White Wine of Whidbey

Earlier on during White Wine Month I spent some time on vacation on Whidbey Island in Washington.  Though I used to live in WA, I'd never really spent much time out and about among the islands and the Olympic Peninsula, so I was glad to get an invite to an Easter gathering at a beach house in Freeland.  The weather was spectacular, in that it was not cold or rainy.  I marvel at how this desert dweller has shifted in her view on what makes weather lovely.  That said, it was a prime opportunity to do some exploring on bicycle.

We hit up Blooms Winery/Vineyard in Freeland on one of our cycling excursions.  Excited about doing some wine tasting, I was equally pleased to see that they were hosting some live music to round out a Sunday afternoon.  Though we did get some amused looks from patrons when we trekked in with our bike gear on, the greeting from our hosts was warm and welcoming.  The tasting room was a lovely space, and the guitarist playing was spectacular.  The ambiance made way for some wonderful wines.

Fun and beautiful decor in the tasting room

We tried some remarkable reds - the Blooms Poetry and Blooms Syrah in particular, but, this being white wine month, I am going to highlight one of the whites I tried that was truly wonderful.  The Blooms Whidbey Blend 2009 comes from grapes grown right on Whidbey (you know me and keepin' it local - all over it).  Rich in the nose with grapefruit and floral notes, I found it to be remarkably crisp with a wonderfully balances flavor.  I found grapefruit as well as guava early on, tapering into a barely there sweetness and floral sensibility that hinted of clover and violets.  This is a fantastic wine for drinking alone, but it could easily be put with a summer grill of chicken, shrimp, or fish to make an incredible meal.  

 A lovely citrus flavor 

We appreciated the hospitality and the wine at Blooms, and I will certainly be hitting them up again.  The tasting made for a fun and refreshing pit stop en route to...wait for it...more cycling (what else???).

Whidbey Island traffic jam