Bivalves and Sparkling Wine

We have all been there before: you work hard all day, and when you finally make it home, you are exhausted, and have the energy of a sloth, leaving no desire to cook. To make things more complicated, it is mid-July, and many of us would prefer to enjoy the warm, sunny days, and afternoon [...]

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Whole Trout and Pinot d’Alsace

Chef Nick Benz discusses his weekly pairing of Roasted Whole Trout with a Beurre Blanc, Chinese Long Beans and Fingerling Potatoes and Pinot d'Alsace.

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How to Bottle Wine – Fielding Hills Winery

In mid-May, I was invited to  Fielding Hills Winery, a small family-run vineyard located in the hills of East Wenatchee , and had the opportunity to help bottle their 2006 Tribute. Overlooking the Columbia River and Wenatchee community, owners Mark & Karen Wade, planted grapes near their orchard in spring of 1998 and their first [...]

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Patio Pounders

I’m writing this from a desk pushed up against the second week of June in Seattle. My mind is migrating to any place where people might be celebrating Summer by reveling in Springtime sunshine. Pagans. Not the kind of thing we see in June up in these parts. To combat my geographical dislocation, I go [...]

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Terroir in Washington

While tasting dozens of wines at the Washington Wine Highway last weekend, Sean and I started discussing the role (or lack thereof) of terroir - a sense of place - in Washington wines. A solid majority of the wines we tasted, though labeled as a single varietal (mostly cab, merlot and syrah), were blends from several different vineyards.

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