Wine Win Wednesday: Lange "Domaine Trouvere" Chardonnay

Wine: Lange Estate "Domaine Trouvere" Chardonnay

Lange Estate Winery and Vineyards is a local winery in Dundee, OR.  "Domaine Trouvere" is a label from Lange focused on using smaller lots to produce wines reflective of the land and soil (terrior-driven wines.)

Why it's a win: I feel like all of my posts about Chardonnays need a disclaimer.  99% of the time, I don't like Chardonnay. But every once in awhile I come across a Chardonnay that I do like.  Lately it's become a game with my friends - "who can find a Chardonnay Kristi will drink."

I like this Chardonnay because it's sweet, it only spent un petit peu time in French Oak, and doesn't have an aftertaste of butter and metal.

Where you can find it: Lange Estate Winery - my friends picked it up on a wine tasting trip this summer.  I'm not sure if you can find it in grocery stores...

Price: $28

Wine Win Wednesday: 2009 Amity Pinot Noir

Wine: 2009 Amity Vineyards Pinot Noir

Why it's a win: It's a good representative for Oregon's Pinot Noirs at a reasponable price.  We drank this earlier this summer at a Wine & Dine party, and this was the most popular bottle.  It has my favorite components of a pinot - cherry and raspberry mixed with earth and spices - and it drank really smoothly.

Where you can find it: Costco.  Amity just released its 2010 Pinot Noir, so I'm not sure how much longer the 2009 will be around.

Price: $15


Amity also has a very friendly tasting room and a great view - if you're ever in the Willamette Valley area, be sure to stop by.

Wine tasting at Amity Vineyards, Sept. 2012

Wine Tasting Deal at Winter's Hill

Found this on Living Social today.  Seems like an OK deal, wines are pretty typically priced for vineyard tasting rooms.  At the very least, you get $5 off a bottle of wine.  

http://www.livingsocial.com/deals/425486-wine-tasting-for-two-plus-30-to-spend-on-wine

Winter's Hill Vineyard

Wine Tasting for Two and $30 to Spend on Wine in Beautiful Willamette Valley

From sustainable practices used in grape farming to restoring the native oak savannah and providing a natural habitat for local flora and fauna, Winter's Hill Vineyard believes in protecting the planet while pleasing palates:

• $25 ($50 value) for a wine tasting for two plus $30 to spend on wine
• Enjoy full-bodied bouquet in the Pinor Noir or taste the delicate Pinot Blanc
• Certified by LIVE and SalmonSafe in recognition of environmental efforts
• Family-owned-and-operated winery serving Dundee Hills since 1990

Wine Win Wednesday: Cupcake "Red Velvet"

Wine: 2011 Cupcake "Red Velvet"

Why it's a win: It's named after a delicious, delicious cake!  How can you go wrong?!  Which is why my husband picked it up in the first place (he's a sucker for red velvet cake.) Also, it's a red table wine with Zinfandel at it's heart, and everyone knows how delicious Zinfandel is.

This is yet another of the wines enjoyed Thanksgiving weekend.  It's a little tightly-wound at first - give it a little while to breath and relax.  But after awhile, it opens up its chocolaty, cherry-cordial notes with it's rich, long lasting, and ever-so-slightly sweet finish - one might even say it's "velvety"...

Where you can find it: Costco, Trader Joe's, etc.

Price: $7.95 at Costco

Wine Win Wednesday: 2009 Castle Rock Syrah

Wine: 2009 Castle Rock Syrah

Why it's a Win: Can you say YUM!?  Plus it's from the 'hood (as in our region of the world - Columbia Valley- not Mt. Hood) and I'm partial to wines from our area. My parents found this for $9 in their local K-Falls wine shop, and I was amazed at how tasty a $9 wine can be!  This Syrah is medium-bodied, well balanced, rich berry flavors (which I'm also partial to) complimented by smoky spices.

Where you can find it: Great question... I'm not sure.  I searched a few stores in town after the folks left.  I found a 2010 Castle Rock Cabernet at Trader Joes (which I'm now dying to try) and a 2010 Castle Rock Pinot Noir at Fred Meyer.  But alas, no Syrah yet.  Keep your eyes peeled, though!

Price:  $8.99

Wine Win Wednesday: "It's a Headsnapper!" Radiant Red

Wine: "It's a Headsnapper!" Radiant Red

Why it's a win: This was my favorite at our November Wine & Dine, and it went fast!  The theme was "Wine with Faces on the Label" - our hosts were new parents and got creative on their last-minute supermarket trip - and gave us a chance to try a few wines we'd all never heard of and probably wouldn't have picked up on our own.

The Radiant Red won me over with it's blackberry and currant overtones and its super smooth finish.

Where you can find it: Your run-of-the mill grocery store

Price: $9-$11

Half-off Deal to Wine Tasting Class

I've seen this deal pop up on a few of the online coupon sites before, but I haven't purchased one myself. 

This might be a fun activity with friends, or for a date night.  If you're a frequent Wine & Diner or you've been out tasting at the vineyards, I'm not sure you'll learn anything new.  But it could still be fun.  :-) 

WineUP! Wine Shop

 $20 - Improve Your Palate at the WineUp! Wine Shop Tasting Class ($40 value) 

Half-off Deal to the Bite of Oregon!

Portland Perks is offering a great deal on entry to the Bite of Oregon happening August 10th-12th.

For $14 you get two 3-day entry passes (normally $30) to the biggest food, beer, and wine festival in Oregon - and you get to support a great cause as all of the proceeds go to the Oregon Special Olympics!   


The Bite of Oregon features Oregon's largest wine tasting spectacle with 21 local wineries offering samples of delicious, delicious Oregon wines, with one oddball from California.    


Bryann and I will be volunteering on Friday night from 5:30-10pm so come by, grab some "bites" and taunt us with your delicious food and beverages!

To view this fantastic deal and purchase tickets, click here

To view the Bite of Oregon website and learn more, click here

To view to list of participating wineries , click here

Products We Love: Oster Wine Opener

Product: Oster Wine Opener

Why we love it: It's a cinch to open wine bottles with this thing.  Seriously.  There is relatively no effort required!  You position it on top of the cork, hold the wine bottle, press the down bottom, and the cork comes right out!  Then press up and this wine opener will spit the cork back out for you.

I got it as a gift and originally I thought it was silly.  I had my trusty old Rabbit wine opener stand.  Some adjusting of the stand height and two flicks of my wrist and I had an open bottle.  I've probably gotten lazy in my old age, because this is way too much effort for me, now.  I'm giving the Rabbit to Goodwill on our next donation trip.  Unless any of our club members want it?

Where you can find it: Any store with a housewares section - Fred Meyer, Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, etc.

Price: $20

Wine & Dine: Cruise Edition

Some of the members of our Wine & Dine club were lucky enough to be able to go on an Alaskan Cruise recently!  We missed those other members that couldn't join us, so I'm bringing the wines we had at dinner, and during out wine tastings to them!  All the wines we ordered with dinners were within the $25-$30 range on the ship, so I'm guessing these could be found in stores for between $10 and $15.

 Bryann and I enjoyed this Rosemount Shiraz from Australia during one of the nights where we both ordered a beef-centered dinner.  It paired well with our meals - it was bold enough to stand out against the beef, but not too abrasive. 

We also ordered this Bolla Valpolicella from Italy with dinner during Italian Night.  Our waiters and waitresses dressed in adorable stripped shirts with handkerchiefs tied around their necks and the dinner was completely Italian themed.  The Valpolicella was mild and light and accompanied my Fettuccine Alfredo quite nicely!

The Sylvester "Kiara" Cabernet Sauvignon from California was dry, yet flavorful.  It wasn't quite as good as the Santa Carolina Cabernet from Chile we'd had a few nights prior, but it was a tasty alternative.  I'm a cab girl though, so I'm a bit biased towards them to begin with.  

We also did a Maître d' Wine Club on the first day-at-sea.  I don't remember all of what we tasted -- looking back, I'm kicking myself for not keeping the tasting menu and my notes -- but the wines that stand out are the wines I think Princess is most famous for serving.  

The Opus One was the most talked about, and most expensive wine on our list.  Opus One, which has a rather interesting story on it's rather fancy website (found here), makes only one wine from its vintage, which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.  We tasted the most recent 2008 vintage, and I gotta admit...  It was pretty scrumptious.  I've seen rumors amidst the internets that you can find Opus One at Costco from time to time... you know, just in case you want to grab a bottle and then invite me over for dinner!

Bryann and I also really liked the Sylvester "Nikiara" Meritage.  This was a blend, much like Opus One, of Cabernet, Merlot, Cab Franc, and Petit Verdot.  It was incredibly well balanced, fruity and spicy and chocolatey all at the same time, and very, very, melt-in-your-mouth drinkable. 

Wine Win Wedneday: Santa Carolina Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine:  2009 Santa Carolina Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon

Why it's a win: Our group of friends recently returned from an cruise through Alaska's Inside Passage and this was a popular bottle at our ridiculously fancy cruise dinners.  Initially I ordered it on a whim because I like Cabernets and because I usually always like Cabernets from Chile.  This bottle did not disappoint.  It was deep ruby in color, fruit forward with hints of chocolate and pepper, full-bodied enough to suit all of our meals, and with a well balanced finish.

Where you can find it:  Princess Cruises.  I'll let you know as soon as I see a bottle in the stores.  I'll be snatching up several when I do.

Price:  $25 on the cruise, so I assume it's around $10-15 in stores.

Petite Lasagnas

I wish I could say that I creatively came up with the recipe by myself. But alas, I simply followed the directions. Thankfully these were at hit at our June Petites Wine and Dine.

The only variation I made was swapping ground turkey for ground beef and excluding the cheese mixture on a few of the lasagnas for our non-dairy friends. In place of the cheese I added sauteed mushrooms. Otherwise, I tripled this recipe exactly.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz raw ground turkey
• ¼ tsp salt, divided
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes, or tomato sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tsp dried oregano, divided
• ½ tsp dried basil
• 1 ½ cups part skim ricotta cheese
• 24 small square wonton wrappers (the kind near the tofu in the refrigerated section of the produce dept)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey, onions, salt, and pepper. Crumble the meat and saute the mixture for about 10 minutes, or until the turkey is cooked through. Add the garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds.
2. Add the crushed tomatoes and 2 tsp of oregano. Bring the pan to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, a pinch of salt and pepper, the remaining teaspoon of oregano, and the basil. Stir to mix well. Set aside.
4. Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Place 1 wonton wrapper into each of the 12 cups, pressing firmly in the bottom of the cup and up the sides.
5. Using half of the ricotta mixture, divide it among the 12 muffin cups. Next, using half of the turkey tomato sauce, spoon it evenly over each of the ricotta filled cups. Sprinkle with 2 tsp of mozzarella.
6. Gently press another wonton wrapper on top of the mozzarella layer.
7. Repeat the process by distributing the remaining ricotta, then the remaining tomato sauce, and finally the rest of the shredded mozzarella.
8. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
9. Let the cups cool, remove them from the pan, and serve!

Original recipe found here: 
http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com/2010/11/04/petite-lasagnas/

June "Petites" Wine and Dine

Rian and I {the Schlypers} hosted the June Wine and Dine last weekend to a grand total of 21 Wine and Diners. We had a blast and it was fun to see how our group has grown.

We really wanted to break away from wine we knew and were comfortable with- so we chose Petite Sirahs and Petit Verdots. Much stronger than we initially anticipated, Petite Sirahs and Petit Verdots pack a lot of punch. Petit Verdots in particular are so strong that they are almost exclusively only found in blends. We really enjoyed our selection though and from what we were told, so did our guests.

In keeping with the petite theme, we made mini lasagnas for our main course. Guests brought all sorts of unique mini dishes including roasted baby carrots, mini apple pies, cherry tomato bites, mini cupcakes, bruchetta bites, stuffed mushrooms, sausage links and many more delicious creations.

We sampled six wines.

1. Estancia 2006 Meritage Reserve
2. Rosenblum 2006 Petit Sirah
3. 2009 Kirkland Signature Rutherford Meritage 
4. Concannon 2009 Petite Sirah 
5. Bogle 2010 Petite Sirah  
6. 2010 Blu Fin Petite Sirah

 The stand out favorite was the Concannon- which I also highly recommend.

Thanks to all of our crew who came and enjoyed the evening with us!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

This salad and dressing is super easy and convenient.  I had all the ingredients for the dressing on hand, so I didn't really need to buy any specialty items (which can often be the problem when trying new recipes.) Here's what I used for a Wine & Dine to feed 20 people.

Ingredients 

• 1 large bin of baby spinach
• 1 standard size box of strawberries
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup feta cheese
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 3 T. sesame seeds
• 1 1/2 T. poppy seeds

Instructions

1. Candy slivered almonds by putting them in a grill pan with two spoonfulls of sugar and a few drops of water.  Cook on medium heat until brown
2. Slice strawberries while almonds are cooking
3. Toss almonds, strawberries, and feta in with the spinach
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, vinegar, sugar, paprika, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds
5. Toss dressing on salad immediately before serving.  

Throw on mandarin oranges, omit almonds, replace feta with blue cheese - the variations are endless! 

Creamy Chicken Alfredo

Some people requested the main dish recipe that was served at the May W&D so here it is - I essentially made this.  I usually make a variation of this (aka the dairy free version) which is that recipe except it is dairy free cream cheese and from scratch cream of mushroom soup which I got the recipe from here...   The following seems a bit lengthy but it's all quite easy.

Step 1 - Cream of Mushroom Soup
Make your own cream of mushroom soup!  My personal opinion is if you don't make your own you should because it's pretty easy, cheaper, and easy to freeze and then pull out of the freezer whenever you need it!  Also you can make it dairy free which is great.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs mushrooms
• 2 cups water
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 4 cups milk (use Lactaid if you're going for dairy free)
• 3 T lemon juice (or juice from 1 lemon)
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t pepper
• 1 T dried minced onion
• 2 T Italian seasoning

Directions

• You have a few different options for the mushrooms you can buy fresh ones from the store, used canned mushrooms, dehydrated mushrooms, etc.  I found a big carton of dehydrated various types of mushrooms at Costco that I use along with a small can of mushrooms.  Using various types of mushrooms adds something nice I think. 
• Add all of the above except the milk to a crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours.
• After 8 hours use an immersible hand blender to blend the soup. 
• You have the option to add the milk at this point or, what I do, is scoop out 1/2 C of the soup and put it into ziplocks to freeze.  You should end up with 8 or so ziplocks. 
• When you unfreeze your ziplock add 1/2 C milk to the bag and squeeze the bag to mix the milk into the soup.  You now have a cup of cream of mushroom soup!  A can of cream of mushroom soup is 10 oz so you can pretty much substitute your own cup of soup in any recipe that calls for a can of cream of mushroom soup.

Step 2 - Creamy Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Easy and delicious way to make chicken alfredo in the crockpot!

Ingredients

• 2-3 chicken breasts (frozen or unfrozen)
• 1 cup of your homemade cream of mushroom soup! (or a can of the store bought stuff if you're not going for homemade or for dairy free)
• 1/2 C Italian dressing
• 2-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 6 oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 8oz block of cream cheese (use Tofutti's lactose free version if you're doing dairy free)
• 1/2 - 1 bag of frozen peas or broccoli
• 1 lb noodles, like rotelle noodles

Directions

• Put first 5 ingredients in the crockpot and cook for 6-8 hours on low.
• After 6-8 hours shred chicken, add cream cheese, cook on low for another 1/2 hour.  Meanwhile start cooking the pasta.  
• A few minutes before the noodles are done add whichever veggie you've chosen to the boiling water with noodles.  
• Drain veggies and noodles once both are cooked/unfrozen, stir into crockpot alfredo mixture and enjoy!

Hope you like it!

Eclair Cake

I got this recipe from a friend in choir who brought it to one of our rehearsals.  During a rehearsal break a few weeks ago I kind of went a little nuts over the cake and she admitted that it was embarrassingly easy and passed along the recipe.  It is embarrassingly easy, but soooooooo tasty!

Ingredients for Pudding:

• 1 lb. box graham crackers
• 3 1/2 C milk
• 2 small packages of instant vanilla or french vanilla pudding
• 1 (8 oz.) tub of Cool Whip
• Optional: add 1 tsp. of either orange or almond extract

Ingredients for Frosting (Beat all ingredients until smooth)

• 2 squares of unsweetened bittersweet chocolate, melted
• 2 tsp. light corn syrup
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 T. butter
• 1 1/2 C powdered sugar
• 3 T. milk

Instructions

1. Spray 13"x9" pan with non-stick cooking spray.  
2. Line the bottom with a layer of graham crackers.
3. Mix pudding with milk, beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.
4. Blend in Cool Whip
5. Pour 1/2 the mix over graham crackers
6. Place 2nd layer of graham crackers over pudding.
7. Pour remaining half of pudding
8. Cover with the final layers of graham crackers
9. Refrigerate for 2 hours
10. Frost
11. Refrigerate overnight

And that's it!  Make it lighter by using low-fat or fat free ingredients.  Make it easier by buying a can of frosting at the store rather than making your own.  Stays good in the fridge for several days afterwards.  :-) 

Caramelized Onion Dip

This easy-to-make caramelized onion dip was well received at the Garrett's Wine and Dine last weekend. I hope you enjoy it too!


Ingredients:

• 1 & 3/4 C mayo (I use the reduced fat olive oil mayo)
• 2 C swiss cheese 
• 1/2 sweet onion (about 2 cups)
• 1 T butter
• 1 T paprika

 Instructions:

1. Thinly slice your onion into about 2 cups. 
2. Melt the butter in a frying pan and sautee with onions until caramelized.
3. In a medium bowl, combine mayo and cheese. Slowly stir in the caramelized onions.
4. Spread into a pie pan or 8x8 baking dish. 
5. Sprinkle paprika on top.
6. Bake for 30 minutes at 350.

It's really that easy. Serve with crackers and enjoy!

May Sauvignon Blanc Wine & Dine

We had a great time hosting the May Wine & Dine!  Good food, great company, and of course wonderful wines!  This month we tasted Sauvignon Blancs exclusively.  When grabbing a white wine from the store shelf what do you usually grab?  For us it wasn't usually a Sauv Blanc however when we tasted a certain Sauv Blanc at a local wine tasting we wondered why weren't we grabbing the Sauv Blanc?!  They're great!  So we set out to have a wine and dine where we could learn more... :-)

We started out by tasting two Sauv Blancs side by side - Capitello's Walnut Ridge (Oregon) and their Marlborough (New Zealand) varietals.   We tasted these side by side to fully appreciate the difference!  These two wines were the same year, and made in the same style by the same wine maker.  The real difference is where they were grown and they tasted very different!  The majority of us preferred the NZ varietal to the Oregon one.

We then moved on to another New Zealand SB by Nobilo.  This wine is highly rated by Wine Spectator and was very well received, many named it as their favorite of the night.  NZ is quite well known for their Sauv Blancs and this bottle clearly shows why.  

 Next was the Foucher LeBrun Sancerre Le Mont.  Sancerre, much like a Champagne, must be grown in a specific region in France in order to have this label of Sancerre.  The Sancerre region only grows grapes for two types of wines, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.  Much like Champagne is a specific sparkling white wine, Sancerre is a specific Sauvignon Blanc.  This wine was well received and also more difficult to find in stores because it is so specific.

Next was Los Vascos from Casablanca, Chile.  Unlike the other SB's that were grown at 40-47 degrees latitude this wine is grown at 33 degrees latitude, a bit different than your typical Sauv Blanc.  This one was also quite good and well received.  SB's are Chile's second most produced wine and are quite tasty!

We finished off by circling back around to another New Zealand SB, by Kim Crawford.  This wine was also highly rated by Wine Spectator. 

Technically our last wine, although we didn't have an official tasting of this, was Trader Joe's Coastal Sauvignon Blanc.  Honestly it's hard to give an opinion of this seeing as everyone was 6 tastes in at this point... although, I think our general impression was that it was okay but clearly not as notable as any of the others.  Fun fact - TJ Coastals are always distilled in steel barrels -not oak- and from California.  If you find a TJ Coastal you love read the label carefully to find out which CA winery it's from! :-)


We had some great dishes brought as well that very nicely complimented the wines.  We had some cream cheese/humus wrap appetizers, an onion dip appetizer, lots of tasty veggie sides, creamy chicken alfredo pasta, a delicious layered eclair dessert, and chocolate cake.

I hope everyone was able to find some good Sauvignon Blancs they liked as a result of this tasting!  I know we did.

April "A Taste of Italy" Wine & Dine

As promised in a December blog post, we shared a few of our delicious Italian wines from Gianelli Vineyards, where we tasted in Jamestown, CA over the Christmas holiday.  We supplemented with a few other Italian varietals I picked up at Trader Joe's because, let's face it, after a few tastes, you can't really tell if you're tasting a "good" wine anymore.

We hosted the wine tasting a little differently this time (inspired by a recent party at Annie and Aaron's) and tasted the whites while sitting and mingling in the living room, munching on appetizers.  After that, we had everyone find a seat around the U-shaped hodgepodge of dinner tables and mixed linen collections (we had to accommodate 19 people!!)  We sampled the reds while slowly eating our way through a 4-course Italian feast - Caesar Salads, an amazing Pasta Fagioli soup, Chicken Cacciatore, and Tiramisu, to name a few of the dishes. 


(If you're not familiar with some of the Italian grapes, follow the links to learn more from wine-searcher.com)

We began the evening with 4 of the wines from Gianelli.  We started with the 2009 Vermentino, which is likened to a Viognier - I found it to be dry, buttery, and citrus.  The 2009 Fiano followed which was slightly sweeter with subtle notes of honeysuckle.

After a palate cleanser of the house Pinot Grigio (I mean cheap, Trader Joe's Pinot Grigio) we moved to reds.  We sampled the 2009 "Nino"  - my personal favorite! - which is a blend of Grenache, Primitivo, and Petit Sirah.  The "Nino" is slightly sweet for a red wine and tastes of candied fruits.  The last of the Gianelli wines was the 2009 Aglianico - my second favorite and rated 89 points by Wine Spectator.

For those Trader Joe's enthusiasts, we filled in our Italian selection with some pretty tasty wines (all imported from Italy!)  In case you'd like to pick up a bottle for yourself, here's what we got:

Di Majo Norante Sangiovese and Tommolo Montepulciano d'Abrozo

D'Aquino Chianti

Villa Sonia "Piave" Pinot Grigio

And just for fun, here are some other photos our resident photographer-in-training took during the party! 

Wine Win Wednesday: Cherry On Top

Wine: Cherry On Top Sweet Red Wine

Why it's a win: This wine is the perfect kind of sweet with intense berry fruit flavors (hence the name), aromas of bright red cherry, smooth vanilla and a very smooth, silky finish. It's also versatile, pairing well with many different kinds of food.

While I'm already a fan of red wine, I think those that prefer the sweeter whites would also really enjoy this wine.

Where you can find it: Albertsons

Price: $12

Wine Win Wednesday: Tualatin Estate Muscat-Frizzanté

Wine:  Tualatin Estate Semi-Sweet Muscat-Frizzanté

Why it's a win:  This is a great summer sipper, and perfect for celebrations.  The ripe, explosive flavors of apricot and peaches & cream are balanced with a refreshing acidity that makes it soooooo drinkable.  Enjoy with creamy cheeses or fruit salad.

Semi-sparkling wines are only made by a five producers in Oregon; Tualatin-Estate (owned by Willamette Valley Vineyards) is among them.  This Muscat-Frizzante is in keeping with the Italian tradition of making semi-sparkling wines with Muscat grapes - one of my favorites!

Where you can find it:  Fred Meyers

Price: $16

March Wine & Dine: Baby on Board

In celebration of St. Patrick's day, Jeff and Nate's birthdays, and the announcement of a pregnancy, the "Wine" part of this month's Wine & Dine kind of got put on the back burner...  I'm not sure anyone even noticed (myself included) with all of the fantastic decorations, games, and beer to distract us.  

The theme was "Wines with Green Labels" and all three bottles were picked up at Fred Meyer's.  We sampled a very light-bodied 2010 Viridian Pinot Noir, a Willamette Valley wine from Olsen Family Vineyards in Monmouth.  We also tried a 2009 Torres Vina Esmeraldas, a tasty muscat from Spain. And later, a 2011 Starborough Sauvignon Blanc, from New Zealand.  

Our fantastic spread - all foods included an Irish liquor ingredient

Katy and Travis Horak hosted this month and they put on a spectacular show, as always.  (Katy and Travis hosted one of the more famous Wine & Dine parties a while back with the "Price is Right" wine game, complete with homemade Money Wheel and an excel-inspired game show.)

They put their skills to work again this month with another excel-inspired game show.  We played Wheel of Fortune for most of the evening, while sipping on whatever wine or beer happened to be in front of us.

The highlight of the game was when a team was guessing a popular phrase "Baby on Board" and Katy and Travis announced their pregnancy!  The room erupted in cheers and congratulations!

We could watch as the other team spun the wheel 

Home made mini-version of the Wheel of Fortune!

In keeping with the St. Patrick's theme, we also had Irish beers to fill our goblets with.

And a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!

Dundee Wine Tasting

{The view from Lange Estate Vineyard}

The weekend of March 2nd my mother came in to visit from Texas. Knowing her love for good wine, I thought it would be a fun experience to take her wine tasting. There are so many great places to go in our area, but I landed on Dundee for this trip.

Dundee offered the best of both worlds for us: there were vineyards with sweeping views so my mother could get the real Oregon vineyard experience, but there was also one large street of tasting rooms that made getting around town really simple. To add to its appeal, Dundee is only about 20 miles from our home.

We started at Lange Estate. It was a bit of a trek up the hill to get there but well worth it. The views were incredible.  We stayed on the hill for our next tasting and swung by Torii Mor. Personally, I thought Torii Mor completely outshone Lange with their offerings- especially their house-distilled port. This is definitely a vineyard we need to go back to in the summer with a picnic basket.

For our next stop we came down off the hill and visited Four Graces- which was my favorite tasting of the day. Everyone was very knowledgeable and welcoming. We felt so comfortable spending time in this tasting room.

Next we hit up Argyle which was along the strip of tasting rooms I mentioned above- which made walking around town very easy.  Argyle has a great reputation for their sparking wines and they did not disappoint. My mom loved sampling all the different bubblies.

 {At the Argyle Tasting Room}

Our last stop for the day was Ponzi. While my mom fell in love with their Chardonnay, it should also be noted that they served the most delicious Italian sandwiches. A nice little break in the day and an easy way to snack and sip.

While we really were happy with a majority of the wines we tasted, there were a select few that were our favorites of the day.

• Torii Mor Syrah Port (Rian's favorite of the day)        
• Ponzi 2008 Chardonnay Reserve (Mom's favorite of the day)
• Four Graces Doe Ridge Estate Pinot Noir (This was my second favorite here. My first was a blend that was only sold at the tasting room. It's current on our bar waiting for our one year anniversary!)

 Next time you're in the area, definitely give Dundee a shot. We had a wonderful time and tasted some seriously good vino :)

Wine Win Wednesday: Eola Hills Chardonnay

Wine:  2010 Eola Hills Chardonnay

Why it's a win: It's a Chardonnay that even Chardonnay naysayers will stomach (and perhaps even enjoy!)  Exotic fruits and pear explode from this Chardonnay.  And even though it was aged in oak, it doesn't have that obnoxious buttery flavor that is so characteristic of big chardonnay producers.  Enjoy with grilled fish or poultry

Where you can find it: Winco, Trader Joe's, Costco

Price:  $11-$13

Wine Win Wednesday: Willamette Valley Vineyard Riesling

Wine:  2010 Riesling by Willamette Valley Vineyards

Why it's a win: It's a semi-sweet, "sure thing" Reisling that will be a hit in any setting.  It's sweet enough to keep the sweet white drinkers happy, but not so sweet that the red lovers will wince.  Fruit and floral notes abound in this great Riesling, with a refreshing and balanced finish.  This is a great wine for any occasion.  It's my personal favorite for warm, summer evening on the porch.

Where you can find it: Any major grocery store

Price: $11-$14

A Taste of Home Wine and Dine

February’s Wine and Dine focused on home, our home to be specific. My sister moved in with me a few months ago and we decided to host a Wine and Dine that reflected where we were raised, the Columbia Valley and the nearby Yakima Valley of Washington. We were surrounded by wineries growing up, and each spent our 21^st birthdays wine tasting with our family. Wine tasting is still a common pastime when we visit home. We always seem to find places we haven’t been before. The goal of this Wine and Dine was to showcase a handful of wines from the area that are not as readily available outside the region.

The first wine of the evening was a mulled wine. It was made using Preston Cellars 2007 Gamay Noir. This is an award winning Rose that Preston recommends using with their spice blend for hot mulled wine. Preston is located on the outskirts of Pasco, Washington and is one of the oldest wineries in the region starting up in the early 1970’s.

Recipe for Mulled wine:

One bottle of Gamay Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Red table wine, 3-4 cups of Cranberry juice (or other cran-juice combo) 1 package of mulling spices and an optional cinnamon stick (we omitted the cinnamon in our version).

The second wine of the evening was Gordon Brothers 2009 Chardonnay. The two Gordon brothers started this winery in the 1980’s. The first wine they produced was a Chardonnay, but they were notably one of the first red wine producers in the area. If you are looking for more of their wines, please note that they just changed their name from Gordon Brothers to Gordon Estate.

The third wine was Terra Blanca’s 2009 Viognier. Their Viognier is a bit drier than most and I like it that way. I have a confession; Terra Blanca is my favorite winery in the region. Their wine is always good, sometimes amazing, and the setting is beautiful. Their vineyard along with their tasting room is located on Red Mountain, an area with an exceptional reputation for grape quality. Hands down the most impressive quality of this winery is the tasting room and event facility. It looks like it is straight out of Tuscany. Whenever I have friends visiting the area I ALWAYS bring them here. It’s pretty amazing.

The fourth wine was Chandler Reach’s 36 Red. This is a Cabernet/Merlot blend. It is marketed as an everyday wine that will easily pair with a variety of foods. Chandler Reach is another beautiful Tuscan Villa inspired venue. This winery is located in the Yakima Valley and is a great stop on the way to the many other fantastic wineries in that region.

The fifth wine was Tagaris’ 2009 Boar Doe. It is a red blend made up of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Malbec, 10% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot. This was the hit of the night! Tagaris has some fun names for their wines and very creative labels as well. This winery is located less than a mile from our childhood home. This is one of my favorite places to go with friends in the summer. This winery is actually better known for their restaurant, Taverna Tagaris than for their wines, and once you taste the food and catch some live jazz on the patio you’ll understand why.

Lastly we had Genisis’ 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. Genesis is the Premier label from Hogue Cellars. Hogue is one of the most widely distributed wines from the region. This was the second most well liked wine of the evening.

Now, on to the food:

Appetizers: Smoked salmon and cream cheese provided by Nate and Kimber. Stuffed endives provided by Jennifer.

Main dish: Runzas provided by Molly and Sarah – this was a meal we grew up with. They are bread pockets filled with meat (turkey and a bit of pork in this case), cabbage and onions.

Sides: Asparagus casserole provided by Ben, Cooked Carrots provided by Tamara and Rian, Salad provided by Rachel and Paul.

Dessert: Ginger and white chocolate cookies provided by Elizabeth, Éclairs provided by Katee and Travis.