I have been to the mountain, and it is good. Yesterday Kris and I were invited out to do a tasting at Bonneville Hot Springs Resort here in the Columbia River Gorge. I'm sorry to say that up until 12 or so months ago, the reviews we heard from visitors in the tasting room have been very mediocre at best. Again, that was until about 12 months ago. I don't know who's responsible. Could be new management, could be new chef, could be new white robes in every room. Whatever they did, they did it well. I left this morning not wanting to leave.
The actual tasting was fun. Guests were treated to heaping plates of cheeses, bread, grapes and nuts to go with the wine I was pouring in front of a huge fire place in the Great Room.
After the tasting we headed to the Dining Room for possibly the best steak I've had in the Gorge. I'm not sure I've had a better steak anywhere ever. (We washed it down with a fantastic bottle of Viento 2004 Sangiovese.) If it sounds like I'm being a kiss ass, I'm not. The hotel is beautiful, the rooms are some of the nicest I've ever seen and the food was awesome. When you stay there I strongly recommend getting a room with a hot tub. If you turn your TV just right you can watch a football game while soaking in 104 degree water. Throw in the whole spa treatment thing and you have a perfect weekend getaway just 30 minutes from Portland.
This week it's back to the cellar. I have lots of reds to blend and I invite anyone to join me in what is my favorite part of winemaking. By the way, we're almost out of our '04 Pinot Noir. It was just released a couple of months ago and will be gone very soon.
Don't forget about our chili cook-off on February 3rd. Many of you always talk about how good your chili is but only a very few of you have the sack to enter. It's one of my favorite events of the year so come on out with or without your chili.
You owe yourself a spa treatment at Bonnevillie, Husum.
Joel
