FEAST Portland — one of the culinary highlights of foodies, chefs, winemakers, writers, and well anybody who appreciates food and drink, both locally and nationally — is now long gone, but I can still taste it like it was yesterday. FEAST PORTLAND 2017 Not only is this a four day celebration of food and drink,…
Wine Tasting Events
FEAST Portland 2017 is Coming!
One of the annual culinary highlights of many a Portland foodie is coming next week. FEAST Portland!!!!! Feast Portland: September 14-17, 2017 What is Feast? Now, in case you’re not a Portland foodie, or have just been hiding under a rock (like I was the first few years of the event), it is one of…
¡Salud! — 25 years of Making a Difference in the Willamette Valley
Vineyard work can be dangerous. In fact it can be deadly. Every year around harvest time we hear about accidents either in the vineyard or winery. Some of them are freak accidents. Many of them are preventable. Some of them are health related. But what happens when the vineyard or winery employee has no healthcare?…
Feast Portland 2016 in Pictures
Feast Portland has come and gone, and wow! What a ride. This was my first time experiencing Feast Portland — the 4-day celebration of all things food and drink, including events, classes, panels, dinners, hands-on learning experiences, tasting, eating, and so much more — and it certainly lived up to my expectations. The Friday Grand Tasting was…
Feast Portland is Coming Soon!!!
One of the annual culinary highlights of many a Portland foodie is coming next week. Feast Portland: September 15-18, 2016 What is Feast? Now, in case you’re not a Portland foodie, or have just been hiding under a rock (like I was the last few years), it is, from what I hear and read, one…
Weekend Wine Love – Sonoma Wine Country Weekend
Sonoma Wine Country Weekend wrapped up last night with its closing auction, raising a total of $5.7 million throughout the three-day weekend ($4.6 million of that was raised at the Sunday auction alone). The event, which is considered Sonoma County’s signature (and largest) charity event, brings together over 200 of the regions top winemakers, growers,…
Shut Up and Eat Your Vegetables at TeSóAria Winery — Vegan Thursdays!
TeSóAria winery’s North Portland tasting room is introducing Vegan Thursdays, and it’s definitely worth your while whether you’re a true plant-eating vegan meat-loving carnivore. My introduction to TeSóAria Winery is a fairly recent one, and a first time mention here on the blog. Vegan food and wine pairing is also something you won’t find frequently here. What…
Weekend Wine Love – Oregon Wine Month & Upcoming Ember and Vine Events!!!
I hope you’re having a great weekend! Did you know that May is Oregon Wine Month?! That means wherever you are and whatever you do you are obligated to drink Oregon wine all month long. Just kidding. Actually I’m not. You really, honestly, truly, should be celebrating the world-class juice that comes from Oregon all,…
Weekend Wine Love – The first annual Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Barrel Auction
Earlier this month the Willamette Valley hosted the region’s first-ever trade auction – The Pinot Noir Barrel Auction – with 400 in attendance and sixty-six Pinot producers pouring one-of-a-kind lots. The event, held at the gorgeous Allison Inn and Spa, raised a whopping $476,000 for the Willamette Valley Wineries Association. This just in its first…
Judging at the 2016 Cascadia Wine Competition
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of being one of the judges at the Cascadia Wine Competition, held at the historic Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River, Oregon. I’m always excited to be part of events like this to taste new wines I may have otherwise overlooked. It’s also a great opportunity to…
Oregon Winery Spotlight: Raptor Ridge Winery – and Wine Country Events this Thanksgiving Weekend
It’s a big weekend in Oregon wine country. Thanksgiving weekend is one of the most notorious wine tasting weekends of the year here in Oregon. It can get crazy busy with traffic that can test even the most patient of us. But it can also be a fantastic time to explore new and smaller wineries,…
Smoked Sausage and Lentil Soup
Smoked Sausage Soup with Lentils and Vegetables has a deep smokey and savory flavor, it is completely soul-soothing and the perfect soup for a cold and rainy afternoon. A Tried & True Soup Recipe To Feed A Crowd A couple of weeks ago our team at Ember and Vine catered the largest event we’ve cooked…
Smoked Tomatillo Salsa
A simple tomatillo salsa using smoked tomatillos and made in the blender. A delicious topping for sausages, chicken, or simply with chips. Yes please! This past weekend we (over at Ember and Vine) catered our biggest event to date. Despite the pouring rain, Willakenzie Estate’s “Pigs ‘N’ Pinot” Party brought in over 400 people to sip…
2015 Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon — the scoop!
I knew I wasn’t entirely ready for the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon, even though it’s been on my calendar for nearly a year. Summer, work, travel, kids, they all got in the way of a perfect training schedule, or really any consistent training schedule for that matter. I hadn’t had a long run (and…
IPNC 2015 — Photo Preview
IPNC, the International Pinot Noir Celebration, has been on my bucket list since I moved to Oregon in 2006. I finally got to attend this year! This three-day event, held every year in July on the campus of Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, lived up to its hype. The event is described as a “mecca…
Run with me! 2015 Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon…
… Or 2-person relay Few things in the world motivate me to wake up before sunrise on a weekend. An early flight to a tropical destination (sans kids) is one of them. Tickets to a private concert brunch with never ending mimosas and musical performances by Prince is another. Waiting in line to finally try my…
Our First BBQ Competition – McKinley Springs BBQ Showdown & Benefit
… The good, the bad, the ugly, and the emotional I don’t function at my best when I am severely sleep deprived. Really, who does? But I feel like I function less well than others and I easily turn into a moody demon at a simple trigger. Being able to function (and stay positive) while…
Phelps Creek Vineyards Nachos and Syrah Party Recap
Thank you!!! What a whirlwind of a weekend! Thank you to everyone who came out for the Nachos and Syrah Party. And thank you to Phelps Creek Vineyards for so graciously hosting at your winery with some of the most spectacular views ever. We are overwhelmed with the love we are feeling from friends,…
Oregon Wine Month
My very first trip to Oregon was Thanksgiving weekend 2005. Sean and I were looking at a potential relocation to Oregon and thought we should probably visit the place first to see if we even liked it. We spent the weekend exploring Portland’s restaurants, neighborhoods, and scenery, and decided to drive out to the wineries…
The Oregon Chardonnay Clone War on Palate Press
When I first told my husband I was going to a seminar titled “Attack of the Clones” he got all giddy in Star Wars nerdish pride and excitement. But then when I told him it was about Chardonnay clones his initial excitement immediately switched to a mix of equal parts confusion and intrigue. “You are…
The 2015 Oregon Chardonnay Symposium is coming!
Raise your hand if you love Chardonnay! That should be all of you! Because those of you who think you don’t love Chardonnay have just been drinking the wrong Chardonnay. That’s right. I said it. Back in my winery working days you were my absolute favorite guest. Me: “Would you like to try our Chardonnay?”…
¡Salud! Oregon Pinot Noir Auction Raises Over $725,000 at Annual Event!
The Oregon wine industry has a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. (Photo: Andrea Johnson Photography) Last weekend hundreds gathered to support ¡Salud!, a project through Tuality Healthcare Foundation that provides healthcare services for seasonal vineyard workers and their families, raising more than $722,000 at its 23rd annual Oregon Pinot Noir Auction. The…
Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon Recap
Last month, hubby and I decided spend a rare “date day” running a half marathon. Some couples choose to go to a movie and dinner when they get away from the kids; we chose to run 13.1 miles together. I guess you could call us weird. The race was the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon….
My response to the Panel of Professional Print Writers at the Wine Bloggers Conference.
Is it okay to describe a wine as “perfect”? I think so. I was particularly eager to hear what the “pros” had to say on day two of the 7th Annual Wine Bloggers Conference, in a session titled: Panel of Professional Print Wine Writers. The professionals on the panel included writers James Conaway, Mike Dunne,…
