Fall might be my favorite season because that's when many of my interests collide.
There's the sport of politics with election season. Alongside that are the politics of sport as folks debate who is No. 1 in college football and who will win the Fall Classic.
And where would we be without the rush to crush? Honestly, I don't see how any winemaker in America can be a serious football fan because their lives border on 24/7 for the next three months.
Well, here's a glass to those winemakers who give up on watching football. If you are a grad of the University of Washington or Washington State University, then you haven't missed much lately.
1. Recession-proof Washington wines. Washington State Liquor Stores unlock their doors each year to Washington Wine Month. Typically, it's staged in August. This year, it got pushed back to September so you've still got time to score a bargain.
It marks the 25th anniversary of the promotion, and editor-in-chief Andy Perdue posted the complete list of the deals and how much you will save. Visit Andy's Wine Knows blog for the complete lineup at winepressnw.com.
2. How Slow can you go? The international Slow Food movement recently named Cowichan Bay on Vancouver Island as North America's first Cittaslow. Translated to "slow town," the idea is to promote cities around the world that think local first, embrace rural lifestyles and seek cultural diversity.
And no, slow food does not mean bad service at Taco Bell. Anyone who has visited Cowichan Bay knows how tied the community is to maritime life and its support of local food and wine producers. Glenterra Vineyards and Rocky Creek Winery both are in the Cowichan Valley, and Venturi Schulze is nearby.
The official ribbon cutting ceremony is Sept. 18, and I'm guessing Sinclair Philip of the Sooke Harbour House might drive across the island to witness the festivities. After all, he served four years as president of Slow Food Canada. Go to ancglamping.com for more.
3. Sun setting on Willamette Valley's 150 Days. On Valentine's Day, the Willamette Valley Wineries Association launched its "150 Days of Wine" campaign in conjunction with Oregon's 150th birthday of statehood. More than 50 wineries participated in 130 events.
Well, it's coming to a close with their Harvest Picnics promotion, and The Four Graces in Dundee is inviting you to lunch at the winery and take in the stunning scenery from Sept. 21 to Oct. 20. Call the tasting room the day before to order your picnic box lunch. The lunch and a flight of their wines is $15. Go to thefourgraces.com or call 503-554-8000 to place your order. Visit the Willamette Valley Wineries site at willamettewines.com for other events.
4. An evening of wine. Wineries from across the state converge Sept. 25 on the Seattle Marriott Waterfront Hotel in support of the Pacific Northwest Diabetes Research Institute. It's an impressive array of wineries. There's Dunham, Reininger and Va Piano from Walla Walla. DeLille, Efeste, JM and Matthews represent Woodinville. Others are Boudreaux (Leavenworth), Chandler Reach (Benton City) and Fall Line (Seattle).
This is the sixth year of the fundraiser, which includes a reception, dinner, auction of wine packages to Leavenworth and Walla Walla, and a wine tasting game. Patrons try to match blind pours from the wines to the tasting notes written by the participating wineries.
The PNDRI is a 54-year-old operation started by Dr. William Hutchinson Sr., who founded the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center as a tribute to his brother, arguably Seattle's most famous homegrown baseball figure. Tickets start at $175. Go to pndri.org or call 206-720-1200.
5. A grand cru thing. These aren't the best of times to launch a project of this scale, but considering the principals involved, The Grand Cru Estates won't fail.
Last year, respected Pinot Noir vintners Laurent Montalieu and Tony Rynders helped create a club in the Yamhill-Carlton District that will allow members the chance to be hands-on winemakers - under their tutelage. Phillippe Boulot, a James Beard Award winning chef in Portland, leads the culinary program at Grand Cru Estates.
Each member selects the level of his or her participation, ranging from a quarter barrel (seven cases) to six barrels (150 cases). There's an initiation fee of $5,000, then you pay about $65 for every bottle of Pinot Noir you make each year. One barrel adds up to $20,000. And you'll have access to grapes from every north Willamette appellation.
Go to thegrandcruestates.com or call 503-662-4730 for information.
6. Antiquing in Walla Walla. If you are a wine collector, then you likely collect antiques of some sort.
Ann Steiger, owner of Roxy Theatre Antiques in Kennewick, Wash., rolls out the Fall Walla Walla Antique Show on Oct. 9-11. It's staged at the Walla Walla Fairgrounds' historic pavilion and gathers more than 70 dealers from throughout the Northwest.
And it comes with a wine element. There is a Wine Soiree on the first two afternoons when wines from the Walla Walla Valley will be poured. For more information, call 509-585-2301.
7. Some crunch for your palate. Here's a new tasty and rather guiltless treat that came into our WPNW headquarters and went straight to my home.
Lesley Stowe Fine Foods in North America's most beautiful city - Vancouver, B.C .- rolled out Raincoast Crisps to the Seattle market. The chef/cookbook author created these artisan-style crackers in the shape of Melba toast, and I found each version quite versatile.
I took these to a family gathering, set them next to bottles of Northwest wine and asked for comments. The Original seed cracker is nicely seasoned, a great palate cleanser and goes well with goat cheese. The Fig and Olive went well with Sawtooth 2005 Merlot and would make delicious croutons because of the hint of tapenade. The Rosemary Raisin Pecan is a sturdy cracker and akin to a little piece of breakfast toast, pairing nicely with a Raptor Ridge 2006 Pinot Noir. And the Cranberry Hazelnut is like eating dessert. Enjoy with blueberry-flavored goat cheese.
These crisps are available at Whole Foods and Metropolitan markets, the Salish Lodge and DeLaurenti's or go to lesleystowe.com.
8. Live from George, Washington, it's ... For a second straight season, Cave B Estate Winery is featuring live concerts in the cellar, which is adjacent to the tasting room for Freddy Arredondo's wines and the wine library.
The Live! at the Cellar series spotlights emerging Northwest musicians, and the shows are staged one Friday per month in the man-made cave. Seating is limited to 60, and there's a special feel with the wall of basalt, which makes for unusual acoustics.
The sound must be compelling because Seattle-based folk/rock singer Kristen Ward and Ellensburg's alternative country artist Star Anna will close out the season Nov. 20. Tickets are a mere $12, which qualify as a "Best Buy!" on our scale. Perhaps someday they will play across the vineyard at The Gorge. Go to sagecliffe.com for the lineup and ducats.
9. Great Scott goes green in Moscow. This summer, Idaho winemaker Stu Scott and his Camas Prairie Winery deepened their commitment to the environment. A grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Energy for America program helped Scott and his wife, Sue, install solar panels on the roof of their downtown winery. In July 2008, the Scotts' electricity bill was $420. A year later, they paid $180.
Stop in, taste some of Stu's award-winning wines, and ask for a tour of his remarkable operation. Sen. Mike Crapo dropped by in August for the photo op and sound byte. If he didn't try some mead or Champoux Cab, then he wouldn't get my vote.
10. Another New Vintage of wine consumers. Here's a stroke of genius by the Washington Wine Commission. It's called "20something: The New Vintage" and targets younger folks who want to drink Washington wine and see that it's cool.
This fall, it's Nov. 21 at the Fremont Studios in Seattle. More than 25 Washington wineries will pour wines they retail for $30 and less. More than a dozen Seattle-area chefs serve nibbles while acclaimed producer/DJ Darek Mazzone sets the tone with his music programming.
How successful are these? The WWC holds them twice a year, and they keep migrating to larger venues. The party photos tell the tale. It's great to see so many Millennials (ages 21-30) gravitate toward Northwest wine.
Go to thenewvintage.org to see which industry folks who will be there rather than be square.
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