It's Fall. So what do we do now?

Well friends and true believers, Autumn is here, the stock market continues its ridiculous mood swings on an hourly basis and the harvest looks like a mixed bag here in Walla Walla. So what is the good news you say? Well, we do have some new wines just in, some great fall cheeses and some low cost holiday gift items for that "Fooder" on your list this year (I refuse to use the term foodie as it is to much like Trekkie). So without wasting anymore of your time her we go...
We are now the only, as far as we know, retailer of Owen Roe wines in Walla Walla and we have just taken stock of the following:
Abbots Table 2007 A blend of 22% Sangiovese, 20% Merlot, 20% Zinfandel, 15% Cabernet Franc, 7% Grenache 6% Syrah, 3% Petite Sirah, 3% Cinsault, 3% Malbec, 1% Pinot Noir. Wow! That is a potpourri of wine. It has vibrant fruit aromas and delicious flavors, expressing the fruitiness and weight of Sangiovese and Zinfandel- it is such a rich, yet easy drinking wine that it can be paired with the broadest range of foods and also tastes great by itself. Although it sounds very foreign to most it is an interesting blend that works really well.
Sinister Hand 200762% Grenache, 21% Syrah, 17% Mourvedre. Pretty standard fare here on the surface, but really amazing wine. This Rhone-styled wine has very dark fruit flavors and pepper, with an excellent texture - it will work well with a variety of foods especially spicy fare and dark meats. The Sinister Hand label is a family crest - a depiction of a severed left hand that tells the story of a rowing competition among O'Neills and O'Reillys (Owen Roe was an O'Neill). Whoever touched land first after rowing across the lake was rewarded with the land he touched. Lagging behind, one of the kinsfolk grabs his sword and cleaves his hand and pitches it ashore to touch land first. He won the land and eventually ruled over it as king.
Pinot Gris 2007 Those of you that know me well enough know that I has some strong opinions, one of which is that I really don;t like Pinot Gris. That being said I will now eat my hat. The 2007 O'Reilly's Pinot Gris is a classic Oregon Gris - plenty of limey aromas with rich guava-like flavors. Hallmark acidity will preserve this white in your cellar for up to five years. The 2007 vintage was unique following upon several very hot years. This grape prefers a more moderate season which preserves aromas, flavors, and the great minerality that we expect from the finest Alsatian varietals. After this long string of very hot vintages, expect a very rich and forward wine that will pair nicely with fresh and richer dishes.

We have also just received the new anniversary brew from Full Sail a dopplebock that is their 21st anniversary brew. Rich and flavourful. This is a limited release and will be available only for a short time.
On the cheese front. We still have some of the Montgomery Cheddar that we opened two weeks ago. This one is going fast. We also have some of the Mt. Townsend cheeses from Mt. Townsend creamery in Port Townsend. If you have tried the cirrus or the seastack and enjoyed those we also have the Traihead Tomme, which is a older and semi hard cheese. Delicious with rich flavours and a long finish. This is one of our new favorites. The Rogue River blue will be in next week. I am going to repeat this here just so we are clear: THE ROGUE RIVER BLUE will be in store NEXT WEEK!!! We have two wheels coming to us next THURSDAY, and then should, repeat, should, be receiving three more in November. This is a phenomenal cheese that must be experience if you like blue cheese at all.

We also just stocked up on the beautiful slate cheese trays that we had last winter. They are made in the USA from natural slate and come with a felt backing so they won't scratch your table. They come in 12x12, 12x16, and 12x24. We also have some really beautiful hand made maple bread boards, that really need to be seen. These are great for yea, bread boards, but also for serving charcuterie and cheese on. Things change every day in the store including our prepared food, so come in frequently to see whats in store. Cheers.