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Happy Holidays from Fidelitas!
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year.
Dec 21, 2011 at 12:42 PM
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Be the first to comment on this postRecipes for Holiday Entertaining
Visitors who came visited us on Red Mountain over the Thanksgiving weekend know first hand how wonderful these dishes are. Our very own Meredith came up with a trio of appetizers (plus a gorgeous cheese display) that were seasonal, elegant and best of all, very wine friendly. I'm going to let the pictures do the talking for this post. Download the recipes HERE.
smoked salmon crisps with homemade creme fraiche & 2009 optu white wine: I love the simplicity of this - especially for larger parties. Plus, the crunch is fantastic!
red wine poached pear, gorgonzola tartlets & 2008 optu red wine: poaching in red wine bridges the pears to a red wine pairing and the gorgonzola just makes me happy.
mushroom pate & 2008 boushey red wine: mushrooms are a perfect pairing for the earthy boushey red. I also love the idea wrapping a simple board in parchment for a rustic, beautiful serving piece.
a wine friendly cheese display: fresh goat cheese and young gouda for the white wines, aged cheddar and gorgonzola for the bigger reds. How gorgeous are the persimmons and pomegranates as accompaniments?
A big thank you to Meredith for putting this all together. I am stealing all of these ideas for my own holiday party!
Comfort Food for our Red Mountain Releases
I am one of those annoying 3rd generation Seattleites that does not mind the start of fall. Sure, I am always sad to see the warm days fade away (although we have had a gorgeous fall) and am even more bummed out by the dark, dark mornings and nights. However, cooler temperatures and heavy rain mean evenings tucked inside with a glass of red wine and something warm to eat. So, we present a set of comfort food recipes to pair with the two new Fidelitas releases. I am calling them “his and her” comfort food, created to meet the things my hubby and I like to eat.
For HIS comfort food, I made something that Ben has been requesting for quite a while. One particularly cold evening not too long ago I created 
individual meatloaves for Ben and our friends and found that it is a perfect pairing for the 2009 Red Mountain Merlot. Flecked with fresh thyme and served with smashed red potatoes and spicy, garlicky broccoli, we found that mini meatloaf is wonderful companion for this juicy, elegant merlot. Grab the recipe and learn more about the pairing HERE.
HER comfort food came next when it was my turn to host my wine loving book club. I am always looking for vegetarian dishes to pair with red wine, especially with this group. Eggplant parmesan is one of my favorite things that my mom would make when we were growing up, so I adjusted her recipe to make it (just a little bit!) lighter and pair with the Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Cabernet Franc. Earthy sautéed eggplant, homemade tomato sauce and an herby breadcrumb topping not only pa
ired excellently with the Cab Franc but also gathered rave reviews from the book club. Find the eggplant parmesan recipe HERE. I also have to recommend - we served a raw kale salad from Epicurious that was a GREAT accompaniment for the eggplant. Note that I chose to skip the parmesan on the salad since there was so much with the eggplant. It was not missed.
Coming up! Some wine friendly finger foods for holiday entertaining and my favorite gifts for wine lovers (yes – most of it is just wine).
Harvest Update: Part 1
It starts in the vineyard...
The anticipation is finally over, harvest is in full swing and busier then ever. We had a bit of a late start this year, but after weeks of eagerly checking the brix (sugar) levels of the grapes we started picking. So how did we get to this point? At Fidelitas we source fruit from all over the Columbia Valley, this means we let the growers do the work of producing outstanding fruit and we take care of making it into outstanding wine. With each vineyard we have a contract for certain rows or tons of grapes and then it is a talk between the grower and the winemaker on when the grapes should get picked when they will be at their optimum ripness. All the grapes are picked by hand in order to insure the best quality fruit is all that goes to the winery. Small clusters like the one shown below, are normally dropped (on the ground) because they came from the secondary bud. This secondary bud will produce fruit if the primary bud was damaged but the cluster is usually much smaller, late-ripening, and lacks some flaver.
Workers pick the grapes into small bins that can be counted and sorted and put into larger bins the winery supplies to travel back to the production facility. You'll be seeing a lot of these bins coming up, as they get used for many functions.
These pickers are very speedy so they may move from one block and one winery to another pretty quickly, unlike the rest of us that might finish half by the time the day is up!
And, of course, the grower inspects everything before the grapes get loaded on a truck and sent off to the winery for processing and for the real magic to begin.
Stay tuned for Part 2 where we will talk about what happens once the grapes hit the production facility and a wrap up of Harvest 2011!
See you next time,
Kalen Holden-Boushey
Wine Consultant + Wine Club Correspondent
Walk the Vines Pictures
A few weeks back a very lucky few got to tour the vineyards of Red Mountain with Charlie and Vinagium vineyard manager Damon LaLonde. It was a toasty day but Charlie had waters and everyone was having fun. Here are just a few pictures from the hike up the hill and the barbeque dinner back at Fidelitas.
Backyard Barbeque - the Results!
Summer continues to linger on here in Washington. Last week (and this upcoming weekend!) the temps are still soaring into the high 90’s around Red Mountain. In Seattle, we’re coasting in the 70’s right now which is just about perfect for me. The only real sign of fall seems to be our dwindling daylight hours.
A few weeks back, I invited a group of friends over to help out with some food pairing ideas and work their way through the ultimate make your own burger/dog party. The results were fabulous and we all had sooooo much fun. Here is how the evening of good food progressed:
Snacks as guests arrived: simple chips and salsa and bacon wrapped prawns with chipotle bbq sauce on the grill. Yum, double yum.
Items for the grill: beef burgers, lamb burgers, all-beef dogs, Italian chicken sausages (plus bacon done inside to prevent a Weber fire)
Breads to build on: ciabatta rolls, whole wheat hot dog and hamburger buns, mini baguettes (look at Trader Joe’s – they are perfect hot dog size)
Cheese (eternally my favorite part): gruyere, white cheddar, brie, blue cheese crumbles
Veggies: baby arugula, romaine, tomatoes, grilled onions, jalapeno rings
Condiments to top it all off: pesto mayo, roasted garlic mayo, tomato jam, chipotle ketchup, Heinz 57, whole grain Dijon mustard, French’s yellow mustard
Salad on the side – although that didn’t go nearly as fast for some reason!
(the spread)
I haven't seen people so excited to build up their plates since birthday cakes in elementary school. It was really fun to watch the different combos that people came up with, trying to make ones that would work well with the new releases. Here are the results:
For the 2009 Columbia Valley Malbec - chicken sausage on a mini baguette with tomato jam, arugula and brie. The tomato jam was really the kicker that made the pairing so good. Deep, almost caramelized flavors really highlighted the intensity of the wine while the arugula added to the peppery tones.
For the 2008 Optu Red Wine – lamb burger on whole wheat with roasted garlic mayo, bacon, gruyere and grilled onions. This is pretty much a no brainer. The lamb burger really brought up the earthiness of the Optu while soothing the tannins in the wine. The cheese, mayo and onions just polished off the already rich dish. Pesto mayo, rather than the roasted garlic brought out some neat herbal qualities in the wine and was equally good.
Find the full listing of ingredients and recipes for the tomato jam and roasted garlic mayo here.
A Tribute to Summer and the September Club Releases
It’s now the last week of August, and I finally feel like summer may have come to Seattle. I have been complaining that the clothes I’ve been wearing the past few months are the same that I wear in November, and that really, there hasn’t been a night when it’s been too hot to sleep. I know that no one actually likes those nights, but I feel like we deserve at least one per summer.
So, as I look towards the 67 and raining forecast for next week and prepare for the September club releases, I am going to honor our three days of summer (August 24, 25 & 26) with a good old fashioned backyard cookout.
For our September releases, we have the 2008 Optu Red Wine and the 2009 Columbia Valley Malbec. I love both of these wines for being so delicious, yet so accommodating with a ton of foods. I got to taste both of them a few weeks back and am excited to share them with our members.
The 2008 Optu Red is a little more Cabernet-heavy than most recent vintages at 61%. The balance is 22% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 6% Malbec. The vineyards in here are stunning: 39% Champoux Vineyard fruit, 33% comes from Weinbau, 22% from Conner-Lee and the splash of Malbec coming from Northridge. I have had the chance to visit all of these vineyards, hear their philosophy and know that these guys are out to grow some great fruit. Beyond the technical stuff, I’ll say that this wine is just plain yummy. It’s approachable and easy to drink, yet complex and deep.
The Malbec, a perennial Fidelitas fan fave, is again 100% Malbec, but now with three vineyards: Conner Lee (44%), Northridge Milbrandt (34%), Stillwater Creek (22%). I’m loving this wine because it still shows those gorgeous plummy fruit tones but has a great pepper backing in this vintage. This wine is going to be great with anything with Southwestern flavors that will support those pepper and spice tones.
Back to the backyard cookout (wonder if I where I was heading?). As I mentioned before, these are totally delicious, yet casual wines. I am having a few buddies over tonight to see who can create the ultimate burger/hotdog and wine pairing. I’ll have a variety of stuff on the weber (beef and lamb burgers, Hebrew national dogs and some other great sausage) and a million toppings to try out. While my favorite hotdog stand toppings are the pepperoncinis and sweet chili sauce, I’ll be branching out to cilantro mayo, arugula, tomato jam, tons of cheeses, truffle butter… The list goes on.
Check back soon for the winning combo!
2011 Staff Vineyard Tours
The Fidelitas crew got a special treat at the beginning of the summer. We shut down the tasting room (a rare occasion) and set out on our very own vineyard tours! Not only was this great education for our staff but we had a blast too. Here is a quick itinerary of our day and some of what we learned.
First Stop: Boushey Vineyards, Yakima Valley
Our first stop was Boushey Vineyards which is located at the base of the Rattlesnake Hills. We got a personal tour from Dick Boushey himself! Here we learned a lot about trellising techniques used for different types of varietals and sites. Our first stop was a Sangiovese vineyard. Dick explained that Sangiovese was a very “finicky” grape that was easy to get out of control. He uses a cordon trellis system which pulls all of the vines upwards using wires to allow for more control over the fruit, and easier picking. He also might have more or less wires on either side depending on which gets the afternoon sun, this side will tend to grow more vigorously and needs to be controlled.
Cordon Trellis
(Clockwise from top left) Cordon Trellis - Sangiovese vineyard, tags used to mark the varietals (clones and trellis system), grower Dick Boushey, baby sangiovese grapes
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We also saw a few other kinds of trellising techniques, such as Smart Dyson. This technique looks something like the picture and diagram below. This is a very labor intensive technique, but some of the winemakers in Washington prefer it for Syrah grapes as it gives a nice balance between foliage and cluster quantities.
Smart-Dyson Trellis
(Clockwise from top left) the Fidelitas Crew at one of Boushey Vineyard's sites, Syrah tag, Syrah vines showing the smart dyson technique, Charlie listening to Dick Boushey explain the trellising techniques
Second Stop: Garcia’s, Sunnyside, Washington
Lunch stop, enjoyed some yummy tacos on their outside terrace!
Third Stop: French Creek Vineyards, Yakima Valley
Here we met with vineyard manager Damon LaLonde to look at some of Washington’s premiere old vine Chardonnay planted more than 30 years ago. We also got a chance to see some newly planted vines. They don’t look like much now with all of those grow tubes on them, but with a little heat they will shoot up in no time. You may have remembered my explanation of grow tubes from last time, but if not, the tubes help to let in just the right amount of UV rays to help the plants grow quickly without harming their delicate foliage.
(Clockwise from left) a newly planted vineyard at French Creek, young chardonnay vines in a grow tube, old-vine chardonnay grapes at French Creek Vineyards
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Fourth Stop: Scooteney Flats and Red Heaven Vineyards, Red Mountain
We met up with Damon again to get tours of Scooteney Flats and Red Heaven. Scooteney Vineyard is right along Sunset Road, you pass it every time you visit Fidelitas! It is a 40-acre vineyards named after the kind of white chalky rocks found in this low area.
Our final stop was at Red Heaven Vineyards near the top of Red Mountain above Hedges Vineyards. If you ever get the chance to walk up here, do it, what a beautiful sight!
(clockwise from left) Damon LaLonde, giving us a tour of Red Heaven Vineyard, Red Heaven Vineyard, the view from the deck of Col Solare,
Last Stop: Fidelitas Vineyards, Red Mountain
We didn’t actually talk about any vines at this point, but we enjoyed a wonderful potluck dinner and some fabulous wines as we watched the sun set, what a great day, thanks Charlie!
See you next time,
Kalen Holden-Boushey
Wine Consultant + Wine Club Correspondent
An Introduction & New Vineyard Blog
Well, as Jess promised, we are adding new content to our blog, so, let me introduce myself. My name is Kalen Holden-Boushey, a few of you may have seen me at our new Seattle location at Urban Enoteca, and an even smaller few of you may have seen me at the occasional Red Mountain event weekend. But, besides getting to share my love of Fidelitas Wines through our tasting room I am also going to share with you my little knowledge of the vineyards and keep you guys updated on what’s happening with some of Washington’s premiere vines. Let me give you a little bit of my history. I grew up in the rows of my parents family farm, doing manual labor...I mean training grapes and learning my way around a vineyard! My parents have been farming in Yakima Valley since the mid seventies starting with apples, cherries, and Concords and Niagaras. In 1978, my dad planted his first block of experimental wine grapes (amazingly we still have this block), and in 1980, three years before Yakima Valley became the first federally-recognized appellation in Washington, he planted his first commercial block of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Now, over 30 years later we grow 23 grape varieties on 125 acres, and, don’t worry, we still grow apples and the most delicious Rainier cherries you’ve ever had!
So, what am I really here for? Well, first to introduce myself as your new Fidelitas Wine Club correspondent, and second, to introduce you to my new Vineyard blog. I’m not going to try to get into the nitty gritty technical stuff here but just give you a monthly (hopefully) update of what’s happening with those vines, and maybe a little viticulture info as well (nothing too boring I hope)!
Obviously I am a bit behind with the month to month updates, so I will give you a quick and dirty update of the last few months. Luckily, not too much happens in the winter and early spring months.
Winter to Early Spring 2011:
The vines look like this through most of the winter, un-pruned and wild. Near the end of February or early March all of the old growth is pruned back to allow for new growth to form.
Even old grape clusters are left on. By now, of course, all of the grapes have fallen off or have been eaten by the birds. These are some of the two year old vines of Fidelitas’ Estate Vineyard in front of the winery, still too young to produce commercial fruit.
April 2011:
By April, all of the vines have been pruned back. See, looking pretty neat and tidy again. Tiny buds are beginning to form that will grow into new shoots.
Here you can see things are still pretty dormant. White grow tubes dot down the rows with young vines in them. These tubes help new vines get just the right amount of UV light to thrive and produce hardy grape vines.
May 2011:
And...ta da! We have bud break. It has been a late start to the season with so few warm days, but it has finally arrived! With a few hot days these buds will practically grow before your eyes, each day will bring something new.
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Expect more from this Seattle gal soon. Vineyard tours are at the end of the month, so some good updates on a few other vineyards that Charlie sources from for Fidelitas wines are headed your way.
Finding Time for Perfect Wine
Once again, I have to apologize for the lapse in time here. However, I once again promise that it is with good reason. We have plenty of exciting things going on at Fidelitas: new releases, excellent recognition and some fun things coming in the near future with the wine club. Look for added benefits, an upper tier and a more exclusive experience. In the meantime, I thought I would share a quick story about finding a perfect time to share a special bottle.
Many people ask me about cellaring their bottles or express a pressure to open a special bottle at the perfect time with the perfect food and company. My response is often, open it when you want it and make the bottle the special occasion. Sometimes it can be really fun to enjoy a really fabulous wine while watching Jeopardy.
However, I recently got to open a special bottle for a special occasion. (Unfortunately, it wasn’t Fidelitas, but hang with me) Back when my now husband and I were dating, he began to save up for a boat. He owns a fly fishing guide service here in the Puget Sound and really wanted to expand what he can offer to his clients. Five years ago, I gave him a bottle of one of his favorite wines but told him to hang on to it until we were on that boat. A month ago, his dream of buying a boat came true and we were able to take it out with a few close friends over the weekend. After years of worrying that the bottle might not ever get opened, we popped the cork and enjoyed it out of Chinet cups just as the sun was starting to go down. No fancy food, no fancy stemware, but a great wine at a great time…
Watch for much more activity on this blog in weeks to come. If all goes well, we will have some of our newest additions to the Fidelitas family contributing stories and pics about our adventures in Seattle, on Red Mountain and in the production facility. For now, one last pic to prove that Charlie can clean up nice from time to time:
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