Andeluna
2011 Estate Malbec
Tupungato Mendoza Argentina
Purchased at La Tablita in El Calefate, Santa Cruz (Southern Patagonia)
Notes: tastes of blueberries, blackberries and black cherries. Fresh fruit finish, herbal. Purple color.
Restaurant Meal: Cordero Patagónico (whole, open-fire roasted Patagonian lamb), papas naturales, ensalada mixta
Rutini
2009 Cabernet-Malbec
Coquimbito Maipú Mendoza Argentina
Purchased at La Rural in Maipú.
Notes: Dark purple, nose of blueberry, tastes of blueberry, plum with a long soft earthy berry finish.
Homemade antipasta dinner—local Mendoza olives, sardo cheese, salami, and salad with avocado, fresh shelled peas, red pepper, lemon, and baguette.
Etchart Privado
2011 Torrontes
Salta Argentina
Purchased at the seafood restaurant Solo Pescado, Buenos Aires
Notes: Pale yellow color with hints of green. Nose of sweet lychee, grapefruit and mango. Taste of dry lemon taste, melon, round mouth feel, herbal, long dry honey finish.
Restaurant Meal: seafood platter.
Nefarious Cellars
2010 Estate Syrah
Difiance Vineyard
Lake Chelan Washington
Purchased at Nefarious
Notes: Light purple hue. Fruity nose of plums, chocolate, cloves, cinnamon and dried cherries. Mouth of cherries and plum. Raspberry finish with hints of dark spices especially cloves.
Downtown Boise park picnic with garden tomatoes, cambozola, barrel aged feta, rosemary bread, Portuguese sardines, dried plums, cherries and almonds.
Goose Ridge
2008 Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon
Columbia Valley Washington
Purchased at Goose Ridge
Notes: Deep dark purple with dark chocolate hue. Nose of cherries, chocolate, blackberries, dried plums. Taste of earthy black fruit, leathery plums and tobacco. Finish of tobacco and blackberry with a long dry pucker and hints of spices at the end: coriander, clove, nutmeg.
With a campground dinner at Lava Lake in the three sisters wilderness in Oregon. Whole-wheat pasta with chard, home-smoked smoked salmon by mom and dad, and feta.
King Estate
2010 Signature Pinot Noir
South Willamette Valley Oregon
Purchased at King Estate
Notes: Light red raspberry color. Nose of currant and chocolate. Taste of thorny fruits such as thimble berry, tart cherry, cranberry, and oak zing. Long clean dark spice finish with hints of mint, white pepper, caramel and dry cherry cola linger.
Campground picnic: Oregon raw milk goat cheese on Newport pacific rye sesame sourdough, Newport heirloom tomatoes, fresh cucumber salad.
Sarver
2011 Pinot Gris
Elhanan Vineyard
Purchased at Sarver
Notes: Clean clear with a light yellow green hue. Nose of bright citrus fruits, mandarin orange, blood orange and passion fruit. Mineral mouth with a lemon taste and light spicy orange. Crisp orange, cayenne pepper, mineral finish.
Campground dinner: Fenneled rice with fresh off the dock albacore tuna, sauted maitake mushrooms tossed with lemon and parsley and a garden pepper and tomato salad.
Stoller
2008 Estate Pinot Noir
Dundee Hills
Willamette Valley Oregon
Purchased at Stoller
Notes: Color of bing cherries and red raspberry. Nose of cinnamon, nutmeg, cherry, dried plum, and clove. Rich round taste: cherry, eucalyptus, mint, plum, and rosemary. Finish of dried cherries, plums, white pepper, with cloves orange zest and a hint of smoke.
Winery picnic of heirloom tomatoes, sourdough, local goat milk cheese, castelvetrano olives, and blackberries.
Buena Vista
2007 Pinot Noir
Ramal Vineyard
Carneros California
Purchased at Buena Vista
Notes: Light ruby, see through, with a bing cherry tinge. nose of cherries, dried plums, cinnamon, oak, mint, ginger, and eucalyptus. Taste of cherry, cola boysenberry, chocolate, star anise and cloves. Herbal finish with parley, toasty yeast, wood, and a long smooth chocolate dried cherry finish.
Homemade lunch at Armstrong Redwoods park: Fresh local sole from a fish market in Bodega Bay in coconut milk curry with eggplant, poblano pepper, and shitake mushrooms.
Marimar Estate
2007 Pinot Noir
Doña Margarita Vineyard
Sonoma Coast California
Purchased at Marimar
Notes: Thick purple (unfiltered) color with a dark ruby center. Nose of cherry, chocolate, wet oak/dog, dried plum, sage, fig, and forest floor. Taste of fruit soup, tart cherry with hints of thyme, mint, tarragon, and chocolate. Finish of cranberry, coffee, chocolate, and a hint of tobacco.
Campground dinner at Sonoma Coast State Park: Nebraska wedding heirloom tomato tossed with spaghetti, garlic, shallot, olive oil and Redwood Hill Farm raw milk feta.
Cheese Award!
Cowgirl Creamery
Pierce Point
Organic Whole Milk herbed washed rind
Chileno Valley Jersey Dairy
Petaluma, CA
Washed in an organic white wine and rolled in dried herbs from the Tomales Bay coastal region. Semi-firm and covered with field flowers: calendula, chamomile and Thai basil.