Learn more about wine. Click on the topics below for wine events in Seattle and the Northwest, plus much more wine related information.
Seattle
Wine Society presents:
Wineries of Woodinville at
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| Woodinville is a small community nestled in the Sammamish River Valley, just 25 minutes Northeast of Seattle. Nearly 40 wineries now call Woodinville home, and most of them source their grapes from some of Washington’s finest vineyards, with their commitment to quality quickly becoming legendary. The Seattle Wine Society’s kicks off the 2008-2009 program season on September 10, where we will be highlighting Woodinville wineries, with special emphasis on smaller producers. Keynote speaker Chris Upchurch will provide an overview of the history of Woodinville and its wine industry. Chris is one of the co-founders of Delille Cellars, where he is the Executive Winemaker and Vineyard Manager. Striving for something well beyond chemistry, Chris believes in hand-crafting wines where "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts". A self-confessed Francophile and a blender, Chris prefers not to dissect his wines with component descriptors. Instead he talks about his wines in terms of a "complete wine". Here, qualities like opulence, mouthfeel, balance and elegance are much more important than chocolate, pear and coconuts! Chris' love for wine started in his youth, with extensive travel throughout the Grand Cru wine-growing regions of Europe and the west coast of the U.S. "I had to start off developing my palate," he reflected. "After all a winemaker cannot make great wine, without first defining in your own mind what a great wine tastes like." After graduating from the University of Colorado as well as the University of Washington, Chris returned to Seattle in 1976 to begin his career as a wine buyer. He started out purchasing wine for several of Seattle's best known restaurants, and ultimately became a buyer for the upscale, Larry's Markets wine stores. This experience allowed him to continue to develop his palate by tasting wines from around the world. But deep in his heart, Chris knew he wanted to be involved in the production end of the wine industry. This interest prompted Chris to start a successful grape-brokerage business, contracting grapes from Washington State and selling them to winemakers. He knew he was hooked once he started spending a lot of time in the vineyards. Now as a professional winemaker for fourteen years, he continues to spend a great portion of his time in the vineyards of Yakima Valley. Chris feels that his greatest challenges are ahead of him. "At DeLille Cellars we have lofty goals which can only be reached by time and dedication. Winemaking is a life long endeavor. No matter what awards you receive, you still have two new vintages back in your winery that you must work very hard on, to get the most out of the wine." We are pleased to have a number of small producers joining us for the evening, including Delille Cellars, Brian Carter Cellars, Baer Winery, Covington Cellars, Hollywood Hill Vineyards, Northwest Totem Cellars, and William Church Winery. Columbia Winery will also be joining us for the event, serving the 2006 Riesling Yakima Valley and the 2003 Otis Cabernet Sauvignon. The Hollywood Schoolhouse in Woodinville is a historical landmark built in 1912 and renovated in 1994, and is located in the picturesque Sammamish River Valley, surrounded by a natural creek and lovingly manicured grounds. The building houses an extensive antique, artifact, and memorabilia collection ranging from petroleum pumps and pedal cars to antique paintings and furniture, and will serve as the perfect backdrop to the celebration of Woodinville wineries. |
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| $40
Members Tickets with Paypal deadline is Tuesday, September 9, at 10 p.m. For questions about ticketing, you can contact Joanne at (425) 775-7901. For advance reservations by mail, send a check,
payable to Seattle Wine Society and postmarked by Saturday,
September 6, to: |
Wednesday,
September 10, 2008 7:00 - 9:00pm The
Hollywood Schoolhouse Want the member price? For $25 you get a whole year of great event discounts. Click Here to join! |
Founded in 1992 by Charles Lill, Chris Upchurch, Greg Lill, and Jay Soloff, Delille Cellars is a small winery located in Woodinville. Simply stated, their goal is to make the very best handcrafted, old-world style red and white wine made in the State of Washington. They are a family- and independently-owned winery with an uncompromising philosophy about the quality of what will be in your bottle of wine.
Baer Winery is one of the Woodinville family of elite wine producers. The small, family-owned and operated enterprise is dedicated to producing the finest blends of exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. Handcrafted and blended with the same level of care and attention as for previous vintages, Ursa remains their signature wine. Located in the Frenchman Hills of Washington State’s Columbia Valley, Stillwater Creek Vineyard is at the top of their “must have” vineyard sites, and the 2005 Ursa used Stillwater fruit exclusively.
Brian
Carter Cellars is the first winery in Washington State
to focus exclusively on an array of hand-crafted European-style
blended wines, showcasing Brian’s personal passion for blending
wines from Washington State’s unique terroir. His wines include
the super-Tuscan style Tuttorosso, the Bordeaux-style Solesce and
L’Etalon, and the Southern Rhone-style Byzance. Brian Carter
has been twice awarded “Winemaker of the Year” by Washington
Magazine. Brian was extremely honored to be selected Vintner of
the Year by his peers at the 2007 Auction of Washington Wines.
Covington
Cellars was founded in 2002 by David and Cindy Lawson,
and is a true labor of love. The fruit comes from some of the most
respected vineyards in the state, including Seven Hills Vineyard,
Les Collines and Pepper Bridge Vineyards in Walla Walla, as well
as Klipsun and Kiona Vineyards on Red Mountain. The wines are hand
crafted, gravity fed, and allowed to age gracefully in a combination
of French, American, and Hungarian oak barrels for 18-22 months.
Making very small quantities of wine from the highest quality fruit
is half the goal at Covington Cellars, and the other half is making
guests feel like family.
Northwest Totem Cellars is owned and operated by Mike and Kate Sharadin, and their first vintage was in 2005. They produce wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, and Viognier, with grapes from Elerding and Chandler Reach VIneyards in Yakima Valley, and Sagemoor Vineyards in Columbia Valley.
Columbia Winery was founded in 1962 by ten friends, six of whom were University of Washington professors. Originally known as Associated Vintners, the group was united in the belief that classic European vinifera vines could survive the harsh Washington winters and that fine wine could be made in Washington State. They began by making wines in the garage of Dr. Lloyd Woodburne, Columbia Winery’s first winemaker, in the Seattle neighborhood of Laurelhurst. David Lake, Master of Wine, joined Columbia Winery in 1979 as winemaker and has continued the pioneering spirit of Columbia Winery’s founders. David is most renowned for his experimentation with new varietals and for producing the first series of vineyard-designate wines in Washington State. He was the first winemaker to produce several varietals in Washington, including Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Gris. Today, David continues to experiment with new varietals and in new directions. He is committed to creating the highest quality wines possible. Columbia Winery produces Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris as well as exceptional Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Columbia Winery offers vineyard-designate wines from long-established vineyards such as Otis, Wyckoff and the renowned Red Willow vineyard.
William Church Winery is a small, family-owned winery located in Woodinville, Washington. Founded in 2005, they are one of the newest wineries to join a group of wineries at the northern end of Woodinville. They are excited about this new chapter in their lives and believe by keeping the quantities small, they can deliver the highest quality wines.
Steve and Becky Snyder of Hollywood Hill Vineyards started their family-owned winery in 2004, with a vision to produce small lots of elegant, complex wines made from locally grown and sourced grapes from vineyards throughout Washington state. A true Garagiste, their winery and tasting room are located in a renovated detached garage and barn, surrrounded by their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards.
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Delille Cellars Hollywood Hill Vineyards Brian Carter Cellars William Church Winery --- Chicken Duxelle in Puff Pastry Endive Spears with Goat Cheese
and Assorted Relishes Smoked Salmon on Buckwheat Blini, Garnished with Cucumber and Fennel
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