Tavola Rosso » Washington

Sweet Cakes

Elizabeth O'Connor — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 01:15:21 +0000

Posting live from Sweet Cakes (Sweet Cakes in Kirkland on my last day. If you are in the mood for something sweet, you should make a stop in sometime. Or if you have a special occasion coming up, Sweet Cakes is a must- from wedding cakes to custom sugar cookies. They offer wonderful gluten free cupcakes too!

Susanne Park, store owner, has been baking goodies for over 10 years professionally and opened her first store front in December 2008.

I recommend the coconut or red velvet cupcakes, two of my favorites.

2005 Tsillan Cellars Sangiovese

Sean O'Connor — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:11:29 +0000

We’ve covered Tsillan Cellars plenty in past posts, and have a pretty sincere connection to the place. From an outside perspective, it appears that Tsillan Cellars has gone through their growing pains and is now really exceeding expectations with the quality of their wine, under head viticulturalist Shane Collins’ close watch.

After a recent winery tour and tasting with Shane, we came home with a couple bottles of their 2005 Sangiovese. We uncorked a bottle recently with some pasta, and enjoyed it even more than we did during our visit to the winery.

What I find comforting about some wines, is that you don’t even have to think about it to really appreciate it, its just good, or in this case…very good. Chianti and Sangiovese wines are my favorites for exactly that reason, I don’t have to do any fancy tasting’s or try and pull out a potpourri of tastes and smells to sound intelligent and to appreciate the wine…

According to Tsillan Cellars: Garnet brick in color and ripe with black cherries and plums, the 2005 Sangiovese is a wonderful example of New World Sangiovese. An incredibly perfumed nose leads into chocolate covered fruits on the tongue and an exceptionally long finish of espresso and cocoa beans. As is typical of Sangiovese, this wine is designed to be paired with food, as its explosive mid-palate fruit and lower pH are the perfect compliment to a classic Italian meal. 400 Cases Produced.

Terroir in Washington

Mark Stoltz — Fri, 30 May 2008 20:36:24 +0000

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. One winemaker even seemed to brag about blending grapes from thirteen vineyards. No doubt their is a true art to blending, but what seems to be lacking in many of the Washington wines we had was that taste of place… literally the earthiness, or minerality of a very specific region.

I remember last fall, when Isabell and I were on our honeymoon in Healdsburg (Sonoma), we spent one entire afternoon tasting wine from the Dry Creek region. By the end of the day we knew Dry Creek. It did not matter if the wine was red or white, we could taste the limestone that is synonymous with the Dry Creek region. The French, and Italians for that matter, obviously bring terroir to the forefront of their wines – the regions take precedence over the varietal on the labels!

As Washington wine continues to grow in acclaim and popularity, I would like to see more winemakers show how great many of the states growing regions really are. Walla Walla seems to have a commanding lead in this area and I hope the Columbia and Yakima Valleys, Puget Sound, and Lake Chelan areas follow suit – their wines will develop a deeper complexity and truly be the better for it.

2005 Alexandria Nicole Grenache

Mark Stoltz — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:19:54 +0000

A couple of nights ago my wife and I had a very nice Washington wine, the 2005 Alexandria Nicole Grenache. Normally the grenache varietal is reserved for blending into more prominent red wines like cabernet sauvignon and merlot. But recently we have seen more and more traditional blending grapes showcased on their own. And we have to say, Alexandria Nicole has a winner here.

Here are the winemaker’s notes:

“This Sun-Worshiper thrives on the intense heat and direct sun-light it receives from the top of Destiny Ridge Vineyards. Our Grenache is planted in sandy soils overlaying broken basalt and overlooks the majestic Columbia River. The rugged wind that blows down the Columbia adds additional stress to the vines and helps produce the provocative aromas of blackberries, raspberries, earth, sandstone and grapefruit; followed by a wine with huge body, fabulous concentration, and wonderful minerality in the finish.”

Wine: Kennedy Shah 2002 Syrah

Elizabeth O'Connor — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 21:08:15 +0000

Valentine’s Day has come and gone but my memories of the wine we enjoyed that night have not. Sean prepared our traditional Valentine’s meal of lamb alongside small, yellow potatoes and green beans. The bottle of 2003 Kennedy Shah Syrah from Woodhouse Family Wine Cellars, couldn’t have complimented the dinner better. Purchased a couple summers ago while roaming in Woodinville wine country with friends, this delightful blend consists of 92% Syrah, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Red Mountain region in the Columbia Valley.

The wine’s smooth, mushroomy flavors accompanied the rich flavors of the lamb nicely. Drawn to hints of tobacco and cherry in the finish, I found myself allowing the wine to linger on the back of the tongue to elicit the sweet earth-like flavor. I recommend finishing the bottle with some high-quality, dark chocolate.

According to wine maker Tom Campbell, this Syrah “has a firm, powerful dark berry fruit dressed in a cloak of rose petals and earthen-mushrooms. A subtle yet complex nose explodes on the palate with soft, round tannins.”