the Dynamo Vine

Chantrelle Bisque

2011-11-22T16:48:00.001-08:00

This is a quick, easy soup that takes advantage of our

good fortune of living in one of the most diverse

mushroom habitats in the world. This recipe calls for

chantrelles, but you can substitute any mushroom,

even criminis or portabellos if there are no fresh

shrooms to be found.

Procedure:

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium

heat. Add onions and cook a couple of

minutes, stirring occasionally. Add roughly

chopped chantrelles and first 1/4 Cup of wine.

(save your best mushroom specimen for the

garnish) Cook for about five minutes stirring

often. Add flour and cook for about 1 minute,

stirring constantly to ensure that everything is

coated evenly.

Add stock and bring to a boil quickly on high

heat. Reduce to medium and simmer for

about a minute while gently stirring. Add

cream, salt,pepper and cayenne, and cook just

below a simmer for about 10 minutes. Add

parsley and 2 Tbsp wine and stir whisk for the

last couple of minutes, and you’re ready to

serve.

Optional: Use Roux to thicken if desired.

What you’ll need

1/4 Stick Butter

1/2 Cup Onion Diced

1 Pound Chantrelles or other mushrooms

1/4 Cup Harbinger 2009 Chardonnay

2 Tbsp Flour

2 Cups Stock (Chicken or Vegetable)

2 Cups Half and half or Heavy Cream

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/4 Tsp White Pepper

1/4 Tsp Cayenne

2 Tbsp ...yep..more Chardonnay

1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Parsley

Varies Roux if desired

Garnish

First a little garnish. Slice that mushroom you saved in about 1/4 inch thick slices. In a dry nonstick pan, sauté slices on one side for about 30 seconds then flip. Cook for about 30 seconds

then add a small amount of butter. Melt butter and coat mushrooms by flipping or carefully stirring.

Add a dash of wine to deglaze and remove from heat. Place gently on top of each bowl.

You may need to thicken the soup a touch to get mushrooms to stay afloat. You can also sprinkle

with a little fresh parsley as well.

Roux Recipe:

Melt 1/8 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium/low heat. Add 1/8 Cup flour and whisk

together with the butter. Consistency should be firm but not too dry. When you add it to the

soup, whisk it vigorously adding a small amount at a time so as not to over-thicken.

Wine and Cheese Tour (and we will have beer as well!)

2011-04-12T06:45:00.000-07:00

Northwest Wine & Cheese Tour
April 16 & 17, 2011

Say cheese! Or, better yet, local cheese -- the culinary operative for the Olympic Peninsula Wineries' third annual Northwest Wine & Cheese Tour, April 16 - 17 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Food and wine enthusiasts are invited to enjoy sipping and savoring new wine releases and ciders paired with a variety of cheeses crafted by local artisan creameries, while reveling in the sights and sounds of nature reawakening on the scenic Olympic Peninsula.

This year Harbinger is honored to pair its wines withGolden Glen Family Creamery from Bow, Washington. Golden Glen is a third- generation dairy farm that has produced high-quality milk for over 40 years, and farmstead cheeses since 2004. The cheesemaker will be on site during the tour to share more than a dozen wonderful, handcrafted cheeses, educate visitors about the cheese making process and answer questions. Wines to be poured throughout the weekend, including the 2009 Viognier, 2009 Raspberry Bliss, and 2009 Rose' de Lemberger, have been chosen on their merits for pairing well with many different styles of cheeses. All of the cheeses being sampled will also be available for sale at the tasting room. In addition to the wines, Harbinger will offer five beers to pair with the cheeses for an additional fee. For further information call 360/452-4262 or visit www.harbingerwinery.com.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH BISQUE

2011-02-02T06:59:00.001-08:00

BUTTERNUT SQUASH BISQUE

By Ed Burks

6 Tbsp. butter

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves (large), minced

1 inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and minced

2.5 lbs. butternut squash chunks, peeled and seeded

2 tart apples, peeled, cored and chopped

juice of ½ large lemon

1 cup carrot juice

salt and black pepper to taste

1 large pinch cinnamon

1 large pinch nutmeg

1 cup Harbinger Winery Viognier

2 – 3 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock

2 cups heavy cream

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Melt butter in roasting pan that is large enough to hold the onion, garlic, ginger, squash, apples, lemon juice and carrot juice. Stir to combine ingredients. Place in oven to slowly roast and lightly caramelize the vegetables. Stir occasionally.

When vegetables have softened and lightly caramelized, remove from oven and place in a stockpot. Add seasonings, wine, and stock. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally for about 1 hour.

In the stockpot, puree the soup with a hand or stick blender until very smooth. It may be pureed in a blender or food processor in batches.

Add heavy cream to achieve a rich and thick bisque texture. Puree again with hand blender until smooth and creamy. Taste the soup and adjust seasonings.

At this point the bisque may be passed through a conical strainer to achieve a super smooth texture.

Ladle bisque into bowls and garnish with sautéed mushrooms or toasted croutons.

*Alternate cooking method: Omit roasting the vegetables by adding all ingredients including stock to stockpot. Simmer until squash cubes are tender and proceed as above.

HARBINGER VEGETARIAN CHILI

2011-02-02T06:57:00.000-08:00

HARBINGER VEGETARIAN CHILI

By Ed Burks

1 can (13 ¾ oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (18 ¾ oz.) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (18 ¾ oz.) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (15 oz.) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (29 oz.) crushed tomatoes with juice

1 can (18 ¾ oz.) whole kernel corn, drained

2 medium onions, chopped

2 small green bell peppers, chopped

2 small red bell peppers, chopped

3 zucchini, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

5 garlic cloves, chopped

2 cans (5 oz.) roasted green chilies

1 jalapeno, chopped (depending on how much heat you want can add more)

2 Tbsp. best quality chili powder

2 ½ tsp. cumin

2 tsp. black pepper

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

1 ½ Tbsp. dried oregano

1 ½ Tbsp. dried basil

2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

2 Tbsp. Mr. Big Stuff Bar-B-Q Bliss Rub

4 – 6 cups stock, vegetable or chicken

Sauté the onion, bell pepper, red bell pepper, zucchini, and celery in olive oil for about 8 minutes.

In a stockpot, combine black beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, tomatoes, corn, jalapeno, and chilies with sautéed mixture.

Season with garlic, chili powder, cumin, parsley, black pepper, oregano, basil, cilantro, Mr. Big Stuff Bar-B-Q Bliss Rub, and salt to taste. Stir to combine.

Cook at a simmer for about 1 – 2 hours.

Serve with tortillas, cornbread, rice, or French bread.

Harbinger Happenings for 2011 Red Wine and Chocolate Festival

2011-01-30T10:13:00.000-08:00

Several new wines as well as a beer will be released for this event; the 2008 Bolero (a seductive blend of Tempranillo and Grenache), our locally grown and produced Raspberry Bliss, and a Venezuelan Chocolate Porter.

We will be featuring several chocolate manufacturers, both who focus on organic and fair trade products. TAZA chocolates will be used in ways that will defy logic yet please the palate. Chocolate-dipped potato chips with a Dynamo Red reduction sauce…you’ll never look at a bag of Ruffles the same again! One of our local bakeries is creating bite-sized “Pan au Chocolates” which will be sampled with our award winning Syrah. Dark chocolate cake flecked with chunks of organic chocolates and topped with a caramel and sea salt drizzle will be paired with our newly released 2008 Bolero. An organic “Killer” Mexican hot chocolate will be served for our non-imbibing and under-aged guests.

If this isn’t enough wine and chocolate for folks we will again be featuring our reserve wine and Theo Chocolate’s aphrodisiac chocolate pairing behind the velvet curtain of our VIP room. Be prepared for a carnival of culinary delights at Harbinger Winery & Brew House.

Raffle Winners!

2010-12-26T17:12:00.000-08:00

We are happy to announce the winners of our 2010 Humane Society Raffle! Thanks to you all we were able to raise about $1500 for the OPHS. Great job everyone!

Contact Harbinger Winery at 360-452-4262 to claim your bounty! Thank you to everyone who participated and a Happy New Year to you all!

And the winners are...

2010 OPWA Raffle Winners:

Kayak Winner: Marilyn Muscat (yes thats really her last name!)
Case of Wine or Wine Club for a year: Clyde Sies
Luncheon Facelift with Olympic Day Spa: Pam Caldero
Strait Fusion Glass Bowl: Jeanine Cardiff
Handmade Wool Purse: Adeline Prange
Harbinger Fleece: Sharah Truett
(2) 1/2 Day Kayak or Bike rentals: Charlotte Pierce
Bottom Line Duo CD collection: Zachory Mazar
Harbinger Hat or Beanie: Mary Sue French
Wine Barrel: Leslie Mraz
Wine Slave for a Day: Darcy Gray

I - 1100 and I - 1105

2010-10-23T12:35:00.000-07:00

This quote is straight from the Washington Wine Commission...

"I urge you to vote no on Initiative 1100. Most people think I-1100 simply allows private retailers to sell liquor instead of state liquor stores. In fact, if I-1100 is passed, it could have devastating impacts on our winery and on the majority of Washington wineries which are almost all small businesses. Our current laws enable small wineries like mine to compete with national and international brands by ensuring equal access to the marketplace. This creates a vibrant, highly competitive domestic industry that benefits consumers with incredible choice and value at every price point. The success of our industry also benefits the general public, as Washington wineries contribute $4.7 billion to the state’s economy and provide nearly 20,000 jobs.

I-1100 repeals ALL of the equal access to market provisions in our current laws, and goes further than any other state in the country to deregulate wine distribution. We'd like to be able to continue to compete based on the quality of our product, not the size of our bank book. Please support your local wineries and vote no on I-1100."

In additon to this it leave the option for all wineries to have to use a distributor. Which would really suck for a lot of the small wineries out there...Harbinger included. We do our own distribution as we tried to use a distributor and our outside sales dropped about 90%!

Not kidding.

Kind Regards,

Sara Gagnon

Harbinger Winery

Harvest, harvest, harvest

2010-10-10T12:41:00.000-07:00

Harvest! more grapes. we love this time of year. Pics from Sara's trip to pick some tempranillo.

Bill, Winemaker at Bonair and Whisper Ridge helping crush grapes.

Sugarloaf Vineyards

Sunset.

Harbinger and sailing

2010-09-27T06:23:00.001-07:00

artsy photo mistakeblurry sunset
Long Beach, CA skyline
nice photo

Harbinger and sailing

Coastal Watershed Institute and Harbinger Winery pair up

2010-09-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

The Coastal Watershed Institute and Harbinger Winery are sponsoring a commemorative beer to celebrate the contract signing for the upcoming removal of the Elwha dams. The beer, Gone Dam Pale Ale, is being offered at Harbinger Winery, for the month of October. The commemorative artwork, commissioned by CWI, was done by local talent Ken Debondt. We have created a commemorative label, and will also be offering T shirts and postcards (later two items will also be available thru the CWI webpage www.coastalwatershedinstitute.org, beginning in October). Net proceeds from the release and sale of commemorative items will be used for field equipment ( including turbidity meters and a gps unit for nearshore monitoring) and if sufficient, fund student internships and mentor travel.

We’ll be having an informal release social hour on Friday evening, 1 October, we hope you will join us. Either way, block out some time to swing by Harbinger during the month of October to toast the first advent of this long awaited legacy project. And spread the word: The dams are finally coming out-it’s time for a beer!

Ketchum Outpost

2010-09-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

one needs very little, a good bottle of Harbinger, a Laguiole cork screw, some crusty pheasant bread, some butter, some good company, and not much else.

Signing off from the Ketchum outpost,

pleasant evening to you all, I trust our evenings to Harbinger.

Martin De Board

Thank you Martin for the very nice compliments. I love this photo!

preparing for Harvest

2010-09-09T20:42:00.000-07:00

Quick update on the latest at Harbinger.

Just finished racking all our 09 reds to new barrels this last week...getting ready for the upcoming and late harvest. Yes, it's a late harvest this year. Gives us more time to prepare. In theory!

And check out our revamped website. www.harbingerwinery.com. Still a few tweaks to make but we are enjoying our new look!

Messages from the Outpost

2010-01-31T14:49:00.001-08:00

a abstract picture of a glass of Champagne, with a warm incandescent light, the "warm" light passing through the crystal glass of Krug bubbles. I love this picture there were billions of very fine bubbles... we enjoyed a Harbinger last night with homemade soup!

A cream of broccoli without the cream, used whipped mashed potato to thicken the soup without the FAT of cream! Almost as good as the cream version, but the glass of Harbinger was lovely with it. Miss you two ladies, very much!

Kiss

MSD signing off from the SNOWY Ketchum outpost, we have received over 2 feet over three days, it's a DREAM SCAPE, I will try to send a pic when the weather clears off with the snow still clinging to all the evergreen trees!

Kiss

2010-01-28T05:56:00.000-08:00

We received this great recipe from our friend Jean, author of “A Chef’s Journey”. Stop by the tasting room to pick up a copy of her book to try some other wonderful recipes.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just had to send you this recipe, Sara - we stopped by the winery the other day and picked up a bottle of the Bliss, came home and reduced it and served as a sauce over ice cream with sliced bananas. It was just wonderful.

Pear & Port Reduction

Recipe By: a Chef's Journey

1 firm but ripe pear -- peeled and cut in half

1/2 cup granulated sugar

5 whole cloves

3 whole allspice

2 stick cinnamon -- broken in half

1 bottle ruby port or Merlot wine -- (750 ml) (and now Blackberry Bliss wine)

Bring port, sugar, cloves, allspice and cinnamon to boil in heavy 2-qt. saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves.

Reduce heat to medium low; add pears, cover and simmer 20 min. Remove pear and keep to use on a salad or fruit platter.

Strain the liquid and return to saucepan.

Bring to a boil over medium heat. Let reduce to a syrupy consistency - stay close, once the reduction starts, it goes quickly.

At this point you'll have to play with to get the consistency you want. I would stop when the liquid is like a maple syrup, it will thicken more as it cools.

If it's not the thickness you want after cooling, return the pan to the heat and reduce a little more. This step will just take practice.

You can use this reduction to drizzle over a salad, fruit platter ( I arrange the fruit, drizzle with the reduction and sprinkle with Parmigiano Reggiano ), over ice cream, pound cake, hot cakes/waffles.....it's fantastic!

Tip for marking a reduction of 1/2 - measure 12 oz (approx. half of a 750 ml) of water and pour in pan you will use for reduction - stick a skewer in and mark with a pen where the level is. Discard the water and go on with the recipe - when reduction starts, every minute or so measure with your skewer till the same amount is reached. That's when the reduction will go quickly, so stay close.

-------

C. Jean Denham, CC

Owner/Chef, a Chef's Journey

achefsjourney.com

Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding

2010-01-11T06:25:00.001-08:00

Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding

Serves 8 Start to finish time: 1.5 hours

4 cups fresh bread cubes (we used challah from a local bakery)

1 ½ lbs fresh wild mushrooms (we used chanterelles)

½ Cups finely chopped shallots

½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 cups half-and-half

4 large eggs

½ cup grated cheese (we used Mt Townsend’s “New Moon” tomme)

½ cup fresh camembert or chevre (we like Mt Townsend’s “Cirrus”)

Preheat oven to 350* F with rack in the middle. Bake bread cubes in shallow pan until golden brown; about 10 minutes. Clean and chop mushrooms in large pieces. Cook shallots in butter until soft. Add mushrooms, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper and cook until mushroom juice evaporates; about 15 minutes. Add parsley and garlic; cook and stir for 2 additional minutes. Remove from heat.

Whisk together ½ & ½, eggs, cheese, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper in a large bowl. Stir in mushrooms and bread cubes until coated well; let stand 10 minutes. Butter you baking dish (shallow 2 qt), spoon mixture into the dish until firm to the touch, sprinkle with “New Moon” cheese, and bake until firm to the touch (aprox 30-35 minutes. Enjoy with your favorite Harbinger wine!

HOLIDAY WISHES!!

2009-12-21T06:32:00.001-08:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS ALL!!

Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season. From all your friends at Harbinger Winery

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2009-11-26T10:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving all. We hope you are all enjoying a fabulous Holiday weekend with loved ones.

We (meaning, of course, me) are looking forward to sharing some Harbinger wines with great friends. On the wine menu tonight: the newly released 07 Syrah (my very favorite label to date) and the 08 Rose de Mouvedre. Yum yum!!!

Dynamo White and Costco Cheese

2009-11-02T06:48:00.000-08:00

Discovered last night that that Harbinger's Dynamo White is an excellent pairing with the Cranberry cheese at Costco. It's lovely and I think you will really enjoy it!! A perfect little appetizer for Thanksgiving. Enjoy!! You won't be disappointed.

All Soul's Day

2009-11-01T07:41:00.000-08:00

Hope you all a fun and safe Halloween. I got a little curious regarding the History of Halloween. While I knew that it is related to the Christian All Soul's Day and the LAtin Dia De Los Muertos, I had no idea how our current Halloween evolved form the Celtic festivals.

From Wikipedia:

Historian Nicholas Rogers, exploring the origins of Halloween, notes that while "some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, [it is] more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain or Samuin (pronouncedsow-an or sow-in)".^[1] The name is derived from Old Irish and means roughly "summer's end".^[1] A similar festival was held by the ancient Britons and is known as Calan Gaeaf (pronounced kalan-geyf).

Snap-Apple Night by Daniel Maclise showing a Halloween party in Blarney, Ireland, in 1832. The young children on the right bob for apples. A couple in the center play a variant, which involves retrieving an apple hanging from a string. The couples at left play divination games.

The festival of Samhain celebrates the end of the "lighter half" of the year and beginning of the "darker half", and is sometimes^[2] regarded as the "Celtic New Year".^[3]

The celebration has some elements of a festival of the dead. The ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and the Otherworld became thin on Samhain, allowing spirits (both harmless and harmful) to pass through. The family's ancestors were honoured and invited home whilst harmful spirits were warded off. It is believed that the need to ward off harmful spirits led to the wearing of costumes and masks. Their purpose was to disguise oneself as a harmful spirit and thus avoid harm. In Scotland the spirits were impersonated by young men dressed in white with masked, veiled or blackened faces.^[4]^[5] Samhain was also a time to take stock of food supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. Bonfires played a large part in the festivities. All other fires were doused and each home lit their hearth from the bonfire. The bones of slaughtered livestock were cast into its flames.^[6] Sometimes two bonfires would be built side-by-side, and people and their livestock would walk between them as a cleansing ritual.

Another common practise was divination, which often involved the use of food and drink.

The name 'Halloween' and many of its present-day traditions derive from the Old English era

Happy November All!

Tomato Candy

2009-10-22T06:50:00.000-07:00

Had the most AMAZING dinner for the James Beard Foundation LA Chef Invitational at the Foundry in LA. I could go on and on about how creative this whole evening was but will not bore you with the details. I will say one of the highlights was their TOMATO CANDY!!

This fabulous little bit sized morsel was a grape tomato served on a stick with a hard candy coating and just a hint of sea salt. Sugar sweet and saltiness up front, tangy and juicy at the end. DEEEELISH!

A big Thank You to Eric Greenspan for hosting such a wonderful event.

And now we resume our regular wine postings...

Development Sketch- II

2009-10-09T22:11:00.001-07:00

Development Sketches

2009-10-09T21:52:00.000-07:00

Backstage with Dynamo

2009-10-04T21:24:00.000-07:00

When I'm done with the show and winding down backstage, I like to relax with a glass of the A Point from Harbinger Winery. Mellow and smooth with hints of cardamom and vanilla. Truly delicious.

Vote for Harbinger!

2009-09-24T21:01:00.001-07:00

Vote for us for the BEST Winery in Washington State. We'd agree and we appreciate all the votes you are willing to pass out!

http://best.king5.com/harbinger-winery/biz/128872

even if you don't care to vote, check out this site and see what lovely compliments we have been receiving. aww....

Me.

2009-09-24T06:04:00.001-07:00

Ok, here's me. I'm the one who is blogging here with Sara feeding me lines from time to time. She'll even occasionally take over. So here are a few photos of me B.S.ing....

Top photo is one of me looking only slightly maniacal. BTW- It's not my inflated ego nor am I looking for my 15 minutes of fame. But all you Harbinger guys get to hang out and mingle while I am mostly behind the scenes stuck at a computer. Just wanted to introduce myself and say hello.

GRAPES! HARVEST! HOORAY!

2009-09-23T06:20:00.000-07:00

Well, the Winemaker Extraordinaire (a.k.a. Sara) has returned from her trip to Eastern Washington to go retrieve our grapes. Harvest time. Which means there is a lot of stomping to do (or whatever modern techniques are used).

I will keep you updated as I am expecting to get the full report soon.

Egrets Not Regrets Extravaganza!!

2009-09-21T06:09:00.000-07:00

The Egrets Not Regrets Extravaganza was a fabulous evening! We were thrilled to be able to participate in this wonderful event and we look forward to the next one.

We received a lot of compliments on the wines and people really enjoyed discovering this little winery in the Pacific Northwest. Attached are a few photos.

EGRETS Not Regrets Extravaganza!

2009-09-17T06:41:00.000-07:00

Excited about our first LA event. Hopefully will meet some people with Washington connections as we do love Washington State. Word is already out that there are some SoCal peeps looking forward to meeting us as well.

I'll keep you posted and hopefully will have some photos to share.

Egrets Not Regrets Extravaganza!

2009-09-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

Come Join us for the first ever Egrets Not Regrets Extravaganza! What, you say?? ENR Extravaganza is an environmental informational fair that will be held on September 17th, 2009 from 6-8pm at the Gaslamp REstaurant in Long Beach, CA. Harbinger Winery is proud to be involved in this great community event and we will be pouring 6 delicious wines that evening. It is our very first pouring in Southern California and we are excited to be able to share our wines. Free to attend. Wine tasting is $22 with $5 of every tasting going to one environmental group in a raffle. For more information: www.egretsnotregrets.com

Sunset Magazine listing

2009-08-30T05:59:00.000-07:00

We are excited to be included in this month's issue of Sunset Magazine's Best things to do on the West Coast. Look for the number three listing-wineries on the Olympic Peninsula with a special nod to both Cameraderie Cellars and Harbinger Winery. There are several additional great wineries to visit while in the Sequim/Port Angeles area. Come visit! We think we are just as great a destination as many of the Twilight points of interest!

YELP Reviews

2009-08-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

Yes- we are on Yelp! If you are not familiar with this, YELP is a website that takes reviews from the public. You can find ours here: http://www.yelp.com/c/port-angeles-wa/arts

And yes!!! We are getting great reviews. Please add yours yours and we will shamelessly beg you to write us a raving review.

And while we are at it, please visit our very most favorite YELP reviewed restaurant in Long Beach, CA: The At Last Cafe. Tell them you were sent by Harbinger Winery and are looking forward to their Harbinger Wine Dinner Soon! Date TBD, of course!

Cheers for now!

Natural Cork Recycling

2009-07-09T06:43:00.000-07:00

We will take your corks!

Natural Cork, the kind of cork used in wine closures, is a perfect choice for recycling. It’s 100% natural, biodegradable and renewable. There is absolutely no reason natural wine corks should end up as landfill when recycled cork can become flooring tiles, building insulation, automotive gaskets, craft materials, soil conditioner and sports equipment.
Known as ReCORK America, the program is focused on obtaining used and surplus corks from winery tasting rooms, bottling lines and quality assurance laboratories. In addition, collection locations are being established with key retailers and restaurants in larger metropolitan areas. A list of current collection locations is available on this Web site. It should be emphasized that only natural cork is being accepted. No plastic or metal closures please.
So please stop by the winery and drop off your corks

Thank You Dave

Just touching base....

2009-06-30T07:04:00.001-07:00

Yes, it has been a while since we have posted. And by "we" I mean "I". We (and by we I do now mean "we") have been swamped with a new run of label designs. We are very excited about the newly revamped Dynamo Red and Dynamo White designs! I will keep you all posted on when we will be releasing the new wines. Additionally, we have a new design for the Rose and a new design for the Vionier. All lovely wines from our beloved Washington State! Yes, the best wines on the market IMHO.

Also-we have invested in a new computer system which will hopefully streamline something, although I'm not really sure what.

Lastly, I expect to be visting the winery in person the last week of July/early August! Please stop me and say hello! I look forward to seeing many of you at the wine Club dinner on August 1st.

Cheers!

Stephanie

Perfect Wine Pairing

2009-06-03T06:33:00.000-07:00

Having been reunited via Facebook with some old friends from grammar school (GRAMMAR school, of all things!) I felt blessed to be able to share with them a couple of great wines from Harbinger Winery as we caught up on the last oh, 20 years or so of our lives.

It made me realize that after years of searching for the ultimate paring for Harbinger Wines, I realized that the perfect pairing for our wines is Friendship! What could be better. Really.

Pairs perfectly with our great Rhone style Washington State Syrahs, our award winning Chardonnay, our unique take on Viognier, and the oh so delicious blackberry, cranberry, and raspberry wines! Share a bottle. They taste better that way.

Vintage Wine Making Equipment

2009-05-25T13:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I used to think that Google could find me anything I wanted. Seems I'm wrong and my faith has wavered in the powers of the search engine. My search for vintage wine making equipment illsutrations turned up nothing. I may have to actually go to a library and do some research! I think that means I may need to get out of my pajamas for that trip. Strange.

But I did find these vintage Memorial Day postcards and thought I would share with you in rememberence.

San Juan Islands

2009-05-17T19:16:00.000-07:00

So we here at the Dynamo Vine are seeking input on the BEST places to visit and to stay in the San Juan Islands. A great B&B or hotel? Something with a spectacular view? The cutest little restaurant that a definite on the list?
Let me know. I'm all ears and taking suggestions.
And yes, of course, best wine finds!

Memorial Day Weekend Events

2009-05-16T09:40:00.000-07:00

Come visit the wineries on the Olypic Peninsula this Memorial Day Weekend. Each winery has special offers so check em out. And we are unveiling our BEER! Go Steve!

Black Diamond Winery is celebrating it's 9th anniversary and will have a four pack special at 15% off and 20% off on mixed cases.

Harbinger Winery will be releasing Blackberry Bliss, as well as doing a vertical barrel samplings of Cabernet Franc. They will also be unveiling their first of many bottled beers; the Endo IPA. This is a local ale made by Brewmaster Steve Corcoran, who will also be available to walk you through the brewing process.

Camaraderie Cellars will be having a special tasting of some reserve wines along with some recently released wines.

Olympic Cellars will continue their 30th Anniversary Year of Celebration with a featured wine each month at a 30% discount. For May it is their Double Gold 2005 Syrah. They are also participating in the NoBridgeNoProblem.com coupon program for travelers to the Peninsula during the bridge closure. Complimentary wine tasting and 20% discount on a purchase of $30 or more with the online coupon.

Lost Mountain Winery is in their 28 and final year and they will be pairing their 2005 Merlot with delectable french chocolate truffles and sampling several other red wines including their final blend "Arrivederci". See below for details.

FairWinds Winery will offer a barrel sample of a wine in progress and will give an informative demonstration on barrel construction.

Sorensen Cellars will be pouring their wines wines along with a sample of several different varieties of delicious short breads and flavored roasted nuts. A special 20% discount will be offered for full or mixed cases during the holiday weekend.

2009-05-16T09:35:00.001-07:00

another test. please be patient.

2009-05-16T09:33:00.001-07:00

Well the good news is that we are now good to go with mobile posting. Seems our issues have worked themselves out. Stay tuned!

2009-05-16T09:30:00.001-07:00

Testing

OOPS!

2009-05-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the mobile posting on Blogger is not doing so well as you can tell from the last two posts. I of course could easily delete the mistakes, but no, I want to leave them there. Perhaps one of you may know how to correct? I set up my phone for mobile posting but obviously there is an error SOMEwhere here! If anyone has any suggestions on how to correct, please help!

In other news, we are working on the revamping of the Dynamor series labels. I'm thinking about posting them on our FB group for a GROUP VOTE! Any thoughts?

2009-05-11T21:14:00.003-07:00

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2009-05-11T21:14:00.001-07:00

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Northwest Wine Summit

2009-05-11T20:42:00.000-07:00

Not all fun and games after all! Sara our fabulous winemaker spent the early part of last week at the Northwest Wine Summit. As you can tell from the photo, it can be a bit daunting to say the least. Personally, I would have been overwhelmed by the third wine! Results are yet to be announced.

CRANBERRY MEATBALL RECIPE

2009-05-02T12:23:00.000-07:00

Here it is! The Harbinger Meatball recipe as requested by several people. Shhhh....don't tell anyone how easy it is.

HARBINGER MEATBALLS

One can whole cranberry sauce
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Harbinger Syrah (or more to taste plus a little for your glass)
2 Tbsp. Hot Chinese Mustard

Heat all together and pour over Meatballs and heat till hot.
Also may be prepared ahead in a crock pot. The frozen Italian Meatballs from Costco are an easy way to go.

Enjoy!

07 Dynamo Red Bottling

2009-04-11T12:55:00.000-07:00

We are gearing up for our 2007 Dynamo Red bottling. It is a combo of Columbia Valley and Walla Walla fruit. And it's going to be really good and we're excited about it! Bottling is next Thursday and we'll be offering preview tasting at this weekend's wine and cheese tastings.

BEER!
We just got out beer license and our dirty blonde is now on tap at the winery and you can grab some to go too!

Our Endo IPA will be bottled on Wednesday. It is the first bottling of all 3 of our new beer releases. 22 oz bottles. We wil keep you posted as to when it is for sale.

McMenamins Edgefield Winery's Taste of Syrah

2009-04-04T17:47:00.001-07:00

Hello and happy Saturday to all. Sara our winemaker extraordinairre is out at McMenamin's Edgefield winery for their 8th annual Taste of Syrah. We are very excited to be pouring some of Washington State's finest syrahs (okay, in our humble opinion). We wish them a very successful weekend and look forward to hearing lots of great stories of all of the fabulous syrah and wines from Oregon and Washington State.

BEER!!!

2009-04-01T20:55:00.001-07:00

Yes, we are rolling along quite nicely with the Harbinger Brewery. We have permits so that means BEER!! I won't reveal exactly what we will be releasing, but I will say that it will most certainly be worth the wait. Stay tuned as we unroll our IPA, belgian wheat. and honey blonde. Oops, did I let that slip?

Be sure to follow our posts, or join our facebook group http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=39817149542 and we will keep you posted on the best brewery in Port Angeles, WA!

Happy St. Paddy's Day

2009-03-17T20:48:00.000-07:00

No, I can't say that I paired a nice glass of Harbinger wine with a corned beef sandwich. I stuck with the tried and true pint of Guinness! But I did try to come up with some good pairings for corned beef. Any suggestions? Viognier? Mouvedre? Or is it like the elusive Thanksgiving feast?

But I DO know that the next holiday coming up is Easter and that means brunch! I am hoping that it's warm. In which case I think I will break out a bottle of the Blackberry Bliss (A festive northwest blackberry table wine) and sip in the sun in the warm spring air (yes, we like to push for summer here).

And don't forget: the vernal equinox is on Friday the 20th. That means SPRING IS HERE!!

(posted from Stephanie)

A look back at Mardis Gras past

2009-02-21T11:15:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's been a while since we've posted. Our winemaker extraordinaire took a fabulous month long vacation to the Bahamas. Well, it seemed like a month. In the interim we are working our way through refining our website.

Thought we'd share a few photos of past events in homage to tonight's Mardi Gras blast. Enjoy and I can't wait to see what this evenings event will bring.

January/February Events

2009-01-10T06:47:00.000-08:00

January is a bit of a quiet month for us at the winery.

Please note we will be closed Monday and Tuesday for the rest of this month.

Coming up in February:

Red Wine & Chocolate!

Feb 7 & 8 and 14, 15, 16.

Mardi Gras is Feb 21.

Also, Ed is offering private wine and cheese 101 classes for groups of 6-10 people at $35 per person.

Photos here are from the last winemakers dinner at Alder Wood Bistro. Be sure to join us at the next one! (TBD)

Shrimp St. Charles

2008-12-29T06:30:00.000-08:00

Here is another great recipe from Edgar Burks, Harbinger Winery's Wine Specialist. Possibly a nice dish to prepare for a special New Year's feast?

This recipe comes from my friend and cooking mentor, Chef Giuseppe Brucia. It is modified slightly from the original.

Shrimp St. Charles
Serves 6 as appetizers or 4 as main course.
24 jumbo shrimp, peeled, and deveined
12 green onions
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp Butter
4 large mushrooms, sliced in eighths
2 Tbsp. red bell pepper, finely sliced
½ tsp. garlic, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. Cognac
½ cup Harbinger Dynamo White
*½ cup shrimp stock
½ cup heavy cream (36% preferred)
4 drops Worcestershire Sauce
4 drops Tabasco Chipotle Sauce
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. chopped parsley
Salt and black pepper to taste.
*Prepare simple shrimp stock by simmering shrimp shells in ¾ cup of water until reduced to ½ cup. Pour through strainer and discard shells.
1. Prepare the green onions by removing the top 1/3 of the green tops. Discard or save for other use. Cut the remaining onion in half so that there is a white portion and a green portion.
2. Dry the shrimp with paper towels. In a large skillet over high heat, add 1 Tbsp. of butter with olive oil. When hot add the shrimp and brown each side for 40 seconds.
3. Add bell pepper, garlic, both green onion halves and mushrooms. Cook, stirring constantly, for 45 seconds.
4. Add Cognac and flame (use caution).
5. Add Harbinger Dynamo White and shrimp stock. Bring to boil over high heat.
6. Add the heavy cream, stir and let the sauce thicken.
7. Remove shrimp, placing 4 shrimp on each hot plate.
8. Return sauce to heat to further thicken for a few seconds.
9. Add Worcestershire Sauce, Tabasco and lemon juice.
10. Turn off the heat and white stirring add last 1 Tbsp. of butter, salt and pepper to taste.
11. Pour sauce over shrimp. Sprinkle with parsley.

Variations: Make sauce alone and serve over halibut or ling cod. Serve with Harbinger Dynamo White, Chardonnay, or Viognier.

Happy Holidays to all!

2008-12-21T16:32:00.000-08:00

and Season's Greetings!

Facebook Group

2008-12-17T06:44:00.000-08:00

Join us on Facebook. Our group is called "Friends of Harbinger Winery". Throw a snowball or two at the winemaker.

Open House and OPHS Fundraiser

2008-12-13T12:33:00.000-08:00

Harbinger Open House

December 19-20th from 11am-7pm.

2nd Annual Olympic Peninsula Humane Society Fundraiser and Holiday Open House

Appetizers and wine tasting will be available for a donation, and all proceeds will benefit the Humane Society. Prizes will be on display at the open house and raffle tickets are available for purchase now.

Raffle tickets can be purchased for $5 each at either of the businesses, and the winning tickets will be drawn at 3pm on December 31st. Last year over $2200 was raised for the OPHS through the raffle. 100% of the ticket proceeds go to the Humane Society.

Tammi Hinkle, owner of Adventures through Kayaking has donated a Kayak as well as a half day kayak trip for two, fleece, hats, and t-shirts. Sara Gagnon of Harbinger Winery is donating a one year membership to the Wine Club, as well as a CD collection, chocolate, cheese, fleece, and hats.

Another addition will be glass artwork by Strait Fusion Glassworks of Port Angeles.

Upcoming Events

2008-12-13T12:26:00.000-08:00

Come join us!

Alder Wood Bistro - December, 17

Harbinger will be Guests of Honor at Alder Wood Bistro in Sequim for a winemaker's dinner. Call Jessica or Gabriel at Alder Wood for details and reservations: 683-4321

Fall Passport and Harvest Pics

2008-11-25T06:15:00.000-08:00

Harbinger had a fair turnout for the Passport Weekend. We here were representing Southern France, the Rhone to be specific.

We released our reserve Cuvee' (a bordeaux blend with a rhone twist), which has already won a silver medal at the Tri Cities Wine Festival. And we released our Cranberry bliss, just in time for the holidays! Everyone had a great time.

Photos are one of the passport event; one of the winemaker's Mom...helping at harvest...when you come on a harvest trip, be prepared to get your hands sticky!

HARBINGER WINERY CUTS CHEESE

2008-11-18T05:54:00.000-08:00

Come join us Saturday November 22nd for a very special wine and cheese tasting tour. Join Ed Burks as he takes you to a very special creamery, a winery, and visit some very nice restaurants. You won't want to miss this tour! For more info, please call Harbinger Winery at 360-452-4262 or Ed Burks at 360-928-9585.

Also, Harbinger Winery announces the addition of fine gourmet cheeses to pair with their award winning wines. The cheese cooler is overflowing with items not found anywhere on the Peninsula.

Cheeses such as Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor (goat cheese with black truffles), Fourme d’Ambert, Rogue River Blue, Yellow Buck Camembert and Triple Crème Brie are now available right here in Port Angeles. Available as well are the rare cheeses from Estella Family Creamery in Montesano, WA.

A varied selection of cow and goat’s milk cheeses are available with new varieties arriving weekly. No more driving to Poulsbo for fine cheese. Call Harbinger Winery at 360-452-4262 and we will cut some cheese for you! Harbinger is located at 2358 Hwy 101 West, Port Angeles.

Ed's Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2008-11-15T19:58:00.000-08:00

Thought we'd share one of our favorite recipes from Ed, our wine and cheese connoisseur extraordinaire. More to come.

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups cooked pumpkin puree (or 15 oz. can)
1 ½ cups (12 oz. can) evaporated milk (not condensed milk)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
¼ cup butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ Tbsp. cinnamon
1/1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 package yellow or butter cake mix

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 tsp. orange extract
¼ tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. milk or cream
1 cup chopped chipotle glazed pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9” x 13” baking pan with non-stick foil.
In a large bowl, beat pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined.
Add cake mix to wet ingredients. Stir only until combined. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 50 -55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool to room temperature.

Frosting:
Blend cream cheese, powdered sugar, extracts, and milk until smooth. Frost cooled cake. Sprinkle with chipotle glazed pecans.

Chipotle Spiced Pecans*
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 ½ cups pecan halves
½ cup light brown sugar
¼ tsp. salt
½ to 1 tsp. ground chipotle peppers
2-3 Tbsp. dark rum

Melt butter over medium heat in a large heavy skillet. Add pecans and sauté, stirring all the time, until pecans are lightly toasted. Add the brown sugar and gently cook until caramelized. As soon as the brown sugar has melted, add the seasonings and rum. Finish cooking and spread on waxed paper. Coarsely chop halves.
*Amounts of ingredients are approximate since this recipe was made up spur of the moment. One can substitute any spice for the chipotle peppers…season to taste.

Meet one of our Artists: Jenni Prang Boran

2008-11-11T08:58:00.000-08:00

I'd like to introduce to you one of our artists, Jenni Prang Boran. You may recognize her work from last year's Merlot or our current "El Jefe". Jenni is the wonderful artist behind the art on these two labels. She is a wonderful artist to work with and we look forward to more collaborative efforts in the future.

Jenni is a self-taught artist who began painting while in L.A. Two years later she moved to Iowa City, IA, where she painted by day and tended bar by night. She now lives in Tacoma, WA, where she works on commissions as well as her own series, in between playing with her baby boy and working on her writing.

She has had a number of one-woman shows, had the great privilege of being part of many group shows, and was recently a finalist in an exhibition at Gallery 181 in Lawrence, MA. You can find additional work at www.jenniprange.com.

In the Press!

2008-11-08T08:10:00.000-08:00

We're in the Press! Read reviews of wines from us and from Cameraderie:

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/929/story/358273.html

Woehler on Wines: Camaraderie Cellars and Harbinger Cellars wineries
By Bob Woehler, Woehler on Wines

In addition to stunning scenery and great seafood, Port Angeles also offers some excellent opportunities for wine touring.

There are eight wineries in the Port Angeles-Sequim-Port Townsend area, each worth a visit.

I stopped at two during a fall jaunt around the Olympic Peninsula, the long-established Camaraderie Cellars and the relatively new Harbinger Cellars just outside Port Angeles.

Camaraderie Cellars was making its 17th vintage at the winery complex, which looks like something that would grace the pages of Sunset Magazine with its beautiful grounds sporting colorful floral displays and the lush greenery of the Olympic Peninsula.

It's a friendly place where you are greeted by owners Don and Vicki Corson. Don is the winemaker and crafts traditional bordeaux blends but also makes other reds, including tempranillo and syrah.

The Corsons will gladly describe for visitors the Peninsula's places to see such as the vista from Hurricane Ridge and scenic Lake Crescent.

They also have a tasting room at Seattle's Pike Place Market.

Camaraderie Cellars 2005 Trinquer, Washington State $17.50 -- The name is from the word for the tinkling of glass and this wine will tickle your palate. It's a dry, delicious fruity blend of sauvignon blanc, semillon and viognier and a perfect match for crab cakes.

Camaraderie Cellars, 2006 malbec, Yakima Valley, Crawford Vineyards, $20 -- Generally, malbec doesn't excite me, but this one did with its delicious jam flavors of wild raspberries. I'd try it with game birds or a Cornish game hen with raspberry sauce. The winery is off Highway 101 west of town at 334 Bensen Road. www.camaraderiecellars.com

Sarah Gagnon, winemaker and proprietor at Harbinger, comes from a pioneer Olympic Peninsula family and grew up to be a professional kayaker. She also decided to become a winemaker and learned her trade at Olympic Cellars before starting Harbinger Cellars.

True to her roots, she makes a couple of west-side wines, including a raspberry and a Madeleine Angevine and siegerebbe blend. However, I was particularly impressed with what she does with east side grapes.

Harbinger Winery 2007 Rose de Lemberger, Red Mountain, Kiona Vineyards, $16.99 -- This dry, crisp, strawberrylike rose is a perfect match for a salmon fresh caught in the Straits of Juan de Fuca.

Harbinger Winery 2007 Dynamo white, Washington State, $13.99 -- This is an intense aromatic riesling-sauvignon blend with inviting fruity flavors to go with a plate of cheeses.

The winery is at 2358 Highway 101 just west of Port Angeles. www.harbingerwinery.com

*Bob Woehler, a retired Herald reporter, has been writing about Northwest wines since 1978. He can be reached via e-mail at bwoehler@charter.net or check out his past columns at www.winepressnw.com/woehler

Gondola Getaway ride

2008-11-01T10:04:00.001-07:00

We have discovered that Harbinger Wines pair quite nicely with a sunset cruise on the Gondola Getaway.

Top photo is stock photo; just wanted to show what these boats look like.

Enjoy!

More Grapes!

2008-10-25T12:15:00.000-07:00

Well, Sara has just made her FIFTH trip this season to Eastern Washington to get grapes. An unusual number of trips, but that's how the vines grow!

We now have more Syrah, 2 tons of Barbera, and 2 1/2 tons of mourvedre. That is in addition to all of the other grapes that we have already.

We look forward to some great new wines!

Yes, We're Open!

2008-10-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

Again, welcome, and come on in! Many of you have visited our tasting room, some of you may not have. We hope you enjoy getting to know us a little bit better and also get a chance to see what's happening at the winery.

Here is a photo of the entrance to our tasting room. Take a closer look and you may catch a glimpse of our spritely little character that helps out from time to time while only occasssionaly wreaking havoc!

WELCOME!!

2008-10-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Dynamo Vine, Harbinger Winery's very own blog. We look forward to bringing you lots of fun information and photos and keeping you in touch with what's happening here at Harbinger.

Check back for some more photos to come in the next week!

the Dynamo Vine

Chantrelle Bisque

Wine and Cheese Tour (and we will have beer as well!)

Northwest Wine & Cheese TourApril 16 & 17, 2011

BUTTERNUT SQUASH BISQUE

HARBINGER VEGETARIAN CHILI

Harbinger Happenings for 2011 Red Wine and Chocolate Festival

Raffle Winners!

We are happy to announce the winners of our 2010 Humane Society Raffle! Thanks to you all we were able to raise about $1500 for the OPHS. Great job everyone!Contact Harbinger Winery at 360-452-4262 to claim your bounty! Thank you to everyone who participated and a Happy New Year to you all!

I - 1100 and I - 1105

Harvest, harvest, harvest

Harbinger and sailing

Coastal Watershed Institute and Harbinger Winery pair up

Ketchum Outpost

preparing for Harvest

Messages from the Outpost

Wild Mushroom Bread Pudding

HOLIDAY WISHES!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Dynamo White and Costco Cheese

All Soul's Day

Tomato Candy

Development Sketch- II

Development Sketches

Backstage with Dynamo

Vote for Harbinger!

Me.

GRAPES! HARVEST! HOORAY!

Egrets Not Regrets Extravaganza!!

EGRETS Not Regrets Extravaganza!

Egrets Not Regrets Extravaganza!

Sunset Magazine listing

YELP Reviews

Natural Cork Recycling

Just touching base....

Perfect Wine Pairing

Vintage Wine Making Equipment

San Juan Islands

Memorial Day Weekend Events

OOPS!

Northwest Wine Summit

CRANBERRY MEATBALL RECIPE

07 Dynamo Red Bottling

McMenamins Edgefield Winery's Taste of Syrah

BEER!!!

Happy St. Paddy's Day

A look back at Mardis Gras past

January/February Events

Shrimp St. Charles

Happy Holidays to all!

Facebook Group

Open House and OPHS Fundraiser

Upcoming Events

Fall Passport and Harvest Pics

HARBINGER WINERY CUTS CHEESE

Ed's Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Meet one of our Artists: Jenni Prang Boran

In the Press!

Gondola Getaway ride

More Grapes!

Yes, We're Open!

WELCOME!!

Northwest Wine & Cheese Tour
April 16 & 17, 2011

We are happy to announce the winners of our 2010 Humane Society Raffle! Thanks to you all we were able to raise about $1500 for the OPHS. Great job everyone!

Contact Harbinger Winery at 360-452-4262 to claim your bounty! Thank you to everyone who participated and a Happy New Year to you all!