Last night was glorious. It had been a beautiful day, including a trip to Studio Opal where I drooled over clothes and jewelry, a motorcycle ride, coffee from the Patisserie, and I even threw in a few hours of yard work. The rial kicker came at Whitehouse-Crawford where a friend and I met for dinner. Gourmet burgers. Oh how I love those burgers. Before the food arrived I had a glass ofTres Ojos 2007 Old Vines Garnacha. It was bright, pure, with a youthful feel and delightful briskness that matched the sudden onset of Spring in the valley.
Then the burgers arrived. Beautiful burgers with bacon, cheddar, mustard aioli, and fried sweet onions. I don’t eat red meat very often. And this time was anything but a disappointment. Juicy, but not fatty. Of course, the bacon put me a little over the edge… and I’ll be craving it for a few days now. The Garnacha went nicely with the burger. And then Avel–one of my all-time favorite bartenders–poured me a glass of the Walla Walla Vinters 2007 Merlot. That did it. I was in love.
83% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Cabernet Franc. This wine was smooth, chocolate, sexy, brought out the wild side of the burger, and reminded me why I love Walla Walla. Where else could you sit at the bar next to world class winemakers (L’Ecole No. 41), have a burger made from local meat (Thundering Hooves), drink the local wine (Walla Walla Vintners), then walk a couple blocks to downtown–bumping into the Walla Walla Vinters winemaker, Gordy Venneri on the way–where streets are blocked off and there are crowds watching the Tour of Walla Walla bike races until after 10pm on a Saturday night?
It’s Spring; all is in bloom, including my appreciation for this town.
Now I need to get back out there and watch some more of the bike races! Awesome.
photos: kysela.com, www.wallawallavintners.com
