One of our favorite new restaurants about town–RN74–has announced the dates for its Spring winemaker dinners.

The popular (often sold-out) dinners begin on April 24 with Piedmontese vintner La Spinetta attended by none other than owner Giorgio Rivetti.

And more good news. This season’s wine events are highlighted by a new feature, Saturday with the Somms (as in sommeliers), kicking off on April 21.

This informative and fun series features guided and focused regional tastings lead by RN74 Seattle wine team Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen, Chris Tanghe, and Luke Wohlers.

Offered on three Saturdays (one in April, May, and June), these two-hour oenophilic excursions from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. take attendees on a tour of the wines of Burgundy and Champagne, paired with light, traditional appetizers along the lines of cheese and charcuterie. Saturdays with the Somms are $45 per class or $105 for all three.

RN74 is named after Route National 74, the major thoroughfare passing through the heart of France’s Burgundy region. With cellar access to more than 10,000 bottles, the restaurant’s wine list features international selections from Burgundy and throughout Europe to regional finds from the Pacific Northwest.

The wine bar and restaurant showcases roughly 80 wines on wall-mounted menu boards–the “Market Board” and the “Last Bottle Board”–which highlight special, limited wine offerings that change with each last bottle sold via Italian-made train station boards with plaques that flip over when a bottle is no longer available.

Here’s the complete list of upcoming RN74 Seattle Behind the Bottle Dinners: 

APRIL 24

La Spinetta with Owner Giorgio Rivetti – 7 PM at the Chef’s Table

MAY 3

Pierre De Benoist From A. Et P. Villaine &  Anne Charlotte Genet

From Domaine Charles Joguet – 7 PM at the Chef’s Table

JUNE 19

Nicholas Potel and the Wines of Domaine De Bellenen – 7 PM at the Chef’s Table

JULY WILL BE A MONTH TO CELEBRATE RIESLING

DINNER DATES AND VINTNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED

Here are upcoming Saturday with the Somms dates and details:

April 21 – COTE DE NUITS

Its Grand Cru Vineyards date to the 1100’s, its wines are the pinnacle expression of pinot noir. Stylistically the wines span the grapes tremendous range from the delicate Chambolle-Musigny, the sturdy wines of Gevrey-Chambertin, the rustic Nuit Saint Georges, and the power and grace of Vosne-Romanee. Immerse yourself in the extraordinary wines of the Cote de Nuits with Sommelier Chris Tanghe.

May 19 – COTE DE BEAUNE

Puligny-Montrachet is the greatest white wine-producing commune in the world. The wines of Pommard are earthy and minerally, Beaune shows pinot noirs purity and expresses the grapes’ elegance even in its youth, Volnay is the most charming and delightful commune in the Cote d’Or. The wines of Corton are explosive and bold. Smell, sip and swirl the intricate expressions of chardonnay and pinot noir from their homeland with Lead Sommelier Jeff Lindsay-Thorsen.

June 23 – CHAMPAGNE AND CHABLIS

Literally translated as ‘open landscape’, Champagne is not just any sparkling wine. It is a wine produced from three specific grape varieties: chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot meunier using the ‘Champagne method’ from the province of the same name. Although sparkling wine is produced all over the world, it can only be called ‘Champagne’ in this heavily regulated wine district.  Explore Champagne and the wines of Chablis through the eyes of Sommelier Luke Wohlers.

Photo Courtesy of RN74

Oysters on the half shell from Shuckers in the Fairmont Olympic Hotel Seattle before. . .

Sad to say, but the arrival of the first wave of fresh halibut last week at Pike Place Market fish stands, signals that we are nearing the end of raw oyster season here in the Northwest.

Now I know oysters are available year-round, and that the age-old advice about eating them only in “r”months may no longer be true.

But I simply don’t feel like eating raw oysters on the half shell in the summer months. . .they seem more like a fall and winter food to me and my palate.

With that in mind, here are some last thoughts on oysters on the half shell and which wines pair well with them. This list thanks to a seminar that examined the ins and outs of pairing wines from across the world with raw, local oysters.

The afternoon session featured Lissa James of the Hama Hama Oyster Company and winemakers from Girard Napa Valley, the Crossings winery in New Zealand, and Barone Fini from Italy. And even though I was unable to attend the seminar and sample the wines and oysters personally, the organizers were nice enough to share the results, which I find fascinating.

And for additional suggestions on pairing Pacific Coast wines with raw oysters, here’s an article I wrote last year for Wine Press Northwest. The link takes you to an e-edition of the magazine which requires a few extra moments to download due to all the text and graphics, so be patient. You’ll find my article if you flip to page 10.

Featured wines, and their suggested oyster pairings:

1. Girard Sauvignon Blanc 2010 & Kumamoto Oyster
2. Barone Fini Valdadige Pinot Grigio 2010 & Olympia Oyster
3. The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc 2011 & Hama Hama Oyster
4. Girard Chardonnay 2009 & Point aux Pins Oyster
5. Barone Fini Alto Adige Pinot Grigio 2010 & Blue Pool Oyster
6. The Crossings Unoaked Chardonnay 2009 & Totten Inlet Pacific Oyster

Oysters on the half shell from Shuckers in the Fairmont Olympic Hotel Seattle after!

Photos by Braiden Rex-Johnson

Now that we are living the low-carb/high-protein lifestyle, downtown Seattle’s Capital Grille has become one of our go-to places for a simply grilled piece of fish and a wedge salad.

The Grille is located in the venerable Cobb Building. It served as a medical/dental building for many years (our very own , now-retired dentist had an office there) before being converted into apartments. . .and home to The Capital Grille.

Here’s a gorgeous piece of ivory salmon I enjoyed a few weeks ago. Although a bit more cooked than I would have liked, the fish was flapping fresh and the simple tomato sauce and sautéed spinach didn’t overpower.

At a business appointment in the Grille’s bar earlier that afternoon, I enjoyed a glass of good-quality Sauvignon Blanc while Spencer had a California Pinot Noir. We didn’t have appetizers (knowing we were coming back for dinner in a few short hours) but watched in amazement as several of the tables around us partook of Miniature Lobster and Dungeness Crab Burgers, Pan-Fried Calamari, and Parmesan Truffle Fries.

Happy Hour is offered weekdays 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., with all selections just six bucks apiece. Signature cocktails including the Stoli Doli (Cap Grille’s Signature Martini, infused with fresh pineapple!), Hemingway Daiquiri, or Adults Only Arnold Palmer, along with select wines by the glass are also available.

I’ll be back for such low-carb options as the Prawn Cocktail, while Spencer can enjoy red-meat options including the Miniature Tenderloin Sandwich or Miniature Signature Cheeseburger. Just hold the bread, please!

We all know that a box of chocolates or a bouquet of roses are de rigueur gifts for Valentine’s Day. But let’s be honest. . .they aren’t very creative.

So why not offer up a much more inspiring and inspired gift for your sweetie this year?: a Waterways brunch or dinner cruise of Lake Washington?

Last summer, Spencer and I thoroughly enjoyed sailing from Waterways Cruise’s HomePort on the south shore of Lake Union, through the Montlake Cut, past Hunt’s Point, and back around the lake during one of the company’s Sunset Dinner Cruises.

The newlywed couple who sat next to use had opted for a Special Occasion package, so their tabletop was festooned with fresh red rose petals. Talk about impressing your sweetie!

We set off after a Champagne toast and welcome from the captain as musician Ryan Shea Smith regaled us with live music on vocals, guitar, and keyboard.

Our generously portioned amuse bouche comprised super-tasty slices of the freshest Yellow-Fin Tuna, Mustard-Soy Ginger Aïoli, Seaweed Salad, and Microgreens. A lusciously fresh seasonal salad followed.

My subtly-spiced wild salmon came encased in a banana leaf and accompanied by a cascade of pineapple salsa and a blanket of aromatic coconut jasmine rice.

Dessert was the perfect light and airy sweet bite: Angel Food Cake with Strawberry Coulis and Cinnamon Whipped Cream.

Wines included offerings from Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia, and other leading Northwest wineries.

All of this gustatory goodness, not to mention picture-postcard views of Seattle and Bellevue, will make for an unforgettable Valentine’s Day for any lucky loved one.

Here’s the Valentine’s Day menu:

First Course

Crab Cake Nouvelle

Pacific lump ginger scallion crab cake, atop mango aioli with dragon fruit and crisp rice noodle nest

Second Course

Farmers’ Market Salad

Herbed Laura Chenel goat cheese, Prosciutto di Parma, Ciliengini mozzarella, teardrop tomatoes, candied pistachios, and petite greens, with a spring herb vinaigrette

Third Course:

Your choice of Entrée:

Filet “Oscar”

A beautiful pan seared filet mignon medallion, cut in half and stuffed with Pacific crab, asparagus and sauce béarnaise, set on a cloud of whipped potatoes with sheep’s milk cheese, in a pond of rich Port wine demi-glace

-or-

Salmon Bonne Femme

Sautéed local salmon with toasted almonds, roasted vegetable and sheep’s milk cheese risotto, accented with a vanilla bean beurre rouge, passion fruit, and microgreens

-or-

Chef’s Capelli D’Angelo

Foraged mushrooms and truffle essence, angel hair pasta, organic baby spinach, tomato rose, and grilled vegetables in creamy Chardonnay-tarragon sauce

Fourth Course

Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake

With fresh-berry compote, salted caramel, and passion-fruit whipped cream

Just before Christmas, the induction of the state’s 12th American Viticulture Area (AVA)–Naches Heights–became official.

This is a BIG DEAL, as the petition process is lengthy and arduous, and only a few truly unique viticultural areas are chosen.

Naches Heights is a particularly interesting AVA since all the grapes produced there are certified biodynamic, organic, or sustainable!

Our friends at The Tasting Room: Wines of Washington have organized a party for this Friday evening, January 13, to celebrate Washington’s newest AVA. Phil Cline of Naches Heights Vineyard and Paul Beveridge of Wilridge Vineyard, who are growing all organic and biodynamic grapes in the Naches Heights AVA, will both be on hand for the celebration to talk about the magic of the Heights and their journeys to make it an ideal growing site.

The official presentation will be given at 6  p.m. and the celebration will continue into the evening. There will be a special flight menu and discounted prices on everything produced by Naches Heights Vineyard and Wilridge.

For further details, here is the entire press release:

Naches Heights Approved as the 12th AVA in Washington State

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) today approved the establishment of the Naches Heights American Viticultural Area (AVA), creating Washington State’s 12th AVA. The establishment of the Naches Heights AVA will be effective in one month.

The Bureau’s approval will serve to further distinguish the quality and character of the wines produced with grapes grown on Naches Heights, a volcanic plateau located to the west of Yakima, WA. In order to carry the Naches Heights AVA, at least 85% of the grapes used to make a wine must be grown in the designated area. Naches Heights is further distinguished because all of the vineyards in the new AVA are certified biodynamic, organic or sustainable.

American Viticultural Areas are geographical wine grape growing regions in the United States with distinct soil and climate conditions. Their boundaries are defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, a division of the United States Department of the Treasury, and established at the request of wineries or other petitioners.

Phil Cline, owner of NHV vineyard and the first person to plant vines on Naches Heights, said: “We are pleased that the federal government agrees that Naches Heights is a distinctive place to grow wine grapes. We are also pleased that all of the vine growers on Naches Heights are committed to sustainable viticulture.”

Paul Beveridge, owner of Wilridge Winery & Vineyard on Naches Heights, commented: “We have been farming on Naches Heights for five years and producing wine from Naches Heights grapes for the past two years. While the large Columbia Valley AVA is characterized by river valleys and was shaped by the ancient Missoula floods, Naches Heights is located above the valleys on a one million year old Andesite lava flow from the Cascade Mountains that was never inundated by the historic floods. The Andesite is unique to Naches Heights in Washington State and we think it gives a distinctive character to our wines.”

Once a month I write a book review of a favorite cookbook, wine, or cocktail book that posts on Amazon.com’s Al Dente blog.

These are books I really like to read and cook from, with doable recipes and (often) great wine- and beverage-pairing suggestions. In other words, I really recommend these tomes!

Just in case you’re still in need of practical and useful gift ideas for family and friends, here’s a listing of those dozen books (and accompanying recipes and reviews) that made the cut in 2012.

AND you can purchase the books directly from Amazon by following the links.

Talk about easy gift-giving!

Candle 79 Cookbook

Ginger Bliss and the Violet Fizz

Kitchen Simple

Food Lover’s Guide to Seattle

Can It, Bottle It, Smoke It

Super Natural Every Day

100 Perfect Pairings

Grilled Cheese, Please!

Fried Chicken & Champagne

Gifts Cooks Love: Recipes for Giving

Double Take: One Fabulous Recipe, Two Finished Dishes

Uncle Tony’s Pub was the setting for our afternoon wine-and-food-pairing in the Old Town section of Québec City.

While some might think of the phrase “Québec wines” as an oxymoron, we were happy to try to prove them wrong. Here’s some useful background info from the Quebec Wines website:

“There are over 30 wineries in Quebec located in five distinct regions.

“Although grapes have been cultivated in Quebec for centuries, it is only in the last 20 years that local wine production has taken off in a big way.

“Few people outside the region are familiar with Quebec wines because the majority of production is consumed domestically. Many wineries sell out their inventory simply by marketing to visitors of the winery.”

When we arrived at Uncle Tony’s, places had been set up in a back room with three wines and samples of Wild Boar and Venison Paté, Brie Cheese, and dried apricots, along with a basket of sliced bread.

The white wine, Orpailleur Classique, was sourced from one of the original five founding wineries in Québec, Vignoble de L’Orpailleur. Made of 90% Seyval Blanc and 10% Vidal, it was a light-bodied and crisp wine that displayed green-apple aromas and flavors as well as what our wine guide described as “boxwood” notes and a green-bean finish.

Comparing the wine to a Sauvignon Blanc (which was more of a fond wish than actual reality), she suggested we pair it with the raw-milk, Brie-like local cheese.

Orpailleur Rouge, a red blend made from three local varietals, displayed notes of cherry and black currants, and, once again, “boxwood.” It was designed to pair with the paté, and was likened to a California Merlot, Beaujolais Nouveau, or a Spanish or South African red. Hmmm. . .again, wishful thinking.

Les Vergers de la Colline L’Ensorceleuse 2008 Mistelle de Pomme was an intriguing dessert beverage described as an Ice Cider.

The multi-award-winning Ice Cider was produced from a whopping 80 McIntosh apples per each bottle, according to our wine guide. It was very apple-y tasting, with notes of licorice and oak.

It paired okay with the dried apricot, but would have been better with our wine guide’s suggestions–drizzled over a fruit salad or served with a dark chocolate tart.

We arrived in Québec City right on time at 8 a.m. and were excited to have an entire day to spend there before returning to the Eurodam for one last dinner prior to disembarkation the next day.

We had scheduled a shore excursion that included a 1 1/2-hour walking tour of the Old Town and a tasting of Québec wines at an atmospheric pub during the afternoon.

So we were on our own all morning, and after several hours of window shopping, we decided to eat lunch al fresco at a famous Old Town restaurant–Le Lapin Sauté–where the patio dining area overlooked a pumpkin-filled plaza.

Here’s the homey interior of Le Lapin Sauté, clearly being enjoyed by locals and tourists alike.

Our Planked Salmon Salads were among the best dishes on the entire trip!  The salmon had a light maple glaze and the greens were very fresh and clean. I’m not usually much of a fennel fan, but the layer of pickled fennel was surprisingly refreshing and formed a fitting contrast to the lovely fatty salmon.

I had a glass of Québec Vidal, a light white varietal that smells and tastes slightly of apples. As you might imagine (since it is so cold with such a short growing season in this new wine-growing region) it was a bit thin with there wasn’t much of a finish.

Québec winemakers might do better to stick to their famous ice wine and hard cider. There were more than half a dozen hard ciders on the menu!

Glosta lobsta: Braiden wrestles a 1 ¼-pound lobster

During the second port call of our Fall Foliage cruise on the Holland America Line, we stopped in Gloucester, Massachusetts, a.k.a. “Glosta.”

It was a small and not very interesting town, sadly. But we did enjoy lunch at the Seaport Grille, a popular waterfront restaurant and bar, before we got back on the boat.

I was drawn to this particular place (among several recommended dining options) when I saw one of the specials of the day–Steamed lobster with coleslaw, puréed squash (which reminded me of sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving) and potatoes au gratin–all for an astonishingly low $12.95.

I didn’t eat much of the starch or coleslaw, but I did manage to eat the entire lobster. Here are the poor creature’s sad remains.

Glosta lobsta eaten

After I excitedly emailed the “before” photo to a select group of family and friends, I received this response from my talented web designer, Christopher Prouty, founder of Studio 99 Creative.

“There is no better lobster than a Gloucester lobster,” he said. “And here’s a tip. A splash of vinegar in your melted butter adds some incredible flavor… got that from an old Maine lobster man.”

I was intrigued. But what kind of vinegar to use, I wondered. Balsamic would certainly be a big statement. Apple cider would add an interesting tang. Blueberry? Not so much.

Another round of emails elicited suggestions from both Chris and his wife, Amy.

“Malt vinegar for me,” Chris replied, “but Amy is a traditionalist and likes white. You know you get the right amount when it is indiscernible, yet different than regular butter. Yum-yum.”

BTW, my Gloucester lobster paired perfectly with a glass of California Sauvignon Blanc.

We are so happy to revisit these amazing Blue Mussels served at Voilà Bistro in Madison Valley.

The Blue Cheese Mussels at Voilà Bistrot in Seattle’s Madison Valley neighborhood never fail to please, especially when paired with a hearty California Zin. Here’s the before dish (above).

And the after. . .nothing is left but artfully arranged shells! You’ll find the recipe for Blue Cheese Mussels in Pacific Northwest Wining & Dining, where Voilà Bistrot chef/owner Laurent Gabrel suggests pairing them with a good-quality Washington-State Merlot.