Acclaimed veteran winemaker Brian Carter of Brian Carter Cellars in Woodinville has sold five cases of his Washington State European style blended wines to the U.S. State Department. Executive Chef Jason Larkin at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC, made the decision to purchase the wines, according to a news release from Brian Carter Cellars.
Carter traveled to Washington DC in 2012 to pour wine at the Kennedy Center and was hoping to find new customers.
"You never know who you might get to taste your wines at an event like that, and with a little help from my friends, I was able to make a connection with Jason (Larkin)," Carter said in a news release. "I could tell he was impressed right off the bat."
In addition to being the executive chef, Larkin is responsible for selecting and purchasing wine for the Department's State Dinners.
"Based on our tasting at the Kennedy Center I think that I can sense which wines we would likely serve given our style of entertaining and the typical menus that we serve," Larkin said in the news release. "I would like to have a selection on hand for the Secretary’s smaller working meals with Foreign or Prime Ministers."
The five Brian Carter Cellars wines selected are Solesce (a Cabernet Sauvignon based French Bordeaux style blend), Tuttorosso (a Sangiovese based Italian Super-Tuscan style blend), Byzance (a Grenache based French Southern Rhone style blend), Corrida (a Tempranillo based Spanish style blend) and Oriana (a unique Viognier based white blend). When placing the order Larkin said:
"Your (Brian’s) wines are extremely unique and exactly what I am looking for to pour here at the State Department. They are a wonderful example of how the American wine industry is evolving. I have found that blends, when as masterful as yours, can be extremely versatile in pairing with a wide array of cuisines and the global flavors that we implement in our menus and will be perfect to please the diverse palates of the leaders of our world."
"I am honored to have my wines served at the U.S. State Department," Carter said. "Since these wines are being poured for diplomats from France, Italy and Spain, to mention a few, you know Jason (Larkin) is choosing American wines that we all can be proud of. The fact that Jason emphasized the importance of how my wines pair well with food also reinforces my own food friendly philosophy."
Brian has been making wines in Washington State for 33 vintages. He is the first Washington Winemaker to specialize exclusively in an array of European Styled blends. The wines are lovingly made in his Woodinville Winery from small lots of grapes selected from the finest vineyards in the State.
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