Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/63916
Taste Washington! brought together a premiere selection of in-state wine, 120 members and guests, and dishes prepared by guest chefs. Celebrations By Robert Bonina, Vice President Food & Beverage A dinner to remember T Taste Washington! offers the best of food and wine Best of Washington Wine Awards. The evening sold out to 120 members and guests. They shared stories and an inti- mate dinner with some of our state's finest winemakers and their wines, each paired with an extraordinary dish created by one of three guest chefs and overseen by WAC Executive Chef Eric Floyd. Vintages from Alexandria Nicole, Buty, DeLille Cellars, Dunham Cellars, Fidélitas, McCrea Cellars, Trust Cellars, and Walla Walla Vintners were all poured and enhanced by the cooking and flavor nuances of Chef Eric as well as executive sous chef Justin Reed of the Washington State Convention Center, chef Chris Plemmons of Two Snooty Chefs, and executive chef Pat Donahue of Anthony's. Think halibut, quail and elk tenderloin. Mmm. What better way to experience this bounty than with synchronized white-glove service, led by Banquet Manager Joe Kalvin and Restaurant Operations Manager Danielle Crowson. As the evening unfolded, five courses arrived tableside, and guests watched with smiles and offered toasts under the chandeliers of the Crystal Ballroom. A team of Seattle sommeliers, led by WAC member Lars Ryssdal, took care of the wine service. Two-person sommelier teams began opposite each other at each table, pouring and moving with clock-like precision as they 14 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | MAY / JUNE 2012 he sixth annual Taste Washington! Winemaker Dinner took place at the WAC on Saturday, March 31, and featured the winners from Seattle magazine's 2011 circled the tables. Guests tried three of the eight wines served—Trust Cellars Riesling, Buty Bordeaux-style white blend and Alexandria Nicole Viognier—during the opening reception, which featured crab cakes, mahi mahi, scallops and grilled prawns. The other five vintages unfolded with each course: McCrea Cellars' Sirocco Blanc (first), Walla Walla Vintners' Cabernet Franc (second), DeLille Cellars' Grand Ciel (entrée), Dunham Cellars' Late Harvest Riesling with dessert, and Fidélitas Merlot with the final course, a cheese plate with Pont l'Évêque, smoked nuts and bittersweet chocolate chips. DeLille Cellars' 2006 Grand Ciel was Seattle magazine's 2011 Wine of the Year. Speaking of wine awards, the 2012 Washington Wine Restaurant Awards ceremony also took place in the Crystal Ballroom in March. The awards, handed out by the Washington State Wine Commission, recognize restaurants exhibiting strong support of Washington wines. For the seventh straight year, the WAC received a Washington Wine Grand Award. Looking toward next year, we've already started a reservation list for the 2013 Taste Washington! Winemaker Dinner. You can join the list by calling 206.464.3050. It's out of the ordinary for us to accept reservations so early. Then again, there's nothing ordinary about this annual evening of food and wine, a tribute to our state and the WAC itself. LUKE RUTAN (2)