Honoring wine groundbreakers

The Washington State Wine Commission is honoring 25 industry “groundbreakers” to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

Each month, the wine commission will post five new profiles of key players in the Washington wine industry on its website at www.washingtonwine.org/25.

The first five profiles are there now: Mike Conway, pictured at right, of Latah Creek Winery in Spokane; Bill Powers of Badger Mountain Vineyard and Powers Winery of Kennewick; Bob Betz of Betz Family Winery in Woodinville; Kay Simon and Clay Mackey of Chinook Wines in Prosser; and Norm McKibben of Pepper Bridge and SeVein Vineyards of Walla Walla.

The profiles are written by former Spokesman-Review food and wine writer Leslie Kelly.

The Washington wine industry has grown from about 40 wineries in the late 1980s to almost 750 wineries today.

Food science team awarded

A team of students from Washington State University and the University of Idaho schools of food science won a national award for developing a food product for Kenyans.

The team’s challenge was to develop a food using mangoes to address nutrient deficiency in Kenya. The food had to be quickly produced so the mango crop could be used during the short harvest season. Their mango maandazi incorporates mangoes into a popular fried bread that is eaten as a snack in Kenya.

Students on the team are Jenny Lim, Lauren Schopp, Amir Golmohamadi, Rossana Villa-Rojas, Alex Fredrickson, Anne Secor, Jesse Zuehlke and Ford Childs. There are more details about the team at wsunews.wsu.edu. Search for “mango.”

Entertaining Sun Valley Style

This eye-catching book looks as though it belongs on the coffee table, not in the kitchen. However, there are plenty of reasons inside to risk splattering the pages.

“Entertaining Sun Valley Style: Behind the Scenes from the Sun Valley Center Wine Auction,” compiled by the Junior Patrons Circle of the Sun Valley Center for the Arts, celebrates the 30th anniversary of the nonprofit group’s fundraiser, which draws 2,500 people from across the country to dine in private Sun Valley homes and taste wines from Napa Valley and Sonoma, Calif., Washington and Oregon.

The book, $49.95, includes beautiful photography, style tips and recipes. The Sun Valley Center for the Arts website is www.sunvalleycenter.org.>

Look inside today’s Food section on page D3 for the recipe for Prosciutto Summer Rolls with Tart Apple Slaw.