Welcome to the Fidelitas Wine Club!

Fidelitas is a family owned winery found on Red Mountain in Washington Wine Country. Our winemaker, Charlie Hoppes, produces hand crafted, Bordeaux-style wines made from some of the best fruit grown in Washington State. The Fidelitas Wine Club is really more than just a club. It’s more like a full service concierge program, where our members have access to top benefits, events and of course, outstanding wine. This blog is a place where our members can come together to see what is new at the winery, connect with one another, and get a sneak peek at upcoming releases and events.

November 23, 2009

Red Wine Appetizers, Part One

Ben and I hosted a housewarming party last Saturday night in our new home. Knowing that people tend to drink red wine more on these crummy fall/winter evenings, I wanted to have appetizers on hand that are more red wine friendly, versus the white wine apps that are often so popular. I decided that, while I was at it, I might as well tailor the recipes to the newest wine club releases, coming out this next weekend. I'll get into the specifics of the recipes soon, but wanted to share the final menu:
spiced nut mix
prosciutto wrapped dates, stuffed with parmigiano-reggiano
red wine friendly cheese plate: english stilton, petit basque, vermont cheddar
eggplant and bell pepper crostini
paired with 2007 Red Mountain Cabernet Franc
asian bbq chicken skewers
paired with 2007 Columbia Valley Malbec
beef sliders with gruyere, arugula and carmelized red onions
paired with 2007 eight Red Wine
cherry, walnut, chocolate bark
Everything turned out great! I broke a few of my rules. I few of my dishes included cheese, which I hoped to not to and compete with the cheese plate itself (but who really minds a little extra cheese?). A few things were not able to be done entirely in advance. For example, we were able to make and form the sliders ahead of time, but my dear friend Erin got stuck actually cooking the mini-burgers as guests were arriving. Beyond that, I'm very happy with the way everything turned out. I'll share recipes soon.
My pre-party helpers: Dara, myself and Erin

November 19, 2009

Happy Beaujolais Nouveau Day!

Here's a little sidebar away from Fidelitas for a minute with a toast to my puppy, Beau. I got him one year ago today, and being the wine lover that I am, named him after a celebration of wine. We also thought that Beaujolais was a little easier to say than Brouilly, which was also in the running for names. So, tonight Ben and I will drink Beajolais and think of all the accidents, chewing, barking, etc. that we have endured during our first year of dog ownership.

Beau then...

Beau now...

November 17, 2009

Red Mountain Cabernet Franc

Since the 2007 Cab Franc is so limited, I have been waiting to open my precious bottle to give it a taste. Last night, I had a few friends over for dinner, and decided that it would be the perfect time. Honestly, I was blown away. This wine is unmistakably cabernet franc with rich layers of plum and blueberry, hints of tomato leaf, and velvety smooth tannins. It was also so Red Mountain - ripe cherry and spice notes highlighted the notoriously warmer AVA.
I've been doing a lot of thinking about wine pairings recently and saw that someone (reliable) recommended chevre with cabernet franc. I was very skeptical, but decided to give it a try. We made an appetizer that consisted of goat cheese, sauteed bell peppers and garlic with aromatic herbs and spices like fennel, coriander and rosemary, all baked together to make a warm mess topped with pine nuts. The result was surprisingly good with the wine. The fennel and rosemary complimented similar notes in the wine. The goat cheese, tamed by time in the oven, worked well with the acids in the wine and those silky tannins didn't overwhelm the food at all.
Ben and I are hosting a house warming party this weekend for our new home. I am going to be preparing appetizers that pair well with red wines for the party and am excited to try them with our other new releases. My goal is to have bites with the following criteria:
1 - I have to be able to prepare them (for the most part) in advance. I want to have fun at the party and not be stuck in the kitchen all night.
2 - no cheese in the appetizers. I am also going to do a red wine friendly cheese plate, so want to avoid cheese in other places. Researching recipes, this may be tough!
3 - have a variety that will please all of my guests. They are kind of a funny bunch - we have friends that are vegan, some with shellfish allergies/aversions, some that just don't eat meat but do eat seafood. I want to have something for everyone, which may be a challenge.
I'll share recipes, feedback and photos next week after the party.

November 11, 2009

Upcoming Events

We have two awesome events coming up this week featuring Fidelitas:

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12 - Poco Wine Room in Seattle: A tasting of six Fidelitas wines at Poco Wine Room on Seattle's Capitol Hill from 6 pm to 9 pm. $15, advance reservations are not required. For more information, visit
www.pocowineroom.com

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15 - Picazo 7 Seventeen in Prosser: The evening will begin at 5:30 pm with a half-hour social where appetizers will be provided as well as a wine selection. A four course dinner is served at 6 pm with wines that specifically pair with each course. Tickets are $65, inclusive of tax and gratuity, and must be purchased in advanced by calling 509.786.1116. Check out www.picazo717.com for more information.

I'll also be at Le Vin A Son Apogee this Saturday, a benefit for the Overlake Service League. Our 2006 Champoux Cabernet was selected by WWC Education Director and Master Sommelier (and my former ISG instructor!) Shayn Bjornholm as the best wine coming out of the Horse Heaven Hills AVA.
The following day I'll be pouring Optu, CV Merlot and Semillon at the Taste of Tulalip on Sunday at the Tulalip Casino. As many times as I've driven by the casino, I've never been in before so it should be interesting to check out.
What a busy weekend - should be fun!