You're in Portland. You've never been there. You want to taste great Oregon wines and eat great Oregon food. But you're in town for one night only. How can you do this?
No worries, it's easy. Just two places will provide everything you need, one for wine and appetizers, the other for dinner. If you can't get to both, no problem. Either offers a good overview of Oregon wine and food.
Start out downtown at the wine bar of Park Avenue Fine Wines. There, you can tastes wines by the glass, flight or bottle and food created by Portland celebrity chef Karl Holl of Spatzle & Speck.
Here's a sample of what Park Avenue partner and sommelier Stacey Gibson (above) might recommend drinking:
For bubbly, try Maison Jussiaume Blanc de Blancs 2016, made from Chardonnay grapes in Southern Oregon's Rogue Valley. That's what she's pouring in the photo. Then Soter Vineyards North Valley Pinot Noir Rosé 2018 from the Willamette Valley.
Next, a Chardonnay such as the 2016 Flâneur Cuvée Constantin, also from the Willamette Valley. Only 245 cases of this wine were made. It's in the glass above, through which you can see a lively Friday night gathering.
A red choice would be Brittan Vineyards 2014 Basalt Block Pinot Noir from the McMinnville AVA (American Viticultural Area).
Meanwhile, nibble on crispy Oregon bay shrimp with sweet onions, sultanas, hazelnuts--and flowers.
And an asparagus salad with arugula, parsley, fried bread bits and smoked buttermilk at the bottom.
On this plate, sautéed cauliflower mingles with nuts, raisins, couscous and strands of agretti, a seasonal succulent, in a miso vinaigrette with black garlic aioli.
There's much more on the wine bar menu, from oysters to anise hyssop panna cotta, so you could turn a visit there into dinner. When you're done, browse the enormous wine selection, which will give you a good feel for what Oregon produces.
Park Avenue Fine Wines, 626 SW Park Ave., Portland, OR 97205. (503) 914-5595. Open Monday through Saturday.
Now move on to Oui! Wine Bar + Restaurant at the Southeast Wine Collective. Here, start-up winemakers rent facilities to make wine, and there's plenty of it to taste.
Oui is a fun, casual place, with patio dining when it's comfortable outside. Above, Tom Monroe of Division Wine Making Company, which founded the place, explains the winemaking operation.
Chef Althea Grey Potter (above with Monroe) provides creative contemporary food.
This is curried cashew hummus with pickled raisins, garbanzos, mint, onions and lentil crackers.
A lettuce salad comes with soft-boiled eggs, turnips, furikake crunch, ponzu-pickled onions and ginger-miso ranch dressing. The wine Gamine is a 2018 Grenache from the Applegate Valley in southern Oregon, produced and bottled by Division Winemaking Company.
A roasted half chicken is smothered with farm greens. On the side are fingerling potatoes. Goat cheese and black garlic vinaigrette pump up the flavors.
This bowl of clams comes with tomato chile broth, garbanzos and garlic toast.
Shrimp and grits Northwest style has Cheddar grits at the bottom topped with garlic butter shrimp and smoked pickled onions, seasoned with espelette pepper and Old Bay.
On this plate are smoked pork rillettes, honey mustard, pickles and marionberry jam.
Wine choices include an Oregon Gamay Noir from Division Winemaking that is influenced by the Beaujolais region of France.
Here is a Gewürztraminer from the Columbia Gorge.
And a Dolcetto, also from the Columbia Gorge.
And a Chardonnay, because it pairs so well with the food.
These dishes and the wines that accompanied them were part of a dinner with Oregon winemakers, but you can order them yourself to eat in the restaurant or at a bar in the winemaking area.
Oui! Wine Bar & Restaurant, 2425 SE 35th Place, Portland, OR 97214. (503) 208-2061. Open Wednesday through Monday.
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