Wine Lovin Women

Rose' The sun was heating up the day so start pouring some Rosé. The Rosé gets a bad rap from its past, comparing it to the sickening sweet “Blush” wines of long ago.    The Rose’ coming out now, you don’t need to be ashamed to admit you like.   The Rosé wine producers continue to improve the quality and array of flavors and outstanding versions are coming out now; some of the best are dry, crisp and refreshing.    The Rosé color comes from the short amount of time that the skins of the grape stay in contact with the juices…only a few hours.    Since they are fermented and aged in stainless steel to preserve the freshness, you will find the Rosé has little tannins. While the sun is shining, Rosé has proved to be a refreshing option to pour.    Such as the Rosé of Cabernet Franc from Columbia Valley by Masquerade Wine Company in Bellingham; this has a soft, dry fruit flavor.    Cougar Crest Winery from Walla Walla has...

A RE-VISIT TO DUMAS STATION WINERY     Dumas Station, Dayton, Washington A recent visit to Dayton, Washington meant only one thing…….I was heading to Dumas Station Winery to taste the launch of their new white wine, Cow Catcher White and re-visit some of my all time favorites. For those who have not read some of our older blogs, Dumas Station is definitely a favorite.  They are located on Highway 12 just outside of Dayton in a historical 1908 apple packing shed that was built by James Dumas.  Jay, Doug, Debbie and Ali are the people behind this great winery and for the past six years have introduced me to their amazing wines.  They have crafted a lot of heart and soul into each vintage and not one season has disappointed me. I’m not going to get all descriptive and detailed on each wine.  You can go to www.dumasstation.com if you want the specifications on each wine.  Here is my personal view about Dumas Station. Cab Franc pa...

Tribute After attending this year's Washington Wine and Food Experience there were so many new wines that stuck out and I wanted to share one of them. I am sure there were a whole lot more we didn't get to try however it's not possible to sample all the amazing winery's at this event or all the great food...we tried however did not succeed. Tribute a Red Blend by Browne Family Vineyards, I fell in love with from the start, a very fine nose than a powerful yet subtle balance of ripe flavors that showed many layers, with a memorable long lasting berry finish. Brown Family Vineyards has a tasting room in Walla Walla however if you don't have plans to go to Walla Walla (first you need to put a trip on the calander right now) you can also purchase at QFC and Costco. Cheers!  Denise

Listen up Wine Lovin Women readers,  here is a wine maker to watch and make sure to try...Elsom Cellars. What a joy it was to experience these well made wines with depth of flavor, complexity and character. A wine maker who studied here than spent time in Italy, shows her talent in her wine. 2009 Logan Red Wine Blend 70% Malbec, 21 % Syrah If the color doesn't   tell the full story the nose will, its impeccably rounded with an amazing aroma and background.  The feel is a lush and rich as they come, a master of blending with detail and finishing  highlights. 2009 Isabella Red Wine Blend 33% Double Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Artz Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Gilber Malbec, 11% Double Canyon Petit Verdot Show stopping harmonious layers, it hardly gets more delicious than this.  So soft and velvety you can't resist taking another sip.  Good balance for what amounts to a great wine, this impressively powerful blend. Jody Elsom is a ...

The Fourth Annual Gig Harbor Wine and Food Festival After a year absence from the wine tasting scene, the Gig Harbor Wine and Food Festival made its return this past weekend.  Some of the best local Washington wineries, breweries and restaurants were present to share in the return of this special annual event. Vendors from both sides of the state were well represented and I was pleasantly surprised by the local representation of wineries right here in my own back yard. As before, the complimentary shuttle service was and still is one of the best ways to get to the festival.  Timely shuttles pick up and drop off at several designated spots throughout Gig Harbor so you don’t have to fight for parking at the event site.  They pick you up and drop you off right in front of the event so not much walking is required. I liked the new entry into the event this year.  I thought it was well planned out and organized.  In 2012 there seem to be a ...

Throw a wine tasting party…here is how A wine tasting party is great for socializing, discovering new wines and gaining some new favorites thru fun experimentation. This type of party is one of the easiest theme party’s to hold since its focus is on the wine.   Throwing a wine tasting party isn’t drudgery like hosting can sometimes turn out to be, while you are working hard you miss out on your own party, this is pretty much a guarantee good time for everyone. A successful party of any kind comes from the preparation ahead of time so you will first need to decide on a theme. Here are some ideas : Blind taste testing ; cover the bottle with brown bag, wine bags, wrapping paper or colored  tissue.   Vertical tasting ; you taste the same variety of wine from same producer  but different years Theme tasting ; wines can all be white or all red, the same grape such as a Pinot, same region or by price point   Region tasting ; you can have wine from ...

Bad Day…..Good Bottle We all have those days in which we wished we had never climbed out of bed.  Tuesday was that day for me. By the time I was leaving the office for the day I just wanted to pound my supervisor into the ground and never look back.  But I simply clocked out and got in my car for the long commute home.  It was raining (a northwest normal) and the traffic was crawling at a snail’s pace.  My windshield wipers were hard at work but 10 miles into the commute, my passenger side wiper decided it had enough.  It flung itself onto the hood of my car but thank goodness I was crawling in the slow lane and was able to pull over to the shoulder. I put my emergency flashers on and carefully stepped out of my car and around to the passenger side.  Unbeknown to me, I had parked right by a very large mud puddle and since it was dark outside, proceeded to step into the puddle that swallowed my feet up to my ankles. I quickly groped my way...