Well, not exactly. Chateau Ste. Michelle produces a number of wines in Woodinville with grapes from the Columbia River Valley in south-central Washington state. It all started when Fred Stimson, a lumber baron, moved to Woodinville at the turn of the century to escape the "hectic pace" of Seattle.
Newly a gentleman farmer, Mr. Stimson built a manor fit for a king and hired the esteemed Frederick Law Olmstead responsible for New York's Central Park to plant the gardens. Olmstead also planted a few vines up front, mainly as a decorative touch. Today, the property is the headquarters for Stimson Lane, the parent company of Chateau Ste. Michelle, Columbia Crest and a host of other small vineyards.
The ample grounds are the setting for a series of outdoor concerts during the summer featuring the likes of Tony Bennett and Ray Charles. And what of those grapes? Well, they're grown in the Columbia River Valley, an area of near-desert conditions in central Washington which averages only three to five inches of rain a year. The folks at Chateau Ste. Michelle are also quick to point out that their growing region, at 46 to 48 degrees latitude, is in line with another highly regarded parcel, the Loire Valley of France.
Equally nifty, believe it or not, was the eruption of Mt. Helens in , which spewed liberal amounts of potash, nitrogen and phosphorous on the soil, making it even better. A tour of Chateau Ste. Michelle pray that the encyclopedic Earl Strei will be your guide is a crash course in Winemaking Wear a heavy sweater it's cold inside and be prepared for some intense wine aroma.
You'll learn about the winemaking process step-by-step, from the picking of the grape to the role of yeast in fermentation and the advantages of French oak vs. While the winery tour is a great reason to come to Chateau Ste. Michelle, the best reason is the tasting that follows. You'll get to sample four different wines and judge for yourself the merits of the great Northwest grape. The tasting begins with a little wine etiquette sniff, swirl and sip , at which time you'll be reminded that the first sip doesn't count, since it's meant to cleanse the palate.
You'll proceed from whites to reds, and if you're very lucky, the last vintage to kiss your palate will be a Chateau Ste. Michelle Late Harvest White Riesling. This fruity dessert wine is sweet perfection. The good news is you can take some home with you, since the gift shop is your last stop on your way out the door. Michelle Vineyards and Winery N.
Unless you have relatives in town, your reason for coming here will be to visit The Herbfarm, the baby of Ron Zimmerman and his wife, Carrie Van Dyck. This place is herb heaven. Back in , Zimmerman's mother, Lola, wound up with a few extra chive plants from her garden.
She parked them in a wheelbarrow out front and posted a "for sale" sign. The rest, as they say, is history. Today, nearly herbs and perennials are grown on this working acre farm. Not all of them are edible, though. While many are used for cooking, some are medicinal, others are for crafts and a handful are meant for Fido. You can buy many of the herbs and herb-related products at The Herbfarm's gift shop, but that's only the beginning.
You can tour the gardens, take a cooking class and even dine at the top-rated restaurant, where the bounty is fresh from the restaurant's kitchen garden. Are you thinking cottage industry? A fair statement, especially when you consider that there's a page catalog which sums it all up. The best time to stroll through the gardens is during the spring and summer, when they are in full bloom.
Pause at some of the themed gardens Shakespeare garden, thyme garden, fragrant garden , pick a leaf the lemon verbena is terrific -- just smell it! The ample greenhouses are chockful of herbs and plants, and the kitchen garden is an informative culinary tour. If you want to put some of your newfound knowledge to the test, an award-winning list of chefs teaches cooking classes year-round.
The highlight of a visit to The Herbfarm, if you're lucky, is a meal at the restaurant. Good morning, Eaters. My question? Where are your favorite open-kitchen counters? Nikos, Sikey and the rest of the crew have a well-orchestrated ballet in that cramped cooking space. Best Indian food in town: India Bistro on 65th and Roosevelt. Also at The Hardware Store on Vashon. I love the filipino food counter at the Market!
Of course, 13 Coins is great too. As a chef groupie, and when tables are short, we love to dine at the counter at Betty. The gracious staff and creative chefs make you feel at home, again and again. Old school: the food is solid, if a bit uninspired, at 13 Coins, and the the leather chairs at the counter may be showing their age, but the show is still good. I could, quite honestly, enjoy the flames and the hollering—with bread, the antipasti, and drinks, for a couple of hours.
Oh, and I forgot that you can stand at the bar at Txori and watch them make amazingly delicious things with very little space to work in. I am a weekend regular at Saigon in the Pike Place Market. It is a wonderful, family-run Vietnamese place that I have frequented for more than 20 years starting at the age of 8 or so. Definatly Txori. But I would also have to say that while sitting at any part of the restaurant in Sitka and Spruce you have a great view of everything in the kitchen,. How has no one mentioned Thai Tom on the ave?
The visit to Seattle was my first, and like all firsts, it made a lasting impression. We walked all through the Market, but what sticks with me most is that small break we took at Counter Intelligence, a hidden slice of upper floor in the Corner Market Building. The windows peek out over the bustling Market shoppers, and gaze beyond the main market building toward Elliott Bay and the snow-capped Olympic mountain range.
Home at the time was Dallas, Texas, where the nearest you could get to a latte was watery cappuccino, and that only if you took the trouble to really ask around. It was like drinking liquid velvet. This means there are plenty of cozy corners that feel perfect for visiting or for working on something. Anyone who has tumbled down the rabbit hole of discovery using a subscription database like Ancestry.
As much as I enjoy combing through vintage cook books, I am modern enough to also like lurking on food blogs. Many of these break recipes down into steps, illustrating each with explanatory photographs. The continued existence of the house at 9th Avenue is surprising, considering its First Hill location. Tall buildings loom near the capacious dwelling, which is set back from 9th Avenue on the steep corner of Cherry Street.
The house dates from about , and surely holds many stories. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Email Address. Paula Becker Writer and Historian. The Billboard, June 25,
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