, food, entertaining. I hope to continue our relationship in hopes of helping both of our businesses.

Amavi Cellars

After a couple of shopping stops, we made our way to Amavi Cellars. Amavi is one of the main reasons we visited Walla Walla. Last summer, we enjoyed a bottle of Amavi as recommended by our waiter at Nectar in Moscow. He also told us there were lots of wineries in Walla Walla that you can visit and find wines that you like. So, we decided to find out for ourselves.

At Amavi, we tasted Semillion, Syrah 2005, and Cabernet Sauvignon. We also learned about the history of the tasting room's construction. Amavi tasting room is a lesson in history. The beams and siding comes from an old cabin in Montana. You can even see some of the 1900 newspaper they used for insulation. Pretty fascinating!!!

Amavi is owned by Pepper Bridge owners. Pepper Bridge is higher end and make specifically Cabs and Merlots (50-60) maybe a few syrahs
Amavi comes from amas, meaning love, and vive, meaning life...thus "love life".

Jean-Francois Pellet, Amavi Winemaker tells us the 2005 Syrah is packed with violet, blueberry & dark fruit aromas with a hint of smoked meats. Notes of fresh-tilled earth mingle with intriguing mineral flavors that have a subtle briny characteristic. The wine has fine-grained tannins and well-embedded acidity that work together to create a tremendously long finish and a body of real depth & distinction.

2005 Vintage from wine maker's perspective
The 2005 vintage started off as a big challenge because the previous year has been a freeze year with very little fruit to harvest. I was somewhat envious and worried about how the vines would come back. WE made an extra effort pruning, shoot thinning and crop thinning to ensrue the fruit came back evenly. Mother Nature provided us wiht a classic wine-growing season. Bud break started around th 3rd week in April, and very warm, sunny days filled the summer. WE had plenty of heat units to fully ripen the grapes. Then the weather cooled off a little earlier than usual, dropping into the 80s around the end of August. This cooling-down period maximized flavor development. The wines form the 2005 vintage have terrific fruit intensity, show great natural acidity and are beautifully balanced.

Dunham Cellars

Our last and BEST stop was Dunham Cellars. The couples staying at our B&B told us they were wine members of Dunham and the innkeepers also mentioned Dunham in our conversation, so we had to stop. Interestingly, Dunham's facility is out by the airport. We discovered several wineries are near the airport which used ot be an old World War 2 air force base with lots of old building and hangers. The rent is low, especially for newly formed wineries. Dunham is not new; it is the 8th winery in the Walla Walla area.

Let me tell you . . . we saved the best until last. I'm not saying that because my taste buds were worn out. Dunham had some of the best flavors and soothest wines we tasted all weekend long. Our tasting consisted of Chardonnay, Three-Legged Red (table blend), 2005 Trutina, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot & Resling. Sorry, I don't have the years, but they were all excellent. In the middle of the tasting, we were shown the "party room", the place where airplanes used to be stored. All of there parties are held in the hanger, with unique lighting and art work by the wine maker.

Eric Dunham, the winemaker and son of Dunham's owners, makes wine, paints, and cooks. A man of many talents! I'm excited about being part of their Wine Club because we might make it back for the spring release and wine club part. Eric also has wine tastings in Dallas and Austin planned on his calendar. So, that means we might enjoy him in Texas, too! (whoop!)

After joining their wine club, we added the Trutina and Three-Legged Red. I look forward to sharing this with our family when we return home. With Valentines Day, my birthday and my daughter's 18th birthday, we will surely enjoy one of their bottles this week :-)

With the wine club, we received the 2005 Lewis Reserve Syrah and the 2002 Library Syrah. I'll let you know how they are.

One thing I learned several years ago is to find a wine maker whose wines you enjoy. If you enjoy the ones in the tasting, you will probably enjoy his other wines. That has been quite true with Lava Cap and the wines we receive in their wine club. I anticipate some great wines from Dunham Cellars, as well.

After Dunham, we left Walla Walla to return home. Ahhh....I told Steve we needed to stop somewhere along the way to just sit & read. I really didn't want to go back to reality.

Girasol Inn Breakfast

We awoke to a delicious breakfast of gourmet french toast, homemade (hot) applesauce and bacon. It was quite filling and a great way to start off the day. We spent another hour reading in the room and resting awhile.

Northstar Winery

We left Girasol and stopped at the next door winery, Northstar . :Later this afternoon, we learned that our innkeeper, Michele, started Northstar as part of St. Michelle out of Seattle. I had no idea it was from a larger winery. Northstar is suppose to be excellent Cabs and Merlots from St Michelle. Our favorites were the Syrah and Petite Verdot.

Our pourer showed us a map of the Columbia Valley which includes the Walla Walla area. It was nice to see geographically where the area these wineries use for their grapes.

As soon as we arrived at Northstar, a large party arrived for a tasting. When we left, we realized that group hired a hummer limo to take them around to the wineries. We continued to see them throughout the day.

Isenhower Cellars

Next, we visited a family-owned winery, Isenhower. We tasted a white, library Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The white's label was art work by the owner's 4-year old daughter. The other labels were art work by a local artist, which included a painting of the owner's dogs.

At the Isenhower, I learned that a library wine is an older, stored wine. At Isenhower the owner puts away some wine for personal use. Since they decided they would not use all of that reserve, they are re-releasing their 2003 Syrah. We were lucky because that was our wine of choice at Isenhower.

Downtown Walla Walla

It was off to downtown Walla Walla for the afternoon...a little shopping, a little food, and a little wine. What more could I ask for my birthday?

Once we parked downtown, we stopped to read the menu at T. Maccarone. The other couples at our B&B were taking a cooking class at this restaurant, so we considered going there for dinner. While we were reading the menu, one of those ladies waved to us and they opened the door. Julie told us they weren't open and they were getting ready to eat their lunch. We said we just wanted to see what they served for dinner. We later learned they had a great time cooking, even the men!

Fort Walla Walla Cellars

After strolling through several shops, we stopped at Fort Walla Walla Cellars for a tasting. We were served 2004 Trapper Red, 2005 Cab Sauvignon, 2005 Merlot and 2005 Syrah. I liked all of them, but we chose the 2005 Syrah which includes 91% Syrah and 9% Merlot. I guess we usually lean towards the spicier wines. This is another one I will enjoy at home with our family.

Lucious For Lunch

We made our way to Lucious for lunch. It's an old, converted gas station. If you visit Walla Walla, you must eat at Lucious some time during your visit. Almost everyone recommended Lucious to us, so this was our chance. We enjoyed a Chicken Waldorf Wrap, German Potato Salad and Southwestern Chicken Soup with penne pasta. I liked the soup the best because it was hot & spicy. Steve liked the wrap and even enjoyed the potato salad. He's not into potatoes, but liked this dish.

DaMa Wines

Steve & I decided to stroll though a few more tasting rooms before returning to the Girasol. First stop was DaMa Wines. The name comes from Dawn and Mary, the partners of the winery. Not only does the name have the first 2 initials of the partner's name, it also means "lady" in Spanish. Mary poured our first tastes and then Jack, Dawn's husband continued our tasting. We had met Jack at Sapolil the night before after the piano bar was finished.

DaMa buys juice and makes their own blends of wine. Although we heard some wineries buy juices, this is the first one we had actually tasted. Their wines were okay. We felt compelled to buy a bottle because Jack made a comment about a group in Waterbrook that didn't have any bags with them. . That meant none of them were buying. We do want to support the wineries, but don't always think their wine is what we like.

Ash Harbor

Lastly, we stopped at Ash Harbor, one of the few wineries that charged a tasting fee. Steve & I split the tastings with a fee. We can both get a sip to see if we like any of them well enough to buy. Plus, we can go to more wineries without feeling the effects. Their wines were okay, but by that time, the tastes were all running together in my mind.

Afternoon at the Girasol

Back at the Girasol, we met the other couples staying there. Julie motioned to us while were getting out of the van to join them for crackers and cheese. So, we visited awhile in the dining room. The, Ed showed up. Even though he was the innkeeper, we hadn't met him because he had been in Seattle. The Snoqualmie pass outside of Seattle was closed so he & Michele had to drive down to Vancouver and over to Tri-Cities and Walla Walla... a bit out of the way to get home. Soon, Michele joined us.

I told Steve later that Michele makes a great hostess because she is attentive to details...who wants decaf coffeee, who had questions about the wineries while she was gone, and even why each of us was there. If you ever visit Walla Walla, I highly recommed the Girasol. It is beautiful south of town, even in the dead of winter. I guarantee the experience will be wonderful. Ed & Michele can even help you choose where to eat or what wineries to visit.

Safron Restaurant

From Ed's suggestion, we at dinner at Safron (cancelling our reservations at Creek Town Cafe) He said both were good, but Safron is unique. After a relaxing meal, we understood why he and all the other locals recommend Safron. It is a quaint little restaurant that is packed! Thank goodness, we made reservations.

I chose a glass of Syrah. Unfortunately, I don't rememember the winery. Steve was trying to choose which Cab to get, so our waitress brought him a tasting of each one available by the glass. He tasted each and then my Syrah. He chose the Syrah which was warm and inviting. When I first tasted the Syrah, it was exciting!

Now, to decide what to eat. Since we had steak yesterday, we wanted something else. Steve had fried, stuffed quail and Kerry ahd a homemade semolina pasta with chorizo sausage in a tomato sauce. Steve doesn't usually like pasta, but he liked his taste of this sauce. It was warm and unusual. I was stuffed full and couldn't eat any dessert. Steve had a vanilla nut custard. He loves custards, but I'm not really into them. But, this one was cold, soft and smooth, like a extra creamy ice-cream that isn't quite frozen. It was so rich we didn't finish it. I think Steve thought he had died and gone to custard heaven :-)

Our Trip to Walla Walla

Steve & I leave Moscow around 11 am and head to Lewiston. Thank goodness the snow and winds have subsided and our drive is pleasant. We stop in Lewiston to find amethyst earrings for our daughter's 18th birthday next weekend. After a few stops, we arrive in Walla Walla around 3pm. We drove downtown to visit a few wineries. It was pretty cool because you can walk from one tasting room to another.

Waterbrook Winery

Our first stop was Waterbrook Winery. We weren't sure if there would be tasting fees at these wineries. What we discovered is it varies from one winery to another. Waterbrook Winery has a free tasting and has been around since 1984.

We tasted their Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Chardonnay Reserve, Melange Blanc (white blend), Melange Noir, Merlot 2004, Syrah 2005 and Meritage. Steve liked the slight oakey flavor of the Chardonnays. The Reserve was fuller and richer than the 2005. He also enjoyed the Melange Noir, which was smooth, but not outstanding to Kerry. Kerry thought the Meritage had several deep flavors. It should at $45 a bottle.

Besides a bottle of the 2005 Melange Noir, we bought some Garlic Grapeseed Oil for cooking at home. I learned that grapeseed oil has half the fat as olive oil. Once we paid, we were given a coupon for 15% off our next purchase. It was cute since it had a cork tied to the coupon. A great way to be unique.

Sapolil Cellars

We walked on down the sidewalk and found our next stop, Sapolil, probably our favorite stop that day. Winemakers are father and daughter at this fun wine tasting room. The space was the wife's interior decorating shop turned wine tasting room. All of the wines were good, with plenty of action and spice. These included Rawhide Red, 2005 Tre Amici, 2005 Dwelley Syrah, 2005 Patina Syrah. Our favorite, the Patina Syrah, was the daughter's only wine. We had the priviledge of having her pour our tasting. She was vibrant and excited about her wines. Her dad retired from wheat farming to begin making wine.

Tonight they have a piano bar so we hope to return after dinner.

Preston Wines

On down the sidewalk and around the corner is Preston Premium Wines. We had a pleasant visit with the another couple who happened to be from Texas. Then we discovered the girl pouring our wines had grown up near Houston. Preston had nice wines and we ended up with a flavorful Merlot.

Girasol Inn

Off to our B&B...Jane welcomed us when we arrived as she was inn-sitting for Ed & Michelle at the Girasol Inn. To our delight, there was a small bottle of Sapolil Patina Syrah in our room, along with some cheese and crackers. The room was comfy, with plenty of room. This is one of the only B&B's where we had a tv.

26 Brix

Next we ate a delicious dinner at 26 Brix. Even though our waiter was good, we were disappointed by the atmosphere. There were only 3 other tables in a rather large room. 26 Brix is in an old, restored building. It's too bad, there aren't more people eating there.

Our steak was surprisingly delicious. It was hanger steak which is similar to flank steak. A wonderful blackened flavor was enhanced by garlic and mushrooms. Even the french fries made the entire meal terrific.

We later learned from Ed & Michele that 26 Brix closed last year after disappointing sales. They originally wanted to be a classy, 5-star restaurant, but Walla Walla just can't support that type of restaurant all year long. From what Ed said, their prices used to be $40-50 for an entree. Ours was only $25 for hanger steak, fries and a side of mushrooms. They also have a similar menu as many of the other restaurants, so locals don't necessarily eat there on a regular basis.

Sapolil Cellars & Piano Bar

Off to the piano bar at Sapolil. When we arrived the daughter walked up to me and said we left our credit card. I was stunned, but it was true. Then, we saw the other couples who are staying at the Girasol and visited with them. When Steve paid our tab, I sat down at a table to wait. Tom and his wife joined us and we began talking about marketing and their unique bottles. Sapolil uses wax instead of foil to cover their corks. We discovered that smaller wineries often was their bottles because they don't have enough quantity of bottles to foil the top.

Before long, we were sitting with the winemakers and three of their friends discussing the philosophy of corking or not corking. I couldn't believe it was 11:25 when we left.

All in all....a fun-filled, first day in Walla Walla.

Girasol Inn near Walla Walla, Washington

We receive a confirmation email for our Girasol reservations. The innkeepers, Ed & Michelle, suggest we make dinner reservations if we want to eat at one of the more popular restarurants.

B&B Reservations for My Birthday

New York Giants beat undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl 42. Afterwards, Steve makes reservations at Casa Girasol outside of Walla Walla next weekend. It's a new B & B that has all positive reviews. We'll be celebrating my 49th birthday.