Some holidays shouldn’t be skipped. I’m adding National Pie Day to the list. Why is January 23 THE pie day? “Because celebrating the goodness of pie is as easy as 1-2-3,” says the American Pie Council, which created the holiday. In the words of Bobby Hill from King of the Hill, “You had me at fruit pies.” Me, too, Bobby.

In celebration of National Pie Day, we planned a Saturday morning field trip to Sweetie Pies in downtown Vancouver. Entering the shop, the scent of hot cinnamon rolls bowls us over. Is there a National Cinnamon Roll Day? Note to self: Research that holiday, too. Actually, National Cinnamon Bun Day (Kanelbullens Dag) is October 4 in Sweden. Another note to self: Future road trip?

Sweetie Pies in downtown Vancouver

Back to our closer-to-home research, Linda Davis opened Sweetie Pies in November 2011 in a shared space with Swoon at 1006 Main Street in downtown Vancouver. The pie shop is complemented by Swoon’s collection of antiques, vintage, resale and hand made clothing, jewelry and art among other collectibles.

A baker of pies for 40 years, Linda knows her pastries. Under her mother’s tutelage, she baked her first pie at age 13 or 14 in New York State. A former owner of Antiques and Country Décor in Camas, this businesswoman is now a professional baker.

Today’s selections include rhubarb and mixed berry pies. They share the counter with cinnamon rolls, lemon bars and cookies. Three of Linda’s collection of 30 or so vintage rolling pins hang on the wall.

Pastries of the day

Linda serves up hot cinnamon rolls behind the counter displaying rhubarb and mixed berry pies

A perfect crust

The perfect research project

Moment of pie-tasting truth

After tasting Linda’s pies, I make a silent pledge to permanently give up frozen, store-bought pie crusts. Sweetie Pies’ crusts are flaky and buttery. The fruit-fillings are perfectly sweetened and downright succulent. This being 10 a.m. and election season, I’m thinking that “Pie for breakfast” would make an excellent campaign slogan. Why not? “Pie is the food of the heroic. No pie eating nation can ever be vanquished,” the New York Times allegedly reported in 1902.

The very happy pie taster

Linda Davis, Piemaker

So let’s celebrate! The American Pie Council suggests making, eating and/or giving a pie on the day. Other days work, too, no doubt. Find their history of pies and pie making tips here.

Pie Recommendations for Southwest Washington
Here is a handy pie reference list, recommended by genuine pie eaters (thanks, Gian and Franji!) in Southwest Washington. Feel free to add your favorites by commenting.

VANCOUVER– Sweetie Pies – Try everything!
LONGVIEW – Judy’s Restaurant and Catering – with high recommendations for Peanut Butter Pie, Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Pie and Marionberry Pie
CHEHALIS – Market Street Bakery and Cafe – with accolades for the Marionberry Tart
CENTRALIA –The Good Lunch – Oatmeal Pie especially suggested
CENTRALIA – Berry Fields – all pies recommended
WHITE SALMON – Sweet Things Kitchen – also available in Stevenson at the A&J Select Market and Chuck’s Produce in Vancouver
OCEAN PARK – Full Circle Café – Check out their daily menu

And if you want to watch a quirky, fun movie about pies while enjoying your dessert, check out Waitress with Keri Russell, Jeremy Sisto and Nathan Fillon. It will be impossible to NOT crave pie while watching this film.

Get out there and eat pie!

And remember: January 23, 2012 is also the first day of Chinese New Year (aka Lunar New Year) but that’s another story. For a 2010 ZEST post on this colorful holiday celebrated by billions, visit Gung Hay Fat Choy!

The days are short and wet but there is plenty happening in Southwest Washington during January. No need to hunker down. Get out there and get involved!

January 2012 - It’s ALL happening at the 13 Fort Vancouver Regional Library District branches. Here is the FVRL January Schedule of Events.

Rusty Grape Vineyards

January 14 - Battle Ground Wine Loop – Noon to 5 p.m. This wine tour includes Heisen House Vineyards, Olequa Cellars and Rusty Grape Vineyards, where live music will start at 7 p.m. This will be a regular event on the second Saturdays of the month.

SOLD OUT! January 14 – The 2nd Annual Martin Luther King Breakfast will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Red Lion at the Quay, 100 Columbia Street, in Vancouver. the event theme is The Collaborative Society. Featured speakers are Jaymes Winters, CEO Blue Leopard Capital; Sarah Mensah, SVP, Portland Trailblazers; and Dr. James Mason, Exec Director, Cultural Caregiving, Providence. There will also be musical performances by Deborah Kimbrough, Gail Thomas and Violinist Shania Watts. This year’s event promises to be as inspirational as the 2011 breakfast. The event is hosted by Mosaic Blueprint. To purchase a ticket, click here.

January 14-15 - Windless Kite Festival, Long Beach School Gymnasium, Washington and 4th St South. It doesn’t take a windy day to fly a kite. Demonstrations and competitions last two days.

Saturday January 14th
10 – 11:30 am Demonstration Show
2 – 3:30 pm Indoor Ballet Competition
3:30 – 5 pm Free Flying & Lessons for all ages

Sunday January 15th
11 – 12 am Indoor Hot Tricks
12 – 1:30 pm Demonstration Show
1:30 – 2:30 pm Grand Finale

The gym is open for participant practice, demonstrations, and indoor flying lessons Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 5pm except during Performance Times. Admission: Donation

The Blacksmith Shop at Fort Vancouver

January 21 – Fort Vancouver Lantern Tour - A lantern tour of the Fort gives you a true sense of what the long winter nights were like for John McLoughlin and his crew. Costumed interpreters are on site for this popular event. The cost is $10 for adults and $7 for children under 15 years of age. Reservations are required. To make a reservation, call the Fort Vancouver Visitor Center at 360-816-6230.

January 21-22 – First Long Beach Peninsula Razor Clam Dig of the Year! - Dates are always tentative but the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife has announced digs on evening tides at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks. Licenses are required. No clamming is allowed before noon. Go here to read a past ZEST blog post on clamming. For details read the official WDFW announcement. Here are the rules and regulations.

January 21-22 - Antique and Collectible Show, Clark County Events Center. Saturday 9-6, Sunday 10-5 Admission is $6 – Good for both days. More than 400 booths of collectibles!

January 22 – Legends of Mexico-Leyendas de Mexico at 2 p.m. Columbia Theatre in Longview offers a delightful Rainy Day Series, which is family-friendly entertainment in the beautifully restored theatre. Nuestro Canto shares legends from all over Mexico and has composed music especially for the legends narrated during their performances. Tickets are only $5 and available here.

January 26-28 – Clark College Jazz Festival – This is the 50th year of the Clark College Jazz Festival! The Festival hosts more than 60 middle school and high school vocal and instrumental jazz ensembles in a three-day celebration of jazz. Gaiser Hall will be THE most musical site in Clark County during this renowned festival!

January 29 - 2nd Annual National Unpublished Writers’ Day Workshop at the Clark County Historical Museum. noon – 5 pm.

National Unpublished Writers’ Day is an annual event held in partnership between the Clark County Historical Museum, the Writing Center at Washington State University Vancouver, the Creative Media & Digital Culture Program at Washington State University Vancouver. The event highlights The Brautigan Library Collection at the Museum, Washington-born writer Richard Brautigan who conceived the idea for a library where anyone could contribute unpublished books, regardless of content or quality of writing, and all those folks who wish to create or communicate through writing.

The free event will feature a series of “creative stations” and workshops around the Museum, each offering different opportunities to learn or experience something associated with different aspects or kinds of writing.

Lion Dance from the FVRL 2010 Chinese New Year Celebration

January 29 – Chinese New Year Celebration – 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Vancouver Community Library – Gung Hay Fat Choy! The new downtown library will be the site of this year’s lively Chinese New Year celebration in Vancouver. This is a wonderfully colorful, all-ages festival that will include Chinese New Year customs and history. Performances include singing, dancing, martial arts demonstration, Gu Zheng (Chinese musical instrument) and lion dance, which will be performed by the Portland Lee’s Association Lion Dance Team. Craft activities are available on Level 3 after the program. ZEST visited the 2010 Chinese New Year Celebration and had a great time! For more information, call 699-8831.

January 28-29 – Vancouver Symphony Orchestra – Vancouver’s excellent symphony features offers acclaimed violinist Francisco Garcia-Fullana playing he Sibelius Violin Concerto. The symphony will also perform Eugen Onegin: Polonaise by Tchaikovsky and Symphony No. 3 by Tchaikovsky with the passionate Salvador Brotons conducting. The Saturday performance is at 2 p.m. and Sunday evening’s concert begins at 7 p.m. at the Skyview Concert Hall. Individual tickets are available here. Better yet, buy the new three concert package!

Johnny wasn’t the only one in the park. Kumoricon 2011 came to town for three days over Labor Day weekend. What is Kumoricon? It’s one amazing gathering.

Kumori means “cloudy” in Japanese but the weather was anything but overcast. Kumoricon was a convention for anime lovers, also known affectionately as “otaku.” Thousands promenaded between the two convention hotels, the Hilton and the Red Lion at the Quay in spectacularly creative costumes. Workshops, panels, video gaming, outdoor activities, dances—participants had their choice and seemed to be having an amazing amount of fun. They will be back in 2012. Don’t miss it!

Here is a sampling of some of the anime and manga characters and of course (be still my heart) Johnny Depp.

Starting at Brickhouse Bar & Grill, the event was especially interesting when it featured new businesses. What a selection! From a pole dancing studio to Bad Monkey Bikes, a barber shop (Moe’s) to the newly renovated Kiggins Theater, a karate studio to Arnada Naturals and Music with Miss Mindi, new shops were interspersed with old favorites like Tommy O’s and Urban Eccentric.

By the end of the evening, $15,000 was raised for the Hough Elementary School Family Resource Center, which provides a clothes closet, snacks, school supplies, an after school music program and volunteer support for students and teachers.

Here are a few photo highlights of Sip & Stroll:

Kristin from Small Vineyards at Niche Wine Bar

Beer Tasting at Most Everything

Alisa Tetreault, Owner of Most Everything

Linda Lee and friend at Linda Lee's Lingerie & Pole 4 Fun

Paul Montegue at Moe's

English Estates at Neighbors Market

Lynn Krogseng, Owner of Neighbors Market

The Cat's Pajamas on Broadway

Tasting at Cat's Pajamas

Sweets at Not Too Shabby

Benke Cellars at Mint Tea

Miss Mindi of Music with Miss Mindi

Music at Vancouver Pizza

Dennis Pfendler, Owner of Uptown Karate

Sipper and Stroller on a Jungle Couch

Too much to drink? Time to go home...

Where do preconceived notions come from? I recently started thinking about the plethora of ballrooms and big band dances of the 1930s, 40s and 50s. I thought of generations of couples spending their Saturday nights jitterbugging, doing swing, forming line dances… My own parents met at the Tromar Ballroom in Des Moines. I wouldn’t even be here without a dancing couple who met for the first time on a cold January night in Iowa! It seemed like that was all gone.

I was so wrong.

When I saw the poster for the Senior Prom at Vancouver’s Luepke Center, I thought, “That is so nice. Once a year, our older generation can relive the past.”

Senior Prom at the Luepke Center in Vancouver

Once a year? Hah! Some of the participants graciously set me straight.

Dance lives at Luepke Center. There are monthly Sunday afternoon dances with live music. That’s just the start. Evening dances are held, too. And, my informants pointed out, there are more dances on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10:15 am. No wonder there is a permanent disco ball hung at Luepke Center. On top of that, there are afternoon dances at Firstenburg Community Center. I’m exhausted thinking about it. When do these people rest?!

Ready for action

So back to the Senior Prom. Forget the stretch limos and prom court. This event was about the dancing. “There are a lot of people who didn’t get to go to their senior prom,” Barbara told me. “This means a lot. We have a lot of fun.”

The evening began with local celebrity hosts serving dinner fixed by Clark County Skill Center youth. Corsages were distributed. Prom photos were taken.

Dinner at the prom

Guest server Kelly Punteney

Guest servers Vicki Vanneman and Larry Smith

Formal portraits

Skill Center chefs

Corsages

Dessert

And then, do not get in the way, the music started…

Let the dancing begin

Burning off dinner

Polished dancers take the floor

Dancing to the Stardusters

Pure joy

The tuxes and formal dresses may be put away until next year’s prom, but not the dancing shoes. This generation won’t be hanging them up soon.

Welcome, summer! Check out the incredibly diverse events going on in Southwest Washington for June. From the Long Beach to Stevenson, Vancouver to Winlock, there are plenty of choices and no excuses for staying home!

June 10 and 25 – Waikiki Beach Concert Series – Cape Disappointment State Park. No, you don’t have to fly to Hawaii to experience this Waikiki Beach. The summer concert series kicks off with Mighty Ghosts (country pickin’, bluegrass harmonies and back-porch folk) on June 10 and Southwest Washington’s favorites Misty Mamas (home-style bluegrass, oldtime, gospel and folk) on June 25. Concerts are at 7 p.m.

Misty Mamas

June 10-25 – Magenta Theater Company presents Life with Father – Vancouver. Magenta Theater presents the classic comedy set in the 1800s. Magenta’s intimate, and recently reconfigured, theater in downtown Vancouver is a very fun place to experience plays up close and personal!

Life with Father

June 11 – Divine Consign Home and Garden Tour – Vancouver. Tour homes and gardens in historic downtown Vancouver. Proceeds will benefit at-risk youth. Tickets and tour maps may be picked up at 1101 Officers Row in front of the Grant House on the day of the tour beginning at 11 am. $20 in advance. $25 at the door.

June 11 – Fleur de Lis Festival - Westport Winery, Westport. Enjoy this well-programmed festival including Art in the Vines, local blue cheese samplings, book signings, a belly dance troupe, music, French Onion Soup, grapevines for sale and 5000 blooming iris. And, of course, don’t forget the wonderful wines of Westport Winery, too.

Tasting wine at the Westport Winery

June 11 – The David Lanz Liverpool Trio – The Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center, Stevenson. The Skamania Performing Arts Foundation presents pianist David Lanz, flutist Gary Stroutsos, and cellist Walter Gray. The trio most recently came together to perform David’s arrangements from the recording Liverpool…Re-Imagining the Beatles.

David Lanz Liverpool Trio

June 18 – Fort Vancouver Brigade Encampment, Vancouver. See costumed re-enactors demonstrating the annual return of the fur trappers to Fort Vancouver. Hands-on activities in the Fort Vancouver Village just west of the Fort’s stockade, on the trail to the Land Bridge.

Re-enactors at the Fort Vancouver Village in 2010

June 18-19 – 30th Annual NW Garlic Festival – Ocean Park. More than 70 specialty food and craft vendors will offer prepare and use garlic in every imaginable way. As they say, “Just follow your nose” to the festival.

June 19 - Vancouver USA Marathon – Vancouver. It may be too late to start training, or is it?! The event includes a half marathon and welcomes walkers. Vancouver’s first marathon will should be a good one. Produced by Energy Events.

June 24-26 – Rusty Scupper Pirate Daze Festival – Westport. You are going to have to enter the festival Web site to learn about ALL the pirate events. Prepare to read pirate lingo or walk the plank!

Pirates on parade

June 24 – Gorge Blues and Brews Festival Friday Night Waterfront Jam – Skamania County Fairgrounds, Stevenson. The Gorge Blues and Brews Festival kicks off with a Friday night jam. The party starts at 6 pm and the show, featuring local musical talent, begins at 7 pm. Music will include the soulful vocals and driving rhythms of Jackbone Dixie as well as traditional sax blues from The Richard Wilkins Blues Band. Free!

June 25 – Gorge Blues and Brews Festival - Skamania County Fairgrounds, Stevenson. Three blues bands, 16 regional micro-breweries, 8 wineries and food vendors. Smokin’ Joe Kubek and Bnois King will be the headliners. Admission is $15 per person and includes your choice of a commemorative beer mug or wine glass. Children 12 and under are free.

Gorge Blues and Brews Festival

June 25-26 – Recycled Arts Festival – Vancouver. One of the most creative events of the year happens in Esther Short Park on the last weekend of June. For a preview, take a look at last year’s Festival, take a look at this ZEST blog post.

Glass garden sculptures at the 2010 Festival

June 24-26 – 75th Annual Egg Day Festival - Winlock. The parade starts at 11 a.m. June 25 with the theme “Egg Days and Diamonds Forever.” The festival will include an Egg Day Run and royalty. Check out this charming video about the World Largest Egg and Winlock.

World's Largest Egg in Winlock

Sustainability consultant Jill Sughrue at Farrar's Bistro in Felida

What brought you to SW Washington?

I moved up here in 1998. When my husband and I got married, he was working in Washington. I grew up in Portland. He said you just drive across the river and it kind of slows down a little bit so we bought an acre and decided to design and self-construct our home.

And when I left my job at PGE in 2005 there were all kinds of sustainability consultants in Portland who had been doing it for 20 years. I wanted to help SW Washington become more sustainable. That really was my mission.

What do you love about SW Washington?

First, it is a smaller town. Vancouver is a smaller town than Portland and I like that. I love the services like C-Tran. It is quieter. We live out a little but so it is really quiet at night. I love that you see wildlife. I love that within a few minutes you can be hiking or be at a park.

I have also gotten involved with the Salmon Creek Farmers’ Market so I love that there are little pockets up here that are getting more and more involved in farmers’ markets and local food and educating the public about fresh, local, hopefully organic food. It opens on June 16 and runs through September on Thursdays, 3 to 7 pm. at the 134th Street entrance to I-5 (1309 NE 134th Street).

What is the best-kept secret about SW Washington?

The contra dance (Contra in the Couve) at the Hazel Dell Grange! It’s the second Friday of every month, 7:30 p.m. with live music. There is a lesson at 7:30 p.m. and dancing from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. And I have discovered Zumba at the same place.

What is your favorite place to relax or play in SW Washington?

I like to do the walk on the riverfront between Beaches and Who Song and Larry’s (Waterfront Renaissance Trail). It’s a great walk and or take it down to the Water Resources Education Center and do that walk.

If you didn’t live here, where would you live?

Winter has been so long – somewhere where it is warm. I love the seasons but a little warm sun would be really nice. We were just down in Petaluma, CA. That was kind of nice – a smaller town feel. Walla Walla, WA we look at every once in awhile. We were there last summer. We had some wine and the restaurant owner said – the vintner is right there would you like to talk with him? It turned out that he was a tiny vintner inside another vintner, who was mentoring him. They are competitors but they are very supportive of each other.

When we think about moving, they look at towns and they need to have a community college, they need to have a good health food store, they need to be bikeable, they need to have a little culture whether it is a local theater or part of a community college.

What’s coming up that you are excited about?

I have a grandson coming at any moment, a first grandchild. I am VERY excited about becoming a grandparent.

What would surprise people to know about you?

I LOVE to play poker.

Spring events are in full force now in Southwest Washington. Here are a few ideas to get you out the door:

May 3 – The 39 Steps – Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts in Longview. This 2008 Tony award-winning play “The 39 Steps” is a madcap romp through one of Alfred Hitchcock’s finest films. Adapted for the stage, it became one of Broadway’s longest-running comedy thrillers. With a cast of 4, this show has more than 150 characters to keep you on the edge of your seat.

May 7 – The 28th Annual Ride Across Clark County (RACC) sponsored by the Vancouver Bicycle Club WARNING! This event may be sold out. Check the Web site for availability of this scenic and popular day-long ride. Four loops to choose from – 18, 34, 65 and 100 miles

May 7 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. National Train Day, Historic Train Depot, 210 Railroad Ave, Centralia, WA National Train Day commemorates the anniversary of the transcontinental railroad’s inception. Special displays and events will be in the Historic Railroad Depot in downtown Centralia.

May 14 – 8 p.m. Al Stewart Concert at the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center in Stevenson. Remember the Scottish singer-songwriter’s 1976 hit Year of the Cat? Skamania Performing Arts Foundation, 541-400-9792

May 14 and 15 – Vancouver Symphony Orchestra conducted by Salvador Brotons. Concert times are 3 pm on Saturday and 7 pm on Sunday. Last regular concert of the season. The program will feature Concerto for Horn by Brotons. Roman Festivals by Respighi and Audience Choice (voting now closed).

May 14, 12-4 pm – Cathlapotle Plankhouse, Carty Unit of the Ridgefield NWR, 28908 NW Main Ave., Ridgefield. Artist Judy Bridges, Cowlitz basket weaver, will demonstrate basket weaving techniques. Visitors will have the opportunity to view examples of her basketry and ask her questions about her craft.

May 15, 12-4 pm – Cathlapotle Plankhouse Carty Unit of the Ridgefield NWR, 28908 NW Main Ave, Ridgefield. Artists Greg Robinson, member of the Chinook Indian Nation, and Greg Archuleta, member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, will be in the Plankhouse doing carving and Chinookan lifeways demonstrations. Visitors will be able to see some of their beautiful artwork as well as talk to them about Chinookan art and culture.

May 18-19 – Nautical Renaissance The Port of Ilwaco welcomes back Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Tall Ships, The Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain. Self-guided tours are hosted by the crew wearing period costumes. ($3 requested donation). Adventure and Battle Sails are also available. Visit the Web site for prices and other details. From Ilwaco on May 19th guests can book passage to Astoria where the ships will offer tours until May 22, coinciding with Astoria’s opening celebration of its 200th birthday. Contact the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority in Aberdeen (360) 532-8611 or (800) 200-5239 for details and schedules. Go to www.ladywashington.org to track the ships’ locations and purchase discounted price tickets. (Note: There will also be a sail in Ilwaco on May 3rd.)

May 21-22 – 31st Annual Herb and Garden Festival at Pomeroy Living History Farm Thousands of fresh herb and garden plants, many organic selections plus entertainment, farm café, vendors and the herb garden. Admission is free.

May 28-30 – Memorial Day Weekend Clark County Spring Wine Release Visit 11 Clark County wineries in one weekend! See the Web site for details and maps.

May 28-30 – Memorial Day Open House Weekend at Columbia Gorge Wineries Visit more than 30 wineries and tasting rooms on both sides of the river. Details on the event Web site.

Wow, what a May! This is just a small fraction of what is scheduled. See you out there in Southwest Washington!

Word Catcher starts at 9 a.m. with registration, coffee and scones.

Morning workshops, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon will feature:

The Secrets of Great Storytelling with Jack Hart, author of upcoming Storycraft and A Writer’s Coach (and this writer’s first journalism professor at the University of Oregon decades ago)

Voice: More than Me, Less Than Me with Mary Lyons, former member of the Richard Hugo House in Seattle.

Poetry for Everybody with Doug Marx, writing teacher and finalist for the Oregon Book Award (This workshop is perfect for April’s National Poetry Month.)

All Hail the Mighty Verb! With Cathy Zimmerman, Features Editor at The Daily News in Longview.

Author Brian Doyle - Photo by Jerry Hart

Brian Doyle will be the featured author at lunch. Brian is the award-winning writer of essays, nonfiction books and novels and the editor of Portland Magazine at the University of Portland. He will read from his work, followed by an open mic.

Afternoon workshops from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. will include:

Serious Fun at Writing with Robin Cody. Registration is limited to 11. Participants were to submit writing to Robin by April 9 so this workshop may be closed. Winner of the Oregon Book Award, Robin is author of Ricochet River and Voyage of a Summer Sun, among other books.

Reading for Writers with Brian Doyle. Brian will read from his novel Mink River and encourages participants to bring pen and notebook.

Story Spinning with Alan Rose. Alan will discuss the creative process of spinning a story. Alan is the author of The Legacy of Emily Hargraves and Tales of Tokyo.

All Hail the Mighty Verb! With Cathy Zimmerman (see morning listing).

(Note: This blog normally provides book links to Powell’s Books. The venerable bookstore’s Web site was down for maintenance at the time of posting so Amazon links are provided. Please support your local bookstores and libraries!)

In addition, the photo exhibit “Pictures Worth A Thousand Words” by Kalama photographer Dan Roberts will be on display.

Cost is $15 for one workshop or $25 for two. Boxed lunch is available for $8 (advanced order is requested). Here is the Word Catcher complete schedule and registration information.

Support Kalama and its public library, improve your writing and meet authors. What more could you want? TELL YOUR FRIENDS, register and head to Kalama on April 23rd!

Looking for a reason to gather your friends for a unique evening? What about an evening of wine and cheese tasting?

Our co-host, Jim

Friends Jim and Joyce recently hosted an educational, tasty and increasingly jovial evening that featured nine wines paired with matching cheeses. Thank you to Jim, Joyce and all the other participants! Here are some tips gleaned from the party:

1. Start with a wine steward. Jim and Joyce worked with Ernie, the sommelier at their neighborhood Fred Meyer, to choose the four whites and five red wines featured for the evening.

2. Coordinate with a cheese specialist. After choosing the wines, our hosts worked with Berry of Trader Joe’s in Vancouver to pick the cheeses that best matched the wines.

3. Create a fact sheet about each wine. Jim shared information about each wine including the winery location, vintage and a description of the wine. Fact sheets were on the table and available for guests to take home.

Fact sheet for the Argentinian red

4. Label the cheeses. Each cheese was tagged by type with its matching wine.

Asiago with rosemary - paired with the Chardonnays

5. Provide wine glass labels. I, for one, always lose my wine glass. No one could do that with Joyce’s special paper wine glass labels, which are available online at Wine Compliments No more misplaced wine glasses!

Where is MY glass? No more lost glasses with these paper labels

6. Start with the whites. (Our hosts had a light white wine, Oisly-Thésée Les Gourmets 2009 Sauvignon, available to all upon arrival. This gave us something to drink while waiting for all the participants to arrive.) You want to go from dry to sweet whites, and light to full-bodied reds. Provide new glasses when switching from whites to reds.

Serving the cheese

7. Provide a pitcher of water and a dump bucket. The water will allow tasters to rinse glasses between tastes. The dump bucket? It speaks for itself but, frankly, I couldn’t bring myself to toss out good wine and it was ALL good wine!

8. Serve more food after the tasting. To avoid sending guests who have been consuming fabulous wines out into the driving public, serve food, coffee and conversation AFTER the tasting. Our hosts served us wonderful quiches, salads and coffee.

Salad and quiche

Perfect post-tasting dinner

What wines did we taste? Here is the delectable list in serving order:

Mezzacorona (Italy) 2009 Pinot Grigio

Vino Noceto (California) 2010 Pinot Grigio (award-winning, fruity, sweet, my favorite white)

Peachy Canyon Winery (California) 2008 Zinfandel

Blackstone Winery (California) 2008 Zinfandel

Davis Bynum Winery (California) 2006 Chardonnay

Gordon Brothers 2006 (Washington State) Chardonnay

Don Tiburcio Bodega Benegas Winery (Argentina) 2007 Red Wine

Estancia Winery (California) 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

Jones of Washington Estate Vineyard (Washington State) 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

The final, nearly empty line up

The best wine? Personally, I would move to Argentina for Malbecs so I loved the red wine of Don Tiburcio Bodega Benegas Winery. All the wines were excellent. This is the one of the group that I would take to my final picnic.

I confess. After about the fifth wine, I lost track of the cheeses. Best idea: pick your wines and then talk to your local cheese buyer for pairing suggestions. Joyce and Jim wisely used their consultant at Trader Joe’s.

Want to do this party on a budget? To preserve your checking account, create the wine list and then assign a bottle to each guest to bring. Ask each person to put together the fact sheet and give a brief lecture on the wine. This WILL generate a FUN evening!

A votre sante!