Tag Archives: Wine

Wine Club Release and Truffle Tasting

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Woodhouse Family Cellars welcomed us into the family once again for their unveiling of their 2004 Darighe (pronounced dare-ig), Nov. 21st 2009. Darighe is a variation on an Irish Gaelic word dearg, that means “red”. In its seventh year of limited production, Darighe draws a faithfully returning crowd.

Pie are Round and Orange you glad.. truffles were very popular with the sippers. Who, by the way, were sipping a 2003 version of said Darighe. While the 2004 was for sale, it had only just been bottled, and to avoid tasting potentially bottle-shocked goods, Woodhouse decided to let the anticipation build. They were pouring 2003 Darighe, a slightly different blend, and asking tasters to buy the new release on faith. By the clip of sales happening, it appeared that there was plenty of trust in the track record and expertise of the winemakers. The chocolatier’s pick was Jamaican Hot Chocolate to pair with the ’03 wine being served. An adaptable and full-bodied red, it was able to go toe-to-toe with this spicy truffle!

A Dickens-esque Venue for Precept’s Wine Tasting and Stock up Sale

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Remember that old scene from “A Christmas Carol” where the Ghost of Christmas Present (a “jolly giant”) sits atop a mountain of glorious-looking food and luscious drinks all around his warm circle of light? Well, it was sort of like that for us on Sunday, 15 November 2009.

No, we were not in Bacchus’ Great Hall, but there was food and drink aplenty (and the sky-scraping “Tower o’ Cupcakes”) at the Precept Wine Brands third annual “Ambassador Club’s Fall Stock-up Sale”. We think Dickens would have loved the setting, hosted by Herban Feast Caterers at their Sodo Park venue (SoDo=South of Downtown Seattle). Hundreds of Precept’s Ambassador Club members (you, too, could be an Ambassador for the price of entry to the event) gathered under the historic high-ceilinged warehouse with massive exposed beams.

Tables groaned with row upon row of wine bottles, with Precept’s many labels (based in Seattle, with many Washington wineries, but their portfolio includes wineries in Spain, France, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, and California as well) at great prices. Intrigue Chocolates’ table was a popular stop, where Karl and Aaron made recommendations for wines that paired well with our truffles. As usual, our Jamaican Hot Chocolate truffles were a smash, selling out completely. And even though we stocked up on the ever-popular Saint Basil truffle, we nearly moved all of those, too. We were glad to be back with Precept for our third major event together. You will be glad if you catch it next year!

Did you know? Charles Dickens was not all that into Christmas until he visited Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1842) and got a first hand taste of an American Christmas? The classic book “A Christmas Carol” was written in six weeks during 1843.

Collaborating with Woodhouse Family Cellars and Chef Missy Will

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Woodhouse Winery Interior

It’s been awhile since the blog has been up and running, but we’ve been busy making new friends! Teaming up with Woodhouse Family Cellars and Chef Missy Will has been a lot of fun. We’ve participated in cooking classes, team-building events, and public tastings. Aaron has been spending an occasional Saturday there, encouraging Woodhouse customers to cross the taste threshold and pair chocolate with wine.

Woodhouse Family Cellars—snuggled in the Woodinville, WA winery community—has five successful labels. Woodhouse’s facilities feature an events space for large gatherings, corporate functions, wine-blending parties, and now Chef Missy is offering cooking classes in their beautiful kitchen.

Missy Will, Executive Chef and Events Director for Woodhouse, invites guests into the Woodhouse kitchen for guided, hands-on classes with flavors from around the world, healthy cooking, and organic menus. Aaron says that Missy is very passionate about food and likes sharing her expertise, putting the art in culinary through her ability to adapt a recipe to fit the class. She has a flair for inspiring others and find a “feel” for their creative endeavors. She knows her techniques and has students work from a recipe, but always has extra ingredients on hand and encourages them to improvise as the spirit moves them, to make the dish their own. For the dessert course, Aaron shares his chocolate truffles and leads the guests through paired tastings with the wines.

Aaron will be at Woodhouse again on Saturday 26th, from 1:00pm-5:00pm. Intrigue Chocolates’ truffle samples are free as Aaron guides you through the sensual taste experience of pairing wine and chocolate (the wine tasting portion is at a cost).