Sunday, April 27, 2008

St Michaels Food and Wine Weekend - 2008



Food and wine weekend. What a fantastic idea. A get away to a bed and breakfast coupled with some great food and wine. Wow. We have been having a lot of fun sampling wines and talking to distributors.

The weather on Friday and Saturday was absolutely delightful. Today, it is a bit cooler and gray. But we have been lucky to be able to attend all three days of the festival.

The festival is great. We were there with friends. One of the highlights has been the B&B: Wade's Point Inn. A beautiful place right on the bay. I highly recommend it if you are planning a weekend get away. We enjoyed two fabulous nights at the Inn.

Dinner last night was at 208 Talbot. A very high end dinner which was nicely done. Although a bit more than just a night out dinner, it was worth the price to be reminded about classic and gourmet prepared dishes.

We have been having fun. I am just amazed at what I learned about wines and soils and growing conditions. And how to begin to identify different types of wines and then where in the world the grapes were grown. I found a new appreciation for Pinot Noir form Oregon. I was not a huge fan of Pinot Noir before the weekend, but I found the Oregon Pinot Noir very appealing. I especially was impressed with the Willamette Valley Vinyards and highly recommend their Pinot Noir.

We had a great time and I am already looking forward to next year.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Sol De Chile - Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 (Estate Bottled)


Well, we tried two bottles of this wine to be sure, but despite the following tasting notes from the wine maker:

Our Cabernet Sauvignon has a rich and concentrated ruby-violet color. It has aromas typical of its variety and added hints of chocolate and coffee. Its tannins are mature and firm.

My experience was much different. The wine seemed very immature. I was overwhelmed by the tannins and never found either the coffee or the chocolate. The nose was very hard but it did linger.

Not being a fan of this wine I cannot recommend it for anything even though it seems to be a reasonably priced wine.

Recommendation: Must miss. Not suitable for use as even a gift to someone you do not like.