Cellar Notes
By Condé Cox
This winter, the most quintessentially Oregon wine experience can be found at elevation 7,000 feet—Silcox Hut, on Mount Hood’s southern shoulder. Just a Sno-Cat ride from Timberline Lodge, executive chef Jason Stoller Smith’s (above) Winemaker’s Dinner Series runs through April, featuring a different winemaker each month in the beautifully restored 1939 Works Progress Administration building.
The dinners ($200 a head) are predicated on Stoller Smith’s sous vide cooking method, and will pair his succulent preparations (made with black truffles, wild boar, short ribs, duck, and wagyu beef) with Oregon’s best wines: Bergström, Chehalem, Cristom, Domaine Drouhin Oregon, Lange, Ponzi, and R. Stuart & Co. Older vintages from winery libraries will be featured alongside more recent vintages, explained by the folks who crafted them and warmed by the glow of the Silcox hearth. Here are a few featured bottles that you may be inspired to add to your own collection. —Condé Cox
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Domaine Drouhin Oregon 2008 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $40 This is a crowd pleaser, with ripe berry flavors typical of the outstanding 2008 vintage. Pairs well with roasted poultry. |
Bergström 2008 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir $25 Those who can locate this well-balanced and delicate light-berry expression of our state’s signature wine grape will be rewarded for their shopping prowess. Serve with grilled lighter meats, such as pork tenderloin. |
Bergström 2009 ‘Hyland Vineyard’ Gewürztraminer $28 Gewürz means spice in German, and this old-vine wine has got plenty of charming, warm, clove-like spice notes, with the scent of apricots and honeysuckle. Pairs perfectly with turkey, and should not be missed this holiday season. |
Published: December 2010
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