This week we welcome Ron Irvine, owner/winemaker, from VASHON WINERY. Up for tasting are ********* SEMILLON - $17.99 - Great matching acidity with good fruitiness. This is a dry wine but has a wonderful full rich (and smooth) middle palate. Serve this with white fish, tomato-based dishes, or most shellfish.

MERLOT - $20.99 - A classic, combining fruitiness with earthiness. It has good acidity but with nice ripe flavors. Serve this with turkey, or sausage, or lamb shanks.

TRAMP HARBOR RED - $17.99 - A terrific blend of grapes and vintages. Each batch includes a barrel from the previous batch for continuity. Great for drinking now. Serve this with pizza with sausage, mozzarella, pesto and tomatoes, or burgers or any full flavored dish.

CABERNET - $20.99 - Classic Vashon Winery Cabernet Sauvignon with lots of fruit aromas and deep penetrating Bordeaux character. Good acidity and sufficient tannins ensure a long life but also making it very drinkable right now. Serve with pretty rich flavored dishes to help tame some of the acidity.

And we will also be featuring his CABERNET FRANC - $20.99. (tasting notes from the winery web site)

We have a couple of new varietals again this week.

From Romania we will introduce you to FETEASKA NEAGRA. The tasting notes from the distributor: A nose full of blackberry and a rich wild berry taste mingled with white pepper and a hint of mint. This is a plushy full-bodied wine that has good depth and a long clean aftertaste. The variety can be described as a Zinfandel/Syrah/Sangiovese mix. Feteaska Neagra ia an indigenous varietal to Romania. This is the unmistakable jewel of Romanian wine and a fine discovery. Pairing suggestions: duck, pesto or dijon crusted meats, pork, spicy chichen, and spicy seafood dishes.

From Italy's Alto Adige area: Elena Walch "LAGREIN'. Notes from the distributor: Nose: Cumin, musty, peat moss, tar, fennel. Apricot! Taste: Definitely dried apricot. Raisin. Fennel. Marionberry. The mouth-feel is a 2%milk consistency. Finish: Apricot and marionberry, and a granny smith apple driness.

Stop by to try something new!

The Des Moines Rotarians are busy putting the final touches on this years event! The wineries are lined up, the food vendors are ready and the music is starting to hum. If you haven't gotten your tickets be sure to pick them up between now and March 5.

This years food vendors will be: Cafe Pacific Catering, Kauzlarich Smoked Products, Forte Chocolates, Panera Bread, Salty's,Charley's on Central Poverty Bay Coffee and Water-To-Go.

When you are in this Saturday put your name in the Champagne bucket to win two tickets to the Festival.

If you want to put on your party clothes then get your tickets to the Friday night Gala "An Evening in the Vineyard" Be welcomed by the Men of Merlot, enjoy the music of Ed Taylor and TaylorMade, Delectable Foods & Delights from Anthony's (here's a sneak peak - Freshly Shucked Oysters on the Half Shell, Skewered Cold Boiled Prawns with Cocktail Dipping Sauce, BBQ Prawns with Grilled Bread, Crab and Artichoke Crosstini), visit with the artist of this years original art Steve Morris. This is a chance to purchase this years poster and have him sign it for you.

We finally got the kits to make trivets and bulletin boards using your corks. This is a fun way to use those corks and remember some special bottles of wine.

If you have a Vinturi or other wine aerator and wondered how you can clean it there is a new brush just for that. You can also use it to clean your funnels and other small opening accesories.

There are also a few new Shannon Martin greeting cards and cocktail napkins.

A new wine was presented to us this week CHALLENGER RIDGE from Concrete WA. Available at this time are FAYE RED BLEND, SAUVIGNON BLANC AND LIBERTY BELL WHITE BLEND.

Don't forget to come in Saturday - visit with Ron Irvine and sign up to win Poverty Bay Wine Festival Tickets