Wine at the Beach Festival

Luuuuucy!  You got some 'splaining to do!

Your First Crush is important.  You remember how old you were, where you were, and what you were doing when you first fell in love.  First Crushes make an impression, not only in love but in wine!  The aptly named first crush can be defined as the first press, the noun crush refers to the harvest. The verb crush refers to breaking the de-stemmed grape skins before press. 

However you define it, The Crush Me, Squeeze Me, Make Me Wine (at the Beach) Festival is happening this Sunday, October 7 from 11am to 4pm, and is shaping up to be just as memorable as your own first crush.

Come out to experience a (pardon the pun) grape-stomping good time.  There will be soup, music, and the Lucy and Ethyl look-alike contest open to men, women, children and dogs.  Yes, you can fulfill the fantasy that every I Love Lucy fan dreams about by tying your hair up in a cute little bandanna, wearing your long flowing skirt in a way that reminds me slightly of a large adult diaper (sorry but it does!) and stopping the seeds our of fresh vine grapes to dye your toes purple.  I personally would love to dress my friends little puppy in a lucy-look-a-like costume!

More importantly if you find your way out to the Westport Winery this weekend you will get the chance to learn about wine making form berry to bottle by picking, crushing, sipping and stomping the silly out of the grapes.  (too much sipping and you might be silly as well)

Visit the Winery's event home page at westportwinery.org  or call at 360- 648-2224 .
Westport Winery, Corner of SR105 & South Arbor Road, halfway between Westport and Aberdeen.

Summer weekend at our Beaches

Westport is for surfers, it is a place for food lovers and whale watchers and summer fun.  This weekend it is the place to be for art and entertainment.  The 15th annual Westport Art Festival is August 18th-19th and with the weather promising to be in the 80's it should be a beautiful weekend to get a little culture and soak up the rays. Check out the list of vendors and juried art booths here.

If you happen to head to Grayland this weekend you are not going to want to miss the Jet Ski competition sponsored by Wishkah River Distillery.  The Grayland Open starts August 17th with a rider clinic and continuing with competitions throughout the weekend.  You are going to want to stick around for the BBQ, music and free entertainment.

When sipping wine is more your speed, visit Ocean Shores this weekend for

the Grapes, Paints and Prints Festival.  Sipping Serendipity and the Creative Light Gallery are hosting this vintage festival in their parking lot on Saturday, August 18th starting at 1 p.m..  Enjoy the wine and art while breathing in the beach air.

Saturday Shopper: Sipping Serendipity Wine Shoppe in Ocean Shores

Sipping Serendipity Wine Shoppe     

Owned by Debra Haggard, Established 2011           

849 Pt. Brown Ave.

Ocean Shores 

360-289-WINE (9463)

http://www.sippingserendipity.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SippingSerendipity

Friday & Saturday: noon-8pm

Tuesday-Thursday: noon-6pm

Closed Sunday & Monday    

All About the Business: Our focus is on wines of the Pacific Northwest from small producers and boutique wineries. We also carry some of the best of other domestic wines as well as international labels. We pour wine by the glass and by the flight. Coming soon: appetizers and desserts to enjoy with your wine. We have a wonderful selection of wine related gift items, jewelry, and greeting cards as well as gift certificates.

What Makes The Business Unique: You can come in and try any of the several bottles that we have open each day and then purchase your favorite bottles to take with you. If you decide to try a flight which is three pours of wine, then you get to keep your souvenir wine glass which is perfect for your stay at the beach as well as to take home with you after your visit.                   

Advice for First Time Customers: Don't be afraid to try new wines! As a Certified Sommelier I am happy to help you with your wine selection be it just for sipping or for pairing with your dinner. We do carry gift certificates which of course are always the perfect gift!

Wine, Dine & Shop All in One Place: Westport Winery

Six years of marriage? That's a cause for celebration! As someone who always thought she was too independent to settle down and start a family, every wedding anniversary is a delightful notch in my proverbial belt of marriage. This last Friday my husband and I decided to spend our celebration for two at the Westport Winery, one of my favorite local places. 

Outside of the Winery, by the gardens. 

I promise I'm grimacing at my finicky phone, and not the fabulous company.

Every time I go to the Winery, I remember how much I love it. This was our first time eating dinner there, and the food was simply devine! In fact, I ate it all before I remembered that I should have taken pictures for this blog. Call me impatient. Really, the food was just too incredible to stop eating. And when I did stop eating, it was to drink delicious wine, not reach for the camera.

There's also a lunch menu. This patio seating
will be perfect for Saturdays in the summer.

As far as selections go, my husband and I are both steak fans when we're eating out. My husband had the Prime Rib and I had the Garlic Tenderloin, both served with sesame sauteed broccoli and mashed potatoes. As we both took our first bites, I looked up and it was like looking in the mirror- the savory pleasure I felt was mimicked in the expression on his face. My husband's first words, I believe, were a declaration of his new favorite restaurant. We've been on the search for a new favorite local restaurant ever since Saginaw's in Elma closed up shop (which is a shame - it really was a fantastic restaurant and I hope the proprietors will pop up elsewhere for us to enjoy again), so imagine how ideal it is for me, wine lover, to have this little culinary jewel right in the middle of my favorite winery. Someone pencil me in a standing reservation, please.

Speaking of wine, I paired my dinner with a glass of Fleur de Lis Pinot Gris then a glass of Bordello Blonde. My husband opted for Elk River Reisling (I suspect due to the elk we spotted on the way out). All were delicious, but my favorite still stands at the Fleur de Lis. Pinot Gris and I are just meant for each other. After dinner and a delectable dessert of 4-layer coconut cake, we stepped over into the gift shop & tasting area. I love the selection of local products & goodies! From chocolate to canned vegetables to cook books and wine accessories, the gift shop is categorized by color and makes for a fun shopping experience. Makes me want to throw a wine party. 

 

Some of the fun, Washington-specific goodies for sale at the Winery.

I also did a tasting to get some more Westport Wines under my belt. For $5 you can taste 5 wines. The fee is even waived if you buy a bottle! And since I was definitely going to buy myself a bottle of Fleur De Lis Pinot Gris, I took advantage.

Wine tasting station & by-the-bottle purchases 

in an elegant color coordinated display.

Overall, it was the perfect backdrop for our anniversary celebration. If you're looking for a place with good atmosphere, great food & wine and a true local touch to celebrate a special occasion or take a hot date, this is the place. It's romantic and sophisticated without forgetting where you're at. You don't escape Grays Harbor at the Westport Winery, you just get to see the classier side. Cheers!

Evening twilight at Westport Winery.

Friday Five: Superstitions

In honor, or maybe in fear of Friday the 13th, ( a day this year that will occur three times.. all of them thirteen days apart ) I thought that today's Friday five would be a fun time to showcase superstitions and myths that go hand in hand with our natural world around us.  More specifically, the beach, the river and the forest.

Myth #1

Grays Harbor thrived on the logging industry for many years as our forests provided the highly valued timber.  I won't take the time to reflect on how that resource was depleted, and instead share with you the myth of the spirits of the forests.

Legend says that when walking through a forest, always ask permission from the spirits first or you will be lost forever!  (Must have been what happened to Dorothy and the Scarecrow in the forest of apple trees, they didn't ask the trees first!  Wouldn't you throw apples at someone who didn't ask you permission? ) Anyway... this myth makes me think that we would have had entirely too many lost loggers if it was true, or maybe we just had a lot of men stopping at the edge of the forest talking to themselves... you decide.


Myth #2

River myths might just be my favorite type of superstition.  If you grew up in Grays Harbor.. or spent anytime as a teenage here in the summer, you spent a lot of time tubing our rivers.  Had you grown up with parents believing the next myth though you might have thought twice about jumping into the Wynoochee or the Humptulips river. 

A Grindylow is a water demon with long fingers that snatches children in the river and drags them down to the deep.  Supposedly this creature was invented to discourage kids from falling into the cold rivers in Britain, but seriously, if my parents had told me that particular story there is no way I would have been able to enjoy any of my endless summer fun! 

Myth #3

When you research Fishing Myths in Google... the computer crashes.  Well, not literally, but there are so many fishing myths and superstitions out there that it boggles the mind.  With the abundance of fishermen and women on the harbor I knew that including a few of these fishing gems was a must!

Shall we begin with the hat?  A whirlwind of myth surrounds the hat of the fisher-person, and I do not even want to tell you what happens when you set a hat on a bed!  Bad luck and enough said;)  Also, please don't bring your fishing pole in the house if you plan on catching a fish that day!  Fishing on a Friday is extremely unlucky, and if you don't catch a fish all day it is because "you were not holding your mouth right".  No idea yet if I can use this particular excuse in my everyday work life but you can bet I am going to try!

Myth #4

Ah the Ocean.  We are so lucky that we have ocean views so close.  There is nothing quite like living on the coast.  What is so lovely and fantastic about the ocean and the beach is also appreciated by sailors, of which the Pacific Northwest has had their fair share.  Which brings a basket full of sailing superstitions and myths.

My favorite fondly reminds me of our resident wine expert, but instead of consuming the wine sailors would pour the spirits on the deck to bring the voyage good luck! 

Myth #5

Speaking of the beach, the water, a picnic?  We have all heard the superstition that those who do not wait an hour before swimming can drown in the water because of cramps. Hahahaha.  More than likely this should be filed under the "can't swim" category!

Enjoy your Friday the 13th!
Let us know which superstitions and myths that you take part in!

Friday Five: Wine Not Relax with a Glass?

Ah, wine. If I didn't have amazing friends and no one found it odd to have a beverage as a BFF, wine would be my bestie. Like a true friend, she (white wine is obviously female) makes me feel better when I'm down and makes almost any situation go from good to great. While I usually get to enjoy her company in my living room with my cat in my pajamas after my daughter goes to bed, I sometimes like to enjoy her in public. Hey, she deserves to be shown off and besides, I like to think she makes me look classy.

So.... wine don't you get your class on and celebrate Friday in style at one of my favorite harbor wine spots?

1) The Cellar Club - 110 W. Pioneer Avenue, Montesano

Now this place is classy. Descend the unassuming entryway stairs into a complete wine haven. Vineyard decor, low lighting and comfortable furniture create a casual and intimate setting to relax with friends over a glass of wine. And the wine.... ahhhh. Not only is the selection devine here, but it features a hefty amount of Washington vineyards! I like to come here when I want to pretend I'm sophisticated. Sophisticated meaning I want to break out my fancy blouse and heels. Whoa! Blouse? See, I get all sophisticated just thinking about going here.

2) The Westport Winery- 1 South Arbor Road, Aberdeen

Best Winery 2010 by Evening Magazine's Best Northwest Escapes. No wonder! This place is awesome. You can taste wine here, drink wine here, buy wine here, and sign up to have wine shipped to your house here! It's award winning deliciousness themed after all things PNW. I love Float white wine and Shorebird Chardonnay and they have tons of other wines to suit your tastes. And wine cocktails! But wait... there's more! Don't forget to eat something while you're here from the delectable restaurant or bakery. Besides, I think if you eat more, you can drink more. No? Oh.

3) Amore Italian Restaurant- 116 West Heron St, Aberdeen

Mmmm, pasta and wine. There is no better pairing than Italy and wine (it just looks good together- check out the picture!). Amore is a great place to go for a quick date night (everything we do as parents of a 3 year old is programmed into us to be quick), a girls night out or a family dinner. The atmosphere is comfortably classy and I like the wine menu at Amore - it came into town just as I developed my adoration of the drink of the Gods. It features Washington wines, Italian wines and some classic wines for the not-so-adventurous enthusiast. I like to go for a different, yet consistently unpronounceable Italian wine each time I go. Food is another story - I can't pull myself away from ordering the Veal Piccata every time. Delicioso!

4) Sipping Serendipity Wine Shoppe- 849 Pointe Brown Avenue NW, Ocean Shores

What! A wine shoppe on the harbor this adorable that I knew nothing about?! It's true! I just located them online through the magic of Google. Now I must go. How serendipitous that they have Fabulous Friday pourings and here we are talking about wine on a Friday. Or is that just coincidental? Regardless, I say we need to make a trip out for some perusing and tasting. Ooh it says they do wine flights - my favorite way to experience new wines. If you've been here and it's wonderful, let me know.

5) Grocery Outlet- 217 Pacific Avenue, Aberdeen

Let me start off by saying please don't actually drink the wine at Grocery Outlet. Not that I've tried it, but I bet they frown upon it. Seriously though, if you're heading for the couch instead of the bar this evening, they do have a pretty serious wine section and it features some incredible bargains! So, I'll admit it- this is where I buy almost all of my wine. I love spending just $2.99 on a bottle. It means I can buy 3 bottles at least. I think GO might like wine as much as I do; they have an entire portion of their Barganista Blog dedicated to their wine section and you can read it here. Now, they do stock mostly final runs or discontinued wine, so the selection is always changing and isn't consistent at all. But that's the fun in it! Try something new without breaking the bank. Now get to that couch and rewatch last week's Walking Dead!

Don't Be a Bowl Grabber

As the holidays are fast approaching, we want to make sure you know how to impress your friends and family at this weekend's dinner party. Here are 8 tips on how to drink wine.