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.
Rosemary Focaccia Bruschetta Roasted Summer Vegetables, Gremolata, Toasted Spice Pepitas Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner Wood Fired Grilled Steak, Whiskey Braised Cipollini Onions, Thyme Brown Butter, New Potatoes, Romesco Sauce

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 Ros茅. This easy to drink and very affordable summer pleaser started as a competition between father and son on who can make the best Ros茅 (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.
Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner welcome pour of 2021 Three Otters Ros茅

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.
Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner Seasonal Vegetable Gazpacho, Cucumber, Tomato, Red Onion, Peach, Croutons Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner Seasonal Vegetable Gazpacho, Cucumber, Tomato, Red Onion, Peach, Croutons

Second Course

Aleppo Seared Scallop with Israeli Cous Cous Salad Roasted Summer Squash, Blistered Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Scallion, Basil Ladolemono Dressing
馃尡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.
Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner Aleppo Seared Scallop with Israeli Cous Cous Salad Roasted Summer Squash, Blistered Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Scallion, Basil Ladolemono Dressing Fullerton Wine Pairing Dinner Vegan course of Israeli Couscous, Crispy Chickpeas, Roasted Seasonal Squash, Blisters Cherry Tomatoes, Fresh Scallion, Basil Ladolemono Dressing

Third Course

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Fullerton Wines Food and Wine Dinner

The Portland tasting room of Fullerton Wines made news recently with adding chef Rob Grisham to lead the food pairings with wine for dinners on Thursday nights.
Fullerton Wines Food and Wine Dinner Fullerton Wines Food and Wine Dinner

The menus may change often (weekly – you can get a preview seemingly on their webpage for reservations), so consider this only an example from their opening week. My dinner included a horizontal wine pairing flight that highlighted five pinot noirs (they actually offer seven pinots from 2017 and different vineyards, so your vertical wine flight may vary), each from a different AVA.

Fullerton Wines’ wine portfolio focuses on Burgandian varietals and the terroir of Willamette Valley wines with pinot noir, pinot noir ros茅, pinot gris, and chardonnay. This family owned business includes their Five FACES line (a nod to the five members of their family), but also in particular a Single Vineyards series highlighting single vineyards and different AVAs, mostly with sedimentary and/or volcanic soil. That makes the food and wine pairing not only delicious, but educational as well. As each wine is poured, I enjoyed hearing the family vineyards that the winemaker Alex Fullerton, sources each wine from, and hearing stories about each wine and vineyard that really connect you locally.
Fullerton Wines Food and Wine Dinner Fullerton Wines Food and Wine Dinner

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TeS贸Aria Wine Brunch

I’m a wine club member of TeS贸Aria. I fell in love with their wines several years ago, but it wasn’t until last year that we decided to be members and stop pretending we weren’t buying wines every time we saw TeS贸Aria聽at various wine festivals, and we have visited their tasting room in the Umpqua Valle. y, in Roseburg, a couple times. Fortunately, you don’t have to wait for an event or a trip to Roseburg to try them out.

In December 2013 TeSoAria opened a Portland Tasting Room at聽North Williams corridor, at the intersection with 聽North Shaver.聽The room is full of light, with 3 sliding garage walls- I can’t wait for when the weather gets better!

TeSoAria Portland Tasting Room TeSoAria Portland Tasting Room

With the opening of the Portland Tasting room, John Olson and family are also pursuing a vision of expanding the experience of his already deep, delicious wines by pairing them with food, courtesy of collaboration with Chef Max. For instance, recently, I attended a brunch in which he paired wine with breakfast-y foods- 3 courses for $25. Oh yeah? 聽I’m in.
TeSoAria Portland Tasting Room includes a small kitchen to pair bites of food with the wines

I mean, it’s educational right? Self-improvement? I’ve never thought to match wines with brunch before, I usually stick with mimosas and bloody marys. But I am ready to learn. Teach me!

Before I begin the recap of the TeS贸Aria Wine Brunch,聽let me address the name of the winery and a little bit of background.

When I first was introduced to winemaker John Olson and his wines, it was under the name Palotai, which was the original name of the winery when John and his family (wife Joy and 3 children) purchased it in 2008. Palotai comes from the original wine owner Gabor Palotai, who defected from Hungary and ran the winery with an Old World European philosophy, specifically carrying on traditions of Hungarian wines.
John Olson kicks off the January TeS贸Aria Wine Brunch

I believe a year later, the winery was rechristened聽TeS贸Aria, which is a combination of the words Terra (soil), Sol (son), and Aria (air and music). I remember this because there used to be a lovely little tale on their website (which is now being redone- I hope they put the story back on their site in their About Us section) in which you might visit the winery and see their beautiful vines in the sunshine and hear music- guitar playing and gentle singing from their son Johnny, who has performed at many of the wine club events.

TeSoAriaTeSoAria

TeSoAria聽still carries on some of the traditions of Palotai, most notably continuing the usage of Hungarian oak barrels. There is also an annual release of a wine called Bulls Blood, a robust, full bodied red blend that is different every year, and yet every year is like a punch in the face when you compare it with the more subtle, sometimes meek reds from other wineries. It just explodes with flavors and complexity.

I honestly don’t know how John and his staff manage to produce the amount and variety of award winning wines that they do. Despite when I last checked they only list a handful of wines on the website, I know when I attended their wine pick up party there were more than a dozen options, and definitely a dozen varietals that he is utilizing. Various blends are crafted with more grapes types like Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and more. Below are a few examples of what he might be offering- not always all at the same time, but as I said, there are probably a dozen options at his tasting room at any one time.

TeS贸Aria wines at the Portland Pick Up Party December 2013 included  Vermentino, Bella Bianca, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Dolcetto, Sangiovese, Barbera, Zinfandel, Cab Sauv, Vindetta, Durif, Port, Primitivo

  • Vermentino – a white, clean and crisp Italian grape
  • Bella Bianca – a white grape blend
  • Bella Rosa – a rose
  • Riesling
  • Gruner Veltliner
  • Chardonnay
  • Pinot Noir
  • Dolcetto – deep berry red Italian grape
  • Sangiovese
  • Barbera
  • Syrah
  • Zinfandel- which are surprisingly zesty
  • Primitivo- an Italian cousin of Zin
  • Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Durif – an earthy red European grape also known as Petit Syrah
  • Port-style

The blends from聽TeS贸Aria really set this winery apart because of the unique flavor profiles that are approachable enough to drink now but also can be cellared and hoarded. Every time I bring one of their wines to a gathering I get upset that I get one glass worth from the wine bottle potluck table and on return the bottle is already empty. 聽And I get a little mad that every quarter there are new wines that I want to drink right now and keep for next year, and the year after that, and on… Each wine is its own enticing character. Many of these wines are also award-winning, medaled wines, showcased below:
Tesoaria tasting room in Portland showcasing their award winning wines Tesoaria tasting room in Portland showcasing their award winning wines

But, let’s get to figuring out what it means to match wines with brunch shall we?
Tesoaria Portland Tasting Room January brunch: Chef Max prepares to ladle country gravy on the buttermilk biscuits Tesoaria Portland Tasting Room January brunch: Chef Max prepares to ladle country gravy on the buttermilk biscuits

First Course
A sweet and savory duo of fresh buttermilk biscuits -the first with house prepared honey butter and blackberry dolcetto preserve and the second with thick country style gravy. These were paired with the 2013 Riesling and also the Bulls Blood.

I was in love with the flavors of this Riesling, which balanced the line between sweetness and acidity, had a bright fresh young citrus just ripening, but round buttery end note. The blackberry dolcetto preserve did the same thing- it wasn’t too sweet because the dolcetto gave it a bit of a savory grounding.

I thought a bit of the honey buttered biscuit with the Riesling was just the right amount of light sweetness, like a smile but of sunshine that you can eat. Meanwhile, the Bulls Blood red wine with the finger licking gravy and pancetta had every single one of these boards coming back to the kitchen completely wiped clean, no joke.
Tesoaria Portland Tasting Room January brunch: A sweet and savory duo of fresh buttermilk biscuits -the first with house prepared honey butter and blackberry dolcetto preserve. The second with thick country style gravy Tesoaria Portland Tasting Room January brunch: A sweet and savory duo of fresh buttermilk biscuits -the first with house prepared honey butter and blackberry dolcetto preserve, and the second with thick country style gravy

Second Course
Thai style breakfast – Duck confit (still juicy and warm from resting in the duck fat, mmm) and crispy shallots atop sticky rice with a rich butternut curry sauce topped with a fried quail egg. Paired with a 2013 Viognier (single vineyard sourced from Cooper Ridge Vineyards) and Durif.

This was my favorite course and favorite pairing- this could have easily competed with the dishes at Feast Portland High Comfort Event that I blogged about with the dishes from the likes of Tom Douglas or Stephanie Izard or Jenn Louis. I’m a big fan of the Tesoaria Durif, which has an earthy barnyard solid foundation.
Tesoaria Portland Tasting Room January brunch: Thai style breakfast -Duck confit and crispy shallots atop sticky rice with a rich butternut curry sauce topped with a fried quail egg. alt=

Final Course

Fresh doughnuts dusted with cinnamon and sugar and served with a foie gras pastry cream to dip (or spoon directly into mouth…). This was paired with a Late Harvest Riesling and then the 2012 Pinot Noir.

I was eating and scraping the last of that foie gras pastry cream. My table disagreed on which pairing of the wine went better with the dish. The Riesling emphasized and complimented the doughnut and cream, while the red cut the fattiness of the pastry cream. There is no wrong answer, only the need to have a larger serving of that cream.

Although this was a special event, the聽TeS贸Aria Tasting Room is open everyday, with a menu of great wines that includes from bottles or from live barrels. You can order a flight that include 3 wines and 3 tapas paired together.聽Wines by the glass or bottle enjoyed at the tasting room are accompanied by complimentary tapas bites. You can also order tapas a la carte, you can see the current menu here. Chef Max says he hopes to change up the tapas every month, and I’ll have to visit next month and do an “ordinary visit” of wine and food here.

Below, you can see I purchased some of the Baco Noir he had just brought in and bottled/autographed for me: you can get regular size聽 (750mL) or Magnum/1.5L or Double Magnum/3L. As you can see, the Magnum is equivalent to 2 bottles (and the Double Magnum to 4 bottles), but with a price discount from buying them individually, so perfect to break out for a party. Honestly, being able to pull out a large bottle like a Magnum just is so jet-setter, like you live the lifestyle of the rich and famous. Or at least can pretend to.

The Live Barrel will change out every month or so I’m guessing, as will the menus paired with the wines so keep coming back to see what they are doing now!
Bottles of Baco Noir from the Live Barrel, freshly bottled and signed by Tesoaria Winemaker John Olson

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A Grand Feast of Oregon, by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen

Disclosure: This meal was complimentary, but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

I was introduced to Hawks View Cellars during Feast. They are a 50 acre winery located in Sherwood (in the Chehalem Mountains/only 30 minutes outside Portland)聽now run by AJ Kemp, son of the founder. Hawks View was totally under my radar until I saw how devoted they are to making excellent wines. When I had their聽Pinot Noir Reserve at the Paley Prefunk which I wrote about previously, I found myself crushing hard on them. So I was so thrilled when I was invited to attend a promotional event they were holding,聽A Grand Feast of Oregon.

At this event 7 wines, and 6 small plates paired with wines would be presented 聽by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen.

Irving St Kitchen Irving St Kitchen Irving St Kitchen

At this event, Hawks View was pre-releasing their just bottled 2012 Oregon Chardonnay and our soon to be released 2011 California Syrah at this dinner, opening 聽a 2011 La Baleine large format bottle (I always wondered when those super huge bottles were opened/drank!), and there was a Mystery Wine also, so classily wrapped in a printed paper bag until the mystery would be revealed!

Wines for A Grand Feast of Oregon, by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen Wines for A Grand Feast of Oregon, by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen Wines for A Grand Feast of Oregon, by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen Wines for A Grand Feast of Oregon, by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen

First, as we entered the special event room in the back of Irving St Kitchen, we were greeted by AJ Kemp, co-founder of Hawks View, along with April Yap-Hennig, director of marketing as well as a glass of 2012 Oregon Pinot Gris. Even though the alcohol is almost 15%, the wine tasted so light and refreshing. How irresponsible and dangerous you guys. I felt like I could easily drink several glasses of these! Oh, I see.

A Grand Feast of Oregon, by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen, starting out with 2012 Hawks View Oregon Pinot Gris A Grand Feast of Oregon, by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen, starting out with 2012 Hawks View Oregon Pinot Gris A Grand Feast of Oregon, by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen, starting out with 2012 Hawks View Oregon Pinot Gris

Throughout the evening, AJ, and also Chef Sarah Schafer of Irving St. Kitchen, would introduce each of the 6 pairings of wine and food by explaining the origin story of the wine or the dish. I never knew how much drama goes into a bottle until I heard the tales from AJ, who is so full of infectious enthusiasm
Wine List for A Grand Feast of Oregon, by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen AJ Kemp, cofounder of Hawks View, and Chef Sarah Schafer of Irving St Kitchen present Grand Feast of Oregon, 6 pairings of food and wine by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen AJ Kemp, cofounder of Hawks View, and Chef Sarah Schafer of Irving St Kitchen present Grand Feast of Oregon, 6 pairings of food and wine by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen AJ Kemp, cofounder of Hawks View, and Chef Sarah Schafer of Irving St Kitchen present Grand Feast of Oregon, 6 pairings of food and wine by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen

How to Enjoy Food and Drink Pairings

When it comes to food and drink pairings, this is my advice on how to enjoy a pairing.

  1. The first thing I do is examine the color and viscosity. With the glass on a flat surface, I swirl it to aerate it and examine the color, transparency, and how it moves in the glass. I always do this on a flat surface so that you don’t get accidental splash back on you if the pour is generous 聽or you bump your arm or get a twitch which causes splashback- which has totally happened to me, all over a sweater!
  2. Next, pick up the glass 聽immediately after a swirl and tilt it a bit, and put your nose in the glass slightly to smell it. I might do this swirl and smell twice, thinking about what I might detect upfront in the aromas, and how long it lasts, and how strong the aroma is.
  3. Now swirl and take a sip. Maybe do this 2-3 times. You want a very small sip, and you want to make sure it travels all across the tongue, not just the middle or back because although you can taste everything on any part, there might be areas that are more sensitive than others. Think about what it tasted like at the beginning, middle and end. How long could you taste the wine after you swallowed? How did it feel on your tongue – thin, smooth, creamy, velvety, dry, etc? Think about the tastes of sweet, sour, salt, bitter, acidic, citrus or/and earthy.
  4. Next step is to take a small bite of the food pairing, to see what it is like alone. Try to make sure you get a little bit of all the components in your bite. I know this is hard with the smaller appetizer bites! Think about how it tastes on its own, similar with what you did with the wine on step 3.
  5. Take a small swirl, another small bite, and immediately after you swallow the food sip the wine. Think about how the legs of the food you just tasted changes as you take that sip. Does it make certain flavors from the food or wine more prominent, wash out any flavor? As you continue to take small bites and sips, are there certain flavors that build up and are emphasized? Do you think the flavors are complimentary or do they contrast or make something new combined? What do you like better, the wine by itself, the food by itself, or both together?
  6. If possible cleanse your palate with water in between pairings or whenever you wish.

Ok, so now let’s take a look at the pairings I enjoyed for this event!

Hawks View Cellars + Irving Street Kitchen Courses

First Course Food and Wine Pairing

Irving St Kitchen Salmon Gravlax, Sauce Gribiche, Rye Crackers. Paired with 2012 Hawks View Oregon Chardonnay, which offered butteryness but not overly buttery, yaaaayy. I’ve had local OR Chardonnay and been disappointed how it tends to be a bit on the crisp, sweet, but flat/bland side. In the 80s 90s Chardonnay was really oaked, and then it seemed everyone all at once turned and ran the other way, focusing on stainless steel unoaked. This one though brought back the round warmness and creaminess that I’ve been missing in Chardonnays, but without overdoing the oak. This chardonnay is not grown in their vineyard but is sourced in Oregon locally from Gran Moraine, Yamhill-Carlton.
A Grand Feast of Oregon, by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen: Pairing 1 of Irving St Kitchen Salmon Gravlax, Sauce Gribiche, Rye Crackers. Paired with 2012 Hawks View Oregon ChardonnayA Grand Feast of Oregon, by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen: Pairing 1 of Irving St Kitchen Salmon Gravlax, Sauce Gribiche, Rye Crackers. Paired with 2012 Hawks View Oregon Chardonnay A Grand Feast of Oregon, by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen: Pairing 1 of Irving St Kitchen Salmon Gravlax, Sauce Gribiche, Rye Crackers. Paired with 2012 Hawks View Oregon Chardonnay

Second Course Food and Wine Pairing

Next came AJ and pouring of the Hawks View Mystery Wine for the pairing listed as Chicken Fried Oysters, Herbsaint Aioli, and Hawks View Mystery Wine… revealed to be 2012 White Pinot Noir, aka what AJ called “The Unicorn”. This was one of my top pairings of the evening.
A Grand Feast of Oregon, by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen: AJ and Pouring of the Hawks View Mystery Wine A Grand Feast of Oregon, by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen: AJ and Pouring of the Hawks View Mystery WineA Grand Feast of Oregon, by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen: Pairing 2 of Chicken Fried Oysters, Herbsaint Aioli, and Hawks View Mystery Wine... revealed to be 2012 White Pinot Noir

Third Course Food and Wine Pairing

Marinated Pork Chop, Country Ham & Shelling Bean Ragout and Celery Root Apple Slaw with 2010 Hawks View Oregon Pinot Noir. This was my favorite pairing of the evening.
"A "A A Grand Feast of Oregon, by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen: Pairing 3 of Marinated Pork Chop, Country Ham & Shelling Bean Ragout and Celery Root Apple Slaw with 2010 Hawks View Oregon Pinot Noir

Fourth Course Food and Wine Pairing

The course I’ve been waiting for… Irving St Kitchen’s famous fried chicken. Happiness is an Irving St Kitchen fried chicken with smashed potatoes and country gravy and greens.
Happiness is an Irving St Kitchen fried chicken with smashed potatoes and country gravy and greens. Happiness is an Irving St Kitchen fried chicken with smashed potatoes and country gravy and greens.
This was paired with the 2011 Hawks View La Baleine (The Whale), which is a a blend that changes year to year and is dedicated to AJ’s father, whose nickname was The Whale from his banking days before he retired and invested in founding Hawks View Winery. Check out April flexing her incrediblly toned arms as she pours from the decanter!
April flexing her incrediblly toned arms as she pours from the decanter the 2011 Hawks View La Baleine (Whale) "A

Fifth Course Food and Wine Pairing

Although Hawks View does have vineyards from which they produce wines, they also source from California and Washington, specifically Horse Heaven Hills in WA for their cabernet sauvignon and merlot, and malbec grapes and from Gary’s Vineyard in Santa Lucia Highlands of California for Syrah and Pinot Noir. These next two wines marked our departure from drinking Oregon wines (La Baleine has some OR grapes mixed in with CA and WA).
It was paired with a beautiful serving of Irving St Kitchen Teres Major Steak with garlic grits, ancho ketchup, onion rings, marrow sauce
Fifth course, Beautiful serving of Irving St Kitchen Teres Major Steak with garlic grits, ancho ketchup, onion rings, marrow sauce paired with 2010 Hawks View Washington Cabernet Sauvignon Fifth course, Beautiful serving of Irving St Kitchen Teres Major Steak with garlic grits, ancho ketchup, onion rings, marrow sauce paired with 2010 Hawks View Washington Cabernet Sauvignon

Sixth Course Food and Wine Pairing

Finally, dessert was pairing 6 of Chocolate Torte with 2011 Hawks View California Syrah
A Grand Feast of Oregon, by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen: Pairing 6 of Chocolate Torte with 2011 Hawks View California Syrah A Grand Feast of Oregon, by Hawks View Cellars and Irving St Kitchen: Pairing 6 of Chocolate Torte with 2011 Hawks View California Syrah

Thank you so much to Hawks View Cellars for sharing their incredible wines with me at this event, for AJ the storyteller and winemaker who gave up his dream to take New York by the throat to instead come storm Oregon with a distinct viewpoint of wanting to represent the Northwest but aspire to compete with Burgandy and is unashamed to source the best grapes from wherever they may be, including CA and WA, in pursuit of that unique taste profile. And, I also love how they CLEARLY love food- they were everywhere, daily, at Feast Portland events, and this is the second event where they have pointedly put wine and food together into pairings to really help tell the story of deliciousness.

And Chef Sarah, you are kickass, I could have eaten a half dozen of those chicken fried oysters and a whole chicken of that fried chicken, 聽and I was savoring each of those beans individually in that pork chop dish!
AJ Kemp, storyteller and winemaker for Hawks View Cellars AJ Kemp, storyteller and winemaker for Hawks View Cellars

Check out聽Hawks View Cellars – tastings are by appointment only but are very personal in touring the vineyard and learning and tasting all their wines- and the kickass deliciousness and best fried chicken in Portland at Irving St Kitchen!

Disclosure: This meal was complimentary, but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

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