One of the first things that people ask me when the discover that I’m submersed in a sea of wine and get to have fun writing about it is, “Do you need an assistant?” Well, I probably need more help than any Swede I know, but let’s get back to talking about wine.
Fall is the most exciting time of the year for the wine industry. And there isn’t a more opportune time to have a clone, or “wine mini me,” to help absorb and analyze the liquid information. This is when the annual big dance of harvesting and processing the wine grapes occurs, commonly called the “crush.”
There is a swirling energy that emanates from the vineyards and radiates to the wineries in our state and continues to reverberate through distribution, retail and consumers. The 2005 harvest of Washington wine grapes is, by all accounts, shaping up to be stellar, and this is something I always plan to keep close tabs on. As for the wholesale and retail side of the equation, fall represents a huge blip on the radar screen. As the wineries gear up for their autumnal triathlon, wholesalers launch into their holiday tasting blitz to capitalize on the earning power of the fourth quarter.
This is when another palate or two would come in handy, as the opportunities to tantalize the taste buds are far too many for me to take advantage of. I must admit, though, I always make a valiant effort.
One such recent opportunity was the annual fall tasting at Cavatappi Distribuzione’s warehouse in Ballard. This event usually requires a recalibration of the Richter scale, because it totally rocks – and this year’s installment was no exception. (Cavatappi is Italian for corkscrew, and the company’s well-seasoned staff proved once again that they’ve mastered the use of this technical device.)
Cavatappi is owned and operated by the energetic and eccentric Peter Dow, who is an institution in the Washington wine industry and would probably be pointing out to me a few other “ics” that were missed in my evaluation of him. The mantra of Cavatappi is, “we sell wine and not boxes,” and that was certainly evident in their fall tasting. The lineup of wineries, importers and wine brokers that Peter has amassed over the years is quite impressive. They include luminaries such as Ridge Vineyards, Vieux Telegraph, Vega Sicilia, Felsina, St. Innocent and Isenhower Winery of Walla Walla, to name just a few.
The tales that come out of these fall tastings can be enlightening and entertaining, so it occurs to me that there is indeed a way for anyone interested in lending a hand with this column. Let’s play a new game that we can call “spin from the bottle.” I love hearing specific stories about individual wine experiences that people have at a winery or in travels through wine country. Many times these experiences have an immediate and dramatic influence on people’s perception of wine, right down to the flavor profile.
I don’t know how many times I’ve heard someone say that they had a wine at a winery or somewhere on vacation and thought it was wonderful, but once home with all those palate-muting distractions, it just didn’t taste the same. In a way that’s what’s so cool about wine and the always-evolving humans that drink it. It’s always just a snapshot.
So if you would like to be a helper you can e-mail me your story, and I’d be happy to include it in an upcoming game of “spin from the bottle.” The good news is that if we play this game together we won’t need a chaperone, but I’m sure we’ll be stuck with an editor.
Jeff Wicklund can be reached at 425-737-2600, or wick@colbyhospitality.com.
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