Rio Jean Photography - Seattle, WA {Taste Washington 2015}

This year's Taste Washington was a BLAST!  Since I had met a lot of the winery owners and most of the wineries are my clients, it was really cool to see everyone  again, it was like a big reunion!  

I wish I had know about this event sooner as I would have been going every year.  The people and businesses at Taste are the best!  Most of the vendors are so nice and everyone is having a great time. If you have not gone yet, mark your calendars for next year and get ready to stuff your face and taste the amazing wines that Washington State has to offer!  

Taste Washington is the largest single-region wine and food event in the United States, featuring more than 225 Washington State wineries and more than 65 Pacific Northwest restaurants. Taste Washington attracts almost 5,500 wine and food enthusiasts to the Seattle area. The Washington State Wine Commission launched Taste Washington in 1998 and is now produced by Visit Seattle. For more information, visit www.tastewashington.org.

Some Fun Facts: 

Participating wineries: 230

Participating restaurants: More than 65

Participating hotel packages: 11

Exhibitors: More than 50

Featured wines: More than 800

Total glasses used: More than 5,000

Total estimated number of wine pours: More than 200,000

My first stop was to Kiona as JJ and I have been trying for several months now to nail down a time for me to visit Kiona!  I haven't been to Kiona in years and I just happened to look at the their website again and saw that they have a beautiful new facility!  JJ, 2015 is the year!  If I remember correctly, Kiona wines were on the sweeter side and I wasn't much of a fan of their Lemberger. I am excited to visit there again and try their wines again, keep an eye on the blog for my visit there.

I headed over to Barons Wines (www.baronsv.com) and met Matt and Jonathan, these two were so fun to chat with!  The tasting room is located in Woodinville and the winery sources its grapes from Red Mountain and Wahluke Slope - so you already know the wines are delicious  ;)  Barons Wines opened in 2001 and the Cabernet is their best seller.  One thing interesting about this winery is that the winemakers bottle age the wines.  I don't know about you, but I haven't heard of any winery in Washington doing that! I have heard of some wineries in Cali, but Barons is the first I have heard of in Washington.

Next stop was some food from Margaux Restaurant.  The restaurant's most popular dishes are the Dungeoness Crab Cake and the Pacific Razor Clam Chowder.  I didn't try the dish that was offered that day(Gruyere cheese gougere with forages mushroom duxelle, say that three times fast! ) as I was allergic to some of the ingredients, but it did look pretty tasty! Chef Chris Zarkades seems to be a pretty cool and laid back guy!  If you are in Seattle, check out Margaux (www.margauxseattle.com)

I love visiting the Washington State Convention Center's table as they ALWAYS have some badass treats!  Last year it was amazing cream puffs and this year it was apple tarts, coconut macaroons, and caramelized onion and blue cheese tart.  If you ever needed anything catered, these guys would be on the top of my list to call!

Aniche Cellars is a small family winery located in the Columbia River Gorge. Aniche Cellars make wines that honor the European tradition of blends, with a Washington State sense of terroir and style. There wines are almost entirely varietal blends. I met Anais (I believe she is one of the winemakers) she is so nice and just gives off the warm and friendly vibe. I told AniChe Cellars, if I lived closer to the winery I would so work there, they are that amazing! 

Cedar River Cellars ( http://www.cedarrivercellars.com/) is local for me as it's in Renton!  This husband and wife team are so fun!  Very down to earth and laid back. The winery opened in 2009 and is currently producing around 700 cases a year.  The owners hope is to make it up to 1500 cases a year, which they will no doubt be able to do!  Check these guys out, Micah, one of the owners, and I chatted it up about Tunnels Beach, Poipu beach, Ka'paa, pretty much all of the the awesome places on Kauai!   

Brady Cellars (www.bradycellars.com), up and coming winery based out of Walla Walla.  Kim, the owner, trained under Tim Hightower for several years. Kim decided it was time for him to make the leap and start doing things on his own. Brady Cellar's first vintage was a 2010 Cabernet and Merlot. Very nice man and very good wines, if you find yourself in the Walla Walla area, definitely stop in!

Wei Kitchen (www.weikitchen.com), founded in 2014 by Debbie Mullin.  This product takes me back to when I was dating a South East Asian guy and his mom lived with us and she made some pretty good dishes.  One of my favorite things she made was fried garlic chips!  Those were amazing and unfortunately I never found out how to make them and have not been able to find them in stores....until...the Taste!  Wei kitchen has Shallot Crisps...which is just as good as the garlic ones!  You have got to try them! Take some bread, dip it into Wei's Shallot Oil, and then shoot a small cup of Shallot Crisps into your mouth and it's a pretty amazing experience. Of course, throw back some wine with it and you will be set!

Double Back Winery's name (www.doubleback.com) has to do with returning home again.  This winery produces one wine. ONE wine. right?   Well it's a pretty interesting concept, I was speaking with Joe, who is the operations and tasting room associate, and he stated the winery really wanted to do one thing and perfect it.  The winery only produces Cabs and it was good!  I actually am really looking forward to visiting the winery and learning more. I absolutely LOVE their bottles and the branding is absolutely gorgeous!

Ballard Vine Works, these two brothers are my neighbors!  We could have been shopping at Winco all this time together!  Loren and Ron make some really cool stuff with wine barrels, you have to check out their work (www.ballardvineworks.com)  The brothers launched their business in 2013 and have a shop in Pike Place Market.  Theses two guys are so laid back and fun and of course they make an amazing product, who wouldn't want some decor made out of a wine barrel?

Do you know who was the coolest person I met at the Taste? Of course not, so let me tell you. Monica from Claar Wine Group (http://www.claarcellars.com/)! I can't give the details but let's just say we had an epic time!  Claar Cellars is family owned, has a tasting room in Zillah, has delicious wines, and of course a fun staff!

Are you ready to satisfy your sweet tooth?  Cynthia Golpe of My Cakes (www.mycakes.biz) knows how to make some tasty treats!  This table was responsible for at least 2 lbs of weight gain and you will see why! If you ever need anything sweet, I would definitely check this company out.

Nuflours (www.nuflours.com) I totally remember seeing this business last year, it was the company's first year in business and I distinctly remember the table, it was small and lonely. Amanda, the owner, has grown the company and this year, the Nuflours table was rocking!  If you are interested in gluten free baked goodies, give them a try. 

Trattoria Cuoco (http://cuoco-seattle.com/) the business cards for this place is pretty cool, it shows the Chef with a saw and some kind of leg of meat if I remember correctly. The card was a little intense but this place is intense!  The Chef is so cool and down to earth and the food they had was pretty good. I definitely want to stop by here for a date night. 

I saw these guys (the Lodge Sports Grille) last year and I loved chatting it up with them.  Oscar is an awesome chef and this year they were serving blackened Ahi Tuna Bites which were very tasty! Looking for a date night location, this is definitely a spot to check out. http://www.thelodgesportsgrille.com/

Urbane(http://www.urbaneseattle.com/) had a blue cheese truffle popcorn concoction.  It was actually really good, I would have never thought I would like such a pairing.  Very innovative and yummy! I think this restaurant is a perfect setting for a girls night out, as it is metropolitan and hip! And these two looked like they were have a blast at the Taste!

Collections Cafe (http://www.chihulygardenandglass.com/visit/collections-cafe) I wasn't too jazzed about eating ground up duck liver, not gonna lie, it was ....interesting... but Max talked me into, he's the Sous, and look at his picture!  You can totally hear him saying..."not bad eh?" He's a cutie but...I'll pass on the rillette! 

And if you needed a break from all the eating and drinking that was going on, you could have grabbed a seat and watch these two play whatever they were playing! 

Anthony's oyster bar...um . . yeah.  I remembered seeing this last year but I didn't try it so this year I decided ok, I'll stop by and see what the fuss is about. Can I say..this was gross!  I am not a fan of swallowing a raw oyster, like it is still living, and then I swallow it alive. .. it makes me gag just writing about it.  But if you are a fan, I suppose this place is the spot!  I honestly could not finish my oyster... and check out the guy laughing at me!

He's laughing as I spit out the oyster! 

Scharffen Berger Chocolate(http://www.scharffenberger.com/) this place is not a local company but the chocolate was decent.  The company is trying to do some networking with some wineries in the area, so if any winery is interested, they are looking to work with you! 

And now for some of my all time favorite wineries! Kelly, we took this picture for you to show that your friend really was working, she wanted me to post if for you and she did an excellent job too!

Stacey and Russ at their first Taste!

The gorgeous ladies of Kitzke Cellars

Any guesses as to who this guy is? Lets just say I've been trying to interview this guy for a while

So that wraps up another year at the Taste!  It was amazing I strongly encourage you to attend next year.  I will be there on both days as you really do have to go both days to see and taste everything!

Cheers!

Melanie

Rio Jean Photography - Taste Washington {Take 2}

I have been looking forward to attending Taste Washington since last year!  Last year was amazing and now that I know I'll be gaining at least 5 lbs, I started to plan ahead diet wise, and shed like 15 lbs, yep!

Taste Washington is EPIC if you are a wine lover or a foodie, you HAVE to attend this event.  And I did warn you, you will gain at least 5 lbs from all of the great food and wine!

In case you missed my blog about Taste Washington last year, I've included images from that post below. If those pictures of food and wine don't make you want to attend, then here is more incentive, let me tell you who on my favorite list of people will be there.

I am super excited to be seeing James St. Clair again of Silver Lake, read my post about my visit with him, he is the rock star of Silver Lake.

The Hightowers, Tim and Kelly, will be pouring it up, they are a very fun couple and have great wine.  Take some time to chat with them, you won't be sorry!

The beautiful Shae of Frichette winery, go and talk to her about her edutainment, once you meet her, you will be a fan forever!

Keith and ReNae, of Terra Blanca, beautiful people and a gorgeous winery.  Keith is a mastermind when it comes to business, geology, and wine.  Talk to them about rabbit heads, the first person to email me the correct story about rabbits heads will receive a bottle of wine from my personal stash.  If you know me, my wine is verrryyyy precious to me, just picture me as Gollum hunched over his precious...that's me...except I'm not a scary creature.
**You must live around the Seattle area OR if you live in Eastern Washington, be somewhere near the Tri-cities so we can meet and I can give you the wine. I CAN'T ship the wine ***

 Tapteil Winery, whose name I spelled wrong for the longest time!  Jane and Larry will hopefully be there pouring their wine, check out the labels! Jane does amazing art work!  I'd be surprised to see Argus there, keep an eye out for a dread locked tail ;)

SO!! Reason enough to attend, right?!  I'll be there on Sunday!

Here is the official description from Visit Seattle:

SEATTLE – Visit Seattle and Washington State Wine invite wine lovers to mark their calendars; Taste Washington, the nation’s largest single-region wine and food event, will take place March 26-29, 2015, at various venues throughout Seattle. Now in its 18th year, Taste Washington promises a full weekend of activities, from an exciting new celebration targeting the under-40 wine lover to the signature Grand Tasting, which features hundreds of Washington State wineries, food from top Pacific Northwest restaurants, chef demonstrations and more.

The weekend begins Thursday, March 26, with the Red & White Party, an elegant, upscale evening with Washington State’s celebrated wineries pouring special selections from large-format bottles. The fun continues with The New Vintage, an upbeat event aimed at the next generation of wine lovers with a backdrop of music, dancing and tasty bites. The weekend culminates March 28 and 29, with two days of educational seminars led by top wine writers and sommeliers and the Grand Tasting at CenturyLink Field Event Center.

Details on winery participation, featured chefs, seminar topics, hotel packages and tickets will be available soon at www.tastewashington.org. Taste Washington is produced by Visit Seattle in partnership with Washington State Wine.

About Taste Washington:
Taste Washington is the largest single-region wine and food event in the United States, featuring more than 225 Washington State wineries and more than 70 Pacific Northwest restaurants. The 2015 Taste Washington welcoming sponsor is Alaska Airlines; the premier sponsors are Alaska Airlines Visa Signature Card and Muckleshoot Casino; and the event feature is Stella Artois. Taste Washington attracts more than 5,000 wine and food enthusiasts to the Seattle area. The Washington State Wine Commission launched Taste Washington in 1998 and is now produced by Visit Seattle. For more information, visit www.tastewashington.org.

Rio Jean Photography - Benton City, WA {Frichette Winery}

Frichette Winery (http://frichettewinery.com/)I have met a lot of winery owners and I would have to say Shae is on my list of favorite owners!  The Frichettes are so down to earth and I immediately felt at ease when I met with Shae and her family.  

One of the aspects I love about this winery is the cozy and inviting atmosphere. When I first walked in, I immediate felt a sense of inviting warmth and a feeling of being among family.  I honestly can say this is the only winery that has given me that feeling.  Shae is like a long lost friend who I hadn't seen in years, we literally could have spent the afternoon catching up and sipping on wine.

Greg and Shae had amazing jobs in California, Shae was a trainer for Black and Decker and was able to jet set all around the world for that position and Greg still works in IT/Marketing.  How cool is this couple, right?  Talk about an awesome combination of skills! On a trip back home to Pasco, the Frichettes decided to visit Red Mountain on a whim.  And of course, they fell in love and decided it was time for a change!

Frichette Winery had its first crush of Merlot in 2011 and opened its tasting room doors in September of 2013.  The first year, the winery produced 650 cases and in 2013, the winery produced around 1,000 cases. The Frichettes hope to be producing about 2,500 cases a year so they can remain a small production winery.

  

 Three words that sum up Frichette winery are fantastic wine, edutainment, and family atmosphere.  All three of these descriptors are definitely seen in the tasting room and in the Frichette brand. 

I really enjoyed all of the Frichette wines, Greg is mentoring under Charlie Hoppes of Fidelitas and Greg hopes to take over the wine making process in about two years.  I don’t know about you, but I am excited to try the wines when Greg starts making them! 

If I lived in the area, I would be at most of the edutainment events the winery puts on!  This sounds like a blast, for a girl’s night out or even a date night with your spouse! What is it, you are probably asking, right?  Shae is brilliant!  She wanted to incorporate education into the winery events but also wanted it to be fun (See her training skills coming into play here?) so why not edutainment?  People can come to an event, have a blast, and also learn something new.

This winery has nailed its branding and marketing (now here comes Greg’s skills!) I love the website AND the blog.  I have visited numerous winery websites, and the one thing that really makes Frichette’s website stand out in my mind, is the blog and the use of video.  Video has been the next “shinny object” for a while and I really like how the Frichettes are incorporating it into the website.  The videos provide visitors a chance to hear and see Shae, which is way more powerful than just reading something.  I have to say, after watching the videos, I felt more at ease with visiting the winery and I could tell that Shae is a very approachable person.

The branding and labels are timeless and beautiful.  If you notice the labels, there is an "F" for Frichette and if you flip the bottle upside down, it turns into a "J" which is for the Frichette’s son Jayden.  I had a chance to meet Jayden and let me tell you, he has a head of curls to die for!  You will no doubt have the opportunity to meet this sweet little man when you visit the tasting room as he has his very own space in the tasting room.

Jayden's area

Frichette Winery is truly a family legacy and a destination winery with fantastic views of Red Mountain. So….have I enticed you enough to give Frichette Winery a try?  I promise you will not be disappointed.

Cheers! 
Melanie