Sauced

New Year’s Eve Parties

Boozy bashes for ringing it in right.

Posted by: Allie Oosta on Dec 21, 2011 at 10:00AM 0 Comments

Time to start making your New Year’s Eve plans.

Plenty of bars are open on New Year’s Eve, but if you’re seeking a more organized affair here are some promising options.

Little Water Cantina is hosting a fiesta with Georgetown Brewing Co. and El Mayor Tequila. Dinner comes with a complimentary glass of champagne, plus there’s pints for $3, flights of tequila for $8, and other drink specials. And can you beat that patio for taking in the fireworks? We think not. 5pm. No reservations required.

At Pike Pub and Brewing Co. ‘s Old Bawdy New Year party, guests can be the first to taste the 2011 Old Bawdy barley wine. Enjoy live music by the Atlas String Band, sip on the brewery’s lightest beer, Naughty Nellie Organic Artisan Golden Ale, and enjoy a dinner of short ribs, onion soup, cannelloni, and cheesecake. 4pm–1am. Make reservations by calling 206-622-6044.

Rob Roy is counting down by blasting music that was popular during 2011 and passing around a free drink at midnight (they’re thinking something with Hendrick’s gin). No cover.

The Local Vine on Capitol Hill will have a DJ plus upwards of 25 varieties of champers and sparkling wine by the glass. $10 reservation.

Perpetually packed Havana is having a dance party of sorts, those who want the VIP treatment can make reservations on the Havana website.

The Palace Ballroom will prepare a five-course meal and provide glasses of bubbly at midnight and dancing to the Portage Bay Big Band. Great view of the Space Needle fireworks, too. The shindig starts at 8:30. Tickets are $99 (including taxes and gratuity).

Pearl Bar and Dining is going full Cinderella with its New Year’s Eve Ball, where partygoers can enjoy multiple bars, dance floors, and a champagne toast at midnight. 8pm. $40 at the door or $30 in advance at brownpapertickets.com.

Find a live dj and 10 oz. craft cocktails at Tini Bigs and karaoke and tiki drinks at Hula Hula during their joint bash. Cover into both bars is $10. Call 206-284-5003. Tini Bigs opens at 4, dj starts at 9. Hula opens at 7:30. Karaoke begins at 8.

Spur is offering champagne and caviar service. For $50, enjoy one ounce of caviar, two glasses of bubbly, and some accompaniments. There will also be a chef’s tasting menu and a traditional toast at midnight.

At The Hideout expect “glitter, joy, and merriment” courtesy a DJ and lots of bubbly. Get there early, this bash fills up fast. Nearby Vito’s is providing live music by the Moonspinners.

EMP is throwing its annual, huge (3,000 people huge) New Year’s Eve party, Indulgence. Expect 25 bars, multiples entertainment stages, live comedy, a 140,000-square-foot dance area, an “80’s invasion,” and other such debauchery. Tickets are $59–$350.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Sparkling Wine , Bar Events, New Year's Eve 2011

Released Today: A Washington Wine Being Poured in the White House

Get your hands on Treveri Cellars Syrah Brut and drink like a dignitary.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Nov 22, 2011 at 09:00AM 2 Comments

The State Department’s bubbles of choice. Photo Treveri Cellars via Facebook.

As Eater Seattle noted recently, this will be a festive season indeed for Yakima Valley’s Treveri Cellars. It seems that Jason Larkin, the executive chef for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, did some tasting recently and enjoyed Treveri’s sparkling wine. So much so that the Yakima winery’s Extra-Brut Chardonnay and Syrah Brut will be poured at holiday events in the White House diplomatic reception rooms. This is reportedly the first time a non-California sparkler will be poured in the White House since the days when our national figureheads sourced their bubbles from France.

Today the winery is releasing the same Syrah Brut being served at the White House, according to Treveri owner Julie Grieb. And if this wine is good enough for America’s diplomatic power players, it’s probably suitable for your own celebrations. Right now you can find it at the winery’s Yakima tasting rooms, and by mid-December at a few retailers closer to home, including Whole Foods, QFC and Wine World in Wallingford. The Extra-Brut Chardonnay is already available in Seattle..

The unofficial release party for the Syrah Brut happens December 2 at Wine World from 6-8pm. The folk from Treveri will be pouring tastes and selling bottles of their bubbly wares.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Wineries, Sparkling Wine , Washington Wines, Treveri Cellars

Well-Priced Wines from a Seattle Expert

This week: Esquin’s Jameson Fink.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Jul 06, 2011 at 01:06PM 2 Comments

Wine expert Jameson Fink is proud to drink wines that are cheap and cheerful.

Photo Courtesy: Jackie Donnelly Baisa

New series: There’s no shame in it. Everyone loves to discover, and show off, great inexpensive wines. Even—nay, especially—the pros. So I’m asking local wine experts to weigh in on their budget bottles.

I pick an expert. The expert picks a theme, then offers up a red, white, sparkling, and rose wine in accordance with it. Meantime, you drink well and cheaply. Because let’s face it, it’s always been about you.

The Expert
Jameson Fink, European Wine Buyer and Social Media Director, Esquin Wine Merchants.

The Cred
Who, outside of a Roald Dahl book, gets to be named Jameson Fink? I love that name. Plus I follow him on Twitter and have learned that he knows a lot about wine—including how to have fun with it. And that is perhaps the most important wine-related skill there is.

So what’s this week’s theme, Expert?
“Cheap and cheerful wines under $10.”

Why did you pick that theme?
“These are my daily drinkers. I don’t come home to a bottle of Chateau Fancy Pants as often as you’d think.”

All right, let’s get to the wine.

The Red
2009 La Carraia Sangiovese Umbria ($8.99) “The ultimate pizza and pasta wine. The Wine Advocate calls it ‘full throttle’ and ‘not for the timid’ but I disagree. It’s just an easy drinkin’ red.”

The White
2009 Domaine des Cassagnoles Cotes de Gascogne ($7.99) “Every wine nerd in town is selling or buying this wine. The definition of a porch-pounder, it’s a light and fresh wine to consume liberally. And if you see the words ‘Cassagnoles Gros Manseng’ on a label, buy first, ask questions later.”

The Rose
2010 Miradou Cotes de Provence ($9.99) “Yes it comes in an enticing, hourglass-shaped bottle that should influence your buying decision. (I am not immune.) It’s also a textbook crisp, dry rose. Poach some shrimp, grill some salmon, and slake your thirst with this pale, austere gem.”

The Sparkler
NV Mas Fi Cava ($9.99) “Bubbles forever! Unfortunately there is an ocean of ungodly awful, cheap sparklers that will make you hungover just by looking at them. This Cava from Spain, however, is a little charmer that you can actually enjoy all by itself or with a mixer. Get creative.”

Thanks Jameson. Before you go, give us three reasons why you work in wine.
“The convivial eating and drinking, the cast of characters in this industry, and the fact that the lucrative job market for my MA in History seems to have dried up.”

Add a Comment »

Tags: Sommelier stuff, Sparkling Wine , Cheap Wine for Weekdays, Well-Priced Wines from a Seattle Expert

More New Year’s Eve Parties, Deals, and Events

Here are a few more options for ringing it in right.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Dec 29, 2010 at 07:38AM 1 Comments

Almost here.

Here and here are the parties we’ve already discussed. Below are a few more thingies I think you might want to look into.

A Ballard bar I love called the Copper Gate is offering its magical happy hour menu from 5pm to closing on January 31. A cover will not be charged and you get free champagne at midnight. Live music (“featuring the Suffering Fuckheads”) begins at 9pm.

Book a table at the Saint on Capitol Hill and for $20.11 someone will bring you an appetizer, entree, and one of the house Hermano margaritas. Sister bar Havana always has a big NYE blowout too, buy tickets here.

I should also alert you to a set of sparkling wine events at a wine bar near Pike Place Market. On Thursday, December 30th from 5-7pm, 106 Pine is pouring Northwest sparklers: Cave B’s 2008 Blanc de Blanc, Arglye’s 2006 Sparkling Brut (2006), Domaine Ste Michelle’s 2004 Luxe, and Pacific Rim’s White Flowers (NV). That last one is an excellent choice if you’re serving oysters, by the way. On Friday, December 31, the wine bar will be serving champagne for $5 a glass all day, there are also discounts on meat and cheese boards.

Finally, if you’re looking to stock up on champers, head to 12th and Olive on Capitol Hill, it’s offering Jacques Chaput d’Arrentieres Brut Tradition for $29 a bottle, $26 by the case. That’s a pretty good deal on a solid little bottle of champagne, my revelers.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Happy Hour, Capitol Hill, Wine Tastings, Sparkling Wine , Ballard, New Year's

New Year’s Parties

Drinking events for your consideration on Friday, December 31.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Dec 21, 2010 at 11:27AM 0 Comments

It’s probably time to start making New Year’s Eve plans.

Seattle is lucky, in a way. In the city where I used to live, going out on New Year’s Eve meant committing to some bar or club that you’d never normally go to months in advance for the privilege of elbowing countless congressional aids out of your way to the bar, where you were expected to get down on your hands and knees and beg for a few fingers of Korbel splashed into a plastic glass.

In this town, most of the bars are open and just serving up drinks. Here is a map of places that have good champagne options and are also fun to hang out in. But for those of you who want preplanned parties, I’ve listed a few promising events (and one that both impresses and terrifies me) below.

Happy New Year.

Pay no cover to party at the Local Vine during its champagne happy hour from 4 to 7pm. From 8pm to 2am, however, it will cost you $25 to get in at the door ($15 if you pay in advance). That price includes free champagne at midnight. Local Vine is planning a special New Year’s Eve menu and there will be a DJ.

The Hideout will be hosting its annual NYE party which is rumored to be a straight-up blast. There’s no cover but you are advised to arrive early as the little bar fills up fast.

Spur and Tavern Law are doing tasting menus with drink specials and midnight toasts, call the bars for details.

Or you could hang out upstairs at Tavern Law’s Needle and Thread bar during one of two sessions—7 to 10pm or 10pm to 1am. Whichever you choose, you pay $100 in advance. The price includes a bottle of champagne for each two tickets reserved (or a split for one), and free caviar appetizers. Call 206-325-0133 to reserve.

Now, here’s one for the brave: EMP has a New Year’s Eve party called Indulgence. Tickets for this thing are currently $59 (GA) $189 (VIP Gold) and $350 for (VIP Platinum). There are more than 25 separate bars at this party and three dance floors. EMP expects over 3,000 people. See details here.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Parties, Sparkling Wine , New Year's

Mistralkitchen, A Lot of Champagne, And You

Five hours of sparkler sipping begins at 5pm tonight.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Nov 01, 2010 at 01:21PM 0 Comments

About 30 sparkling wines will be popped at Mistralkitchen’s informal tasting.

An informal five-hour champagne party is happening tonight at MistralKitchen beginning at 5pm.

You pay $100 to get in, and then you eat stuff—oysters, crudo, pork belly, cheeses, charcuterie, vegetarian whatnot—while sampling from about 30 sparkling wines. It’s not a table-to-table sort of tasting, the staff is just going to be pouring different champers all night long (plus some sparkling wines—remember only wines made in the Champagne region of France can be called champagne).

What will you taste? Mistral is popping about 30 different sparklers. Among them is a 2003 L. Aubry Fils Le Nombre d’Or Campanae Veteres Vites Brut; a 2005 Soter Brut Rose from the Willamette Valley; a NV Gaston Chiquet Cuvée de Reserve Brut; a NV Billecart-Salmon Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne…and so forth.

Add a Comment »

Tags: South Lake Union, Tastings and Classes, Wine Tastings, Sparkling Wine

A Stupid Question for a Sommelier

Waterfront Seafood Grill’s head wine woman talks local sparklers and the foods that love them.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Apr 30, 2010 at 11:40AM 1 Comments

Kristen Young, director of wine at the Waterfront Seafood Grill, has been committed to service from a very young age—she grew up hanging coats and shaking martinis at her parents’ dinner parties in Ohio.

After moving to Seattle in 2001, she worked at Campagne and Nell’s, developing her passion for fine food and wine. Before moving to Waterfront, Kristen opened Tilth with Chef Maria Hines, overseeing the wine program and front-of-house operations.

Here, a stupid question for Kristen Young.

I like to support Washington’s wineries but I love champagne. Are all the best sparkling wines from France, or can I get really high-quality sparklers made in the Northwest?

There are some excellent options for drinking and supporting local sparkling wine. One of the best that Washington has to offer is Domaine Ste. Michelle’s Luxe. Chateau Ste Michelle focuses on the traditional process of fermenting in the bottle, which gives the wine very elegant and fine bubbles. Also, the grapes (in this case, all chardonnay) are mostly sourced from Heily Vineyard in the Columbia Valley. Cooler climate sites like Heily showcase natural acidity and minerality. These grapes are treated with respect: hand-picked, carefully pressed, and aged five to six years.

Sold. Any tips for pairing sparkling wine with food?

Two basic types of pairings come to mind. First, there is the “like with like” matching, such as raw oysters served with a clean and mineral-driven sparkling wine. I would suggest the A. Margaine Premier Cru Blanc de Blancs.

Then you have yin-and-yang pairings—fried chicken and a brut rosé, for instance. Probably my favorite sparkling wine in the country is the Soter Brut Rosé from the Willamette Valley of Oregon. It is so versatile. You can pair it with oysters, truffled popcorn, beef tartare, salmon, poultry (especially fried chicken)… There are endless possibilities.

Fat and acid are best friends when it comes to food and wine pairings. Fried chicken needs the contrast of crisp and lively bubbles to cleanse the palate. It’s the same reason that French fries and beer go well together, or potato chips and Coca-Cola for that matter.

Should I serve sparkling wine with dessert?

It can be tricky. You always want to serve a dessert wine that is sweeter than the dish with which it is being served. Mismatching weight and intensity is a common mistake when pairing sweet courses. Lighter desserts like angel food cake or lemon souffle will work well with a Moscato d’Asti (a sweet, low-alcohol sparkler from Northern Italy).

Quite often, however, sparkling wines are too dry for desserts.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Wine, A Stupid Question for a Sommelier, Sparkling Wine , Wine and Food Pairings

Happy Hour of the Week: Frank’s Oyster House and Champagne Bar

All hail the happy hour oyster: joy for the palate, cure for workday woes.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Apr 19, 2010 at 10:57AM 2 Comments

• HOURS: Tues-Sat (closed Sunday) from 5-6:30pm; 10-11pm parlor only.
• PRICES: Sparkling wine, cocktail of the day $6; all other cocktails $1 off; house red/white wine $5; beer $3.50. HH food items $1-$6; other snacks and small plates $2 off.

Frank’s Oyster House and Champagne Bar is a highly specific name for a restaurant. Don’t let that dissuade you from meeting your raw-oyster eschewing friends here for happy hour. For in addition to oysters, this HH menu offers steak sliders on housemade rolls that slap the tongue with an assertive hit of horseradish (three for $5), compulsively crunchable bacon-chive popcorn ($2), fried Quinault razor clams ($6), and a salami plate served alongside veggies pickled on the premises ($5).

As a person who eats a lot of sliders, I can tell you these are about as good as they get. The popcorn is well-seasoned and generously portioned, and who in their right might would argue with Salumi salami and pickled vegetables washed down with a whiskey cocktail on a weekday evening? In fact, in my experience the only thing to steer clear of on this menu are the truffle skins—potato skins blanketed too heavily in fontina then doused with way too much truffle oil. They smell great, but they are exactly the sort of palate buster to avoid after experiencing the eye-widening, joy-inducing flavor dance of fresh oysters sprinkled with a little mignonette and followed up with a sip of dry champagne.

In fact, even if the kitchen had employed a lighter hand with that truffle oil I probably wouldn’t order potato skins again at Frank’s. I might not even order those tasty little sliders. Because unless lunch has been skipped or HH must double as dinner on this particular day, what’s the point of eating workaday happy hour fare—even such finely wrought workaday happy hour fare as this—when there are Kusshis in the kitchen?

Frank’s serves up three to four types of oyster each day at HH, they are $1.50 each. Order them alongside the house champagne—currently a French brut, $6 a glass and born to wash down those sweet, succulent, slippery little somethings. All hail the happy hour oyster: joy for the palate, cure for workday woes.

[ Photo source ]

Add a Comment »

Tags: Happy Hour, Sparkling Wine , Oysters, Ravenna

Do You Love a Wine Drinker?

Three ways to save yourself this Valentine’s Day.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Feb 11, 2010 at 10:38AM 0 Comments

Non-wine people who date wine drinkers are kind of in for it on Valentine’s Day. The expectation is that you go above and beyond, the reality is that you have no idea what you are doing.

I’m going to offer three ways that you can get the job done well this year. The best part is that all of them can be accomplished this Saturday, February 13—the day before V-Day.

We’ll deal with your procrastination issues later.

SLACKER VALENTINE
If your significant other is only mildly into champagne, impress with the value-driven Mountain Dome NV Brut (the one with the gnomes on the label that looks like the official wine of Magic: the Game). It is well worth the $12-$14 at which it retails and easily purchasable at Metropolitan and Madison Markets.

If you need to seriously impress, drop $105 for the focused and lively NV Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose, a standard-setting champagne always in stock at McCarthy and Schiering.

INTERMEDIATE VALENTINE
Speaking of McCarthy and Schiering, winemaker Chris Camarda will be pouring the 2007 Andrew Will red wines at the Ravenna shop from 11:30-2pm on Saturday, and at the Queen Anne location from 2:30-5pm. Pick the bottle you like best and offer it up. There is no going wrong with Andrew Will, in my humble opinion, and the personal touch that comes with being able to say “this was my favorite” shows you’re not just going through the motions. This is important.

CHAMPION VALENTINE
If you know nothing about sparkling wine and want to know more, you can sign up for a Sparkling Wine 101 at the Waterfront Seafood Grill. The class runs from 3:30-5pm on February 12, costs $35, and will be taught by Waterfront wine director Kristen Young. The price includes a blind tasting of five different sparklers.

This one should impress the pants off your beloved wino, since you’re not only learning what to buy, you’re taking an active interest in something he/she likes. You can also offer up the class as a Valentine’s gift and attend together. Either way, pants off.

Add a Comment »

Tags: Downtown, Wine, Valentine's Day, Queen Anne, Wine Tastings, Sparkling Wine