PORT ANGELES — It’s a fact of Olympic Peninsula life:
The “Twilight” saga periodically eclipses much of downtown Port Angeles, with gaggles of girls lining up at the Lincoln Theater, snapping pictures at Bella Italia where the novels-turned-movies hero Edward and heroine Bella had their first date.
But, hey, that was last week, and downtown is moving on to something tasty for adults.
This week, it’s the Don-Michael-Doug story — not a romance, but a collaboration that points up a Peninsula phenomenon that will far outlast “Twilight.”
So believes Don Corson, co-owner of Camaraderie Cellars, a winery just west of Port Angeles at 334 Benson Road.
With restaurateur Michael Lynch and storied chef Doug Seaver, Corson has custom-crafted an accompaniment for the cuisine at Lynch’s place, Michael’s Seafood & Steakhouse at 117 E. First St.
Cuvee de Michael’s, a Camaraderie Cellars blend of cabernet Franc, malbec, merlot and a splash of petit verdot, will be unveiled Wednesday evening at Michael’s during a kind of open house from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Camaraderie Cellars’ wines and the Northwest coast specialties at restaurants like Michael’s, Corson added, are part of a group effort being made on behalf of the whole North Olympic economy.
In the industry, it’s called culinary tourism; among travelers, it’s simply succulent salmon, Dungeness crab and delicate halibut, with a serving of roasted vegetables from a local farm and scarlet Sequim strawberries for dessert.
And to everyone’s fortune, local wineries are poised to pour the perfect beverage to go with it all.
Working naturally
Restaurants across the Peninsula are working with these nearby winemakers and growers, naturally, to create a sensory experience that satisfies travelers and brings them back for more.
Port Angeles’ Joy’s Wine Bistro, Bella Italia and Michael’s, as well as Sequim’s Alder Wood Bistro and Port Townsend’s Fountain Cafe — to name a few — are choosing produce from local farmers and seafood from local waters.
Seaver, a culinary artist whose work at Fins in Port Townsend and later Cedar Creek in Sequim, gained the attention of The New York Times and other media, came to cook at Michael’s after Cedar Creek closed in September.
Then Corson, Seaver and Lynch began thinking more seriously about making a wine just for Michael’s.
They got together for a series of tastings of Camaraderie reds — not surprisingly “really pretty fun,” Corson said — and one day, they knew they had the right blend.
Their arrival at the cuvee, you could say, was something like the members of a band when they’ve put together a hit record.
Cuvee de Michael’s is sprightly, Corson said, with full notes owing to fruit from some of the best vineyards in Washington state.
The seven S’s
He’s fond of listing the seven S’s of full enjoyment: see your glass catching light; swirl the wine; sniff its fragrance; sip; savor and swallow.
That’s all you need to know.
And you’ll get to practice at the cuvee’s debut Wednesday evening.
“We’ll open the bottle in a celebratory fashion, and we’ll have some appetizers, some clam dip and antipasto,” Lynch promised.
Michael’s began its 10th year in Port Angeles this summer.
And amid the rest of the Olympic Peninsula’s attractions –“Twilight” attractions, Olympic National Park, the Victoria ferries — Corson and Lynch invite visitors and locals alike to taste what they strive to create: a delectable food and wine landscape.
And true to the Camaraderie name, Corson, Lynch and Seaver see a bright future made by and for friends who meet to enjoy the flavors of this place.
“It’s all about working together,” said Lynch.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Reporter Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
