Driving east under the warm eastern Washington sunshine along Interstate 82 this past Friday to the Taste Washington Tri Cites wine and food event in my wife's convertible, I realized the dark, threatening clouds sweeping overhead were signaling the beginning of the end of summer here in Washington Wine Country. The preceding day, or week for that matter, had been consistently above 90 degrees and the opportunity to drive the little car and get a tan at the same time was irresistible. My comfortable silk shorts, Italian leather sandals, lightweight shirt and laissez-faire attitude turned to mud (literally) when arriving in Kennewick to the ensuing raindrops.

My good fortune was just beginning as I received only hours earlier, a media pass to the 2 hour pre function from a well respected winery official. I felt that I must live up to the free-bee and socialize with as many contemporaries as possible. What a visions of grandeur I had. If you have ever had the luxury to go to this event, you know how daunting it can be with so many great wineries represented, to get around to everyone and everything. The Tri Cites stage, albeit much smaller than the gargantuan Seattle show, came packing all the goods that the Washington Wine Commission is known for. What a pleasure it is to meander among 50 plus wineries, chatting and chumming, tasting and spitting (sounds awful but is imperative at an event of this magnitude) and tasting the morsels from many local restaurants, specialty stores and caterers. We were blessed with the wares of Seattle chefs, Dan Thiessen of Salty's and the ever present Tom Black of the Alderbrook & Barking Frog properties. Even the culinary and hospitality program from Washington State University was represented. Under the tutelage of Chef Gene Fritz, the Wazzu gang looked crisp in their whites and served up two tasty tidbits.

The timing of TW-TC coincides with the ripening of fruit here in the Valleys. While it has been a warm year with particularly little moisture, the vines are just now coming to full maturity, with only the warmest sites and sparkling wine grapes being picked. As I write this and you read this, the vintners are laying sleepless at night waiting for their ?ships to come in?. The air is thick with perfumed jelly grapes, herbaceous sweet corn and pungent mint. I revel in these slow days just prior to wine grape harvest. Cool nights, warm and sunny days and most of all...the absence of fruit flies. May we have another near perfect vintage in 2005. Cheers, Cin-Cin & Salut.

Chef Big John