The Taste of Tulalip Grand Taste 2012 with Wine and Beer

Taste of Tulalip plate and wines
Taste of Tulalip plate and wines

The big event IMHO for the Taste of Tulalip is the “Grand Taste“.  Big it is, with a tasting room featuring wines from 75 Washington State wineries, as well as additional wineries from California, Oregon, Italy, and France.  I did not do a final count, but I would guess there were about 150 wineries present at the Grand Taste.  With 3 wines on average to taste, there would be 450 wines there to try on a Saturday afternoon.  In addition, if you also enjoy beer, a separate tasting room was set aside exclusively for this purpose.  These were local craft beers in general, made with TLC.  To top off all of the wine and beer, there were many food tasting stations featuring food creations by the Taste of Tulalip’s resort culinary team.  Everything from appetizers, entrees, and desserts; all in bite-sized proportions.  So you could sip some wine or beer, and see how it pairs with different food.  Brilliant.

Here are my highlight wines that I would like to share with you.  I would have given beer notes, but I did not take any.  I can tell you that 2 beers that I really enjoyed were: Samuel Adams New World Tripel, and the Deschutes Brewery Black Butte Porter.

My Wine Selections

  • El Corazon Boomerang and Blueprint
    El Corazon Boomerang and Blueprint

    El Corazon Blueprint Petit Verdot, 2010, Washington . It’s very rare to try an unblended Petit Verdot, so I had to try this one when I saw it.  It was opaque ruby in colour.  Full body in the mouth with nutmeg and dark fruit flavours. Dry, but soft with a light mouthfeel.  Nice acidity to balance out the fruit.  Very good.

  • El Corazon Walla Walla Boomerang 2010, Washington. This one is a Malbec, and a very tasty one at that.  Full body, with ripe cassis and juicy cherry fruit flavours, balanced with some vanilla. Soft tannins with a mineral streak throughout and peppery on the mid palate.  Chocolate and cocoa on the finish. Very tasty.
  • Cote Bonneville Syrah, 2010, Yakima Valley, Washington. This was one of my wow wines during the tasting. This syrah was dark ruby in colour. Interesting nose with dark fruit and some meatiness.  Dense flavour, very intense with dark fruit, violets and pencil leads. Peppery too. Highly recommended.
  • Maison Bleue Graviere 2010
    Maison Bleue Graviere 2010

    Maison Bleue Graviere, 2010, Upland Vineyard, Washington. This is a Southern Rhone blend containing 5% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 75% Mourvedre.  This is a very common blend, but the proportions are flipped from what you would normally expect from a Southern Rhone wine, but it works well. Red berries and blueberries on the nose.  Full body, very peppery.  Dry with medium acidity. Lots of red fruit flavour.  Very intense.

  • CORVUS Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Washington. Lots of black fruit on the nose. Full body with a light mouthfeel.  Juicy cassis, red and black fruit flavours.  Dry with soft tannins.
  • Robert Ramsay Cellars Syrah, 2009, Boushey, Yakima Valley, Washington.  You may notice Syrah showing up for many of my recommended wines.  I think WA state is putting out some excellent Syrah, and people should take notice.  This one is a blend of 95% Syrah co-fermented with 5% Viognier.  Deep garnet in colour with blueberry aromas.  Dry, but so fruity, with blueberries and cassis, you would guess that it is off-dry.  You also get flowers and spice on the palate with soft tannins to give a bit of structure.  This is an excellent wine.
  • Charles Smith Wines/ K Vintners K Syrah 2010. Light translucent garnet with a meaty nose.  Full body; meaty, juicy, jammy raspberry flavour.  Dry with soft tannins. Yum.
  • Bondreaux Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, 2006, Washington. Medium garnet witha dark core in the glass.  Cherry aroma with a dusty nose.  Full body, dry, with juicy ripe cassis, and cherries on the mid palate.  Soft tannins and medium acidity.  A quality wine.

Food to Try at the Grand Taste

Grand Taste FoodI keep mentioning the food at the Taste of Tulalip, for good reason.  It is top quality and very good.  Most wine events that have food, have food that is limited to cheese and bread. The Taste of Tulalip goes way beyond cheese and bread.  You get actual bite-sized versions of entrees and appetizers, which you can then try with the wine in your glass at that moment.  Food can affect how wine tastes in your mouth.  There are classic pairings like a sweet Port with a blue cheese, or grilled steak with a Cabernet Sauvignon.  I thought I’d close out this blog with a list of the food we were able to enjoy with our wine at the Grand Taste.  I hope it entices you to come to the 5th Annual Taste of Tulalipnext year, November 8 and 9, 2013.

  • Chinese Bbq Pork Slider
    Chinese Bbq Pork Slider

    Smokey Risotto

  • Orecchiett Pasta & Halibut Meatball
  • Wagyu Tenderloin
  • Antipasto Tapenade
  • Rare Pepper Roast
  • Seared Furikake Smoked Scallop
  • Ahi Tuna Poke
  • Rotisserie Lamb
  • Chinese Bbq Pork Slider
  • Carved Iberico Ham
  • Huckleberry, Mascarpone Cheesecake
  • Maple And Pear
  • Dark Chocolate And Foie Gras
  • Tamari Almond
  • Trio Of Sausage Sliders
  • Old Fashioned And Regular Sauerkraut
  • Ranch Seasoned Chicken Wrapped In Bacon
  • Local And Imported Cheese
  • Marinated And Roasted Crudités
  • Panache Of Imported Olives,
  • Marcona Almonds
  • Fresh Baguettes, Crackers, Grissini Bread Sticks

I made a youtube video of the food at the Grand Taste. You can watch the Grand Taste youtube video below.  Cheers!

Author: mywinepal
Drink Good Wine. That is my motto and I really want to help you drink good wine. What is good wine? That can be a different thing for each people. Food also loves wine so I also cover food and wine pairings, restaurant reviews, and world travel. Enjoy life with me. MyWinePal was started by Karl Kliparchuk, WSET. I spent many years with the South World Wine Society as the President and then cellar master. I love to travel around the world, visiting wine regions and sharing my passion for food & wine with you. Come live vicariously through me, and enjoy all my recommended wines.