SOUP CONTEST WINNERS!

Soups Galore!

We have hosted a soup contest at our Fall Barrel Tasting Weekend event for years. Each year event attendees take on the great responsibility of tasting and voting on their favorite soups. If you didn’t get a chance to submit or sip this year, we hope you remember to join us next year at our Fall Barrel Tasting Weekend! This year we made soup contest history! Not only did we have a record number of folks submitting soups for judging, but we had our first ever tie! Read below to learn a little more about our newest soup savants.

FRIDAY

Julia Figgins
Buffalo Chicken Chili
Julia Figgins created a crowd pleasing Buffalo Chicken Chili with all the fixins’. The fan favorite was to pair her spicy chili with our 2020 Malbec, because the fruity flavors in our wine played nice with the spice in the chili.Unfortunately, we aren’t able to share a recipe for this soup because Julia “shoots from the hip” and makes it up as she goes. 
Sarah Heasley
Polska Kielbasa Soup
Sarah Heasley created a spicy Polska Kielbasa Soup that really got our taste buds buzzing! If you make this delicious dish, we recommend pairing it with the 2020 Henry’s Red, because the smoky flavors in the wine brought out the smoky flavors in the soup.For a printable copy: Polska Kielbasa Sausage Soup

SATURDAY

Cherie Holsclaw
Seafood Chowder
Cherie created a Seafood Chowder that simply blew away the competition!This creamy dish of comfort paired nicely with the 2022 Albariño, the crisp citrus of the wine is a good juxtaposition to the creamy richness of the chowder.  Mmm mmm good!Cherie is also an intuitive chef and does not cook from a recipe. But she did share a few notes about how she creates her soup. Seafood Chowder

We want to take a moment to say a great big thank you to all the contestants who participated in our soup contest. THANK YOU! 

Other soup submissions recipes available to download here:
Tortellini Soup – Lisa LaBarbera
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup – Billie Farley

 

Virtual Happy Hour – July 8

Patrick and Teresa taste through our newest white wine releases. Check out the video where they talk about everything from the vines, to the 2020 weather and growing season to tasting notes on the 2020 Riesling, 2020 Viognier, 2020 Dry Rosé, and 2020 Albariño.  Grab a glass of your favorite and enjoy.

Williamson Vineyards talks about 112 years of family farming

Lynsey Amundson of Idaho 6 News sat down with Beverly and asked about the family’s 112 year history of growing fruit and farming in the Sunnyslope area of Caldwell. Check out the video  and article here: After four generations, Williamson Orchards and Vineyards now handcrafting award-winning wine

It’s on the tip of my tongue…

We talk a lot about taste and flavor in the wine industry. How a wine tastes is one of the reasons why we enjoy what we do! That being said, understanding the mechanics of how humans process and perceive flavor can actually help us enjoy our favorite pastime even more!

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUR TASTE BUDS AND THE TONGUE

There are about 10,000 taste buds which are on the papillae. The tongue has four different types of papillae that make the tongue feel rough.
Each taste bud has tiny hairs that pick up signals from the foods we eat. When food mixes with saliva on your tongue, it bathes the taste buds and the receptor hairs pick up the taste signal and send it to your brain to interpret.
The areas of the tongue with the most taste buds are the tip of the tongue and the sides of the tongue though there are some taste buds scattered all over the tongue.
The “taste signal” is sent up a nerve fiber to the brain that tells us if we like what we tasted.
There are at least 5 basic taste types; sweet, salty, sour (like lemons and limes which make your cheeks pucker), bitter (like unsweetened chocolate), and umami (like beef or soy sauce).
Every taste bud has the sensory receptors for each of our 5 tastes.
Taste Buds are located in only 3 of the 4 types of Papillae:
Fungiform papillae are found all over the top and sides of the tongue. They are mushroom-shaped.
Foliate papillae look like grooves to sides of the tongue in back.
Circumvallate papillae are lined up in the back of the tongue. There are up to 14 found there.

Click here for larger graphic.

Buy a Virtual Happy Hour 6-Pack and join us October 8th for a private virtual tasting!

When you purchase this special collection of bottles you automatically get a link to a private virtual tasting held at 5pm on October 8th. Each 6-pack includes 2 bottles of each wine, so you can taste along with us and save the remaining bottles for later.

 

Included in this curated selection:
2 bottles 2018 Windmill Red ~ Blend of Sangiovese and Syrah
 A rich garnet color, this wine promises depth and complexity. The aromas evolve from bright sweet berries to a charming bramble and minerality. Flavors of dark cherry and marionberry evolve into earthy tones on the mid-palate. Finishes with firm but supple tannins.

2 bottles 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon ~ Newly released
This wine is a clear and bright brick red in the glass. Aromas of intense dark red fruit, violet, cherry amaretto, sweet hay and earthy minerality greet the nose. The bright cherries in the beginning segue into a preserved cherry and earthy mid-palate with hint of oak on the finish. Tannins and acid are bright but balanced.

2 bottles 2018 Henry’s Red ~ Blend of Malbec, Petite Sirah & Syrah
This wine hasn’t even been released yet and it’s already won a bronze medal at the 2020 Idaho Wine Competition! So we know you are going to love this complex blend has a rich, deep color with surprisingly light tannins and body. White pepper and berry bramble tickle the nose as sweet threads of huckleberry greet your tongue and transition into bright flavors of pomegranate.
For a total of $140

But wait! Take advantage of our awesome incentive pricing!
We’re throwing in local delivery and some great prices to sweeten the deal.
General Public Pricing = 15% off of $140 + complimentary local delivery
Wine Club Pricing = 20% off of $140 + complimentary local delivery
**Incentive pricing available thru October 8th.**

Order your wines before 5pm on Tuesday, September 29th for our local delivery option.

Escape With Idaho Wine

The Idaho Wine Commission has come up with a terrific partnership with Idaho wineries and Idaho dairy. In August, spend $15 at a participating winery and get the following:
– Reusable, stemless wine glass
– Complimentary 5 oz pour
– Local cheese sampler from Dairy West
We’ve got the goods, come get it while they last!
This link will take you to the Idaho Wine Commission website and the list of all the wineries around the state that are participating.

Virtual Happy Hour – May 28

This is a wonderful opportunity to taste wine along with one of the winery owners. Join us for this virtual wine tasting and learn from Beverly Williamson about three of our most popular wines. We hope you’ll enjoy thinking about the aromas, flavors, and food pairing properties of these delicious wines.