Oregon Bubbles Over With Fun

For one week only, Oregon celebrates sparkling wine with the second annual Bubbles Week 2014. This year, it's May 4th - May 11th. I say, why just a week? Why not Bubbles Month? Bubbles Year? Ok, my bubble bursts, it's only for a week. But what a gloriously fizzy week. With events all over Portland featuring Argyle sparkling wines paired with everything from oysters to tapas and from dinner to dessert, there's something for everyone.

All Week May 4-11, 2014

• Library sparkling wine tasting in the Argyle Tasting Room
• Bubbles happy hour menu at The Parish and EaT: An Oyster Bar (M-Su)
• Bubbles pairing menu at Bar Avignon (M-F)
• Special Argyle glass pour at Ambonnay (M-Sa)
• Complementary pours in the Portland Opera VIP Lounge
• Tastings at Zupan’s, New Seasons and Fred Meyer stores

Sunday, May 4

• Bubbles cocktail workshop at Raven & Rose. Mixings with Sparkling Wine featuring Argyle Bubbles. Ticket includes four cocktails and a light snack. (20 tickets, $50 per person, 3 p.m.)
• All day happy hour menu at The Bent Brick

Monday, May 5

• Bubbles pairing dinner at Park Kitchen (6 p.m., $80 per person + gratuity, limit 16 guests, call 503-223-7275 for reservations)
• Sunflower salad with cheddar crisps and trumpet mushrooms
• Lamb sausage, rhubarb pickles and shallots
• Blackened steelhead trout, toasted barley dashi, pea shoots
• Buttermilk panna cotta, rhubarb, toasted butter 

Tuesday, May 6

•  Encore! A bubbles and desserts pairing competition at Union/Pine where five of Portland’s top dessert maestros will compete for the best dessert as judged by ticket holders. Ticket holders will enjoy five desserts and five paired Argyle sparkling wines (200 tickets, $25 per person, 7:30-9 p.m.). Featuring:
• Petunia's Pies & Pastries
• Pix Patisserie
• Raven & Rose
• Salt & Straw
•  Xocolatl de David
• Bubbles pairing dinner at The Bent Brick (6 p.m., $80 per person + gratuity, limit 16 guests, call 503-688-1655 for reservations)
• Butter poached halibut, pocha beans, nettle puree, pickled ginger, country ham
• Agnolutti, nettles, toasted filberts, house made ricotta
• Payne Family pork, early morels, sheboygen style bratwurst, bread pudding
• Rhubarb crisp, cornmeal & filbert topping 

Wednesday, May 7

• Shucked! An Oyster mignonette and  bubbles pairing competition at Union Pine where five of Portland’s top chefs will compete for the best dressed oyster as judged by ticket holders. Ticket holders will enjoy five oysters and five paired Argyle sparkling wines (200 tickets, $25 per person, 6-8 p.m.). Featuring:
•  The Parish - Ethan Powell
• Andina - Hank Costello
•  Imperial - Benjamin Bettinger
• DOC - Brian Scibetta
• Branch Whiskey Bar - Scott Shampine
•  Bubbles tasting at Urban Farmer
• Bubbles pairing at Cia Vito: Shrimp, Squid & Manilla Clams on the plancha tossed with preserved Meyer lemon, pickled peppers, mint and toasted almonds. Paired with Argyle Vintage Brut. (W-Su) 

Thursday, May 8

• Complementary Argyle bubbles tasting at The Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg (6:30-7:30 p.m.)
• Bubbles pairing menu at Bar Avignon
• Pre-performance bubbles tasting at Portland Center Stage’s production of “Othello” (7:30 p.m., for Othello ticket holders only)

Friday, May 9

• Limited edition Argyle Brut Mimosa Sherbert at Salt & Straw (F-Su)
• Library magnum tasting at Ambonnay (5-7 p.m.)
• Complimentary bubbles pours in the Portland Opera VIP Lounge at Fri and Sunday performances
• Portland Bubbles Week Wine Dinner at Wilf’s (6:30 p.m., $80 per person, call 503-223-0070 by May 6 for reservations)
• 2010 Argyle Vintage Brut with Grilled radicchio, melted brie, balsamic, crostini
• 2011 Argyle Chardonnay with Wilf's Dungeness crab meat, Oregon bay shrimp, romaine
• 2010 Argyle Brut Rosé with Caramelized onion, roasted cauliflower and Rogue gorgonzola tart, spring pea coulis
•  2011 Nuthouse Pinot Noir with Double R Ranch filet mignon, spring vegetables
• Chef's cheese plate, assorted cookies, dried fruit and nuts

Saturday, May 10

• Bubbles & Tapas: Enjoy a free tapa with every glass of Argyle sparkling wine purchased at Bar Vivant (Sat-Sun all day)

Sunday, May 11 – Mother’s Day

• Special Edition Mother’s Day Tea with Argyle Bubbles at PIX Patisserie: Special selection of 10 sweet and savory bite-sized treats, a pot of Townsend’s Tea and a glass of Argyle 2010 Brut for $30. Plus, a special kid’s version of six sweet and savory treats with non-alcoholic beverage of their choice will be offered for $16. ($30; $16 for kids version)
•  Bubbles tasting in the Rookery (11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.) and bubbles cocktails for Mother’s Day brunch and dinner at Raven & Rose (call 503-222-7673 for more info and reservations)
•  Oysters and bubbles special at EaT: An Oyster Bar

Some events are already sold out. If your interested in joining in the fun, tickets for the week's events can be found at http://www.pdxbubbles.com/. 

Use the hashtag #pdxbubbles to share your photos and virtually toast with your friends. Hope to see you there, we can raise our glasses in celebration of Oregon bubbles. Let's bubble over together.

Big News From Argyle Winery

Press Release:

ARGYLE REBRANDS, SETS STAGE FOR FUTURE GROWTH

Winery Expands Production as Next Generation Winemaker Takes the Reins 

DUNDEE, Ore. – Nov. 14, 2013 – For the first time in its 26-year history, Argyle Winery is unveiling new labels that set a dramatic tone for the winery’s products and better visually connect its award-winning sparkling and still wines under a unified brand. In response to and in anticipation of future growth, the company is also expanding production with the purchase of a larger facility as Nate Klostermann assumes the day-to-day head winemaking role under the watch of founding winemaker Rollin Soles.

Branding Conveys Argyle’s Quality

Elegant and contemporary, the winery’s new labels reflect the attention to detail in Argyle’s winemaking as well as offer customers better visual cues for choosing wines from the trusted brand.

Argyle’s clean new look and progressive series approach make wine selection easy:

• Wines with a single diamond on the label are part of the Grower Series, paying tribute to Argyle’s history as growers first, farming more than 400 acres in the Willamette Valley.
• Wines with two diamonds distinguish the Artisan Series, which features select wines representing the best examples of the specific craft of Argyle’s viticulture and winemaking for sparkling and still wines.
•  Wines with three diamonds signify the Master Series, simply Argyle’s best wines – only the rarest, most age-worthy wines made in small quantities often from single vineyards. 

“For the first time since our humble beginning, we are introducing new packaging that conveys Argyle’s quality,” said Chris Cullina, Argyle’s director of sales and marketing. “The naming series is based on the story of our land, people and tradition of winemaking, and the new graphics help consumers distinguish our different wines at first sight.”

Response to the new labels from distributors and key accounts has been overwhelmingly positive. They welcome the heightened sophistication and believe the packaging’s elegance and refinement rings true to the nature of Argyle’s wines.

New Production Facility For Maintaining Quality

Starting in 2014, Argyle will house its winemaking and cellaring operations in a new facility in Newberg, Ore., that allows the winery to maintain its sparkling wine production while providing room for growth.

“As the popularity of our sparkling wine has grown, so has our need for more space,” said Klostermann. “Bottle fermenting all of our sparkling wines, allowing them to age on proprietary yeasts for three to 10 years, requires more room.”

The new production facility, housed in a former manufacturing building, keeps with Argyle’s tradition of repurposing existing buildings and will allow the winery to continue expanding production from its current capacity of 50,000 cases. The popular tasting room will remain in the historic Victorian farmhouse that previously was Dundee’s town hall.

Collaboration Continues

Nate Klostermann assumed the role of head winemaker in February 2013 after eight years under the mentorship of founding winemaker Rollin Soles. An enologist respected for his acute palate and attention to detail, Klostermann is a recognized expert in blending still and complex sparkling wines. Soles will continue working with Klostermann on viticulture and winemaking, signing off on all wines before they are bottled. Klostermann also collaborates with vineyard manager Allen Holstein and his staff of skilled vineyard stewards, many who have been with the company for more than 20 years.

Argyle has been handcrafting fine wines since 1987, when it was founded to produce ‘method champenoise,’ vintage sparkling wine in Oregon. Today, Argyle not only produces some of the finest vintage American sparkling wines, it also crafts world-class Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling. Its wines are available at the fine restaurants, wine shops and select grocers, as well as online. For more information, go to www.argylewinery.com.

Contact: Matthew Domingo

(503) 231-3086

matthew@maxwellpr.com