The Dirt on Dolcetto!

It’s finally summertime in the Valley and to celebrate this we’re getting ready to release three wines that are great for summer sipping: our 2008 Estate Sauvignon Blanc ($26), the 2008 Estate Dolcetto ($21) and the 2008 Washington State Chardonnay ($44).

For those of you not familiar with dolcetto, it is an Italian varietal traditionally grown in Northwestern Italy, in the Piedmont region. The area is also known for barbera and nebbiolo. Rick, after a trip to the Piedmont in the ‘90s, fell in love with both barbera and dolcetto and decided to plant some in our Estate Vineyard on his return home. The first vintage for these two wines was 2000, and the only vintage we have missed since then was 2004 due to the freeze that swept the Valley.

Dolcetto, which means “little sweet one” in Italian, is simply that. A red wine that is full of fruit and naturally low in tannins, which makes it perfect for summertime drinking. It is pretty much the every day table red in Italy where they are known to chill it just slightly, although it can also be enjoyed at room temperature. I love the Woodward Canyon Estate Dolcetto, with aromas of blackberries and currants which mingle with just a slight hint of sweetness from the puncheons we use. This wine is also perfect for summer fare and anything grilled – including pizza, burgers, chicken and vegetables! Yum. I can’t wait to get a bottle home.

The release of the 2008 Estate Dolcetto couldn’t have come at a better time. We have a large group of our Oregon distributor coming in today for a tour of the Woodward Canyon Estate Vineyard, tasting of the wines and a wood-fire pizza lunch. It is the perfect compliment to the pizzas Rick bakes outside. And I love pizza lunches because I get to be creative when throwing the pizzas together. Of course, I can’t complain about getting to enjoy the pizzas after they are done either.

My favorite pizza is filled with lots of fresh veggies and some meat and cheese. Here's a recipe for the pizza dough and don't forget to use plenty of cornmeal before the pizza goes on the stone or you'll have a huge mess! I usually start with red sauce and then throw on the meat and cheese. I tend to stick to just spicy Italian sausage and chunks of fresh mozzarella. It doesn't need much more than that. Then it's all the veggies I can fit on it. My favorites are roasted red peppers, caramelized Walla Walla Sweet onions, fresh mushrooms and fresh basil. Once everything is piled up on the dough I usually throw some goat cheese on for flavor and then top it off with a few shavings of fresh parmesan cheese. It's perfect! Gosh, it’s good to work out here!

And a special treat for all our readers/subscribers of this blog. Leave a comment with a way to contact you for a special one time use of a 10% discount on any wine that normally receives a case discount (“Old Vines”, etched bottles and older vintages not included in discount.) No minimum purchase applies.

Also, check out the website for information on how to sign up for one of the private tastings we'll be hosting this month in our new "Reserve House."

Now it's time to get ready for the holiday weekend! I hope everyone has a fun a safe Fouth of July! The tasting room will be closed on Saturday July 4th, but we will be open our regular hours on Friday the 3rd and Sunday the 5th. Come see me one of those days if you're in town!

Thanks for reading! Hope to see you all in the tasting room sometime soon!!


Cheers!


Shari / Marlene

Travel Time for Rick and Darcey

Rick and I made a whirlwind trip to the west side last week. We started in Seattle with lunch with our son at one of our favorites, Tom Douglas' Dahlia Lounge. Rick had the crab cakes, which we think are hands down the best around, I had the curried clams – yum – and Sager worked his way through the burger. It was on a trip to Italy a number of years ago with Tom, Peter Dow and Michael Teer that Rick fell in love with Barbera and Dolcetto, then came home and planted those varieties in our Estate Vineyard.

Rick and I followed with a dinner at Volterra that Tamara Donaghy, the proprietor of the downtown Seattle women's clothing store Sway and Cake, purchased at the Seattle Hotel Association's Evening of Hope auction. Chef Don Curtiss and his crew put together a wonderful menu matched to Woodward Canyon wines. My favorite course was the Braised Pork Cheeks and Potato Gnocchi with the 2006 Columbia Valley Merlot. A good time was had by all and a great charity, the Plymouth Housing Group, benefited.

Then the next morning it was on to Moclips on the Washington Coast. As a young child I had spent time there with my parents so it was interesting to go back after so many years. The Ocean Crest Resort sits on a ridge above the ocean with wonderful views – particularly sunsets. The restaurant there produces a regular calendar of winemaker dinners and has an award-winning wine list, primarily NW wines, many of them nicely aged. It is always a surprising treat to find such a wine list in an off-the-beaten-path place.

On our day "off" we drove up to the Quinault Lodge at the edge of the Olympic National Park. After a short hike to see the world's largest spruce, we headed to the lodge for lunch. It is a beautifully maintained 1930's lodge that overlooks the lake. If you have not been there, it is worth the trip. For whatever reason, every time Rick and I have been in the rain forest it has been clear and warm and this was no different.

Then back to the coast for a nice long walk on a sunny beach before the winemaker dinner which was paired with many of our older wines from the Resort's cellar. My favorite course there was the Chocolate Chili with Citrus Pepper Puffs matched with the 2004 Merlot. I have to get that recipe!

It was a long haul home the next day to cloudy and gray Walla Walla, but we had met some nice folks, had plenty of good food and got an invigorating dose of salt air and sunshine so it was well worth it.

Darcey / Woodward Canyon Winery.