Welcome to Walla Walla. It was time for some cheap and effective mexican food. Not two shakes later we located the local pretty good average kinda place and before long we were stuffing our faces back in our motel room while watching Pawn Stars.
Hahn Winery GSM, a bottle of red we picked up in Portland did nicely here. A solid meaty red that easily stood up to all that delightful cheese. Afterwards we promptly fell asleep. Walla Walla nightlife. Watusi!
This was our last stop of the day, conveniently right next to Sleight of Hand. We enjoyed their reds, but they were the real winner on ambiance. As you can see we joined the staff as they went off shift on the patio. Friends came by with fresh-picked wild morel mushrooms. Tristan who served us at Watermill dropped in to pick up his girlfriend who served us here. We pulled out some cheese and crackers and a good time was had by all.
We rolled into Sleight of Hand winery, just north of the Oregon / Washington state line near Walla Walla this afternoon. This place definitely rates at the high end of fun wineries to visit. The art they have hanging up is quite lovely take-offs on old posters of magic and movies. They have a whole shelf of vinyl LP’s and when I pulled out ABC’s Lexicon of Love they put that sucker right on the deck. Their motto: “punk rock wines for punk rock minds”. We took a bottle of one of their whites home, but unfortunately we enjoyed their product the least of the places we stopped today. Their reds seemed to have a sour/bitter note we didn’t like.
However, loved the experience, will definitely stop by again sometime!
http://lyrics.wikia.com/ABC:Valentine%27s_Day
When I’m shaking a hand, I’m clenching a fist
If you gave me a pound for the moments I missed
And I got dancing lessons for all the lips I shoulda kissed
I’d be a millionaire, I’d be a Fred Astaire
Zerba Winery. Right off the highway. Hits on all our three criteria. Bringing home port and their finest cheap red.
What do want out of a winery visit?
Friendly, affordable, and decent product
If the staff are jerks, well guess how the wine will taste. Tasting fees are ok, less ok if they aren’t waived with a bottle purchase.
Oh yeah. The last of the three the product should taste good.
This place does wine and cider. Did well on all three counts. Two thumbs up.
Here it’s in play. Got in El Saabo, The Swedish Tiki-Mobile. We’re nearly half-way to Walla Walla, Washington. Our wine destination. This wine? It’s easy. Tastes like wine. It’s red. You won’t object to it. It won’t object to you. Perhaps this review is a reflection on how mellow I feel. Perhaps this is simply a mellow wine. Won’t sleep with your spouse. Will die quickly in a Zombie attack. Tastes fine, won’t challenge you with complicated opinions.
Onward to Walla Walla wine country.
Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a big red wine. This bottle packs that phat red wine taste that demands the stinky cheeses, the red meats, overstuffed furniture and large-gauge cigars.
If this wine was a person, it’d probably be Tony Soprano.
Trader Joe, $12.99
Now here’s an Italian red wine that really knows how to stand up for itself. It’s a blend of 50% Whoop-Ass and 50% Take-Numbers. When Chuck Norris went to Italy as a baby, this what was in his sippy cup.
Nerelo Del Bastardo. Yep, I think you know what this goes well with. Big food. That giant hunk o’ vaca you’ve been marinating all day, cooked slow on the grill. Ya baby, this is where it’s at.
Trader Joe’s, $8.99. The wine guy pointed me at another bottle by these same guys he says is event meater. Yum, can’t wait.
What is it?
What could it be?
Here’s a wine one cannot taste without tasting the name. I mean really, “cupcake” wine? So far this poor bottle of inexpensive red stuff has been the butt of endless derision. What does it taste like? I guess you could say that it tastes like every one of those eight George Washingtons you dropped on it.
“Gets the Job Done.” – Alan