Almost forgot: it's the final day of the annual Saint Nicholas Day Weekend in Woodinville, half an hour or so north of Seattle. A great time to buy tough-to-find bottles that make terrific gifts for the holidays.
Hard to believe there are now close to 40 wineries in this suburb, many of them not regularly open to the public. The gorilla, of course, is Chateau Ste. Michelle, which moved into the former Stimson estate a quarter century ago; it was the vanguard of the of the now-familiar transformation of farmland into housing. But look what came after! DeHaviland built a Victorian castle across the street (now Columbia), and then the rest. Silver Lake, Andrea Nichole, Di Stefano, Woodhouse, Matthews, Bookwalter, Facelli.
Brian Carter, perhaps the most technically accomplished of the state's wine makers, has his own place here, called Brian Carter Cellars, open this weekend. We named Carter Winemaker of the Year twice, in the days that Washington Magazine was around to confer that honor. The Seattle Wine Society has given him its grand prize three times, more than any other winner.
Carter's blends were poured last night at a wine dinner prepared by students from the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Seattle and served at the school's waterfront Portfolio Restaurant. Best dish was a braised lamb shoulder, best wine Carter's "magical blend" called Abracadabra (syrah, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, sangiovese, petit verdot, grenache and malbec). More tasting notes in this PDF. The lamb, for its part, was beautifully tender, topped with a generous dollop of gremolata, served on a bed of spinach and butter beans sweetened with a bit of sherry reduction.
Need help finding your way? Here's a map.
Posted by Ronald Holden at December 7, 2008 8:30 AM | TrackBack
The International Kitchen
Cooking school vacations in Italy, France & Spain.
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