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OPES
#59 - Wines of Subalpine Italy Date:
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Time: 5:30 PM Location: Michael's Divine Dining Event Host: Elizabeth
Borrone
The wines we are to savor this evening all are grown au (Bartolomiol)
accompanying the Antipasto,
a nice clean Soave (Inama) joins the creamy Risotto with Shrimp and
Parmesan Cheese, the entrée Veal Scallopine in red sauce and
vegetables is joined By Aribaldo Dolcetto (Marchesa di Gresy), followed by a
spring salad of greens, cucumbers and Misto with a gentile Rosato (Legeder)
and ending with a pleasant Moscato (Saracco) and Spumoni.
In saluting the wines of subalpine Italy, we recall that the
country and its capital Rome were savagely destroyed in 551 AD by the
Visigoths, producing a great vacuum in the laws and civility in the
populace. The next invasion by a Germanic tribe, the Lombards, in 568
AD, initially brought more chaos until the new dominators had
conquered all the subalpine areas plus the complete control of both
seacoasts as far South as the Papal States. Rather than repeating a
plunder and then withdrawal, as did the Visigoths, the Huns, the
Vandals and the Ostrogoths, the Lombards overcome their semiobarberism,
settled into the country, developed their kingship, empire and coinage encouraged the towns to grow into cities and with increasing output
from the fertile Po valley began new trade routes to the Mediterranean
countries and as far north as London by the 8th century.
The place the Lombards played in the development of a mercantile Italy
was recognized by naming the Province around Milan and their capital,
Pavia, Lombardy. There is
limited attendance for this event. Cost is $50 for
members, $60 for guests. Return
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#57 Harbinger Winery – A Local Treasure
The
OPES event originally scheduled for Dec 2 has been rescheduled for Dec
27th. Pat
Nix and Arlene McClelland will host the December event on December
27 at 6 P.M. at Sunland Golf & Country Club in Sequim.The
club is decorated for Christmas and we'll have the Sunland
caterers prepare the food. We already have the wines that Jane
selected from Harbinger.
Cost: $35 per person (members) and $45 (guests)
Location: Sunland
Golf & Country Club in Sequim.
Return
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FROM THE OKANAGAN VALLEY -- BRITISH COLUMBIA
This wine event, hosted by Anne
Davidson, Kaleden, B.C., and Don and Marilyn Brenner, Port Townsend, at
Gardiner Community Center on Sunday, October 21, 2007, was an unqualified
success.
Featured were wines,
cheeses, and fruit from the Okanagan as well as a dessert treat, Nanaimo
Bars that were first created in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.
Anne described the
history of vineyard and winery establishment in the Okanagan Valley of
British Columbia as well as its growth and current status as a vacation
and wine tasting destination.
Guests were greeted with
Gray Monk Odyssey 25th Anniversary 2006 Pinot Gris. Gray
Monk’s 2006 unwooded Chardonnay was paired with Poplar Grove Winery
Camembert and Tiger Blue cheese and a 5-year aged cheddar from Balderson
Cheese Co, Ontario. Smoked salmon, Okanagan Concord grapes, Honey Crisp
apples, Okanagan Fiesta Pear salsa, Terra Breads (Vancouver); fruit &
nut crisps, and baguette slices completed the appetizer table.
Volunteers prepared our
‘Committee” Salad--baby greens, candied almonds, mandarin oranges,
avocado---which was served with Little Straw 2006 Sauvignon Blanc, a Gold
Medal wine, and a Lang 2006 Gewürztraminer.
Dinner highlighted
roasted sea salt-, garlic-, and rosemary-rubbed pork tenderloin with
Okanagan fruit confiture, a barley and wild/brown rice casserole, and a
medley of roasted fall vegetables. Four reds served with the entrée were:
a 2003 Arrowleaf Zweigelt (an Austrian varietal); a Hester Creek 2002
Cabernet Franc; Church and State’s Churchmouse label 2004 Merlot and
finally Church and State 2005 powerhouse Syrah. (While Church and State
Winery is located in Brentwood Bay/Victoria area, the red grapes were from
the Black Sage bench between Oliver and Osoyoos in the South Okanagan.)
Bill Dyer (formerly of Burrowing Owl Winery where he was known for
creating prize winning wines) is now winemaker at Church and State. Bill
is a 27 year veteran Napa Valley winemaker whose credits include
winemaking at Miramar Torres Estate (Russian River) and Frogs Leap in
Napa. Our evening finished off with Mt. Boucherie’s 2002 Pinot Noir
Icewine paired with Nanimo Bars and raspberry coulis.
All those who attended
were complimentary of the food, the wines, and the pairings. We want
especially to thank Vicki and Smitty Lebkeucher for decorations, setup,
and guidance; Smitty, Roger Lyons and Don Brenner for wine pouring;
Suzanne Rehder, Gardiner Community Center liaison; Roger and Kristen
Lyons; our three volunteer salad makers; and all those who assisted with
serving and clean up. Anne and Marilyn planned the event, developed the
recipes and honed their cooking skills. Bill Loughridge assisted in food
preparation, serving, and clean up. Anne, Don, and Marilyn tasted,
selected, and transported all the wines from Canada (tough job but someone
has to do it!). We wish to thank Terry and Cheryl at the VQA Arrowsmith
Wine Shop in Parksville, Vancouver Island, for their assistance. And thank
you, all who attended, for making the evening a great success!
Wine Prices in Canadian at the time of purchase:
Gray Monk 25th Anniversary Pinot Gris 2006
$22.00
Gray Monk Chardonnay 2006
$16.50
Little Straw Sauvignon Blanc 2006
$16.00
Lang Gewürztraminer 2006
$17.00
Arrowleaf Zweigelt 2003
$17.00
Churchmouse Merlot 2004
$18.00
Hester Creek Cabernet Franc 2002
$25.00
Church and State Syrah 2005
$26.00
Mt. Boucherie Pinot Noir Ice Wine 2002 (375ml) $45.00
Return
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OPES #55 SEPTEMBER
TREAT EVENT
What a treat. Our September event was in the home, or rather on the deck,
of new board member Dale Wyngaert and his wife Lori. They
served us several northwest favorites; many that they prepared themselves.
They were assisted by friends Gayle Hosford and Vern Thomas.
We
started with "Pearl" sake--I take responsibility for this!
Just wanted to offer it--something that we would not buy just on a whim.
Interestingly, though I think it does taste good--it is not the chosen
drink to accompany sushi.
After
a small sample of the sake, we got serious with freshwater eel and ahi
tuna prepared by Dale with sushi rice and California Rolls. Followed
by fresh-made crab cakes and finger salad. All of this was accompanied by
Charles Smith's Magnificent Wine Company's Kung Fu Girl Riesling and from
Italy, a sparkling wine, Prosecco.
For
the entrée we had Dale's cedar-planked Salmon and an orzo salad with
shrimp. To pair with this we chose Sauvignon Blanc from Kim Crawford.
This Sauv is made from low-yield grapes grown in the Marlborough region of
New Zealand.
Also
served with the salmon was an Eyrie Pinot Noir. This '01 reserve is
from the original grapes planted by David Lett. His Oregon Vineyards consistently
produce award- winning wines.
Dessert
was simple but a rather unusual pairing: Key Lime Sherbet with Sutter
Homes Moscato.
We
want to thank Dale and Lori for all their hard work in preparing the food
and inviting us into their home! Thanks also to Gayle and
Vern for helping and joining us in a great OPES event.
– Vicki Lebkeucher
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OPES #54
Walla
Walla’s Rock Star of Syrah—Charles Smith of K Vintners
On
Friday, August 17, 2007, 80 OPES members and guests sat down to break
bread and share wine with Charles Smith, “my wines are suave,
kinda sexy. I want the wines
to be feminine, but like a woman who knows what she wants.
Something with a lot of finesse and depth and elegance.
And I don't like oaky wines, blockbusters, or monster tannic wines;
I like wines that are sophisticated.”
Charles was not only very informative about his and other Walla
Walla wines, but also very entertaining.
Norbert
and Michelle Juhasz of C’est Si Bon in Port Angeles did not let us down
in the quality of the food we paired with Charles’ wines.
Admission
was $58.00 for OPES members and $68.00 for sponsored guests and all
attendees seemed to think they got their money’s worth.
The following represents the wine and food pairings:
Chilled
vichyssoise served with delicious hors d’oeuvres trays buffet style
served with 2005 Columbia Valley, The Magnificent Wine Company White
“House Wine”.
Mixed
salad with cucumber and purple onion dressed in Michele’s home-made
vinaigrette served with 2006 Columbia Valley, Charles Smith Wines “Holy Cow” Chardonnay.
This Chard is fresh, complex, silky, and an outstanding value at
$12.
Lamb
chops in rosemary sauce and a mixed seafood Creole in parchment with red
pepper sauce accompanied by roasted vegetables, mushrooms and orzo with 2003
Walla Walla Valley, K Vintners “Roma” from Randy’s cellar.
This 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Syrah was rated 92 by
Wine Enthusiast and 90 by the Wine Spectator.
A lovely, deep wine named for Charles’ Mother Roma Jean.
Also served beside the Roma was the 2005
Walla Walla Valley, K Vintners “Cougar Hills” Syrah.
100% Syrah from the Cougar Hills vineyard with flavors of
black olive
and anise.
This wine was last produced in 2003 receiving a 93 rating from
Wine Spectator.
Although rather pricey at $45, it would be well worth putting a few
in the cellar.
And
lastly Death by Chocolate served with 2005 Walla Walla Valley, K Vintners
“The Creator”. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon from En Cerise vineyard and 40% Syrah
from the Morrison Lane vineyard. The
aromas and flavors of earth, spice, and minerals were excellent although
no one was, “brought to their knees singing Sweet Baby Jesus.
Hallelujah.” as Charles stated they might.
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OPES
#53 “WILLAKENZIE ESTATES: THE MANY FACES OF PINOTS”
Wine Educator Bob Bentley, our event chair, hosted Ronni Lacroute,
owner of Willakenzie Estate winery, in a program that offered a range
of this prestigious winery’s very highly rated wines, including
Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Meunier, and three of their exceptional
Pinot Noirs, one a prized “library” 1999 vintage. This was a wine
dinner program with a wonderful French touch, featuring a rack of lamb
entree and several delightful matching courses to the wines.
After telling the history
of how clonal evolution of the different Pinot grape varietals has
evolved, Ronni described how “dirt matters”, an explanation of how
Willakenzie’s many innovative organic and sustainable viticulture and
winemaking practices emphasize the precise use of terroir and blending
styles. Bob noted how this winery has received national and international
recognition, being featured in the Wall
Street Journal, Newsweek,
and nearly all major wine publications. Every wine of the six types we
sampled has scored at 90+ ratings, a truly outstanding feat.
These elegant food and
wine pairings and Ronni’s exciting and energetic program truly made this
a highly entertaining and educational evening.
Return
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OPES
52 TERROIR! A Sense of
Place MAY
20 2007 GARDINER COMMUNITY CENTER
We
tried something different! Our
greeter wine was a Samson Estate Chardonnay from the Columbia Valley.
Guests were asked to try several combinations of foods with the
wine. There was turkey, Red
Delicious apples, goat cheese and cheddar cheese--all with water crackers
and bread. Although all the
foods went with the wines, some combos were very appealing--some were not;
and of course everyone’s tastes are a little different.
Then
we had a flight of three Rieslings. An
‘06 Penfold Bin 51, from southern Australia: an ’06 Barnard Griffin
from the Columbia Valley and an ’05 Selbach Zeltinger Himmelreich
Kabinett from Germany.
With
these wines we presented hand crafted Braunsweiger, D’Anjou pears, bleu
cheese and black olives. The
favorites here were the bleu cheese and the pears!
Next
we had a flight of Merlots: an ’02 Chateau des Anneroux from France: an
’05 Falesco IGT from Italy and an ’04 Frog’s Leap from the Napa
Valley. With these wines we
presented beef, Gouda, dried cherries and cranberries, green olives and
pecans! Several combos here
were mentioned as very good.
As
we enjoyed testing these different tasting delights, Mary Earl from Grape
Expectations in Silverdale, went to each table and told about the
“Terroir” of the wines we were tasting.
We
want to thank the Cheesemonger’s Shop in Leavenworth, WA, for the
delicious Braunsweiger and the Old Amsterdam Gouda.
It is a shame they are so far away!
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OPES#51 The Wines of Southern Oregon Hosted by Ron and Jane Floyd; wine procurement and expertise: Bob
Bentley, CWE This
event featured wines from all three southern Oregon AVAs: Rogue Valley,
Umpqua Valley, and Applegate Valley. Besides some boutique wineries,
Abacela, Henry Estates, Foris, and Spangler wineries were represented. The
wines were paired with a buffet dinner of mild Creole food. It was all
delicious. Participants now know, if they didn’t before, why southern
Oregon wineries are gaining ever more serious attention in the world of
wine.
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OPES#50 (Our
5th Anniversary)
St. Patrick's Day and the Irish Wine Geese- celebrating the historic role
of the Irish in wine. Program
speaker: Patrick McGillicott of Oregon Wine Tasting Room
Date: Saturday March 17th,
2007
Time:7 PM, (doors will open at 6:30 PM)
Cost:$45
for members of OPES and affiliated NW wine societies- $50 for sponsored
guests.
Location: Gardiner Community Center, Hwy 101, Gardiner, WA.
Come, wear your green, as we celebrate the Fifth Anniversary of OPES
founding and learn about the Irish heritage in worldwide
winemaking.
Forget
the "green beer" image of the irish; there is a old , old
traditional role of the Irish in wine-which has resurrected in the old
country. In addition, Irish winemakers and owners have made a huge impact
throughout the worldwide wine industry-including right here in the
Northwest! We'll explore that in this exciting and informative
program-and have a" fine auld " Gaelic celebration in the
process!
This
St. Patrick's Day Program will feature a program by Patrick McGillicott,
Manager of the Oregon Wine Tasting Room in McMinnville, Oregon. Patrick
also teaches in the Enology Program at Chemeketa Community College in
Salem, Ore. and is a frequent wine judge at events across the country.
Patrick will pay tribute to the� Irish "Wild Geese" wine
heritage and we'll feature wines of Sineann, an elegant Oregon winery with
a cult following, Shea vineyards, and others founded by irishmen.
The program
will be accompanied by an array of Irish traditional foods (O'Scanlan
irish lamb stew, salmon salad, soda bread, and more.) prepared by a team
of OPES volunteers. Return
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OPES#49 ????? February, 2007 was an Australian event hosted
by Bill and Carol Peet. This
will be at the Four Seasons Ranch ?????
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OPES#48 ????? January, 2007 was a winemaker event hosted by
Bob Bentley?????
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OPES#47--- OPES CHRISTMAS GALA DECEMBER 10, 2006
GARDINER COMMUNITY CENTER
5:30 TO 8:30 PUT ON YOUR BEST AND BE READY TO GET A KICK START TO THE HOLIDAYS--------------
PLEASE JOIN US FOR A TREAT WITH SPARKLING WINES AND PORTS! BRING YOUR FAVORITE DISH TO SHARE -APPETIZERS, FINGER FOODS AND/ OR DESSERTS--
ORIGINALLY TITLED CHAMPAGNE AND PORTS, WE HAVE FOUND SUCH INTERESTING WINES IN THE "SPARKLING" CATEGORY, DONE IN THE "CHAMPAGNE METHOD" THAT WE ARE FEATURING 4 "SPARKLERS" .
AFTER THE "SPARKLERS" HAVE BEEN ENJOYED, WE WILL FOLLOW WITH 3 PORTS.
THE FIRST PORT IS A LOCAL PRODUCT AND WILL BE A SURPRISE! PLEASE BRING A GLASS SUITABLE FOR PORT. CHAMPAGNE GLASSES WILL BE PROVIDED.
PLEASE NOTE A REDUCTION IN COST---HAPPY HOLIDAYS DECEMBER 10, 2006 5:30-8:30
GARDINER COMMUNITY CENTER $25.00 PER PERSON & $30.00 FOR SPONSORED GUEST.
FOR INFORMATION PLEASE CALL SMITTY LEBKEUCHER - 360-698-0070
OR CAROL PEET 360-457-4318 Return
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OPES#46Walla
Walla Vintners, Washington’s Bordeaux Style Masters
Friday, November 17, 2006, 5:30 to 8:30 pm
OPES is privileged to present a wine dinner program with Walla Walla
Vintners. Your host and past OPES President Randy Riggins has
arranged a memorable evening with Gordy Venneri and Myles Anderson, owners
and pioneer Walla Walla winemakers. Gordy and Myles make only red
wines, specializing in crafting world-class Cabernet Franc, Cabernet
Sauvignon, Cuveé, Merlot, and Sangiovese. Their quality wines are
barreled in small lots featuring Walla Walla and Columbia Valley
Appellation grapes. These guys have been making wine in Walla Walla
for over 21 years and I find their wines to be consistently excellent,
with rich flavor and wonderful complexity. Walla Walla Vintners
wines are some of the best valued wines in the world and are among the
very best reds Washington has to offer. But don’t just take my
word on it, Wine Spectator
and Wine Enthusiast
consistently rate their wines 90 and above with a good many in that magic
92-94 range. See http://www.wallawallavintners.com
Our
evening will feature Cabernet Franc and other Bordeaux varietals.
Six reds in all with a surprise Walla Walla winemaker Viognier blend as
our greeter wine. C’est Si
Bon is the Peninsula’s premier French Restaurant with beautiful gardens,
spacious European décor, and a warm ambiance on a par with any fine
restaurant in the Northwest. Owners Norbert and Michelle Juhasz
classic French cuisine has been featured and highly rated in Sunset
Magazine. See www.cestsibon-frenchwuisine.com.
The amazing five course menu for this event includes: hors
d’oeuvres of Pate de Champagne along with figs and marcaponi in phillo
dough, a salad of butter lettuce and andives with shredded duck breast,
Veal Gremolata (large prawn with a veal wrap), Beef Medallions Sur Canapé,
and Crepes with chestnut cream, raspberry couli and chocolate sauce—Wow.
Admission is $59.00
for OPES members and $65.00 for sponsored guests. We will seat 90.
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OPES#45 Silver
Lake Winery; O.P.E.S. No: 36 Silver Lake Winery at the Naval Elks Lodge of
Port Angeles Friday, September 30, 2005, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
O.P.E.S. is pleased to present an evening of wine and prime rib at
the newly refurbished Naval Elks Lodge in Port Angeles.
Yes, this fine old building survived the fire and is as stately as
ever. Sherri Riggs, the Elks
manager/cook is preparing a prime rib dinner sure to please.
This evening's wine will
feature the Silver Lake Winery and Nora Jean Bush their sales and
marketing director. Nora Jean
has been with Silver Lake for 8 years and has spent her career in the wine
industry. Silver Lake Winery
crushed it's first vintage in the fall of 1989. The winery began as the outgrowth of the passion for fine
wines shared by three professors at the University of Washington.
In the past sixteen years the winery has grown from 2,000 cases to
more than 25,000 cases of hand crafted wine. Silver Lake is the 7th
largest winery in Washington State and is remarkable for the long list of
excellent varietals produced. Admission is $39 for members and $42 for sponsored guests (a
great value). Advanced
reservations are required by September 23rd.
Make reservations by sending your check to: OPES, PO Box 4081,
Sequim, WA 98382.
For information call Ralph Howard (360) 457-2012, Dave Ramey (360)
417-2800 or Carol Peet (360) 457-4318.
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OPES#35:
An Evening with Pepper Bridge Winery and C’est Si Bon French Cuisine
DATE: Saturday, August 6, 2005 COST:
$55
for OPES members / $62
for sponsored guests.
LOCATION:
C'est Si Bon Restaurant in Port Angeles
OPES
was privileged to host a dinner program with Jean-Francois Pettet,
winemaker for Pepper Bridge
Winery and Amavi Cellars of Walla
Walla. Jean-Francois, born and raised in Switzerland, is a third
generation wine grower. See www.pepperbridge.com
The
menu for this event will be generous, a six course meal featuring the
entire Pepper Bridge/Amavi line of fine wines and a surprise champagne
greeter wine.
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OPES
#34 “The Wide World of Oregon Wines"
A
fine dinner from Nemo's Restaurant accompanied the diverse
selection of the many types of Oregon's fine wines from two unique
wineries, Sineann and Abacela, that have acquired wide acclamation
and distinct nation-wide
"cult" followings. Event
Chair, Bob Bentley
has brought in Dieter Klippstein, owner of Triage Distributors, who
presented a range of wines that represent many of the most renowned
types produced in the Northwest
Date Sunday
July 10th, 2005 Cost $57.50
OPES members & affiliated NW wine societies
$65 for
sponsored guests. (includes tax & gratuities)
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OPES#33
Eyrie wines
with "Papa Pinot", David Lett
We
will feature Eyrie Wines from Oregon.
Learn a little about
Papa Pinot!
That is what Oregon has tagged David Lett and featured
him on the state of Oregon's homepage. (www.traveloregon.com).
David was
the first to plant and produce Pinot Gris in the states - he also
was the
first to produce Pinot Noir as a stand alone wine and turned
it into
one of the most popular wines we have today..
Smitty and Vicki Lebkeucher event chair team
Date June
25, 2005 Cost $35 for members and $38 for sponsored guests
held at the Gardiner
Community Center
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OPES#32
OPES
Annual
meeting at St. Luke’s
The
Olympic Peninsula Enological Society (OPES) annual meeting was a
celebration of three years of successful wine dinners in a variety of
locations around the Olympic Peninsula.
The evening started with
introducing the officers who are serving the second
year of their two year
term as well as new OPES 2005 Board Members.
Bill Peet and Tom Colvin
selected wonderful wines from Australia,
California, Oregon and Idaho.
Entertainment provided by Jeremy Cays,
a well
known local talent. Date
Sat. May 28, 2005
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OPES
#31
SOUTH AMERICA:
“Sideways and Upside
Down”
Program
and wine selections by Bob Bentley,SWE
Saturday, April 16 , 2005
After
returning from a month long trip to
South America, Bob
Bentley,SWE will conduct a program on wines
from Argentina,
Chile and Uruguay- the program will focus the
discussion on the key
vineyard labels and especially the more unusual
varietals:
torrontes, Carmenere, and Malbec that will be new to most
wine
drinkers. Appropriate light
appetizers will be served with the
wines.
The following are the wines that will be featured.
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OPES#30
Presents "Reds from Walla Walla Vintners"
Sunday March 13th
OPES Presents
"Reds from Walla Walla
Vintners" at The Belmont, 925 Water
Street, in Port Townsend.
This
will be a five course dinner with a selection of Walla Walla
Vintners
lavish Washington reds beginning at 6:30 pm.
Gordy Venneri a co-owner of the winery will present his wines
including some that are just being released. The
price of the
event is $52 for members and $57 for sponsored guests.
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OPES#29:
An
Evening of Spanish Wines at Port Ludlow
Sunday,
February 20, 2005, 5:30 pm
Costs
will be $35.00 for members
and $40.00 for sponsored guests. Wines
of Spain are often
overlooked in favor of more familiar USA wine labels and vineyards.
The robust reds of La Rioja are famous, but Castilla, Aragon, and
Galacia regions have a long history of producing
magnificent
vintages. OPES #
29 will explore five of the regions. The variety of
wines is reflective of the range of growing areas such as the cool
coastal
climate of the Atlantic area and in latitudes not unlike those in
California. Tapas
will be served to accompany each of the seven
wines. The fun of tapas is
the exploration of the variety of foods that
can be served with wine. The
Port Ludlow members are chairing an
evening that will feature
Steve and Almundena Metzler from Classical
Wines in Seattle. As a prelude, classical piano by Steve will welcome
you and a distinctive greeter
wine will introduce the program. Steve
and Almundena will describe the
wine regions of Spain and provide
background on wine production,
including those from their vineyard.
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OPES#28: Bergevin Lane, Walla Walla
Appellation with
an accomplished French Winemaker and our own C’est Si Bon
French Cuisine. Saturday, January 22, 2005, 5:30 to 8:30 pm
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OPES#27:
Camaraderie Cellars For the Holidays, Along
With the History and Elegance of
the Manresa Castle, Port
Townsend. A Unique dinner Event.
Saturday December 11th, 2004, 5:45 to 9:30 pm
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OPES#26:
A Visit With British Columbia’s Winemakers, With a
Southwestern
Flair at Port Angeles’ Kokopelli Grill—Dinner Event
Sunday, November 21st, 2004, Guest speaker, Wilf
Krutzmann of
Victoria, the most knowledgeable man we know on the
subject of
quality BC winemakers. Took
the group on a virtual road trip through
some amazing wineries in the
Okanogan Valley and you may be
pleasantly surprised at the wide variety
of wines produced there
including some nice big reds.
The
Kokopelli Grill specializes in southwest flavors, but their
secret is
the use of fresh, wild northwestern seafood and local produce.
The
event menu will include, Dungeness crab
cake, savory steamer clams,
wild sockeye salmon, southwest style BBQ
ribs and melt in your mouth,
Kaluha chocolate mousse.
Return
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OPES#25: Yalumba
"Australia's Oldest Wine Making Family"
Date
: Friday October 8th
Food & Beverage Director Eric Toles and Executive Chef
Jamison Brandt of Lake Crescent Lodge served an Australian
Winemakers Dinner! featuring wines from South Australia's
oldest wine making family. Yalumba.
Guest speaker, Darren Cosgrove, an Aussie himself, toured us
through a wonderful family story whose success is realized through
Samuel Smith, founder of the Yalumba Wine Company in 1849.
WOW!!! What a dinner event!! The best, by far, Winemakers
Dinner ever!!
Return to the Event History listing
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OPES 24 July 24th HOODSPORT WINERY SHOWCASE
Peggy Patterson, Hoodsport Winery
owner and OPES member, featured a selection of her wines at Sequim's newest fine restaurant, DANNY'S PLACE. Chefs Danny and Gregg offered
some
new specialties and some old favorites, to complement the reds, whites
and fruit specialty wines from Hoodsport. Cost for the dinner is
$30 for
members and $35 for guests.
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OPES
# 23: Brian Carter
“Winemaker of the Year”-C’Est Si Bon” Dinner Event
OPES
is privileged to host a dinner program with Brian Carter, winemaker and
owner of Apex and Bridgman Wineries and recently named “Washington
Winemaker of the Year” (his third such title in a sterling
career). Brian has been instrumental in founding, winemaking or
consulting for a number of key Washington wineries, including Kestral,
Hedges, Paul Thomas, Washington Hills, Silver Lake, McCrea, and others,
not to mention our own Olympic area’s Cameraderie Cellars.
Brian’s
theme is “From Tried and True to The Very New”,
illustrating the major varietals he has made, which helped put
Washington “on the map”, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,
Reisling and Chardonnay and now including some very “new” or less
known varietals including Sangiovese, Viognier, and the latest
Washington favorite, Syrah. Our greeter wine( to be tasted blind) is
just another one of some rather uncommon varietal wines now being made
in the US, but well known back in the old world.
Bob Bentley,
Event Chair and Carol Peet
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OPES#22 Annual Meeting:
Featuring The Wines of Summer by Eric Toles
May 22, 2004.. The musical group 101 Banjos played during the social hour. Sommelier Eric Toles presented the program, ‘Wines of
Summer”, including pairing wines with summer foods featuring crisp
whites & low alcohol reds. Eric Toles is the Food & Beverage
Director with Forever Resorts at Lake Crescent lodge.
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OPES #21
Festa da Primavera
Fifty-six members and twelve guests came to the Gardiner
Community Center on Saturday, April 17, 2004 to enjoy a Festa da
Primavera, a Spring Festival dinner of wonderful traditional Italian foods
with fine Italian wines. Betsy Poulson and Suzanne Rehder prepared the
foods and Joe Euro of Port Townsend’s “Wine Seller” provided five
wines; two white and three reds. Chris Rehder provided an overview
of the Italian wine industry and noted that the group was to sample wines
from five of the twenty Italian wine regions. Joe Euro discussed the
specifics on the wines consumed.
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OPES #20 Thurston Wolfe Winemaker Dinner at Bella Italia
Restaurant in Port Angeles on March 29th. This was the second
OPES event held at Bella Italia and another sellout. Wade Wolfe and his wife Becky Yeaman presented their wines
and Wade answered many questions about growing grapes and making wine in
Washington State. Wade has a doctorate in Enology from UC Davis. He
is currently vice-president at Hogue Cellars and has been associated with
the Washington Wine Industry for many years.
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OPES#19
“Willakenzie Estates Winemaker Dinner” at C’Est Si Bon
Date:
Feb 28th.
The program featured Willakenzie
owner, Ronni Lacroute presenting an array of Willakenzie’s
highly regarded wines including Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and its
premier Pinot Noirs.
The
event was held at the premier French
Restaurant C’Est
Si Bon in Port Angeles
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to the Event History listing
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OPES
# 18 HOLIDAY
PARTY!
Saturday December 27, at the
Olympic Theater Arts building (old Boys and Girls Club) at 400 N. Sequim
Avenue in Sequim. The "MOST NOTABLES" , a trio, will
play easy listening and danceable tunes. We will have a small
dance floor. The greeter wine was a fine California
champagne. Served with the meal will be specially selected red and
white wines. Dessert and coffee will be accompanied by tawny Port.
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OPES
#17
Blind Tasting of California vs. Washington Cabs:
Saturday, November 22, 2003
We tasted 3 Cabernet Sauvignons from
California and 4 from Washington. Each
taster got to try over $250 retail value of wine.
The wines were bagged and then numbered in a random way and poured
blind. The format of the
evening was each taster got to taste and rate the wines and then a light
meal including some wonderful chocolate was served buffet style to see how
the food changed the ratings. See
below for a list and ranking of the wines tasted.
At the conclusion of the
tasting the group voted for the winners and the state vs state results
were mixed. California took the top spot, the 4th spot and the last
place. Washington took the 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th spots. Based
on these results the states are pretty much equal. One very
interesting result, however, is that our local Port Townsend winery
Sorensen ranked 2nd with only 9 points less the top rated wine and 23
points ahead of the third place wine. In addition to being a great
wine it is an incredible bargain at half the price of the California
winner. The other point to make is these wines are all very young.
It is vary hard to do a tasting like this with 5 to 10 year old wines so
the fact that the
Pepper Bridge scored low at this point does not mean
that it will not be an incredible wine in the future.
OPES #17 California Vs Washington Cabernet Nov 22nd
2003
|
Group
Rank
|
Wine
|
Bag
Number
|
Raw
Points
|
|
1
|
Duckhorn
Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2000
Wine Spectator Score:
90,
California |
5
|
66
|
|
2
|
Sorensen
Cabernet
Sauvignon Washington
2000
WS Score: 90,
Washington |
4
|
57
|
|
3
|
Barnard
Griffin
Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley 2001
WS Score:
88,
Washington
|
7
|
34
|
|
4
|
Woodbridge
Cabernet Sauvignon Lodi Red Dirt Ridge Select Vineyard Series 2000 WS
Score:
85, California
|
6
|
28
|
|
5
|
Columbia
Cab Sauvignon Yakima Valley Otis Vineyard Dave Lake Signature Series
1998
WS Score: 90,
Washington |
3
|
19
|
|
6
|
Pepper
Bridge
Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley 2000
WS
Score: 91,
Washington
|
2
|
17
|
|
7
|
Kendall-Jackson
Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley Great Estates 1998
WS Score: 88,
California
|
1
|
8
|
The points are
calculated by summing 3 times the first place votes plus 2 times the
second place votes plus the third places votes for each wine.
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OPES
#16 Halloween Celebration with
Washington’s New Wines: Friday, October 24th
Our second annual
Halloween costume party will be held at the Olympic Theater Arts Building in
Sequim. We will use the occasion to
celebrate some exciting new directions in Washington State winemaking.
After 30 years in the big time, Washington winemakers are still
innovating and moving in new directions. Grapes
new to Washington, such as Sangiovese and Voignier, are achieving excellent
results. New, small batch wineries
are capturing depths of flavor not found in volume wines.
Larger winemakers are perfecting blending to achieve deeper and more
balanced wines. Our samplings will
include a delightful Sangiovese Rose’
greeter wine, new small batch wineries Novelty Hill (Sauvignon Blanc) and
Rulo (Voigner), Hedges 2000 Three Vineyards Bordeaux style blend (89 points),
the David Lake special select Sangiovese from Red Willow Vinyards, and a small
winery Port from our local Fairwinds Winery.
We will complement the
samplings with four food courses. The
opening course will feature seafood spread with special bread.
The cheese course will be freshly sliced tomatoes topped with Goat
cheese. The main course features
barbequed lamb with couscous and a spinach salad with avocado slices and blue
cheese dressing. The desert course
will be cheesecake with chocolate sauce, Port and coffee.
Cost:
$20.00 members, $25.00 guests
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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
OPES#15 "ABC's
of Chardonnay"
The Olympic Peninsula Enological Society (OPES)
has scheduled a special wine tasting event to be held at Landing’s Mall in
Port Angeles the evening of September 26, 2003 at 6:30 pm. This will be a
tasting seminar comparing the many different and new styles of Chardonnay as
compared from several vastly distinct regions of the world, from the great White
Burgundies of France, to California, Australia, New Zealand and our own
Northwest. These wines will be pared with some of the Landing’s fine
cuisine Date:
September 26th 2003 Cost: $25.00 members / $30.00 for sponsored guests
Location: Landings
Mall in Port Angeles
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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
OPES
#14 - A Night in Tuscany
On
the banks of Island Lake, the June 27th OPES event will feature
Tuscan wines. The “other” wines of Tuscany are often overlooked in
favor of the quintessential Chianti. Instead, we will explore the DOC
reds of Carmignano, Pomino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano,
Brunello di Montalcino, Morellino, and a Super Tuscan from the
magnificent vintages of 1997, 1998 and 1999.
The
countryside is undulated with hills where the vineyards are planted.
Altitudes vary between 500 and 2,300 feet. The Sangiovese grape
dominates the plantings here. The
hill country food will be catered by
Tony’s Italian Restaurant in Bremerton. Bissiteca crostini,
fagioli in pasta shells, antipasti with fresh vegetables and
roast pork with a tomato-plum sauce will be paired with the evening’s wines.
The
evening’s speaker is Stu Friedman from Western Washington
Beverage in Seattle. With over 20
years of experience in the wine
industry, Mr. Friedman is a live wire and approaches wine
enthusiastically.
He will explain the regions of Tuscany, expound on the regional history,
and elucidate grape varieties used in these regions.
The
event will take place at Island Lake Park located between Poulsbo
and Silverdale. Cost: $27.50/members $32/
guests
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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
OPES#13
FIRST
ANNUAL MEETING and WINE TASTING
The Olympic Peninsula Enological Society (OPES) has
scheduled
the First Annual Meeting for May 30th with a BBQ at the Lost Mountain
Ranch, near Sequim. The purpose of
the meeting shall be the election
of Directors and to celebrate the fabulous first year's success of
the
organization. Champagne will start the evening's events, which will
include meeting the winemakers and tasting award-winning wines from
Camaraderie Cellars, Sorensen Winery, Lost Mountain, and Olympic Cellars.
DATE: Friday, May 30th
TIME: 6:30-9:30PM
COST: $15
for members, $25 for guests
LOCATION: Lost Mountain Ranch near Sequim.
(See below for direction to the ranch)
Attendance: Unlimited
Reservations Deadline: May 27th.
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OPES #12 Okanagan Valley, Eh?
Monday
evening, April 28th, we will have a special treat at Bella Italia restaurant
in Port Angeles. We will sample 8 wines from the Mission Hill Family Estate
Winery. James Cluer will present a program to enlighten us on the
Vineyard in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia.
We will be tasting the following wines which have won many awards in
Canada and the United States.
2001 Pinot Blanc as a greeting wine-
2000 Reserve Pinot Gris
2000 Estate Chardonnay
1999 Reserve Pinot Noir
2000 Merlot
1999 Estate Syrah
1999 Reserve Cabernet and finish with a
1998 Vidal Reserve Ice Wine!
The food for the evening will be expertly matched to these wines by Bella
Italia's chef, Dave Senters using the freshest Olympic Coast cuisine. Bella
Italia has been widely recognized with a
restaurant award of excellence from Wine Spectator, and, more recently by the
Washington Wine Commission and The Seattle Times Company honoring restaurants in
the first annual Washington Restaurant Awards. Owner Neil Conklin, an OPES
member, is well respected for his knowledge and experience
SPECIAL
NOTICE!!! This night only --- some of the wines served during this
special evening will be available for purchase at special member prices.
When:Monday
Night April 28th
Time:6:30
PM: Registration, 7:00 PM: Dinner and program.
Place:Bella Italia Restaurant
118 E. 1st. St., Port Angeles, Wa, PHONE
(360) 457-5442
See below for driving and parking instructions
Costs:$30 for members and $37.50 for guests.
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OPES # 11 Old Vine Zinfandels
This
was a
Zinful event.
We will taste
the following wines:
·
100 year
old Benziger Old Vine 1999 – Dry Creek, CA
80 –100 year
old Cline Ancient Vines 2000 – 71% Lodi, 29% Contra Costa, CA
·
60– 80
year old Ravenswood Old Vine 2000 – Dry Creek, CA
·
100 year old Rosenblum
Rockpile 2001 – Dry Creek, CA
·
130 year
old Renwood Grandpere 2000Old Vine– Amador, CA
·
80 year
old Sineann Old Vine 2001 – Columbia Valley, OR
·
80 year
old Seghesio Old Vine 2000 – Alexander and Dry Creek, CA
·
80 year
old Villa Mt Eden Fox Creek 2000 – Sierra Foothills, CA
When:
Saturday March 22nd 2003
Where: Red Lion Hotel,
Silverdale Silverdale, WA.
Cost: $25 for OPES members and $30 for
non-members
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OPES
#10
--
AMITY VINEYARDS
The
scene was the Port Ludlow Bay Club…the star was Winemaker Myron Redford!
Education and festivity was the focus of the evening.
Over 80 members and guests greeted each other with Amity Ravenous Rose in the Great Room. When the doors of the banquet
room opened at seven, members and guests seated themselves at colorfully
decorated tables. During the evening, twelve wines were poured, then
savored and from the onset, the program was friendly and amiable.
President
Bob Bentley presented the "Five Steps to Tasting" with the Amity
Pinot Blanc. Myron Redford and Vickie Watle described the wines,
future releases, and the creation of the labels.
Redford
led a comparison tasting of the following wines:
2001 & 2002 Pinot Blanc, 2000 & 2001 Gewürztraminer, 2000 &
2001 Oregon Dry Riesling, and four Pinot Noirs: 2000
Schouten Single Vineyard, 1999 Sunnyside Single Vineyard, 1999 Willamette
Valley, and 1998 Winemakers
Reserve -- four of these are gold medal winners.
The wines were paired with Almond Prawns & Lima Beans*, Smoked
Salmon, Alaskan Crab Mousse*, Pan Roasted Duck Breast, and Mushrooms
Italiano* (* recipe attached). For the conclusion,
Peach Sorbet over Melons was served with Amity's
2002 Late Harvest Riesling Select Cluster TBA.
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OPES #9
Pure New Zealand
A Wine Travelogue: Saturday, August 16th
New Zealand has
emerged in recent years as a leader in higher quality and innovative wine
styles. Stretching north to south across two principal islands, about six
hundred miles long, NZ has nine distinct wine regions that closely resemble the
wine areas of our west coast from Canada down through California.
Their reputation for enological innovation is recognized throughout the
entire wine world. The Cloudy Bay winery which put NZ “on the map” is just a
tip of the iceberg. NZ Pinot Noirs
are snatching medals away from Burgundy itself.
This OPES event, rescheduled from January, will be held at
Gardiner Community Center on Hwy 101, east of Sequim. We hope for
”a sunny day” at Cloudy Bay (NZ’s most world- famous winery) when a number
of outstanding Kiwi wines, including the incomparable Cloudy Bay Sauvignon
Blanc, will be enjoyed. The wines
will be matched with some typically delicious New Zealand style foods.
The program will be somewhat a wine travelogue, based upon Bob and Dianne
Bentley’s trip last year to over forty-five NZ wineries covering both North
and South Islands. Additional program support will be provided by Jennifer and
Carl Sheath of NZ Pure Importers located in Seattle (Kiwis both) who will offer
a variety of some leading wines from this small, but beautiful country.
Members and guests will learn about the principal NZ wine
areas including Marlborough, Hawkes Bay, and Central Otago, and about how some
of the gold medal, world acclaimed wineries and winemakers have made this small
country into a world class leader in a wide
range of fine wines. Tastings
will cover principal varietals including: Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc’s
Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Bordeaux style reds
Date: Saturday, August 16th
Time:
Registration: 6:30 pm Program:
7-9 pm
Cost:
$25.00 members $30 sponsored guests
Location: Gardiner Community Center on Hwy 101, east of Sequim
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OPES
# 8 OPES
HOLIDAY GALA DECEMBER 27th
FEATURED
MUSIC, CHAMPAGNE
AND PORT
The
holiday event gave members and guests a chance to
celebrate the season with music provided by a trio from the Port Angeles
Symphony. It was a social
occasion rather than a formal educational program, with several styles of champagnes and ports
and finger food delicacies provided by the attendees. Coffee and hot spiced cider were also served.
WHEN: Friday, December 27th.
WHERE: Guy Cole Convention Center at Carrie Blake Park,
Sequim
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OPES # 7 Cata de Vinos de Espana"
An
evening of Spanish wines and tapas
Location: Port Ludlow Beach Club
Date: Friday, November 15* , 2002, 6:30
PM
Cost: $20 for members, $25 for guests
* Note: the date has
been moved forward due to
Thanksgiving activities.
A
full house of 77 persons, which included 9 guests, enjoyed a wonderful
evening on November 14 featuring nine wines and a wide assortment of tapas.
The Bay Room at the Beach club was beautifully decorated in the
reds and yellows of the Spanish flag.
Almundena Metzler commented on the nostalgia of coming to an event
which honored her homeland. Steve
and Almundena Metzler provided an educational review of the wine regions
of Spain and the representative wines being served.
The wines included a Lusco from the Metzler’s vineyard.
Everything from sherry to a fabulous Don PX dessert wi |