The Wine Knows

A guy in our office endured a faux pas a couple of weeks ago that I'm certain will make you squirm.

This guy - we'll call him "Joe" - doesn't know a lot about wine. He was in a very nice Thai restaurant with his girlfriend. This particular restaurant has a reputation for its great wine list.

I've heard a lot of folks talk about Saffron Mediterranean Kitchen in Walla Walla, Wash., for the past year or so, and I finally had the opportunity to have dinner there last week.

I was not disappointed.

The Toasted Oak restaurant and Wine Country Welcome Centre wine shop in downtown Oliver, B.C., is up for sale. No price is listed, but you can view the listing here.

Purple Cafe and Wine Bar has announced it will open three new restaurants in Bellevue. Owner Larry Kurofsky will open his fourth Purple Cafe at Bellevue Towers in November, followed by two other restaurants in January.

With entirely too little fanfare, the amazing Shoalwater Restaurant in little Seaview, Wash., served its final meal last weekend.

After 28 years in the historic Shelburne Inn on Washington's Long Beach Peninsula, owners Tony and Ann Kischner have closed the Shoalwater to focus on their new operation, the Bridgewater Bistro in nearby Astoria, Ore.

Sinclair Philip, the force behind the fabulous Sooke Harbour House, also is a national leader in Canada's Slow Food movement.

Eric Degerman, Wine Press Northwest managing editor, sat down recently with Philip to talk about the Sooke Harbour House, Slow Food and a number of other subjects. Watch the interview here:

Famous for its nine-course meals based on fresh, regional ingredients, The Herbfarm in Woodinville, Wash., is one of the true treasures of the Pacific Northwest food and wine scene.

I read with interest this article this morning on the Wines & Vines Web site about how wineries in Napa County are unable to open on-premise restaurants. Wow. What a great opportunity missed. In fact, head just north of the border to British Columbia's Okanagan Valley and you'll see how it's done right.

In case you didn't know, it's Washington Wine Month for restaurants and retailers (not to be confused with Washington Wine Month in August, when the state liquor stores have blow-out prices).

Here is how two Seattle-area restaurants are featuring Washington wines. Take this however you want.

One of the great gems in the Pacific Northwest is the Sooke Harbour House in Sooke, British Columbia. This gorgeous destination is southwest of Victoria on Vancouver Island and is world renowned for its luxury accommodations, wine list and cuisine.