The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

There's something exciting about the pomp and circumstance in marketing wine. This time of year, the wine tasting rooms of the Walla Walla region are especially beautiful and welcoming. Wineries have made their homes in restored historic build- ings or new, state-of-the-art facilities bringing the vineyard into the tasting room with seasonal panache. Where today you will see fall vignettes lining the wine and gift shelves, tomorrow you'll be dazzled by the cheer of holiday displays.

With winter approaching, I visited local win- eries to taste and purchase a selection of winter white wines for the holidays. My family expects two favorite seafood dishes during the holidays; a lobster mac 'n' cheese and a scallop mousseline paired with the scrumptious Forgeron Cellars, 2011 Chardonnay wine, $27 in the tasting room: 33 West Birch Street, Walla Walla. Winemaker and Owner Marie-Eve-Gilla tends to a large portfolio of red and white wines at Forgeron Cellars, but it is her signature chardonnay that keeps this Oeno- phile coming back for more. Marie-Eve is a mon- ster chardonnay craftsman consistently blowing the palates of judges and chardonnay lovers away with her voluptuous round chardonnays. With first swirl, nose deep in the glass, a preponderance of floral aromatics fills the sense. At first sip a great swoosh of warm caramel fills the mouth and a lard- ing of just baked peach pie; tongue wrapped in a 6 percent orange muscat ribbon tied beautifully in a bright acidic bow to finish.

Because you gently live and breathe winemak- ing and understand what a 100 percent French wine barrel really can do for a wine, Marie-Eve- Gilla, yours truly, Judith Henderson of Wine & Country Living honors you with 98 points of Wine Perfection! Congratulations Marie-Eve and Team Forgeron.

Readers, until next week, "Eat Art, Drink Imagi- nation!"

Lobster Mac 'n' Cheese

Serves 4

6 cups precooked macaroni

1 tablespoon corn oil

6 tablespoons white flour

3 cups sharp cheddar cheese

1 can evaporated milk

Three green onions chopped fine

1 teaspoon each: salt, pepper, minced garlic,Dijon,

fennel seed

Meat of 1 whole lobster roughly chopped

In a bowl mix all well. In an oiled casserole place mixture, cover and bake for 40 minutes. Serve with organic steamed broccoli and a bottle of 2011 Forgeron Chardonnay

Hear Judith's Food and Wine Commentary @chefjudithenderson.com