The Don’t Miss List TEMPRANILLO IN THE NORTHWEST “Billy Elliot” opens at Village Theatre May 12. Mark Kitaoka/Village Theatre
WATCH | ‘BILLY ELLIOT’
Scored by British music icon Elton John, “Billy Elliot” is coming to Issaquah’s Village Theatre to close out their current season. Set in a hardscrap Northern English town during the 1984 miners strike, the show follows its adolescent namesake as he struggles against a culture of machismo to embrace his love of ballet. The fish-out-of-water story won 10 Tony awards and was named Time magazine’s “Musical of the Decade.” Village’s production sees the title role shared by four 13-year-old area actors, who have been trained in tap, ballet, voice and acting exclusively for this role.
WHEN: May 12-July 3; see villagetheatre.org for exact showtimes WHERE: Francis J. Gaudette Theatre, 303 Front St. N., Issaquah, Washington.
ENRICH | KIRKLAND ARTIST STUDIO TOUR
Kirkland Arts Center presents its annual self-guided tour of artists’ studios, homes, galleries and businesses on Mother’s Day weekend. Each of 22 stops sit near the shore of Lake Washington in old Kirkland’s downtown neighborhood. The artists work in all manner of media, including jewelry, paintings, ceramics, sculpture, print and fiber arts. Artists will have their work up for sale, with all proceeds going directly into their pockets. Some stops will also feature live demonstrations and opportunities to learn about each artist’s process.
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., May 7-8 WHERE: Tours begin at Kirkland Arts Center, 620 Market St., Kirkland, Washington.
READ | LITERARY CHAPBOOK PRIZE
The Black Dog Arts Coalition in Snoqualmie will hold a celebration honoring local poet Alex Eisenberg. Eisenberg was awarded Black Dog’s Literary Chapbook Prize last fall for her first published collection of poems, “Holy Ground.” Eisenberg often writes about social and environmental issues. In her own words, she considers “poetry a personal necessity, a spiritual practice and a form of radical activism,” to “explore a deep well of pain and longing.” The award of the prize will include a ceremony, launch celebration and poetry reading. Black Dog accepts art submissions year round for the Chapbook prize, which is awarded once a quarter depending on volume of submissions.
WHEN: The prize ceremony will take place 2-4 p.m. May 14. WHERE: The Black Dog Arts Cafe, 8062 Railroad Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie, Washington.
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Though relatively little Tempranillo is planted in the Pacific Northwest, the red Spanish variety is finding lots of love with vintners, growers and wine lovers alike. The first Northwest Tempranillo was planted in 1993 in Washington’s Yakima Valley. Two years later, the first serious amount went into the ground at Abacela in Oregon’s Umpqua Valley. Today, delicious Tempranillos are made across the Pacific Northwest — including several delicious examples in Idaho’s Snake River Valley. Tempranillo is most famous in Spain’s Rioja region, where it is crafted into a sturdy, wild and ubiquitous red wine. The grape has been grown in California for several years with limited success. It would seem that the northern latitudes of Southern Oregon and Washington’s Columbia Valley are excellent New World locations, and the wines we are seeing from the Northwest are gaining fans with every vintage. Tempranillo can be a big wine, and it pairs well with grilled meats, Cajun dishes, roasted duck and even spicier Mexican dishes. Here are several delicious examples from Washington and Oregon, all of which earned gold medals at the Cascadia Wine Competition in March. Ask for them at your favorite wine merchant or contact the wineries directly. Saviah Cellars 2013 Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley, $38: This plush wine by Richard Funk takes off with dark cherries and spicy herbs on the nose, then dives down past black cherries into blueberries, black plum and a touch of cracked black pepper before gliding down onto a runway of smooth tannins. It’s a flight of fancy well worth raising your glass to — repeatedly. (14.2 percent alc.) Abacela 2013 Fiesta Tempranillo, Umpqua Valley, $23: Aromas open with mint, spicy oak and nimble cherries. In the mouth, the cherries are dark, dipping down toward dark Marionberry skin, then unearthing Abacela estate’s minerality and grippy tannins. It’s a huge mouthful that calls out for a rare ribeye dusted with cracked black pepper. (13.9 percent alc.) Stina’s Cellars 2013 Tempranillo, Wahluke Slope, $25: Washington’s warm Wahluke Slope nurtured the Tempranillo grapes for Perry Preston in Lakewood, Washington. It features aromas of bright cherries and spicy vanilla. In the mouth, those cherries pop with bright red acidity, then slide smoothly into blueberry skin, more spice and carefully managed tannins, a surprising feat
Stina’s Cellars Tempranillo earned a gold medal at the 2016 Cascadia Wine Competition. The winery is in Lakewood, Wash. Andy Perdue/Great Northwest Wine
for a young Tempranillo. (14 percent alc.) Mt. Hood Winery 2013 Tempranillo, Columbia Valley, $32: This opens with dark cherries, cola and appealing oak spice, then parades those cherries, blackberries and blueberries across the palate before exiting with ample tannins that echo the opening notes with a nip of Van cherry skin and spice. (14.9 percent alc.) Maryhill Winery 2013 Painted Hills Vineyard Tempranillo, Columbia Valley, $34: New Zealand-born winemaker Richard Batchelor turned these grapes into another gold medal winner for Maryhill. Deep cherry aromas, a bit of mint and warm spices on the nose usher in dark cherries, blackberries and blueberries on the palate. Grippy tannins and juicy acidity close out its lengthy finish. (14.2 percent alc.) Eleganté Cellars 2014 Tempranillo, Walla Walla Valley, $35: Doug Simmons, known for crafting high-quality Sangiovese with regularity, used the best-known Spanish red grape to make this stunner. Mint, spice, cherries and a suggestion of raspberry crowd into its aromatics, then the cherries combine with jammy loganberries and black currants on the palate. It finishes, as is the way of young Tempranillo, with grippy tannins. (12.5 percent alc.) Eric Degerman and Andy Perdue run Great Northwest Wine, an award-winning news and information company. Learn more about wine at www.greatnorthwestwine.com.
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