Willamette Valley Vineyards – Tasting Pour by Jade Helm

Harvest Festivals: Stompin’ Around Wine Country

tastingpour@gmail.com — Tue, 13 Sep 2016 18:23:28 +0000

Stomping on grapes has been a dream of mine for some time.

When I finally got to fulfill this dream it was not as romantic as I had envisioned. In fact it was downright competitive, but also a stompin’ good time.

My first stomp was at Willamette Valley Vineyards. Two days, 12 heats per day, and the winner gets an all expense paid trip to a national stomp off in Santa Rosa, CA. Willamette Valley Vineyards has been doing this event for years and has the process down to a science. Everyone gets the same amount of grapes in their barrel. For fairness sake all of the grapes are stored the same. No one gets the advantage of sun warmed grapes ready to burst from the heat.

Everyone lines up to hear the rules. First the prompt, “And if anyone breaks the rules they will be what?” Then the contestants answer in joyful unison, “Disqualified.”

Teams are announced and most have funny team names. Warning, if you meet one of the Stomping Studs and Wine Wenches, they are ringers. They come in a group, a “swarm” they call it, sometimes 25 strong. They converge on the scene from Washington State, Texas, California, etc. These stomping aficionados began coming to the Willamette Valley Vineyards stomp 11 years ago and they win more often than they lose.

When we interviewed them their first question was, “You don’t want to know our secrets do you?” Well, we did after they said that! Silly secrets included the requirement to drink while training and to fatten up closer to the stomp. Stomping Stud patted his belly and said, “I am normally into Cross Fit. This is strictly for competition.”

We learned a few secrets from participating in the stomp. Maybe we are a little hard core too because we don’t plan to tell you.

We will tell you that if you live in or are traveling to the Pacific Northwest, you can easily find a place to stomp. See our list in Northwest Travel Magazine. You may run into us because we are now in it to win it. Well, unless Stomping Stud and the Wine Wench show up.

For more on the grape stomping festival at Willamette Valley Vineyards read our account in Wine Tourist Magazine.

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Oregon Truffle Dogs and Wine

tastingpour@gmail.com — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 15:33:30 +0000

You may not have heard about Oregon truffles. Oregon truffles were a fun surprise when we moved here and we had some other fun surprises at the Joriad – a competition for truffle dogs at Willamette Valley Vineyards. This event was in conjunction with the Oregon Truffle Festival held each year towards the end of January. We’ll keep you posted on that for 2017.

An event all about Oregon truffle dogs and wine is a great fit for us. We have a childlike delight when it comes to dogs plus an adult-like delight when it comes to wines, but normally we shy away from dog and wine events. Cherries, black pepper, and dog are not the scents we want wafting from our glass. The large space/small number of truffle dogs combination worked well at this event. All of the events at Willamette Valley Vineyards are expertly executed.

We expected to find very calm task oriented truffle dogs, like service dogs. We also thought there would be one or two breeds with special truffle hunting skills. What we found were 5-6 different breeds among the 5-6 different dogs, all of which were pets, not truffle hunting machines. Fuzzy and wiggly the truffle dogs walked through the doggie parade and seemed to be thinking, “Look at all of these people. They are all looking at me. Wonder if they have treats.”

Curious about the different breeds, we talked to Stefan Czarnecki. He is part of the family and team behind Joel Palmer House and Oregon Truffle Oil and is in the process of training his own truffle huntin’ dog – Ella. Ella is a Lagotto Romagnolo- an Italian truffle dog. Stefan is quick to point out that you don’t need a special breed or even a puppy. Apparently you can teach an old dog new truffle tricks. He encourages people to who want a truffle dog to visit a shelter and pick a breed or mix that likes a job or is a sporting dog. Ella just happened to need a home. Sounds like a good reason to get that poodle dog I have been wanting.

Stefan used the Truffle Dog Company as a resource to learn to train Ella. A system of rewarding behavior and some patience is what it takes to get a dog to sniff out truffles. Truffle dogs pick their own “alerts” to say “Hey, human I found one of those things you like over here.” They might sit and stare or bark. For years Stefan and his family have hunted with no truffle dog. He says Ella will be much faster. She does come with the typical pros and cons of a pet. Stefan’s kids enjoy taking care of Ella and she is fun to train. But she also does gross doggie things. Stefan recalls a day when the sun had made an appearance, the pastures were green, the truffles were plentiful, and all was right with the world. “We were returning to the car when I saw Ella with all of the pure joy and exuberance she could muster rolling purposefully in a big ole cow patty.” Oh, Ella.

Dogs and pigs are used for truffle hunting. Pigs traditionally in France and dogs in Italy. Pigs don’t have to be trained. The truffle scent is a pheromone thing that makes a sow think a boy pig is around ready to give her a little sumthin sumthin. Pigs will eat the truffles if you aren’t careful. We kind of feel sorry for the pigs. No action and no truffles, a complete bust.

The truffle dogs get rewarded though and there were also people treats at the Joriad. Several stations were set up with Willamette Valley Vineyards wine paired with truffle inspired dishes prepared by the winery chef DJ MacIntyre’s. We had bit of a facepalm moment when we discovered how well Oregon Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris pair with truffle dishes. Of course Oregon wine would be delicious with Oregon truffle dishes! It is the whole grows together/goes together thing.

Oregon Truffle Wine Pairings from Willamette Valley Vineyards

Truffle Chips and Dip – paired with 2014 Pinot Gris

Duroc Pork Crepinette with Hazelnuts, White Truffle and Sweet Potato Puff – paired with 2012 Tualatin Estate Pinot Noir

Diver Scallop with Chablis Truffle Cream – paired with 2014 Estate Chardonnay

Rabbit in Porchetta with White Truffle, Dehydrated Lentils and Quail Egg – paired with 2014 Estate Pinot Noir

This has peaked our interest in creating our own truffle inspired dishes. In an upcoming post we will talk about the different types of truffles, how not all truffle oils are created equal, resources for buying truffles, some cooking tips and recipes, and an interview with Jack Czarnecki of Oregon Truffle Oil and Joel Palmer House.

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Party Pairings: Backyard Movie – Willamette Valley Vineyards Wine

tastingpour@gmail.com — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 15:07:00 +0000

Party planning can’t get much easier than a movie night in the back yard. Make it better with Oregon wine. #orwine

The award for Best Supporting Actor in a Bottle goes to Willamette Valley Vineyards 2014 Whole Cluster Pinot Noir. This wine studied method acting with a French director- Beaujolais. Made using carbonic maceration – typical for many Beaujolais wines, this Pinot noir was the juicy, fruity, “pair with a glass” wine needed to complete the cast for movie night.

Carbonic maceration is a whole berry fermentation that results in a red wine with hardly any tannins (similar to the texture of a white wine). Super fun and easy to drink, we served this bottle slightly chilled. An encore would be welcome.

Consider this wine for your own movie night, to serve with light appetizers, or with BBQ.

Ten easy steps to hosting a backyard movie night:

1. Movie – Choose a family friendly movie or play a different DVD in the playroom for younger guests.

2. If you don’t own a projector, some libraries loan them.

3. No projection screen? A white sheet or 4X8 foot piece of plywood painted white work too. Remember that your movies will be presented with a 16:9 or 2.4:1 aspect ratio.

4. Outdoor lights you can’t turn off? Position guests so lights are behind them.

5. Encourage people to bring chairs (and blankets if it gets chilly).

6. Serve movie themed snacks or invite guests to bring their own snacks and beverages.

7. Have guests arrive 30 minutes before showtime to allow for visiting. Play the movie soundtrack to set the mood.

8. Play a Hollywood themed trivia game before the movie. Award boxes of movie candy as prizes.

9. Do not forget to make a humorous announcement about cell phones.
10. Pour a glass, press play, and let the show begin.

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Go Everywhere, Eat Everything

tastingpour@gmail.com — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 15:39:00 +0000

I’m not a food celebrity fan girl. Maybe because I don’t have cable. Maybe because of the angry chef persona (ie Gordon Ramsay). I AM, however, a fan girl of funny. I met Simon Majumdar at a cooking competition at Willamette Valley Vineyards. He entertained a roomful of diners with a story about a tailored suit that eventually devolved into a shocking confession about his “winkle.” Simon Majumdar is funny.

Simon is a Food Network regular, playing the role of critic on shows like The New Iron Chef and Cutthroat Kitchen.

He came to Oregon on tour promoting his latest book. Fed, White and Blue, Finding America with my Fork is Simon’s account of eating his way across the United States to decide whether to apply for citizenship.

Just as Simon did not fit my preconceived notions of a food celebrity, his book tour has not been as glamorous as one might expect. He and his wife Sybil have depended on the kindness of strangers. Strangers who have become what Simon calls his “extended American family.”

The couple have slept on floors and in pink rooms normally inhabited by little girls. Although they did get to stay at the Capitol Hotel in Little Rock – a place I know well.

It isn’t luxury they are seeking, but relationship. “We didn’t want to sit in bookstores. We wanted to get out and meet people.” They were eager to go to “book clubs, schools, church groups, libraries, farmers markets, local food festivals, farms, breweries, tailgate parties… with ten people or a hundred people.” So their journey has included visits to a hog farm in Mississippi, a pub in Georgia, and luckily Willamette Valley Vineyards in Oregon.

Simon was invited by Oregon based cooking contest queen Kim Banick, author of The Prize of Cooking. They had met only once at the World Food Championship but when Kim invited them to “the most beautiful place on the planet” they loaded up and made the drive. Yes, they drove. The tour “bus” is a rented SUV and a U Haul full of cooking equipment and books.

A cooking competition at Willamette Valley Vineyards among four local culinarians was arranged with Simon as judge. Simon and Sybil were generously offered a guest suite at Willamette Valley Vineyards. This winery has the sexiest tasting room I have ever visited so I can only imagine their suites. Simon and Sybil opted to stay with Kim instead stating, “We don’t want to be alone. We want to spend time with you and your family.” Kim explains that the very first thing they did upon arrival was go into her kitchen, groceries and knife set in hand, to prepare Indian food for their hosts.

Simon’s perspective on the important things in life is not skewed toward the material. His LA apartment is small. He drives a 5 year old car that “has seen better days.” When people visit he makes a simple roast chicken – because nothing in the world smells ‘homier’ than a roasting chicken. He and Sybil place value on spending time together, travelling, and meeting new friends..

There is a reason. Simon once lived the high life in a London flat that could rival the iconic apartment from the television show Fraiser. His mom passed from leukemia, his book publishing company failed, and he stood on the balcony of that grand apartment ready to jump. Then he smelled the cooking from his Lebanese neighbors below and “got more hungry than suicidal.” He stumbled upon a list of things he wanted to accomplish before turning 40 and discovered he had completed each item. At the bottom of the list were four words, “Go Everywhere, Eat Everything.” And so he did.

He met Sybil at a party in Brazil. Simon tells the story of a dinner date early in the courtship. “When I reached for the last piece of chicken she grabbed my hand and said ‘If you take that chicken I will cut you.’” Simon decided then and there he would marry her.

This must be why a humorous yet snarky food critic with a reputation for being “villainous” on air has made friends all over the world. He told these stories to a room of at least 100 people, between courses and food critique, and at the end there was a connection. I felt like I knew him a little bit.

He jokes, “I don’t know why no one ever invites me for a home cooked meal.” I think I would.

A full description of the night’s festivities, dishes, and wines appears in the Oregon Wine Press. Now for some completely gratuitous full frontal foodity. I am such a tease.

Dungeness, Mango, Avocado Salad

Griffin Marinated Smoked Beef Carpaccio

Dark Chocolate Cherry Moon

(Some pictures are now owned by the Oregon Wine Press.)

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