November musings.....

It's a rainy day in Oregon this Veterans Day. I have a fire in the fireplace, my two sweet animals are snoozing, and I'm spending time planning my wine class this Friday, November 16. I'm going to talk about the contrasts between Old World wines and New World wines. It's interesting to delve into this topic as it seems to be such a direct reflection on the way the New World operates -- bold, loud, "in your face", obvious -- and the Old World has operated for centuries -- understated, subtle, complex. This should be a fun class as we compare Burgundy white (chardonnay) and red (pinot noir) against its California counterparts.

A lot has been happening at Custom Wine Marketing. October was marked with many events....Bar Mitzvah for Jordan, Wine Auction for Dove Lewis (Wet Nose Soiree), wine tasting for Arbor Custom Homes (for 200!), not to mention harvests and new releases from favorite producers. And now the holidays are racing toward us! What are you doing for Thanksgiving, Hannukah or Christmas? Will you be with family and friends? Will you be enjoying the results of good cooking, tasty recipes and fresh ingredients? How about your wine choices? Every food item has its favorite wine companion! Let me help you with this.

I recently returned from New York City where my daughter, Andrea, ran the NYC Marathon. What a time we had there -- my daughter, my granddaughter and me! We had a ball. And we missed the strike that has closed Broadway for three days by one week. They say timing is everything! Saw Wicked and enjoyed it very much. Went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art one day, Soho and Little Italy together with a visit to Ground Zero another day. Had some great food and tasty wine. NYC is fun to visit but I was glad to be home! Portland is an amazing city.

Okay, okay....can't delay my reserach any longer. Until next time....

Wine Dinner this Saturday -- what to make, what to make?

So I'm looking through my Bon Appetit, my Cooking Light and my recipe books trying to find that perfect meal to compliment the perfect wine. I am part of a "wine dinner" group that started a couple of years ago when Emily's husband, Allan, bought her a bottle of Ggrich Hills Zinfandel. It was supposed to be absolutely delicious! Well, how was I going to find out if I didn't get a chance to taste it so, voila, "let's have a dinner where we each bring a bottle of Zinfandel," I suggested....and two years later, we're still comparing and talking about wine. We've blind tasted Pinot Noir (old and new world style), Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and a few others -- and, of course, we always start the evening with a sparkling -- champagne, prosecco, cava -- and end the evening with a dessert wine -- port, late harvest semillon, sauterne. I'm hosting Saturday, which means I make the main course while others bring appetizers, salad, dessert. Any ideas out there using all the fresh ingredients that are available now? If I choose your recipe, you get a bottle of wine for my thank you! I'm waiting......and, by the way, Emily's Zin won the blind tasting -- good job Allan!

News from the Vine

What a fun day we had on Saturday the 4th. A group of us went to J.K. Carriere to meet with the winemaker, Jim Prosser, and what was supposed to be a one hour meet-and-greet, turned into a 2+ hour indepth discussion, wine tasting and tastes from wine aging ever-so gracefully in barrels -- showcasing Anderson, Shea and Temperance Hill Vineyards. What a treat! And if you haven't been to the French Bear in Newberg, don't delay. We had a real treat from their lovely menu of quiches, sandwiches, salads, soups, and a nice, affordable wine list. Oh yes, did I mention the desserts?? We finished our Saturday together in Carlton at the Walk in the Park -- a fund raiser for Salud!, providing low-cost medical and dental coverage for migrant farm workers in the area. The weather was perfect for wine tasting and I believe a good time was had by all. Keep your eyes and ears open for the next event -- likely to be in October. I'm looking for the unusual and the tasty!

Here's some news for you....

So here's my first posting. I feel like I've passed the major test of getting over being technologically challenged! Thanks to my good friend, Josh Stump, I have decided to take the plunge and start posting wine news, local wine events, great wine tastings, notes from travels and tastings, and other fun things that are of interest to me and, hopefully, of interest to you. I'd love to hear from each of you. What is it that you like to taste? Where have you traveled lately? Eaten at any good restaurants on your travels or, perhaps, right here in our own backyard? Let me hear from you. How can I be of the most value to you with wine, food pairing, or event planning? I'm new to this but excited about it and feel energized by the power of this new communication vehicle. Until next time....