I was first drawn to the Naches Heights Vineyard (NHV) wines the same way that may aspiring wine drinkers discover bottles they love and hate, I looked at the label. While this isn’t the “scientific” or “conventional” way to discover new wines it is how this branding and marketing minded wine drinker explores the wonderful and sometimes overwhelming world of wines.
Phil shared his delicious wine at the Seattle Wine & Food Experience back in February and I was drawn to his charismatic personality and yes, the amazing wine labels! Located in lovely Yakima, the NHV tasting room offers rolling hills, waterfalls and breathtaking views of their vineyards. Their table brochure, absconded on my second trip to their tasting table, highlights facilities that accommodate weddings, meetings, wine tastings, Glamping…yes, they list Glamping. Sign a sister up!
Tell me a bit about yourself, and how you wound up in Wine.
I am a refugee from the tree fruit industry. When I left the apple business I wanted to continue farming. I have always enjoyed wine and a winemaker friend suggested I plant some grapes on the property. What drew me to wine was more the ability to sustain a lifestyle by planting something on my property that would be exciting and relevant to the future. Wine consumption in the United States continues to grow and it seemed like a good idea. I am not a wine maker. I am a grower and director of wine making. We proved high quality fruit for the wine makers to do their magic on. I direct the style of wine that is produced from the vineyards.
Favorite Wine this year?
My favorite wine this year is Carmen; a blend that turned out all to well. I love when that happens. (One a side note, this is my FAVORITE wine that I”ve tasted of his! I call it “the one that started it all!)
Favorite thing about the wine industry?
The people. The Washington wine industry is young enough that we all are helping one another. At some point I imagine that my change but till then. Hoopla!
Fun fact about you?
I love to eat not cook. I can do quite well in the kitchen when my mind is right. Breakfast is my favorite meal.
Fun fact about one of the wines?
Our Riesling goes with anything.
Connect with NHV
Head over to their website to learn more about their relaxing and welcoming tasting room and event space or read up their recent wine awards. You can also find them on Twitter and Facebook or read Phil’s blog, Grape Minds Think Alike.
A few weekends ago I attended the Seattle Wine & Food Experience and apart from the overall experience of sipping AMAZING wines and tasting samples from local chefs, I had the great pleasure of meeting Matt from Angle 33. Matt hand crafts lovely cement wine thermals as well as wine and beverage coasters. Whether making them for individual use, or branding them with company logos for commercial use, they are the most useful and lovely addition to any wine drinkers “tool box”, trumped only by the glasses with which to hold the lovely libation!
Angle33 Wine Thermals
We have been looking for a wine chiller bucket for ages and NONE could fit the bill for our stylistic choices.
I was drawn to his table by the simple, refined and classic nature of his products. Matt was displaying both his retail products, as well as a few examples of his branded commercial use products which featured various customer logos and I loved the chic style, neutral and sophisticated color palate and his welcoming “hello there, would you like to enter a drawing?” which believe it or not, I WON!
(I’d like to state that the win was purely coincidental and in no way related to the posting of this article. Now, if only I could hone that win to a lotto ticket purchase!) We are LOVING our Angle33 Wine Thermal and yes red wine drinkers…you need one too! Read below and you’ll see when and why!
I love that Angle 33 is a Montana-based, family business who so diligently pursues innovation, perfection and sustainability. Anyone who’s tag line is “We strive to offer the best wine-related products on the market, so you can focus on the wine” is a friend to wine drinkers everywhere in MY book! Matt so graciously agreed to let me interview and feature him so without further long winded introductions, please welcome Matt!!
What was the inspiration for Angle33?
I have always wanted to manufacture a product out of concrete on an international scale. I have been working with concrete for 18 years and most of what we make tends to be limited to our local region because of weight. Wine has also always intrigued me mainly because it has a lot in common with concrete. They both require lots of chemistry and each artisan or winemaker gets different results with different techniques. Weather and elements effect the end result of both wine and concrete, which is always exciting because there is an “unknown” factor that can be involved so each day is like unwrapping a Christmas gift.
Where did the name come from?
After months of filtering through different ideas, I chose Angle 33 because of its simplicity. Angle 33 refers to “the word of mouth buzz a name creates.”
What did you two do in your “previous life” before Angle33?
I owned and operated a concrete flat work company in Billings, MT for 5 years. In 2008, Marge and I moved back to Missoula and started Stamping Ground Studios. I still own SGS along with Angle 33.
Matt, How did you get started in Concrete?
My first real experience with concrete was as a laborer for a company in Missoula during the summers of my college years. Funny thing was, all of the guys I worked with then told me to stay in school and “NEVER” get into the concrete world. Obviously I didn’t listen to well as 18 years later I am still going strong and enjoying concrete as a medium as much as I ever have.
What is your favorite part about running Angle33?
Networking and finding people that can do the parts of business that I am not strong at. I enjoy learning about all facets of business from people that know their specialties really well. I don’t believe in a “jack of all trades”, so I prefer to find people that are great at what they do and work alongside them. Fun Fact (About yourselves, the company, or the product) Our motto is “start early so we can play late”. Missoula is one of the greatest places on earth for outdoor activities, so we pride ourselves on being as efficient as possible at work so we can take advantage of skiing, fishing and camping as much as possible.
So, you can chill red also?
Here are a couple good articles from The Wall Street Journal and The Kitchn about what reds are good chilled. Also, as most know sunlight is not good for the wine, so even if you don’t want your red chilled, it is a good idea to keep your bottle in a thermal while outside to keep the sun off of it.
Advice for someone looking to follow their dreams and start a new company?
One of my favorite sayings is “Focus on the process, Results will take care of themselves.” Stick to your strategy and don’t stress about the results, they will come. Build your business how you want to build it, don’t follow someone elses business model because what works for one person won’t necessarily work for you. Use your core values to build the foundation and always find/hire people smarter than you and incorporate them into your business in as many ways you can.
Okay… that’s a slight understatement. I’m obsessed with it!
Seriously! Its true!
Hi, I’m Kate and I have a gingerbread addiction! I think about it, want it, and crave it as much as an addict would their drug of choice! It would be ridiculous if I heard anyone else explain to me like I am to you, how much they love gingerbread.
Everyone has their vices, and while I have a few year-round vices, my holiday “drug of choice” is gingerbread. SO, to celebrate my deep love affair with this delicious little cookie I’m throwing a party. I’ve rounded up some of the gang that enjoy gingerbread (or could it be the wine and champagne I also promised would be flowing?) to come celebrate this wonderful blessing to all mankind that is the gingerbread cookie.
So I’ll be using both my tried and true Gingerbread Cookie recipe and my gluten-free gingerbread cookie . Now, you might turn up your little nose and say.. “ewwww! What’s the point of eating a gluten-free cookie! Is it even a COOKIE still!?” Well, I’ll have you know I snuck a batch into my Gingerbread party last year and no-one had ANY idea! They’re delicious!! So, I’m looking forward to baking up a large batch of gingerbread men, women, dog bones, stars, trees… well you get the picture and decorating for the party!
To help gather some decor inspiration, I started a Gingerbread Party Pinterest Board . So far, I’m thinking about kicking it old school and making paper snowflakes to hang from the ceiling with red ribbon.
I also want to pick up a few of the trimmed Christmas tree branches from my fruit stand boys at Corner Produce down at Pike Place (where we got our tree this year!) and decorating the table with some variation of this lovely idea using pine cones, candles and branches in glass jar! (pictured at left).
When I saw the package of Kikkerland Biodegradable Red and White Striped Paper Straws, I grabbed the package because our little house simply NEEEEEEDED an adorable package of straws! So, I’ll be putting these out in a mason jar…which is a little silly because we’ll be serving one of my favorite “go-to” wineries, Folie A Deux Menage A Trois in both the Table Red (I call it the gateway red!) and Table White. A party can’t be complete without some bubbly so we’ll also have that! To remember who’s wine glass is who’s, I’ll get some various ribbons and tie them to the stems and also have another scrap that you can tie to your wrist or pin so for a fun party game of remembering which glass is yours!
Now that the party is planned, gingerbread must be baked and decorations gathered and put out! Tune in this weekend for an updated post with pictures from the party! And, YES, I WILL be eating gingerbread while I type that post…and everyday for the next two weeks!!
The sun had just started to peek out for the first day in years, or so it felt, and company was in town. What did we do? Well Wednesday afternoon wine tasting of course! We made a B line for the Airfield Estates Tasting room nestled in the “Wine Country” portion of Woodinville. Walking into the room, you’re greeted by the aviation charm and very friendly staff. Jim and Jim took great care of us, ushering us to a table and promptly getting glasses in our hands to start the tasting!
You know it’s a good tasting when you walk out with 16 bottles of wine! That wasn’t even the wine ordering! Their wines are so flavorful, dynamic and yet affordable even on retail prices. When the last double magnum of the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon showed up for my birthday, so did a membership to the Airfield Estates Wine Club. Here is a shameless plug for joining their wine club: “There is no joining fee. Simply commit to purchasing a minimum of 2 cases of wine per calendar year and receive a 20% discount on all wine purchases”. Once you do a tasting you’ll see how possible it is to achieve the 2 case minimum per year, their wines are truly wonderful! http://www.airfieldwines.com/wine_club/
We were BLOWN AWAY by the Pinot Gris, Ruby Rose, Merlot and Runway Syrah. Already a fan of their Viognier as one of the rare white wines I actually truly enjoy, it was delightful to find an equally as wonderful Pinot Grios. The flavor was so balanced and drinkable, and would truly pair with any summer type meal with which you’d traditionally enjoy a white. The Ruby Rose was just out of this WORLD! There aren’t words that I could ever pen to do that lovely pink bottle justice. You simply need to go purchase a case of it immediately. It was dry, balanced, and not too sweet. Just delightful! The Merlot we described as “active” because it truly has various flavors that shine throughout the sip and plays with your taste buds. As for the Syrah, I’m already craving a good steak or braised pork shoulder to enjoy a bottle of that wonderful magic with!
WHITES
2011 Sauvignon Blanc ( $12/bottle; Member Price:$9.60)
Light-bodied, dry, and refreshing, this wine lights up your taste buds with flavors of lemon-lime and grapefruit. Well balanced with bright acidity, it sparks a clean, crisp finish that pairs perfectly with oysters, tossed salads, light fish, and chicken.
2011 Viognier ( $15/bottle; Member Price:$12)
85% stainless steel fermented and 15% aged in neutral oak. This whine exhibits flavors of lemon leading to a round-mid-palate and crisp finish. This lightly oaked Viognier pairs well with root vegetables, salmon, lobster, and braised chicken.
2011 Flygirl White ( $12/bottle; Member Price:$9.60)
39% Viognier, 35% Semillon, & 26% Pinot Gris. This signature white blend is crisp and dry showcasing layers of melon and citrus fruit. Enjoy with lighter fare, such as a salad, pasta, seafood, and poultry.
2011 Pinot Gris ( $15/bottle; Member Price:$12)
This fruit-forward Pinot Gris reveals nuances of pear, melon, & tropical fruit. With a rounded medium-bodied mouthfeel & soft well-balanved finish, this wine is enjoyable on its own or pairs nicely with a cheese plate, light pastas, halibut, or chicken.
REDS
2010 Bombshell Red ( $16/bottle; Member Price:$12.80)
37% Merlot, 37% Syrah, 14% Malbe, 5% Sangiovese, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc. A beloved favorite of many, this approachable signature red blend has dark overlapping aromas of plum, blackberry, and a hit of cocoa, leaving lingering flavors of dark fruit and toasted oak on the palate. With firm tannins and a round, full-bodied mouthfeel, this blend pairs well with a wide range of foods.
2010 Tempranillo ( $20/bottle; Member Price:$16)
This full-bodied Tempranillo showcases layers of boysenberry and black cherry with earthy nuances and finishes with lingering tannins. Traditionally paired with Spanish style dishes, this wine complements flavorful grilled meats or vegetables, mushroom risotto, and hard cheeses.
2009 Merlot ( $20/bottle; Member Price:$16)
This Merlot captivates the senses with intense flavors of dark berry and plum with nuances of clove. Supple tannins and a full-bodied mouthfeel create a balance that can hold hit own against hearty meats, yet pairs perfectly with pasta. Gold Medal, 2012 Dallas Morning News Wine Competition
2009 Cabernet Sauvignon ( $20/bottle; Member Price:$16)
Sources from 20 year old vines on our estate vineyard, this Cabernet Sauvignon showcases layers of cherry, blackcurrant, and toasted oak. Full-bodied and smooth with integrated tannins, this wine pairs well with steak, rich sauces, and robust cheeses.
+2011 Ruby Rose ( $15/bottle; Member Price:$12)
100% Sangiovese. This rosé has enticing aromas of strawberries and cream with undertones of pink grapefruit leading to a light bodied mouthfeel and zesty refreshing finish. Crisp and dry, this wine beckons you to kick your feet up and enjoy a relaxing afternoon.
+2010 Runway Syrah ($18/bottle)
This dark, concentrated Syrah possesses flavors of dark berry, clove, and white pepper. With silky smooth tannins and a plush round mouthfeel, this well-balanced wine pairs great with lamb, beef, and aged gouda. (This wine was specifically handcrafted for select wine shops and restaurants, and it is only available online to Airfield Estates Wine Club Members.)
Location and Contact Info
14450 Woodinville-Redmond Road, Suite #109
Woodinville, WA 98072 USA
425.877.1006
info@airfieldwines.com
The Ambiance
Just for fun I asked our out of town guest to do a mini interview on our tasting! See answers below!
What were your first impressions of the tasting room and types of wine when you walked in? My first impression was the simple ambiance of the tasting room and the throwback to a time of great American pride and spirit. The staff were knowledgeable, friendly and hospitable! I loved looking at all of the bottles and the other displays.
What was the most memorable wine you tasted? Absolutely the Pinot!
What would you write on a suggestion card for the winery to exceed your expectations on your next visit? Should change glasses with each pour so that previous wine does not inhibit or change taste of new wine. Also should offer a little cracker to cleanse palate before each new taste.
And… two boxes came home with us to reunite with their Magnum family!
Taco Tuesday is a weekly tradition in our house. It’s healthy, easy to make, and delicious! Taco’s might be the ultimate meal, you can drink them with beer/wine/cocktail, are able to accommodate ANY dietary restrictions!! They can be gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, paleo, vegetarian, the list goes on!
I’m a FIRM believer that there is truly a good wine paring for ANY food! While taco’s might not instinctively have you reaching for the wine glass and adding to the cork graveyard, I wanted to explore some tacos and wine’s that others enjoy! So, I headed out to the blogoshpere and tweeted to enlist some help. Thanks to Menage a Trois Wines for posting on their Facebook page! (in case you missed it… I was last week’s Facebook “superfan” and first ever twitter Superfan! and was quite excited about it! Check out the post here. )
Now… ON TO THE TACOS!!!!
Our most recent Taco Tuesday was Black bean & lime taco (recipe here) with Menage a Trios table red wine. Of course, no taco would be complete in our house with out some grilled cabbage slaw. Simple, crunchy, incredibly flavorful and adds some extra veggie and spice to any taco! So delicious!
John Bell (Fashion Photographer, Seattle) Twitter Response: @johnleebell“pulled pork with sour cream…. Just got an idea to add cream cheese!”
A few followers asked to remain anonymous but wanted to share their go-to’s
“Grenache and halibut fish tacos and some shredded cabbage”
“I love a nicely chilled Gewürztraminer and some Spicy Chicken Tacos! Flour tortillas please!”
“Pinot Gris is very balanced and drinkable, pairs well with both fish and chicken tacos! You could even drink with a Carne Asada”
“A good full-bodied Merlot is GREAT with steak/beef tacos! Shredded beef, cheese, fresh avocado and tomato… melted cheese… mmm!”
“If you’re doing beef, try a Zinfandel, Rioja or Malbec”
“ANY taco goes with a good Tempranillo! ENJOY!”
Menage a Trois Facebook Responses:
Sherry Smith “slowed cooked pork with a sauce made of jalepenos garlic lime juice and cumin anchote once it is cooked i drain sauce and pull pork off and serve with warm flour tortillas and red onions and home-made salsa served with red wine”
Holly Le Du “I sautee finely chopped onions and raisins together for a couple of minutes, then add freshly ground beef with sea salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, and a tiny bit of dried oregano. I put them in handmade tortillas (I prefer flour) with lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and avocados and a homemade salsa. Sooo yummy!”
Spirited Shipper “Tacos are our favorite! We love tiger shrimp tacos with avocado, slaw, lime, and cilantro garlic sauce!”
Kim Smith Saghy “I think the Eagles Nest on Pier 39 in San Francisco has the absolute best fish tacos! And they will share their recipe.”
What’s YOUR favorite Taco and Wine mix!? I’ll be happy to keep updating the post as more recipes come in! Moral of the story… make tacos every tuesday and enjoy with some type of wine! 🙂 Life is better that way!
Oh Ménage a Trios…how do I love you? My evenings would not be the same without the nightly glass (or two…ish) to relax! No meal would be the same! My sangria would be naked!
I fondly refer to it as the gateway-red. Ménage a Trios is one of the most affordable and most delicious bottles of red wine you can find. If you have read my posts or follow me on instagram…you’ll notice the abundance of Menage a Trios in the photos! I seriously LOVE their wine! The table red is my no fail red wine for ANY meal, party, event or.. well day of the week! You can’t go wrong! Their rose is balanced and just sweet enough. Even their table white is a delight! Just had to make it rhyme BUT coming from a confirmed red wine drinker finding a white that I truly like is rare and to be celebrated!
Well I’m honored that not only did they post yesterday’s instagram photo of taco Tuesday in action (recipe STILL to come) on their Facebook page, but they also contacted me and asked if I would like to be their FIRST EVER TWITTER SUPER FAN!
Would I EVER!!! I’m HONORED! Pop the wine, it’s 5 o’clock somewhere and there will be celebration!! They’ll be announcing at 3pm so be sure you Follow them on Twitter to see the announcement in action and Like them on Facebook so you can check out their awesome fan photos and fun wall posts!! You’ll learn all kinds of fun ideas like the idea you’ll see at my next wine party! (see below)
“In honor of Wine Wednesday, let’s plan your next party – a wine party! There are so many options: blind wine tasting, regular wine tasting, food & wine pairing… We have an idea for a fun game you can play at your next party: Color one end of 5 corks blue. Fill a basket with 50+ corks (we know you have a lot!) and ask your friends to choose a cork. Those who pick the blue-end corks win wine charms or a corkscrew!”
What a day what a day! And wine Wednesday at that!! And, while I’m STILL excited about cooking up Ratatouille tonight for the first time, this announcement really takes the.. bottle!!
Cheers everyone! Happy Wine Wednesday & Almost Friday!!!
What do you give the person who has everything? That person who can go out and buy anything they could possibly want or need? Lobster. That’s right…LIVE lobster. Since we both love to cook, this was actually the perfect gift (thanks Mom and Dad)! I knew these little guys would be arriving…LIVE…so I was mentally preparing myself for a few days beforehand. All I could imagine was the scene from Julie and Julia where the lobster tries to jump OUT of the pot!
The LobsterGram arrived, and our two jumbo lobbies were all packed up for the overnight trip from Maine. Per the directions, which I CAREFULLY read twice, I left them be…that is…after I lifted up the packing to get a glance at those beauties! I will admit that some of the packing peanuts, which are lobster PINK for some awful reason, moved and I did shriek a bit thinking it was the lobster! We chose names for our little lobbies and I even gave one of them a little back rub to calm it down. Now mind you, this wasn’t necessarily my idea since I was already the one tasked with dropping them headfirst into a pot of boiling water! But, my sous chef decided that one of them was moving a bit too much for his liking and that I needed to calm it down a little. Those pictures are not included :)!
We followed the directions included in our care package. They can also be found online here: How to Boil a Lobster. The boiling process was actually pretty painless albeit a bit eventful (we kept having to push them back underwater!). We wound up using one pot since the water in the second pot didn’t boil in time and they turned out just fine. One note on the pot; soak it VERY well when you are done or else you will permanently have a smelly lobster pot. We wound up boiling it on the stove with dawn dish soap for a few minutes and it vanquished the smell. Also, make sure you remember ahead of time to get the seafood utensils you’ll need. (Thanks again Mom & Dad!!) I swear by Oxo products, so we were equipped with the Oxo Good Grips 5-Piece Seafood Cracker Set and OXO Good Grips Slim Nut/Seafood Cracker.
The Viognier was almost buttery on the tongue with citrus notes and finished with a balanced flavor and a light spice, great accompaniment to a dish like lobster! For the side dishes, we went the traditional route and opted for roasted corn, oven broiled asparagus and a fresh loaf of pain de champagne from the delicious and local Dahlia Bakery. Being dairy free I passed on the traditional “drawn butter” but made some for Brian and he wound up skipping it all together! The taste of the lobster was just delicious by itself with a little bit of the fresh lemon squeezed over the top.
I was actually surprised at how easy the whole process was! Simply get the other parts of the meal basically set up and then boil the water then enjoy! It was a wonderful treat and a fun adventure in cooking! If you like seafood stew, save the shells to make lobster stock for general use or if you retain the Lobster tail’s to make bisque.
Have you cooked a lobster? Any tips or tricks… or experiences you like to share? Comment below!
I was first drawn to the Naches Heights Vineyard (NHV) wines the same way that may aspiring wine drinkers discover bottles they love and hate, I looked at the label. While this isn’t the “scientific” or “conventional” way to discover new wines it is how this branding and marketing minded wine drinker explores the wonderful and sometimes overwhelming world of wines.
Seriously! Its true!
