Wine Camp 2015: Part 2
We began the tale of our 2015 Wine Camp to Walla Walla in last week's column. Here is part two and day 2 of all things wine with our wonderful customers and friends spent in the heart of Washington Wine Country.
How early is too early to start your day of wine events? We played it conservatively and boarded the bus for our first destination at 12:30. We were headed for a picnic lunch under the trees with the always gracious and generous Gordy Venneri at Walla Walla Vintners. Mother Nature had a different plan though, delivering some much-needed rain to the valley. We moved inside for our lunch, which conveniently provided a "teachable" moment for Gordy, since he had two bins of freshly picked 2015 Merlot fermenting away in the cellar.
Having worked in wineries, the smell of fermenting grape juice with its combination of yeast fruit and earthy aromas is one of the great smells of harvest. It also provided Gordy the opportunity to talk about the fermentation process and demonstrate "punch downs," the art of pushing the cap of grape skins down into the fermenting juice to extract color, flavor and structure. The demonstration was great for our guests; the wines were delicious as always and as we left, the sun broke through setting the tone for the rest of our day. The Walla Walla Vintners wines are as popular as ever as they were atop the heap with bottles sold.
Next we moved on to one of the really great tasting experiences of the trip. We split our group of "wine campers" on the next stop, half going to Amavi and the others going to sister winery Pepperbridge, and then switching venues. The wines were delicious at both, and we were honored to have founders and partners Norm McKibben and Ray Goff guide our tours and tastings. Both Ray and Norm bring a depth of knowledge and a personal connection to their wineries that can only be garnered by being "at the helm" and building these two impressive wine operations. The wines were delicious, the properties impressively beautiful and the ownership partners utterly charming. It is a tasting experience that should not be missed.
For our wrap-up wine event of the day (and all of wine camp), we headed to Foundry Vineyards for a combination cooking class and wine dinner hosted by winemaker Justin Basel. Foundry is a fascinating place to visit, as it is an artist's foundry that now serves as the tasting room. The art on display is ever-changing and there are some permanent sculpture pieces in the courtyard of the property where our dinner and cooking class were held.
By the time we arrived, the skies had cleared, the temperature was mild and it was one of those picture-perfect nights in wine country. Justin (always the gracious host) treated us to many library selections, as well as current release wines each one getting better as the night went on. He is a winemaking talent that continues to "wow" with every vintage he produces.
Our cooking class was taught by local chef Randee Goodwin. Randee honed her skills at the Coeur d'Alene Resort after culinary school and kept the crowd enthralled and taking notes on the dinner line up she instructed on, all done on a string of outside grills (some gas and some charcoal). From the figs wrapped in bacon and grilled Brie for appetizers, to the campfire orange cake for dessert, each course was completed on the barbecues. It was truly impressive, and came with recipe cards for each course and a chance to participate in the cooking.
After dinner, we boarded the bus back to our wine camp home the Marcus Whitman with many memories of great wines consumed and wonderful meals to go with them, too many great conversations to recount them all, and time spent with new and old friends alike. We will start planning Wine Camp 2016 near the end of the first quarter of the New Year. The email invites will go out in late spring and we will again embark on another wine adventure next summer. If you would like to be included on the email list for the next camp please email us at info@thedinnerpartyshop.com and we will add you to the list.
If there is a topic you would like to read about, or if you have questions on wine, you can email us, or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d'Alene Press.
George Balling is co-owner (with his wife Mary Lancaster) of the dinner party, a wine and tabletop decor shop by Costco in Coeur d'Alene. George has also worked as a judge in many wine competitions, and his articles are published around the country. You can learn more about the dinner party at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com. You can get all of these articles and other great wine tips by friending us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop.