No plans for Labor Day? Well, for those who are lucky enough to live close to the Bay Area or have the ability to travel there, the folks over at Wente Vineyards are planning a killer music festival worth looking into. Here are the official details:
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Disclaimer: You are about to enter the beer geek zone. 
I absolutely love kicking it back with brewers, talking science, talking art, and totally geeking-out over beer. In my world, very few things compare to hanging out at a brewery, with the brewer, on brewday, drinking his/her beer with him/her. After all, if there is anyone who knows more about a specific beer than anyone else, it is the very person that brews it.
At the beginning of this October, Firestone Walker will be releasing its Velvet Merlin, a limited seasonal oatmeal stout, for the first time under its new name. It was previously called Velvet “Merkin” — the definition for merkin being a “pubic wig” (not quite an appropriate beer name). Continue Reading »
The Northwest Cider Association in conjunction with SBS Imports and the Seattle Beer Collective have announced the First Annual Cider Summit NW, presented by Whole Foods Market. Cider Summit NW benefits The Institute for Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research, one of the world’s leading independent research organizations developing effective therapies to increase the quality of life and longevity of myeloma patients. Continue Reading »
Each week, beer blogger Lee Williams highlights the most notable upcoming beer releases that belong on every craft beer lover’s radar. This is Mutineer’s fourth edition of the weekly series.
Full Sail Brewing of Hood River, Oregon started releasing some of its more experimental offerings back in 1998. The Brewmaster Reserve series is Full Sail’s current outlet for such beers, a rotating schedule of beers that seek to appeal or expand palates beyond the usual session styles. A different Brewmaster Reserve beer is released every 8 to 10 weeks. The latest addition to the line up is a Dubbel called Sanctuary. Continue Reading »
There are lots of great beer event listing sites out on the “interwebz” such as Beer Advocate, Rate Beer, and Craftbeer.com. These sites have a user posted database of calendars chock full of beer events. For the average beer drinker, however, these schedules can be a little daunting- this Saturday alone held over twenty events combined!
This weekly posting will serve as your quick reference guide to the hottest beer events for this upcoming week- featuring craft beer and food pairing dinners, festivals, and events that will host representatives from the involved brewery.
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What is it with me, Zinfandel, and awesome food lately? Anyway…
“Event Recap: “An Affair With Zinfandel”
Step one: Out to the estate vineyard to meet up with winemaker Margaret Davenport. On a beauteous early evening, in my most cherished of valleys, we took a gander (or three) at the fruit. I witnessed how behind schedule they are, only now in verasion (when the grape starts to ripen and develop its color). Already I was having a blast, taking pic after pic with my camera (okay, I confess — cameras. I love veraison!). Syncing back to task, we tried two ’09 Zins, one in French Oak, one American. I overheard some say before the pour, “Do you think we’ll be able to tell the difference?” Their dismissive dialogue soon dove into humble interest and arousal with lines like, “Oh wow, look at that!” And believe me, the difference, although both were delicious, was that starkly pronounced. Continue Reading »
Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyard, Photography by Ian Andreae
Call him what you will: Wild man, prognosticator, “Defender of Misunderstood and Underappreciated Doon-trodden Cépages of the Earth…” Randall Grahm is also a radical “terroirist”; no matter what else you get from his wines, he wants you to get where they come from.
To this end, Grahm is really digging in the dirt for his latest project – his attempt at a legacy and a true American vin de terroir. He’s hybridizing his best-adapting vines and planting the resulting seeds, without any idea of what will actually happen, in his new vineyard in San Juan Bautista, California. Continue Reading »
Election time is fast approaching and the citizens of Washington State are being faced with two initiatives to get the state out of the liquor industry. The one that has received the most press, Initiative 1100, was backed heavily by Costco Wholesale of Issaquah, Washington who has previously lost court battles to be able to distribute alcohol through their own distribution channels, basically disbands the three-tier system. There is also Initiative 1105, which would close state liquor stores and license private parties to sell and distribute spirits. I-1105 has been backed solely by two existing distributors in Washington, Odom Corporation and Young’s Market Company (K&L Beverage Company). Continue Reading »
