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| Rich Notes Discover the Polaris Wine Palate Good taste comes naturally to Polaris Manager Clark McGuffie. As a young professional opera singer fresh out of college, Clark was introduced to the world of wines at a party when somebody handed him a glass of spicy, old vine Zinfandel. “I tasted it and said, ‘What is this?’ ” he says. Clark had plenty of opportunities to continue developing both his voice and palate while performing with the Dallas and Seattle operas and moonlighting as a server in fine restaurants. Nowadays, Clark is still discovering rich notes and subtle tones when choosing the best bottles for the Bellevue Club’s discerning wine list. “I always look for wines that are going to wash across my palate, bringing out areas of flavor and a strong finish,” he says. “I hate big, flabby wines.” Right now, Clark’s favorite wines are the 2004 Heitz Cabernet, 2006 Lachini Estate Pinot Noir, 2006 Dusky Goose Pinot Noir and the 2006 John Duval Plexus. “The John Duval Plexus actually brought a tear to my eye, it was that good,” he says of the Barossa Valley Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvèdre blend. Aside from the occasional outstanding vintage, Clark prefers bottles from regional wineries. “We live right in wine country, and there are so many fabulous winemakers,” he says. For those looking to expand their wine palate or discover new wines, he strongly recommends paying attention to pairings.  “If you’re drinking wine for an experience, do it with food. Even if it’s just shaving off little pieces of fresh Parmesan with a glass while you’re cooking—which I love to do—the tastes mingle and enhance one another,” he says. Clark also suggests throwing out the old adage about white wines with white meat and red wines with red meat.“It’s all subjective, but there are a lot of rich Chardonnays that can go great with steak,” he says. Limited to 200 cases per vintage, the Polaris boutique list is a great way to discover rare wines and new winemakers. Every Tuesday, Polaris also showcases premier bottles at half-price. What does Clark see as the largest myth in wine tasting? “That cost equates value,” he says. |
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Bellevue Club REFLECTIONS | 11200 Southeast Sixth Street Bellevue, WA 98004 | 425.688.3161 | reflections@bellevueclub.com
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