Several events over the three days of the Washington Wines Festival. At Pier 70's Waterfront Seafood Grill, a so-called Magnum Tasting as the sun set slowly over Elliott Bay. Stunning wines from Leonetti, Quilceda Creek, Betz, Hedges, Dunham. Docs were, as usual, well represented. Dr. Richard Baxter, author of a book titled "Age Gets Better With Wine," and a blog called Health and Wine, serves on the organization's board.The Medical Director of Schick-Shadel Hospital was one of the guest sommeliers. Explained Dr. Erick Davis, "It's my patients who have an addiction problem, not me."
Moving on. Moving to Tulalip, actually; It could have been a weekend get-together at the foot of any highrise apartment complex: fire pit, barbecue wagons, kobe beef sliders. It was, however, a wine tasting on the patio of the Impulse Lounge at the 350-room Tulalip Resort Casino. They do this every month or so, under the tutelage of the resort's sommelier, Tommy Thompson, whose guest this time around was Kevin Correll, the owner of Barrage Cellars. As the wines were poured this cool, early-summer afternoon, executive chef Perry Mascitti and his crew stood ready at half a dozen grill stations (steak, shrimp, pizzas, sliders, Cuban corn).
Correll hasn't given up his day job at Boeing, where he essentially teaches people how to build airplanes. But he's applying the elements of his profession (breaking down a vast, complex process) to a no-less daunting craft: making wine.
Barrage Cellars (a blend of barn and garage; nothing to do with the French word barrage. a dam across a body of water) is currently producing about 3,000 cases, not enough to be commercially profitable, but Correll's not worried. He's buying high quality grapes from good vineyards, and getting set up with hardware and French barrels. As long as he's on the Boeing payroll. he'll be fine.
More photos from these events on my new, beverages-only blog, Slightly Pickled.
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