Catering for Oregon Pinot Camp

I was pleasantly surprised to when Cordial Catering was asked to cook a luncheon for the guests of "Oregon Pinot Camp" a four day invitation only event for wine industry professionals, restaurateurs & other "cork dorks" (I mean that affectionately, of course)

This is serious business for wine aficionados.

4 days of intensive seminars, blind tastings, workshops, fabulous dinners & more... I was honored to be a part of such a great representation of Oregon & it's wonderful wine & food...

Lunches were served on biodegradable plates, creating less stress on our fragile valley and much of the information given concerned sustainable growing practices, two causes very important to me.

for more info: http://www.oregonpinotcamp.com/

Since the focus of this event is the wine, I was careful when planning my menu not to use ingredients such as vinegar or asparagus that have a tendency to make wine taste off.

I created a menu of Mexican flavors using farm fresh local Willamette Valley produce, meats & cheeses.

Oregon Pinot Camp Luncheon

Walnut City Wineworks
Sunday, June 24

Aperitivo:
savory corn cakes topped w/cold water shrimp & chipotle crèma

Ensalada:
torn romaine lettuce w/ local bacon, white hominy & scallions

Torta:
spice rubbed carlton farms beef sandwich
w/caramelized walla walla sweet onions, cotija & shredded cabbage

Tamal:
vegetarian black bean & goat cheese tamales w/ancho mole

Dulces:
mini tres leches cupcakes
sweet pinot noir macerated munoz farms strawberries

Bebida no alcohólica:

jamaica agua fresca “hibiscus tea”



Thanks to the staff at WWO for their assistance & to OPC director Sue Horstmann for inviting me to be a part of this exciting event!

Sparkling Brunch & Walking wine tour

Sunday I hosted a lovely brunch and wine tour for a group of ladies.

To make it official we talked about how bubbly is made, "methode champenoise" and what grapes are used to make Champagne & other "frizzanti's" from other areas. Then I popped some open. This month's brunch we compared a drier '00 "Cremant" style from St. Innocent (OR) -VS- a sweeter style (NV) like, Celebrate from Kramer vineyards (OR) a semi-sparkling wine made from Muller-Thurgau grapes.

For brunch:

Eggs Benedict and perfectly ripe melon w/prosciutto

Crepes w/fresh cream & raspberries..

After we wrapped things up, we set off for Panther Creek, one of my favorite "urban wineries"http://www.panthercreekcellars.com/

We tasted a lovely Pinot gris, their Cuvee Pinot Noir, and then through their '03 single vineyard selections. I really loved Nysa & Shea, but Freedom Hill was also popular with my tasters!

Martha was a great & knowledgeable guide and gave my ladies special attention in the tasting room & with a tour of the facilities. We had a wonderful time & some great wine!!!!

Private Party on the Patio

I catered an exclusive after hours elegant dinner for four on the Erath patio this weekend for a very lucky lady! As Andina in Portland is one of her favorite restaurants I chose a menu with "Latin flavors"

Lobster Ceviche

Classic Caesar salad

Carlton Farms spice rubbed Fillet Mignon
Oregano fingerling potatoes
Sautéed red chard & grilled summer squash
Accompanied by chipotle butter

Raspberry crème Brulee
w/Hibiscus syrup

It was a beautiful night & my food paired nicely with Erath's '05 Pinot Gris & finest Pinot Noirs, La Nuit Magique

Appetizers for foodies, no pressure?

I had been asked a few weeks ago to deliver some appetizers to Erath Vineyards for a barrel tasting, easy enough right? As I perused the Erath website I realized that the snacks would be for guests of their chef series featuring Cathy Whims & her menu looked amazing.

I searched all of my resource material to find something new & exciting, but finally decided simplicity would be best.
Viridian Farms delivered me asparagus & strawberries that had just been picked and I focused on cheese and fresh bread.

Cheese Board & Assorted Artisan Breads
Pecorino Roasted Asparagus Tips
Crostinis of:
Pinot Noir & Peppercorn Braised Carlton Farms Beef Cheek w/ Gorgonzola
Figs, walnuts, & local bacon w/Alsea Acre fresh goat cheese
Roasted Red Pepper & Herb w/Alsea Acre fresh goat cheese.
Chocolate Dipped Local Strawberries

Erath is hosting a pretty cool lineup of Chefs this summer, check it out at www.erath.com

Meet me in Oregon wine country Memorial Weekend

Erath Vineyards has just secured Cordial Catering as a food vendor for Monday of the Willamette Valley's big Memorial Weekend Tasting event.
This is a great weekend to taste wine, enjoy the country side and have lots of fun!
Erath will be sampling a large selection of their whites & pinot noirs, of course and I will be serving wine friendly food "alfresco" It should make for a great time!! Any blog reader to visit me at Erath will receive a 20% discount on any food purchase.

The Menu

Bahn Mi:
Vietnamese sandwiches:
Choice of lemongrass chicken, charcoal beef or roasted vegetables, served on a French roll, with cucumber, carrot & cilantro
Jade Noodles:
Noodles tossed in a ginger, sesame, soy marinade with shitake mushrooms, Chinese broccoli & sesame seeds. Add Lemon grass chicken or charcoal beef
Citrus & ginger glazed pound cake: w/ fresh northwest berries.

I hope to see you all there!!!!

So many great pinots so little time!!

Biodynamic Oregon Wine & Truffles from Heaven .

For those of you interested in self sustaining agriculture and lifestyle, I highly recommend a trip to the Erratic rock/Bellvue area.
I first visited Maysara winery and was given a guided tasting by James Michael, who was very friendly and knowledgeable.
Maysara Winery, is located 2 miles west of the Lawrence Art Gallery, off of HWY 18. They are a certified Biodynamic Vineyard, with a relatively small production of 4,500 cases. They sell the vast majority of their grapes to growers throughout the Willamette Valley, such as Domaine Drouhin, Andrew Rich, Eric Hamacher, Penner-Ash, Ponzi, Francis Tannahill, J.K. Carriere and many others
....Biodynamics shares a foundation with the organic movement. However, it requires a much more in depth understanding and consideration of the farm as a whole.
As a living organism, a Biodynamic farm should be self-sustaining. Therefore, the goal of any Biodynamic farm is to reduce the amount of outsourced inputs, and eventually eliminate the need all together. This is especially important with wine, as the maintenance of a unique sense of place is essential in maintaining the vineyard’s sense of terroir......
The wines I tasted had a lovely burgundian style to them, and Maysara's care and commitment to respecting their terroir is so admirable. For more info check out www.maysara.com

From there, you could stop at the Lawrence Gallery to check out the art, have some lunch, or taste more wine at the "Private Reserve".
They also have a nice sculpture garden & picnic area, it was snowing, but these lovely ladies didn't seem to mind!

My next stop was the Brigittine Monastery. The monks are dedicated to a life of prayer and are completely self-supporting. They also make some of my favorite truffles and fudge, with local nuts & only the best, freshest ingredients. You can buy directly at the monastery, or the monks are online at www.brigittine.org
Their confections are "divine".


For a great day trip from McMinnville: I would start in Amity, perhaps at Cohelo or Amity Vineyards, from there follow the Bellvue Hwy to the monastery, then continue to Maysara which is consistently open for tasting. You could then taste some wine and grab some snacks at the Bellvue market & if you are up for an easy hike "The Erratic Rock" has a good vantage of the Willamette Valley, and is a pretty cool picnic spot surrounded by vineyards.

Guided tours, please inquire.

A "High End" Oregon wine country experience.


The Willamette Valley is a lovely place. We have terraced vineyards that produce world class Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and more. First rate restaurants who feature the best seasonal & fresh fruits, produce, meats, game, seafood, artisan bread and cheeses. But, Napa Valley this is not.

Leave your jewels at home darling, the area hotels do not have room safes. Jeans and Gore-tex are more in vogue than Prada or Armani and things here are thankfully more relaxed than some other wine destinations.

With so many things to get out and see and do, so many different experiences within an easy drive, spending your entire visit at a "destination" resort would be a shame.
Portand, the Oregon coast, Mt. Hood, The Columbia Gorge are all a little over an hour away. Hiking, Fishing, Skiing/Snoboarding & Mt. Biking/Cycling, Rafting/Kayaking are year round sports. A local REI will rent you all the "gear" you need for any adventure.
If that is not your thing however, we do have high end shopping, and to all you who love sparkles and baubles our jewelry stores are tax free.

Touring the beautiful countryside should not be missed.
However, if you do not wish to have your "ride" splattered with the red earth that lines many of the vineyard driveways, there are plenty of great urban wineries, tasting rooms & lodging that are right off the pavement.

The Steiger Haus is a comfortable relaxed "Country Inn" located right in McMinnville and walking distance to dining, shopping & tasting. You have a very good chance of sharing of the dining room with; visiting college professors, wine & food enthusiasts, and we are a favorite of several very interesting wine writers, who stay with us frequently on research trips and have delighted many of our other guests breakfast conversations.

But if "High End" is what you seek, the area has two very lovely inns; Black Walnut & Youngberg Hill. Expansive views, high thread counts, and a more all-inclusive feel.
There really is something here for everyone.