Anne Amie Vineyards, Carlton Oregon

A Tale of Two Lees

 

I have just left Little Rock and the Capital Hotel.  It is bittersweet, in that I have other stops on my journey through the South, but I could easily settle in for an extended stay at such a wonderful hotel with such an excellent staff.  Two people specifically are to thank for their hard work and attention to detail- the two Lees.  Lee Richardson is the executive chef at Ashley’s, the crown jewel for dining in Little Rock, and his counterpoint front-of-house, Lee Ingold, is the maitre d’.  Collectively they run a tight ship- by ship, I mean restaurant. 

  

It was my third trip to Little Rock, the first being the Emeril fundraiser, when I first was able to experience the wonderful skills of chef Lee.  The night after the fundraiser chef Lee sat me at a table and, without a menu as a guide, food started arriving and kept coming, course after amazing course, until I literally could not take another bite!  It was right then, in my food stupor,  that I hatched the idea of a wine dinner at Ashley’s.   It took a few years to materialize, but here is the menu and some photos from the dinner. If you’d like to see more photos from the dinner check out Ashley’s kitchen blog.

 

 

As you can probably see from the photos and from the tenor of my post I have a soft spot in my heart for Ashley’s and much of it has to do with the two Lees and their wonderful staff.  That said, the entire experience at the Capital Hotel from the moment one arrives is one of polished calm.  Thanks to everyone at the Capital Hotel.  I’ll be back!

Technorati Tags: Capital Hotel,Anne Amie Vineyards,Ashley's,Lee Richardson,Lee Ingold,Emeril,wine dinner,L'iris,Prisme'

These Green Mountains

To paraphrase the Vermont state song-

“They say home is where the heart is
These green mountains are (not) my home (but they could be).” 

I’ve traveled to many places and seen some amazing sights, but what makes a place truly special AND what lures me back time and again are its people.  Vermont is one of those rare places that has both natural beauty and genuinely great people.  

I am going to take a stab at something I am not really known for-  brevity.  I am going to set aside my penchant for narrative and just let the photos from my very brief, but  jam-packed trip to Vermont speak for themselves.  To say the least,  Kim assigned me a rather ambitious itinerary.    Click on the previous sentence for a perfect example of what I mean!  You can see why I was tasting Amrita a 6 in the morning with chef Curtiss Hemm!  Thank you again, Kim-  REALLY!  I have a new marketing idea- “Amrita.  It’s not just for breakfast anymore!”

 

 

The following is a photo journal of my time in Vermont:

 

The exterior of Hen of the Wood restaurant- an old grist mill from the 1800s

and the location of my first wine dinner.

 

A*summer* view from the back patio dining area.

 

   

You’ll notice it wasn’t so green when I was there.  It is still

an amazing setting in which to dine.  The interior is just as dazzling, with its

rough-hewn beams and stone walls.

 

    

    Chef Eric Warnstedt created edible works of art,  paired with

Anne Amie wines selected by William McNeil.  I was able to show

up at the restaurant after a long working day and just relax and discuss our wines

enjoy the company of our guests.

 

My second wine dinner was at NECI (New England Culinary Institute).

As you can see from this photo taken by Hannah Marshall, the presentation

of our food was as beautiful as it was delicious. This was an exquisite pairing of

food and wine from Chef Michael Gunyan and Ed Boadway.

 

It was also  an opportunity to show off our newest wine in the Anne Amie line-up-

the 2007 Prisme’.  Judging from the response of the guests, it was a hit! 

 

 

The next morning I hopped on the road to drive from one end of the Vermont

to the other.  Road trip!!!

Nothing keeps me alert and on the lookout for an errant moose like sugar.

There’s no better place to stop for sugar in Vermont than Ben and Jerry’s!

Interesting how much they use “Amrita Blue” in their color scheme….

 

This is a road sign we don’t see in Oregon! Polls show 9 out of 10 moose

prefer Amrita over the leading Oregon white wine blend!

 

The entire visit culminated in a portfolio tasting with our distributor in

Vermont- Farrell.  Fred Delivert, aka “Fresh Toast” , from Martin Estate

in Napa, and I became fast friends. He is a wonderful guy who just happens

to also make tasty wines.

Going back to what I said at the beginning of this post, very seldom

am I lucky enough to visit a beautiful state with such wonderful people.

This is a photo from after my NECI dinner.  Unfortunately, Fresh

Toast was cropped out of the photo, but imagine him on the far left

of this group photo.  Included from left to right- Elena (Farrell), Hannah, Matt,

me, Donald (Farrell), and Susan.  Thanks to everybody in Vermont that made

a tough working trip so much fun!

Thomas

 

 

Technorati Tags: Hen of the Wood,NECI,Martin Estate,Prisme'

Travelogue New York: Planes, Subways, Trains & Automobiles - Part I

Last month I traveled to New York to spend time with our distributor Domaine Select Wine Estates.  Day one was my first NY City "work with" with Mauro who visits accounts all over Manhattan.  These wine reps are incredible - after one day of walking miles and miles and riding the subway many times, I was beat!   You can see Mauro pictured below with his rolling case full of wine (which p.s. he has to carry up and down subway stairs!)

Mauro and I visited a number of retail shops throughout the day including Pasanella and Son owned by a local designer Marco Pasanella.  Wines are arranged by the foods they pair with and the shop is vintage cool.  

We stopped for lunch at the historic Bridge Cafe located right beside and almost under the Brooklyn Bridge.  This gem is hidden down on the old cobblestone streets of the financial district - was built in 1794 and is the oldest drinking establishment in NYC.  They serve both our pinot noir and Amrita by the glass.  The food was incredible.  One taste of the roasted autumn squash bisque with ingredients so fresh I felt like I was back in Portland.  

My favorite find while in NYC was the very hip new wine shop and bar Clo, recently opened by sommelier Andrew Bradbury (formerly of Las Vegas' Aureole) in the Time Warner Building.  Clo sells wine by the pour in an enomatic system and has an incredible digital catalogue (pictured below) that beams down on the bar counter giving consumers instant information at their fingertips.  I visited the bar initially to see hand blown glass decanters that my boyfriend created for Clo (glass cases surround the bar showcasing awesome glassware - lucky for us they're all available for purchase).  Imagine my excitement when I saw Anne Amie's Deux Vert Vineyard Pinot Noir alongside the other great wines! 

Day 1 was a great experience getting to meet like minded wine enthusiasts and seeing much of the great city of New York in the process.  Exhausting but worth it - thanks Mauro!

Stay tuned for New York Day 2 and my visit to the land of Bill & Hillary Clinton and the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow...Westchester.

Whidbey Island Washington

I have a very bad habit of taking photos while I'm driving.  It's terribly easy to get carried away with the pacific northwest sunsets.  The photo above is one I took on my way to Whidbey Island, Washington a few weeks back when I was headed up for an in- store tasting with Cole from our WA distributor, Cascade Trade. 

Whidbey Island is simply gorgeous.  The south island and more specifically Langley is a sweet little town full of artists, amazing shops and restaurants and you can feel the sense of community the moment you get off the ferry.  Cole and I started our Saturday morning at Useless Bay Coffee Company where we sat out in the sunshine and enjoyed coffee and live music before heading to the tasting. The in store tasting was at Vino Amore a great little wine shop owned by husband and wife team Brian and Gail pictured behind the bar below (who are not only entrepreneurs but great local actors as well!). 

After our day of tasting we headed to the wonderful Prima Bistro where we were joined by Chef Sieb Jurriaans and Star Store owner Gene Felton.  I didn't get to spend nearly enough time there but thankfully it's very close so I'll be back.  For all of you looking for a peaceful little getaway, Whidbey's the place - and drink some Anne Amie wine while you're there!

Thanks to Cole, Brian & Gail and Chef Sieb for a fantastic day on Whidbey!

P.S. Congratulations to Cole (pictured below on our ferry ride back to the mainland) and his wife on the arrival of their first child - Camile Rose Ratliff a couple weeks ago!

The Splendid Table

 

The Splendid Table is a one-hour program on American Public Media that celebrates culinary, culture, and lifestyle giving public radio listeners a fresh take on their love of food and drink.  A few weeks ago host Lynne Rossetto Kasper (pictured left), producer Sally Swift and a group of excited foodies came to tour the Willamette Valley and enjoy the bounty of our region. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tour kicked off with a wine tasting on the roof of the Ecotrust building in Portland on one of the hottest days of the summer (yesterday and today being the hottest). 

With the Oregon Wine Board (OWB) as their guide, the guests sampled wines from A to Z/Rex Hill, Anne Amie, Brick House, Broadley Vineyards, Raptor Ridge and Soter Vineyards.

Above Thomas and I try to to keep stay cool while pouring our 2007 Cuvée A Amrita, 2007 Cuvée A Rosé and 2005 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.  Pictured below is Thomas alongside the lovely and talented Stephany Boettner of OWB.

It's Muller Time

A couple weeks ago we were excited to host Arkansas' beautiful Capital Hotel Sous Chef Travis McConnell and his lovely wife Carla at the winery for lunch. If you've been following the blog, you'll remember that Thomas spent time there earlier this year for a charity dinner featuring the cuisine of Emeril Lagasse paired with wines from several wineries.

This was a chance for us to show off our culinary skills with a Thomas Houseman original. 

What prompted this dish was a recent visit from journalist Liza Zimmerman and her good friend (and now ours!) Victor from the Ritz-Carlton in Miami pictured above with Thomas, Liza and Business Operations Director, Tim Lamers.

Serves 2

Victor’s Snapper

 

Victor of the Miami Ritz Carlton inspired this recipe.  Victor visited recently and got me thinking of growing up in Florida.  I remember the fishing boats coming in loaded with fresh snapper from the Gulf of Mexico.  His visit also brought up memories of plucking kumquats off our bush and popping them into my mouth, also of eating fresh avocado like apples.  This is my interpretation.  It fuses the tastes of my childhood fused with my love for grilling.  When I was in New Zealand I found excuses to grill almost every night.  I believe everything tastes better if cooked outdoors- from potatoes to pizza.  This also utilizes the philosophy of drinking the wine with the dish that is also the same wine the food is marinated in.  Not the actual marinate, mind you, but the same wine.  Since the wine marinade is low pH it undergoes a partial enzymatic “cooking”  of the fish before being seared in a hot cast-iron skillet to lock in the flavors! YUM!

 

2 medium-sized red snapper fillets

1 cup 2007 Anne Amie Muller Thurgau

2 tbs sweet chili sauce

2 garlic cloves

4 kumquats, seeded and cut into strips

1tlbs + tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 pinch sel de mer

1tsp fresh Mexican tarragon (French tarragon will do)

 

Put fillets in a medium sized stainless steel mixing bowl. Put all ingredients in the bowl over the fillets with exception of the 1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil.   Heat bbq to 425-450.  Put an 8-inch cast iron skillet in with 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil to pre –heat until oil glistens (bout 5 min.). When skillet is hot put fillets and marinade in skillet.  Cover.  Cook 3-5 minutes until flesh is cooked throughout, but moist.  Drink with remaining Muller Thurgau.

 

Pictured below from left is viticulturist Jason Tosch, Travis and Carla, winemaker Thomas Houseman and associate winemakers Andy Gribskov and Tammie Crawford.

 

With summer finally here, now is the perfect time for you to create your own recipe using our 2007 Muller Thurgau!

Enjoy!

Kim

Southern California

Thomas and I flew down to Newport Beach for our California distributor Henry Wine Group's general training meeting last Friday.  Afterwards we headed up to Los Angeles where we spent the weekend checking out the culinary scene there.  On Saturday, we enjoyed an amazing brunch at Campanile Restaurant.  Originally built in 1929 by Charlie Chaplin, La Brea Bread Company and Campanile were opened by famed Chef Mark Peel in 1989.  Both have been the recipients of numerous awards and nominations including James Beard Outstanding Restaurant Award and Best California Chef.  Thanks to GM and wine director Jay Perrin for taking the time to taste through our wines. 

We also visited Manhattan Beach where we hit the very hip and beautiful Shade Hotel and then Rock'N Fish for delicious artichokes and oysters which pair perfectly with the 2007 Cuvee A Muller Thurgau!  You'll be seeing our wines on all of these lists soon.  Thanks to Cynthia for being such a great hostess.

Pictured above, winemaker Thomas Houseman and me outside of the Rock'N Fish in Manhattan Beach.

Cheers,

Kim

Timberline Lodge's Award Winning Wine List

Timberline Lodge might be best known as the beautiful historic lodge on the side of Mt. Hood at 5,960 feet that was built entirely by hand by unemployed craftspeople in the 1930's.  It also might be well known because of its use in the 1980's movie The Shining as Jack Torrance's (Jack Nicholson) home - the Overlook Hotel.  But here in Oregon wine country, we appreciate the Timberline Lodge for promoting and featuring the very best of the Northwest on their award winning "Best Oregon Wine List". 

Anne Amie is especially grateful to have a number of our wines on this prestigious list.  You can now taste our newly released whites including the 2007 Estate Riesling, and 2007 Cuvée A Muller Thurgau as well as our 2006 Cuvée A Pinot Noir and 2005 Winemaker's Selection Pinot Noir. 

So, if you find yourself at Timberline either in winter for our amazing ski season or in summer for our amazing everything else season, do yourself a favor and eat and drink the Northwest region's bounty in food and wine at the Cascade Dining Room.

Cheers!

Kim

 

 

 

Copper River Salmon at Ray's Boathouse

Every year from May to June salmon lovers look forward to getting their hands on fresh Copper River Salmon from Alaska and nothing tastes better with these tasty fish than  Oregon Pinot Noir. 

A few weeks ago Anne Amie was invited to join 18 of our Oregon wine compatriots at Ray's Boathouse in Seattle for a Copper River Salmon Extravaganza.  Pictured above are some good winery folk and our hostess Molly (in black) from Ray's alongside the guests of honor.  Pictured below we toast to the night!

Thanks to Christy from our distributor Cascade Trade in Seattle for hooking us up with Molly and the good people at Ray's.

Vintage Berkeley

Yesterday Thomas and I spent the day doing work withs in San Francisco and Berkeley respectively.  Pictured above is Rick Mickaels from the Henry Wine Group in front of one of the coolest wine shops I've been in - Vintage Berkeley.  The shop is located on Vine Street (of course) in the old 1930's municipal water pumping station.  The focus is on small production wines and if all goes well they'll be picking up our 2007 muller thurgau!

After a long day we enjoyed dinner at Absinthe in San Francisco where we shared an assortment of oysters and a bottle of our good friends and neighbor Soter's Brut Rose.  It was pure heaven and a great reward for the last three busy days.

Thanks, we'll see you soon California!

Cheers,

Kim