Category: Tastings

This week we’re bringing the sleek and classy Efeste wines to Noshies and pouring some of the best Washington has to offer. Efeste brings a healthy slice of modern winemaking and sophisticated flavors usually found at the coolest wine bars in the most secret tucked away corners of the bigger cities. This week we’re pouring three of their very best.

Efeste Evergreen conjures images of, well, evergreen trees and brilliant green vineyards on a cloudy day in Germany. But more importantly, it delivers crisp and cool flavors that are enjoyed chilled to perfection on mild starlit evenings on a balcony over the water paired with some goat cheese and appetizers made with balsamic vinegar. Not your normal sweet Riesling, this wine boasts a dry acidity mixed with chalky minerality and a bright mouthwatering lime zest on the finish. On the nose you’ll find pleasant aromas of peach nectar, floral perfumes and citrus oils.

Next, we have the appropriately named Efeste Feral. This wild huntress of a wine should be enjoyed around a bonfire on a tree lined beach on Puget Sound with your best friends at dusk, paired with oysters on the half shell and fresh squeezed lemon. It has aromas of wet stone, ocean wind and citrusy herbs. It boasts flavors of tart lemon and lime, sea-soaked minerals, with just a hint of tropical sweetness.

What would an evening of classiness be without the silky decadence of a bold and smooth red wine? So, to finish off, Efeste Final-Final is the perfect wine to have once “Last Call” is heard. A sinful blend of Washington Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah suggests the word, “Luscious”. Jammy black fruit, juicy blueberry and plenty of toasted oak round this blend to a sultry wine. Perfect for the one who always says, “Just one more glass….”.

This week we are bringing the plains of Spain to your glasses. Noshies is now featuring some of the best inexpensive Spanish varietals this week!

Borsao hails from the northeastern region of Spain. A delightful blend of Macabeo and Chardonnay produces subtle flavors of lime, pineapple and honeyed citrus fruits. The French oak it was aged in mellows the acidity down to a soft potion of zest and vanilla. I would pair it perfectly with a white fish, and some meaty rice with lime.

The Flaco Tempranillo bears notes of luscious, randy, dark red fruit with mysterious Spanish spices bring a heady brew of spicy evenings and bad decisions. But what great adventure was ever made with good decisions? Best drunk with heavily marinated street tacos, pork and a swarthy handsome swordsman named Inigo Montoya.

Finally, the staple of the Spainsh country side enjoyed by Dons and the peasants alike. The Xiloca Garnacha is the ruby gem of wine that brings what Spanish wine should taste like. Sultry whispers of blackberries, black coffee and mocha round this “best-date-you’ve-ever-had-in-a-bottle” to something perfect and saucy. This should be enjoyed with a spicy plate of peppered fillets and, if you can swing it, a black stallion. Because, you know, horses are cool. Especially with wine.

What makes this trio of Spanish sauciness all the more better is that all of these delicious bottles are under $13.00. Easy on the pallet. Easy on the wallet. And everyone of them pairs with tacos. You cannot possibly go wrong.

We don’t even have one week left before 2020! What better way to celebrate the end of the year and the beginning of a new decade than with something non-vintage, sparkling and easy on the budget? We will be sharing three available options for our Thursday tasting here at Noshies before New Years Day!

Spanish Cava: Bonoval: “Medium straw color. Aromas and flavors of spiced apple and pear, hint of band-aid, and straw with a supple, vibrant, finely carbonated, dry-yet-fruity light-to-medium body and an effortless, appealing, medium-long finish with notes of lemon and tangerine curd, nectarine skin, and minerals with no oak flavor. A rock solid cava with bright acidity and tangy fruit.” ~ tastings.com https://www.tastings.com/Wine-Review/Bonaval-2015-Brut-Cava-DO-Spain-11-18-2017.aspx

Italian Spumante Rose: Rive Della Chiesa: The dead of winter is my favorite time to harken spring with a rose wine. “A delicious, pink sparkler from northern Italy. Delicate frizzante bubbles with a sigh of pink and a delicate nose of cherry roses and the kiss of summer strawberry. ” – toastwines.com https://www.toastwines.com/products/10888195/rive-della-chiesa-frizzanti-rose

Italian Moscato: Lovo Moscato Giallo: “Fior d’Arancio (“orange blossom”) is one of the world’s unique wines: a very rare clone of Moscato that derives its unmistakable citrus scent from the orange groves growing nearby. Wow! A sparkling wine with refined bubbles and a beautiful, pearlescent color, Fior d’Arancio is perfect as an aperitif or to accompany a delightful dessert. Produced by Salvatore Lovo, a true hands-in- the-dirt winemaker, there are very few estates in Italy that can produce this DOCG wine, so our friendly advice is to enjoy it while we can.” ~ http://www.augustwinegroup.com/wines/wine/fior-darancio-docg

Oakshire Brewing out of Eugene, Oregon has released their latest in their Fruit Farm Vintage Series. Oakshire has inspired us to step outside of our tasting night routine and into the wild world of beer! They bring us two barrel aged wild ales with additions of fruit. Oakshire describes their Fruit Farm with Pinot Noir grapes as jammy with complex tannic structure and drying acidity. That’s a must try right there!

Just in case you miss your wine we will be sampling a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir by Roco Winery. The wine maker promises us “several lush and complex aromatics fill the nose upon inhale including rose petals, ripe loganberry, a rich vanilla spice framed by rich forest floor aromas. For flavor consider, lovely elegant fruit with spice and enough acidity to cause this wine to dance on your tongue. Persistent red fruit and loganberry give a “sweet” lift to this classic cool climate Pinot Noir. The finish sails on a “deck” of rich cherry fruit, lovely earth tones and the sort of peppercorn spice that calls out for mushrooms, lamb or even buttery black cod” Wine Enthusiast gives this 2017 wine 91 points at an entry level price point.

Tasting starts at 4pm every Thursday and goes until the bottles are empty. We hope you will join us!

~Cheers

Hi everyone! Noshies is excited to resume our weekly wine tastings and we enjoy getting to know our community by sharing these delicious, hand-picked wines. So, please come down and join us during this holiday season and warm up at Noshies every Thursday from 4-7 PM.

Our first wine that we will be tasting is the “Sur Le Pont Côtes Du Rhône 2016”. We have already had this tasty French wine awhile back, but we loved it so much for the price point that we wanted to give you all another opportunity to taste it. This is a standard G.S.M blend from the Rhone region of France and brings forth great flavors, balance, and finish.

The second wine that we are tasting will be the Colter’s Creek “Arrow Rim G.S.M 2015” from our friends in Juliaetta, Idaho. This wine, like the Sur Le Pont, is a traditional G.S.M. that brings out tremendous flavor and balance between grape varietals. The blend was aged in 30% New Oak and 70% natural French Oak which provides for a smooth and jam-like finish.

Our final wine on Thursday evening will be a delicious wine from Spain by way of Borsao. The “berola” is a blend of 70% Garnacha, 20% Syrah, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Although the other two wines are G.S.M., this blend will be an excellent night-cap. This wine will shine in flavors with pomegranate and comes in very deep in color but drives home excellent flavors.

We can’t wait to see you at Noshies this Thursday from 4-7! Bring a friend too!

~Cheers!

Hello all! This week’s Thursday tasting will feature wines we believe will be great for Thanksgiving. These wines are from California and we know they will be fantastic for our upcoming tasting! We included some other delicious holiday themed snacks in the photo for some inspiration.

First, we have the “Brownstone Chardonnay” from Brownstone Winery in Lodi, California. This Chardonnay is crisp, full-bodied, slightly dry and has notes of citrus. Overall, this wine is very balanced and it pairs tremendously with vegetables and white meats like chicken and turkey. At 12.5% ABV, this wine will be smooth and refreshing for your Thanksgiving dinner. Stop by, try some, and take some home or to your families or friends for that special evening.

Next, we will be sampling the “2017 Old Vine Zin” from Gnarly Head. This wine also hails from the Lodi area of California and features a lot intense fruit flavors thanks to the vines. This wine claims to boast a rich, dark berry profile as well as oak, vanilla, and spices present. This wine pairs well with dark meats as well as warm foods like stews and chilis. Pop this bottle open with us and then you will rave about it to your friends and family during the holidays.

Our last wine will be a Pinot Noir from Mana Wines. This Californian treat is the 2017 Vintage and boasts a flavor profile full of strawberries and cranberries. This wine is also light, refreshing, and pairs well with a majority of foods, as Pinot Noir is usually known for. Pair this balanced wine with beef, poultry, and venison. This is an excellent wine for Thanksgiving as you can pair it with your favorite meat dishes as you enjoy quality time with those closest to you.

We can’t wait to see you this Thursday evening from 4-7. We hope you find some amazing wines to enjoy during your time with family and friends.

~Cheers!

Hello all! This Thursday, we will be kicking off Dad’s Weekend 2019 with a collection of Washington wines from Latta Wines. Latta Wines sources their grapes from the Columbia Valley. Although two of these wines are branded under the name Kind Stranger, they are all brainchildren of winemaker Andrew Latta. Latta prides himself on creating “uncommon varietals from the most unique vineyards in Washington State.” Thus, we thought it would be great to kick off Dad’s Weekend in Eastern Washington with some delicious varietals from our backyard.

Our first wine of the night will be the 2017 Kind Stranger Chardonnay. This Chardonnay is a blend of 82% Evergreen Vineyard Chardonnay and 18% Lawrence Vineyard Roussanne. This wine provides strong citrus notes with a hint of exotic fruits and drives a bold complexity. Although this is the first wine of the evening, it may very well be your favorite.

The second wine is the 2015 “Latta Latta” GSM. GSM stands for Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah. This GSM blend is 44% Grenache, 32% Mourvèdre, and 24% Syrah. This was made to honor the Rhone region of France that inspired Andrew Latta to create a big, bold GSM here in Washington. This is a big, bold GSM with a large presence of red berries.

Our last wine of the night will be the 2016 Kind Stranger Cabernet Sauvignon. This bold Cab is a blend of 79% Wahluke Slope Cabernet Sauvignon and 21% Weinbau Vineyard Malbec. This wine was barrel aged for 22 months in 15% new French oak. This wine claims to have deep notes of fruit and spice notes.

We hope to see you in on Thursday to kick off an amazing Dad’s Weekend. Come on by from 4-7. We can’t wait to see you here!

~Cheers!

Hello all! Who is ready for another delicious tasting at Noshies? We are ready to see you all and enjoy some awesome wines from the Eastern Europe/Mediterranean region!

Our first wine this Thursday comes to us from Macedonia, a country near the Mediterranean and Italy. This is a Dry White that hails from the Jordanov Rkatceteli grape that is only grown in the Mediterranean region. This grape creates a crisp, bright, and enjoyable white wine. The aroma profile features stone fruit, granite, and refreshing citrus. This pairs phenomenally with fish and cheese.

Our second wine of the evening comes to us by renowned wine-maker Aleks Simcic. The “Gio Chardonnay 2017” hails from the sunlit foothills of the European Alps, right near the Adriatic Sea. One-third of the wine is aged in oak barrels for a year while the remainder is tank-fermented. The end result is stunning, with clean crisp notes of citrus, oak, and pear. The wine finishes smooth and is a tremendous value for the price.

Our final wine this Thursday will be a treat. This is a 100% Pomegranate wine from “Tree of Life” in Armenia. Keeping track with our trend of Eastern Europe, we thought this wine would serve as a form of dessert. Sweet, elegant, and fruity, this wine has the makings of a great dessert wine. The winemaking process preserves the fruit flavor tremendously. This wine is light bodied, elegant, and tasty.

We can’t wait to see you at Noshies from 4-7 on Thursday. See you soon!

~Cheers!

Hey everyone! This week at Noshies, we will be tasting Shiraz from around the world! This is a very popular style of wine and will help everyone escape the cold. As always, our tastings are at 4-7 PM. But, this week, we will be offering treats for Halloween! So, bring your kids if you have them and they can get some tasty treats while you try yours.

First up, we will be tasting the “Secateurs Shiraz” from South Africa. We wanted to curate a selection from around the world for this tasting, so why not start with something from halfway across the globe. This 2016 blend is 56% Shiraz, 23% Cinsault, and 21% Grenache. It is complex and has a unique fruit character.

Next, we will be tasting the “Layer Cake” 2017 Shiraz. This wine comes to us from Southern Australia. Named after a family memory, Layer Cake embodies many different notes aromatically and on the mouth. This wine was created with many flavors in mind, sort of like a “layer cake.”

Our last wine is one of our more expensive bottles. But, since we are nearing a holiday, we wanted to treat everyone! This Syrah comes to us from Sleight of Hand Cellars in the Walla Walla Valley. This 2017 vintage was foot-crushed, stored in 30% new French Oak, and spent 14 months in barrel. Notes of smoke, black licorice, and purple fruits give this delicious wine its notoriety.

We can’t wait to see everyone at Noshies for our Halloween tasting. Make sure to bring your kids with you so they can get a tasty treat.

~Cheers!

Hello everyone! This week’s wine tasting at Noshies will bring everyone on a trip to Italy to sample some small vineyard specialties. These wines, carefully selected by the staff, will help your grow your palate and help make your Thursday that much better.

The first wine will be the “Garganega Frizzante Verona” which is a light, sparkling white wine. This bright treat is created with 100% Garganega grapes which are a varietal that started in Italy’s hills. These grapes create varietals that are dry and sweet. Mix that with a little bit of sparkle, and you have yourself a tasty white wine!

The blend in the middle is the “Arcangelo Negroamaro Rosato” which is a rosé blend from Italy. This blend is bursting with rich fruit flavors and pairs very well with Parmesan and Manchego cheeses. The flavor profile includes red fruits, light tannins, and hints of darker grape.

The final wine we will be tasting is the the “La Quercia Aglianico Puglia”. This blend features the Aglianico grape that is native to the Puglia region of Italy. This rich and intense red pairs fantastically with rich meats like beef and fine venison.

We hope to see everyone at Noshies this Thursday from 4-7PM to taste these delicious Italian wines.

~Cheers!