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Glamping and wine tasting in Oregon’s Willamette Valley

Have you even been glamping? A “glamorous” form of camping, glamping is great for those who want some of the creature comforts not usually available with traditional camping. A mattress, hot shower, heated blankets and electricity are just a few things you may find when you arrive at your glampsite. Glamping is a fun way to enjoy the outdoors and reconnect with nature, especially without getting your hands dirty! Places to stay come in all shapes and sizes, from rustic cabins to…

Stone Barn Brandyworks Picard Sour Cocktail

Stone Barn Brandyworks is a small, family-owned distillery in Southeast Portland that cooks up spirits of all kinds, including many using locally grown fruit. Started by Sebastian and Erika Degens, Stone Barn Brandyworks has a cozy tasting space smack in the middle of their distillery. Visitors can sip tasting samples and get a tour of the place without ever leaving their bar stools. Sebastian’s family is from Germany, where fruit brandies played an influential role in igniting his passion. So…

Clear Creek Distillery’s Pear Brandy Sidecar Recipe provided by Clear Creek Distillery 1 ½ ounce Clear Creek Pear Brandy ¾ ounce Cointreau ¾ ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice Shake all ingredients in a shaker, and double strain into a chilled martini glass rimmed with fine sugar. Garnish with lemon zest and enjoy! SRP $45 (750ml bottle of Clear Creek Pear Brandy) www.clearcreekdistillery.com If you’re in Portland, please visit their tasting room: CLEAR CREEK DISTILLERY 2389 NW WILSON ST. PORTLAND, OR 97210…

Glamping. It seems that most people know what it is– ‘glamorous camping,’ but few have actually done it. Yet it’s a great way to experience the great outdoors without hauling around a bunch of camping gear. And anyone who’s pitched a tent knows what a comedy of errors that can become! Although we may be nearing the end of summer, one of the fun things about glamping is that you can find everything from a safari tent to a rustic cabin.…

This is part of a series introducing you to interesting people in the wine industry. For many, the journey into wine is not only intriguing but often quite an adventure. These talented individuals are what make the wine industry what it is today so follow this series to meet this group of passionate people who have dedicated their lives to wine. Why Wine? An interview with Meredith Bell & Luke Matthews of Statera Cellars Was there a specific wine, moment or…

Do you consider yourself a foodie? If so, you better be attending Feast Portland because your “foodie” card just might be revoked if you don’t go! Next month, Feast Portland draws about 10,000 food lovers from near and far to town. Since the festival takes place over a long weekend with events sprinkled throughout the city, Feast Portland never feels too crowded. Well, unless you’re in line for the Salt & Straw ice cream! The festival’s a la cart passes make it accessible to even the most cash-strapped…

Having a party and need a fun cocktail punch recipe? This cocktail is the perfect summertime punch to share with your guests. Made with just 3 ingredients; moonshine, lemonade and sparkling wine, prosecco or champagne, this drink is sure to please. It’s light, refreshing and sparkling- what more could you ask for? Sunshine Punch Provided by Bloomery Plantation Distillery Recipe by Sarah Murphy Ingredients: 1 bottle (375ml) Cranberry Clementine SweetShine 2 cups Fresh Lemonade 1…

2013 Cecilia Beretta Brut Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G. (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) Conegliano Valdobbiadene Italy Ok, so if you don’t know much about Italian wines, let’s dissect this label together. The producer, Cecilia Beretta, is named at the top of the label. Often Prosecco wines (and many other types of sparkling wines) are made with juice from more than one vintage. Millesimato means that the year this wine was grown (2013) was a very good year in the region. So good in fact that…

This is part of a series introducing you to interesting people in the wine industry. For many, the journey into wine is not only intriguing but often quite an adventure. These talented individuals are what make the wine industry what it is today so follow this series to meet this group of passionate people who have dedicated their lives to wine. Why Wine? An interview with Shawn Burgert of Wandering Wino wine blog Michele Francisco: Was there a specific wine, moment or…

We were playing bartender one winter evening and mixed together a really delicious drink we dubbed the Sidra Sunrise. It’s perfect for a party or a stand alone cocktail. Incorporating wonderful fall flavors of orange, cinnamon and apple cider, the Sidra Sunrise is sure to please. When hosting a party, this quick and simple cocktail punch that guests can pour themselves, without the barkeep’s assistance, is always appreciated. The Sidra Sunrise cocktail is a tasty treat on a cold, fall or…

The people have spoken, the votes were tallied and the winners of the 2015 Oregon Wine A-List Awards have been announced. Last fall, the Oregon Wine Board and the Oregon Wine Press asked for your help in choosing restaurants and sommeliers that go the extra mile, promoting Oregon wines. All the winners make the wines from our state a priority in their dining establishments. “The Oregon Wine A-List Awards guide consumers to restaurants, both in-state and outside of Oregon, that promote and feature Oregon wines in…

This is part of a series introducing you to interesting people in the wine industry. For many, the journey into wine is not only intriguing but often quite an adventure. These talented individuals are what make the wine industry what it is today so follow this series to meet this group of passionate people who have dedicated their lives to wine. Why Wine? An interview with Matt Berson of the Portland Wine Company and Love & Squalor Wines Michele Francisco: Was there a specific…

As a wine drinker, it’s hard to know what to do with all those used corks once the wine and bottle are gone. The Wine Sisterhood has come up with a solution that gives everyone a warm, fuzzy feeling this holiday season. For every cork they receive by Dec 31, the Wine Sisterhood will donate $1 to the One Warm Coat organization that supplies coats to those who cannot afford them. Started in 1992, One Warm Coat has grown from a weekend event in San Francisco to…

Do you have a favorite restaurant that you think best promotes and embraces Oregon wines? Or maybe a special sommelier who makes divine recommendations for wines grown and made in our state? Well, don’t hesitate to spread the love and nominate them for an Oregon Wine A-List award. The 2015 Oregon Wine A-List Awards(formerly known as the Superior Cellar Awards), sponsored by the Oregon Wine Press and Oregon Wine Board, is open for nominations through November 30, 2014. Created as a way to guide consumers…

Hosted by the Heathman Hotel and presented by the French-American Chamber of Commerce and the Alliance Française of Portland, the Beaujolais Nouveau Festival is the largest event of its kind on the West coast. It’s a celebration of the recent grape harvest throughout the northern hemisphere. In fact, it’s such a big deal in France that a law stipulates that no Beaujolais can be sold before midnight on the third Thursday of November. Made from the Gamay grape, these wines are bottled only weeks after harvest. Tasting…

Grape farmers in Oregon’s Willamette Valley never know what to expect from year to year… other than the unexpected. Blustery storms during fruit set can knock off flowers, resulting in low yields at harvest time, like they did in 2011. Birds can swarm the vineyards as the fruit ripens, sometimes decimating entire crops, as was the case in 2010. Summers can be hot, hot, hot, as we experienced during the 2009 growing season. Or remnants of a typhoon can hit without…

It’s been said “All you need is Marvin Gaye and Chardonnay.” Local producers here in Oregon agree. They’re making some of the best Chard out there and it’s not at all like yo mama’s favorite buttery, oak bomb. Instead it’s an elegant, fresh take on America’s #1 white wine. Let Bon Appétit’s Wine Insider, David Lynch, lead you through a tasting of some of the state’s best bottles and show you why Anything But Chardonnay is no way to drink. With that…

Do you know Why We Feast at Feast Portland? Portland is a foodie town, there’s no disputing that fact. Our city attracts some of the best chefs in the country. Eating is our sport! Food is an important, maybe the most important, thread in the fabric of our world. We could speculate all day long over why food is so important to our local culture. Do you ever wonder if it’s because we live under an oppressive grey cloud that…

Author: Michele Francisco

Glamping and wine tasting in Oregon’s Willamette Valley

Stone Barn Brandyworks Picard Sour Cocktail recipe

Clear Creek Distillery’s Pear Brandy Sidecar cocktail recipe

Glamping 101

Why Wine? An interview with Meredith Bell & Luke Matthews of Statera Cellars

Prepare for foodie heaven when Feast takes over Portland

The perfect summertime Sunshine Punch cocktail recipe

Decipher an Italian Prosecco

Why Wine? An interview with Shawn Burgert of Wandering Wino wine blog

Sidra Sunrise Punch Cocktail with tequila and hard cider

And the winners of the 2015 Oregon Wine A-List Awards are…

Why Wine? An interview with Matt Berson of the Portland Wine Company

Donate your spare wine corks to a good cause this holiday season

Vote now for the 2015 Oregon Wine A-List Awards

Taste the first wines of the vintage at Beaujolais Nouveau

Taste the summer like no other– Oregon’s Zen vintage

Chardonnay wine is for lovers at Feast Portland

Why We Feast at Feast Portland is the question. Do you know the answer?

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