We’ve long been a proponent of cruising, and are especially devoted fans of Seattle-based Holland America Line and Seabourn Cruise Line.

I’ve even written about our Alaska cruise experience for both Wine Press Northwest magazine and on this website in my Northwest Notes blog.

The Seattle cruise industry’s season runs from May through September, with boats leaving from Bell Street Pier (Pier 66) and Smith Cove (Pier 91) cruise terminals.

According to The Seattle Times, the first cruise ship of the 2013 season–Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Symphony, arrived on May 1. During the 2013 season, the Port of Seattle estimates that more than 175 cruises will sail through Seattle with eight different cruise lines represented. They include Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Holland American Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises, and Royal Caribbean.

Seattle’s cruise industry is best known for its seven-day journey to Alaska. During pre- and post-stays in Seattle, passengers can visit the iconic Space Needle, Seattle Art Museum, Pike Place Market, and Seattle Aquarium. For more information about cruise schedules, and to book packages, visit the Port of Seattle website.

And to learn more about the venerable Pike Place Market, please pick up a copy of my “Pike Place Public Market Seafood Cookbook,” available in both print and e-editions.

Photo credit: Braiden Rex-Johnson

Lane Hoss, vice president of marketing for Anthony’s Restaurants, judges the West Coast’s best oyster wines

Winners of the 19th annual Pacific Coast Oyster Wine Competition were announced late last month by Taylor Shellfish Farms. As always, the competition was stiff, as leading food professionals in Seattle, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, searched for the ultimate “bliss factor” between wine and oyster.

I’ve been honored to judge the competition twice, and write articles for The Seattle Times Pacific Northwest magazine, Wine Press Northwest magazine, and Northwest Notes.

Heartiest congratulations to this year’s “Oyster Award” winners, which include:

**Cedergreen Cellars 2011 Sauvignon Blanc (WA)

**Chateau Ste. Michele 2012 Sauvignon Blanc (WA)

**Dry Creek Vineyards 2012 Dry Chenin Blanc (CA)

**Geyser Peak Winery 2012 Sauvignon Blanc (CA)

**Kunde Family Estates 2012 Sauvingnon Blanc (CA)

Long Meadow Ranch Winery 2012 Sauvignon Blanc (CA)

*Three Pears 2012 Pinot Grigio (CA)

Trefethen Family Vineyards 2012 Dry Riesling (CA)

Vinoce Vineyards 2012 Sauvignon Blanc (CA)

*Willamette Valley Vineyards 2011 Sauvignon Blanc (OR)

*Prior Oyster Award

**Multiple Prior Oyster Awards

The wineries listed above are 10 Equal Winners of the “Oyster Award” and are listed alphabetically.

On back-to-back evenings, beloved chefs from the Pacific Northwest will cook at the James Beard House.

John Sundstrom, chef/owner of Lark in Seattle, will work his magic on Wednesday, May 22nd, at 7 p.m. A James Beard Foundation (JBF) award-winner, John has just released his first cookbook. It is entitled, “Lark: Cooking Against the Grain,” and featured his rustic, yet elegant style of cuisine which focuses on the work of the finest local artisan food producers, farmers, meat producers, and foragers.

The five-course dinner, plus hors d’oeuvres, features Walla Walla White Asparagus Bagna Cauda with Cured Egg Yolk; Wagyu Flap Steak with Morels, Spring Onions, and Smoked Marrow-Red Wine Sauce; and Savarin Cake with Strawberries, Rhubarb Mousse, and Lemon-Yogurt Meringues. Wine pairings hail from Abeja and Belle Pente.

The next evening, also beginning at 7 p.m., Portland chef Jason Barwikowski of The Woodsman Tavern, takes over the reins in the kitchen, to produce hors d’oeuvres and a five-course dinner featuring European-inflected American fare sourced from local and artisanal purveyors. Wine pairings will be chosen by Woodsman Tavern wine director Carly Laws, with the same pricing as John Sundstrom’s dinner.

One June 10th at 7 p.m., Jessica Bagley, general manager/owner of The Painted Lady, located in Newberg, Oregon, and chef/owner Allen Routt, will bring a taste of the Willamette Valley to the James Beard House. Their innovative and locally inspired menu will be paired with wines from Anderson Family Vineyard, an organic, boutique winery.

All three dinners are priced at $130 for JBF members; $170 for the general public.

Not to be forgotten is Gabriel Rucker of Portland’s Le Pigeon, one of the chefs chosen to cook at The 2013 JBF Awards gala on May 6th. Congratulations to all our talented chefs who strut their stuff at the James Beard House!

Oregon Chardonnay is garnering national attention, taking center stage in the New York Times article “Oregon Chardonnay Speaks Up” last year and mentions in February’s Sunset Magazine article, “The Great White.”

And it doesn’t show signs of slowing down. The second Oregon Chardonnay Symposium on Saturday, May 4, at Red Ridge Farms will showcase a new wave of smaller producers and set out to define their signature style of North Willamette Valley Oregon Chardonnay.

The event will begin with an educational and interactive panel discussion, featuring eight artisan producers and nationally renowned wine writers. The discussion will include a technical tasting of very limited production Chardonnays from the panelists.

Participating Wineries

Arterberry Maresh

Big Table Farms

Crowley

Division Winemaking Company

Durant Vineyards

EIEIO

Matello

Walter Scott

Participating Media

Moderator:

Katherine Cole, wine columnist for The Oregonian and author of “Voodoo Vintners: Oregon’s Astonishing Biodynamic Winegrowers”

Panelists:

Paul Gregutt, “Wine Adviser” columnist for The Seattle Times and NW editor of Wine Enthusiast Magazine.

W. Blake Gray, author of the Gray Report blog, winner of the 2012 Wine Blog Awards for Best Industry Blog and columnist for WineReviewOnline.com, will also be participating in the event.

A walk-around tasting at the Durant Vineyards Tasting Room will follow the panel discussion, featuring wines from the participating wineries along with charcuterie plates accompanied by Oregon Olive Mill olive oils. Participants will be provided with seminar notes, tasting notes, and a logo wineglass.

Tickets are limited to 60 and cost $60 each. Reservations are required and can be made by calling Red Ridge Farms at 503-864-8502.

Panel Discussion Topics:

· Each winery will define their signature style of North Willamette Valley Oregon Chardonnay

· Drive and influence of each producer

· Visions

· Oak regiments

· Vineyard sources, soil and climatic influences

· Winemaking practices

· What does the future hold for Oregon Chardonnay

 Where

The Oregon Olive Mill at Red Ridge Farms

5510 NE Breyman Orchard Road

Dayton, OR 97114

When

Saturday, May 4, 2013

1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.: Panel Discussion and Technical Tasting

3:30 p.m. Expanded Tasting

Find more information on Facebook or Twitter @OregonOliveMill.

Please save the date for the Pike Place Market’s Arcade Lights, a semiannual celebration of artisan foods, craft beers, and wine on April 19 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. (6:30 p.m. for advance ticket holders). Dedicated to promoting independent producers, Pike Place Market has invited 60 purveyors of finely crafted sweet and savory foods, local breweries, and regional wineries to participate in this delectable after-hours festival.

Held in the Market’s historic North Arcade, attendees will have the opportunity to sample and pair favorite artisan foods and beverages while discovering the season’s newest flavors. They’ll meet and chat with emerging purveyors as well as get to know the vendors of their favorite brews and bites.

Arcade Lights offers an opportunity to experience the ambiance and views of Pike Place Market at night while sipping handcrafted ales, Washington wines, ciders and nonalcoholic beverages.

Among the event’s participants? Savory tastes will be provided by Firefly Kitchens, Mt. Townsend Creamery, Pampeana Empanadas, Uli’s Sausage, Roving Pizzaioli, and Zaccagni’s, among others. The Yellow Leaf Cupcake Co., Six Strawberries, Whidbey Island Ice Cream Company, Mighty-O Donuts, and others will tempt the sweet tooth. Gluten-free baked goods will come from Coffee and A Specialty Bakery.

Local participating breweries include Elysian Brewing Company, Odin Brewing Company, Pike Brewing Company, Fremont Brewing and Reuben’s Brews among others. Wine enthusiasts will delight in a sparkling wine from Masquerade Wine, while cider fans will enjoy tasting cider from The Methow Valley Ciderhouse and Eaglemount Wine and Cider.

Tickets: $28 advance purchase / $35 day of the event. Tickets include 10 tokens to be redeemed for food and beverages and a keepsake glass. Additional tokens may be purchased at the event for $2.50 each.

Arcade Lights benefits the Market Foundation, a not-for-profit organization supporting human-service agencies at the Pike Place Market: Pike Market Child Care and Preschool, Pike Market Medical Clinic, Pike Market Senior Center and Downtown Food Bank.

Ever wonder how much the wine industry contributes to the Canadian economy?

According to a press release, the findings of the largest research study ever conducted on the Canadian wine and grape industry–Canada’s Wine Economy: Ripe Robust Remarkable–reveals a prosperous and expanding $6.8-billion-dollar industry.

Commissioned by the Canadian Vintners Association, the Winery & Grower Alliance of Ontario, the British Columbia Wine Institute, and the Winery Association of Nova Scotia, the report confirms the wine industry has become a large and significant contributor to the overall Canadian economy, especially in Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, and Nova Scotia.

Key findings for British Columbia Wine include:

• BC Wine Economy has 212 wineries and over 864 vineyards on more than 9,800 acres of land.

• The BC Wine Industry’s $2.0 billion economic impact is a significant driver to the BC economy. For every bottle of wine produced in the Province, there is $42 of economic impact generated.

• More than 10,000 people have jobs in BC as a result of the wine and grape industry.

• British Columbians enjoy more than 234 million glasses or 47 million bottles of British Columbia wine each year.

• BC welcomes over 800,000 visitors every year through the wine economy, that is more than the province drew for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

• The BC Wine Industry generates $476 million in tourism and tourism employment related economic impact.

• More than $298 million in federal and provincial taxes and liquor board mark up is generated by the wine industry in BC each year. In taxes alone, the BC Wine Industry contributes $222 million.

For more on British Columbia wines, please refer to my seventh book, “Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining: The People, Places, Food, and Drink of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia.”

For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been reprinting some of our favorite Dishes of the Day from the last year or so while we enjoy some time out of the office.

Here are the Gambas Picantes (Spicy Shrimp) from Seattle’s Tango Restaurant & Lounge. 

We enjoyed our entire recent meal at Tango Restaurant & Lounge, so it’s really unfair to single out one dish as the Dish of the Day.

But the Gambas Picantes (Spicy Shrimp) were truly outstanding. . .my small-plate portion a steal at $7.00.

The Spicy Shrimp actually served as my entrée after our appetizers that included Piquillo Rellenos (albacore tuna-stuffed red–piquillo–peppers). The piquillo peppers are smoked over oak, which imparts a lovely mild flavor.

Sautéed Calamari with fire-roasted tomatoes, poblanos, red peppers, cilantro, and lime juice was super succulent and full of flavor from the variety of peppers.

Instead of salad (gotta get those greens among all this protein!), we opted for a small order of Tango’s toothsome Green Beans & Harissa, pan-roasted  with tomatoes, pinenuts, and harissa, a soulful Moroccan spice mix.

A bottle of Viña Ardanza Reserve Rioja–old stuff from 2001!–was well worth every penny of its $80 price tag. We liked the wine so much, we ordered a case for future drinking pleasure.

Oregon wine pioneer Bill Stoller’s 20-year vision is coming to fruition (so to speak) this fall, as Stoller Family Estate celebrated three big milestones including a new name, expansion of its wine-growing team, and a new state-of-the-art tasting room which opened last month.

The company’s new name reflects the evolution of the vineyard and entire property over the last 20 years, and maturation of the winemaking team over the last decade.

The just-released 2010 Reserve Chardonnay ($28 SRP) is the first wine displaying the new name and labels; 2010 Reserve Pinot Noir will be introduced in fall 2013.

Founder, Bill Stoller, purchased his family’s 373-acre farm in 1993 and has since transformed it into the largest contiguous vineyard in Oregon’s Dundee Hills, with nearly 200 acres under vine.

He comments, “We knew that this project would require a long-term vision, the right people to achieve it, and a lot of patience. From the beginning, I envisioned building a legacy beyond that of our family — a vineyard demonstrating the top quality of wine being made in Oregon and a property preserving the natural beauty of this agricultural land for generations to come.

“Our winemaker, Melissa Burr, who is this year celebrating her tenth vintage, has been instrumental in achieving this vision with our expanding wine-growing team.”

Stoller Family Estate is a source for several prominent Oregon wineries including Adelsheim, Chehalem, and Argyle.

Stoller continues, “Our new tasting room will allow our guests to learn about wine while enjoying expansive views of the vineyard, which is of course the focal point of our work here at Stoller. Those who want the opportunity to visit surrounding wineries, restaurants and other businesses in Yamhill County can stay at one of our three recently renovated guest homes.”

More about Stoller Family Estate’s new tasting room:

The building integrates environmental sustainability with high efficiency design and will harvest at least 100-percent of its energy with a 236-panel solar panel installation. A few notable design features include a green roof, skylights, salvaged timbers, and plans for an electric-vehicle charging station.

More about Stoller Family Estate:

Stoller Family Estate is one of Oregon’s most highly regarded vineyards and wineries. Pioneering Oregonian and Founder, Bill Stoller, purchased his family’s second-generation farm in 1993 with the vision of cultivating an enduring legacy for the land and Oregon wine industry. Over the last 20 years, he has patiently transformed the 373-acre property into the largest contiguous vineyard in the Dundee Hills and a sought after source of fruit for premier producers. Longtime Winemaker, Melissa Burr, works in concert with Vineyard Manager, Robert Schultz, to oversee the site’s continued refinement and steward Stoller’s legacy of growing exceptional Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Stoller Family Estate features North America’s first LEED® Gold certified winery, three guest homes and a new state-of-the-art tasting room with panoramic vineyard views.

When Spencer and I first moved to Seattle more than 22 years ago, we knew nothing about Pacific Northwest food and wine.

Wanting to learn more, we often attended monthly meetings and events hosted by The Enological Society of the Pacific Northwest (ES).

The last ES event we went to was at the Woodmark Hotel on Carillon Point. It was one of those gorgeous, sunny Seattle nights you never forget, thanks in large part to spending the evening sitting next to winemaker John Bell while sampling through his and many other talented Washington winemakers’ prize-winning wines.

Cut to today, when ES will end its run after an impressive 35 years! ES will go out with an evening of wine appreciation featuring a gourmet dinner, distinguished guest speakers, and an open mic opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments of the organization.

The event takes place Thursday, November 8, in the Chateau Ste. Michelle Ballroom (14111 NE 145th Street Woodinville, WA 98072). Proceeds from the evening will benefit the Historical Exhibit at the Walter Clore Center in Prosser, WA.

According to ES board member (and our buddy) Gerry Warren, “This event will serve as the grand finale for the organization and celebrate 35 years of education and awareness that the Enological Society brought to its members.”

The celebratory evening begins with hors d’oeuvres and a wine-tasting reception followed by a three-course gourmet dinner paired with wines from the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates portfolio.

Guests speakers for the evening include Ted Baseler (President & CEO, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates). Brian Carter (Winemaker, Brian Carter Cellars), Myron Redford (President & Former Winemaker, Amity Vineyards) and Allen Shoup (Founder, Long Shadows). Warren will serve as the event emcee for the evening.

Individual tickets for the event are $125; tables of eight can be purchased for $1,000. Visit the ES website to reserve your seat for this exclusive event.

More about ES: 

Started in the mid-1970s by a diverse group of wine enthusiasts, the Enological Society of the Pacific Northwest (also known as the Seattle Wine Society) is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization dedicated to the appreciation of wine and food through educational events in the Puget Sound region. The society was incorporated as an educational organization which gave it considerable latitude in its ability to program events around wine and food.

For 30 consecutive years it presented a Northwest Wine Festival that incorporated a world-class judging, and the Wine Fairs for many years allowed members to explore outstanding old and new world wines. Regular monthly meetings provided educational programing at times for hundreds of attendees and the very popular Regional Dinners were outstanding experiences especially when presented by a volunteer crew.

The society’s educational programming and its prestigious wine judgings had a well-recognized effect on the growth and maturation of the Northwest Wine Industry as it focused the attention of consumers on the pleasures they would experience through their interest and consumption of wine.

The “Fresh Faces of the Future” tasting menu kicked off at the Space Needle’s Sky City restaurant on October 1, and boy, was it delicious!

Fresh Faces partners professional chef  instructors and students from Seattle’s most esteemed culinary programs with SkyCity Executive Chef Jeff Maxfield. Each group prepares one original dish to contribute to the five-course tasting menu.

It was fun to see long-time Seattle culinary authorities including Linda Pal Chauncey, associate dean of Seattle Culinary Academy (SCA) at Seattle Central Community College, and Will McNamara during the evening. I first met chef McNamara years ago when he was working at Place Pigalle in the Pike Place Market. More recently, he served as exec chef at the Washington Athletic Club, and is now sharing his wisdom with students at South Seattle Community College (SSCC).

The other schools represented on the menu are Seattle Le Cordon Bleu and FareStart.

A portion of the proceeds from sales of the month-long tasting menu ($62 per person) will benefit each participating school’s scholarship fund.

Views from Sky City were gorgeous, especially since we arrived at 6:45 p.m., right around sunset.

The Fresh Faces menu was colorful and inviting. . .

As was our first course of Potato “Pinxtos” (Saffron Scallops, Coriander Lox, and Fennel Mojama) created by SCA student Claire Elise Mitchell. The dish was adapted from an award-winning tapa Claire created using Northwest seafood and produce as inspiration.

Next up? Roasted Wild Mushroom Salad, an intriguing juxtaposition of duck rillettes and a dinosaur kale salad rife with chanterelle mushrooms. Douglas-fir gel balls added an interesting textural touch. This dish was created by Varin Keokitvon from FareStart.

Chef McNamara offered up the evening’s third course, and perhaps my favorite: Dry-Rubbed Seared Scallops, spicy good with Moroccan-style garbanzo beans, grilled peppers, spinach, and Charmoula dressing. Chef McNamara feels that, within the next 50 years, the African continent will become a major player on the world stage. His dish was an ode to flavors from those countries.

Sky City’s chef, Jeff Maxfield, served up the evening’s main course–Hay-Roasted Carlton Farms Pork. Because I don’t eat pork, he was nice enough to substitute my favorite protein, wild Alaskan salmon.

The kingly fish danced atop the plate along with black garlic, beet spaetzle cake, creamed collard greens, and huckleberry jam. Chef Jeff describes hay roasting as an old European technique in which meat is roasted in freshly harvested hay; his spaetzle cake was a modern twist on a classic dumpling; and other parts of the dish inspired by home-style canning recipes passed down through the generations.

Richard Carpenter and Brian Figler of Le Cordon Bleu gifted us with an exceptional seasonal dessert. Jones Orchard Apple Financier was accompanied by artistic squiggles of Whidbey Island Port syrup and dressed with cardamom crème Chantilly. Ooh-la-la!

We chose to drink one of Sky City’s featured Winery of the Month wines, a crisp, well-balanced  Woodinville Wine Cellars 2011 Sauvignon Blanc that partnered perfectly with each and every course. Had we wanted red, the menu also included Woodinville Wine Cellars 2009 Little Bear Creek Red Blend.