Nicola’s Redmark Makes An Exciting Mark

 

I’ve known my friend Crista Whitelatch and her husband Bob for a few years now. We’ve done many different projects together, and I’ve been a big fan of their main label, Claar Cellars because they make a “back labeled shiner” bottle that allows me to put my own custom labels on for clients from time to time. It is a great wine for the price, and allows my clients the ability to have custom labels for a reasonable price legally.

The Whitelatches also own Le Chateau, a Walla Walla label, as well as Ridgecrest, a label for the on-premise market. All together, the family produces a lot of good juice for the market of this region.

Crista shared with me a few months ago that their partners in Le Chateau had left the business. She also shared with me that they had acquired a new label as well called Nicola’s Redmark. I took this information in one ear and out the other, not really giving it much attention.

This week I had the opportunity to have a meeting with Crista, where she was able to explain the Nicola’s brand to me a little. I did a little digging, and searching their website, and found it to be a very youthful brand indeed. The advertising video that opens their website definitely makes me feel young and want to drink Nicola’s with my wife really soon. You’ll have to check it out for yourself.

Nicola’s is named after Nicola Metrione, who had a habit of marking his possessions with bright red paint. He immigrated from Italy in 1891 to New York, where he dug subway tunnels for $1 an hour. He made wine in his tiny Bronx apartment, and dreamed of someday owning a real vineyard and winery. The name is a legacy to his memory.

Nicola’s Redmark comes in four varietals currently, with some promise of expansion in the future. There is a Red Blend, a White Blend, a Reisling, and a Pinot Gris.

I was gifted with a Red Blend and White Blend bottle to write up and share with you. You will have to try the Reisling and the Pinot Gris and let me know what you think of them.

The White Blend is a mixture of Columbia Valley Chardonnay at 60% and 40% Columbia Valley Reisling. Treated with 100% stainless steel, the wine is crisp with fruit and acidity. I loved the light straw color in the glass. Peaches, pears, and passion fruit meet the nose and lead to a spicyness and minerality on the mid palate and finish. I would suggest this wine on a hot late summer evening, or with grilled ahi.

Nicola’s Redmark Red Blend is a rather complex Tuscan styled blend of 35% Merlot, 33% Sangiovese, 12% Barbera, 10% Nebbiolo, 5% Dolcetto, and 5% Mourvedre. I think this blend is probably the way Nicola would have made wine. Mixing a little of this and a little of that to come up with something his friends would really like.

Wide open and full of fruit on the nose, the wine features lots of dark fruit, mocha, and baking spices. A very gentle wine, it is full bodied yet softly voluptuous on the palate.

I’ve been seeing lots of Nicola’s lately in higher end grocery stores and establishments. You can also get it online at www.nicolasredmark.com . You probably want to go check out the great site anyway and plan your own quiet evening at home. A great way to kick off football season!

Winemaker Dinners A Great Way To Try Something New

Whenever I get the chance, I encourage people to attend winemaker’s dinners. They are a great way to meet new people, taste new wines and foods, and have a really good time at a relatively inexpensive price for the value you receive.

Last Saturday night, I had the unique opportunity to help pair wines at a winemaker dinner for Will Wolfeil, my friend, and the executive chef at the Hilltop Restaurant in Pullman.

I was able to bring two winemakers to the event. Jay Dewitt from Dumas Station, and Bob and Crista Whitelatch from Claar Cellars. Dumas Station is a small winery that offers Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. Claar has several offerings, and has been in business since the 1980s.

The dinner started out with a wonderful salmon wrapped scallop on a mixed bed of greens, and finished with a citrus dressing. I paired this with the Claar Savignon Blanc. The 2006 Sauvignon Blanc has a wonderful nose of honeysuckle and pears. It finishes crisp and light.

Course two was a wonderful cheese and mushroom soup, made with dried chantrelle mushrooms, which gave a wonderful texture to the soup. I paired this with the 2007 Claar Riesling. It is lightly sweet and shows wonderful flavors of apricot, honey, and nectarines.

Next, Will brought out a wonderful dish called stuffed zucchini tubes with roasted tomatoes. This dish is both beautiful and delicious. He hollows out a zucchini and roasts it with fresh tomatoes and various fresh herbs. It has a wonderful Italian zestiness to it. For this dish I chose the Claar 2006 Sangiovese. It is bright with flavors of cherry and floral accents, and finishes with a nice spiciness. This vintage has won several awards throughout the United States.

After a great Palate cleanser of homemade lemon sorbet, we were on to a sesame crusted Ahi with wassabi horseradish. For this I paired the Claar 2007 Chardonnay. The Chardonnay is non-oaked, which pairs very well with all types of fish. It’s flavors are of ripe citrus fruit and crisp green apple. It finishes with a light minerality.

Next we were served a Smoked Chicken Roulade with roasted peppers and Proschuito on a saffron cream sauce. The smoked meat and spiciness paired nicely with the 2005 Dumas Station Merlot. This wine just received a 92 in wine spectator. It is rich with plum jam, cocoa, vanilla, and a wonderful balance of tannin, fruit, and acid. It finishes long and beautiful.

The sixth course was a Bison Strip with Blackberry Brandy Sauce. I paired this with the 2005 Dumas Station Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2005 vintage is pulled from Walla Walla’s Minnick vineyard. It has deep, rich flavors of blackberry and currant, and spice box.

Dessert was a wonderful cream cake with huckleberries. The natural pairing for this was Claar’s 2007 late harvest Riesling. The rich flavors of apricot, peaches, and pears in the wine mingled nicely with the buttery richness of the frosted cake.

If you ever have the chance to enjoy a meal at the Hilltop, I would highly recommend it. Will is a fantastic chef, and his staff was great to work with. Also, when traveling Hwy 12 between Dayton and Waitsburg, I suggest stopping to visit Dumas Station. Claar Cellars is located in Zillah just off of I-82. On your next trip to Seattle, stop in and tell them I sent you.