Established in 2002, Joe Dobbes’ Wines has become one of Oregon’s most well-established wine companies.  Joe, a native Oregonian, worked stints at Wiengut Erbhof Tesch in Germany’s Nahe, and Domaine G. Roumier and Domaine Comtes Lafon in Burgundy, followed by six years at Willamette Valley Vineyards before branching out on his own.

The stand-out barrels from the winemaking program are reserved for the Dobbes Family Estate range, comprising the Grand Assemblage Pinot Noir (SRP$29) and Viognier (SRP$24). Wine by Joe offerings include a Chardonnay (SRP$14), Pinot Gris (SRP$14), Pinot Blanc (SRP$14), Rosé (SRP$13) and Pinot Noir (SRP$19).  Jovino is for fine restaurants in select markets, focusing on Pinot Noir (SRP$19) and Pinot Gris (SRP$12).

“Our core has historically been imports – this is a great opportunity to focus our interests on family-owned, artisanal wineries within the domestic market,” saidRob Buono, President, Old Bridge Cellars.  “We’re excited to bring Joe’s wines to our distribution network, particularly with today’s announcement that Wine by Joe has been named Wine Business Monthly’s number one ‘Small Hot Brand for 2012.’ It is a commendable and well-deserved accolade for Joe and his team.”

“Oregon’s cool-climate Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay have always appealed to us, varieties of which Joe crafts seamlessly,” addedGavin Speight, Wine and Marketing Director, Old Bridge Cellars.

In the coming months, Old Bridge Cellars will be working closely with its distribution partners to provide a national footprint for Joe Dobbes’ Wines.

“We are ecstatic to be partnering with Old Bridge Cellars given their proven sales and marketing proficiency. This relationship completes my second, and significant, strategic move since receiving funding from Bacchus Capital Management, which will assist us in growing our brand’s presence across the country,” said Joe Dobbes, Owner and Winemaker, Joe Dobbes’ Wines.

Old Bridge Cellars is a sales and marketing company based in Napa, California. The portfolio is recognized for its collection of benchmark, regional estates that include d’Arenberg, Leeuwin Estate, John Duval, Penley Estate, Giant Steps, Innocent Bystander, Kilikanoon, Jasper Hill, Cullen, Shoofly, Stickybeak, Brokenwood, Plantagenet and Yarra Yering.  Publisher’s Note:  Old Bridge Cellars should connect with Joe Connector Kennedy to discuss selling more of their grape juice in the Pacific Northwest.  Many of us like our wine.

Proprietor and author John Howie, together with Chef Mark Hipkiss have designed a sumptuous six-course dinner, as follows:

Tempura King Crab

Tapioca pudding, lobster butter, chervil, chives

Chardonnay, 2009, Burgundy, France

Frisée Salad

Maple sherry vinaigrette, Kurobuta pork belly lardoons,

crispy poached egg, black pepper-Reggiano Parmigiano zabaglione

Gamay Noir, 2010 Seven Springs, Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon

Sous Vide Lamb Loin

Pinot crust, creamy yellow grits, roasted garlic,

Ceregnola olives, rosemary demi-glace

Pinot Noir, 2009 Seven Springs ‘Summum’, Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon

American “Kobe Style” Wagyu Beef Cap of Rib

Caramelized fennel, leek and potato cake, wild mushrooms, sauce Bordelaise

Pinot Noir, 2009 Seven Springs ‘La Source’, Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon

Fromager d’Affinois

Apple, pear and sage jam, red wine honey, walnut crisp

Assorted Cookies

Illy coffee

Evening Land Vineyards winemaker’s dinner will start at 6:30 pm, is priced at $150.00 per person (tax and gratuity are additional), and is limited to 24 seats.  John Howie Steak is located in The Shops at the Bravern at 11111 NE 8^th Street, Suite 125, Bellevue, Washington.  For information or reservations please contact Wilma Manchester at 425.440.0878.  Available seats will be allocated on a first contact, first serve basis.

About Evening Land Vineyards

Evening Land has brought together a collection of pinot noir and chardonnay vineyards in the three great growing regions of the American West.  From the Eola Hills in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, to the Sonoma Coast in the town of Occidental, California and ending on the western lip of Santa Barbara County’s Santa Rita Hills, Evening Land organically farms over 120 acres of heritage vineyards that produce 13 Estate wines imbued with this unique spirit of place. An orchestrated mix of old vine own rooted Oregon and California heritage clones, cuttings from the great established pinot noir and chardonnay vineyards of Burgundy and an experimental block of pinot noir grown from seed, the Vineyards of the Evening Land present a vivid view of Burgundy´s legendary grapes raised in the amazing diversity of America´s climate and soil.  “The Evening Land” has long been a symbol of the dream quest for the perfect garden. From ancient Greek myth to now, the search for The Evening Land is synonymous with adventure and romance that inevitably leads to the extremes of America’s West Coast.

About Larry Stone

Larry Stone, renowned master sommelier and former general manager of Napa´s Rubicon Estate Vineyard and Winery, joined Evening Land Vineyards as president.  “Larry Stone is one of the most respected professionals in the wine business and we are thrilled to bring his expertise as a producer, manager and restaurateur to Evening Land,” said Tarlov. “I don´t know of a person with a better palate or commitment to making a high quality product.”  Stone brings with him a wealth of wine knowledge. Most recently, Stone was general manager of Rubicon Estate and a two-time recipient of the James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Service. An English-certified Master Sommelier, Stone passed the examination on his first attempt. He was elected to the board of directors of the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2004 and became a trustee of the James Beard Foundation in 2005. He is the only American to earn the title of Maître Sommelier from the Union de la Sommelerie Française.

During a special Women Take Heart program, women can sip wine, tour the winery, sample chocolates and get tips and advice on how to live a heart healthy lifestyle from a cardiologist and a nutritionist.  The program, scheduled from 5:30-8 p.m., will be held at Januik Novelty Hill winery in Woodinville.  Pre-registration is required and may be made online with The Hope Heart Institute . The $29 fee includes wine and chocolate tasting, heart healthy appetizers, and the program.

Women Take Heart, a program developed by The Hope Heart Institute, creates awareness and provides tools for healthier living to combat heart disease, the No. 1 killer of women.  Hope Heart, a Washington-based heart-disease charity, was one of the beneficiaries of proceeds from the 2011 Golf Fore Red tournament for women; the two organizations are co-presenting the Feb. 29 event.

Golf Fore Red, founded in 2007 by two Seattle-area women who both lost their mothers to heart disease, combines education, fun and fund-raising for heart disease research.  Since inception, the annual tournament (which sold out 2011) has netted more than $33,000. This year’s annual event is scheduled for Saturday, July 28 at The Golf Club at Redmond Ridge.

Along with tasting wines from Januik Winery (named one of the top wineries of 2011 by Wine & Spirits Magazine), guests can sample artisan chocolates from award-winning Intrigue Chocolates Co.  Both the winery and chocolate company will offer special pricing on any purchases made that evening.  The evening also marks the first date of registration for the 2012 Golf Fore Red tournament.

“When I became aware that Madeline may be available, I jumped at the chance and immediately created a position to bring her on-board. That is how important I feel she is to the Washington wine industry. Madeline comes from the Washington State Wine Commission and brings with her great integrity and a wealth of knowledge of Washington wine regionally, nationally and internationally. All I can say is 2012 is going to be a VERY exciting year!” said owner and winemaker Charles Smith.

Dow spent six years with the Commission as Marketing Manager, and helped coordinate the Washington Wine Restaurant Awards, Washington Wine Month programs, the 20something–the new vintage event and other national and international marketing campaigns and activities. Raised in the wine industry, Dow comes to the team with a global wine palate from her father, Peter Dow, owner of Cavatappi Winery and founder of importer/distributor Cavatappi Distribuzione, both in Seattle, Washington.

“I’m really excited to work with Charles and bring some of my creative marketing elements to the table. I’ve always admired the wines and had great respect for his approach and I look forward to hitting the ground running in this new position.” Dow said.

Charles Smith Wines, based in Walla Walla, Washington, includes the brands K Vintners, Charles Smith Wines, The Charles Smith Family, Charles & Charles and Secco. In 2009 Food & Wine Magazine recognized Charles Smith as “Winemaker of the Year” and in 2010 Seattle Magazine honored him with “Winemaker of the Year”.

But there is good news, according to a post on the MI Patch, former owner Ryan Allison is now focusing his time on his successful online wine retailing business at DiscountWineBuys.com

Thursday 12/15 (today) 3-6pm, Kim Shea, the N.W. Manager for Oyster Bay Winery to be on hand to answer questions on food and wine pairings for the holidays as well to promote one of New Zealand’s leading Wineries.

Friday 12/16 from 11am to 1pm, BizEnrich will be holding a Flash Mob Food Drive to benefit families of Olive Crest.

from 3-7pm Wine tasting – items from Kendal Jackson Winery and La Crema Winery will be featured,

Thursday 12/22 from 3:30pm to 6:30pm, Mary Bellando, the N.W. Manager for Dobb’s Family Estates “Wine By Joe” will be on hand to discuss her wines as well as current events at the winery and food pairing ideas.

Friday 12/23 from 12 noon to 2pm, Eric Dunham of Dunham Estate Winery will be signing bottles.

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The program starts December 1, 2011, which is just prior to the Valley’s big Holiday Barrel Tasting Weekend celebration December 2-4.  (Publisher’s note: It would be really cool if they invited us to Walla Walla for a wine weekend so we could tell our readers all about it)

“The Taste and Tote program will be a huge plus for generating both inbound air travel to Walla Walla and wine purchases by out-of-town visitors,” said Duane Wollmuth, executive director of the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance. “In the past, air travelers were required to pay tasting fees at many wineries and also pay a $20 baggage handling fee to transport a box of wine on outbound flights.  For those of us working in the wine industry, we heard time and again from visitors that they either travelled by car to the Valley, or did not buy wine when they flew, simply because they were not willing to pay the additional fee to transport wine home.”

The disproportionate share of vehicle travelers to Walla Walla was illustrated by findings in a recent survey conducted by Tourism Walla Walla which showed 76% of visitors travelled by private vehicle, while only 9% travelled by air.

“The program is a great win/win for everyone involved, especially consumers,” said  Clint Ostler, Alaska Airlines manager of retail advertising and sponsorships,  “Our travelers to Walla Walla wine country can now enjoy some of the best that the wine industry has to offer and take home their purchases with no added cost. “

Alaska Airlines serves Walla Walla Regional Airport twice daily nonstop from Seattle using Horizon Air-operated Q-400 aircraft.  Connections can be made beyond Alaska’s Seattle hub to destinations in Alaska, the Lower 48, and Canada

The Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance is a non-profit wine industry membership organization whose primary mission is the marketing of the Walla Walla Valley’s American Viticultural Area (AVA).  The Wine Alliance functions as the leading informational resource for consumers, media and trade interested in learning more about the Valley’s wine industry.  More information about the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance and details of the Taste and Tote program can be found at www.wallawallawine.com.

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together serve 90 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Network Carriers” in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 North America Airline Satisfaction Studies^SM. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com.

Patterson Cellars  joins Woodinville warehouse wineries for the annual St. Nicholas Day Open House celebration of wine on December 3 and 4 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guests will have the opportunity to discover new wineries, sample special selections, meet the winemakers and learn about future releases. Shuttle Express will offer shuttle service between participating wineries. Guests can purchase shuttle passes at http://shuttleexpress.com/wine-event. Cost is $55 for a two-day pass (Saturday and Sunday); $40 for a Sunday-only pass. To purchase tickets for St. Nicholas Day wine event and for a complete list of participating wineries, visit Woodinville Wine Country online.

Stop by Patterson Cellars for a Taste of Their New 2008 Bordeaux Winter Release on December 10 and 11

Patterson Cellars invites guests to visit their Woodinville tasting room (19501 144th Ave NE Suite D-600) for the release of their 2008 Bordeaux on December 10 and 11, noon to 5 p.m. Guests can enjoy a taste of the Bordeaux paired with Chimichurri Flank Steak prepared by Patterson Cellars. There is a $5 tasting fee; tasting fee waived with any wine purchase.

Patterson Cellars is located at 19501 144th Ave NE, Suite D-600 in Woodinville in the wine warehouse district. The Woodinville tasting room offers a unique space and experience for tasting their approachable new world style wines, and for parties and events. Crafting wines for over 12 years, from crush to cork, Patterson Cellars focuses on producing wines as unique as the grapes themselves, sourcing grapes from Washington States’ Columbia Valley, Red Mountain, Lake Chelan and Horse Heaven Hills AVAs. Visit the website for tasting room hours, wine club, bottling program, and custom crush information.

Follow Patterson Cellars online:

Website: www.pattersoncellars.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Patterson-Cellars/119372784759130

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/pattersncellars

The Washington Wine Commission has agreed to license the event to Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Wine Commission will become a presenting sponsor. “BellevueBusinessJournal.com would like to continue being a media partner and we would also like to explore getting Eastside Entrepreneurs involved on some level” said BBJ Publisher and Eastside Entrepreneurs Founder Joe Kennedy. Beginning immediately, SCVB will assume primary responsibility for producing the event, including sponsorship and vendor arrangements, while the Commission will manage winery participation and other wine-related activities.

“Over fourteen years, Taste Washington has grown to become the premier showcase for the Washington State wine industry in the Pacific Northwest,” said Kent Waliser, Chairman of the Washington State Wine Commission and General Manager for Sagemoor Vineyards. “This new partnership will enable Taste Washington to continue to grow into a destination wine and food event on a national level,” he added.

“Taste Washington has long been a crown jewel of our local community,” said Chad Mackay, 2012 Chairman of Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau and President and COO of El Gaucho. “By working with the Commission to produce Taste Washington, SCVB aims to bring visitors from across the country and around the world to Seattle to experience the best of our rich wine and culinary traditions.”

The Commission and SCVB also announced changes to the format for Taste Washington.

The Taste Washington Grand Tasting, previously a one-day event, will now expand to two days, Saturday, March 31, 2012, and Sunday, April 1, 2012, at CenturyLink Field Event Center in Seattle. It is hoped that the expanded format will enhance business opportunities for restaurants, hotels, visitor attractions and other businesses.

The Taste Washington Seminars, held previously at Bell Harbor International Conference Center in Seattle, will move to CenturyLink Field Event Center on Saturday, March 31, 2012. Tickets for the Seminars will be sold independently of those for the Grand Tasting.

And for the first time, ticket packages – inclusive of Grand Tasting tickets, Seminar tickets, and lodging – will also be available.

“The new format for Taste Washington will maintain the event’s focus on the Washington State wine industry – a focus that truly sets Taste Washington apart from other wine and food events,” said Robin Pollard, Executive Director for the Washington State Wine Commission. “Our industry will continue to be the star of the show.”

“Taste Washington fits perfectly with SCVB’s core mission – to bring more visitors to Seattle and Washington State,” said Tom Norwalk, SCVB President & CEO. “Our state’s world-class wine is already a tourism driver and we look forward to working hand-in-hand with the wine industry to build on the success of Taste Washington, explore expansion of this event to multiple days or weeks and further showcase Northwest food, restaurants and chefs.”

The licensing agreement for Taste Washington will be ongoing, subject to mutual agreement. Varsity Communications, which has provided event production services for the event for the past five years, will continue in its role.

About Taste Washington:

Taste Washington is the largest single-region wine and food event in the United States, featuring more than 200 Washington State wineries and over 60 Pacific Northwest restaurants. Held annually in the spring, Taste Washington attracts more than 3,000 wine and food enthusiasts to the Seattle area. The Washington State Wine Commission launched Taste Washington in 1998. For more information on Taste Washington, please visit www.tastewashington.org.

About the Washington State Wine Commission:

The Washington State Wine Commission represents every licensed winery and every wine grape grower in Washington State. Guided by an appointed board, the Commission provides a marketing platform to raise positive awareness of the Washington State wine industry and generate greater demand for its wines. Funded almost entirely by the industry – through assessments based on grape and wine sales – the Commission is a state government agency, established by the legislature in 1987. For more information on the Washington State Wine Commission and the Washington State wine industry, please visit www.washingtonwine.org.

About Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau:

Seattle’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, a private, nonprofit marketing organization, has served as Seattle/King County’s official destination marketing organization (DMO) for more than 50 years. The goal of these marketing efforts is to enhance the employment opportunities and economic prosperity of the region.