Willamette Valley wine recap

We left on Tuesday night for the 3.5 hour drive south the Willamette Valley for two full days of wine tasting. Staying at The Hotel Oregon, it's an old historic hotel in downtown McMinnville. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the rooms were $50 a night and there is no sales tax so you could get nicer rooms (with an actual bathroom) but why? Very simple room; bed, sink, window, no tv, but a newspaper (NOT USA Today!). Not only was this a cool old hotel but they also had a rooftop bar, pub on the first floor, a wine bar, and brew their own beer. This hotel was the perfect location at the perfect price for this short trip.

The next morning we had a great breakfast at the Crecsent Café across the street. It was 4th of July and the town was rather dead. I was glad to see they were open, it was a great breakfast. After breakfast we headed out with a wine map to explore the area. Below is a list of the wineries that we tasted at.

August Cellars – No tasting fee. Really nice building. The guys working were extremely friendly and there wasn’t one wine I didn’t think was great.
Wine purchased:
August Cellars 2003 Marechal Foch August Cellars 2006 Rose August Cellars 2004 Pinot Noir

Laurel Ridge - $5 Tasting Fee,- towards purchase. Again here the woman working was extremely friendly. Friendly even to the guy next to me who turned up his nose at all the white wines and the smug guy on the other side of me who rolled in with his Maseratti.
Wine purchased:
Laurel Ridge 2002 Vintage Port – I’m not a port fan, but this… is really something! Laurel Ridge 2006 Pinot Blanc Laurel Ridge 2005 Riesling

Sokol Blosser - $5 Tasting Fee. The ground of this winery were gorgeous. It was a really beautiful location.
Wine Purchased:
Sokol Blosser 2006 Rose Pinot Noir Sokol Blosser Evolution
Duck Pond – No Tasting Fee. Another great place. It was really busy. We’ve actually had this wine before and liked it, so it was fun to try something other than the Pinot this time.
Wine Puchased:
Duck Pond 2004 Syrah

Torri Mor - $5 tasting fee. Good wine but very high prices. We did not purchase there.

It’s important to note that I did not do all the tasting on Wednesday. One of us had to drive. After tasting we went back to the hotel and ate on the rooftop deck then went to bed.

Thursday morning we got up and went down to Wild Wood Café. Another yummy breakfast and a good base as it was my day to drink and Rob’s day to drive.

Scott Paul - $10 tasting fee. I wasn’t really excited about the wines because most of them were from France. They were sold out of many of their Pinot’s so I didn’t really care for this tasting. The building however, was amazing. It’s downtown Carlton.

Elk Cove – No tasting fee. A really beautiful setting. They also have a B&B that we considered staying at. The people there were really friendly and all the wines were really good.
Wine Purchased:
Elk Cove Vineyards 2006 Pinot Noir Rose Elk Cove Vineyards 2005 Pinot Noir Elk Cove Vineyards 2006 Riesling Late Harvest

Kramer Vineyards – No tasting fee. They also had about 12 wines on their tasting menu, which was crazy. The woman working there was so nice and it was a really fun place.
Wine Purchased:
Kramer Vineyards 2003 Pinot Noir Kramer Vineyards 1998 Pinot Noir Kramer Vineyards Pinot Gris Kramer Vineyards Celebration Sparkling Wine

Willakenzie Estate – No tasting fee. Another new beautiful building with a nice setting.
Wine Purchased:
Willakenzie Estate 2004 Pinot Gris
Erath – No tasting fee. I am a big fan of the Erath Pinot. Before Rob moved to Seattle, I drank this often… alone. I was excited to try some of their other wines, but was not surprised when I walked out with the same wine I could buy here!
Wine Purchased:
Erath 2005 Pinot Noir

Archery Summit - $15 tasting fee. Seems high, right? This was a really nice place too and he gave very generous pours. It was 4 different types of Pinots and Oh My Gosh, they were fantastic! Why didn’t I buy anything? Because the wines were $75ish a bottle. Seriously - it was so goo.

Back at the the hotel and had a drink at the rooftop bar. We chatted up with a really nice local couple who owns a breakfast/lunch joint named Jake’s in McMinnville. He told us to stop by for breakfast in the morning. We had 7pm reservations to celebrate our Anniversary at Nick’s Italian Café next door. 5 course Prix Fix dinner. It was very very good. Although, I will say the decor did not stand up to what I was expecting. It was a perfect night anyway. We ended the evening at the local dive bar drinking Coors Light and playing pool. Can’t go wrong there. Happy 4 years to us, we’re still acting like we did 8 years ago when we first met.

The next day we got up and tried Jake’s. We had a great breakfast and our new friends wouldn’t let us pay for breakfast! We then spend the rest of the morning at the Evergreen Aviation Museum where the Spruce Goose is on display. They also have free wine tasting there and if I was feeling up to par, I would have been there while Rob looked at everything on display.
Wine Purchased:
Evergreen Vineyards 2004 Spruce Goose Pinot Noir

Why have I gone into so much detail about these wineries? 2 reasons.
1. Make sure it’s there for people who search for it. I had the hardest time getting recommendations for the “not to miss” wineries when researching this trip.
2. Remember when people ask me what we liked and where we went? If it’s not written down, I won’t remember.

Tips for next time.
1. Go with more people. A group of 4 or 6 would be a lot of fun.
2. Get a bottle of wine and pack a lunch and hang out at one of the wineries for a while.
3. By the time dinner rolls around, you're probably not going to be hungry. Don't plan on a big dinner. It's not worth it.
4. Be honest when you do or don't like the wines you are tasting. They like to hear the feed back.
5. Don't be afraid to ask questions about the wine.

6. Make sure someone drives. Cops are everywhere and tasting wine is not worth it.

a small detour to see the coast on PCH 101

Halibut for the Hellabit

I know I have been promising some pictures and I am really sorry that it has been taking a while to get them up. This weekend Rob was in Minneapolis for his guys weekend and when the cat’s away….. I went out with one of my coworker friends to Ballard (super trendy area of Seattle, which I rarely get to only because it’s not easy to get there). We bar hopped the night away and then somehow made it home after closing down the bars. It was fun.
Specific stops in Ballard:
The Station Bistro
The Jolly Roger Taproom
Kings Hardware
The Matador
Blue Mar

After a night like that I got home and needed some time off. On a whim, I decided to purchase a bread machine. I’ve always regretted not registering for one (along with the china), so I thought “enough is enough” and just went and bought one. I made a nice loaf for garlic and Parmesan cheese bread. Since I obviously have a love affair with garlic, the whole house smelled like garlic and it was wonderful and I’ve got a nice fresh piece of Halibut for dinner tonight.

In other notes, our 4th Anniversary is just around the corner and we just booked 3 nights away in the Willamette Valley wine country for 3 days of visiting tasting rooms and trying the finest Pinot Noir. I’m really excited, it should be really fun!

This is what happens when you spend the weekend partying with your old friends.
Stewie is taking advantage of the Real Estate.

Brian is sleeping in the sun

Stargazer Lily, I planted it last summer and it looks like I have about 9 buds that will bloom.
It also looks like I have an uninvited friend biting at the leaves that I need to get rid of.

My plants on the stairs. They get the most sun here and I can easily remember to water them when I see them outside. Strawberries, Tomatoes, Basil, & Rosemary.Peppers!

Last weekend I bought a sewing machine and made these pillows.A sneak peak at the backyard. The fence looks great so far, I can't wait till it is done.

I'm extremely happy to announce that it looks like the messy tenants have left the house across the street and it appears that they may be attempting to Flip It and possibly sell it? We've been watching all the work they are doing and are interested to see what they decide to do with it.

Busy Days

The last I wrote it was about 2 weeks ago. Can you believe that? Not only have we started revamping the backyard and installing the fence, but now we have the bathroom in the basement started. I got home from lawn bowling tonight and found that Rob had installed 1 whole side of the fencing by himself. It looks great. No pictures now, but this weekend I will post. What else have we been up to? Obviously, you know what Rob is up to.... house projects everywhere. I'm working on some crafty projects.
1. The front of mabel is complete. WHAT A PAIN! I've started over so many times, I cant even count anymore. All those yarnovers. OI.
2. The back of this little baby dress that I am making for one of my oldest friends, Brianne.

Pasties... Just like grandma used to make

I made pasties last weekend. I skipped the rutababies (as dad would say). They turned out really great and grandma would be proud. I was hoping they would be as good as the ones we used to get from her. And they aren't... but it was a step in the right direction. I haven't has a pasty in so long, it was a nice treat (And Rob was really excited).

I used this pasty recipe that has every pasty variation under the sun and is from my Alma Mater, MTU.

Original Pasty
3 c. flour
1 1/2 sticks butter (cold and cut into bits)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. water

In a large bowl, combine flour, butter and salt. Blend ingredients until well combined and add water, one tablespoon at a time to form a dough. Toss mixture until it forms a ball. Kneed dough lightly against a smooth surface with heel of the hand to distribute fat evenly. Form into a ball, dust with flour, wrap in wax paper and chill for 30 minutes.

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Divide the dough into 6 pieces, and roll one of the pieces into a 10-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Put 1 1/2 cups of filling on half of the round. Moisten the edges and fold the unfilled half over the filling to enclose it. Pinch the edges together to seal them and crimp them decoratively with a fork. Transfer pasty to lightly buttered baking sheet and cut several slits in the top. Roll out and fill the

filling
1 lb. round steak, coarsely ground
1 lb. boneless pork loin, coarsely ground
5 carrots, chopped
2 lg. onions, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 c. rutabaga, chopped (can substitute turnip)
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

remaining dough in the same manner. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Put 1 tsp. butter through a slit in each pasty and continue baking for 30 minutes more. Remove from oven, cover with a damp tea towel, cool for 15 minutes.

Milwaukee Journal March 28, 1943 Welsh

Last Weekend

Last weekend we went hiking at Discovery Park with a friend who is new in town. It was my first time there and it was really nice. The 3 mile loop is actually pretty easy and would be really nice for us to take some out of town guests because the views were so great and rewarding.
The rest of the weekend was spent preparing the side yard for the fencing and fence posts. The posts are in and the next step will be to install the panels. Rob would tell you that this has been a real challenge since there is so much plant overgrowth to try to get around to get these fence posts up. Rob is doing most of the work though. I help by knitting, keeping him fed, and taking pictures (note: our Wisteria is in Bloom).