Tag Archives: Woodhouse Family Cellars

Intrigue Out and About

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Unexpected Places

February is still officially a Winter month, but somehow we keep turning to warmer thoughts in our minds and hearts.

We joined a spontaneous pre-Valentine 3rd Thursday Wine Walk at Davenport Cellars on Feb. 10th. Yes, we told you that walking with wine was wrapped up for the season, but it was a nice surprise for us and all those who joined us. (Watch for them to re-start in May, we mean it!)

The next day (Feb. 12th) Aaron led a class of neophyte truffle-creators in a class at Woodhouse Family Cellars. It was a nice turn-out of 16 in the cooking class, everyone seeming to have a really good time. This class had a unique twist, with appetizers from the Woodhouse kitchen served during the class.

We wrapped up with a Valentine’s weekend back at Davenport Cellars. Visitors enjoyed a Red Wine and Chocolate Tasting during Saturday and Sunday, a splendid combination! Thanks to our hosts at Davenport for a great time.

Come on Spring!

Trufflemaking Class Great Success at Woodhouse Cellars

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Aaron, our fearless class leader!

Boy, have we been busy! But that’s the way we like it. We are at our best when we are seeing lots of you out there at events and getting your great feedback that fuels our creativity. Thanks for that, Intrigue Truffle-eaters!

A few weeks back (September 18, 2010) we had an “ordinary” event at Woodhouse Family Cellars that quickly turned into extra-ordinary (as any event can do in a sudden moment). Don’t get us wrong, it’s always a pleasure to hang out at a WFC wine-tasting, watching guest’s eyes light up as the flavors of excellent wine and chocolate truffle meld together to create a new and surprisingly delightful taste.

All was well as the tasting wound down and we moved into truffle-making class mode that was to follow. Oops! There comes a bus full of people at 4:50, just in time to interrupt our set-up routine for the class.  But Karl was the lead Zen-master, as usual, urging everyone to keep a cool head and keeping us on track.

We had a class of 14 turn out to make Basil Truffles from 5:30 to 10:00pm. They also learned about pairing wine with fine chocolate, enjoying “hands-on” (wine-glasses lift) education that lead them through 6 pairings. The whole class competed enthusiastically in a chocolate-trivia game. Their motivation was entering a drawing to win a free starter kit for making their own chocolate truffles.

Only one kit, but everyone was a winner with the evening well spent learning about the joys of chocolate and 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!

Truffle Making Class at Woodhouse Family Cellars

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It was a lively affair at Woodhouse Family Cellars as Aaron (Intrigue’s chocolatier) taught chocolate truffle fundamentals to a class of 16 students on December 10. The attendees seemed highly engaged in the process, asking a lot of good questions. Their curiosity made for a really fun class and they learned all about the basics of ganache (the chocolate and cream mixture that is the base of our chocolate truffles) and a simple approach to working with chocolate. The whole goal was to make truffle-making accessible to the average chocolate-lover, and inspire the students to strike out on their own.

Aaron emphasized his highest priority in truffle making: high-quality ingredients that are immediately reflected in a better end result. He also gave information about types of chocolate, how cacao is grown and then processed into cocoa and chocolate products. Featuring a step-by-step demonstration with no specialized equipment, Aaron shared his wealth of chocolate knowledge. The class was led through all the steps of making Intrigue’s Nutmeg Truffle, as well as learning how to pair, taste, and enjoy wine and chocolate together.

We’ll be teaching more classes in the future, and we hope you’ll join us!

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).