March Shipment Coming Soon!

The first Fidelitas Wine Club shipment of 2010 is scheduled to go out Monday, March 1st!
I am so excited about the release of the 2007 Boushey Red Wine and 2007 Red Mountain Red Wine that I can barely stand it. Shipments to be sent via FedEx will be sent March 1st. Those to be picked up are available now at our Red Mountain tasting room.
If you, like many others, have trouble being at home to sign for your shipments, see my list of shipping suggestions HERE.
Also, it's After Hours on Red Mountain next Wednesday, February 24th from 5 to 7pm. Come by to taste the new releases, pick up your shipment and visit with other members.
I look forward to seeing everyone soon!

Sneak Peek: French Themed Menu

For our next round of releases, I decided to create a menu with French flair. We say that our wines are "Bordeaux-style", which refers to the grapes we use and Charlie's style of winemaking. With that in mind, I thought we would try a few French recipes that are meant to be enjoyed with Bordeaux wines. The result was fabulous. The food was all so simple, so yummy, and really showcased the wines.
A few friends and I made a day of it, visiting the farmers market to get the outstanding lamb from Sea Breeze Farms (from Vashon Island - even non-lamb eaters agreed this was incredible), along with some fresh herbs, cheeses and veggies. We took our time making dinner and really enjoyed the whole experience.

I'll share the recipes later this week, but was excited to show off the menu today. Please ignore any mistakes with my French - I tried my best!

hors d’oeuvres
la brie cuite avec le miel
(filo, brie, honey and thyme)
crudités
2008 OPTU WHITE WINE
1
ratatouille
baguette
2007 RED MOUNTAIN MERLOT
2
rôtir l’agneau
(roast leg of lamb)
jus de herbes
(herb jus)
pommes de terre
(fingerling potatoes)
cepes a la bordelaise
(Bordeaux mushrooms)
2007 RED MOUNTAIN RED WINE
2007 BOUSHEY VINEYARD RED WINE
3
cours de fromage
4
tartes aux pommes, glace à la vanille
(apple tarts, vanilla ice cream)

Our yummy tartes aux pommes waiting to go in the oven.

Beating the (shipping) Blues

In general, I think that I am very lucky to have one of the best jobs around. For the most part, I really do get to sit around and chat about wine all day long (I try to stick with chatting about it rather than drinking it while I'm trying to be productive). This really is a fun, fast paced industry, and it's great to be a part of. However, if I were to list one un-fun part of the industry, it has to be the shipping of wine from point A to point B.
With a wine club shipment just around the corner, it led me to think just a little bit about shipping, and how we can all make this process a little easier. To start, we have to remember one thing: in this country, wine is always going to be a tricky thing. The Washington State Liquor Control Board will be the first to admit that we are still stuck with many laws from the prohibition...many of which just seem silly at this point in time. Because of that, and the fear that someone under the age of 21 might get their hands on your wine club shipment, shipping itself is always going to be a bit of a problem. Here are my favorite ways to make it better:

• Ship to a business address: This is by far the easiest solution. Generally, someone will always be around to sign for your package. If we need to make any special notes on the box - let us know! We can do it! I suppose the only problem here is if you don't trust your coworkers to not drink your wine...
• Ship to a FedEx location: I'm not talking about the big depot that always seems to be at least an hour from every one's house. Most FedEx locations will hold a package for you. I would be more than happy to help you select a location that is close to your home or work. In-state shipping, the cost is about the same as regular Ground or Home delivery. Out of state may be just a few dollars more, but seems to save on some stress, so it may be worth it.
• Use Sip and Ship: Live in North Seattle? This is a great option. With locations in Ballard and Greenwood, Sip and Ship is able to receive your packages for you, and they have coffee and a cute gift shop right there. I'm not sure of the cost involved, but I know a few members use this and really like it.
• Ship to your Wine Storage location: If you have off-site wine storage, many of these storage places will accept your packages for you and deliver directly to your storage locker. I keep some wine at Seattle Wine Storage and love the facility. If you don't have off-site, you may be surprised at how reasonable it actually is.
• Ask for Saturday delivery: If you are generally home on the weekends, but not during the week, ask us to get your package delivered on Saturday. Again, FedEx does charge a dollar or two more for date specific delivery, but if it saves you from driving to the depot, isn't it worth it?

Hopefully some of these suggestions will make your next shipment a little more stress free - for the both of us. If you have any questions on any of these options, feel free to contact me!