Idiot’s Grace Vineyard Walk
Last week (May 15), I had the opportunity to take a walk in the Idiot’s Grace Vineyard in Mosier, OR. Memaloose Wines has two properties: Mistral Ranch and Idiot’s Grace. All their wines come from one of these two estate vineyards, both located in the tiny Columbia Gorge AVA. I love the opportunity to see … Continue reading
Elegance in a Glass: Evesham Wood & Haden Fig Winery Visit
It’s the middle of January and -10°F here in Minnesota today. I’m not complaining, but it does get me thinking about warmer days! We had the opportunity to visit the dual home of Evesham Wood and Haden Fig wineries last spring on a visit to the Willamette Valley. On a cold winter day, photos of … Continue reading
“Our Grand Meander” Columbia Gorge AVA – Memaloose
Hood River and the Columbia River Gorge have a soft spot in my heart. The Columbia Gorge is a world class venue for windsurfing and kiteboarding; I’ve been here many times windsurfing with a group of friends. This time, however, Hood River was our stopover for a couple days to learn more about Memaloose and … Continue reading
“Our Grand Meander” – Willamette Valley: Dundee & Newberg
Willamette Valley has a large number of little towns, and they each have unique places to stay and eat. This trip, we discovered two new (to us) restaurants: Paulee and Recipe. Paulee is a beautiful restaurant in Dundee, not far from Anne Amie Vineyard (our afternoon stop). Paulee is part of a new building that … Continue reading
“Our Grand Meander” McMinnville – Matello Winery Visit
We’re big fans of Matello Wines and Marcus Goodfellow. We met Marcus this spring when he visited Minneapolis and hosted a wine dinner at Pairings Food & Wine in Minnetonka. After the dinner, we joined Matello’s wine club, and we were really looking forward to a visit to the winery. When we arrived at the … Continue reading
“Our Grand Meander” – McMinnville
We like staying in McMinnville when we visit Willamette Valley, as there are lots of shops, restaurants, and tasting rooms. Crescent Cafe is a favorite breakfast spot for many. Often, there’s a line outside the door. Everything they serve is fresh and homemade. The owner seems to always be there (the gentleman in the tie) … Continue reading
“Our Grand Meander” Willamette Valley – Cooper Mountain Vineyards & Nick’s Italian Cafe
We’re off on our circuitous route out to Whitman College’s parent’s weekend October 19-21. We may be the only parents who take ten days to get to parents weekend! Of course, we want to meander through wine country, stopping in the Willamette Valley and Hood River on our way out to Walla Walla. We’ll be … Continue reading
Upcoming Oregon/Washington Winery Trip
We’re headed out for a week-long trip to wineries in Willamette Valley, Lyle Washington, and Walla Walla Washington. OK, there’s also Parent’s weekend at Whitman College in Walla Walla where our son is a student. We’ll be visiting some of our favorites and a few new ones. The wineries are right in the middle of … Continue reading
Favorite Wineries – iOTA Cellars visit
Thanks to our friends and old next door neighbors, Perry and Lynne Pelos, for sparking my interest in wine. They always wanted to own a vineyard and possibly a winery. While this is a dream for many people, the team of Pelos & Sandberg made it reality with the Pelos-Sandberg vineyard and iOTA Cellars! These … Continue reading
Cherry Chutney Chicken & Haden Fig Cancilla Vineyard Pinot Noir
This recipe is from a dinner we made earlier this summer. The chutney is so good, you should give it a try. It should work in almost any season. I know I’ll use it again! The chutney would work well on chicken or pork; you might even try it with salmon. The main flavor is … Continue reading
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