November 2011

Vin Affaires
Exclusive Newsletter for PNWC Members

November Selections
Red Selection
Basel Cellars Claret '08 Re-order Price: $19

White Selection

Slagle Creek Chardonnay '08 Re-order Price:$18

Other Red

Notes from your Wine Club

The holidays are quickly approaching, and we hope to make your entertaining and gift-giving a little easier. Included in this month's newsletter are festive recipes to share with friends and family while enjoying your November wine selections. Also, we are excited to offer several great gift options with exclusive discounts and rewards available to Pacific Northwest Wine Club members. Give the gift of wine this holiday season! Pacific NW Wine Club would like to introduce a great feature recently added to our website: You can now purchase customlabeled wine, creating your own labels in minutes with our handy online tool! Custom wine is a great gift for the holidays. You can create a label with your gift recipient in mind, or create your own "vintage" to present as hostess gifts, client or employee appreciation gifts, or holiday party favors. As a PNWC member, your special pricing on an order of 6 or more bottles is just $69 (Regular $150). Call or email the wine club for your special online code. Another great way to stock up on NW wines for the holiday season...give the gift of membership to the Pacific NW Wine Club. Your gift recipient will enjoy exploring their new wines, and you will receive a bonus: One free bottle of wine per gift membership in your next regularly scheduled shipment!

Agate Ridge Grenache '09 Re-order Price: $18

Other White

San Juan Siegerrebe 09 Re-order Price: $16

International Selection
Domaine Berthet-Rayne Cote du Rhone '09 Re-order Price: $16 orders@pnwc.com

Premium Selection

Archery Summit Pinot Noir '08 Re-order Price: $46

Next Wine Tasting:

Pyrenees Vineyard & Winery
Saturday Nov. 5th 1-4pm at the Pacific NW Wine Club

December Tasting
Andrew Rich Winery
Saturday, Dec. 3rd 1-4pm

Support the Oregon Symphony!

Attend a special event at the Pacific NW Wine Club on Saturday, Nov. 19th from 14pm. Tickets are available at the door, and are $15 each.

Cheers!

Kevin

2008 Basel Cellars Claret

This Walla Walla Claret is composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Franc. It is aged for 18 months in mostly neutral oak, allowing the high quality of the fruit to shine through. Just like in previous vintages, the 2008 vintage has a smooth mouth feel that makes it easy to drink and is accompanied by an intricacy that revives your taste buds. Try this wine with the delicious Classic Potato Gratin recipe below, or a seared steak.
Owners Greg and Becky Basel started with the planting of Pheasant Run Vineyards in 1997, and in 2002 opened the doors to Basel Cellars Estate Winery. With an emphasis on what Greg calls quality vineyard control his son, Justin Basel, creates and blends world-class wines in limited quantities. The grapes are grown in two Walla Walla vineyards: 35-acre Pheasant Run Vineyard and 26acre Double River Vineyard.

Classic Potato Gratin

2 lb. Yukon Gold or russet potatoes, peeled 3 cups whipping or heavy cream 1 tsp. kosher salt 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper Generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed 3/4 cup finely shredded Gruyre, Emmental, or Comt Heat the oven to 400F. Using a very sharp knife or a mandoline, carefully cut the potatoes into 1/8-inch slices (no thicker). Put the potatoes in a large heavy-based saucepan and add the cream, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and garlic. Cook the mixture over medium-high heat until the cream is boiling, stirring occasionally (very gently with a rubber spatula so you don't break up the slices). When the cream boils, pour the mixture into a 2-1/2- or 3-qt. baking dish. If you don't want a tender but garlicky surprise mouthful, remove and discard the garlic cloves. Shake the dish a bit to let the slices settle and then sprinkle the surface with the cheese. Bake in the hot oven until the top is deep golden brown, the cream has thickened, and the potatoes are extremely tender when pierced with a knife, about 40 minutes. Don't worry if the dish looks too liquidy at this point; it will set up as it cools a bit. Before serving, let the potatoes cool until they're very warm but not hot (at least 15 minutes) or serve them at room temperature. From Fine Cooking 36 , December 1, 1999

2009 Slagle Ridge Chardonnay

Slagle Creek is a small, family owned winery that overlooks the Applegate Valley in Southern Oregon. Located at 1800 feet, the high altitude, warm days, cool nights, and the stony, loam soil give the wines their unique character. The 2008 Chardonnay has characteristics of soft pear, crisp apple and ginger spice. The finish is reminiscent of Meyer lemon and honey. This wine is perfect with your Thanksgiving meal, or the Sourdough, Sausage and Pear Recipe below.

The Applegate Valley is within the Rogue Valley American Viticultural Area, the southernmost wine growing region in Oregon. The region has approximately 150 vineyards, growing over 40 varietals. Established in 1991, the Rogue Valley AVA covers nearly 1.15 million acres in intermountain valleys of Southern Oregon.

Sourdough, Sausage & Pear Stuffing

8 cups (1/2-inch) cubed sourdough bread (about 12 ounces) 1 pound Italian sausage Cooking spray 5 cups chopped onion (about 2 pounds) 2 cups chopped celery 1 cup chopped carrot 1 (8-ounce) package pre-sliced mushrooms 2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled Bartlett pear (about 2 medium) 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups chicken broth 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Preheat oven to 425. Arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 9 minutes or until golden. Place in a large bowl. Remove casings from sausage. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage, and cook for 8 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add sausage to bread cubes, tossing to combine. Set aside. Return pan to medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot; saut 10 minutes or until onion begins to brown. Stir in mushrooms; cook 4 minutes. Stir in pear, basil, tarragon, and salt; cook 4 minutes or until pear begins to soften, stirring occasionally. Add pear mixture to bread mixture, tossing gently to combine. Stir in broth and pepper. Place bread mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; cover with foil. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake stuffing an additional 15 minutes or until top of stuffing is crisp.

2009 Agate Ridge Grenache

This is the second vintage of Grenache, produced by Agate Ridge Vineyards in the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon. Rich strawberry and cherry aromas lead to a silky texture with plum, currant and root beer flavors. This wine is excellent to enjoy now, or to cellar for 2-4 years. Owned and operated by the Kinderman Family, the estate vineyard cover 30 acres in the shadow of Lower and Upper Table Rock.
One of the most versatile grapes in the world, Grenache vines perform best in dry, and hot growing regions. Grenache is probably most notable as the base varietal for Chateauneuf du Pape, Cotes du Rhone and Gigondas. Although it was made famous by French wines, it is most likely originally from Spain.

2009 San Juan Vineyard Siegerrebe

This bright wine has hints of floral bouquet and lychee on the nose, with melon, mango and citrus on the palate. It has a lingering, dry finish. It is excellent paired with sauted prawns or other shellfish. The Siegerrebe is a German an Austrian varietal, a cross between Madeleine Angevine and Gewurtztraminer. It is particularly well suited to cooler growing climates, such as that of the San Juan Vineyards in the Puget Sound area of NW Washington State. The Puget Sound AVA is the states only natural grape growing climate, where rainfall, heat and sunshine allow the vines to grow without irrigation. Although the region is known for large amounts of rainfall, many of the Puget Sound AVA vineyards receive less rainfall than those in Bordeaux and Burgundy and nearly no rain during the critical growing season.

2009 Domaine Berthet-Rayne Ctes-du-Rhne

Berthet-Rayne is a recognized Chatheauneuf-du-Pape and Cairanne producer located in Courthezon, France. The 2009 vintage in the southern Rhone valley allowed for the production of richer and riper wines for which demand is strong and supply dwindling, at least for Cotes-duRhone. Taking full advantage of these conditions, many made wines in a more extracted and concentrated style that sacrificed acidity and hence greater compatibility with food. Berthet-Rayne harvested the same ripe grapes, but fashioned a classic mid-weight blend that is refreshing and supple on the palate with deep lasting fruit flavors and spice. The wine opens up gradually and elegantly and pairs with a variety of foods. Try this wine with braised meats, stews and sausages, and drink it with the cheese (aged and dry) course. Domaine Bethet-Rayne produces this red Cotes-du Rhone from estate grown certified organic grapes, and it is characterized with a red fruit nose, aromas of spice and a hint of anise, followed by a beautiful fruity finish with a supple tannic structure. It is composed of 75% Grenache, 15% Cinsault, 10% Mourvdre.

Premium Selection: 2008 Archery Summit Pinot Noir

One of the most premier wineries in Oregon, Archery Summit hand-harvests their grape clusters from each of its five vineyards. The grapes are then transferred to a 100 percent gravity-flow winery. After fermentation, the wine rests in Archery Summits underground wine caves, for up to 18 months.

Dark cherry red color, the aroma of the 2008 Pinot Noir is effusive and redolent of all that is good about Oregon Pinot Noir: a nose of perfumed rose petals, and just slightly peppery. On the palate predominantly dark cherry, cola and anise. It finishes with nice acidity, and low tannins. Enjoy now or cellar for several years.

Warehouse Wines
Special Case Sale! $125
Mixed Whites: Elk Cove Pinot Blanc, San Juan Riesling, Domaine Pierre Noire, Del Tetto Lange Arneis OR Mixed Reds: Milbrant Merlot, Angel Vine Zinfandel, Carlton Cellars Dolcetto, Kamiakin Syrah

Reds
NW Compass Red Lost River Western Red Helix Pomatia Red Wine Kiona Vineyards Lemberger Angel Vine Zinfandel Airfield Estates Bombshell Red Milbrandt Merlot Carlton Cellars Dolcetto Coleman Vineyard Racy Red Pinot Noir Noble Pig Oregon Pinot Noir Camaraderie Cellars Cabernet Franc Domaine Puillon Black Dot Dumas Station Cabernet Sauvignon Airfield Estates Tempranillo NV WildAire Wagging Tail Red $19 $17 $17 $16 $17 $17 $18 $18 $22 $25 $18 $20 $22 $18 $18

Whites
San Juan Vineyards Riesling Zerba Cellars Wild White Domaine Pierre Noire Blanc du Moulon Domaine Pouillon Gewurtztraminer Capitello Pinot Gris Airfield Estates Chardonnay Folin Cellars Viognier Longsword Sparkling Chardonnay Artisanal Cellars Dovetail White San Juan Vineyards Siegerrebe Pacific Rim Chenin Blanc Ankeny Vineyard Melange Blanc AlmaTerra Teres White Wine Lost River Winery Rainshadow $16 $17 $17 $16 $16 $16 $17 $19 $16 $16 $14 $15 $16 $16

16285 SW 85th Avenue, Suite 104 Tigard, Oregon 97224 503.620.6691 www.pnwc.com