‘Tis the season of warmth, love, giving – and nuts! What better way to celebrate than to bring home locally made and locally sourced hazelnut wine from Samson Estates Winery for holiday cheer?
Samson Estates Winery is a Whatcom County staple, and a jewel of our community. Winemaker Rob Dhaliwal and family have an impressive 500 acres filled with fruit trees, and vitis vinifera vines (wine grapes) along with a cozy tasting room and event space in Everson. They offer meticulously crafted raspberry, blackberry, black currant and blueberry wines as well as some Eastern Washington-sourced classic varietals such as Syrah and Chardonnay.
They started building in 2000 and opened their doors in the summer of 2002. Hosting weddings and concerts alike, it’s a picturesque location for enjoying the bounties of our ambrosial corner of the U.S.
The Oro Hazelnut Wine is memorable. I first inhaled its enticing aroma during the 2021 Bellingham Northwest Wine Competition where it ended up getting a staggering 97 points from our panel of judges and an ensuing Double Gold award. Most judges give a collective grunt and rolling of the eyes when we get the “non-grape wine” flight. This beauty was one of the exceptions.
The named wine was a unique result of Dhaliwal’s inspiration for crafting a “warm feeling” coupled with our Pacific Northwest love of coffee (after all, hazelnut and coffee make the perfect pairing) and his desire to partner locally. Being so close to Holmquist Hazelnut Orchards in Lynden, it seemed only fitting. He told me his favorite mouthful to accompany his “oro” is tiramisu, and that it goes really well with eggnog.
“Oro” is the Spanish word for gold, which I think is fitting for this liquid. Check out samsonestates.com for its event calendar and hours of operation. Let’s support local this holiday season!
Tasting Notes: Musky scents of butterscotch, brown butter, vanilla and almond paste underscore unmistakable hazelnut – the palate rings true of hazelnuts with balanced acidity and a heady finish of buttery ginger.
Pairing Suggestion: I agree with eggnog and tiramisu, but I’ll add my suggestions of caramel apple crème brûlée, macadamia nuts and manchego cheese. But honestly, alone is best.
Song Pair: “Amber” by 311
Amberleigh Brownson is a Blaine wine writer, consultant, sommelier and assistant winemaker for GLM Winery. She is also a 10-year wine judge and four-time Wine Spectator award winner recipient.
