For #MerlotMe in October, several wineries sent us Merlot samples. We tasted, paired, and blogged about world class wine from California and Oregon with prices ranging from $15-$55 including Duckhorn, Peju, Murphy-Goode, and more which we paired with everything from squash soup to gourmet grilled cheese to French cuosine which you can read about here and here.

But the moment I saw that bottle of Northstar Merlot from the Columbia Valley in Washington I knew that #MerlotMe would not happen in October because I’d be saving it for when the tuna boat would come in!

Just as fisherfolk use the North Star as a directional guide, “Northstar Winery was established in the early 1990s to guide the
 creation of world-class Merlot-based wines that demonstrate the potential
 of the variety in Washington State.”

Because, you see, we live in a harbor with a fish market, and when tuna is in season from December to April, the boat comes in once a month or so with a load of fresh ahi, opah, wahoo, swordfish and more. You can buy a whole fish or buy the pound.

And there is nothing better to pair with Washington Merlot than Seared Ahi Tuna.

Northstar – Merlot – Columbia Valley – 2012 – 14.7% alcohol – SRP $40 Continue reading →