Blanc & Rouge

You may remember back when I mentioned that we not only travel for my nursing assignments, but also for the best hot air ballooning spots. Well, Shawn got himself a job up in Washington for the summer of 2019!! We took a little trip while we were still in Colorado Springs, [since we were so close] to check out the area. We wanted to meet the balloon company owner and maybe do a little sight-seeing while we were there!! We also know a balloon pilot from Phoenix, who was in the general area, so we set up a time to meet him in Snohomish for lunch!!

Downtown Snohomish turned out to be the cutest little town. We arrived early [as per our usual] so we found a parking spot and walked around, up and down main street to to locate our lunch meeting place.  As luck would have it, there was a wine store and wine tasting place… Blanc & Rouge, right in the middle of town!! Haha!! Blanc & Rough [which literally means Red & White] was established in 2012 by Mary Pat, a Seattle native who wanted to share her love of wine. It is located in a beautifully restored building from 1906!! WOW!!

In 2018, Mary sold her store to a husband-and-wife team, Mina Williams and Bruce Rutkin. I absolutely love that that “Your Anti-Snobbery Wine Destination in Historic Downtown Snohomish” is owned and operated by this local husband and wife pair!! Mina, also a Seattle native, spent time in New York, San Francisco, and Chicago learning about food and wine as a national journalist. Bruce, her husband of 40+ years was a pro in high tech sales, but is now a Certified Sommelier & Specialist of Wine.

Together, Mina and Bruce share the belief that “wine has the power to bring people together.” The dream they share is to be more than just another wine bar. They want to offer top notch wines from around the world, as well as local northwest wines, to appease beginner and seasoned enthusiasts alike. A central hub of connectivity and fun for the community, if you will. Check out the charming little wine bar [pictured below] that is just one of the welcoming spots to sit and enjoy a wine tasting or even a glass!!

Quill, no last name, [that I could find anyways… LOL] soon joined the well-oiled machine of the Blanc & Rouge squad. She is from Olympia and is known to ride her electric scooter or her “one-wheel” about town!! Quill helps with the wine tasting events and wine classes, including the art of wine pairing!! I am still no closer to mastering which food pairs best with which wine then I was when I stared drinking wine. LOL!! I just know that I like some wines and not others, and I think some wines just taste better alone... with no food pairing at all.

I mean I can read the label where is says “pairs well with…” [Haha] but the only food and wine "pairing" that sticks out in my mind as being amazing is that white wine I told you about from Ponderosa Winery that "paired well" with the bologna sandwich and sitting in the hot tub!! HAHA!! I did really enjoy this FlyGirl wine, pictured below. [had to try it cause well.. #pilotwife, ya know!?] This blend of Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Viognier was made to honor the female pilots of World War II. I not only enjoyed the peach and floral notes, I loved the label and the story behind the label.

When you hear someone talk about "notes" when describing wine, that really just means the aromas and flavors that can be detected in the wine. It's like a special vocabulary to explain the variations of a wine's taste and smell. If you imagine that you're smelling a bouquet of flowers. You might pick out notes of rose, jasmine, and lavender. Similarly, in wine, you might detect notes of black cherry, vanilla, or spice.

I learned that in December of 2023, Blanc & Rouge opened a new location in Arlington, Washington!! If you are in the area you should definitely stop by, I know I sure will!! The place looks like it oozes with the same charm of the original location, and they offer the same amazing wine tastings and classes.

Next week Wine with Wixy will be heading to New Mexico for the Albuquerque Balloon Festival [for real this time… hehe] and one of the most gorgeous wineries I’ve visited to date!! Casa Rodena!!

Cheers to you my wine loving friends, and TTFN!!