The Melting Teapot

This is a big week for me.  Among other things, I’ll be going on the exciting Oyster Outing I wrote about previously, then a couple of days later I'm heading south to Portland and the Willamette Valley.  One of my favorite Italian restaurants, Pazzo, is in Portland.  It is definitely a must-do for dinner.  Oh, and one of my best tea buddies lives there, so tea will probably make an appearance in some way.  She’s also a good wine buddy, and she'll be with me Saturday as I explore the Eola-Amity Hills wine region.

Food adventures, tea, and wine -- yup, my kind of week.

To get ready, I’ve had to make plenty of plans and a few purchases.  Among other things, I needed some mucking-around-on-the-shoreline-after-dark boots.  An excerpt from Jon Rowley's e-mail shows why:

"Why at night? Low minus tides in the winter are at night (during the day in the summer) so to experience the oysters when they are at their best we hit the beach at night in the dark when the oysters come naturally chilled to just the right temperature.

Thank you for your courageous participation on a school night. The weather report for Wednesday, at this point, is for chilly, cloudy weather. I suggest dressing for warm and dry, ready for weather contingencies: boots or weatherproof shoes, waterproof jacket, rainpants,...dress to keep dry. In case the temperature drops,  I'd suggest wearing long johns and few layers to keep the chill off. Wool or thermal wear will serve you well. Warm hat, scarf...you get the idea. Getting cold and wet is no fun. If you have a headlamp or lantern, bring it along."

I’ve got tennis shoes and hiking boots, but for this I need something mud-ready and waterproof.  Even though I’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest for almost 8 years, I’ve never gotten a pair of duck boots, or wellies, or rubbers. . . until yesterday.  Thanks to some recommendations from others more in the know than me, I found a great store with a good selection of “muck boots.”

DeYoung's Farm & Garden, in Woodinville WA.

Many sizes, great prices -- I'm all booted up for less than $25.

Boots -- check. Oyster knife -- check. Still searching for my headlamps -- but I'm pretty sure they're in the back closet somewhere.

We’re having an amazingly dry January here in the Puget Sound area (thank you El Nino), and no rain is in tomorrow’s forecast.  I won’t be bothering with rain pants or a poncho, instead wearing multiple layers of sweatshirt, coat, and scarves.

I’m mostly prepared for tomorrow night, so right now I’m going through my notes on potential wineries to visit Saturday, while sipping a beautiful Washington wine with a nice bit of age – a 1998 DeLille Harrison Hill (red bordeaux blend).

Here are my Cellartracker Notes:

Wheat thins, a dusty chamomile, mint, sweet chocolate, celery salt, soy sauce – and that’s just the bouquet!  This has an intriguing nose that we’re trying to identify, but we’re still not quite there.   It’s somehow sweet and savory at the same time.  The complex nose itself makes this wine something special, but it also tastes very nice.  There are still plenty of tannins (although they’re diminishing) and a good acid that brings dark cherries to the forefront, mixed in with some chocolate, cola, veggies, and notes of musky wild blackberries.  The berries and cola extend on in the finish, alongside a touch of mint and herbs.

You’ll find the full tale of my Walrus & Carpenter adventure (with photos) here on the blog soon. I may even write a post from my wonderful hotel room in Portland this weekend . . . but not until after tasting some pinots and spending a luxurious evening in the jetted tub.