Mediterranean-Inspired Dishes Paired with Yakima Valley Wines from Dineen Vineyards #WinePW #Sponsored

 This is a sponsored post written by me in conjunction with the March #WinePW Yakima Valley wines event.

Wine samples were provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links. 

This month, for the March 2021 event for the Wine Pairing Weekend group, Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles is hosting as we explore the wines of Washington state's Yakima Valley. You can read her invitation here. And Robin worked with Wine Yakima Valley to pair the participating writers with sponsoring wineries. 

If you are reading this early enough, you can join us for a live Twitter chat on Saturday, March 13th at 8am Pacific time. All of these posts will be live before the chat. Just follow the hashtag #WinePW and be sure to add that to anything you tweet so we can see it. 

• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla doubles up with Yakima Valley’s Sin Banderas Rhone Roses Compliment Dishes with Asian Flair and Mediterranean-Inspired Dishes Paired with Yakima Valley Wines from Dineen Vineyards
• Linda at My Full Wine Glass invites us to Meet Kerry Shiels: A Yakima Valley winemaker with Vision.
• Terri of Our Good Life shares two posts: Fortuity…Taking Advantage of Life’s Great Wines! and Two Mountain Rose and Fennel Wild Mushroom Tarts.
• Payal at Keep The Peas declares Yakima Valley Wines FTW!
• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm matches Smoked Beef Brisket with Canvasback Cabernet.
• Rupal the Syrah Queen offers Yakima Valley - Red Willow Vineyards Producing Some of Washington's Finest Syrahs.
• Jane of Always Ravenous makes our mouths water with Filet Mignon paired with Washington Yakima Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
• Martin with ENOFYLZ Wine Blog gives us A Taste of Washington State’s Yakima Valley.
• David at Cooking Chat has two posts for us also with Lamb Ragu Pasta with Red Wine from Dineen Vineyards and Sin Banderas Rosé with Corned Beef & More Yakima Valley Wine Pairings.
• Nicole of Somm’s Table shares Big, Beautiful Reds from Yakima Valley and Tasty, Meaty Fare.
• Jennifer at Vino Travels tells us about Italian Grapes of the Yakima Valley with Sleeping Dog Wines.
• Gwendolyn the Wine Predator explores Washington Syrah: Hedges, L’Ecole, VanArnam with Lamb Stew.
• Susannah at Avvinare pours Malbec from VanArnam Vineyard in Yakima Valley.
• Lori at Exploring the Wine Glass shares Tasting the Soul of Wine in the Heart of Yakima Valley.
• Robin at Crushed Grape Chronicles writes Yakima Valley AVA – Blends of friendship and history with wines from Eight Bells and Pearl and Stone Co.

Yakima Valley's Dineen Vineyards

Producing nearly half of the wine from Washington, the Yakima Valley is the oldest and largest wine growing region in the state. A couple of my very favorite things about participating in all of these wine pairing groups: meeting new wineries and playing with pairings. So, when Dineen Vineyards* shipped me samples ahead of the March Wine Pairing Weekend event, I was so excited to make their acquaintance. 

I was able to spend some time on a Zoom call with Marissa Dineen, Owner, and Amanda Conley-Bagge, Dineen Vineyards' Tasting Room Manager. With the on-going pandemic and shelter-in-place orders, this seems to be a way we are all connecting. Obviously it's not the same as tasting wine with them in person, but it was so informative and so much fun. When Jake and I make it to the Yakima Valley, I will be stopping there for sure!

Dineen Vineyards is located in the hills of the Lower Yakima Valley. And if I had to distill what I love about them, in addition to their  amazing wines, it's their focus on family. My very first introduction to Dineen Vineyards was an email exchange with Marissa where she pointed me to a recipe that her daughter had just posted on their website for Peanut Butter Miso  Cookies. I excitedly tested out a version of my own - Peanut Butter-Red Miso Cookies - which was sadly not a hit with my family.

During our call, Marissa shared the history of Dineen Vineyards which was originally started with a 12-acre apple orchard. In 2001, Pat and Lanie Dineen bought the orchard, removed the trees, and planted the first vines in what is now called 'Catherine's Vineyard', named after Pat's mother. The following year, a larger parcel was acquired and because the second vineyard and home to the tasting room. All of the blocks at this site are named for the immediate family: Pat's wife, Lanie; their daughters, Marissa and Bridget; and grandchildren Charlotte, Quinn, and Rose are all represented.

Another family connection that Marissa shared was that her nephew just got his driver's license and "got to practice on that thing…no worries about going to fast with an old truck!" She was referring to The Black Truck that is featured in one version of their logo. The 1950 Half-ton Chevrolet, "5-window, blue streak with sun bonnet is a replica of Pat's father's very first truck." The Truck represents the family's ties to agriculture through several generations.

Mediterranean-Inspired Dishes

For the official event, I am showcasing their 2015 Dineen Vineyard Heritage Red Wine with an Italian dish; 2017 Dineen Vineyards Viognier with a Moroccan dish; and their 2015 Dineen Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon made for some fun during a little friendly competition between my husband and myself. Here's what I shared. Click on the title to go to the original recipe post.

Supplì al Telefono + 

2015 Dineen Vineyard Heritage Red Wine

Chicken Tagine with Merguez, Apricots, and Blood Oranges + 

2017 Dineen Vineyards Viognier

A Little Friendly Competition 

+ 2015 Dineen Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

And there is no recipe post for our charcuterie nipa hut and cottage, but we did make a video for the Culinary Cam YouTube channel. Watch it here...

And you can leave me a comment as to which one you prefer: Jake's Nipa Hut or my Charcuterie Cottage. I don't know why I'm asking...I haven't like people's answers so far. Ha.

A single varietal - 100% Cabernet Sauvignon - this wine was aged for a year and a half in 50% new and 50% once-used French oak barrel. The wine pours a rich, ruby with aromas of blue fruits and rich spices. On the palate, you get red fruit along with the blue as well as more vanilla and black pepper. This wine was a great match for all the flavors and texture in our charcuterie creations, from salumi to cheeses and pickles to popcorn!

Well, that's a wrap for this month's exploration of the wines of Washington state's Yakima Valley. Next month, Andrea of The Quirky Cork will lead a discussion of Under the Radar European Wine Regions. Stay tuned...

Dineen Vineyards on the web, on Facebook, on Instagram

Wine Yakima Valley on the web, on Facebook, on Twitter, on YouTube

*Disclosure: I received sample wines for recipe development, pairing, and generating social media traction. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the organizer and sponsors of this event.