Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner

Fullerton Wine has a tasting room in the Slabtown area on NW Pettygrove, with a unique perspective of offering wine to highlight all the AVA (American Viticultural Area) of the Willamette Valley. To help this vision, winemaker Alex Fullerton and father Eric offers fine wine and they love pairing with food, offering dinners and dueling pairings with other winemakers. I’ve attended and loved a dinner previously, and recently attended another one with their new executive chef Andrew Thomas who recently started offering winemaker pairing dinner menu options for non-meat those reducing meat eaters.

In a very inclusive move, the wine pairing dinners are offered so that diners can select from a Traditional (omnivore) menu, Pescatarian, or Vegan food pairing. So those with dietary restrictions are thoughtfully accounted for which is worth spotlighting, beyond their convenient location within Portland and great wines. It’s also fun to see how they efficiently create the twists in dishes to meet the restrictions. Here’s an example walkthrough of the Fullerton Pairing Dinner June 16 & 17, 2023 to see what an experience might be like.

We started with a welcome pour of 2021 Three Otters Rosé. This easy to drink and very affordable summer pleaser started as a competition between father and son on who can make the best Rosé (whole cluster pressed vs skin contact over 6 days) and both were blended together when Alex discovered the sum was better together. You’ll notice the family love of otters on the wine label as well as part of the family crest and if you look carefully, an otter calendar hanging inside the tasting room.

First Course

Seasonal Vegetable Gazpacho, Cucumber, Tomato, Red Onion, Peach, Croutons
This course was the same for both of us and was well balanced with the acidity and sweet of the fruit. It was paired with the bright 2022 Three Otters Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley AVA.

Second Course

Aleppo Seared Scallop with Israeli Cous Cous Salad Roasted Summer Squash, Blistered Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Scallion, Basil Ladolemono Dressing
🌱Vegan: Israeli Couscous, Crispy Chickpeas, Roasted Seasonal Squash, Blisters Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Scallion, Basil Ladolemono Dressing
Both were paired with 2018 Lichtenwalter Vineyard Pinot Noir, Ribbon Ridge AVA which is one of my favorites from Fullerton, with a smooth blend of fruit with spice accent in the flavor profile that’s subtle but distinguishable.

Third Course

Crab Hush Puppies, Lemon-Lime Old Bay Aioli, Fresh Dill
🌱Vegan: Rosemary Focaccia Bruschetta Roasted Summer Vegetables, Gremolata, Toasted Spice Pepitas
It’s always fun seeing white Pinot Noir – here the 2020 Bella Vida Vineyard White Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills AVA.

Fourth Course

Wood Fired Grilled Steak, Whiskey Braised Cipollini Onions, Thyme Brown Butter, New Potatoes, Romesco Sauce
🌱Vegan: Grilled Vegan Kebab, Raspberry Vinegar Brined Tofu, Bakon, Eggplant, Onion, Zucchini, Romesco Sauce
Another favorite for us was this pairing of the lush dark fruit of the 2018 Croft Vineyard Pinot Noir, Mount Pisgah AVA that is bolder with earthiness in the palate. Croft Vineyard is one of the older vineyards in the valley, and the first organically grown vineyard.

Dessert

Strawberry Citrus Shortcake, Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream, Grand Marnier, Macerated Strawberries
🌱Vegan: Berry Delight, Fresh Berries, Cashew Crème Fraîche, Ginger Shortbread Crumbles, Mint
Created in honor of grandmother Gertrud who you see in the label, this dessert 2021 Gertrud Sauvignon Blanc, Ice Wine, Columbia Gorge AVA is pressed than frozen and given a touch of honey to produce this viscous sweet ending.

The best way to stay informed of the events like this Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner and other events is by signing up for their email newsletter. They also offer very educational tours exploring soils, cold and warm climate effects, and more to broaden your knowledge of what may be behind some of your favorite wines. I appreciate that they offer very detailed description of each of their wine offerings to understand all the science and art that goes into the bottles. I recommend checking them out!