The Tongue can Wait; Eyes and Nose First

Oct 2 2009

The Eyes

For her birthday on Sunday I took my beautiful mother out for some wine tasting.  After we had our share for the day, we were sitting on Kiona Vineyards and Winery’s patio overlooking the vineyards and the hills.  Those of you who went out for Catch the Crush festivities on Saturday or Sunday know just how unseasonably gorgeous the weekend was.

Thus was the setting when my mom said, “I could sit right here forever,” and I could hear in her voice that she meant it.  Naturally, I did not agree with her out loud at the time.  As a general rule, I don’t agree with my mother on matters of opinion.  If she were to tell me that raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens were a few of her favorite things, I’d hope there were enough of them in the world to make her happy, but I’d also instantly have to adopt them as my least favorite things.  As it is, I’m not too fond of whiskers on kittens anyways.   But on this rare occasion, I had to agree– at least silently.

I am amazed at how beautiful this area is.  I have to believe it is one the most hidden gems in the country.  This bewilderment is not coming from a visitor, but from someone who grew up here, who made the drive from Prosser to the Tri-Cities without ever looking around, for fear of death from boredom.  When I was a young kid, that place called Benton City was merely the place where if I had to travel for a soccer or football game, I was annoyed at it for wasting my valuable time I could have been using to practice my penmanship or at  least pick my nose in private.  Where was this view when I was watching Big and Kindergarten Cop on VHS for the millionth time each?  Where was this graceful falcon dancing in the otherwise empty sky for me when I was playing duck hunt until I looked like Ben Stein in a Clear Eyes commercial and when I was blowing the “dust” out of Nintendo cartridges until I needed supplemental oxygen?

I first noticed I had been taking this beauty for granted a couple years ago, when I came back from Europe of all places.  Even though I saw a lot of rural beauty in countries like Italy, Austria and Spain, I spent most of my time in London, suffocated by buildings.  When I came home, this stark transition made me see all I had been missing for 20 years.  But since then, I left again, then went abroad again, and when I came back I was still taking our area for granted.  This Sunday, from Kiona’s stunning vantage point, I realized again just how lucky I am to have the chance to live here.

So mom, I too could sit right there forever.  I don’t even need wine to enjoy it.  Well, I should be more careful with my words.  I wouldn’t mind sitting right there forever.  I probably can’t though.  If I told the proprietors of Kiona that I would be sitting on their patio for the rest of eternity, I would most likely soon be escorted from the premises by some of Benton County’s finest.  Even if I was allowed to sit there until the melting glaciers and ice caps flood the Earth, I would prefer some more company.  Rather than spend all that time with only my mother at my right side, maybe a female who didn’t give birth to me would also be nice.  I know– high standards.

The Nose

Another highlight of my Catch the Crush experience occurred a day earlier when I went to Goose Ridge with my friend Derek.  When Lola, my GPS device finally got over her issues and led us to Goose Ridge, I had to first make sure I hadn’t walked in on a cast party for Cougar Town.  Soon after, I found an activity to test my sensory adeptness.  Set up in the entrance was “Aroma Awareness,” with three different ingredients each from a Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon isolated in glasses for participants to smell and identify.  Perfect!  This can’t be too hard.  Right?

For the first ingredient in the Chardonnay– I smell Jagermeister.  I know there’s no Jager in the wine, so I guess what, in retrospect, is probably just as irrational to be in a white wine.  “Licorice,” I shout out before Derek has a chance to steal my perfect answer.  He looks at me like he’s embarrassed to be with me.  “Ummm…I was thinking vanilla.”  Derek is right and immediately emerges as the teacher’s pet.  Neither of us gets the next– citrus.  But then Derek identifies butterscotch as the third, while I’m still sniffing away like my life depended on sucking up wine through my nose.

So I’m 0-3 after the first wine.  Now, I’m a reformed perfectionist.  Ten years ago I would have had a seizure at such a score on any test, no exceptions– but I can handle this.  It leaves room for improvement.  Surely I will do better on the Cab.

The first ingredient smells to me like rubbing alcohol.  Apparently I associate oak/cedar with rubbing alcohol.  The second ingredient smells like vanilla.  Derek is smelling butterscotch again.  The guy running Aroma Awareness tells us that no one has gotten this one right all day.  Now, this is coming from the ex-perfectionist who in grade school blamed any imperfection on the teacher, but still, I think that’s a hint that you may want to check your glass again.  Turns out that the vanilla butterscotch is supposed to be chocolate.  0-5.  I’ve got one last chance to redeem myself.  I get some hints this time.  I’m told it’s a fruit.  I’m pretty sure that I had read earlier in the day that the Cab had blackberries in it, and that may be how I immediately and correctly smelled blackberries.  Whatever; I got one.  I may have cheated, but it’s a step up from smelling Jagermeister.

Hopefully I come much further in the coming weeks / months / maybe years.  I’m going to review my first wine soon.  Hopefully you’ll find something to trust from the judgment of someone who can (kind of) smell one out of six ingredients.

PalateBomb.com Explodes Into the Wine Scene

Jul 22 2009

PalateBomb.com Explodes Into the Wine Scene

Last night at Bookwalter Winery in Washington’s Columbia Valley, family and friends surrounded us as we launched an effort to share information, experiences and thoughts about wine. With helium-filled balloons in the PalateBomb palette adding a festive touch and Fenix Sound & Vision providing a chill background vibe, we shared some appetizers and a few bottles of red and white.

Bookwalter Winery + PalateBomb.com = Experience to Remember

Last night, the food, wine and beginning of a new venture brought us together; the conversation and company made it memorable. Everyone I spoke with at PalateBomb’s launch shared so many interesting perspectives on wine, food, wineries and regions, that I had more things to think about than I have shoes!

One lady I met kept me in stitches, with a sharp, witty perspective on life. She clued me into a white sangria that I can’t wait to try and share. Another person I met develops food – she’s a senior food technologist whose anecdotes about various dining experiences inspire me to think about food in a different way, more analytically. I’ve only scratched the surface of the stories everyone shared as we partook of delicious wine from the Columbia River Valley from Bookwalter Winery.

I had a glass of the Subplot 23 Columbia Valley Red, an intense red that started out sweet, but not too sweet. Interestingly complex, it hit the palate with hints of spice and fruit. I thought it would pair well with chocolate covered espresso beans.

Alas, I had none. However, Bookwalter provided hummus served with warmed bread, a selection of cheeses, grapes and meats as antipasta. The meats and grapes paired well together – the contrasts won me over. Take a succulent, tender and sweet grape and wrap a dry, cured and salty slice of salami around the grape. Bite. Savor. Enjoy.

Thank you to everyone who came out last night to celebrate PalateBomb’s launch – please don’t hesitate to let us know if there’s a wine you think we should try or a pairing you’d like us to explore (and write about!)

Also available at the PalateBomb launch, a white Chardonnay-Viognier blend.

Summer breeze…makes me want WINE! Seriously.

Jul 19 2009

One of my favorite summer pastimes is sitting outside, in the heat, drinking a cold glass of something wonderful – like a dry riesling, or a chenin blanc. In fact, let’s talk a little about the wonderfully versatile wine that is chenin blanc. What it is, what it pairs with, and which one I think fits the bill for summer drinking this year.

First off, what IS chenin? Well, the grape, vitis vinifera, is a wonderfully versatile fruit, that’s used to create many a dry white wine. Also, it’s common in dessert wines, sparkling wines and even forms of brandy. The grape does well in warm climates, even in climates considered too warm for other varietals, which is why Washington State has the perfect climate for this grape and many others.

Chenin blanc traditionally pairs well with many foods. The “white wine staples” like chicken or fish go well, and chenin can be a treat for all you asparagus lovers out there. I, on the other hand, like to venture into the unknown a little with my wine pairings, so read on.

Let’s get to the good stuff – the wine! One of my favorite chenin wines that has been consistently good throughout the years has been the L’Ecole No 41 “Walla Voila” Chenin Blanc. It is a tart but sweet white with a wonderful nose and taste that can only be described as clean and crisp. Imagine taking a ripe pear and smashing it together with a big Georgia peach then drizzling honey over it.

The wine sits at 13.5% alcohol, but is nicely balanced so it doesn’t leave you with a hot, alcoholic burn. It’s slightly sweet, but acidic enough that it goes great with heavily seasoned chicken and fish alike. I recently paired a bottle with “jerk” chicken, which was spicy enough to make my mouth (and eyes) water from just the smell. Even though the chicken spiciness was high, the wine stood its ground. Fresh grilled asparagus on the side made it a great meal combo! Grab a bottle or two of the current vintage of the L’Ecole Chenin Blanc and enjoy it on your patio, deck, or boat tonight because this wine…screams summer!