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The way things are going in Washington these days, the above headline needs a bit more information - because it seems like a Walla Walla winery is opening a second tasting room in Woodinville about every other week.
ROHNERT PARK, Calif. — Northwest wineries fared well at the 2010 Grand Harvest Awards, an international wine competition staged by Vineyard & Winery Management magazine.
Cheers to the glorious gluttony of summer, when Northwest fields and markets are filled to bursting with sweet corn, fresh basil, heirloom tomatoes, succulent salmon and fresh berries.
Our glorious summer menu begins with a recipe from "Big John" Caudill, Washington wine country chef and Yakima Valley resident. Make Sweet Corn and Basil Bisque by cutting 4 cups of corn kernels fresh from the cob. Simmer the cobs 20 minutes in four cups of chicken stock and keep the stock warm. Melt two tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add one-quarter cup each minced sweet onion and minced shallot plus one tablespoon minced garlic. Cook five minutes, stirring occasionally, without browning. Add the corn kernels, one cup of diced Russet potato, three cups of the warm chicken stock and one teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper. Cover and simmer 30 to 45 minutes, until the potatoes are soft. Add one-half cup heavy cream and one teaspoon Tabasco. Purée until very smooth, adding the remaining chicken stock if needed. Season to taste and fold in two tablespoons fresh minced basil. Garnish with fresh basil sprigs and crème fraîche.
Pair the bisque with Apex Cellars II 2005 Sauvignon Blanc ($11) from the Yakima Valley. It's rife with mouth-watering citrus notes (grapefruit and lemon-lime), plus melon, honeysuckle and minerals. A touch of oak lends a polished, smooth finish.
Our feast continues with Summer Bread Salad, a recipe from Beecher's Handmade Cheese in the Pike Place Market. Place five large, diced heirloom tomatoes (about six cups) plus any accumulated juice in a large bowl. Add one teaspoon kosher salt, toss and let rest five minutes. Add four ounces of good-quality homemade or store-bought croutons; one tablespoon each minced fresh cilantro and chives; one ripe, cubed avocado and eight ounces Beecher's Fresh Curds (or fresh mozzarella bocconcini - half-inch balls - or fresh mozzarella torn into bite-sized pieces). Add three tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and one tablespoon white wine vinegar, plus freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Toss gently and serve at room temperature.
Beecher's cheesemongers suggest pairing Syncline Wine Cellars 2004 Viognier ($20) from the Columbia Valley with the salad. Although that vintage is sold out, 2005 is stylistically similar. In the nose this ripe, rich white displays white peaches, apricots, honeysuckle and orange blossom. White peaches continue on the palate with subtle orange blossom notes and minerality. The long, persistent finish is backed by good acidity.
Summer salmon gets a fresh approach thanks to Linda Kaplan, former owner of Panther Creek Cellars in McMinnville, Ore. To make Scandinavian Salmon, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel one English cucumber in long strokes, saving the skins. Thinly slice the cucumber. Line a large baking sheet with heavy-duty foil, then criss-cross with another piece of foil, like a big plus sign.
Place a three-pound piece of wild salmon fillet (pin bones removed) skin side down in the center of the foil and neatly cover the fish with the white portion of the cucumber skins. Cover the cucumber skins with one thinly sliced lemon and top with half a bunch of dill. Wrap the fish in the foil and cook 50 to 55 minutes, or until the fish is opaque throughout. Unwrap, remove the skin, transfer to a large platter, season with salt and pepper and garnish with the cucumber slices, additional lemon slices and the remaining dill.
With its berry-bright strawberry and raspberry aromas and silky mouth feel, Panther Creek 2004 Winemaker's Cuvee Pinot Noir ($25), with grapes from five Willamette Valley vineyards, makes an elegant match. Ripe berries and cherries continue on the palate, along with mushroom and earthy notes, components that mirror the earthiness in the salmon and dill.
Our glamorous summer dessert, White Chocolate Soup with Strawberries, comes from Jason McLeod, executive chef at Fifty Two 80 Bistro & Bar in the Four Seasons Resort Whistler in British Columbia. Place one-half pound of white chocolate in a stainless-steel bowl. Bring 11 fluid ounces of heavy whipping cream to a simmer and pour over the chocolate, stirring constantly until melted and mixed. Place the chocolate in the fridge and stir every few minutes. When cool, add three-and-one-half fluid ounces lowfat (2 percent) milk.
Bring one cup of Domaine Ste. Michelle NV Blanc de Noirs ($12) from the Columbia Valley to a simmer and pour it over six ounces of fresh, sliced strawberries. Add three crushed pink peppercorns and refrigerate about one hour. In a nonreactive saucepan, reduce one-and-a-half cups of freshly squeezed orange juice to a half cup. After cooling and just before serving, stir in three leaves of thinly sliced basil. Divide the strawberries among two soup bowls and gently pour the soup around the berries. Drizzle with the orange/basil reduction. Place two fresh basil leaves atop the strawberries.
Pair the soup with the rest of the bubbly. Made in the traditional Méthode Champenoise style, the salmon-pink wine perks with small bubbles. With delicate strawberry notes in the nose and mouth, the wine starts off dry and finishes with a soft, fruity aftertaste.
Time to toast summer's glorious gluttony.
Braiden Rex-Johnson has written about Northwest food, wine and travel for 16 years and is the author of six books, including the Pike Place Public Market Seafood Cookbook. Visit her online at NorthwestWiningandDining.com.
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