Cypress Wine Bar at the Westin Bellevue is rounding off Washington Wine Month with a winemaker dinner featuring a rising star in the industry – Bill Kimmerly of Masquerade Wine Co. Kimmerly will be showing four wines, including a San Francisco Chronicle 2012 Gold Medal-winning sparkling. Wines will be paired with five indulgent courses from Westin Bellevue Executive Chef, Renatto Medranda, and served candle-lit by the fireside in Cypress.
Cypress celebrates Washington wines every day by offering over 70 of the best Washington Wines available by the glass or bottle, along with a full menu. In addition to hosting winemaker dinners focusing on outstanding small family winemakers, Cypress staff educates guests and encourages exploration of Washington wines. For its efforts, Cypress has been honored with the Washington State Wine Commission, 2012 Award of Distinction.
Kimmerly’s scientific dabbling began long before he started making wine. He obtained a Ph.D. in Biochemistry in 1988. He found himself Assistant Director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Human Genome Center for a while, until he found his true passion: fermenting grapes.
A favorite of Kimmerly’s wines is the “Effervescing Elephant” sparkling. This wine has won slews of awards, including a 2012 Gold Medal win from the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition last month. Made méthode champenoise, with all three traditional Champagne grapes – pinot noir, pinot meunier, and chardonnay – this isn’t just one of the best sparkling wines available from the USA, but a fascinating story as well. The label depicts a beautiful painting by Boon Rod, an eleven-year-old male elephant from Thailand, who is a part of the Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project, a non-profit group from New York, NY. AEACP raises money for elephant conservation in Southeast Asia by selling artwork painted by elephants. Ten percent of sales of this wine benefit AERACP.
Kimmerly will be featuring the “Effervescing Elephant” along with three other wines: 2007 Columbia Valley “Burgess Vineyard” Syrah (also a SF Chronicle 2012 medal winner), a new release 2011 Columbia Valley Gewurztraminer, and a limited release 2009 Red Mountain Barbera. All will be paired with Westin Bellevue Executive Chef Renatto Medranda’s exquisite creations from foie gras ravioli to Madagascar vanilla poached baby pear with steel cut oatmeal ice cream.
The dinner is $75 per person for five courses and four paired wines. Full menu and details can be found at www.masqueradewines.com. Cypress Lounge and Wine Bar celebrates Washington Wines every day with a list of over 70 of the best Washington Wines available by the glass or bottle, along with a full menu. For its efforts, Cypress has been honored with the Washington State Wine Commission, 2012 Award of Distinction. Cypress is located at the Westin Bellevue, 600 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue. For more information, or to make a reservation for the Masquerade winemaker dinner at Cypress, email Maia.Segura@westin.com or call 425-638-1075 by Friday, March 30th.