Happy New Year! As we begin 2021, it would normally be time for our annual 50 Favorite Washington Wineries List for the previous year. But 2020 was far from normal. Firstly, thanks to COVID, we attended our last wine event on Feb. 29. Secondly, we had to cancel our planned trips to wineries in Walla Walla, Woodinville, Lake Chelan, B.C. and Oregon. As a result, we decided to highlight our favorite 50 wines instead of wineries in 2020. These are the wines we enjoyed at home or with members of our pod on socially-distanced outdoor patios. In addition, we expanded the list to include wines from Oregon, California, B.C., Australia, New Zealand, Italy, France, Spain, Chile and Argentina. Read on for our favorite 50 wines in 2020.
Continue reading
Tag Archives: King Estate
Holiday Whites and Rosé
When we contemplate the cold weather, our wine thoughts typically turn to rich reds in front of a cozy fire or paired with a hearty meal. But winter whites and rosé have a place too, especially during the holiday season. In addition, holiday whites and rosé are food-friendly and wallet-friendly wines. For example, white wine and rosé pair with seafood, shellfish, salads, pasta and Asian dishes. Consequently, read on to find out our Top 25 holiday whites and rosé from Washington, Oregon, California, B.C., France, Italy and New Zealand.
Warm Weather Whites
With the warm days easing into summer heat, an array of white wines have caught our attention. Overall, these are super summer sippers to pair with your patio or deck, poolside or lakeside. They also complement fish, crab, scallops, oysters, shrimp, prawns, sushi or a tasty summer salad.
Until recently, our palates preferred Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris/Grigio. However, this year we discovered beautiful wines ranging from the unusual white Cabernet Franc (Blanc Franc) to the wallet-friendly Turbiana grape from Lugana, Italy.
Most importantly, there are so many wonderful wines to explore this summer. For example, here are some that we have tasted from Washington state, Oregon, British Columbia, Italy, France, Iberia and New Zealand.
Seattle Wine & Food Experience
There’s only one week left to buy your tickets for the Seattle Wine and Food Experience at Seattle Center Exhibition Hall. If you like good wine, beer and food – and seriously, who doesn’t? – mark your calendars for this delicious experience on Feb. 26.
In addition to the wonderful wines of Washington, our neighbors to the south, Oregon, are also featured this year. And face it, there aren’t many events where plentiful choices of both Washington and Oregon wine are available for tasting.
Some of our Oregon favorites — Erath Winery, King Estate, Sokol Blosser and Willamette Valley Vineyards — will be side by side with our Washington friends from Barrage Cellars, Forgeron Cellars, Airfield Estates and Kiona, to name a few. And then there’s Watermill, which straddles both states and has some great juice too.
And let’s not forget Stag’s Leap, Francis Ford Coppola Winery and other California wineries will also be pouring, along with wineries from Idaho and around the world (France, New Zealand, Italy, Spain, Australia and Argentina).
There’s something for everybody, including beer and cider and spirits, non-alcoholic beverages and coffee.
Did we mention food? Seattle Wine & Food Experience showcases too many Washington restaurants to name, so here is the list. You’ll be able to nibble on tasty treats such as barbequed beef slider, Kona coffee-rubbed filet, boeuf Bourguignon stew, seafood salad, roasted lamb leg, foie gras and much more.
The cost for this explosion of tastes is $49 in advance or $60 at the door (cash only).
Enjoy – and cheers!