Recently I attended Taste of Tulalip for the first time. Wow, it was everything I had heard and more. We just had the most fun. Although I don’t think “wow” quite covers it.
The event hosts, Norma and Allan, did just a fabulous job coordinating everything and the hotel staff were so efficient we felt welcome from the moment we stepped into the impressive foyer. At every turn there was a staff member to assist or direct you. From the valet, the bell persons, concierge to the front desk staff we were dealt with in a friendly and timely manner.
We arrived in the afternoon on Friday and checked in to a comfortable and spacious room with a lovely welcoming gift. Agenda in hand we quickly checked out all the events that would take place over the next two days. At first glance a bit overwhelming but a little organization on our part, decisions made, we were ready to embrace the experience.
What an experience Taste of Tulalip is. I have attended a number of wine events from modest tastings to festivals but I can honestly say this is one that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish.
Our experience began with a VIP Welcome Reception where we met the celebrity guests that would be conducting the talks the following day. Everyone mingled and got to know each other while snacking on delicious bites paired with a fabulous French champagne. There was plenty of time to get to know the other guests and even catch up with a few other Vancouverites that had also come down to attend Taste of Tulalip. Many of the guests were repeaters having attended before with some even attending every year without fail. That definitely indicated we were in for quite the weekend.
Throughout the evening the Taste of Tulalip Wine Shop was open and savvy attendees knew to visit there early. The selection of wines, all of which were being poured at the Grand Taste the next day, was exceptional and the pricing probably the best you would find to purchase these particular wines.
Next we strolled to the Celebration Dinner Reception which was held on the patio adjoining the Oasis Pool. It was delightful and relaxing to sip wine, listen to a string duo and savour delicious bites in a slightly exotic setting. Those who wished could sip and chat or sip as they shopped in the Wine Shop while we awaited for the evenings Celebration Dinner to begin.
The Orca Ballroom was exquisite, adorned in soft light with beautiful floral arrangements the centrepiece of each table. I must say I was most impressed with the way they had set the room. A assortment of hightop tables for those further back in the room and not a bad seat in the house. There were three separate stages placed about the room and a mix of entertainers and MC’s sharing centre stage, a lively band on another stage to our right and yet another musician on a stage to our left. No matter where you were seated the entertainment literally came right at you through a series of video screens, hard to describe but an experience guaranteed to delight.
Absolutely everything about the evening was so well executed and dinner with wine pairings really was a treat to the eye as well as the palate.
Beginning with a Champagne toast and then an amuse bouche by Chef Gerry Schultz, a Beet Carpaccio Ravioli, paired with Schramsberg Vineyards J. Schram Brut, North Coast California, 2004.
Next a Creamy Jerusalem Artichoke Soup, by by Chef Brent Clarkson, and for something different paired with d’s Wicked Hard Cider ‘Baked Apple’, Kennewick, Washington.
This was followed by a Seared Scallop with Green Papaya Slaw, by Chef John Ponticelli, paired with Alleramb Winery Sauvignon Blanc, Columbia Valley, Washington, 2012.
For something a little different we then enjoyed a Blackberry Sockeye Salmon Lox popsicle, by Chef David Buchanan, paired with Kosta Browne Russian River Pinot Noir, California, 2012.
An intermezzo of Pomegranate and Rose Granita prepared by Chef John Jadamec.
An entree duo of New York Strip dry aged 46 days with Tarragon Beurre Blanc and New York Strip aged 28 days with Wild Cranberry Demi, by Chef Perry Mascitti, paired with Leonetti Cellar ‘Reserve’ Blend, Walla Walla, Washington, 2011.
Dessert was a creation of Valrhona Carmelized White Chocolate Cremeux and Cake, Almond Streusel and Osetra Caviar by Chef Nikol Nakamura.
A parting gift of a Taste of Tulalip 58% Chocolate Lollipop just in case we got hungry later.
For anyone who wasn’t ready to call it a day there is a miriad of options from lounges, restaurants and of course the casino to keep you entertained into the wee hours of the night, or morning for that matter.
Our room was beckoning and having enjoyed a lengthly stroll in the afternoon I was ready to call it a night.
Next morning a lovely hosted breakfast in the Cedars Cafe private dining room where we ate like kings enjoying made to order omelettes with every possible filling imaginable. A truly American style, totally delicious breakfast. Also a chance to chat and compare experiences with some of the other guests we met who were from Canada, Washington, Oregon and California.
After a little time on our own we were off to experience Old World vs New World Smackdown: Washington takes on France’s Rhone Valley with Anthony Giglio and Tommy Thompson. Described as a whirlwind tasting tour throughout the heart of France’s Rhone Valley to show how grapes that hail from there (think Viognier, Grenache and Syrah) succeed in Washington State. Which ones are better? We got to decide and vote!
The Old World vs New World Smackdown with Anthony Giglio was a highly entertaining event where you learned a lot about wine tasting in general, and more specifically, about the Rhone wine and the Rhone method of wine making. There was a lot to take in but Giglio makes it easy to learn, his style is laid back and a bit humorous and the time just flew by. Giglio has been described as “witty, unpretentious, he is a writer, educator and raconteur who motivates countless wine drinkers to trust their own tastes and relax the rules”. A far cry from the many wine seminars I’ve experienced before where you hear more about the wine reviewer, who he knows, where he’s been and what he thinks he knows than about the wine. This was a wine seminar that could easily be described as the best time you can have learning about wine without really trying.
From here on I will embrace Giglio’s wine tasting philosophy: the first taste of the wine doesn’t count, do your homework, taste as much as you can, when you can. Most importantly it takes three sips to decide and he truly means it, the first sip does not count. Giglio pointed out that many people at a tasting decide on the wine with only one taste and the wine may taste completely different by the time you get to the third sip. I found he was exactly right, the wine did taste different as we swirled, sipped and savoured each wine three times, no spitting either. This was my kind of tasting!
Giglio referred to the five essences of wine (and hopefully I took down the notes accurately so note this is my interpretation here) Colour, Sparkling or Still, Swirl, Legs (slow means high sugar) Scent.
It was also pointed out that when examining the colour of the wine it is important to have the right backdrop, certainly something I hadn’t thought of before. Holding the wine glass at an angle is important but you can’t get the colour right if the background is obscuring it. It was suggested the best way to study the colour of the wine is to hold it over a white napkin, tilt and you will better see the true colour.
Some other hints:
Always add enough water to your ice bucket so that the bottle is immersed instead of sitting on top of a large pile of ice, the bottle chills better and faster when completely submerged. A common problem in restaurants where the server fights to jam the bottle only partially into the ice.
In a restaurant Giglio advises it is actually very rare that a wine is “corked” and suggests you save yourself the embarrassment of being that pretentious person, if you truly think there is a problem with the wine, be discreet and defer to your server.
A wine experiment to try: take three bottles of the same red wine, one at room temperature, one in ice (water added of course) for five minutes and one in ice for 10 minutes, try a blind tasting with friends without telling them it is the same wine (this idea just gets better) tell your friends you can’t decide which wine to serve with dinner (I guess you have to provide dinner for this experiment). According to Giglio the reveal will surprise your guests. That’s a fun way to let us know our 21st century homes, and kitchens in particular, are not “room temperature” or the right place to store our wine.
On to the tasting:
Rhone style white blends: M. Chapoutier “l’Ermite” Blanc, Ermitage, France 2007 vs Tranche Cellars “Slice of Pape” Blanc, Columbia Valley, Washington 2011 and the winner was M. Chapoutier at $350. (my pick was the Tranche Cellars at $29.)
Rhone style syrah: E. Guigal “Chateau d’Ampuis”, Cote Rone, France 2010 vs Betz Family Winery “La Cote Rousse”, Red Mountain, Washington, 2011 and the winner was Betz Family at $59. (my pick was the E. Guigal at $135.)
Rhone style blends: Domaine de Villeneuve “Vieilles Vignes” Chateauneuf-Du-Pape, France, 2010 vs Kevin White Winery “La Fraternite” Columbia Valley, Washington, 2012 and the winner was Kevin White Winery at $28. (my pick was – a tie, a liked both and even after several sips I still couldn’t make up my mind) the Domaine de Villeneuve was $59.
The Grand Tasting which takes place over a spacious portion of the hotel comprises the Oasis Pool, Chinook Rooms, Orca Ballroom and the Foyer.
The wineries in attendance are all the best Washington State has to offer pouring highly rated, award winning wines throughout the afternoon. The Foyer provides an opportunity for wines from regions outside Washington State to be tasted.
List of wineries participating in Taste of Tulalip.
The pace for the Grand Tasting is surprisingly relaxed as wine enthusiasts cruise through sipping on excellent Washington State wines. The Red Mountain region was definitely popular.
One of the best features of the Grand Taste which sets it apart from so many other wine tasting events is the inclusion of gourmet bites to pair with the wine. There were so many food stations to choose from and the food was simply fantastic on its own or paired with the wines.
Another point I appreciated was that all the wineries present poured all of their wines, not just their least expensive which takes place at some other wine festivals, but their top end wines. Taste of Tulalip make their selections based on the quality of the wines. Best of all the wine, having been purchased by Taste of Tulalip specifically for the Grand Taste, are poured to the very end, they do not run out of wine. Likewise the delicious tasting bites were never ending giving a true opportunity to sample wines the way they should be sampled – by pairing with delicious food.
The afternoon was an overall terrific experience and an event worth attending year after year. This was the 6th Annual Taste of Tulalip and, like every year, sells out in advance. Next year’s Taste of Tulalip date have been announced – Friday, November 13 & Saturday, November 14 for the 7th Annual Taste of Tulalip. Featuring over 120 wineries, wine seminars & cooking demonstrations. TasteofTulalip.com
The itinerary for the day went like this:
9:00 breakfast by invitation – Cedars Cafe
12:00 Old World vs New World – Taste of Tulalip Tent
12:00 Magnum Party – old world wines – Canoes Cabaret (till 4pm)
12:00 Magnum Party – new world wines – The Draft Sports Bar and Grill (till 4pm)
1:00 Table Talk cooking demo – Taste of Tulalip Tent
1:30 Wine shop opens (till 7 pm) – Chinook 4
1:30 VIP entry to the Grand Taste – Oasis Pool, Chinook rooms, Orca Ballroom & Foyer
2:30 Grand Taste all guests (till 6:30 pm) – as above
3:00 CIRQ – Kosta Browne Winery – An Intimate Opportunity to Explore (by invitation)
3:30 Rock ’n Roll Challenge – (till 5 pm) Taste of Tulalip Tent
Every event was outstanding and although my intention was to get to everything and stay long enough to thoroughly enjoy myself I did find I ran out of time. In our case particularly time to better enjoy the Magnum Party. The Old World vs New World did run overtime, but it was so worth it, but that cut into our Magnum Party time where we started in New World because the wines were wonderful. Unfortunately we ran out of time to fully experience the Old World Magnum Party where champagne in the four figure bracket was being poured, what I tasted was nothing short of exquisite. I admit I was anxious to hit the Grand Taste to take full advantage of the VIP hour. In retrospect I could have cut that a bit and spent more time in the Old World Magnum Party. The exclusive CIRQ-Kosta Browne tasting, which included food pairings, was also one we didn’t want to miss even though it was held at the same time as the Magnum Party and the Grand Taste. So it goes when you attend an event for the first time. It does take some orientation and self discipline to stick to your agenda. Taste of Tulalip is definitely an event you want to do more than once.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the generosity of the charitable Tulalip Tribes who this year have donated 6.7 million dollars back to their community. To learn more about what they do visit tulalipcares.org
Great article Valerie! I’ve heard about this event before so I really enjoyed reading about your detailed accounting of the experience. I’ve got it marked on the calendar for next year.