Upcoming Event: Sonoma Wine Country Weekend

Welcome back to your regularly scheduled coverage of California wine country. In the world of higher education, August typically means staff training and welcoming all of the first year students back. For me, that means 4 weeks of 12-14 hour days without a single day off. That is why I am so excited for Labor Day Weekend.

In Sonoma County, Labor Day not only means barbecues, picnics, and your last chance to wear white. It also means it is Sonoma Wine Country Weekend. This grand event is a chance to celebrate the summer with all of your favorite Sonoma wineries. With events taking place on all weekend, Sonoma Wine Country Weekend will be the perfect way for Katie and I to celebrate the end of August and get us back into enjoying what we love most about this area....good vino!

Giving everyone just enough to keep them coming back for more, Friday begins with intimate lunches and dinners with winemakers from around the region. These delectable meals take place at the winery where you have the chance to sit down and break bread with the winemaker and other key players who bottle some of your favorite wines. Each meal is prepared by local participating chefs and are expertly paired with wine.

Getting started on Saturday, MacMurry Ranch in Healdsburg, CA plays host to the 31st annual Taste of Sonoma. A collection of over 150 wineries and 60 local chefs, this event provides an opportunity for wine lovers and foodies alike to drink and dine on some of the best that Sonoma County has to offer. However, this isn’t just a vendor fair where you move from one booth to the next. Other programs offered include a chef competition, intentional food/wine pairing experiences, and the Sommelier Stars Wine Tours where you can be led through a series of tastings by some of the nation’s most acclaimed sommeliers. If you haven’t had enough food and wine yet, you have another opportunity to dine with a winemaker for dinner. After experiencing Taste of Sonoma, Katie and I will be going down the road to enjoy a five course, farm-to-table meal with Quivira Wines, a leader in biodynamic and organic wine producing.

Rounding out the weekend is the 18th annual Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction. Hosted at Cline Cellars, wine auction is sure to bring the spirit of wine country as people bid often and bid high a variety of lots, including specialty bottles, weekend excursions, and plenty more! Wine auction serves as your last chance to get up close and personal with winemakers as they serve as the hosts of each table.

Tickets are still available for all of these events but are going fast. Also, if you happen to have a Visa Signature card, you may be eligible for a number of discounts and benefits. Katie and I will be covering many aspects of this great weekend and will be sure to document our experiences, right here on The Oregon Wine Blog.

Roasted Vegetable Goat Cheese Lasagna

And cooking is back....... Sorry for the mini-vacation everyone! It wasn't so much a vacation as two weeks of work conferences followed by the rush that is ALWAYS August as those of us who work in higher education struggle to get everything done. It's not like we haven't known for three months when they were coming back{note the sarcasm}.... but I digress.

I have rediscovered my love of farmers markets, and have a huge new place in my heart (and wallet) for the Main Market Co-op in Spokane. For those of you on the east side of Washington, I HIGHLY recommend you check out the Co-op. You don't need to be a member to shop (but of course, there are benefits)! Their wines and cheeses are mostly locally sourced, with a ton of variety--and priced at barely over cost. Check it out! I was so blessed that the Goddess of cheese was in the cheese section while I was shopping and guided me to the right goat cheese, a smooth, locally source option that wouldn't overpower the food.


My inspiration for this recipe was from my favorite Spokane restaurant, Mizuna, where I had the most delicious goat cheese lasagna. After some searching on the internet, I combined a number of recipes, and here is the final product! As always, I recommend tasting while you are cooking. There is a reason those Iron Chefs are always doing it! We should too!

Sauce:
1/3 c. vertically sliced onions (I used walla walla sweets from our garden)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 c. olive oil
5 large chopped tomatoes, seeds removed
1/3 c. white wine of your choice (chardonnay is recommended)
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp italian seasonings
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Tomato paste

Heat oil over medium high heat. When hot, add garlic and onions. Saute 2-3 minutes until they begin to turn translucent. Add tomato pieces (PLEASE- use fresh tomatoes! Find a friend who has an over abundance of plants, go to the farmers market, just please get fresh, non-shipped all over the US or world. Your taste buds will thank you.) Reduce heat to medium and cook for 8-10 minutes. Add wine and cook for 5-10 more minutes. Add cumin, smoked paprika, italian seasonings, and balsamic vinegar. Continue to cook. If sauce looks too think to you, add tomato paste to your liking. Continue to taste and season until you are happy with the flavors. Continue to cook over medium heat for an hour or so. Add fresh herbs at the end in you choose to use them. Leave the sauce cooking while you work on the next stages of prep.


Lasagna ingredients:
1 yellow squash
1 eggplant
1 medium sized zucchini
4 oz goat cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper
sauce recipe above


Slice squash, eggplant, and zucchini the long way into 1/4 inch thick strips. Put eggplant on a separate plate and salt. Set aside for 45 minutes to an hour to draw the liquid out of it.


Preheat oven to 500 degrees. While eggplant is sitting, place squash on greased jellyroll type pan or large glass baking dish. Baste with olive oil and put salt and pepper on it. Place in oven for 10-12 minutes, rotating half way. Remove as squash starts to brown. Leave on pan for 2 minutes after removing from oven. Then, remove from pan and set aside. Continue this with remaining squash and zucchini. Once eggplant has drawn water out, use a towel to soak remaining water out. Then repeat roasting process, but only roast eggplant for 6-8 minutes.


Once you have finished roasting all of the vegetables, grease a 8 by 8 glass pan. Place a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of vegetables on top. Think of the veggies like noodles, which we aren't using in this recipe. Layer vegetables on top of one another until you cannot see the bottom of the pan. Then, add goat cheese, covering the layer. On top, add another layer of vegetables until you can no longer see the cheese under it. Then finish with the remaining sauce. Cook in oven for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Allow lasagna to rest for 15 minutes before you dive in.


Enjoy!

Le Tour de Pinot Stage 5: Willamette Valley Vineyards

The stage was set for an awesome finale ride to Le Tour de Pinot on August 22. A ride to Willamette Valley Vineyards from The Oregon Wine Blog headquarters in Corvallis has been a goal for more than a year, since the early days of the 2009 Tour when it was just Rick, myself, a pair of spandex, a heavy bike, and a mixture of sweat, blood, and Pinot on the backroads of Oregon. It was the night before the ride, plans were made, water bottles filled, jerseys washed, and the support vehicle loaded...then I got the text from Portland.

"I think the burger I ate for dinner is causing the same effect on my stomach as you had before the last ride" sent Rick.

In what can only be described as gastrointestinal irony of an epic proportion, Rick was taken down and out with only 12 hours to recover for the ride. Determined, he sent his final message for the evening, "I'll sleep it off and be fine in the morning." If only that were true. The next morning, an hour before departure, I received a report of toast and water's failure to enter a blissful union with Rick's stomach, and that was the end of the official tour for Rick. The man, the myth, the legend was going to have to sit this one out.

When the realization hit me that Rick wouldn't be riding to WVV that, I was gripped with panic. You see, Rick is the Lance Armstrong to the Le Tour de Pinot team. Providing the guts, graphic design, cycling prowess, and best fitting spandex on the team, Le Tour wouldn't exist without Rick. Most importantly, though, I was counting on his lively rendition of Eye of the Tiger to push me through the final hill up to the winery. If Rick wasn't riding, who was going to sing Eye of the Tiger? Who I ask?

I knew I had to refocus and do it quickly, or I would crash and burn like General Motors pre-bailout. Further complicating the situation, none of the other 3 riders would be joining me for the entire journey; Linda was set to meet me in Albany, Andrea and Micheal taking a route down from Salem. I would be alone for the first and last 15 miles of the 64 mile journey.

I'm solo, I'm riding solo, I'm riding solo, I'm riding solo, sooloooo.
I'm riding solo, I'm riding solo, sooloooo

yeah it's like S... O... L... O...
S... O... L... O... S... O... L... O...

I had to find a new motivational song. In a final act of desperation as I was carb-loading, I turned to ITunes, and "Regulators" by Warren G and Nate Dogg came up. Old school, sure, but with that I mounted up and hit the road facing a steady headwind the entire way. Upon meeting Linda, it was clear that she wasn't in full swing either. Her bike was on it's way to Louisville for an Ironman, and her sub bike didn't get along with her cycling shoes. Nonetheless, we persevered for 32 mountainous miles to Enchanted Way, the mecca of Oregon Wine Country: Willamette Valley Vineyards and the grueling hilly driveway that comes with it. I bore down, guzzled some Gatorade, and took it head on. It was probably a stupid idea, but I did it...stumbling off of my bike at the base of the tasting room to meet the rest of our party. Micheal, Linda, and Andrea used more pedestrian tactics to make it up the hill, and none were worse for the wear...well, except Andrea who went over her handlebars early in the ride for the only carnage of Le Tour.

Zac, our support driver, also joined us at this point and into the tasting room we went. Know what's just a bit awkward? Walking in to a world-class tasting room with a wedding getting set up on site in full-out cycling gear, sweaty, and hair unkept. Despite our appearance, Wende met us with a smile on her face, a glass of pinot gris for us in her hand, and off on a special tour we went. Wende shared with us WVV's extreme commitment to sustainability, as well as the unique corporate structure of the winery and it's place in the Oregon industry. One of the most notable features is the winery's commitment to Forest Sustainability Council certified sustainable cork on all wines. Did you know you can recycle cork at every Whole Foods Market in the US thanks to WVV?

To the barrel room we went. If you haven't been in Willamette Valley's barrel room, it is certainly a special place. There, Wende shared the winery's barrel philosophy, and also poured us a special sample of the 2009 Pinot Gris straight out of the tank. While not yet bottled, the Gris is showing very nicely and will definitely stand up to previous vintages. It pairs perfectly with crab and seafood, and at around $16 a bottle you can't go wrong.

As we wrapped up our tour outside, a random interloper popped his head over the railing on the deck and started to slightly taunt our attire. That's right, it was none other than Clive Pursehouse, at the winery with a wedding party unrelated to Le Tour de Pinot. Luckily, he was able to join us for some tasting prior to going back to his officiator duties.

We wrapped up our time at WVV with some cheese and more wine (I highly recommend the 2007 Tualatin Estate Pinot Noir if you can come across some) and we hopped on our bikes for the journey back. After a quick stop at the gate for a photo, we were on our way to our respective destinations with the 2010 tour in our rearview mirrors. Well, except for the finale dinner which will be held soon.

So, that's a wrap. We're not exactly sure what form Le Tour de Pinot 2011 will take, but you can count on a wider variety of rides taking advantage of Rick's proximity to the Portland area and my proximity to the Corvallis area. We couldn't have done it without our sponsors. Thanks to Avalon Wine, a premier wine shop here in Corvallis, for serving as the main tour sponsor this year. Pop in to their shop for tastings every Saturday, or browse the extensive online selection in the comfort of your home. Also supporting the tour were Block 15 Restaurant and Brewery, the best beer in Corvallis, and Mahlum Architects, a pretty sweet firm that does a ton of work on college campuses in the region.

With that...

Risin' up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive

So many times, it happens too fast
You change your passion for glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive

It's the eye of the tiger, it's the cream of the fight
Risin' up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he's watchin' us all in the eye of the tiger

Upcoming Event: Columbia Blend from Puget Sound to Portugal

There are blends and then there are blends. If you’re a fan of the latter, there will be a mind blending experience on September 12th at BLEND Seattle. Jamie Peha is at it again and this time she has brought the Portugese into the picture. Not since Carmen Miranda came stateside has Portugal taken the world by storm quite like this. Blend will showcase wines from Portugal, California and Washington.

Blend will offer you exciting opportunities to sample what happens when wine makers decide to dabble a bit. The art of making wine is sometimes summarized as “the art of getting out of the way of the fruit,” letting the wine show itself. Blending however is most definitely an art form and when done well, the selection of combined varietals that most capture the winemaker's imagination can be a real treat for those of us on the other end of the bottle.

There will be 40 wineries in the house - what the young demographic calls "the heezy." Among those wineries you'll find some of Washington's most established, including Delille Cellars and Hedges Family Estates. Another Washington mainstay, J. Bookwalter wines may be the most versed at blending pound for pound (boxing reference). While J. Bookwalter makes plenty of single varietals, their blends make them stand out in a crowd. Their Subplot series, as well as the Couplet, Anthithesis are worth looking out for.

New kid on the block Bart Fawbush will be bringing his Bartholomew Wines to the table, both figuratively and literally. Those who've not yet tried Bart's blends are in for a real surprise. While his blends tend to stick to the more traditional Rhone or Bourdeaux style pairings, I find his Reciprocity (a Cabernet and Carmenere blend) to be a game changer.

Jamie Peha's events up the ante for wine tastings, and that's most evident in the seminars she puts together. This event includes two blending seminars with Chateau Ste Michelle and Columbia Winery. An additional $15 gets you the opportunity to actually be involved in blending your own wine. $15, you cannot be serious? Seating for these is limited, however, so if you're interested, act fast.

In addition to the wine and the blending opportunities, there will be cuisine provided by chefs from some of Washington's finest inns and B&Bs and an exciting contest to win a trip to Portugal. I’ll see you on the 12th of September; the seminars begin at 2:30, but the main event starts at 4pm. Tickets are here.