The Melting Teapot

If you'll be near Woodinville, Washington this afternoon, head over to the Grand Opening for Convergence Zone Cellars.  CZ will be releasing their first two wines, 2009 Riesling and 2009 Sunbreak Chenin Blanc, as well as having barrel tastings of their 2008 and 2009 red wines. All wines will be matched with small bites from Lynn's Bistro.

You may remember CZ Cellars from a June blog post, when I shared photos of the morning I helped on the bottling line:

The wines I helped bottle are the ones being tasted today.  Look closely at the capsules, and you might see my handiwork! 

I think you'll find these are pleasant white wines, perfect for hot summer days.   I've tasted them several times and am lucky enough to have a few bottles here at home (thank you gifts for helping out).  If you'd like to taste wines from one of the newest winemakers in Washington, head over to the Warehouse Winery area in Woodinville.

Here's more information from their Invitation:

CONVERGENCE ZONE CELLARS GRAND OPENING & RELEASE PARTY

Saturday, July 10, NOON to 5:00PM

19501 144th Ave. NE (Suite D-500)

Join us as we celebrate the Grand Opening of our new winery and the release of our first two wines. 

Convergence Zone Cellars is located--where else--in the Puget Sound Convergence Zone.  When weather from the south and weather from the north converge, we have that place where it's a little cloudier, stormier, and unpredictable.  

Our wines will focus on a Convergence of premium quality grapes from some of the best grape-growing regions and vineyards in Washington State.

Our first two wines are perfect for the summer (which finally arrived in the Convergence Zone on June 23rd).   Plus, receive 15% off during our release party.

We hope you can join us, and we look forward to seeing you in the Convergence Zone!

Scott and Monica Greenberg
Convergence Zone Cellars

Summer is finally putting in an appearance here in the Seattle area, and with the change in season comes a change in the beverages we drink.  As the temperature rises, heavy red wines wait it out on a cool shelf somewhere, while our bottles of white wines begin to move more often from frig to tabletop.  We also begin to shift from steaming cups to icy glasses of tea.

Refrigerator-Brewed Oolong

While I still begin each day with my morning mug of hot tea, the rest of my daily sipping favors refreshing iced tea.  I know that for many people in the U.S., iced tea = black tea, sometimes sweetened, often served with fresh lemon and/or mint.  While I enjoy that classic style of American iced tea, for me cold oolong is more fragrant and refreshing.

It is quite easy to make, with no boiling required.  Just place a few spoonfuls of loose tea in a pitcher or jar, fill with room temperature water, then place the pitcher in the refrigerator for 5-6 hours (or overnight).  Remove the leaves and it is ready to serve. The cold brewing method keeps the oolong from going bitter, but it still allows for the vibrant flavors and aromas to be present.

Iced tea is never quite as complex as its boiled counterpart, so I use the summer months to clear out my old teas.  Any oolongs that are two years or older get placed in the iced tea basket. Today, in addition to clearing out the oolong drawer, I dug out my old bodum Ceylon Iced Tea pitcher.

After about 15 years of use it is getting a bit worn around the edges.  The plastic is cracked and cloudy, and it probably won’t last much longer.  I love that it has an insert to hold the leaves, so they can be easily removed.  My new system needs to have this feature, but I’d prefer a glass rather than plastic exterior. I recently noticed another tea pitcher designed for brewing loose-leaf teas, and I’m going to give it a try.

Refreshing Bubbles

I do love the complexities of white wine, and it is always a joy to pair it with food.  However, on evenings when it gets very hot, I want low alcohol, a clean taste, and a nice spritzy texture.   Champagne is lovely, but it can be a bit pricey.  For everyday drinkers, it is definitely more cost effective to purchase sparkling whites and rosés from other regions.

Some of my favorite bubblies are Italy’s zesty sparkling proseccos.  These are quite easy to find, both in wine shops and even on grocery store shelves.  Prices generally run around $8-18/bottle (less, if you’re lucky enough to find them on sale).   My current favorite is the Livio Pavese Lugana Extra Dry, which I think has a satisfying lemon-rind finish, nice minerality, and fine bubbles that provide a good texture in the mouth.

Another reason I enjoy the Livio Pavese is that it holds up very well in mixed drinks, providing both fizz and flavor.  Here are a few suggestions for fruity prosecco drinks that are great on a hot summer day:

• Mimosa: Fill a champagne flute 1/3 full with orange juice.  Slowly top it off with prosecco.

• Bellini:  Fill a champagne flute 1/3 full with peach juice or fresh peach puree.  Slowly top it off with prosecco.

• Lemon-Ginger Bubbles: Rub a piece of fresh ginger on the rim of the glass, then pour the prosecco to fill.   Add a curly strip of lemon peel – be careful to have none of the white pith on the peel.  You want to get the essential oils of the peel without the bitterness from the pith.

• Limoncello Cocktail: Fill a champagne flute 1/3 full of limoncello.  Slowly top it off with prosecco.  Drop in one or two frozen berries (I like blackberries or blueberries).

• Frozen Fruit Bubbly: Fill your glass with prosecco, then add a few slices of frozen fruit.  Anything works, from mango to raspberries.  The fruit will keep your bubbly cold as well as provide some additional flavor as it melts.

I’ll leave you with a recipe for an amazingly delicious prosecco cocktail that my husband made for me last night.

Jeff’s French 75

2 oz. Hendricks gin
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. st. germaine
prosecco
lemon peel

Shake the first 3 ingredients over ice, just enough to blend. Pour into two champagne flutes.  Top with Prosecco.  Garnish with a lemon twist.

I’ve sipped an awful lot of wine lately, but on this cool and grey afternoon I was craving a robust tea.  That had me reaching for what I knew would be a deep, dark cup of ripe puerh.  This particular puerh came as a brick, and it was purchased from Brett at Black Dragon Tea Bar:  Cang Yuan Wa Mountain Ripe Puer Brick.

Today was my first time using one of the teapots from the collection my mother purchased for me. The teapot is very rustic, with rough spots and a lid that fits loosely.  It pours a bit sloppily, so it was important to hold that lid on carefully. It does not have a screen on the inside, which meant that small leaves sometimes clogged the spout.

However, the pot is full of character, and that rough and rustic quality seemed just right for a tea that is also a bit rustic and homey in style. Indeed, as the steam rose from the pot, the aroma and flavor of this tea pulled me to a mountain cabin.

Imagine sipping tea, eating biscuity scones, and inhaling deeply right after a mountain shower.  You’ll catch smoky piñon pine aromatics as a high note, while the damp soil and trees provide a nice undertone in the cup.  What a wonderful memory experience it provoked from me!

Tasting notes: smooth and sweet.  Some yeasty traits on the nose and in the mouth, reminiscent of biscuits and bread.  That damp leaf, forest floor characteristic of a ripe puerh is definitely in place.  There is also a lightly smoky aspect on the finish, but it isn’t bitter at all.  It is more in line with the smoke provided by a sweet piñon pine log in the fireplace.  There are also a few nuts in there, again of the sweet type – chestnuts or almonds.

For comparison, click here to read Brett’s notes on his blog.

Spofford Station is an agricultural train station, where train cars load wheat from the grain elevators located next to the historic train track.  It is located in a picturesque setting just south of the Washington border, near the town of Milton Freewater.  The station, and the vineyard that shares its name, lies within the Oregon segment of the Walla Walla AVA.

The Spofford Station Vineyard is owned by the vigorous and brisk Lynne Chamberlain, who writes that she takes “the grape plants from baby to bottle.”  Lynne runs the vineyard and makes two lines of wine: JLC (James Leigh Cellars), and Spofford Station Estate wines.  Other winemakers also purchase grapes from her vineyard to make their own wines.

On Saturday, I was one member of a group of 15 wine bloggers who were lucky enough to tour this beautiful vineyard.  Lynne loaded us on the back of a flat bed truck, where we sat on hay bales while she answered questions and entertained us with stories of her wine-making adventures.

After a short ride, we stopped and unloaded at the end of rows of grapevines, where we sipped wines made from the vines among which we strolled. This wine geek doesn’t think it gets any better than that! It was an experience I’ll always remember.

You’ll notice in the photos that there are roses planted at the ends of each row.  When I asked about these, Lynne said that she plants them to help her keep an eye on the grapes.  She can drive or walk along the road at the end of the vines, and if she spots problems with a rose bush there is likely an issue with those vines that needs to be addressed.  The roses also provide a natural winter habitat for the beneficial pests that help keep vines healthy and robust.

Walking among the vines on a beatiful morning, we noted tendrils of new growth stretching above our heads.

We also saw early evidence of the grapes -- the “bloom” on the vines.

During our outing, we tasted four wines by four different winemakers. I didn’t take formal  tasting notes, but I was impressed with how each of these winemakers allowed the fruit to really show through.  The wines weren’t excessively manipulated, instead focusing on balance and integrity of the grape.  These were exceptional small-production wines, and I’ll be getting some for our wine cellar soon.

These are the winemakers & the wines we tasted.

Robison Ranch Cellars Semillon
http://robisonranchcellars.com/

Adamant Cellars Syrah
http://www.adamantcellars.com

Patrick M Paul Merlot
http://www.washingtonwine.org/washington-wine/wineries/patrick-m-paul-vineyards/

Spofford Station Cabernet Sauvignon
http://jlcwineryonline.com/spoffordstation.php

The Wine Bloggers Conference in Walla Walla was filled with special events and one-of-a-kind experiences.  My mind is still reeling with information.  I’m a bit worn out from the intensity of it all, and from carrying around the huge back filled with books and wine bottles we were given upon arriving at the conference!

I’ve been wading through stacks of pamphlets, pages of notes, and numerous photos, thinking about which experiences will be most interesting for readers of this blog.   There were many tastings, including some that emulated speed-dating.  I toured vineyards, dined with winemakers, learned about the impact of oak on flavor profiles, listened to a geologist speaking on terroir and climate, and met many interesting people.

Don’t worry, tea lovers, I won’t be posting exclusively about wine for the next few weeks. I’m sure to have plenty of wonderful daily cuppas that inspire me to write, plus there were even a few tea-related things that happened during the Wine Blogger’s Conference.  For instance, after tasting about 30 or 40 different wines in just a few hours, I returned to my room to freshen up.  This gave me the opportunity to quickly brew some oolong tea with my handy dandy gaiwan travel set.

My big discovery was that a nice cup of oolong didn’t just perk me up, it helped to cleanse my tired palate and soothe my mouth, shaking off the tannins and acids of all the wine I’d been tasting.  It might be a good practice to carry a thermos of hot or iced oolong in my car whenever I go on a wine-tasting excursion.  It needs to be a fairly light and unassuming tea, one that refreshes without getting in the way of wines still to come.  A break for tea in the middle of the day is always a good idea!

I returned to the conference, palate refreshed, ready to face the astonishing number of wines available for tasting.

Often the winemakers were pouring for us, answering many questions. Sometimes winemakers or reps were representing a type of wine or an AVA (like the new Lake Chelan AVA in Washington).

I gave it my best shot, but it was impossible to try them all.  After a bit, I shifted my goal to tasting wines I’d never had before. For instance, I tried wine from Sinclair Estate Vineyards, which just opened two months ago.  My favorite was their cab, merlot, syrah, mourvedre blend -- Vixen.

However, don't assume my weekend wasn’t just one big hazy drunk experience.  Here in Washington, we like to say  It's Hip to Spit! The conference provided us with large paper cups, which made it much easier to spit without getting backsplash from a big bucket. We also had plenty of water to keep us hydrated.

It is very important to spit wine at tastings, not only because it keeps one from getting drunk.  Spitting helps you focus on the wine, thinking about the finish and how long the flavor lingers.  At an event like this, we weren’t usually sipping in a party setting,  Instead, we were tasting to discover new wines, to get a general sense of a region, or to compare differences and similarities between varietals and wineries.

Here’s the process:

• Hold out your glass for a pour (indicate which wine you’d like to taste). You’ll receive a tasting-sized portion of wine.
• Sniff it. Swirl it. Sniff Again.
• Sip and Swish the wine around in the mouth.
• Spit.
• Sip and Swish.
• Spit.
• Sniff the glass after it is empty to see if you pick up more aromas.
• If the wine was particularly aggressive, or if it was red and you’re moving on to a white wine, rinse the glass with a bit of water.
• Repeat with the next wine.

In the midst of this, you can ask questions, compare notes with others tasting, or just focus intently on that glass in your hand.

Intimidated by the idea of spitting wine?  Here’s a video I’ve linked to in the past, but it’s worth revisiting.

Later today (or maybe tomorrow), I’ll be posting photos of one of my most memorable experiences – an excursion to the Spofford Station Vineyard, where we sipped wines made from the vines surrounding us.  Check back soon for that and for other highlights from my trip to Walla Walla!