Talk of the Bay: Winemaker John Bookwalter at Opus Bistro

Guests attending the wine pairing dinner at Opus Bistro were treated to a wonderful evening of entertaining education by renowned owner/winemaker, John Bookwalter of the Bookwalter Winery. John joined the Bookwalter family winery in 1997 after a 10 ten year career in sales management and marketing with such companies as Gallo, Beverage Group and the Coors Brewing company. Currently, John serves as Vice President of the Washington Wine Institute.

The Bookwalter winery has a long history of producing some of the most critically acclaimed wines coming from some of the finest vineyards in Washington. John takes no short cuts when it comes to producing world class wines that reflect the terrier of this outstanding growing region. Listen in the Wiredin To Wine with Rolfe as he visits with John Bookwalter.

Bookwalter 2009 Anecdote Riesling: 
This wine offers the trademark heady aromas of tangerine, apricots, ripe pineapple and savory spices. White peach, sweet pear and honeydew melon flavors combine with subtle minerality. This is followed by a firm acidity that balances the wine against the residual sugar. 
Paired with Anti Pasta.

Bookwalter Subplot 24:
This is a cross vintage blend that lets John express the best varietals from the best of past recent vintages. Aromatics of currants, dark berries, black plums, mocha and marzipan linger on the nose as the palate explodes with an array of ripe fruit flavors. Black forest cherries, boysenberries and dates layered with cola ,graphite and a dash of Thai spice lead into a lush and full mid palate. The finish is silky smooth, perfectly balanced with a touch of acidity.
Paired with Roasted Salmon.

Bookwalter Foreshadow Merlot 2008:
If color is any indication of a wines concentration then this merlot is as hedonistic as it gets. This wine shows dark sweet aromas of plums, blueberries and boysenberries wrapped in sandalwood. This merlot shows considerable weight on the mid palate and stays on course exhibiting a variety of fruits from the dark skinned fruit family including blackberries, blueberries and currants wrapped in baking spices. The finish continues to linger. Optimal cellaring for this wine is 5 to 8 years but who wants to wait? Paired with Chef Simons infamous Lamb Chops.

Bookwalter Foreshadow Cabernet 2008:
Aromatically this cab shows plum, blueberry , cedar, violets and subtle dried herbs. On the palate the wine exhibits round spicy sweet fruit that carries good weight . This beautifully crafted cabernet has along silky smooth finish that is layered with lush fine grained tannins followed by a graceful acidy. 
Paired with a wonderful Beef Filet Oscar.

Bookwalter Protagonist 2006:
We choose this merlot based blend to show the elegance and age ability of John’s wines. A complex earthy and dustiness combine with dark fruit and sweet spices on the nose. On the palate dried figs, plums and chocolate covered cherries are followed by toasty, Red Mountain earthy minerality. This right bank merlot based blend is sure to please even the most discriminating palate. 
Paired with a truly decadent chocolate cake.

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