If you have ever read any articles about wine, you may have come across the word, “terroir.” Terroir is a French word that loosely translates into “a sense of place.”

The word acknowledges agriculture sites in the same region that share similar soil, weather and even farming techniques that contribute to the qualities of the crops.

Chef Bear Ullman has created his “sense of place” that is unique to the historical corner of Second Avenue and Rose Street in downtown Walla Walla. The Chef’s Table at the Marcus Whitman Hotel is where Chef Bear can be found sharing his very special terroir with others. It is a culinary adventure as Chef Bear’s guests make a connection to the terroir and terrain of the Walla Walla Valley through his “Sense of Place” dining event.

This epicurean experience offers an opportunity to learn about the innovative local partnerships that bring the best of the Valley right to the table. It was an experience I knew I had to indulge in and also share with friends. Jaime Chalk, wine club manager from L’Ecole Nº 41, joined our intimate gathering and

Chef Bear Ullman

added to the evening’s combination of great people, food and wine.

Our “Sense of Place” package included lunch with Chef Bear at the Chef’s Table, Q&A session with our chef, cooking demonstration, tips on wineries to visit during our free time before dinner and the seven-course, wine-paired dinner.

In this package, special hotel room discounts are available, so one can dine well and be safely guided by the elevator to a well-appointed room.

We started our experience with lunch and were presented with a plate full of spring colors, from the perfectly grilled, moist salmon to its bed of fresh- picked local asparagus, spinach and bite-sized, roasted fingerling potatoes. We watched Chef Bear prepare, at our table, a sauce verte to be enjoyed with the salmon. It was an herb-infused sauce made with aioli, crème fraiche, whipped cream, a green “juice” of macerated herbs, freshly squeezed lemon juice and fresh ground pepper from a pepper mill that Chef Bear had handcrafted from dark hardwood. This fragrant mixture was then hand-whipped into a light and airy emulsion, and once on our plates, it was sprinkled with purple chive flowers. I couldn’t think of a better wine with which to pair our lunch than what was already in our glasses, L’Ecole Nº 41 Fries Vineyard Semillon.

After lunch, we did what any tourist would do: checked into our rooms, jumped up and down on the beds (No, not really. Just checking to see if you were paying attention), opened drawers and cabinets and tried on the monogrammed robes. Eventually, we settled in, went downtown to shop, took many photos and then a nap so we could be vibrant for what was yet to come. Later, we met at the hotel’s Vineyard Lounge for cocktails.

Once again, we were swooped away to the Chef’s Table, which faces a stainless steel inner sanctum — a well-oiled machine of skills meeting flavors. It is a view of the “behind the scenes” where a guest of the hotel can actually see how their food is prepared. Chef Bear gave us a tour of his microgreen garden in the kitchen. Those intense and compact flavors of freshness would later be incorporated into our dining experience.

We were seated at our table and given our menu, which was met with “oohs” and “ahhs.” Some of Chef Bear’s food and wine pairings seemed bold and not traditional, but with the first bite and the first sip, we knew these pairings were well- thought-out — perfection.

You quickly realize some of the foods, such as California Meyer lemons and Spanish Marcona almonds, do not grow in the Walla Walla Valley, and Maine lobster is not plucked from Mill Creek. These items may not be part of our local terroir, but Chef Bear had a vision for these exotic foods, and he artfully combined these non-native foods with our local food and wine and made them part of his own terroir.

We left the Chef’s Table and journeyed to our rooms. Our evening left us feeling giddy, satisfied and overwhelmed. We didn’t have to go around the world or even to the nearest metropolis — an epicurean adventure was just around the corner.

On the Menu

The 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference has wrapped up and now we take a moment to sift through the various Tweets and blog posts to bring you a post-conference collection of thoughts and impressions of our lovely little town.

The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin had this post-conference story:

Michael Davidson, Tourism Walla Walla executive director, said today he was very impressed with organizational work done by the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance.

Overall the event “was just phenomenal and it was just a great showcase opportunity for us,” Davidson said. “I think it was a great opportunity for Walla Walla and a great opportunity for Washington state.”

The Wild Walla Walla Wine Woman, Catie, of Through The Walla Walla Grapevine:

Most of all, I am overwhelmed with spirit and friendship. It is the energy from the collaborative spirit and these friendships that I realize that I would not be where I am with my wine blogging, if it weren’t for these valuable friendships. I have never been involved with a group of people before who could come together so quickly in the last three years through online social media tools and embrace each other face-to-face as if we had been long-time friends forever.

Nicky Vallee of the Vino Chick blog:

One of the most fulfilling aspects of my trip was meeting so many of my fellow wine lovers and bloggers. I received tremendous feedback about my site, and was surprised and honored to learn that some of these oenophiles had already heard about Vino Chick! The power of social media should NOT be underestimated.

William Pallard of Wild 4 Washington Wine at the Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center during the three-day wine and bloggers conference.

Josh Wade of Drink Nectar left the conference with some ideas of how to improve his blog:

5 Actions Items from WBC10

• SEO – Search Engine Optimization: I know it’s important but it’s an area that I need further help with. If you know of good tools, classes, sites, please share.
• Improve the quality of my video: Starting with video 100 I’ll be moving to HD, investing in better editing software, paying attention to audio quality and planning shots / scripts in a more thoughtful way.
• Improve the quality of my writing: I like to write. I feel I write good engaging pieces. I understand my voice, but I don’t pay enough attention to the mechanics of the writing. I need to start waiting to post and reading out loud. Just because this post is done now, I’m not going to post it until later.
• Reorganize content: I’ve written 200 pieces that include sexual wine 101 courses, social media tips, wine business opinions and wine reviews. Now that I have established a more clear direction I need to better organize the content so it makes sense to the reader and is easy to find.
• Improve wine reviews: Some say wine reviews are dry and boring and don’t get read. Many disagree with the practice of scoring wines. I disagree. Scores help educate consumers and make better informed decisions. It’s my blog, so I’ll do what I want. I’m going to modify my scoring format a hair and create a more reproducible graphic / summary that more succinctly wraps up the review.

The folks over at Wine Press Northwest share this gallery of photos form the conference:

http://www.winepressnw.com/2010/06/27/5092/gallery-2010-wine-bloggers-conference.html

Joe Power of Another Wine Blog:

It has been a lot of fun, but I think my liver will find a way to rip itself out of my body and check into a detox center any moment now if I don’t give it a break. Damn, they make some

fine wine up here in Washington!

We had the opportunity to meet so many amazing, dedicated, and talented wine makers, who not only shared their wine with us, but also vast amounts of knowledge.

Tamara Belgard of Sip With Me! came away with Top 10 Things I Learned at Wine Camp :

8. Remember to use all of your sensory experiences when tasting wine. See it, smell it, feel it, taste it. (Meg Houston Maker, MakersTable) Shhhh, be vewy, vewey quiet… Can you hear the wine?

9. Walla Walla can mean water water in the native american lanaguage, but more traditionally it’s defined as “Many Rivers.”

10. What happens at Wine Camp, stays at Wine Camp.

Ricardo Villarreal (@skovi) of Travel + Wine:

We’re leaving Walla Walla and already missing this beautiful, charming town full of friendly people (and excellent wines). #WBC10

@KVintners

Thanks #wbc10 for kickin it in W2 all weekend. We loved having you here! Rock on…

@Catie

I was really impressed with those from East who attended #WBC10 Thank you for being there!

This is only a small sampling of what has been written about #WBC10. It’s only the day after and I’m sure many of the attendees need a few days to digest all they saw, heard and tasted. And few days to let the body recover from all that great Walla Walla wine.

If you were there, what was your experience? Post photos and links.

MAKE SURE YOU CHECK OUT THE VIDEO AFTER THE BREAK

K Vintners & Charles Smith Wines will set the stage for a one-of-a-kind evening of music and wine tasting Friday.

L.A. DJ Howie Pyro will spin vinyl at the wineries’ 35 S. Spokane St. location downtown. The evening’s entertainment also includes Vancouver, B.C., rockabilly band Big John Bates and the Voodoo Dollz, a library wine tasting, food and wine.

The doors open at 7:30 p.m. with spins from Howie Pyro. The live rockabilly starts at 10 p.m. Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door. Admission includes the library wine tasting and appetizers while they last, according to the announcement.

A few details about Howie Pyro: He’s known for his radio show Intoxica as well as a collection of more than 30,000 titles in vinyl that range from French pop to surf to old-school punk and everything in between.

He got his start in music in the late 1970s at 16, when he formed a punk band called Blessed. He circulated around the New York music scene with Johnny Thunders and Sid Vicious at CBGB’s and Max’s Kansas City.

In the mid-’80s he was at the front of the first wave of ’60s garage rock revivalism with Freaks, a band he formed with his wife, Andrea Kusten. They moved to L.A. and after being involved with other bands, as well as a two-year stint with Danzig, he turned his attention to collecting vinyl, books, record covers and movie posters.

The two places could not be more different for a winery.

One: a bare-bones building constructed with just enough square-footage to produce wine, but little space for a tasting room. The other: A relic from a historic hardware store perfect for a tasting room but no space for production.

Neither is the estate vineyard Trio Vintners co-owner Denise Slattery would inhabit if money were no object. So as the first tenant of the Port of Walla Walla’s winery incubator complex to leave the proverbial nest this month, the move is bittersweet. She and her husband and Trio Vintners co-owner Steve Michener leave behind the familiar but stripped-down incubators surrounded by friends for a new space downtown filled with unknown possibilities.

For the Port of Walla Walla and the wine industry, as a whole, the move is just plain sweet.

“This is exactly what the commissioners had hoped would happen when the concept of the wine incubators came together,” said Port of Walla Walla Executive Director Jim Kuntz.

The more than $1.5 million winery complex on Piper Avenue was intended as a starting point for new wineries. The five-building village — constructed in phases — has served as a revenue source for the Port and a help to budding winemakers with little capital for facilities.

Tenants operate there on a six-year, nonrenewable lease. The 1,600-square-foot buildings have space for processing and barrel storage, plus a 500-square-foot crush pad. Rent increases each year. By the end, tenants are primed for the market and must move to make way for a new startup.

The three-building first phase of the complex was constructed in 2006 with help from a $1 million state grant. The second phase was announced in 2007 with an additional $500,000 from the state. Two more tenants came on board.

The beginning was lonely, Slattery said. Adamant Cellars was the only other tenant. Lodmell Cellars came shortly after. Few consumers really understood the concept. Fewer knew how to find the village on the edge of the airport property.

But with time, the winery neighbors began working together to promote themselves, offering special attractions during tasting weekends and major events. Bolstered by the addition of CAVU Cellars and Kontos Cellars, the village has grown into an attraction.

That’s the part that’s hard to leave behind, Slattery said.

“I’m really going to miss that pastoral setting, going to the (Walla Walla) Roastery and zooming past Tamarack (Cellars) and waving at (winemaker) Ron (Coleman),” she said.

Even the raw setting of the no-glitz buildings themselves has a special place for Slattery, who relocated to the area with Michener, who also works as a registered nurse, and an original third partner, Tim Boushey, to start the winery. Boushey has since returned to his Seattle-area roots.

“I’m going to miss a little bit of that raw, garage-iste thing,” she said.

But the move, expected to be complete July 1, is a sign that Trio is established and ready for permanent residence in the community. The winery has added an employee to the staff. And the possibilities at the new space in the historic Drumheller Building have brought out the veteran marketing professional in Slattery, who worked in communications in San Francisco before her wine career.

Located at 102 S. Second Ave., between Poplar and Alder streets, the new 750-square-foot tasting room is surrounded by banks and investment offices. Hence, Slattery has dubbed the location to wine club members as part of Walla Walla’s “financial district.”

Most recently home to a travel agency office, the spot was the one-time “nuts and bolts” section of the former Drumheller’s hardware store. In its honor, Slattery and Michener are already hatching plans for a Trio “Nuts and Bolts” blend.

Offering a recent glimpse into the yet-to-be-finished space, Slattery said she wants the tasting room to embody a mid-century look, rather than a vineyard-like or contemporary feel. She plans to add retail items, including art, to the space.

The winery will continue to produce about 1,000 cases per year for the time being. As part of the move, Trio has partnered with Forgeron Cellars, and its wines will be created there under the direction of Forgeron winemaker and co-owner Marie-Eva Gilla.

Slattery said it’s important as part of the introduction downtown that the space embodies and communicates Trio’s brand. At the same time, it’s also important to fit well into the neighborhood.

“We want to fit in, but also have a point of distinction,” she said. “We want to be part of the community but also stand apart.”

Fitting in wasn’t much of a concern in the cookie-cutter incubators. Getting started was. And now that they have, Slattery and Michener take on the new challenges with a sense of continuity and their own history.

“That’s the whole purpose of what that setting was: To get in and move on,” Slattery said. “It’s where we got our start and that’s what the incubators are all about.”

As a few hundred wine bloggers descend on Walla Walla, you can keep track of what’s going on from the comfort of your home or work or wherever you are.

We’re tracking the Twitter conversations using #WBC10 hashtag. Even if you don’t have a Twitter account you can visit this page frequently to see what happens when you mix 300 or so wine bloggers with small town Walla Walla.

The formula for good food is easy if you have a hot grill and a burning passion to serve the freshest vegetables and proteins. Chef Paul Freeman has definitely found the formula. Paul is an experienced French trained chef with over 15 years of catering experience. A fine balance of charisma blended with skill, and professionalism for his craft, equals a pleasurable meal. Watching Paul at the grill adds to the dining experience as he talks to his food and his guests using his own positive colloquialisms mixing greetings with kitchen terms such as “Sear Away.”

Growing up around agriculture, it was a natural for Paul to take his knowledge and perfect his grilling by using the finest meats and adding his “twist.” He also confides that when you are 19 years-old you discover that learning how to cook is a sure way to get a date.

Chef Paul would later introduce his cooking skills and his own twist on grilling while growing his business, Get Grill, at the Farmer’s Market in Moscow, Idaho. After several years of successfully running his business and working as the catering supervisor at the University of Idaho, Paul knew it was time for change and growth. He packed his mobile commissary and grill-on-wheels, and relocated to the Walla Walla Valley where he returned to school to attend the Culinary Arts and Science Program at Walla Walla Community College. Once in Walla Walla, Paul planted roots and has been seen at our own local Farmer’s Market and various local events. He can also be seen at Washington State University at Pullman where he serves his grilled delectable’s such as Santa Maria style tri-tip with fixing’s, at the campus’s Field House during WSU’s football season.

Always ambitious and looking to expand his ideas, Paul recently purchased the old bank building in Old Town Freewater Oregon at Milton-Freewater, 10 miles from the border in the Walla Walla Valley. Known by the locals as “The Bank,” the freestanding corner building with elegant Ionic columns was built in 1906. And as they say, “If walls could talk,” these walls would have their own tales of robbers on horses firing six-shooters and leaving with bags of gold riding off into the sunset. Paul has also left his own touch of nostalgia in his soon-to-be-opened restaurant named, of course, The Bank.

The once formal bank lobby is now painted in tones of warm apricot and trimmed in sage. The ornate vintage walk-in bank vault is now Paul’s office. Instead of bags of gold, inside of the vault, there are now starched white chef coats hanging from the vault ceiling. An assortment of old oak school teacher chairs and church pews create the finishing touch on the comfortable dining area. The entrance to the kitchen from the dining area is separated with an old saloon swing door fashioned from old barn wood. There is even a set of rugged old cowboy boots mounted like a metal sculpture reminding the visitor they are under the influence of the old west, yet infused with fine dining.

His goals for the new restaurant goes beyond dining, but also education about the food we eat and how we dine. Paul has a passion to teach and is eager to offer customers classes on how to hone their own cooking craft, from grilling tovarious ways of folding dining linens. A soft opening for the restaurant is planned for this summer. His pre fixe menu will include sustainable and in season produce and of course, special cuts of meat right off of the grill. Paul has promised slow food, but delivered fast – with energy. Sear away, Chef Paul!

By Catie McIntyre Walker

The goddesses of wine and herbs must have stayed with me throughout the day as I later discovered two local Walla Walla wineries will be featuring Seattle author, foodie, gardner and lavender enthusiast Kathy Gerht this holiday weekend.

Kathy will be introducing her new book, Discover Cooking with Lavender at Isenhower Cellars and Three Rivers Winery this weekend. Kathy will have her books for purchase, as well as be available for signing. She will also bring with her a sampling of recipes taken straight from her cookbook.

Kathy Gehrt’s cookbook “Discover Cooking with Lavender,” will take readers on a culinary adventure, exploring the fragrance and flavor of lavender. It features 75 recipes for seasonings, drinks, savory dishes and sweets. The book is filled with unique recipes, such as Lavender Ginger Lemon Sugar, Bruschetta with Tomatoes and Roasted Lavender, Strawberries with Lavender Yogurt Cream, Honey Ginger Lavender Lemonade, and Roasted Halibut á la Provence. Along with her recipe for Josephine’s Hot Chocolate, Kathy reveals to readers that lavender was the secret ingredient in the nightcap Josephine created to put Napoleon in a “romantic” mood.

You can join Kathy at Isenhower Cellars on Saturday, May 29 at 2:00pm and also at Three Rivers Winery on Sunday, May 30 at 12:00pm – 3:00pm. Just a mention of those recipes alone, I can think of all of the wines from both wineries that would make for perfect pairings with the cookbook’s recipes.

I am so looking forward to reading this book on my porch by my lavender while sipping a glass of summer rosé. I just have to know more about how Josephine put Napoleon in a romantic mood!

The centuries old adage, “A flask of wine, a book of verse and thou …,” had to be rewritten to something more like a taste of wine, a wooly bugger and us and the kids, as Waterbrook Winery hosted its second annual Fly Fishing Fair on Saturday.

Last year the event brought in about 100 people, and by noon on Saturday it looked like there would be more than 100 adults and children this year.

“It’s a winery, it’s not about kids,” Waterbrook tasting room manager Ron Williams said, making it clear that the winery’s primary goal is to cater to adults.

But sometimes adults have kids in tow. And when that is the case, it helps if the winery has a nice pond with a walking path, a bocce court, a large patio with fireplace and a wide-screen TV where they will gladly put on Sponge Bob. It’s what Williams likes to describe as a “family friendly” winery.

“The goal is to keep the children entertained while the adults taste wine,” he added.

Not only were kids entertained, but they got to learn about fly fishing, as members of the Walla² Fly Fishers club answered questions, taught fly tying techniques and held casting lessons. Though there were more adults taking casting lessons than kids.

“If you look around there are a lot of kids here … The folks at Waterbrook have done a really good job of being kid friendly,” Walla² Fly Fishers President Scott Peters said.

Travis Urlacher, 13, was glad to see his mom, Brenda, enjoying herself.

“I did a lot of fly fishing and learned how to tie a lot of flies, how to spin deer hair and elk hair … to have kids being able to do something they like to do, it’s a win, win situation,” Travis Urlacher said.

Brenda Urlacher agreed. “This is nice. It is something I like to do and it’s something they like to do. It’s nice.”

The event also include a dutch-oven cooking demonstration with various dishes, some made with copious amounts of Waterbrook wines, as well as a peach cobbler desert for the kids. But it was the fishing that seemed to hook the interests of many young and old.

“We were on our way to check out Walla Walla (wineries) and my husband said ‘They are fishing over there,’” said JoLynda Chronister of Bellingham, Wash. So the small party pulled in to enjoy the unexpected pairing of reds, rods and reels.

The aptly named Wines of Substance received a fine accolade this winter when Wine Business Monthly named it one of the year’s top 10 “Hot Small Brands.” Substance is a Walla Walla wine project, laudable on many levels, conceived by Jason Huntley and Jamie Brown (Waters Winery), and Greg Harrington (Gramercy Cellars).

The packaging is simple, clever, eye-catching and superbly executed. Substance wines take their graphic look from the periodic table of elements, transmuting individual grape varietals into chemical symbols, just as the wine in the bottle stands for the signature of each particular grape.

The lineup strays far afield from the usual suspects. You will find riesling and chardonnay, but also viognier and pinot gris. Cabernet sauvignon and merlot are included, but so are cabernet franc, syrah, malbec and even counoise. The website (www.winesofsubstance.com) lays out the products in a “Periodic Table of Wines” that includes helpful background information on all these grapes and many more. (Two quibbles: The constant floating of the symbols gets annoying, and roussanne is misspelled.)

As Harrington explained when the wines were introduced a couple years ago, “the inspiration for Substance wines is to educate, as well as please, the palates of budding oenophiles, and to appeal to consumers beyond the bounds of Washington.” There is a practical purpose as well, notes Brown. “The goal is to make wines that are distinctly Washington state and varietally correct. These wines are handcrafted and quality-driven at a price point that is affordable for aspiring wine aficionados.”

Affordability is a dominant force behind almost all winemaking and wine retailing these days, and Substance wines now have a fair amount of competition, even locally, in their just-under-$20 price range. Saviah’s The Jack, Tamarack’s Firehouse Red, Dunham’s Three Legged Red, Kestrel’s Lady in Red and Platinum White and a host of other Washington wineries are putting out very good wines at competitive prices.

But Substance remains unique. Apart from offering single varietals, Substance wines reflect their exceptional vineyard sources and the specific tastes and styles of the winemakers. The focus is on more European flavors, avoiding excessively ripe grapes, and allowing for natural flavors of herb, forest and stone to take the forefront rather than the perhaps more seductive flavors of new oak barrels.

The current releases (priced $15 to $20):

Substance 2008 Cf Cabernet Franc

Made in the somewhat austere style of a Loire Valley Chinon, “rare in the New World,” the winemakers confess on the Web site, “as any hint of green, or herbs, in cab-based wines makes most winemakers apoplectic.” Those flavors are entirely appropriate here and do not translate to anything harsh, bitter or unpleasant. What is more surprising is the soft plum and cherry fruit that round out the mid-palate.

Substance 2008 Mb Malbec

Stone Tree (Wahluke Slope) vineyard provided much of the fruit, and there is a small (10 percent) amount of new oak in the mix. This captures the steely core of cassis, matches it to sharp, defining acids, and hones the accents of herb and cinnamon spice to a perfect pitch.

Substance 2008 Me Merlot

This shows the ample muscle of Washington merlot, with vineyard sources ranging from Canoe Ridge to Sagemoor to Seven Hills and beyond. Juicy, tangy, forward yet deep. This is not your ordinary merlot; it’s got flavors of cured meat, almond pastry and black tea sifting through, ephemeral but fascinating. At the heart is good black-cherry fruit.

Substance 2008 Sy Syrah

This is a fine introduction to Washington syrah, as it shows not only the fruit (raspberry and boysenberry) but also the fragrances (earth, herb) and the nuances (rock, compost) that make these wines so complex and interesting.

Paul Gregutt is the author of “Washington Wines & Wineries.” Find him at www.paulgregutt.com or write to paulgwine@me.com.

Forget about the music, the barrel-making demonstrations and the outdoor massages in the middle of a vineyard.

At Tamarack Cellars owner Ron Coleman said the draw is what’s in the barrels.

“We just made great wine again,” Coleman said, explaining why he believes his crowds were up from the previous Spring Release weekend.

Though the entertainment factor was minimal for his and the next-door wineries, Revelry and Mannina, the crowds were plentiful, especially when a bus loaded with Pasco tourists were dropped off.

“It comes in waves. This is a big time of year, a busy season … We had a very good, busy Thursday and Friday. So it has been a very good weekend,” Coleman said.

One of the reasons the tour buses like to stop in front of Tamarack, Mannina and Revelry wineries is because all three are a short walk from each other.

At Revelry Cellars, a downpour sent a covey of the Pasco tourists rushing through the door to get out of the rain. What followed was a mad rush for glasses and pourings, and the crowd slowly meandered into the overflow room, where food was served.

Next door at Mannina, the roll-up door was kept open, revealing a stunning view of the Blue Mountains over green wheat fields.

More than 100 wineries are expected to participate in Spring Release activities. Many will offer food and some will provide live music to draw in crowds.

Over in the vineyards of Tero Estates and Flying Trout wineries, 52015 Seven Hills Road, Milton-Freewater, pastries and massages are part of the program today.

A master barrel-making demonstrations will also take place today at Watermill Winery, 235 E. Broadway, Milton-Freewater, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Most wineries will extend their normal operating hours today, and some will even be open early and late on Monday.