Looking for something exciting to do this fall but don’t have time to plan your getaway? Walla Walla, Washington, is ready for you! They’ve planned your entire trip for you! No, I’m totally serious, they’ve created the ultimate insider’s guide to the valley’s best kept secrets and celebrated favorites. All you have to do is…
Wine Tasting Events
Smoked Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Find out how to make this super easy Smoked Tomatillo Salsa Verde using tomatillos roasted in the smoker or grill, and quickly made in the blender. This simple green salsa is fantastic with chips or served over tacos, enchiladas, chicken, sausage, or seafood. This was one of the first recipes we started serving at our…
FEAST 2017 Smoked! Photos
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,…
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…
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 – 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…
Lentil Soup Recipe with Smoked Sausage
This hearty Lentil Soup made with Smoked Sausage, Bacon, Red Wine, and Vegetables has deep smokey and savory flavors, is comforting, and completely soul-soothing. It’s the perfect soup for a cold and rainy afternoon. A Tried & True Soup Recipe To Feed A Crowd This soup is a winter staple with our catering company, Ember…
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, is one of the world’s most premiere wine events. Held held every year in July on the campus of Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, this three-day event lived up to its hype. The event is described as a “mecca for lovers of Pinot Noir,” but I’d also add that…
Our First BBQ Competition – McKinley Springs BBQ Showdown & Benefit
… The good, the bad, the ugly, and the emotional, from our First BBQ Competition at the McKinley Springs BBQ Showdown & Benefit. 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…
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, family,…
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,…
BBQ Corner (part 9) – McKinley Springs BBQ Competition
By contributing writer Sean “The Hubby” It’s no secret that I love to BBQ. But to make the investment in competition BBQ is an entirely different level of love obsession. You don’t have the safety of having your own kitchen and bed right around the corner. You don’t have friends and family giving you…
What we’ve been drinking
I recently attended two fantastic events showcasing Northwest wines. First, at Taste Washington in Seattle, and second (and closer to my own backyard) the Columbia Gorge Winegrowers Grand Tasting in Portland. In addition, I’ve opened several standout wines at home recently that I’ve wanted to share. So I decided to highlight some of the best…
The 2014 Oregon Chardonnay Symposium – What is the future of Oregon Chardonnay?
One thing I learned this past weekend is that Oregon Chardonnay is definitely not your mother’s Chardonnay… that is of course, unless your mother drinks super clean, vibrant, Chardonnays with remarkable acidity and a very promising future. Over the weekend winemakers, press, and Chardonnay lovers gathered at the gorgeous Stoller Family Estate for the third…
Recent articles — and what do Chardonnay and chicken have in common?
There are people who love Chardonnay. There are people who hate Chardonnay. And there are people who love to hate Chardonnay. There’s a sort of club for that actually, called the “ABC Club”, for those who proudly boast that they will drink anything but Chardonnay. And then there are people like Paul Durant and Erica…