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WINE TALK BLOGby Salty's Sommelier Tim O'Brien [ Email ] November/October 2005SEATTLE AND PORTLAND–The search is over. Look no further. I can save you time and gas! Proceed directly to any Salty's to find three treasures bottled up waiting for you. Our mission was this, find three wines that would woo and wow our guests. Fortunately, I knew where to look. Great wine comes from distinguished places. Their signature flavors include the terroir which make them unique and genuine. The skilled winemakers who are lucky enough to work in these special places have as their mantra, "Respect the fruit." You might have guessed by now my search took me not to one but three special places, one for each wine we are featuring.
California’s Russian River Chardonnays are marked with zippy acid and explosive fruit signature including guava, pineapple and citrus, making them excellent food wines. My choice, Toasted Head 2003 Russian River Chardonnay. Oregon's Willamette Valley produces stylish, elegant Pinot Noir with bold dark cherry and raspberry fruit qualities, and similar structure to the wines of Burgundy, but at half the price. The chosen Pinot Noir is Cloudline. The winemaker is Veronique Drouhin of the famous Burgundy family, Joseph Drouhin. She began making wine in Oregon 10 years ago. The family knew the Willamette Valley provided an opportunity to produce world-class wine and is heavily invested. My third choice is a blended red wine from Washington's Yakima Valley appellation, made by Sheridan Vineyard, called Kamiakan. Kamiakin is 60% Cabernet, 20% Cabernet Franc and 20% Merlot. It’s aged 14 months in one-year-old French oak. Wine-grower Scott Sheridan loved this fruit so much he kept some in order to make his own wines. Judging from his scores he saved the best for himself. His Syrah just scored 91 pts in the Wine Spectator. His other wine called L'Orage scored 92 pts. It’s a red blend like Kamaikin. That's the lineup, our "Toast to the Coast.” Choose a bottle for $30, or you can even order a four-ounce taster flight of each for $15 each at Salty’s on Alki in Seattle and taste for yourself the best the West has to offer. September 2005Mussels and white wine are music together.The type of white wine and therefore the kind of music depends on the preparation. Crisp white wines, such as my favorite Albarino from the Rias Baixas, go well with simple classic recipes that include lemon, butter, onions, garlic, etc. I also like Chablis and Sauvignon Blanc with light-handed preparations. Mussels can also be prepared with rich cream sauces and curries. Now is the time for Riesling with a bit of residual sugar. Try a German Spatlese or even an Oregon Pinot Gris. When the preparation has some heat (spicey), the sugar from the wine will take away the burn and have you begging for more. Dinner to give new meaning to the term “Super-Tuscan” wine.SEATTLE–“We hope to put a new meaning to the term Super-Tuscan with our second guest-chef dinner,” says Salty’s Sommelier Tim O’Brien. “In Italy there is no dinner that happens without wine. Wine is food. We’ll taste Sangiovese at its finest including Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and a Pinot Noir-Sangiovese blend called Pomino Rosso, not to mention the Le Serre Nuove also known as Baby Ornellaia, a Super-Tuscan blend.”
Born into a cooking family in Naples, Russo has lived in Tuscany since the age of 16. In 1991, Russo purchased a 16th-century convent and farm, just below Cortona. “I run this restored convent as a hotel (see photo) and make wine, grow olives and organic foods on the property,” says Russo. His site was the setting for the book and movie Under the Tuscan Sun. “Even my animals had starring, or should I say, walk-on roles in the movie,” says Russo. He hosts guests from all over the world at the restored convent and surrounding farm, called Relais Parco Fiorito (see www.parcofiorito.it/fiorito/InGlese). His organic gardens are known for their flavorful olive oil and Sangiovese wines. “You want to attend this event not only for the great food and wine pairings but also for the charming stories this enchanting chef will tell,” says Seattle Foodie Eileen Mintz. Appetizers are served at 6:30, dinner at 7:00 p.m. at Salty’s on Alki Monday, September 26. Cost is $125 (all inclusive). Please call (206) 937-1085 by Friday, September 23, for reservations. Seating is limited. Here’s the menu: “Under the Alki Moon”
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In
the wine world, places that produce distinctive wine are called appellations.
I decided to feature three West Coast appellations of distinction, from
California, Oregon and Washington. They represent the “Best of
the West,” each wine reflecting their distinct appellation. 
Salty’s
dinner called “Under the Alki Moon” will feature Frescobaldi
wines from Tuscany, Italy’s premier wine-growing region, with
a menu by Tuscan Chef Roberto Russo and Salty’s Chefs Dan Thiessen,
Gabriel Cabrera and Jeremy McLachlan. The six-course menu includes dishes
from Russo’s book Beyond Toscana and Ombrie. 
I
felt like the conductor of a talented symphony, except this gathering
of talent needed no supervision or direction. They had a vision and they
performed admirably. The skills and ingredients our chefs brought to the
table matched the elegance of the wine masterfully. 
The
month of May provides us with an opportunity to team up with our long-time
winemaking partners Hogue Cellars in a promotion to benefit
Puget Soundkeeper Alliance and the quality of Puget Sound
waterways. We're quite fond of Hogue Cellars, the third largest winery
and the largest family-owned winery in Washington State. They produce
our Salty's Chardonnay and Cab-Merlot in the Columbia Valley, a premiere
grape-growing region, and it gets better every year. During May, the R
H Phillips Hogue company will donate $6 for every case of Hogue wine Salty's
sells. You already know our Hogue Chardonnay, Cab-Merlot, and Cabernet
Sauvignon. In May we are adding Hogue Cellars 2004 Pinot Grigio
by the glass and the bottle.