Otis Kenyon Wine is the latest Walla Walla Valley winery to expand to Woodinville. The winery's new 958-square-foot tasting room, situated in the Apple Farm Village complex near the landmark Hollywood School, is slated to open in April. The move is expected to provide greater access to the winery's award-winning vintages for Western Washington consumers, according to an announcement Tuesday. "The new tasting room will never replace the historic look and feel of our Walla Walla tasting room or the experience of touring in wine country," said Stephen Kenyon, who owns the winery with Deborah Dunbar. "However, Woodinville has a lot to offer as far as convenience and wine tourism traffic. We look forward to introducing Otis Kenyon Wine to the community." Other Walla Walla area wineries that have opened Woodinville tasting rooms include Isenhower Cellars, Dusted Valley Vintners and Gifford Hirlinger. Pepper Bridge Winery is expected to open soon. According to the announcement Woodinville generated $2.8 million in wine production and welcomed 13 new tasting rooms last year. Another 10 are expected in 2010. Otis Kenyon will open in time for the ninth annual Passport to Woodinville wine event. Four of its award-winning wines -- made under the direction of winemaker Dave Stephenson ...

Don't expect to hear any corks popping in celebration of Dusted Valley Vintners new designation as Wine Press Northwest's Washington Winery of the Year. The Walla Walla-based winery seals every bottle strictly with screw caps, one of numerous features of the operation highlighted in the spring 2010 Wine Press Northwest edition that touts the winery. Ultimately what's under the cap caught the attention of the magazine, writes Eric Degerman in the piece. "The wines are serious, stunning and consistent," the article describes. "'Crack the cap' reads the invitation to their screwcap wines. 'The first two glasses are for your health. The second two are for ours!' "That's how Dusted Valley evolved into our 2010 Washington Winery of the Year. And their empire continues to grow." In a press release announcement on the win Dusted Valley co-owner Chad Johnson said he and his brother-in-law and winery co-owner Corey Braunel are "incredibly proud." "It's really a true celebration of Washington state terroir and the people that help us grow and craft this art." The brothers-in-law, who both grew up in Wisconsin, say they mix good science, experimentation and a blend of old-world techniques with the wines in their 4,000-case operation. They focus on sustainable vineyard practices and low-intervention winemaking. They also ...

It's an oasis on West Highway 12.  The artfully designed buildings of Waterbrook is a haven for relaxation, whether it is indoors or out.   Waterbrook's Tasting Room is contemporary, but still influenced by the natural setting of the Northwest.  From the many windows and glass walls,  one can soak in the views of the  large ponds,  pastures of native grass and the beautiful Blue Mountains.  If you time it just right you can catch a coral and lavender- colored sunset while sipping a glass of Waterbrook's award-winning wine. There's a lot going on at Waterbrook.  Not only will you find an extensive list of wines for every palate and pocketbook, but on weekends you can enjoy the comfortable surroundings with a glass of wine and  small appetizer plates that are large on flavors.   Also available are goodies-to-go for an impromptu picnic, such as an assortment of gourmet crackers, cheeses, cured meats and local chocolates. Ceil Blaine, Executive Chef of Waterbrook Winery has recently announced Wednesday Night Cooking Classes at the winery's tasting room.  It's all about home cooking that has been kicked up a notch and of course, food that is wine friendly.  From now until June 2, Waterbrook winery will offer a variety of classes from soup, flatbreads, crackers, brunch, Italian, Tapas, Thai, Cioppino and even how to infuse lavender in your menus.  Ceil says ...

Walla Walla's showcase event for food and wine will bring some new flavors to the table this year. Fish tacos, draft beer and hard cider among them. Organizers of foodie festival Feast Walla Walla are getting tongues wagging for the third annual event, signing the largest number of food participants yet. Fourteen food purveyors -- from longtime chefs to culinary arts students -- will serve everything from pub grub to fancy fare at the April 10 event, according to an announcement from the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation. The $45 tickets are on sale now for participants 21 and older. The three-hour event starts at 1 p.m. that Saturday. Here's how it works: Guests at the entrance of a 400-foot heated tent on First Avenue between Main and Alder streets trade their tickets for 10 event tokens and a commemorative wine glass. The tokens are exchanged at stations set up throughout the tent for samples of food and wine. With restaurants and wineries -- not to mention a brewery and cidery this year -- under one roof, the event is a chance to dine from multiple menus and pair the food with Walla Walla's renowned wines. Works from four local artists will also be on ...

We stopped by for a quick visit with Ronn Coldiron, owner and winemaker at Glencorrie Winery. He gave us a little background on the winery and shared some future plans. In case you are wondering Glencorrie is made of two Gaelic words that mean "field" and "pot-hole." Ronn explained that pot-holes are part of the Columbia Valley geography. He also gave us some details about an upcoming baguette-making class that will be hosted by the winery in the month of March. Ronn has apparently perfected a recipe that will allow anyone to bake a Parisian-style baguette in a conventional oven. We may be back to check out the class. If you want more information about Glencorrie or want details about the baguette-making class, check out their site, glencorrie.com or give them a call at 509.525.2585.

I started referring to my daily glass of wine as my “heart medicine” the day the doc suggested I should consider drinking a glass of red wine a day. Of course, he then paused and finished his “prescription” with “Oh, I forgot. Look who I am talking to. I am preaching to the choir.” The ideal time for a glass of wine is with dinner. In many European countries, wine is food, and part of daily culture and traditions. As we look into the history of wine and today’s science, there is plenty to say about the proven health benefits of moderate wine drinking. The Mayo Clinic has reported that red wines such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot, sangiovese and syrah have long been thought of as being heart-healthy when drunk in moderation. The alcohol and antioxidants in red wine may help prevent heart disease. Antioxidants such as f lavonoids and resveratrol are widely found in the skin, stem and seeds of grapes. Red wines have more antioxidants since red grapes are fermented with the skins, stems and seeds, while white grapes are pressed, extracting juice with the skins, stems and seeds eliminated, and the juice is fermented by itself. Flavonoids can strengthen capillary ...

The first time I was introduced to Caleb Foster was in a viticulture class. The focus of the lecture was the importance of the relationship between vineyard owner and winemaker and Caleb was our speaker for the evening. Caleb obviously left an impression on me because I can still remember the class, and after visiting with Caleb recently and drinking his wines with him, Caleb is a man of his word. His wines express the importance of the relationship between vineyard owner and winemaker. The wines of Buty indeed stay true to the vineyards. Caleb Foster's winemaking career started in 1991 as a winemaking assistant for Woodward Canyon. In 1999, he moved on to become an enologist for Chateau Ste Michelle. The start of the new millennium was a significant one as Caleb traveled down to Marlborough, New Zealand as a production assistant for Foxes Island and Seven Tarraces wines during their 2000 crush. In 2001, the married team of Nina Buty Foster and Caleb Foster created Buty Winery in Walla Walla. Buty Winery produces small cuvees of white and red single vineyard blends from Washington State. Their accolades are many, including two times named as "Wine of the Year" by ...

The Julia Child Cookoff was co-sponsored by the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation and Lifestyles magazine. Watch video after the break.

What is “netiquette,” you ask mon cheri? Why “netiquette” is network etiquette -- the etiquette of cyberspace. Like any culture, cyberspace also has its own etiquette. If you were dining in Japan or a guest at the Rabbi’s Passover Seder, I mean, we wouldn't stick chopsticks in our nose to imitate a walrus nor would we bring a bacon cheeseburger to the Rabbi’s house now, would we? So, should we behave any different when we are in cyberspace? Of all of the cyberspace groups I have been a part of, I think wine bloggers really give it their best - they are the best. Now let me say, I am not perfect in my netiquette. What you see on my blog, mouth and all, is pretty much my personality. What you read is what you get. But in spite of it all, I still remember the golden rules my parents and kindergarten teacher taught me and I really treasure Robert Fulghum’s, All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten. Share everything, play fair, don’t hit people, say you are sorry when you hurt people, wash your hands before you eat, flush, hold hands and stick together, cookies and milk are good ...

They did it again! Tom Maccarone and Chef Jake Crenshaw, co-owners of the popular T. Maccarone’s restaurant in Walla Walla purchased one of downtown's beloved landmarks, the 34-year old Merchants Ltd Deli. Tonight was the premiere opening for the Olive Marketplace & Cafe. It proved to be a grand evening of good food, good wine and visiting with many familiar faces, besides being the first ones to see the new design. Yes Walla Walla Peeps, in many ways it is still the same Merchants LTD but even better with the same casual feel; adding a new paint job, furniture, art, kitchen and restrooms. The balcony area has new furniture and even niches for studying and meetings. In fact, it looks even bigger in spite of the sea of growing people who were there tonight to celebrate. The Olive Marketplace will be opened daily from 6am to 9pm and 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Breakfast from 6-11am and the lunch and evening menus will feature their flat bread pizza, sandwiches, soups and other items. I can tell you first hand the flat bread pizza was luscious and so many toppings to choose from. Espresso, tea, local and imported wines and beer on tap ...

The Julia Child Boeuf Bourguignon Cookoff Contest is Friday, Feb. 5 from 5-7 pm at Someone's In the Kitchen, located at the corner of 4th and W. Rose, downtown Walla Walla. This event is co-sponsored by Walla Walla Lifestyles Magazine and the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation. It was inspired by the movie "Julie & Julia." If you are not familiar with the movie, "Julie & Julia", it depicts events in the life of chef Julia Child in the early years of her culinary career, while contrasting her life with Julie Powell. In 2002, Powell aspired to cook all 524 recipes from Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking during a single year. Powell also shares her experiences online about her experiences cooking the recipes in a blog named, The Julie/Julia Project which led to a book and of course, a movie. The movie itself is a must-see for foodies, wine lovers and of course, wine and food bloggers. I left the theatre with this need to cook Boeuf Bourguignon, chocolate cake and omelettes. In fact, I swung open the door to my house and greeted my dog and two cats singing in a high pitched voice, "Bonjour!" Now, here is how ...