Wine Festival!

Have you ever been to one?  They are super fun.  Tons of wine makers, specialty food makers and craftsy folks all in one place.  The best part about a festival is that you try before you buy.  Now that is something you don't get at the neighborhood grocery store!

My favorite wine festival (okay, the only one I've ever attended) is the McMinnville Wine and Food Classic.  I went in 2010, and had such a great time I went to the 2011 event last weekend.  They hold it at the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum, so you get to look at really cool helicopters and space return capsules and stuff while you are tasting. This museum is also the current home of Howard Hughes's Spruce Goose.

(Image credit to Ben Garney)

There was even things that were fun for kids...I know a 6 year old that won a helicopter ride playing the old toss the ping-pong ball in a wine glass game.  (Consider this a PSA for her future college buddies - she will beat you when it comes time to play quarters in 15 years.  Be scared, be very scared!)

One of the things I like the most about festivals is that they post the winners several weeks before the festival.  This also helps me prioritize where my tasting will start.  Um, no, I do not sample all the wines...I would still be in a coma if I did that.  In addition to the gold medal winners, I make a point to try wines from wine makers I only see at this festival, wines I have heard about but not had a chance to try, and wines that my friends recommend.

Sounds like a lot, huh?  Well, keep in mind that a taste is only about an ounce, not a full glass.  Then we split those among our group of friends.  For instance, I might taste a couple reds while a friend tastes a couple whites, and we switch glasses for each type so that we all get to try a little more.  It also saves on the tasting fees which are around $1 per taste.

So I completely failed at taking pictures at the festival itself.  I took my camera and did not take a single photo. Bad blogger.  But I did take pictures of what I brought home.

I brought home 5 wines and a treat.  I am going to start with that one on the far left.  I some how forgot to take a picture of it all alone, and I don't want to forget it.

Let me start by saying that I am not a huge white wine fan.  So, if I taste one that is really, really good, I buy it.  That way I know I always have a white that I like on hand for company.  This particular white made by Illahe, and is a 2008 Viognier.  Its light and fruity, and didn't give me bitter wine face or cotton mouth like most white wines do.  I can picture sipping this wine in the summer sitting on my patio with a good book.  Oh, and Wine Enthusiast agrees with me; they give this wine 91 points!

Continuing down the row, is another Illahe specialty.  It is a 2008 Estate Grown Tempranillo.  Us simple folk would call this dessert wine a 'port'.  It is fantastic.  Not too sweet.  Would be perfect with cheese or chocolate or even all by itself.  And now I have port.  It seems fancy.

The next wine was a splurge.  They were actually charging $5 for a taste (one ounce people!) of this wine. I saw that it was a Cuvee, which are generally among my favorites, and it had a beautiful raised tin label, so I decided to see what all the fuss was about. Upon my first sip of the 2008 Capitello Succession Cuvee, I was sold!  It was so smooth, and rich with flavor.  I tried to resist buying the bottle, but new I would regret it later, so I got one.  It immediately went into the 'red dot' category in my wine fridge.

Next is a little treat I found between wine tastings.  There are many booths that sell dip mixes, and chocolates, and pickled things.  This booth sold vinegar and oil.  This was so tasty it immediately made me wish I had a big loaf of artisan bread and a way to highjack the tasting bowl.  Balsamic vinegar (the real, aged stuff), premium olive oil and Rosemary as the dominant herb in a bouquet of goodness.  Hope you come visit before I eat it all! Or you could order your very own from Bistro Blends.

Finally a wine that I have a feeling will soon become a staple in my home. Edenvale 2003 Pearhouse Reserve Claret. It is a blend of merlot, cab franc, cab sav, and malbec.  It is so silky to drink and a perfect combination of fruit with hints of bacon and baking spices. I purchased the last two bottles they had at the festival!

Whew!  It was fun, and I can't wait for a good excuse and good company to try the bottles with me.

I have referenced my wine organization system a couple of times in this post. I promise I will do another post soon about my system (which really isn't a big deal or professional in any way).

What have you tasted recently that you have loved?


P.S.  I am not getting anything for writing this post or putting the links in.  These are truly event/products I have attended, bought and enjoyed with my own funds. Maybe, someday, I will be cool enough to get free stuff from folks that I can give away to the 4 people that read this blog, but I'm not there yet!