Ladies Lotto Seattle - Wine, De-mystified!

Seattle's Ladies Lotto August Meeting

The Seattle Ladies Lotto group met Wednesday, August 20 at Poco Wine Room for a summer evening wine and cheese pairing.

Often "wine-speak" seems like a foreign language that few translate well. The naming conventions around the flavors of wine are obscure and sometimes seem contrived and pretentious. Ladies Lotto Seattle member and Sommelier (or wine expert) Sabrina Moss of Tom Douglas Restaurants presented her vast knowledge of wine as the group sampled her amazing wine and cheese pairings.

Erika Sunmark and Miss Sommelier Sabrina Moss

Some fun factoids about wine shared by Sabrina:

- When selecting wines, look for alcohol percentage of 13.5%. Wines with a percentage of 15 (as in most California wines) will be too acidic and detract from the flavor of the varietal.
- It is best to drink wine from very thin glass, as this allows for adequate oxygenation of wine.
- Carbonic Maceration is a process used in making wine that involves crushing grapes. This process ferments juice while it is inside thr grape. As a result, the wine will be fruity and low in tannins.
- Avoid 2008 Washington wines from Yakima and Walla Walla, because these regions aren't expecting to have good harvests due to broad temperature changes.

Here are the selections of Miss Sommelier Moss that the Ladies Lotto Seattle group enjoyed:

1. Broadbent Vinho Verde (with Manchego cheese) - Portugal
Broadbent is the most popular white in Portugal and is a refreshing light wine whose color is slightly green. Its light effervesence works well with Machego cheese's creamy texture and nutty flavor.

2. Fidelitas M100 White blend (with Camembert) - Washington
This Washington white bordeaux blend has a wide ranging dry palette with almond skin. Its dryness is a strong counterpoint to the creamy texture of Camembert.

3. Syncline Pinot Noir (with Humboldt Fog) - Washington
This unique Washington pinot boasts a rich ruby color with a cherry strawberry nose, bright acidity with juicy fruit on palate.

4. Terra Adina Carmenere (with rogue smoky bleu cheese) - Chile
The Terra features a grape known as "the lost grape of Bordeaux" and delivers an intense plum flavor with spicy cedar and clove notes. It is Paired with bleu cheese due to its complimentary intense flavors.



Love & Lotto,

Sara Jayne Crow