Linda and I had the chance to spend a week in DC to help celebrate the Holt International 55th year and we took it! The first night there we had dinner at Sonoma on Capital Hill a few blocks from the Liaison and Hyatt Regency hotels. The only Oregon wine on the menu was Soter's '08 "North Valley" Pinot Noir ($19 a glass, $78 a bottle) in the medium bodied reds. Great big nose full of spice and roses, dark berry, black fruit, and pepper in the mouth with a soft, long finish of spice and sweet berry. It went perfectly with the Duck breast!Nice to have a glass of Oregon wine in a restaurant that prides itself on California wines.
The food was fantastic and so was the service and we had a nice walk back across the Capital with cherry blossoms floating in the breeze around us.
The next day we started out at the Smithsonian Craft Show and ran in to many old arts and crafts freinds I knew from OPUS6IX and my travels. Peggy Loudon, Martha Fieber, Michael Bauermeister
We took our bounty back to the hotel and headed for museums. For lunch we found, with the help of my trusted companion Open Table, a place called Proof that is right out the door at the National Portrait Gallery where we worked up an appetite looking at Calder's show, along with so much more! Wow!
The wine list was fun to sort out and look though for Oregon gems.Chehalem, Inox, Willamette Valley 2008 (that is the wine they gave us the last two years)
Pinot Gris, Van Duzer, Willamette Valley, Oregon 2009
Belle Pente, Estate, 2007 75
J. Christopher, Dundee Hills, 2007
Dusky Goose, Willamette Valley 2006
EIEIO, Cuvée I, Willamette Valley 2006 80
EIEIO, Stermer, Willamette Valley 2006 90
EIEIO, Wind Hill, Willamette Valley 2006 90
Et Fille, Kalita, Willamette Valley 2007 80
Et Fille, Maresh, Willamette Valley 2007 80
Et Fille, Willamette Valley 2007 60
Patricia Green, Balcombe Block 1B, Willamette Valley 2009 100
Lemelson, Jerome Reserve, Willamette Valley 2008 95 Lemelson, Stermer, Willamette Valley, 2008 75
Penner Ash, Willamette Valley 2008 95
Shea Wine Cellars, Shea Vineyards, Willamette Valley 2008 110
Shea Wine Cellars, Shea Vineyard, Willamette Valley 2007 110
Sinnean, Willamette Valley 2008 70
St. Innocent, Freedom Hill, Willamette Valley 2008 75
St. Innocent, White Rose, Willamette Valley 2008 85
Ken Wright, Abbott Claim, Willamette Valley 2008 90
Ken Wright, Savoya, Willamette Valley 2008 90
(The ones that are linked have given us a bottle in the past.)
That night we had dinner at the Korean Ambassador's house with the Holt delegates and a few noted pols. No Oregon wines were served but the food was out of this world!
After seeing so many galleries, museums, walking the mall from the Lincoln Memorial, to the Viet Nam Memorial, to the White House to the Capital, and beyond, we were about worn out and I considered renting a Segway! We spent the last two days seeing the American Indian Museum, the Botanical Gardens, and the Newseum. All these are must see places.
The Newseum is too much to try to explain, just go and enjoy. It takes at least two days to see everything but you will not regret the time spent.
Last stop before going out to the Reagan was the Capital Grille. It felt a little odd being in such a storied place with lots of interesting people but bless Open Table for finding us a reservation right at noon! The food was good and the service was impeccable. The wine list was carefully selected and included some very good Oregon wines among there 5000 bottle collection.
Great flight home to happy cats, a nice soft bed, and back on the diet, though with all the walking I only gained one pound!
Very interesting post! Great information! Good job!
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