The Melting Teapot

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!

I’m getting ready to head east over the Cascades to the heart of Washington wine country, Walla Walla, where I'll be attending the 2010 Wine Bloggers’ Conference. It’s a fun opportunity to hone my skills for writing about wine, as well as network with other bloggers. I even made business cards for the occasion. Hopefully, I’ll actually remember to carry them with me.

This is the first time the conference has been located outside of California, and having it so close to home makes this a fairly easy trip.  In Walla Walla, I’ll be attending conference sessions, touring wineries and vineyards, tasting many great wines, and meeting quite a few fellow bloggers.

Here are a few highlights:

• Terroirs of the Walla Walla Valley presented by geologist Kevin Pogue
• Taco Truck Tasting lunch
• Walla Walla Walkabout with the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance: several downtown tasting rooms will be staying open late to host tastings for bloggers
• Winery tours and lunch at wineries
• Dinner with the Washington Wine Commission and Keynote with wine writer Lettie Teague
• After Hours Fiesta with Rias Baixas Albarino and Wines from Spain
• Food & Wine Pairing Seminar with chef Jeffrey Saad

There are also several panel sessions and presentations, as well as group blogging events.  Hopefully, I’ll have some time to post a few updates and photos here on my blog.  If not, I’ll definitely be sharing photos and information next week after I return.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to spend some time on the bottling line for two of Washington’s newest wineries, Convergence Zone Cellars and Kaella Winery.  The winemaker-owners are both friends of mine, and I’ve been happily following their progress over the past couple of years as they began to move from personal to professional winemaking.  I’ve tasted juice fresh after crush, sampled their wines from barrel and carboys, sampled the wines at various points in the aging process, and had fun chatting about their plans for future blends.  I’ve been able to  vicariously experience their decision-making processes about blends, wine labels, and winery space.   It’s been amazing watching all that they’ve gone through in their journey.

On Saturday, both of my friends went through their first full bottling process, which means their wines will soon be ready for sale to the public.  I was excited for them, and I’m excited for the rest of us who will soon be able to enjoy their wonderful wines.  Convergence Zone Cellars and Kaella Winery will be making wine drinkers happy for years to come.

This is only the second time I've helped bottle wine, and I know most of you reading this blog won't have pariticipated in a bottling process before.  Because of this, I put together a quick overview of what happens.

Breakdown of the Process

1. Boxes full of empty bottles are turned over onto a table, where they are promptly grabbed and placed on the rotating bottle filler.

2.  The cone is full of hundreds of corks, waiting to be placed into bottles.

3. One by one, the bottles are pulled from the bottle filler and placed in the corking machine, which then drives each cork in with a big Pop-and-Whoosh sound that punctuates the entire process.

4. Bottles quickly fill the table, waiting for someone to quickly place a foil capsule on top.  I spent most of my morning in this area, popping on capsules, moving bottles around, and grabbing empty boxes when they were needed.

5. The loose-fitting capsules need to be tightened down in what is perhaps the least popular spot on the bottling line.  The woman here was a total pro who volunteers to help the small up-and-coming winemakers in our area.  She grabbed each bottle, tilted it down at a 90 degree angle, then inserted it into the sealing machine.

6.  Bottles quickly fill the boxes, and are then moved to waiting pallettes.  Often, as in this case, a hovering winemaker is nearby overseeing it all. 

More Photos

Bottling is a very energetic and quick process, but whenever I had a moment to stop moving boxes or popping capsules on the bottles, I tried to snap some quick photos.

Woodinville winemaker Chris Gorman stopped by

winemaker Mark McNeilly (Mark Ryan wines) also dropped in

Dave loads the magnum bottles on the machine

Oh, the hardship -- we got to taste the wines after bottling

Tonight’s Chef vs. City (on Food Network) takes place in our neck of the woods. Chris Cosentino and Aaron Sanchez battle against Seattle chef Jason Stratton and his sous-chef Carrie Mashaney.

According to the Komo4 News web site, the chefs will be facing “food challenges at places such as a bar in Tacoma, Capitol Hill’s Anchovies & Olives and Downtown’s Top Pot, among other places.”  The description from Food Network reads:

In this episode of Chefs vs. City, Chris Cosentino and Aaron Sanchez test their mettle in Seattle against two of the city's most talented rising stars: Jason Stratton and Carrie Mashaney. From boisterous bar food in Tacoma to sugar-coated sweetness downtown, it's a battle in Seattle as our teams throw down in a race of gastronomical proportions. The pride of Seattle is on the line in one of the closest races ever.

Stratton was recently named by Food & Wine magazine as one of the nation’s best new chefs, and his Capitol HIll restaurant Spinasse has been getting rave reviews from local critics and diners alike.

Here’s a fun description of the Chef vs. City event from Jason Stratton, who was interviewed by Steven Blum of The Stranger:

“It involved a lot of hurrying around to different restaurants—and I don't run, so it was a challenge. We were both sore for three weeks. It's funny because they try and make you look like ferocious competitors, but we were just joking and laughing the whole time. I wonder how they'll edit it [laughs].”

I wonder which parts of Seattle and Tacoma we'll be seeing on tonight's show.  Personally, I hope they'll steer clear of the rather cliché scenes of fish-throwing at Pike Place Market.

A few days ago, my best buddy of 15 years passed away.  Aurie was a sweet and gentle pup, a sled dog mix who loved nothing more than going for a walk or ride. She was a faithful companion for me, leading the way on many hikes, accompanying me when I searched for geocaches, and hanging out at my feet when I wrote at my computer.

Of all the cookbooks stacked on my shelves, Aurie's favorite was The Doggy Bone Book with its doggy-licious recipes like “Cinnabone” and “Bark-B-Q.”

Aurie was especially fond of anything with peanut butter, so the cookies baked most often were these:

Peamutt Butter Cookies

2 tablespoons corn oil
½ cup peanut butter
1 cup water
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine oil, peanut butter, and water.  Add flour, one cup at a time, then knead into firm dough.  Roll  or press the dough to ¼” thickness and cut with bone-shaped cookie cutter.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Makes about 30 cookies.

If Aurie had made it through to the hot days of summer, I would have definitely tried the fruity, frozen “Pupsicles” that were recently published on the Medill Reports web site.

Pupsicles

1 large banana
1/2 cup of plain yogurt
4 cups of orange juice

1. Mash 1 large banana
2. Combine 1/2 cup or plain yogurt with 4 cups of orange juice
3. Add mashed banana to the mixture
4. Blend until smooth
5. Pour mixture into ice cube trays
6. Store in the freezer until ready to serve

I'd  also buy the cookbook that includes that recipe, Real Food for Dogs,  if for no other reason than its delightful opening sentence:  “Dogs seem to be lousy spellers until you spell the word t-r-e-a-t.”


If you’re lucky enough to have canine buddies in your life, take some time this week to make them a special treat.    Please give them big hugs from me, and tell them Aurie would have loved to meet them.