What a busy
season! There’s so much to tell you
about: Denver, Taste of the Nation, and Bud Break!
The buds are
out! And aren’t they beautiful… Sadly,
this means the super-cute sheep are back on their side of the fence.
But take a
look at our gorgeous cover crop – this is one of the ways that we promote the
good bugs and keep away the bad bugs.
Sustainability never looked so good!
Share our
Strength’s Taste of the Nation was a great event! It’s a fabulous evening of live music, silent
auction packages, and the best food and beverages from around Oregon. Taste of the Nation raises money for
organizations that feed hungry children and work to solve the causes of
childhood hunger. We are proud to
participate in such a wonderful fundraiser.
Andy, Ksandek and I had a great time with the guys from Nuestra Cocina
at the table next to us, because their chicharones with spicy salsa verde went
perfectly with our 2007 Müller-Thurgau.
We got to
swap tastes of delicious rosés with Adelsheim and Elk Cove.
And, of course, we ran into a lot of our industry friends – Simpatica,
Fenouil, Andina, and so many others.
And Denver….
Oh, Denver…
At a
population of almost 600,000, Denver feels strangely like home. Being originally from Reno, Nevada and having
lived in Oregon for almost five years, I find that Denver has interesting
characteristics of both. There are the
mountains to the West, acting as a compass in the flat, high-desert landscape;
the intimate neighborhoods with beautiful green parks; a sense of engagement
with the great outdoors; and a lively nightlife – ranging from ritzy
restaurants and creative bars to cozy neighborhood eateries. Denver (and
Colorado) shares a passion for sustainability and a local-vore mindset that I
have come to truly identify with.
I spent almost
a week in Denver, riding along with Foster Ramsey of Vinture Distributing. On my way into town, I was hesitant at the
sight of condos everywhere and big skyscrapers – and everyone knows the horror
stories of the Denver airport and… SNOW! But Foster put me at ease. The North Carolina native was my fearless
guide, taking me through downtown, the Highlands, Cherry Creek, and a few
surrounding neighborhoods.
Our first
stop was Mile High Wine & Spirits, where Steve carries our 2007 Cuvée
A Amrita along with a great selection of other Oregon wines. Everyone was excited to hear that our Amrita
was one of the winners in the 2009 Pacific Coast Oyster Wine
Competition! After that, we went by Divino Wine & Spirits, an ultra hip and beautifully decorated wine shop,
owned and run by Dave and Dustin, where they picked up our 2007 Cuvée A
Midnight Saignée Rosé of Pinot noir.
Hopefully they’ll include it in their “Pink Tasting,” which I’m sad I’ll
miss.
We had lunch at Venue, in the Highlands, where they’re featuring flights of Anne Amie wines. The food was delicious, the weather was perfect, and the patio is the perfect place to sit and watch. They also do a great Happy Hour, with half price bottles of wine! I strongly recommend the mussels.
We also ate
at the eco-groovy Duo Restaurant.
There is a small, well selected wine list and delicious small
plates. They focus a lot on using local
producers and using sustainable products.
They even have a little asterisk next to wines on their list that were
made using sustainable practices!
My favorite
place was definitely Elway’s at the Ritz-Carlton, where they have our Pinot
Gris. Michael Casey and company have
great wine knowledge, friendly staff, and a raw bar to die for! Did I mention that our Pinot Gris was a
finalist in the Oyster Wine Competition?
And they had it on their Elway’s Seven, which is a list of their
favorite wines that they offer at discounted prices for a limited time. Elway's at Cherry Creek also picked up our 2006 Winemaker's Selection Pinot Noir.
Fruition was also excellent. They had the most incredible Potato-wrapped
Oysters Rockefeller! It’s the only menu
item that has been on there since they opened – they have a great seasonal
menu!
My visit
ended with Mondo Vino, where they offered flights of Anne Amie wines at one of
their very popular Saturday tastings.
I would like
to send BIG thank yous to Foster Ramsey and Vinture Distributing for being so
unbelievably awesome! And a thank you to
whoever read this really long blog. : )
Cheers,
Katie
This blog is fantastic, I hadn't seen any similar before. I have to accept I found it out by a lucky stroke, but I'm impacted with its quality. I hope you continue posting with the same passion you did it here.
Posted by: pharmacy | August 30, 2011 at 02:47 PM
I really like how those farms looks I enjoy my stay there. Specially when there is something nice to eat.
Posted by: Indian Pharmacy | October 13, 2011 at 03:28 PM