It is no secret that Washington is producing some of the finest wines in the country. In 2001 Wine Enthusiast named Washington the “Wine Region of The Year.” Many of us don’t think twice about taking several days out of our busy lives to travel to Walla Walla or Yakima to visit the wineries and vineyards, meeting the winemakers, sampling the latest vintages and witnessing the phenomenon firsthand.

But one doesn’t have to travel nearly that far to experience the Washington wine boom. Just 25 minutes northeast of Seattle, Woodinville is becoming a haven for fine winemakers. They have even formed their own non-profit organization, Woodinville Wine Country, united by a vision to create world-class wines in a location where they can educate the public at the same time. They source their grapes from some of the finest vineyards throughout the state, but they are quick to point out that their love for this area unites them in building their craft here.

We are excited to present wines from two exceptional Woodinville wineries at our February program – Januik and Novelty Hill. The common thread between these two wineries is that they share one remarkable winemaker, Mike Januik, who will be at the event to talk about his wines.

Meet Mike Januik
Mike launched Januik Winery with a desire to thoroughly satisfy his creative needs as a winemaker – where he could do things on a very small scale using the best grapes available. Having worked with a large number of vineyards in Washington over the years, he has access to the best of them for his wines. He is also winemaker at Novelty Hill Winery which was started in 2000 as a small, artisan winery dedicated to producing limited quantities of handcrafted wines. Wine Enthusiast has called Novelty Hill “an important new boutique winery.” All of Januik’s wines continually receive high ratings and are beautiful expressions of Washington wine at its best.

After living in Ashland, Oregon, dividing is time between his wine shop and amateur winemaking, Mike Januik set out to earn his master’s degree from the University of California at Davis. He then moved north to Washington to develop his winemaking skills, first at Stewart Vineyards in Yakima and later at Snoqualmie Winery.

In 1990 Mike was hired as head winemaker at Chateau Ste. Michelle. During his nine years there, dozens of his wines received 90-plus scores in the Wine Spectator. In one two-year period, 18 of his wines scored over 90 points. Wine Enthusiast named him one of the world’s 10 Masters of Merlot in 1999 and the Wine Advocate has called him a “magician with Merlot.”
At our February program we will be tasting wines from two Woodinville wineries. From Januik Winery we will enjoy:

Chardonnay, Elerding Vineyard, 2003. This is the third wine Januik has made from what is considered to be one of the finest vineyards in the Yakima Valley. This Chardonnay is wonderfully concentrated, with long-lasting flavors of mango and papaya and a rich, creamy finish.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Seven Hills Vineyard, 2002. This Cabernet, rich and elegant and loaded with blackberry and chocolate flavors, was felt by the winemaker to be deserving of a single-vineyard designation. Aged for 20 months in new French oak, it finishes with long, soft tannins.

Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, 2002. This Cabernet is blended from a number of noteworthy Columbia Valley vineyards, including Champoux, Klipsun, Red Mountain, Seven Hills and Ciel du Cheval. Blended with a small amount of Merlot and Cabernet Franc and aged in new French oak, this wine has great structure and length.

Syrah, Stillwater Creek Vineyard, 2002. Stillwater Creek is located on a steep, south-facing slope of the Frenchman Hills. This Syrah is notable for its finesse and its concentrated dark fruit. Look for black cherries, fennel and a hint of violet on the nose, followed by a rich and satisfying mouth-feel.

Merlot, Columbia Valley, 2002. Many Columbia Valley winemakers feel that the 2002 vintage was one of the best in the last 20 years. The grapes ripened to perfection,

From Belltown – Brasa
If you need convincing that having Brasa create the food for our February program is something to get excited about, take it from a few experts who know about these things. Gourmet Magazine placed Brasa in its Top 5 Seattle Restaurants (October 2000), calling it a “sleek and sophisticated homage to the robust cuisines and wines of the Mediterranean and beyond…with mouthwatering results.” And Food and Wine Magazine named it Seattle’s Best Restaurant. Called “one of the loveliest and most inviting spaces in town” by Best Places Northwest.

Executive Chef and proprietor, Tamara Murphy, received countless awards and accolades in her former post at Campagne, including Best Chef of the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii by the James Beard Foundation, and one of the Ten Best New Chefs in America by Food and Wine Magazine. Out of a desire to create a restaurant that is truly about the people, the cuisine and the wine they love, Tamara opened Brasa in 1999, along with former Campagne general manager and wine director Bryan Hill, who himself has been widely lauded for his wine programs at both Campagne and Brasa.

To accompany the wines Brasa will prepare:

Spanish bleu cheese profiteroles
Anchovy crostini with Serrano ham and poached fig
Fennel crusted salmon skewer

Brasa
2107 Third Avenue Seattle, WA
(206) 728-4220
seattle@brasa.com