Want to learn about Pacific Northwest food and wine?
A good place to do this is 3 Rivers Grill in Hood River, Oregon. It's a beautiful restaurant with stunning views. At night you look out over the town. During the day you can see the Columbia River, with Oregon on one side and Washington on the other. And any time, you can sample delicious regional cuisine.
One example is Pacific halibut almandine, lightly coated with panko and served with a cranberry, citrus and butter sauce. The vegetables on the side include locally-grown asparagus.
Others are pork tenderloin stuffed with Hood River apples, Oregon sole with a lemon, dill and cream sauce and pan-seared fresh Northwest steelhead with a cherry tomato piccata sauce.
The halibut got the most takers when five local wine producers brought their wares to a tasting dinner. The five were Keely Kopetz of Wy'East Vineyards (Wy'East is an indigenous name for Mount Hood), Robert Morus of Phelps Creek Vineyards, Lonnie Wright of The Pines 1852, Jill House of Stave & Stone Wine Estates and Rick Cushman of Viento Wines.
Wine went with every course, even a house salad composed of organic greens, tomatoes, olives, red onions, Gorgonzola and an herb vinaigrette.
The first poured was a Pinot Noir Brut Rosé from The Pines 1852, made according to the traditional French champagne method.
Jill House brought the Stave & Stone Dorothy Pinot Noir Rosé. Dorothy was the grandmother of the founder, and only her female descendants are allowed to stomp the grapes for this wine, she said.
Cushman of Viento Wines helped with the pouring. The window behind Cushman and House looks toward the Columbia River, which is almost hidden by the trees.
Then came Chardonnays from Wy'East and Phelps Creek. That's Mount Hood on the Wy'East label. This winery has a tasting room on Highway 35 outside Hood River, and a place for gatherings high among the vineyards, where the views are spectacular.
Morus of Phelps Creek (above), who poured two Chardonnays, said he is transitioning to 500-liter puncheons for the wine. In these large wooden casks, Chardonnay can stay for an extended time without picking up too much oak, he said. Here he's moved on to the reds that were poured later.
Morus supplied one of several Pinot Noirs, which were nice with Mediterranean pasta, a mix of pasta, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, Parmesan and pesto.
Wines were poured right through dessert. That's when Wright, of The Pines 1852, brought out an Old Vines Zinfandel from a vineyard planted in the late 1800s. It's at the left in the photo. A Wy'East Carménère is at the right.
The desserts were creme brûlée.
And a mixed berry cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream and strawberries.
Overseeing the dinner was 3 Rivers chef Efrem Rivas (above). Jim Dey, who owns the restaurant, has made sure the Northwest is well represented on the wine list, which includes selections from those at the tasting dinner.
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