Woodinville’s Passport 2013
Woodinville is preparing itself for the traditional right of Spring with Passport a two day wine fest. This year Woodinville Wine Country held a Passport pre-function an evening of Reserve wines held at Columbia Winery on April 12th. 40 wineries with wines rated over 90 points poured their finest to a full house of adoring fans. 
The Reserve served up a nice prelude to Passport 2013 which will kick off this Saturday, April 20th, at Noon and will run through Sunday, April 21st, until 4pm.
Get Tickets HERE.
If you are planning on attending Passport my advice to you is be ADVENTUROUS. You may have your winery comfort zones but step out and try some of the lesser known wineries. Let me recommend a few that participated in the Reserve tasting:
This is my short list and I can guarantee the wineries listed won’t disappoint. So many great wines and so little time. What is on your 2013 Passport itinerary?
The Hollywood Tavern Burger Revealed
The soon to be “new” Hollywood Tavern
The Hollywood Tavern Burger Revealed
Anticipation for Skillet’s Hollywood Tavern has just been quadrupled. It’s apparent the owners of The Hollywood Tavern will be tormenting the public by slowly but surely revealing menu items. Eater – Seattle has the scoop on the soon to be signature Hollywood Tavern Burger. Unfortunately, it won’t be until August that you can get your hands on one of these but you can follow The Hollywood Tavern’s progress at the Huxley Wallace FB page or at their official website http://huxleywallace.com/spaces/
Wineries on the Move
Woodinville continues to be the place for Washington wineries to have a tasting room. Here is a list of a few wineries making bold moves in Woodinville.
Gard Vintners: I personally think that Gard is still so under the radar that it is only a matter of time before the local wine appreciators recognize the fantastic value and true winemaking expertise Gard brings to Woodinville. Rooted deep into Washington’s terroir, Josh Lawrence, owner/farmer is from a Scandinavian farming family based out of Royal City, Washington. The pristine Lawrence Vineyards produce some of the finest fruit around. Josh and his wife Lisa started the winery in 2006. Their winemaker Aryn Morall cut his winemaking teeth in Napa and now lives in Walla Walla. Gard previously shared a tasting room with Robert Smasne. Now solo, go visit Gard Vintners at their new location in Woodinville: 19151 144th Ave. NE, Hours: Thursday – Monday 12-5pm.
Castillo de Feliciana: Just opened their second tasting room in Woodinville. Castillo de Feliciana or “The Castle of Happiness” owners are the Castillo family from Duvall. They have a 66 acre vineyard and tasting room in Walla Walla. Their new tasting room exudes an inviting and warm Latin elegance that extends to the Spanish varietals Castillo de Feliciana brings to Woodinville including Albarino, Tempranillo, and Malbec. Go visit them at: 15114 148th Ave. NE, Woodinville Hours: 12-5 Friday thru Sunday
Vessel Wines: A revolutionary trend to premium wines on tap. Vessel joins the warehouse winery crowd. They have three premium Washington wines; they pour a Chardonnay, Bordeaux blend, and a Syrah. Visit them in their new expansive Woodinville warehouse home. Address: is 19405 144th Ave. NE Bldg. D:
Hollywood Hill Vineyards: The one and only commercial grape grower in the ‘hood has moved their tasting room back to the vines. They are back to their roots on Hollywood Hill. Check out their FB page for days open to the public.
Walla Walla’s Cougar Crest Winery is taking over Hollywood Hills little red house on Red/Woodinville Rd. Construction is currently going on for a new expanded deck. They will remain open at their current location in Apple Farm Village - 14545 148th Ave. NE #211, Woodinville, WA 98072 Hours: Friday and Saturday 11am – 6pm, Sunday 12pm – 5pm
Hollywood Hill Real Estate News
Another month is in the books! March was another upward trending month for real estate on the hill.
Here are the latest statistics:
March Solds: 8 homes sold from $230,000 to $1,075,000
Year to Date Solds: 12 homes priced from $230,000 to $1,685,000
Active Listings: 12
Pending: 3
The active listings have an average list price of $1,071,492. The lowest priced home on the hill is $458,800 today. Two of the recent listings went pending in a matter of a day.
There was a notable change in the absorption rate for March. In February, the absorption rate for Hollywood Hill was approximately ( 1.3). A very strong sellers market. In March, the absorption rate changed to ( 4 ) moving the market to a more neutral market. This data change may reflect the seasonal trend for homeowners to list there homes for sale in Spring. Happy house hunting!
*Absorption rate is the difference between active listings and pending. Anything less than 3 is a “sellers” market.
Lakeshore Realty West
Lifestyle Properties
Maureen Nolan – 206-200-9849
Staging Colors
Are you getting your home ready for sale? Paint color can make a big difference in how a buyer perceives your home. A fresh coat of paint even if it’s just one accent wall can make all of the difference in the sale of a home.
Consider some of these colors put together by Houzz. They are tried and true and may be just what your home needs to get a sold sign on it!
Garden to Glass – Cocktails
Spring has sprung and it’s time to get out there and enjoy the outdoors. I mean really enjoy the outdoors. With locals like Beth Evans-Ramos it is not difficult to be inspired. She is the creator and cocktail enthusiast behind Mama (Beth) Knows Her Cocktails.
Recently, Molbaks hosted Beth as a speaker to impart her wisdom on all things garden and cocktails. Beth demonstrated how to infuse water with herbs, flowers, tangerine peels and bitters. And then she provided many examples and recipes on how to transport the garden to cocktails by either infusing booze or adding bitters or both.
So inspired by Beth for St. Patrick’s day I infused Irish Whiskey with Vanilla. Click here for the Vanilla infused Irish Coffee recipe from Marx Foods. It was fantastic and a drink to serve anytime especially as spring sheds it’s cold wintery like days.
Along with infusing booze many people know, I’m just learning, that bitters are the rage amongst Seattle foodies. Bitters are a magical elixir of spirits, spices, plants, herbs (that can be found in any garden) and fruit fermented together for a couple of weeks and added to your vice of choice. Click here for Beth’s Cherry Bitters recipe.
For additional information on harvesting your garden for cocktails here are Beth’s recommended reads:
Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart
A Seasonal Cocktail Companion by Maggie Savarino
and of course check out Beth’s blog at Mama (Beth) Knows Her Cocktails.
Cheers!
Corned Beef, Cabbage and Wine
St. Patty’s day dinner has been a tradition in my family since I was a wee lass. Veering off course a bit from my very Irish family’s tradition of boiled corned beef my version is a corned beef and cabbage that is oven baked. And now where there is beer there is wine! An Irish tradition hailing back to the 1600′s and the Flight of the Wild Geese.
Oven Baked Corned Beef and Cabbage:
Here is a recipe from PCC Market. http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/pcc/recipes/oven-baked-corned-beef-dinner I like this recipe because it is basic, simple and one that you can add your own Irish flair by adding a pint of Guinness (or beer of choice) to the baking water.
Wines that pair well with Corned Beef and Cabbage:
Bordeaux (Forgeron Cellars, Walldeaux)
Syrah (Matthews Cellars ’10 Syrah)
Cabernet Sauvignon (Va Piano Vineyards ’09 Cab.)
or
Pinot Noir (Lachini Vineyards)
and if you crave a white wine go German with a Riesling (Patit Creek ) or Gruner Veltliner.
Erin Go Bragh!
