A Quick Guide to Summer Wine Pairing

With July 4 coming up (not to mention the rest of the summer), it's prime time for wine and grilling here in Washington. Grilled meat and wine is such a classic pairing and we admit, it's hard to mess up.

But if you're not exactly a wine expert, your wino neighbors will tell you that some wines pair better with certain dishes than others. So if you're planning a nice summer dinner party or if you plan on hitting up one of the many great restaurants this summer, here are some helpful tips on pairing wines with food, courtesy of About.com's wine section:

Zinfandels will be able to handle a wide variety of red meats. This bold red wine bellies up to meaty, smokey flavors – allowing the varietal’s black pepper spice, acidity and ripe tannins to carry the meat’s fats and texture to a new dimension. A Zin will also work well with barbeque sauce, steak sauce and mild salsas – if there is too much spice in the sauce the two will compete and both the wine and the sauce end up as losers.

Merlot is the spicy sauce answer to the above dilemma. With the characteristic fruit-forward flavor profile, this varietal will support the spice and not aggravate it. Grilled pork chops, chicken and garden-variety salads with lighter dressings also mingle well with Merlot.

Shiraz/Syrah another varietal that makes the grill-friendly wine list. This varietal is delicious with just about any red meat. Offering dynamic, somewhat aggressive fruit flavors, balanced with more mellow tannins and a softer-fuller body – this wine’s place to shine is definitely at a barbecue gathering! Rhone Syrahs tend to have a smokier flavor characteristic and lend themselves extremely well to smoked brisket.

Cabernet Sauvignon is made for steaks with a higher fat content and burgers of beef or turkey will pair equally well. The tighter tannins are significantly mellowed by the meat’s fat, producing a palate pleaser to remember! Top your burgers with bold cheeses, like blue or sharp cheddar and this varietal gets even better!

Pinot Noir a flexible varietal that is known for being extremely food-friendly. Can go from grilled fish to a juicy burger in a single sip! Pinot Noir is an ideal candidate for grilled fish – especially salmon, burgers and chicken both bare their best in the presence of Pinot Noir. If you aren’t sure if what wine will work with your grilled dinner, Pinot Noir will likely be your best bet.

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How to Throw a July 4 Party in Your Apartment!

You don't need to have a big backyard and a barbecue pit in order to throw a successful party for July 4. Yes, even in your apartment here at Bailey Farm, you can throw an Independence Day bash that your friends, family, and neighbors will remember for years to come.

After all, what good is all the great local food, farmers markets, beer, and wine in the Bothell area if you're not going to celebrate America with it?

Apartments.com offered up some very helpful tips for throwing a July 4 party at your apartment - here are some of our favorites:

Plan ahead: Many people travel around the 4th of July, so it’s important to get your party on their calendars early. With the holiday falling on a Thursday this year, you may consider hosting your party Wednesday night so no one has to worry about going into work the next day. Or, if your friends are making it a long weekend at home, Friday could be the perfect day. Check with your VIP guests about their schedules and plan around that.

Request RSVPs: Whether you invite your friends via Facebook, Evite or email, ask them to RSVP and let you know if they’re bringing anyone else. Having a general headcount will help you plan how much food and drinks to buy. Especially if your party is on the 4th, many stores may be closed, so if you run out of grub, you may be out of luck.

Go shopping: Stock up on everything you’ll need for your party as far ahead as possible, including food, drinks, paper plates, plastic silverware, disposable cups and grill supplies. That way, if you forget something, you have more time to go to the store again before the big day. For drinks, the rule of thumb is to have enough for three drinks per person (one bottle of wine holds 4-5 drinks). For food, decide whether you want guests to bring anything, and if so, ask them to tell you what they’re bringing when they RSVP so you don’t double up.

Set the scene: You’ve got the food, the drinks and the guests, now it’s time for the ambiance. Make a playlist on your iPhone or on Spotify and test out your speakers to make sure they’re loud enough. Get into the spirit of the holiday and throw in some patriotic songs. And you can’t go wrong with some red, white and blue – pick up some streamers and American flags, and don’t forget the sparklers and (legal) fireworks!

Tell the neighbors: When living in an apartment, it’s common courtesy to let your neighbors know you’ll be having a party, especially if you’re using the shared yard or rooftop deck. Although it’s not required, it’s also a nice gesture to invite them to stop by. It’s a good opportunity to get to know them, and they can’t get mad about the noise if they’re among those making it!

Have fun! When hosting a party, it can be easy to get stressed about whether there will be enough food, if people like the music, and if everyone’s having fun. Enlist as much help as you can from your roommates or closest friends to help set up/refill snacks, then sit back and enjoy yourself!

Click here to read the full article at Apartments.com.

Barbecue Benefit this Saturday

One of the most well regarded food establishments in the area, Carolina Smoke doesn't just make great barbecue - they also give back to the community in the form of charitable giving. 

Last summer, one of the restaurant's workers, David Hayward suffered a heart attack and nearly passed away. But staff at the cardiac care unit at Evergreen Hospital were able to return him to good health. So in return, this Saturday, June 14 from 11 AM to 8 PM, Carolina Smoke will be hosting a "Rib Day" to benefit the hospital and all their hardworking employees. 

Mr. Hayward and team will be smoking four different types of ribs, beef ribs, baby back ribs, spare ribs, and beef short ribs, all served on a platter with two sides. And all proceeds will go to the Evergreen Hospital Cardiac Care Unit, along with those that come into the donation jar, which they'll have on hand. Local blues band, The Chester Dennis Jones Band, will also be on hand from 1 PM to 5 PM.

Over at the restaurants website, Mr. Hayward shared his heartfelt thoughts about the folks who saved his life. He writes:

I want to thank my family and friends, Evergreen Hospital and the staff that took such good care of me, and the medics who came to my house and their excellent care.  I am very blessed to still be here.

I want to give back to the folks who have given me this second chance, Evergreen hospital. So, on June 14th from 11am-8pm Carolina Smoke will have a Rib Day to benefit Evergreen Hospital. On Rib Day I will not only be smoking up my babyback ribs, but I will also be smoking up some spare ribs and beef ribs. I will be donating the profits for the day to Evergreen Hospital as well as providing a jar to donate. I have also asked my good friend, Chester Dennis Jones to come play some blues for everyone (thanks Chet!). So please come out and help support Evergreen Hospital, I owe them my life.

Click here to learn more about this great event for a great cause!

Tips for a Successful Housewarming Party

If you've recently moved in to our humble Bothell abode, you've probably got a lot on your plate. But once things settle down, one of the best ways to integrate yourself into the community and "break in" your new apartment is by throwing a housewarming party.

After all, what good is your beautiful new Bailey Farm Apartment if you don't show it off to your friends and your new neighbors? (Hint: Your neighbors are invaluable resources for getting to know the building, community, and surrounding area. And they love wine.)

ApartmentGuides.com offered up some helpful tips for throwing a successful housewarming party. Here are some of our favorites:

Tip #1: Don’t do it right after you move in.
Getting your apartment in show-off shape takes time. You want your place to be organized, decorated nicely and above all else, clean. Although your friends will be dying to see your apartment right away, give yourself two or three weeks to unpack, settle in and get the place in tip-top shape.

Tip #2: Figure out how many people your apartment can comfortably hold.
If you live in a studio or a one-bedroom apartment, chances are you don’t have a ton of extra space. In this case, a small party will be much more fun for everyone, so limit your guest list to your closest friends only. On the other hand, if you’ve got plenty of extra space? Go nuts. Just make sure you’ve got lots of seating and remember to keep the noise level under contr

Tip #3: Use Facebook to invite people.
Yes, written invitations are super classy. But do you really want to go through the trouble of having them printed, mailing them out and waiting on responses? That takes time, not to mention money, and you can accomplish the same thing through Facebook’s event feature. Just create the event, be specific about the time and place, and invite the friends you want to be there. Don’t be afraid to lean on that one person who annoyingly responds “maybe” – you need to know how many people are coming, so get an accurate head count however you can.

Tip #4: Keep the refreshments simple.
Will your housewarming party include dinner for your guests? It doesn’t have to – if you start the party at 8 p.m., for instance, your guests will have eaten dinner before they arrive – but if you want to serve a meal, keep it simple. Grilling out is always a winner, and supplying burgers or hot dogs for a small group of people won’t be too hard on your wallet. If you’re not serving dinner, a simple spread of chips and dip, cookies or small hors d’oeuvres will do the trick.

Tip #5: Have an activity in mind.
At most parties, conversation is king. Let your guests mingle, chat and catch up with each other, and that’ll be great entertainment for the evening. But if the conversation starts to wane, have a group activity in mind as a backup plan. If your friends enjoy board games or parlor games such as Charades, you could have a tournament. If you’d rather play a new game, just Google “housewarming party games” and you’ll find all sorts of ways to entertain your guests. But remember: Don’t force people to play a game if they’re already having a good time. If your guests are entertained simply by each other’s company, your party will be an effortless success.

Click here to read the full article on ApartmentGuide.com!