Smoked meatballs braised in a sweet and savory Cranberry Pinot Noir Red Wine Sauce is one of our all time favorite holiday appetizers. These cranberry meatballs are ALWAY a hit at any party or gathering! The best part is the cranberry wine sauce comes together with 4 simple ingredients! These Smoked Meatballs in Cranberry Pinot…
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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…
Blueberry Bourbon Baby Back Ribs
Blueberry Bourbon Smoked Baby Back Ribs have incredible rich and savory flavors that will wow your guests next time you smoke ribs. This is a fun smoked baby back rib recipe to try if you want to change up from traditional BBQ flavors. Blueberry season has officially arrived in the Pacific Northwest. I friggin love…
Smoked Beef Short Ribs, Red Wine Braised (recipe and video)
Smoked Beef Short Ribs finished with a Red Wine Braise. These are truly the ultimate beef short ribs! Comes with wine pairing recommendations. This recipe has dinner party or holiday meal written all over it! About a year ago we published this recipe for short ribs saying it was a work in progress. We love…
12 Wines for Spring Sipping
I like to review wines the way most people taste them, with food. Many of the wine reviews you’ll see on this site are accompanied by a recipe. When we test recipes we usually open a few different wines of various styles that we think will work, then write about the best pairing. But often…
A Taste of Idaho Wines. Yes, Idaho!
Last fall I had the opportunity to discover a new-to-me region of wine, located just outside of my own backyard. It might be surprising to many, but this region has a lot more in common with its well known neighbors than you might suspect. And it’s definitely a region I’ll be keeping a close eye…
Vindulge nominated for an IACP Award!!!
Last week I found out some of the most humbling and exciting news of my blogging career. Vindulge was nominated for an IACP Digital Media Award for Best Recipe-Based Blog. IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) is an organization comprised of professionals from all aspects of the culinary industry, and a committee of industry professionals was…
Goodbye 2016! Sparkling Wines to Welcome the New Year
Hey 2016, get ready to say your last goodbye! Bubbly is probably our favorite thing to drink around here, and (almost) every Friday you can catch my weekly bubbles toast over on Instagram. We friggin’ love our sparkling wine! Yes, even with ribs. But we’re about to embark on the evening where even those…
Smoked Prime Rib (recipe and video)
How to cook Smoked Prime Rib Roast is a question thousands of backyard cooks ask each month across the web. We put together a comprehensive guide and video on cooking perfect Prime Rib on the smoker every time. Let us help you be the holiday hero for this magical cut of beef! Prime Rib is…
Milestones – ROCO 2013 ‘RMS’ Brut Sparkling Wine
Rollin Soles (the man behind Argyle Winery’s reputation for amazing sparkling wine) is back making bubbles with the release of the 2013 RMS Brut Sparkling Wine. Spoiler alert: it’s awesome! A legend. At least by Oregon sparkling wine standards that is. I’m talking about Rollin Soles; the man behind the first sparkling wine facility…
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…
Show me the heat!
Refreshing summer white wines It’s usually around this time of the year when you see articles about things to help you “beat the heat,” whether it’s drinks, cocktails, activities, you name it. We started the summer out on a hot note. In May and even early June we saw some high numbers here in Portland…
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…
Weekend Wine Love – March Favorites
Wow, this month has sped by!!! I’ve barely had time to breathe, let alone share some of my favorite wines from the month. I had intended to share them this weekend in a post called weekend wine love, along with some favorite wine reads from the week. Then Easter happened. And kids. And sleep. Just…
Portland Dining Month Kicks Off Today – Win a Gift Certificate!
Portland Dining Month begins today, with more than 120 restaurants offering three-course dinners for $29 throughout the entire month of March. And I’m giving away 2 gift certificates so you can get in on the action! This is an incredible deal and an excellent opportunity to explore some of the restaurants on your Portland dining…
Portfolio
In addition to this blog, I am a frequent contributor to several publications, wine judge, and speaker. Our recipes have been featured on a number of popular food sites. Here is a few places we have been. To request my media kit please email me at [email protected] Mary Cressler – Selected Published Works Traveling Wine Country…
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…
What Cole Danehower did for me as a wine writer
This past Saturday Lady Hill Winery hosted a memorial for Cole Danehower, who passed away in August after battling late-stage pancreatic cancer. You can read more about Cole’s life and a thoughtful tribute to him here. I’m not here to write about his life, or explain what he meant to the wineries and winemakers of…
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…
Friday Favorites – It’s BBQ competition time… almost
A weekly roundup of my favorite things from the week in the categories of wine, food, travel, and occasionally lifestyle. BBQ Competition Prep This is it. We’re down to the last week before our first major barbecue competition — The 8th Annual McKinley Springs BBQ Showdown & Benefit — next weekend and we couldn’t be…
Oregon AVA Spotlight – The Rocks District of Milton-Freewater
Geology freaks get excited. There’s a new-ish wine region in Oregon, and it’s not what you think. Though the region is technically 100% located in Oregon, you won’t find your typical Oregon wines here. Meaning no Pinot Noir or Pinot Gris. Instead, you’ll find bold reds, like Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, among a few others….
Washington State Wine Country Photo Preview
One of the biggest misconceptions I often hear about the Pacific Northwest (PNW) is that it’s all green and rainy. Those who have never spent a good deal of time here often wonder how there is such a burgeoning wine industry, and question how big red grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and more can grow in…
Albariño Wine, and 6 Delicious Wines to try out
All about Albariño wines, and why you should be drinking this white Spanish wine year-round. One of my favorite white wines to drink with a variety of foods is Albariño. I’m constantly writing about it and hailing it as a versatile food wine, explaining to folks that it can pair with anything from salads, to…
Horse Heaven Hills Wine Region — a preview
A preview of the Horse Heaven Hills Wine Region and an article I wrote about the region for Palate Press Magazine. A few weeks back hubs and I ventured into the desert in search of… wine. No I’m not talking about Arizona, where I’m originally from. I’m talking about Washington State. But isn’t the Pacific…
