William Pollard Jr | aka: Wild 4 Washington Wine

A hearty stew and wine, perfect for this months cold weather. I was pleased with the results from this recipe. The lamb was tender and did not have a strong taste. At first I thought the butcher had made a mistake and that it was beef. Nope, it had a subtle lamb taste and subtle bacon taste. The H3 Merlot paired beautifully. There is room to tweak this recipe, as I did. I cut down the lamb to only 1 Lb. and it was enough for me. And I added a slice of bacon, celery and peas for more flavor and more vegetables. I also bumped up the chicken stock, because I wanted more liquid in my stew. It still thickened up a lot by day two and three. Wine and Food Pairing with the H3 Merlot Thoroughly enjoyed the H3 Merlot by itself. It also matched beautifully with the lamb. Both wine and stew are robust. Flavors were complimentary and contrasty. The wine, as my notes indicate on day one, was a bit savory, which paired well with the savory stew. On day two the wine had more fruit, which r...

One of my main messages on this blog is, " Good stemware is critical to wine appreciation ."  Some of my regular readers may recall that I have written about my personal experiments on how the shape of the wine glass, can positively or negatively, affect the perception of the wine you drink. ( Wine 101 – The Importance of Shape to Wine Appreciation , 10/21/13). But I have never participated in a focused trade tasting, exhorting the same. Yesterday, I participated in a special  Riedel Crystal  Seminar for the wine trade. This was an enlightening sensory experience. One which I highly recommend to everyone. And for those interested, the Walter Clore Center where I work in Prosser, will be hosting an upcoming Riedel seminar for consumers April 28th. Riedel Stemware, Riesling/Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet (left to right). Riedel?  Riedel Crystal is a glassware manufacturer based in Kufstein, Austria, best known for its g...

One of my favorite white wines. We had snow today. And the wind is bitter cold. On cold, dreary winter days, when those sad, heavy blues try to keep you feeling down, I like to reach for a taste from the southern hemisphere. What I fondly think of as liquid sunshine. Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. This wine lifts my mood, and always puts a smile on my face. Note : I used my favorite Schott Zweisel wine glass  when I evaluated this wine. This wine glass was designed for Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Gris. It shows the Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc beautifully. Strongly Recommended. Tasting Notes 2015 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc Color:  Clear, clean, lemon-green. Nose: Medium intensity, tropical, ripe mango, kiwi, savory grassy note. Palate: Crisp, dry, lemon-lime, salinity, tropical, passion fruit, mango, on the finish salty-lime. Yum. Where is the shrimp? Thoughts : New Zealand rocks the Sauvignon Blanc. They just do. I’m not sure ho...

Showcasing Prosecco Cocktails for Valentine's Day Today's post is a little different. I was sent samples of Sparkling ICE, Brooklyn Crafted Ginger Beer and a bottle of Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore , and asked to create some Valentine's Day themed Prosecco cocktail recipes. Prosecco has become widely popular in the United States. Consumers have embraced these affordable and tasty sparkling wines. I often recommend bubbles to my customers, they are suitable for any occasion at home and compliment food well. For Mimosa fans, Prosecco is an excellent choice and works well as the base wine. But you don't have to stick to OJ for your Prosecco cocktails, for an added kick of flavor try the cocktail recipes below. Prosecco is an Italian sparkling white wine made primarily from Glera grapes. Principally grown in the Prosecco region of Italy, which includes Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, north of Venice in the Veneto region. Under European law, only sparkling wines...

“ ...nature’s quintessential beverage is the fruit of the vine”  Rabbi Tzvi Rossen, The Art of Kosher Winemaking I never planned on becoming enamored of wines of Israel. It just happened.  Many thanks to Benhaim Family Winery for opening my eyes to their tradition of excellence. Benhaim is a boutique winery dedicated to the family’s tradition of making high-quality hand-crafted wines going back six generations to 1932. All estate vineyards are situated in the Upper Galilee. Production is at 35,000 bottles. Founders: Ruth and Elie Benhaim In 1970 Ruth and Elie Benhaim founded their eponymous family winery, making and selling wine at their house in Ramat Gan, and after 27 harvests opened a boutique winery in Kfar Azar. A decade later the winery moved to a large, new building in Ramat Hasharon – where it continues to operate today. Chief Winemaker: Itay Benhaim Itay Ben-Haim is Benhaim’s chief winemaker and a sixth generation vintner who draws inspirat...