Cheers to Washington Wines!

Please join us in congratulating Cortney Lease, Company Wine Director, and her phenomenal wine team for their recent accolades at the 2012 Washington Wine Restaurant Award ceremony.

Coordinated by the Washington State Wine Commission, the Washington Wine Restaurant Awards recognizes restaurants that exhibit strong support of Washington wines and high professional standards in wine service. Judges evaluate restaurants on a variety of criteria including wine list, service and staffing, promotions and overall wine philosophy.

The 2012 Washington Wine Restaurant Awards Ceremony was sponsored by Seattle Magazine and was hosted on March 25h at the Washington Athletic Club.

The Best Restaurant Group: GinSing LLC (that's us)

Grand Award: The Triple Door and Wild Ginger
"Restaurants who are considered as the industry leaders in support of the Washington wine industry."

Award of Distinction: Wild Ginger at The Bravern
"Restaurants who have shown dedication and commitment to the Washington wine industry."

We’re happy to be a part of such an innovative community of restaurants and wineries dedicated to the support of Washington wines.

Cheers!

Meet our Sommeliers ~ Cortney

In 2004, while Cortney Lease was working towards her Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry at the University of Washington, she began her adventure with Wild Ginger as a server assistant for The Triple Door. Upon graduation, Cortney moved to England to pursue an education with the Wine Spirits Education Trust in London and found a job working at a wine shop called Odd Bins. In London, her love for wine took on a whole new meaning.

It was at Odd Bins where an unexpected act of benevolence introduced Cortney to her all time favorite bottle of wine- 2001 Château de Beaucastel. One night, while in the midst of recently discovering the Grenache/Syrah blends of Southern Rhône, Cortney raved on about Beaucastel, and the history of Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe, to a costumer interested in purchasing a bottle of wine. She began to recommend the 2001 Château de Beaucastel vintage, but when the costumer asked if she tried the wine, Cortney admittedly replied she had never been able to afford it. He smiled and asked to purchase two bottles, one for himself, and one for her.

"It was that act of generosity that introduced me to one of my favorite producers in Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe, and made me want to share wine with others for a living," says Cortney.

Cortney's fondness for Rhône wines doesn't stop there. She notes, without hesitation, that her favorite variety is Syrah from Northern Rhône and says she appreciates that her current backyard, Washington state, has a rapidly increasing market for this varietal. However, when asked to compare herself to a wine variety, she finds her alter ego is best represented in a Burgundy wine, but jokingly admits she thinks a Loire Valley wine fits her personality best.

"If I flattered myself, I'd say I'm like Pinot Noir because it's smooth, delicate, cerebral yet approachable and loved by all," says Cortney. "However, in reality, I'm more like Chenin Blanc- good structure and complexity, but a little weird and tends to show more immature characteristics with age."

In January, Cortney was named Company Wine Director and oversees the wine departments for The Triple Door as well as both Wild Gingers. The occasional kitchen smells, of cilantro and Sambal sauce, lingering on her clothes when she gets home doesn't stop Cortney from enjoying her job.

"It's always a fun challenge to show our customers how well Asian food can pair with wine," says Cortney. "We have some of the most adventurous diners in that regard."

Her immediate goal is to work her way through the Court of Master Sommeliers to eventually become a Master Sommelier. As of 2011, there are 118 Master Sommeliers in North America; it's not an easy endeavor, however, Cortney is currently a candidate for her Advanced certifiation. As Wine Director, Cortney continues to foster numerous educational opportunities for wine staff and states she's grateful for the focus and long-sightedness Wild Ginger has shown towards its Wine Program over the years.

"Our wine list is constantly evolving and every chance we get we showcase our wine collection with events like the Summer of Riesling," says Cortney.

Yet, working in the restaurant industry isn't the end for Cortney and she says, "down the road, I would love to use my degree in Chemistry to make wine of my own."

What do you think? Years from now, will Cortney end up making a Rhône, Burgundy or Loire Valley inspired wine?

Meet our Sommeliers ~ David

By the time David Morris was in his mid-twenties, he had lived in the Midwest, Germany, and Switzerland, which instilled in him a profound curiosity of geography, culture and history. However, he had yet to be introduced to his current heartfelt obsession - wine; this all changed one fateful dinner in Winterthur, Switzerland in 1999.

"I wish I could remember the flavors and the scents of the meal, unfortunately those have been lost to time," says David Morris. "However, I can quite easily recall the emotions I had during the meal, it was like standing on top of a mountain or watching a sunset on a beach or listening to a boys choir fill up the vast echoing spaces of a huge Gothic cathedral: it was incredible."

This pivotal dinner took place while David was temporarily staying with a friend and his family in Switzerland. Upon being welcomed into their home, David was asked whether or not he liked wine. In an attempt at being accommodating, David said "yes” and was then promptly brought downstairs for a tour of their 5,000-bottle wine cellar to choose the appropriate wines to drink with the evening's meal. David listened attentively to, and in wonderment of, Gerhardt's enthusiasm and thoroughness in selecting each wine. The first was a sparking pear wine, and the second a white from the Loire Valley in France.

"The last wine of the night I remember with full clarity," says David. "It was a Canterno Sori Genestra Barolo from 1978, and is to this date one of the greatest beverages I have ever enjoyed."

The monumental meal introduced David to the idea that wine could elevate the flavors found in cuisine. Nebbiolo from Barolo, a town in the Piedmont region of northern Italy, is David's favorite wine to this day.

Two summers later, while interning with the musical production of Opernfestspiele, in Heindenheim Germany, David fell in love with the culture of wine. “Before it had just been the flavors and textures and panache of drinking wine,” says David. “During that summer I realized that wine is about bringing people together.”

After spending long days at work with no weekends, David found solace in his evening meals and the complimentary wine and conversation that went with them. He soon came to the realization that the culture surrounding the experience of wine focuses on enjoying things to the fullest. “There is nothing like cooking a meal and sitting down with a friend and talking for hours, that's the good stuff,” says David.

Wanting to be an integral part of the culture of wine, while pursuing a career in acting, David moved back to the states and began working in the restaurant industry at Ocean Grill in New York City. While working at Ocean Grill he met Master Sommelier Laura Maniec, then the Wine and Beverage Director of BR Guest Restaurant Group. “Her passion and thoroughness inspired me to really begin taking my wine study seriously, and not just something I would do when I discovered a bottle that I really liked,” says David.

With dedication in his pocket, and the desire for fresh air and mountains, David moved to Washington and began taking classes for his sommelier certification at South Seattle Community College, through an organization called the International Sommelier Guild. After a year and half of intensive sommelier curriculum, David passed the sommelier certification exam and upon doing so, was offered a position at Wild Ginger in the winter of 2009. Within a year, David was promoted to Lead Sommelier.

David's new job provided him the opportunity to take two amazing, intensive wine trips: the first in Germany in Febrauary: then to France in April. These trips helped solidify the theoretical knowledge David learned while in school.

Wine service at Wild Ginger is more restrained and techincal, but the service at The Triple Door allows David to exercise his theatrical side. David says, “Wild Ginger and The Triple Door are amazing places to work, they offer me two very different environments in which to hone my skill as a sommelier."

David doesn't quite know where his newfound passion and skills will take him, but he is looking at the future with bright eyes and a sense of youthful optimism. "What I know is that I really love working for this company and I look forward to the many challenges that lie ahead."

Meet our Sommeliers ~ April

Meet April Pogue, one of our Wild Ginger Sommeliers. Like a Grenache from the Priorat region of Spain, she is approachable and easy going, but can be intensely focused, and is sometimes even a little flamboyant.

She joined the Wild Ginger wine team in 2010, and says her favorite part about working at Wild Ginger is having the opportunity to constantly learn more about wine, and the culture surrounding it, with such a diverse group of wine aficionados.

"We all have different styles and backgrounds, which creates such a dynamic formula." says April. "Plus, we work with the best list in Seattle, so everyday I look at it and learn."

April began her wine venture while working at the 5th Floor in San Francisco. "Upon joining the team, it became pretty clear to me that in order to fit in with the culture, I needed to bone up on more than just the basics of wine," says April. This observation influenced her to purchase her first wine education book "Windows on the World Wine Course" by Kevin Zraly. She soon became a wine fanatic. Her education was then furthered at Spago Beverly Hills by wine enthusiast Bonnie Graves, whose passion for wine and gift at teaching influenced group blind wine tastings which turned out to be a fun, informative challenge.

She found her most memorable wine managing a wine bar in Bellevue while getting together with the owners and participating in a monthly tasting group that sampled high-end wines. On a particular night, they had an assortment of 2nd growth Bordeaux from the 2000 vintage.

"My favorite was the 2000 Ducru Beaucaillou," says April. "Everything was perfectly balanced, the fruit, earth, tannins and acid. It was totally muscular, but had a lot of finesse as well. Yeah, I could drink that baby every night."

On the topic of food and wine pairing, Aprils likes to try the untraditional avenue. When selecting the fragrant duck, her favorite Wild Ginger dish, April goes for the Grenache while others would normally pick a Pinot Noir. She chooses Grenache for its pleasant fruit profile that complements the jammy sweetness of the plum sauce, yet reflects the robust earthy qualities in the duck.

"As for a perfectly balanced Grenache, I absolutely love the southern Rhone Valley and would choose the 2004 Domaine du Pegau, Cuvee Reservee Chateauneuf-du-Pape," says April.