Crafting the Perfect Cocktail

Learn some fancy bartending skills and impress your friends at the same time. You probably shouldn't expect to come away spinning drinks like Tom Cruise in Cocktail, but your friends will appreciate your fancy new moves nonetheless. And if they're not blown away by your yet undiscovered talent, they'll still be happy you're able to get them drunk in style.

Join Portland master Mixologist James Jackson for a Spring Cocktail Class at Salty's on the Columbia as you learn how to construct four tasty springy beverages. Then, imbibe them alongside the ideal small bites and take home all the recipes to repeat the adventure again and again. All this, and Salty's will throw in the riverfront views to sweeten the experience at no extra cost.

Saturday April 11th.
$45 per person (including gratuity)

Cocktail: Cowboy Up - Bourbon, Galliano, Vermouth
Food Pairing: Crispy pork belly with golden raisin salad

Cocktail: Basil Grape Refresher - Vodka, bitters, Lime Juice, Ginger Ale
Food Pairing: Coconut Clams with Thai Basil

Cocktail: Salty's Sangria
Food Pairing: Cantaloupe Tartar with Dungeness Crab, Charred Jalapeño Fennel, Peach Gastrique

Cocktail: French 75 - Gin, Lime Juice, Contreau, Champagne
Food Pairing: Lemon Ginger Tart with Seasonal Berries

21 and older - Space is limited. 
Call 503-288-4444 to reserve your space.

April is Columbia Gorge Wine Passport Month

Mark your calendars, next month will be the 7th annual Wine Passport event in the Columbia Gorge wine region!   

And though there's plenty to enjoy in the Gorge, you don't even have to make a special trip to be able taste Gorge wines!

Portland Grand Tasting

Friday, April 10, 2015

4pm-7pm

At Castaway Portland

1900 NW 18th Ave. Portland, OR 97209

Tickets are $35 each, including a Passport ($50 value), or $25 without a Passport. Tickets include a souvenir glass and a preview of 23 different wineries along with appetizers from Eat Tray Chic. After last year’s sell-out event, this tasting will be held at a larger space, though tickets are still limited. Tickets availalble at GorgeWine.com.

Other Noteworthy Passport Month Events:

Food & Wine Weekend- April 11th-12th

Celebrate the greatest gift to the palate; the perfect marriage of food and wine.  

Gorge Grapes Weekend- April 18th-19th

Explore what makes the Columbia Gorge Wine Region “A world of wine in 40 miles.”  

Barrel & Reserve Tasting Weekend- April 25th-26th

Discover what makes a reserve wine “Reserve.”  

The Passport offers holders an array of exceptional experiences with wine including opportunities to try special wines, tour cellars and barrel rooms, meet winemakers and more. It's like a VIP ticket to a behind-the-scenes look at Columbia Gorge wineries.

Passports are $25 each and offer a value of over $200 in complimentary, wine experiences, more than 53 exclusive activities and up to 30% discounts on wine and merchandise. Passports are available for purchase at all 24 participating wineries or on GorgeWine.com.

The Game is Afoot!

Here's news of an event that might and should not pass under your radar.

On Sunday, September 7, 2014, from 11:30am-4:30pm , a truly wild event will be taking place outside Portland proper. It might just be a meat orgy! Revered chefs from some of my favorite Portland and Seattle restaurants will be facing off in a culinary competition to see who can produce the best dish using Nicky USA's meat and wild game.

The sensational and unbelievable Portland vs. Seattle match ups include:

Joshua McFadden of Ava Genes (Portland) vs. Shane Ryan of Matt's in the Market (Seattle)
Josh Schofield of Toro Bravo (Portland) vs. Rob Sevcik of Loulay (Seattle)
Jin Soo Yang of Bamboo Sushi (Portland) vs. Jason Stoneburner of Bastille (Seattle)
Jason French of Ned Ludd (Portland) vs. Mike Easton of Il Corvo (Seattle)

The showdown will be taking place at the Wy'east Annex at Timberline lodge. Guests will enjoy samples of each competition dish and vote for the winner while they eat their way through the artisan marketplace featuring products from regional artisan purveyors. For more information about the food sponsors and the extensive list of market participants, visit the Wild About Game website.

Tickets for this unique and guaranteed-to-be-flavorful culinary event will set you back $65 for a whole day of eating pleasure ($75 at the door). Make a weekend of it and join Timberline chef Jason Stoller Smith and last year's winner Aaron Barnett of St. Jack for a pre-game feast on Saturday, Sept 6th, 2014.

Tickets are available here.
For more information about Nicky USA or the event, click here.

Game on! Go Portland!

Behind Every Wine Label Lies a Real Personality

A label is only the surface-level story of the wine. A winemaker’s job, besides making the best wine possible with a given vintage, is often to be the face of the brand. Winemakers attend wine dinners near and far, and participate in market tastings to acquaint potential consumers with their wines. With so many bottles on the shelf to choose from, it’s not easy to develop brand loyalty. Opportunities that allow the winemaker to display his or her personality and create a faithful fan are often what bring people back to the same wines each year. Discovering how a winemaker puts their touch on the wine requires one to look beyond the label on the bottle.

In this two-part series, I will peel back the label to show you how Oregon winemakers pour their heart, soul and personality into each bottle. I’ll start here with some of the female powerhouses of Oregon wine. Read the whole story Behind the Wine Label here…

Get Your Fixe - Cyril’s at Clay Pigeon Winery offers new multi-course lunch menu

Cheese maven Sasha Davies and Michael Claypool are the brains behind Cyrils at Clay Pigeon Winery. One part urban winery, one part cheese-centric restaurant, one part retail outlet, Cyril's is like a one-stop shop for the resident foodies (have we officially retired that word yet?). 

And now they're offering a very special lunch menu.

Release - Cyril’s at Clay Pigeon Winery is introducing their all new three-course lunch prix fixe lunch menu to Portlanders weekly at their small-scale urban winery and tasting room along Portland’s Eastside Industrial Corridor. Called The Fixe, the seasonal, weekly rotating multi-course lunch includes a salad, entrée and either a house made dessert or lunch time pour of wine or beer.

With the menu changing weekly based on seasonal and local availability of produce, pricing for The Fixe can range between $14 to $18. With options like Pork Empanadas & Winter Vegetable Cole Slaw, and Winter Greens Tart with Seedy Spinach Salad, it’s the perfect way to sample Cyril’s approach to fresh, local, organic, seasonable and sustainable dining. The Fixe is available Monday through Friday.

Clay Pigeon Winery is an urban winery producing wines with Oregon Pinot Noir and Syrah grapes. Cyril’s is the gathering place, tasting room, and retail shop set against the backdrop of the winery. Joining a burgeoning urban wine trial through Portland, Cyril’s at Clay Pigeon Winery offers a curated collection on wines, wine-friendly bites, four rotating taps from favorite brewers in Portland and beyond, as well as a tap of Kombucha.

Cyril's at Clay Pigeon Winery

815 SE Oak St
Portland, OR 97214
503.206.7862

info@cyrilspdx.com

Party like it's THIRST Fest 2014

What: Portland’s first LGBTQ Wine, Beer, Spirits Event

When: February 7 & 8, 2014 

Where: at Tiffany Center, Portland

THIRST Fest 2014, a wine, beer and spirits festival supporting the LGBTQ community through a partnership with the Cascade AIDS Project, offers members of the LGBTQ community, their allies and others the opportunity to taste and compare a wide variety of unique beverages while supporting a good cause. 

Friday, February 7th through Saturday February 8th at the Tiffany Center, 1410 SW Morrison, downtown Portland, Oregon.  For advance sales tickets, please go to:

http://portland.strangertickets.com/events/13003818

THIRST Fest 2014 will introduce members of the LGBTQ community to some of the newest alcoholic beverages hitting the glass. The two-day event at Portland’s Tiffany Center will feature beverage and cocktail sampling, cocktail competitions and a chance for members of the LGBTQ community to influence its own latest trends in mixology. More than 40 craft distilleries, craft breweries and select wineries will be participating.

Taste samples, talk with local and national winemakers, craft distillers and brewers, and watch Portland’s top bartender’s battle for the 1st Annual THIRST Fest Battle of the Bartenders Cup. Local celebrity judges will decide which bartender will reign supreme, and attendees will be able to taste each competitor’s unique creations after they have left the stage. A full service, OLCC licenses liquor outlet will be available to sell distilled spirits, wine and beer at the show.  

Ticket Cost per person: 

$ 20.00 on-line advance sales*   http://portland.strangertickets.com/events/13003818

$ 25.00 at the door*


Hours: 

Friday, February 7th, 5pm-10pm
                                                

Saturday,  February 8th, 4pm - 10pm



* Admission PLUS! 
With paid admission, attendees receive 10 free drink tokens. (Additional tokens will be available for purchase.) 


For more information go to: www.THIRSTFest.com. 
Find them on Facebook: THIRST Fest

Cascade AIDS Project/CAP is the largest and oldest AIDS Service Organization serving Oregon and Washington. With a $5.1 million budget, they strive to prevent HIV infections, support and empower people infected and affected by HIV/AIDs, all while eliminating HIV/AIDS-related stigma. In the past year, CAP served over 1,800 HIV-positive clients and provided HIV counseling and testing to more than 3,000 Washington and Oregon residents as well sent children to Camp KC, a week-long camp for kids impacted by the disease. Their housing program provided stable housing for more than 600 individuals in the last year.

Tease your Tastebuds and Wrap Your Tongue Around This…

A Portland summer just wouldn’t be the same without experiencing the Best of Oregon Food and Wine Festival, and this weekend you can help support the Oregon Food Bank by drinking and tasting some of Oregon’s best offerings at the 4th annual charity extravaganza taking place at Meriwether National Golf Course on Saturday, August 4th, from 3:00-8:00pm. Over 40 local restaurants, world-class wineries, premier brewers and distilleries will be lined up to knock you over with their very best.

Seize the chance to experience Oregon’s finest with grand brands like Archery Summit, Van Duzer and Willakenzie Estates, as well as an opportunity to discover virtually unknown wines from artisan producers like Omero Cellars and one of my new favorites, Kandarian Wine Cellars. Even Southern Oregon will be representing; break out of the Pinot Noir box and sip Merrill Cellars Cotes du Rogue and enjoy southern belle Abacela, who hopefully comes armed with Albarino. Restaurants such as Allium Bistro, Pazzo, the intriguing Theorem and Dundee newcomer Paulee are prepared to dazzle you with mouthwatering goodness while crowd-pleasers like Republic of Jam will jam you over with their jamtastic creations. The list of participants goes on and on, you’ll have to see and taste all it for yourself. Believe.

While the main festival takes place this Saturday, you can take advantage of Friday activities as well. There promises to be something for everyone as unique culinary cultural event provides party-goers with options for celebration. For golfers, a charity golf tournament takes place on Friday, August 3rd. Prizes will be awarded to the foursome with the best score as well as the longest drive and closest to the pin. Event sponsor, Kuni BMW will award a three-year lease to the first to get a hole-in-one on a designated hole. Put together your dream team and tee off at 2:00 pm following the shotgun start, then stick around for the cocktail party which follows at 6:00 pm. Or, skip the tourney all together, and even the main event, and just enjoy Friday night cocktails as the sun sets across the course. Individual ticket options are available for any and all activities.

Attendees will receive a commemorative glass and enjoy entertainment from Grammy-nominated artist Patrick Lamb. There's still time to purchase your tickets… culinary genius awaits you.

Dates and Times:
8/3/12: Golf Tournament and Cocktail Party

Golf Tournament tees off at 2:00 pm

Cocktail Party starts at 6:00 pm

8/4/12: 

Food & Wine Festival 

3:00-8:00 pm

Location:

Meriwether National Golf Course

5200 SW Rood Bridge RdHillsboro, OR 

Ticket Prices:

Tournament, Cocktail Party and Festival: $110.00

Tournament Only: $80

Cocktail Party Only: $25

Festival Only: $45

Love Oregon Wine?

In Oregon, besides daffodils and cherry blossoms, spring is the time when wine events are in full bloom. It seems like there’s one popping up practically every weekend! So, if you’re trying to narrow down your list of events you must attend, I suggest you keep this one at the top.

With the sad (but hopefully temporary) disappearing act of the crowd-pleaser Portland Indie Food and Wine Festival, Unwine’d will making its inaugural debut with a bang at the end of this month. On April 29^th, from 3-6pm, approximately 100 wineries and 14 restaurants will gather together at the Left Bank Annex for a tasting not soon to be forgotten.

The "A" list alone includes recognizable heavy hitters like Adelsheim, Archery Summit, Anne Amie and Anam Cara, or find new loves sipping the goods from boutique wineries such as Angel Vine, Amelie Robert and Andrew Rich, just to name a few. Check out the extensive list of participants and you’ll understand why this is one event you definitely shouldn’t miss!

And if the impressive array of wine isn’t enough reason to attend, notable local restaurants including Allium Bistro, Blue Hour, Davis Street Tavern, Park Kitchen, Terrace Kitchen, Joel Palmer House and many more will be on hand serving culinary creations sure to enhance the flavors of these wines.

If learning’s your thing, visit the wine education stations to increase your wine knowledge. You’ll also take home a souvenir wine glass and can purchase bottles you just can't live without from the event’s wine store.

Thanks to the Oregon Wine Board, I’m offering one of my readers the chance to win 2 tickets to THE Oregon wine event of the year. And I’ll make it really easy for you by providing multiple ways to enter. Increase your chances of winning by entering each way. Do all three and earn yourself three entries into the contest! You have until Friday, April 13th (your lucky day) to enter. The winner will be chosen at random and announced on Saturday, April 14th.

1.  Simply comment on this blog about your favorite producer or the one that interests you the most. Include your name and email address so I can track you down when you win.

2.  Visit the Sip with Me Facebook page, like it while you’re there (you know I like you!), and comment on the post with your favorite Oregon producer or the one you’re just dying to taste.

3.  Tweet all about it. Copy and use this following phrase when Tweeting and BAM!, you’ll be entered to win.

I love #OregonWine! Enter to WIN 2 tickets to @Unwined_ORWine from @sipwithme! http://ow.ly/a69As #wine — Please RT

Discover Local Spirits at this Year's TOAST

On Saturday and Sunday, April 28^th and 29^th, Portland will raise its shot glass to welcome the second annual TOAST event. The Oregon Artisan Spirit Tasting, taking place on the Sky Bridge level of the World Trade Center, is the largest craft spirit tasting in the country. Featuring over 55 distillers, the event will focus on the local craft spirit scene, with infusions from the national and international level as well.

Small producers will be pouring over 100 different hand-crafted spirits, giving guests the opportunity to taste every thing from A to Z… well A to W (Absinthe to Whiskey). Diversity and quality will be strongly represented, with nearly every spirit category available to taste, but the key word here is really quality. See for yourself how these locally crafted products speak for themselves and why you’ll never want to buy a bottle of generic liquor again.

Not only are the potent potions pleasingly potable, they’re also plain old smart. You can now enjoy a potpourri of inebriants and feel good about it the next day because buying these products promotes jobs in Oregon and pumps money into the local economy. You’ll know you’ve done your part to keep money in this state by supporting local producers and agriculture all the while minimizing your carbon footprint buying products that haven’t been shipped across the country or across the oceans to get here.

Top bartenders will be showing off their techniques, talking art and science as they blend the distillations to your liking in the Mix Lounge. In addition to imbibing the artisan spirits in ways you never thought possible, you’ll discover the pro’s secrets for creating unique cocktails which you can use to impress your friends at your next party. If that’s not enough, you’ll find complementary memorable recipe cards from each producer to create your own library of local libations. But that's not all you can take home. This year, for the first time in Oregon, the OLCC is making it easy for you to buy what you like by allowing guests to purchase bottles, condiments and bar accessories at the event's Bottle Shop.

TOAST will be open from 3-8pm, April 28-29, with a $49 admission price at the door that includes spirit and cocktail samples, a logo souvenir glass and a light buffet to absorb some of that alcohol. Save a couple bucks and purchase your tickets online in advance for only $40 or indulge in a weekend of intoxicants for a mere $75. 

Be safe and avoid the hassle of calling a cab. Hotel Fifty and the Downtown Marriott Hotel are offering a special rate of just $119/night for those who might anticipate a little overindulgence and want to make a better plan in advance. Contact them for reservations. TOAST is sponsored and presented by The Oregonian, KINK FM, KXL FM News and the Oregon Distillers Guild.

And just in case you were wondering, the event is restricted to those 21 and over with a valid ID.

Metrovino… Top-Notch Wine Bar, Enticing Restaurant or a Whole Lot of Both?

Metrovino, located in Portland’s upscale and uber-trendy Pearl district, is a
serious restaurant first and an excellent winebar second. Or, is that serious wine bar first, and an excellent restaurant second? Actually, they’d both be correct. Go for the food, go for the wine, either way you’re sure to leave satisfied.

Co-owner and manager Todd Steele, moved to Portland from San Francisco bringing his love of food and wine with him. While working for Agrivino Wine Center, he learned about the Enomatic wine systems and a seed was planted. He nurtured the dream and in 2009, Metrovino took root in Portland’s Pearl District.

The Enomatic (invented in Tuscany in 2002) is a state-of-the-art wine preservation and serving system that eliminates waste, provides portioned-controlled servings, with an option for Wine Card technology, including software to create unique business solutions for customers. Metrovino’s bar features seven highly charged, temperature-controlled, argon-charged machines, that keeps great wines fresh for weeks, allowing the option to sell over 90 rare and unusual wines (including sparkling wine) by the taste (1.75 oz), glass (5.25 oz) or bottle, enabling near-limitless options for food and wine pairings. Glasses of wine range in price from $6-$60.

Recently, Metrovino’s Double Cheeseburger was selected by Willamette Week as Portland’s #1 Bistro Burger (out of 72 sampled), but Chef Gregory Denton, named The Oregonian's "chef to watch" in 2009, makes a lot more than just a mean burger. The refined yet rustic New American menu reflects a history of cooking, traveling and eating, incorporating Asian, Scandanavian and Northwest influences.

Check out the nightly five-course tasting menu, with seasonal favorites and wine flights. For more information and reservations, please call 503-517-7778 or visit www.metrovinopdx.com. For more updates, look for Metrovino on Twitter at @metrovino and Facebook at MetrovinoPDX. Try the food, try the wine. With award-winning food and some of the world’s finest wine at your fingertips, it’s an adventurous restaurant AND wine bar sure to make it onto your list of favorites.

Get Your Tickets Now for the Best of Oregon Food & Wine Festival

Keep it local…is the message. The Best of Oregon Food & Wine Festival features the very best of Oregon's culinary culture with world class wineries and celebrated food artisans.

Don't miss the 2nd Annual “Best of Oregon” Food & Wine Festival, scheduled for Saturday, August 14, from 5:00– 9:00 p.m. at the fabulously elegant Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club in Aloha, Oregon.

Showcasing the very best of Oregon's culinary culture – 30 world class wineries and 20 food artisans will be presenting their goods for one night only. Tickets to the main festival are $30.00 pre-sale and $35.00 at the door and wines will be available for purchase!!

Addtionally, the program includes a golf tournament prior to the festival. The tournament will be offered to a limited number of participants at an entry fee of $150 per person and includes access to all the day's  festivities. Kuni BMW is donating a brand new BMW for a “hole in one” prize!

Best of Oregon aims to support and promote Oregon's local economy by encouraging patrons to support the local festival vendors. A portion of the proceeds from the golf tournament, sponsorships and festival fees, along with 100% of door prize ticket sales will benefit Doernbecher Children's Hospital Foundation.

Check out the line-up of food and wine and then purchase your tickets today, visit www.bestoforegonfoodandwine.com! Contact Claudia Bowers at praviawines@gmail.com for more information.