Racy Washington white wines love their rich, white fish at Sitka & Spruce.

There’s something special to be said about Pacific Northwesterners and their fish. We’re scathing when it comes to salmon, we spurn crab from outside of our realm and we don’t like to buy halibut unless it’s lewdly expensive. And our wine? Pff, if it’s not from Washington (exception being Pinot), we don’t want to talk about it. We like our herbs fresh from our backyard, our vegetables overnighted from the other side of the mountains and our mushrooms locally foraged.

So what if we’re haughty, we like us that way and Seattle keeps creating more eateries to flatter our heightened foodie egos. For that, we thank you.

Of course, I’m embellishing a hair. We also want year round tomatoes, avocados and asparagus imported from Chile, Bellevue consumes more of California’s Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay than healthy and most of our salmon comes from Alaska. Either way, Seattleites have a sincere respect for their roots, both in food and wine.

According to the Washington Wine Commission, the state’s first known wine grapes were planted at Fort Vancouver by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1825 and continued to move with the early settlers. 42 wineries were up and running by 1938, with Chateau Ste. Michelle and Columbia Winery to open their doors in 1960s and the rest followed in their own time. Today, the Washington state wine industry nets more than $3 billion and is available in all 50 states and more than 40 countries, it ranks second nationally for premium wine production (next to California) and has 40,000 acres planted by the fruit that fuels their functions.

775 of those acres below to the German variety, Gewürztraminer. The “little spicy one” is said to be an early success story for Washington viticulture as it was able to stand Eastern Washington’s cold winters naturally and still came out ripe in spice, tropical fruit and off-dry.

Its richly aromatic influence makes Gewürztraminer the consummate contender for the Pacific Northwest’s opulent animals of the sea.

The Restaurant: Sitka & Spruce — Second move is the charm with this Capitol Hill restaurant that once was located on the sleepy streets of Eastlake. Now its bustling Melrose Market spot is doubled in size and menu options. Priding itself in nearby purveyors, Sitka & Spruce is ran by the steady hand of locally educated Chef Matthew Dillon (see: The Corson Building in Gerogetown) and his regard for the Northwest’s most oily fish, seasonal herbs and affection for brussel sprouts.

The Dish: Black cod with said sprouts, parsnips and piment d’Espelette ($26) — Made famous by Japanese chefs (heavily by Chef Nobu Matsuhisa of Las Vegas’ Nobu), the rich and sweet sablefish sits pretty with the leafy, green mini cabbage and partners with the equally agreeable sweetness of parsnip. The piment d’Espelette (a powder made from the Spanish spice, espelette) sprinkles enough heat on the opulent dish to kick the flavor up another level.

Why It Works: Gewürztraminer — See above: rich, sweet, spicy. A wine by any other name would be Gewürztraminer. It’s decadence is in its dancing spice, it’s flirtation of sweetness and its dizzying plethora of aromatics, compatible to the black cod dish.

The Recommended Match: Sleight of Hand Cellars 2010 The Magician White: The 85% Gewürztraminer and 15% Riesling blend for the Walla Walla winery hails from Washington’s darling white wine vineyard known for its nimble acidity and tropical fruit tones, Evergreen. Winemaker and co-owner Trey Busch’s pick of the vineyard was due to its ideal basalt (volcanic) soils that expand the ever-flowing basket of Gewürztraminer aromas and possibly because of its near proximity to the Gorge Amphitheater to satisfy his live music cravings (see: his Facebook page).

Pleasing in apple, pear and fleshy peach aromas, the cinnamon and spice tones are undeniable, with floral notes decorating the rest of the bouquet. Hit with a nudge of sweetness, the acidity Evergreen vineyard is known for shines as the star of the palate, mixing up the fruit and the spice in a Washington version of the fruit cup, sans the sugar, plus the awesome.

Sikta & Spruce | 1531 Melrose Ave.  Suite 6, Seattle | (206) 324-0662