14 OREGON WINE TOURING GUIDE While Oregon’s wines are among the state’s most well-traveled agricultural exports, they are also a reflection of a robust edible ecosystem. As autumn harvest season gets underway, wild blackberries grow in the hedgerows and riparian areas that surround manicured vineyards. Orchards on the opposing hillsides are bountiful with apples, pears, plums and hazelnuts. Salmon and steelhead swim in rivers fed by the same rains that water the vines. In the intervening forests, wild mushrooms sprout from the vast mycelial network that also supports healthy vineyard soils. These connections between agriculture, wild places, the edible and the wines of Oregon stretch throughout the state and encompass the entirety of the seasons. Tasting rooms serve sips year-round alongside locally made cheeses, breads made from locally milled flour and jams bursting with Oregon’s abundant berries. Restaurants revel in serving buttery Dungeness crab with Oregon’s bright Chardonnay. Even tasting notes reflect these connections — savory mushroom, cherry- red fruits, the flintiness of a Pacific oyster and the musky aroma of the earth itself. And the best way to truly appreciate the dynamic flavors they have to offer is to enjoy them alongside something to eat. As the old saying goes, what grows together goes together. Oregon wines paired with foods that come from the same soil teach us more about both and allow us to appreciate the pleasures of Oregon wine country all the more. PORTLAND For food and wine enthusiasts, there’s no place quite like Portland. Much of the city’s culinary spirit has been shaped by the family farms and elegant vineyards that grew up around it. Add in the nearby forests brimming with wild mushrooms and the bountiful sea and rivers, and the ingredients available throughout the year are nothing short of inspiring. “The valley’s climate and tilth have given life to an unparalleled bounty for the kitchen and the barrel,” says Greg Higgins. When the chef opened Higgins in 1994, he quickly formed connections with the nearby winemakers — many still deliver their small-batch bottles directly to his door. In summer his chilled melon soup offers a refreshing match for one of the state’s crisp and citrusy sparkling wines. Come autumn the restaurant celebrates with a special forest-mushroom dinner featuring dishes like mushroom cappuccino and crispy goat-cheese pies with truffles and porcini — together offering a dreamy duet for the state’s earthy Pinot noirs and savory Syrah. At the wine-driven restaurant Arden, executive chef Erik Van Kley builds his dishes with adventurous wine pairings in mind. The wine list often highlights offbeat varieties and the state’s tiny, upstart producers. For example, Oregon Nebbiolo — rare, unexpected and delightful. Van Kley recently paired this ethereal red wine with a dish of seared Oregon albacore, heirloom tomatoes and a blistered shishito relish. “The pure-red fruit from Cameron Winery’s Nebbiolo perfectly matches the blistered peppers, smoked dashi, and the sweetness of the tomato and albacore,” says Van Kley. Other producers with a soft spot for this iconic Italian varietal include Remy Wines, Montinore Estate and DANCIN Vineyards. For exquisite unions at one of the city’s most romantic spots, Quaintrelle always delivers. Chef de cuisine Elijah Rivers makes an unctuous egg-yolk raviolo with chanterelles, hazelnuts, rosemary, brown butter and truffle that’s an aha moment when tasted with the state’s signature Pinot noir. He finds the earthiness of the mushrooms, the fat of the yolk and the complex salt from the Parmesan all play so well with Pinot. The chef also highlights the state’s sea-kissed oysters (creatively dressed with nuoc cham, fermented chilies, peach and shishito granita) with a wine geek’s dream, Maloof Wines’ Gewürztraminer, made by a husband-and-wife team with a penchant for aromatic white wines. Another fun pairing for the chef, this match shines because the Gewürtz has great acidity and structure that accentuates the vibrant medley of flavors rather than competing with them. One of the most iconic ingredients in the state is the glorious chinook salmon from the Oregon Coast. “It’s impeccable with Pinot and morels,” says Gregory Smith of Noble Rot. He often grills the salmon with herbs harvested from the rooftop garden along with zucchini agrodolce and hakurei turnips. “Serving Oregon’s bounty and beauty on the plate and in the glass can be transformative,” he says. Dungeness crab JEREMY BURKE / OREGON COAST VISITOR ASSOCIATION
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