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Wine Enthusiast (WE) magazine’s Top 100 Best Buys of 2011 is their antidote to rising wine prices. All of these wines carry a suggested retail prices of $15 or less, which makes it a list of brands, worldwide regions, and varieties you can count on to keep you–and your wallet–happy in 2012.
Over the past 12 months, WE tasting panelists reviewed more than 16,000 wines, granting the coveted Best Buy designation to only 1,224 (7.6%). This list is whittled down to the Top 100, based on the score, price, availability, … and … buzz. There is something for every style, variety and origin. The list for 2011 is one of the finest and most eclectic collections of Best Buys and WE’s continuing effort to find the wine world’s best values.
Here are the nine wines from Washington that made the list
10. Washington Hills 2010 Sauvignon Blanc (Washington)
15. Hogue 2009 Gewürztraminer (Columbia Valley)
27. Stonecap 2009 Merlot (Columbia Valley)
34. J. Bookwalter 2010 Anecdote Riesling (Columbia Valley)
39. David Hill 2009 Estate Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley)
44. Terrapin Cellars 2010 Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley)
50. Domaine Ste. Michelle NV Blanc de Blancs (Columbia Valley)
85. Barnard Griffin 2009 Fumé Blanc (Columbia Valley)
96. Arbor Crest 2009 Bacchus Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc (Columbia Valley)
Planning on a movie for Christmas week? Check out these steals and deals at Seattle area theaters.
- AMC Pacific Place is showing several family movies: Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (G), The Muppets (PG), The Adventures of Tintin (PG), and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (PG-13). First show of the day (11:25-11:30 a.m.) is just $6, a $3 discount off the regular price. Make it an afternoon of fun; check out the dining offers, like free offers, discounts, and happy hour prices at Pacific Place eateries.
- Northwest Film Forum offers a free movie pass for two when you join, renew or purchase a gift membership. Purchase a membership during December 2011 and you’ll receive a free “Admit-2″ movie pass and a coupon for free popcorn (at $25 value!).
- Grand Illusion is showing “It’s A Wonderful Life” through Christmas Day. Regular tickets are $8. Or buy a $30 membership, and get $3 off your ticket price for an entire year. The Grand Illusion Cinema is a non-profit volunteer run theater and Seattle’s oldest continuously running theater. Help support this cinematic treasure by becoming a member or volunteering your time.
- Central Cinema features E.T. the Extra Terrestrial December 26-31. Save $2 when you purchase advance tickets (at least 24 Hours before the show tix are just $6.00. Day-of-show general admission: $8.00 ).
- Always $3 and always worthwhile, Crest Cinema Centre in north Seattle is featuring Puss in Boots (PG) and the sci-fi thriller In Time (PG-13), plus several other indie and foreign films.
Take a break from the colored lights of modern Christmas festivities and travel back in time to the candlelit world of the Middle Ages, where wintertime meant hoping for enough food to last till spring and Christmas meant some of the best music ever. Returning from their standing-room-only Early Music Discovery performance last year, the kids of Seattle Historical Arts don period costume and join their voices and instruments with grownup performers beloved by Seattle families. It’s Christmas like you’ve never heard it before!
EMG Discovery: A Medieval Christmas is an hourlong concert featuring series curator and Seattle Historical Arts for Kids director Shulamit Kleinerman, vielle; Rebekah Gilmore, soprano; and Jacob Breedlove, hurdy-gurdy. Presented by Early Music Guild. Friday, December 23, 2011, 1:00 – 2:00pm. Downstairs at Town Hall; enter on Seneca Street (Google map). Tickets are $10 (seniors/students $5).
Join Unexpected Productions funniest Christmas Show in Seattle! Get away from your family – or bring them along! First performed in 1985, A(n Improvised) Christmas Carol brings Charles Dickens’s Christmas classic to the stage with a twist! What if Scrooge owned a pet store? What if the Ghost of Christmas Past was a Film Noir detective? What if Tiny Tim wasn’t so tiny? The audience gives suggestions up front, and UP’s improvisers use these suggestions to tell an all new tale of how Christmas can (or can’t!) change Ebeneezer Scrooge’s life! This is a great show for families, shoppers, tourists, and audience members of all ages!
Tickets are just $10.00 – $15.00, available at brownpapertickets.com. Intiman Playhouse (View Venue), 201 Mercer St., Seattle, WA 98109 (Google map).
Seattle Center sets the scene for five weeks of FREE, affordable, and fun-filled family activities, soulful festivities, and so much more. Take a break from the seasonal frenzy and visit Seattle Center, a 90-second ride away from downtown Seattle aboard the Seattle Center Monorail at Westlake Center Mall (Fifth Avenue and Pine Street, Google map). Step off the monorail and discover an enchanting miniature Winter Train and Village, and trees dressed in sparkling lights. Center House will be decked out in good cheer as it prepares for The Next Fifty; honoring the 50th anniversary of the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. Enjoy the Winterfest Ice Rink, Saturday afternoon ice sculpting and performances by more than 100 student groups. Then return to watch the fireworks at a New Year’s Eve Celebration featuring live music from The Rhythm Nation. Seattle Center Winterfest is part of Holidays in the City, and is sponsored by the City of Seattle, Seattle Center Foundation and KOMO 4 TV.
- Seattle Center Winterfest 2011 runs from November 25 – December 31
- Extended dates for the Winterfest Ice Rink: November 25 – January 1, 2012
Most of the events are free at the Center House, including carolers, concerts, comedy, ice sculpting, and the crowd favorite, turn-of- the-century Winter Train and Village (suggested donation $2; cash only)–take a turn at driving the miniature locomotive between 10:30am – 12 noon, 1pm – 2:30pm and 3:30pm – 5:30pm daily. The Winterfest Ice Rink for novice or Olympiad ice skaters, offers fun for all (Admission: $7 for adults, $5 for children ages 6– 12, $2 children ages 5 and under. Admission fee includes skate rental. Cash only.)
Find your way to Center House, Winterfest Ice Rink and all your favorite Winterfest festivities; feast at the Food Court; and locate convenient parking by viewing this (PDF) Seattle Center Activities Map or visit the Seattle Center Transporation page.
Come to the Taste of Old Russia bazaar on Saturday-Sunday, October 8-9, 2011 Noon to 5:00pm. Admission is free. Sample exotic foods from Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistant. Taste authentic beers, wines and vodka’s. Buy take-home meals. The bazaar takes place at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Seattle. For more details, see the Seattle Times article In food and faith, Old Russia lives on at yearly bazaar on Capitol Hill by Dominic Gates.
- Sunday, October 9 at 12:00pm the Folk Dance Ensemble “Ivan-da-Mar’ya” will perform. Since 2008, Ivan-da-Mar’ya has performed at many events throughout the Seattle area. Both children and adults actively participate in the ensemble, making the performances interesting for all age groups.
St. Nicholas Cathedral , 1714 13th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122 (Google map).
BrickCon is a four-day convention for adult fans, collectors, and builders of LEGO® held every October Seattle, WA with attendees from around the country and around the world. BrickCon is the longest running LEGO® convention in a single location. If you are interested in LEGO® at all, you should come to BrickCon and see the amazing things made with LEGO® elements and meet the awesome people who build them. There will be vendors selling LEGO® related items like T-shirts, individual parts and sets (including many older, discontinued sets), and many custom items. Most BrickCon vendors only accept cash.
BrickCon 2001 takes place October 1-2, 2011 at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, located on the north side of Seattle Center on Mercer St just east of 3rd Ave N (Google map). The Exhibition runs Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm and Sunday from 9:00am to 3:00pm. Admission price is $9 per Individual each day or $30 per Family of 4 (children under 5 are free). Purchase tickets online or at the Exhibition Hall ticket booth (cash/check only) beginning at 9:00am on Saturday and 8:00am Sunday.
The free Fishermen’s Fall Festival is a day of celebration and fishing-related family fun, and live musical all day long. There will be a Salmon/Halibut Fillet Demonstration, Lutefisk Eating Contest, Oyster Slurp Contest. The USCG always makes waves with their dramatic demonstration of an at-sea rescue. Food is available for $5-10 per serving and includes a salmon barbecue, other seafood selections or hot dogs. For visitors 21 and older, the Beer & Wine Tasting Garden features a selection of local brews.
Fishermen’s Fall Festival is Saturday, September 17th, 2011 from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Fishermen’s Terminal, 1900 W. Nickerson Street, Seattle, WA 98119 (Google map).
Performance highlights
- 11:00 – Inochi Taiko. Taiko, otherwise known as Wadaiko is a drumming style of Japanese origin. Literally, taiko means “fat drum.” Taiko has become a dynamic and spectacular art form heard at festivals and in concert halls throughout the world. For Inochi Taiko, it has been the life force or “spirit” that has helped each member develop leadership skills, artistic expression and other personal aspects of their lives. The members of Inochi Taiko strive to not only play at a high caliber to entertain audiences, but also try to push each other creatively to form a uniquely distinct sound. This is a performance not to be missed!
- 12:00 – JP Patches in his Farewell Performance: Beloved Seattle icon and long-time philanthropist JP Patches has been entertaining young and old alike since 1958. The Emmy-award winning J.P. Patches Show aired for 23 years on KIRO-TV and at one time had an audience of over 100,000. When it 1left the air in 1981, it was the longest running, locally produced children’s program in the country. Don’t miss his final performance on the Main Stage!
- 1:00 – The Reptile Man: Scott Petersen has performed for over 800 schools in the Northwest. Corporations such as Microsoft, Boeing, and Eddie Bauer have found this program to be exciting for all ages. You can see Scott on Disney’s nationally televised Bill Nye – The Science Guy. Scott’s performance creates an interest in the natural sciences and teach students about the importance of all animals in the balance of nature
On Sunday, Sept. 25 from 10:00am to 12:00noon, Teahouse Kuan Yin is hosting Seattle Tea School’s tea tasting “Beyond Earl Grey: The World of Black Tea”. Attendees will taste and compare fine black teas from India, Sri Lanka, China & Taiwan, including Assam, Darjeeling, Ceylon, Keemun, and Yunnan. You will also learn how black tea is made and how to brew fine tea in small pots to bring out the best flavors in multiple steepings. Attendees will also receive a discount coupon for the purchase of loose tea and merchandise
Contact Teahouse Kuan Yin at 206-632-2055 to sign up. Priority admission is given to pre-paid attendees. Pre-pay at the Teahouse, or by sending payment to PayPal account paypal@SeattleTeaSchool.com.
Teahouse Kuan Yin, 1911 N. 45th St., Seattle, WA 98103 (Google map).
Emerald City Contra Dance with the Seattle Folklore Society present Contra dancing every Friday at the
Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney N, Seattle (map) in the “Community Hall” (brick building off lower parking lot).
- Dance from 7:30pm to 10:00pm, beginner’s workshop at 7:00.
- Regular admission is $8; $7 for SFS and PNA members and seniors; $5 for students; under 16 free.
- First time contra dancers get a coupon for free admission to their next dance. Coupon redemption limited to first five coupons on any single night.
For more information: 206-440-9839 or emeraldcitycontra@pobox.com
All dances taught. No partner necessary! Light, comfortable clothing recommended. Please do not wear cologne, perfume or other strongly scented products. Thanks! Our hall has strict capacity limits. We occasionally need to limit entry due to high attendance.
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