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WINE BLOGby Salty's Sommelier Tim O'Brien [ Email ] June 2008Wine and wild salmon, a one-day vacation.By Tim O'Brien, Salty's SommelierSEATTLE AND PORTLAND – I can't believe May has come and gone. June is always a great month in the food-wine business. I say it is like May on steroids. June delivers all the promise of May, from the garden to the sea. Wild salmon is here and this month's Wild Sweet Orange Tea Glazed Alaskan Salmon entrée will tantalize and delight all who partake. Salty's staff will continue to steer salmon lovers into the Pinot Noir category for the perfect silky balance of fruit, acid and tannins. Pinot Noir is grown successfully in Oregon, California, New Zealand and Burgundy but they all have different signature flavor components that reveal the terroir of their birthplace. More than any other varietal when you drink Pinot Noir you taste place. You can visit all these exotic places and see for yourself or save the money and the gas and take a one-day vacation at Salty's. Start by taking a virtual tour of our wine lists. Look under the Pinot Noir category and choose a Pinot-Place experience or two and you can fall asleep in your own bed. Sweet dreams from Salty's. Salmon, especially wild Alaskan salmon loves the grill. The higher level of good fatty acids make grilling your wild salmon an excellent choice. Whenever you grill you should look to red wine to provide the accompaniment. I like Cabernet, Syrah or Zinfandel with beef or lamb and Pinot Noir with salmon or tuna. Remember to keep your red wine at cellar temperature. Young red wines in particular taste brighter at 60 to 63 degrees. One final suggestion: When it gets too warm to eat hot food or drink red wine a bottle of Rosé will beat the heat and is versatile enough to go with an endless array of salads and fresh seafood. Look for one low on alcohol – less than 13.5 percent May 2008SEATTLE AND PORTLAND – Salmon and halibut are here, wild and fresh as ever. If spring decides to make an appearance we'll open our "Funshine Decks" and begin living the great lifestyle that only the Pacific Northwest and Salty's can provide. May is not your ordinary month. We anxiously await the arrival of Copper River salmon from Alaska and although we hear there's still a bit of ice on the river, it is expected mid-May. This is the time of year when culinary choices bloom with spring freshness. The gifts of both the earth and the sea are vying for our chefs' attention. Wild salmon and halibut share the stage in our May featured entrée. Our chefs could not leave either out. Seattle Chef Jeremy McLachlan refers to the dish as Surf & Surf and as he says, "What better way to welcome wild-caught salmon than nestling it next to fresh Alaskan halibut?" On our market sheets you'll see it listed as Citrus-Marinated Halibut and Wild Salmon Brochettes with Sweet Corn-Studded Cheesy Grits (made like polenta but we use white corn), Charred Tomatillos and Pickled Peppers, Dried Andouille (a coarse-grained smoked meat) and Celery Salad. Chef says the dish has a slight heat element and will be balanced with a blend of bold flavors.
The Pinot Gris has melon and a touch of anise and mineral with a finish as fresh as the morning. Year after year this wine is singled out as one of Oregon's best. Firesteed is the leading producer of Pinot Noir in Oregon and the 2006 demonstrates their affinity for it. Although it's the most finicky grape in the vineyard, Firesteed makes it look easy with consistently bright berry flavors unencumbered by oak or excessive alcohol. Here is wine made with food in mind. Salmon and Pinot Noir meet in the crossroads of your palate in perfect synergy with intensity and balance. Surf & Surf, Pinot & Pinot, Yum & Yum. Make your reservation at http://www.saltys.com/reservations for lunch or dinner, Alki, Redondo or Portland for the perfect match for halibut and salmon, Firesteed Pinots, Gris and Noir. April 2008Salty’s Sexy Syrah a sure sign of Spring. I can’t wait for this event to happen each year. It is like Christmas in April for Washington wine lovers. That is why we keep doing it and every year it gets better. This year’s edition includes over 40 wineries and a spread of Salty’s savory Syrah-loving specialties. We were looking for a wine that would match our world class view. This vintage of seductive Syrahs is bold and silky, fruity and spicy in a word, sexy. This is a fundraiser for FareStart and we sell out every year thanks to the enthusiastic, fun-loving, generous people who have made this their must-attend spring opener. David LeClaire, one of the most connected entrepreneurs in the wine world, and I scour Washington State to bring in some new “talent” while encouraging our favorite wineries to come back and help us make Sexy Syrah the most fun FUNdraiser of the year. It is my kind of wine event, long on hospitality and short on rules. I look forward to meeting new faces and greeting some old faces, everyone with stories to share. Let me thank in advance all of our participating wineries for helping to make this night a great food-wine adventure. I plan on slurping my next great Syrah so look me up and we can exchange favorites. I will be the one with the Syrah-blue-stained teeth.
Visit David LeClaire’s web site at http://www.vinolover.com/Upcomingevents and if you didn’t get our postcard on the event, here’s what it says: A vast array of Northwest boutique wineries invite you to come taste test one of the world’s hottest wines at one of the world’s hottest view restaurants – Syrah at Salty’s. Syrah is seducing wine enthusiasts who have an affection for red wines with bold spices, rich fruit and silky texture. Salty’s Chefs will serve appetizers designed to showcase Syrah’s outstanding affinity for food. Produced by Sommelier David LeClaire and Salty’s Sommelier Tim O’Brien, this very popular 7th annual event always sells out and features 40 Northwest wineriers including:
Join us Wednesday, April 16th, at Salty’s on Alki from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Your contribution of $40 is a fund-raiser for FareStart. Tickets must be purchased in advance at www.farestart.org or call (206) 267-6223. March 2008The Alki alchemist.By Tim O'Brien, Alchemist Blogger
Evergreen State Martini features DryFly vodka or gin made in Washington's first production distillery since Prohibition using Washington-grown grains (see more at dryflydistilling.com). Kahlúa selected our new Nutty Cow to feature in their advertising – now that's a vote of approval. We use equal parts Hazelnut Kahlúa and Bailey's Irish Cream and fold them into steamed milk to satisfy deepest cravings. New also to the Seattle cocktails menu are two flights of wine, one red and one white. I'm calling them The Snappy Seafood White Flight and the Succulent Steak Red Flight. They feature three two-ounce tasters of wine selected to pair with our cuisine and take your experience to a higher level of satisfaction. We have always dedicated ourselves to unique and exotic beverages and this edition of our menu surpasses all expectations. Three cheers to the alchemist! Salty's cocktails are available in not only the dining rooms, but also in the cafe-bars. Visit http://www.saltys.com/food_wine/bars_live_music.asp to view cocktail menus for all Salty's. Some cocktails are available at reduced prices during Eat, Drink & Be Happy Hour.
February 2008Wine flights of fancy.SEATTLE & PORTLAND – Salty’s Sommeliers have concocted a trio of love potions for our Chef’s Crab Lover’s Feast for February. We are calling it our Flight of Fancy, matching a wine with each crab course. You’ve noticed the commonality of language when referring to romance, food and wine. We love to talk about compatibility, then there’s food-friendliness, the perfect pairings. Our Crab Lover’s Feast of three courses with a Wine Flight of Fancy will allow you and your date to test the waters. We have chosen a taster of Champagne to accompany the first course – Crab and Brie Fondido with Tortilla Chips, Crostini with Roasted Garlic Puree – because like a great appetizer it starts light yet exuberant, it’s the whisper that turns into a kiss. Next, Riesling is a classic pairing with crab and our second course – Crab and Corn Chowder with Pablano Relish and Tortilla Strips – they are the perfect couple neither outshining the other but rather bringing out the best in each other. Finally, we suggest Chardonnay with the third course – Herb-Roasted Dungeness Crab and Polenta Baked with Queso Oaxaca and Cabbage Pico – because its flavor lingers pleasantly on your palate like a lover’s kiss. Watch for the roasted flavors of the crab to be highlighted by the toasty oak elements in your taster of Chardonnay. Like the perfect date this is a win-win proposition On a final note, Salty’s Wine Month is coming up in March and we have to mention – what with all this innuendo – we have an annual wine-tasting event at Alki called Sexy Syrah coming up in April. Watch our Wine Talk Blog for more. Here’s to your love feasts and wine flights of fancy – make a reservation at www.Saltys.com/reservations and we will take care of the rest. January 2008Wine Flights take off at Salty's.SEATTLE AND PORTLAND – A great way to start any meal at Salty's – like our Blue Plate Special – is to start off with an aperitif and a "Wine Flight," our newest twist in wine tasting. Tim O'Brien, Salty's head Sommelier explains, "A wine flight is different wines served in two-ounce tasting glasses to give our guests a chance to compare one wine to another." The options are endless, he says. "At Redondo we're offering a Sparkling Champagne flight that's very popular as well as a flight of red wines. Alki is offering a flight of Cabernet, Malbec and Pinot Noir. At Salty's in Portland, the wine-by-the-glass menu will now include a two-ounce portion so you can create your own wine flights choosing any wines listed." He says guests can compare Chardonnays from France to ones from California and Washington or many other mini sampling collections. "It's great tasting fun and our sommeliers can help make it an educational experience as well. They're trained to help answer questions on the wine labels and vintages our guests might like to include on their flight-tests. It's a wonderful way to experience the far corners of the wine world without overspending or overindulging." Combined with our imaginative appetizer dishes, our new wine flights make great tasting preludes to a Salty's Blue Plate Special. Redondo and Alki list wine flights on their Market Sheets; in Portland flights start this Saturday, January 5, and will be listed on the wine menu.
Make reservations at http://www.saltys.com/reservations or call us anytime.
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A dish this creative and savory demands a similar wine pairing. Our choice for Surf & Surf is Pinot & Pinot! Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. We recommend two three-ounce glasses of Pinot & Pinot with your Surf & Surf entrée. We went directly to Oregon to find the freshest wine on the planet (it's a shame it's not Walla Walla). Oregon has established itself as a premier region for both Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. Firesteed Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris jumped out of our wine glasses and ahead of the competition. Here are wines that have purity of fruit picked perfectly ripe then handled with precision and care. 
SEATTLE
– We roll out "Potations from the Alchemist" at
Alki in March. It's our new signature cocktail and mocktail menu. It
features a Rolls Royce Rita using Patron Anjeo Tequila
and Grand Marnier cognac liqueur or try a Luxury Lemondrop
with Grey Goose Citron or Belvedere vodka. 
