Washington Sips

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It has been beautiful the past few days, our deck is warm and inviting in the afternoon sun.  Sit, Sip & Enjoy the beautiful weather & view from the deck – maybe add one of our tasty appetizers, sandwiches, salads or desserts!

Ring in the new year at Sips!  We will have Daddy Treetops – Nooksack Delta Blues, hourly prize drawings & complimentary Sparkling wine for toast at Midnight (Washington sparkling wine of course!)  Music, Wine, Food & Friends – what could be better?Daddy Treetops at Washington Sips

Enjoy a nice relaxing evening on the 23rd with Puget Sound – Amy Hindman & Morty Webb.  A nice break from our hectic holiday schedules.  Have a glass of wine, some tasty food & enjoy the music.  The show starts @ 7:00

Also if you are looking for some stocking stuffers or gifts, check out our wine & accessories:  candles, soaps, wine aerators, bottle stoppers & more.

We have lots of fun & enjoyable things going on in La Conner over the next few weeks:

• December 10th come for a Taste of La Conner.  Washington Sips will be participating.  The tickets are $25 for 5 tastes from different establishments in town.  The fun goes from 4:00 to 8:00 PM. Live music starts at 7:00 PM with Eli Westin who sings country blues.
• December 11th join us for our Holiday Open House from 3:00 to 6:00, complimentary wine & appetizer.  Then stay and enjoy the annual Lighted Boat Parade with the great view from our deck and back window! Solo guitarist Rich Rorex will perform at 7:00 so stick around!
• December 12th: We’re having a special night of live music. Amy Hindman is going to perform from 6-9 tonight, so if you’re looking for some entertainment on a Sunday night, come on out!

Episode 3, What pairs well with frozen pizza?

As part of Mike’s new found knowledge, was a growing confidence of food & wine pairings.  This had always been of high interest to him, and was another of his recurring questions on our tasting journeys.  Now, he did not hesitate to offer suggestions to friends, co-workers and sometimes complete strangers.  While “browsing” for a possible new vehicle at one of the local dealerships, he handed out one of our new business cards with a suggestion for pairing on the back.  I hope the salesman took his advice, but not sure the 5 subsequent messages on our business line about cars for sale was a great exchange!

After he had devoured book #1, our family thought his new hobby was a great idea, and provided him with 3 more books as Christmas gifts.  One was written by a Master Sommelier, and this became his 2^nd book of choice.  Apparently book #1 really wasn’t the only wine book you would ever need, because the new book brought new ideas and challenges.

My biggest complaint about book #2 was the suggestion to sample wines, four at a time.  It was quite a shock to see four open bottles one morning, all with less than a glassful missing.  Not a big deal I said to myself – we still have lots of family here for the holidays and the wine will disappear.  But, after the family was gone, and he was on the 3^rd purchase, I felt it was time to protest:  “Honey, with the economy the way it is right now, I’m not certain we have enough money in the budget for all this wine”.  His Solution?  Take it out of the grocery budget.  OK, sure.  Slash the already slashed grocery budget.  Does anyone have a suggestion as to what pairs well with frozen Pizza?

Now that his purpose was defined, Mike wasted no time in the learning project.  Step one was to purchase a book that advertised it was the only wine book you would ever need.  By the end of his first night’s reading, he was reporting new found  information to me:

Regarding Port (he is a Port lover) – Although Port comes from Portugal, that is not where the name comes from?  It actually comes from the city of Oporto on the Douro River in Portugal. The difference between a Vintage & Tawny Port is mostly due to how they are aged & bottled.  If a port is “declared” suitable to be offered as a top of the line Vintage Port it is removed from the cask after two years, bottled, then aged for at least 10 years in the bottle.  A Tawny port is aged in the cask from 10 up to 30 years, then bottled.  “Tawny” refers to the pale brown color from so long in the cask.

While this and other information that followed was interesting, I was beginning to think he would be providing me with more wine information that I would ever need.  Plus, he was now looking at our wine glasses critically, since we apparently did not have the appropriate type for a certain red.  I couldn’t see his point of view, after all they all matched, which was a step up from a few years prior.

Stay tuned for episode 3, what pairs well with frozen pizza?