Harbinger Winery Wine Dinner @ Dusty Green

Wow! What a fantastic evening this past Saturday! I was so impressed with the food, the wine, the atmosphere. It was all charming and made for a great night. A five-course meal with five different wines, who wouldn't enjoy? The evening was that perfect crisp evening with views of the Port Ludlow Golf Course and the water. The wine was displayed beautifully with flowers stationed around it, promising for a good evening. Harbinger Winery provided the wines, a woman-run winery in Port Angeles and food by one of my favorite places Dusty Green. Dusty Green has these wine dinners every month, and it's always a highlight of the month!

The first course was a shrimp cocktail paired with the Le Petite Fleur. This was a fascinating wine that paired well with the shrimp sauce, especially providing a clean crisp taste.

Le Petite Fleur

2018

37% Pinot Gris, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, 18% Chardonnay, 15% Riesling

Candid green apple, clear water touch of salt in the late afternoon. Sun-kissed with ripe pear and a breeze of birch bark setting in towards the end.

The second course was surprising in its size. Of course, I shouldn't have been surprised when it comes to razor clams, but still! We had Razor Clam with parmesan, and parsley crust served with an arugula salad. I could have used a few more greens, but only because I didn't want to get too full on the second course! The clam was paired with the Flume Blanc, which surprised me as one of my favourite wines of the night!

Fume Blanc

Just cooled buttered Meyer lemon rind with melon on the side. Hot afternoon grass and sanded ripe mango.

The third course featured a fantastic smoked cod with endives and pickled vegetables. It was a fantastic cleaner course between the clam and the fourth course! I really enjoyed eating the cod on the endives. It added such a wonderful flavor. The dish was paired with the Pinot Meunier. The pairing was fantastic. I really enjoyed how it balanced the smoke and the pickled veggies.

Pinot Meunier

Candied caramelized salmon berries with ripe strawberry and salad flowers. Hints of a key lime tarte with Moraccon salt. Cool breeze during a warm afternoon.

WOW!!! This is the course that blew away the night! Dungeness Crab with roasted potato and green beans. I have to admit I didn't eat too many of the potatoes or the green beans, but that was only because I was blown away by how good and well cooked the crab was. I can still taste it! Again, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the wine pairing. I have a well-admitted love/hate feeling with the chardonnay grape. A lot of it has to do with having ones I didn't enjoy much at business events. However, I've always tried to keep an open mind, and I'd order the Reserve Chardonnay happily!

Reserve Chardonnay

Apple crisps topped with cinnamon and smiled pink peppercorns sauteed in brown butter. Hints of tangerine on a stone from a cold volcano creek.

I was pretty full by the time the fantastic Rhubarb & Strawberry Shortcake with Lemon Curd Créme came! So tasty I didn't even manage to get a picture! Not surprising. I saw it and dove right in! This was paired with a lovely and lively La Vie en Rosé.

La Vie en Rosé

Rainer cherries just ready for eating, blackberry jam just a little warm but ready to eat. Dancing acidity cleaning while enticing spring runoff chills the air.

Now, I'll admit I was a little unsure about doing this wine dinner. Harbinger Vineyards was featured once before, and we left feeling ignored, this time was a complete 180, and I would highly recommend trying their wine and enjoying the variety and depth of their wine!