Good with salad and meal
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
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.
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.
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.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
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.
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