Twitter + Wine = Success for Walter Dacon Wines

In January, Walter Dacon Wines jumped on the Twitter bandwagon, just about the same time that they were nominated as having the best tasting room in Washington state. Walter Dacon leveraged their new social media skills, with the enthusiasm of their loyal customers, to win the Washington Tasting Room Poll, garnering over 40% of the votes!

Twitter + Wine

I had the opportunity to meet Anne and Lloyd, of Walter Dacon Wines, at the Exotic Wines Festival, a day after they were announced as winners of the Washington Tasting Room Poll. Anne told me that several people had approached them at the Festival, congratulating them on their win. Almost all of the publicity about the tasting room winner was via social media: blogs, Twitter and Facebook.

We were delighted to select Walter Dacon as our featured winery of the month in February and we have been enthusiastically watching and supporting their Twitter habit while enjoying their wines! Tonight they were interviewed on KIRO TV during the Twitter 140TC conference. You can watch the segment on their Twitter experiences and how it is saving them money AND increasing traffic to their winery.

Follow Walter Dacon Wines on Twitter.

Seattle Food and Wine Experience Review

Geoduck Cooking Demo

Eating gourmet food and drinking wine, beer, and cider were just some of the activities offered by the Seattle Food and Wine Experience on February 28, 2010. The Taste of Tulalip Culinary Exhibition Stage also offered a chance to learn a thing or two from the chefs of the Tulalip Resort Casino, including a demo on how to prepare Geoduck Fritters. Tulalip Bay Fine Dining also served up an Asian BBQ Pork Slider, my hubby’s favorite dish of the day.

Kathy Casey was nice enough to spend the entire event signing 300 copies of her book, Kathy Casey’s Northwest Table at the Columbia Winery booth and handing them out for free. The hubby pointed out that the wait wasn’t so bad because he got six different tastes of wine while the line moved along!

You could even buy wine glasses at the event. Mercer Imports was on hand sellling the Eisch Breathable Glass that promises to aerate your wine in minutes. One day we hope to give these a try and see if we can taste the difference.

A couple of the standout wines we tasted include the McCrea Cellars Grenache Blanc, a very limited production varietal in Washington State. It’s a nice crisp white wine with hints of mineral and good acid. I hear that if you like oysters, this would be a wine to serve alongside. Another favorite Washington wine being poured was the Kiona Lemberger. This Lemberger represents an old world style. Best of all, it’s been on sale around Seattle for under $10 a bottle. If  you believe that wine is often at its best when matched with the right food, check out our posts on the Food and Wine Pairing Network for the top pairings of the event.

At these big indoor events it’s always nice to get a breath of fresh air every once in a while. Do that at the Seattle Food and Wine Experience, and you discover the Maximus/Minimus mobile pig truck in the courtyard serving up Sliders with Slaw. I devoured the Maximus Veggie Slider. Only bummer is we weren’t allowed to have anything in our glass while enjoying the great outdoors.

Maximus/Minimus Truck

Let’s not forget a key reason behind the Seattle Food and Wine Experience – to raise money for Beecher’s Flagship Foundation. The Foundation offers the Pure Food Kids Workshop which is a fun, hands on program for fourth through sixth graders. It teaches them about pure foods and making healthier food choices. As a volunteer for the organization, this is a cause that is near and dear to me. Alison Leber is at the heart of the foundation, running it with incredible efficiency. This week we were in a classroom of fifth graders, each of whom played the role of “food detective” by investigating ingredient lists on packages. Through a combination of lecture and video, the kids are taught how they are marketed to, how to read nutrition facts, and the potential health risks involved with eating foods that contain artificial colors and preservatives. They also work together to prepare a vegetarian chili that is so tasty, most of the kids ask for seconds. It’s a hands on program that totally engages the kids and is making a difference right here in our own backyard.

There you have it, a big event supporting a valuable cause!

Massive Merlot Tasting March 25

Join wine makers, wine retailers and wine lovers as they drink to Washington Merlot on March 25th!

Once upon a time, Merlot was a popular wine in its native France and here in the US. Unfortunately, Merlot has become much maligned in recent years, thanks to the movie Sideways and other factors.  Don’t let a movie make your wine drinking decisions for you!  If you have been neglecting Merlot, here is an opportunity to taste what Washington Merlot has to offer. As part of Washington Wine Month, wine bloggers led by Josh Wade of Drink Nectar, are organizing a massive Merlot virtual tasting on March 25th from 5-7pm PST.

Virtual Merlot Tasting

One of the most enjoyable aspects of wine, is sipping it in the company of friends and family. Virtual tastings build on that experience by letting you enjoy and discuss wines with people near and far. People will be drinking wine and talking about wine at wineries, wine bars, wine shops, tasting parties, around the kitchen table AND sharing their tasting experiences on Twitter.  Using the Twitter tag #WAMerlot, wine drinkers will be sharing their Washington Merlot experience. You might only be able to try one, two  or Washington Merlots but via Twitter you will be able to learn about 20, 30, 60 or more Washington state Merlot wines. You will have lots of information for your next wine shopping adventure! To start connecting with participating wineries and tasters, register with Event-Brite.

Good things come to beer lovers who wait!

It has been a long haul but Foggy Noggin Brewing will have their grand opening on March 20, 2010 from 1-4 pm.

So what is so special about another brewery opening in Washington state? Foggy Noggin Brewery is one of the world’s smallest production breweries. Their 1/2 BBL system gives them tight control over their crafted English style ales.  They started brewing shortly after their tiny Bothell brewery received all of the necessary paper work and certifications. Currently two beers are in production:

• Bit O’Beaver (English Bitter)
• Christmas Duck (Robust Porter)

Did I mention that this is a small brewery? Foggy Noggin is a tiny neighborhood  brewery in a residential area that offers opportunities and an obstacle or two. The tasting room will be a “Taste and Go” situation.  Too tiny to sit back and enjoy a pint of Foggy Noggin beer, this tasting room is designed as a place to fill up your growler and head on out to enjoy that brew with friends. Public consumption is not allowed in this tiny neighborhood brewery. Foggy Noggin beers will be available for sale by the growler (1/2 gallon glass container).  If you have a growler, you can bring it and we will fill it for $10 (cash), or you can purchase a Foggy Noggin growler for $5 (cash) and have it filled for $10 (cash). In addition to the beer the brewery,will have a limited amount of T-Shirts, Sweatshirts, 20 oz. pint glasses, 4 oz. taster glasses and hats for resale.  All sales are cash only.

In respect to their neighbors’s support of the brewery, Foggy Noggin will not be releasing specific address and directions until closer to the grand opening. The tasting room hours will reflect supply and demand of the beer. Currently the tasting room is scheduled to be open March 20th and 27th. They will be posting tasting room dates and times on their blog, Facebook and/or Twitter account.

Home Brewers Rejoice! 14th Annual Cascade Brewers Competition

Does your home brew stand up to the test? Does your IPA knock the socks off of even the biggest hop head? What about that winter brew that your friends fought over at Christmas time? Show off your best home brew at the Annual Cascade Brewer’s Competition!

How to Enter

Home brew submissions will be accepted between February 23- March 3rd. Complete details, including rules and entry forms, about submitting your entry is available at the Cascade Brewers’ Guild web site.