I just attended the Taste of Tulalip last weekend. What a fantastic wine event. It started out on Friday night with the Celebration Dinner that was Sold out and proceeded with an amazing wine tasting and food pairing event on Saturday. The wines were all amazing and included, Leonetti, Quilceda Creek, Northwest Totem Cellars and many more Washington wineries. Spanish, French and California wineries rounded out the wine selection along with a whole area of beer tastings. My favorite food dish was the Walnut Candied Prawns. I could not get enough of them.
Mark your calendars for next years event on Nov 14-15, 2014!
Below is a bit more about the special wine blend created for the Taste of Tulalip and Bob Betz, who I think it the most respected wine maker in the region.
They introduced the Taste of Tulalip’s 5th anniversary wine, a collaboration between honorary winemaker Bob Betz and the Tulalip wine team. For the first time, Betz Family Winery crafted a distinctive signature wine from their best barrels for a specific event, and worked closely with Tulalip on the process. The commemorative blend will be introduced during the November 8, Friday night Celebration Dinner. This annual 2-day Taste focuses on the enjoyment of food, wine and tradition.
The Wine
Tulalip’s one-of-a-kind anniversary blend is composed of 75% Bordeaux varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon dominant) and 25% Syrah. These grapes were sourced from Washington state’s top AVA vineyards: Red Mountain (52%), Yakima Valley (33%), and Horse Heaven Hills (15%). This wine was matured in 100% French oak barrels (with 80% in new oak), for 16 months. “We are very pleased with this new blend featuring penetrating Cabernet Sauvignon aromatics — yet a supple mouthfeel from Syrah,” says Betz.
The Winemaker
Bob Betz, founder, patriarch and guiding light of Betz Family Winery, began his pursuit of winemaking in the early 1970s. He and wife Cathy crisscrossed European vineyards, to better understand the why and how of crafting fine wine. Bob holds the degree of Master of Wine (MW), a designation awarded by the Institute of Masters of Wine in London. His philosophy is pretty simple: focus on what the vineyards have provided, and start with the highest quality fruit you can find. Treat it vigorously when necessary, gently most of the time, and stay out of its way, but watch it closely. Then allow the wines to develop slowly, and make sure they provide exceptional pleasure.
