Growing good things

One of the joys of living in Eastern Washington is the near-constant opportunity to bring great wines together with fresh foods grown practically right outside your back door. Figuratively speaking, of course. You might recall my feeble attempt at gardening.  If not, here's an update:

This is the PUH-thetic tomato plant I “nurtured” this summer. All appearances aside, it is not a victim of abuse. I have been very faithful about watering it, but it began to wither, branch by branch, almost as soon as it bloomed. Must be some kind of fungus or some such thing. 

But, just as the tag on the plant promised, it did indeed yield fruit in 60 days. Three smallish but lovely tomatoes. (The large one in the background is store-bought. Well, farmer’s market-bought.)

Fortunately, I am surrounded by people who know how to do it right. I live in the most bountiful corner of the great state of Washington, so I will never starve for a lack of fresh, homegrown veggies. I can simply step out my backdoor, climb in my car and head for a nearby winery that is likely to be hosting a winemaker’s dinner. That’s what we did a few weeks ago when we sat down for dinner at Mercer Estates.

(Actually, it’s not quite that easy. There are plenty of winemakers around here vying to serve you dinner, but not every night. Plus, you have to make reservations, and sometimes you have to belong to their wine club. Plan ahead. I’m just sayin’.)

Mercer Estates is owned by two venerable farming families, the Mercers and the Hogues. Our barbecue feast at Mercer was deeelicious. We started with assorted cheeses, and a tour of the winemaking facility and barrel room, led by Mike Hogue. Mike is a veritable treasure chest of wine knowledge. He is a member of the family that founded Hogue Cellars, one of Washington State’s oldest and largest producers. The Hogues sold the operation in 2001, while continuing to grow wine grapes. They also produce a large and lovely crop of apples. The Mercer family has grown a wide variety of vegetables in the Yakima Valley for more than 100 years. They planted their first wine grapes in 1972. When the two clans joined forces, happy things occurred.

Mike is showing us on the map here the locations of the vineyards that produce the grapes for Mercer Estates wines. Many of them come from the Horse Heaven Hills, location of the famed Champoux Vineyard, which was originally owned by the Mercers. The Horse Heavens are also the site of Mercer Estate’s Spice Cabinet Vineyard, which gave birth to the Mourvedre we drank at dinner, a tasty barbecued steak served with signature Hogue and Mercer family dishes. The Mercer carrot salad was tangy with lime juice, cilantro and coriander, and the Hogue apple pie was just as delicious as you would expect from pie made of fruit grown by your host.

I was delighted when a bottle of Mourvedre appeared on our table. Mourvedre is full of flavors of black fruits, pepper and a spicy earthiness. It’s a paradoxical grape on the vine – hungry for hot, sunny days with plenty of wind, but demanding water at the same time. It’s perfect for the Horse Heaven Hills. Spice Cabinet Vineyard captures the southern morning sun, escaping the intense heat of the afternoon, and the winds howling up through the Columbia River Gorge help moderate the climate.

Mercer winemaker David Forsyth says he’s learning the nuances of Mourvedre. Spice Cabinet was planted in 2004, and the 2007 vintage was the first it produced. It was also Forsyth’s first stab at this variety. The wine shows subdued color and richness, so Forsyth builds a long supple mouth feel by holding the tannins low and in balance.

Mourvedre is often blended with Grenache and Syrah, and Mercer’s bottling is a classic combo of 5% Grenache/95% Mourvedre, delivering a subtle layer of fruitiness. Perfect with the steak. But hold on…….what’s this?

Dessert!

 Forsyth is innovating in the winery with Mourvedre, and tasting room manager Jenna Hannan is going one-on-one with him on the menu. S’mores, anyone? Jenna has turned roasting marshmallows into an art form. After the barbecue, guests were invited to grab an oversized marshmallow stuffed with…get ready…caramel!

Along with the caramelly marshmallows came bowls of coconut, almonds, Nutella and the traditional graham crackers and chocolate bars.

And all of it – the savory steaks, tangy salad, and sweet gooey dessert – somehow was complemented by the Mourvedre. It’s a delightful, adaptable and subtle wine.

Only 75 cases of the 2008 Mercer Estates Spice Cabinet Mourvedre were bottled. It’s sold out at the tasting room, but might still be available in select retail outlets. The ’09 will be released in about a year or so at $30. Watch for it – it should be worth the wait.