For those of you who have never participated in the annual St. Nick’s Weekend in Woodinville for wine tasting, here’s the low down: you pay a flat fee, get a wine glass, pick out the best candidate to designate the driver (some parties share a limo), and tour the wineries.  The three big incentives for the event are the extra effort the wineries put into providing food, super sales on their wines, and being able to taste wines at wineries that are normally closed all other times of the year.

Most wineries have some sort of food item to pair with their wines.  Silver Lake invited us back again this year to pair our chocolates.  They really went all out for their St. Nick’s party!  We were stationed in their warehouse–surrounded by towering cases of wine–where Silver Lake set up two additional wine tasting bars, along with a buffet-style table of food that included brie, meatballs in Docco’s sauce, and apple-chicken sausages.

One favorite this year was the Ice Wine.  Silver Lake was down to their last few boxes and they sold quickly.  Ice Wine is apparently available every 5 to 6 years because it can only be produced when vineyard weather conditions are just right.  It requires a strong growing season followed by a quick freeze.  Then the grapes must be harvested immediately and crushed while still frozen, concentrating the sugars and discarding the frozen water.  The result is a delicious desert wine that retains that is sweet and aromatic.

Chocolate was a big hit this year, but the crowds were not as robust as expected.  Many of the event tickets sold, but people were staying home due to the cold.  Hopefully we will be invited back to Silver Lake next year, so make sure to buy your tickets and come visit us!