NEWS

Recipe: Bar-B-Cups

BAR-B-CUPS
2 tins of round biscuits
3/4 lb. of ground beef
1/2 cup of BBQ Sauce
1 tablespoon dried minced onions
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Stretch biscuits and fit into greased muffin tins.  Brown the beef and drain.  Add BBQ sauce, onion and brown sugar and mix.  Spoon into muffin tins.  Sprinkle with cheese and bake 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees. 

Mar 22, 2021 at 5:15 AM Permalink

Storm Front BBQ Sauce

Storm Front BBQ Sauce

Convergence Zone Cellars’ Storm Front BBQ sauce for our famous Storm Front Meatballs.  Just whip up this tasty sauce and combine with the meatballs of your choice.  Drink the remaining wine while you cook or with dinner.

Ingredients:
3 Tblsp butter
3/4 cup onion
2 minced garlic
1- 1/2 cups Storm Front wine
3/4 cup ketchup
2 Tblsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp liquid smoke

Directions:
Melt the butter and saute the chopped onions and garlic until translucent.  Add in all but 2 Tblsp of wine and bring to a boil. Reduce to about 1/3 cup.

Reduce heat and add ketchup, brown sugar and liquid smoke. Simmer 10 minutes until rich and thick. 
Remove from heat and stir in the 2 Tblsp of saved wine.

Sauce will keep in refrigerator for 3 weeks or can be frozen.

Mar 9, 2021 at 12:01 AM Permalink

Taste Washington Wine Month Week 2

Taste Washington is a celebration of all that makes our state so delicious. And while the festival looks a little different this year, there is still much to enjoy!  Watch your email and social media each week during March for a new wine special, food pairing and favorite recipe.  Learn more about Taste Washington and other programs happening this month, visit tastewashington.org. 

WINE OF THE WEEK: ROSE'
Week 2 of Taste Washington Wine Month officially features Chardonnay.  Since we don't make a Chardonnay, our Week 2 featured wine is Rose'.  Actually, two rose's.  From March 8-14, get 10% off purchase of 4 or more bottles of the 2019 Three Forks Rose' of Pinot Gris and/or 2019 Fly Rod Cellars Pink Pollywog Rose' of Mourvedre.  (Wine Club discounts also apply).  

FOOD PAIRING: SALAD 
Take-Out: Both rose's are a tasty pairing with salads of all kinds.  Order an Apple-Walnut Salad for take-out from Wildflower Bistro in North Bend.  

Make at Home: If you'd like to make your own salad at home to enjoy with our Rose', nothing is better than this Grilled Chicken and Strawberry Salad.  https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/grilled-chicken-salad-strawberries-feta

Enjoy with a chilled bottle of our Rose' while binge-watching Season 1 of WandaVision.  

FREE SHIPPING DURING MARCH
Buy 3 or more bottles of any of our wines and we will ship your wine for free.  Purchase at the winery or online.  

Mar 8, 2021 at 5:15 AM Permalink

Taste Washington Wine Month--Week 1

Taste Washington is a celebration of all that makes our state so delicious. And while the festival looks a little different this year, there is still much to enjoy!  Watch your email and social media each week during March for a new wine special, food pairing and favorite recipe.  Learn more about Taste Washington and other programs happening this month, visit tastewashington.org. 

WINE OF THE WEEK: CABERNET SAUVIGNON 
Week 1 features the king of Washington wine: Cabernet Sauvignon.  From March 1-7, get 10% off purchase of 4 or more bottles of Convergence Zone Cellars Squall Line Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Fly Rod Cellars Stimulator Cabernet Sauvignon (Wine Club discounts also apply).  BUY WINE

FOOD PAIRING: CASSEROLE 
Our Cabernet pairs exceptionally well with a hearty lasagna and Caesar salad from Francesco’s Ristorante Italiano in Snoqualmie. Keeping with our theme, you can also pick up a bottle of Francesco's Cabernet, which we produced. 

FOOD PAIRING: RECIPE 
Here's a tasty Instant Pot recipe for beef tips in a savory gravy.  You can serve this over rice, cauliflower rice, mashed potatoes or noodles.  Pro Tip: Pour yourself a glass of wine while cooking.   Make sure you leave some Cabernet for dinner!  https://www.simplyhappyfoodie.com/instant-pot-beef-tips/ 

FREE SHIPPING DURING MARCH 
Buy 3 or more bottles of any of our wines and we will ship your wine for free.  Purchase at the winery or online.  

Mar 1, 2021 at 6:10 AM Permalink

Cold Stabilization

Have you ever seen crystals or "wine diamonds" form in your wine or on a cork?  Those are most likely deposits of tartrates that have precipitated out of your wine.  To minimize this, we cold stabilize our white and rose' wines.  Formation of crystals is less likely in red wines, so we don't cold stabilize reds.

With the right setup, cold stabilization is easy.  Wine is chilled to a temperature just above its freezing point and is held at that temperature for two to three weeks.

We generally use 35 degrees. The frosty tank on the left has a built-in cooling jacket connected to a glycol chiller.  The cold glycol circulates through the jacket and chills the wine in the tank. This lowers the solubility of potassium hydrogen tartrate in the wine (KHT for you chemistry nerds, Cream of Tartar for you bakers) and facilitates their crystallization and precipitation. The tartrates bind to the inside of the tank where they can be removed after pumping the now stable wine to another tank.  The cooling fin in the other photo is covered with tartrates after stabilization and wine removal.  

The result is wine that is unlikely to produce crystals after refrigeration at home.  If you do find these crystals in your wine, they are harmless.  

Feb 9, 2021 at 11:09 AM Permalink

Savor Northwest Top 20 Cabernets

Savor Northwest recently released their "20 Northwest Cabernet Sauvignons That Blew us Away in 2020".  Two of our wines made the list!  

Fly Rod Cellars 2016 Stimulator Cabernet Sauvignon

Fly Rod Cellars is an occasional project of Convergence Zone Cellars' assistant winemaker Troy Mandeville and cellarmaster John Richardson. This Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon shows a deep ruby and offers forward sweet and spicy aromas of jammy black fruit and black peppercorn with notes of smoked cedar and sweet tobacco. Nicely structured on the palate, it presents flavors of tart black cherry balanced with textured tannins that display notes of cocoa and earthy, aromatic hints of graphite and dried herbs. 
AVA: Columbia Valley 
JUDGES SCORE: 93 Points 
PRICE: $35
 

Convergence Zone Cellars 2016 Squall Line Cabernet Sauvignon

North Bend, Washington's Convergence Zone Cellars used Horse Heaven Hill fruit for this Cabernet Sauvignon that offers aromas of black fruit, leather, dried herbs and Allspice. On the palate, it's juicy with flavors of black cherry and blackberry balanced by peppery spice, earthy violet and a finish hinting at coffee dusted dark chocolate. 
AVA: Horse Heaven Hills, Washington 
JUDGES SCORE: 92 Points 
PRICE: $35

Feb 9, 2021 at 11:07 AM Permalink

February Update

We are in a Phase 2 area, meaning you can now taste wine inside our winery.  If the weather is nice, outdoor seating will also be available.

Tasting hours are Saturdays from 1:00-5:00 pm.  Reservations are not required, but encouraged since we have limited seating.  Just complete the contact us form and tell us your requested date, time and number of people.  We will confirm via email.  

You can also purchase wine via appointment.  Just place your order online and contact us to arrange a pickup date and time.  

Feb 3, 2021 at 9:02 AM Permalink

COVID Changes

We've decided to stay open on Saturdays from 1:00-5:00 pm for wine purchases and pickups.  You can order online and we will have your wines ready for you during those hours or by appointment any day of the week.  Tastings will resume as soon as COVID restrictions allow.  Stay safe out there and remember to wear a mask!

Nov 21, 2020 at 8:44 AM Permalink

FALL 2020 NEW WINE RELEASE

Our Fall New Wine Release features three wines from the stellar 2018 vintage that are perfect matches for your Thanksgiving and holiday meals.  These wines will be available for tasting and purchase beginning November 14 from 1:00-5:00 pm at the winery. They are available now online.  Tasting reservations are recommended as we can only accomodate three groups at a time--use our Contact Us form to request your time and size of your group (in the "Comments" field). 

• 2018 Mistral Grenache:  The 2018 vintage of Mistral is 97% Grenache from Red Mountain’s Ciel du Cheval vineyard and 3% Syrah from Coyote Canyon and Gamache vineyards.  This fresh wine features aromas and flavors of red berries, sweet tobacco, and lavender.  Aging was for 17 months in once-used American oak puncheon and barrels.  Retail $33.00 Wine Club $26.40-$28.05
   
• 2018 Drizzle Pinot Gris: This new Drizzle is slightly drier (less sweet) than prior vintages.  With a kiss of 0.6% residual sugar, the 2018 Drizzle is from Red Mountain's Ciel du Cheval vineyard.  Dominated by aromas and flavors of pear, melon and characteristic Red Mountain wet stone, the wine finishes with bright lemony acidity.  There are only 38 cases of this wine that was fermented and aged in a temperature controlled stainless steel tank.  Retail $15.00  Wine Club $12.00-$12.75
   
• 2018 Virga Red Blend: The 2018 Virga is a bold, smoky and spicy blend of 48% Mourvedre, 36% Syrah and 16% Grenache from Weinbau, Gamache, Ciel du Cheval and Coyote Canyon vineyards.  Aromas of blackberries, black plums, black currant, pipe tobacco, baking spices and pepper transition to thick, complex flavors of dark cocoa, roasted coffee beans and earth.  The finish is ripe and savory with moderate tannins. Aging was for 17 months in once-used American oak puncheon and barrels  Retail $33.00 Wine Club $26.40-$28.05  

Nov 10, 2020 at 10:08 AM Permalink

HARVEST IS OVER!

We finished the 2020 grape harvest on October 20 and put our last wines in barrel on November 9.  For those who like numbers, here is some fun data about the 2020 harvest:

• Days of harvest activities: 62 (September 9-November 5)
• Number of varietals: 8
• Number of vineyards: 7
• Tons harvested: 11.5
• Amount of wine produced: 1,566 gallons or 658 cases
• Number of punchdowns: 164
• Gallons of coffee consumed: 12
• Number of tamales consumed: 6
• Trips over Snoqualmie Pass: 16
• Miles driven: 2633
• Trucks rented: 1

Nov 10, 2020 at 10:06 AM Permalink