Last week we checked out your favorite winery’s favorite local coffee shop, with winery teams’ choices ranging from Newberg, Oregon’s Caravan Coffee to Sandpoint, Idaho’s Evans Brothers to Vancouver’s Caffè Artigiano. My conjecture since the start of this series (which has included your favorite distillers’ and brewers’ favorite cafés as well as mirror round-ups of your favorite coffee shops’ favorite distilleries and breweries) has been that any profession that required detailed understanding and familiarity with aroma, flavor and balance in one area of beverage would have fantastic suggestions for other beverages based on that expertise.
Of course, every round-up in the series has proved that point. This week, I heard from a few fantastic coffee shops on their favorite wineries in the region—every one of which is worth checking out.
Ryan Palmer, Torque Coffee Roasters: “I would suggest Burnt Bridge Cellars,” says Palmer, an owner at Torque Coffee Roasters. Torque is a new microroaster which launched in a garage in 2011, and is currently situated in the middle of downtown Vancouver, Washingtom, right across the state line from Portland. “Their 2011 Syrah has soft tannins and blackberries, and pairs amazingly well with some nice dark chocolate.” || 501 Columbia Street, Vancouver, Wash.
Marke McNichol, Platform 7 Coffee Brew Bar: “There are many really, really good wineries in the Okanagan region of [British Columbia],” says McNichol, manager of “coffee experience” focused Platform 7 in Vancouver, “but my favorite area is the prestigious Black Sage Bench.” His picks? Road 13 Vineyards, Burrowing Owl Estate Winery, Black Hills Estate Winery and Church and State Coyote Bowl Vineyard. || 2331 East Hastings, Vancouver
Jim Chapman, Black Coffee Roasting Co.: “My favorite domestic wine and wine maker is John Abbott at Abeja in Walla Walla,” says Chapman, one of two owner-roasters at Black Coffee Roasting Co, whose background as a wine rep informs his decision. “The wines are such good quality with balance and nuance as opposed to so many that just try to put big fruit up front and center. I learned a lot about blending from John which I have gone on to apply to blending coffees. In addition to knowing tons about wine from farm to bottle and every step in between, John is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet. Such amazing wine without an ounce of pretense… So great.” || 525 East Spruce Street, Missoula, Montana
