Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Paired Up: Pinot Noir and Salmon

In our Paired Up posts, we review a wine and the food we wisely (or foolishly) paired it with. 

The Wine

2009 A to Z Wineworks Pinot Noir (Oregon)


We first tried Pinot Noir with salmon at Anthony's Pier 66 last summer, and it proved to be an awakening of sorts. The splendid balance between the fish and the wine gave us our first glimpse of what was possible when the proper wine was served with the proper dish.

In the Pacific Northwest, Oregon is still the place to go to for the best Pinot Noirs. This one comes to us from A to Z Wineworks in Dundee via our local Metropolitan Market. Due to their high quality and increasing visibility, many Oregon Pinots have been climbing in price, but this one can be had for around $20. It was stored in our living room for about a week, then we decanted it for about an hour before tasting.

The Food

For Valentine's Day, we paired up our cooking skills and made a northwest classic: salmon, asparagus and smashed potatoes. Katy tackled the salmon and potatoes while Hunter prepared the asparagus.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Sampling the Goods: Patterson Cellars Tasting Room on the Pike Street Hill Climb and Market Cellar Winery

In our Sampling the Goods posts, we describe the vineyards, wineries and tasting rooms we visit and our experiences therein.

Patterson Cellars Tasting Room on the Pike Street Hill Climb

Saturday, January 29 saw the grand opening of Patterson Cellars' new tasting room on the Pike Street Hill Climb, a cluster of restaurant and retail stores fronting on a set of steps connecting the Pike Place Market to the waterfront. Always up to check out some new wines and a new space, we dropped by with some friends after a morning matinee.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Paired Up: Viognier and Spicy Seared Sole

In our Paired Up posts, we review a wine and the food we wisely (or foolishly) paired it with. 

The Wine

2009 Rulo Viognier (Walla Walla Valley)


We had this dish with tilapia in place of the sole a few weeks ago and paired it with a Gewürztraminer, which worked out pretty well. This time, we opted for a Viognier, hoping that it would complement the cayenne kick that we are on.

The bottle was purchased at Metropolitan Market in Lower Queen Anne. We found Rulo's 2007 Syrah outstanding and were looking forward to seeing what they could do with the other Northern Rhône grape. After purchase, the wine was stored in our wine fridge for about 3 weeks. We took it out, twisted off the cap and poured within minutes of our initial tasting.

The Food

After Hunter made a rare trip to the chef's table for our first blog go-round, Katy made her triumphant return to the kitchen. In the chef's words:

Once again, we went to Martha for the jumping off point of our meal. The recipe calls for a firm white fish fillet (skinless), beets and broccoli. We left the decision of the type of fish to our local Metropolitan Market fish selection, and as they were fresh out of tilapia, went for the nice looking (and cheaper than the halibut by a whole lot!) sole fillet. As for the beets, I fancy myself a bit of a plate artist, and enjoy adding as much color as possible, so I went for a purple and a golden. 


Friday, February 4, 2011

Paired Up: Cabernet Franc and Honey-Glazed Pork Chops

In our Paired Up posts, we review a wine and the food we wisely (or foolishly) paired it with.

The Wine

2008 Mount Baker Vineyards Cabernet Franc Proprietor's Limited Release (Yakima Valley)


Rather than stick with the rule of thumb and grab out a Chardonnay to pair with pork, we decided to test out a Cabernet Franc. Cab Franc is more delicate than its Sauvignon cousin, so the thought was that it wouldn't overpower the food.

We picked this bottle up a couple days ago from Market Cellar Winery, where Mount Baker Vineyards and Winery currently has a tasting room set up, which we visited Saturday. We decanted the wine (in our brand-new decanter!) for 30 minutes while cooking the meal.

The Food

As eluded to, we had pork. More specifically, we had honey-glazed pork chops and squash. The recipe came from Everyday Food.