Whenever I think of summer camp, I remember that time I was a camp counselor for a Girl Scout Camp back in the 1980s. The heat, mosquitos, bugs, spiders, wildlife, getting pranked, no sleep … it just wasn’t for me! I was that person wheezing and with a runny nose all summer 😂! But when I heard that our friend Jacob was going to Pinot Camp, I was intrigued – a wine camp for adults to learn about Pinot Noir? In Oregon?? Who knew that Pinot Camp was a thing??
It was a great honor for Jacob, as well as It’s All About Wine, to be selected to attend this prestigious camp. The workshops gave Jacob access to some of the leading winemakers and staff in Willamette Valley, Oregon. Lucky for all of us he came back with an abundance of knowledge about what makes Oregon Pinot Noirs (and Chardonnays) so special.
When I heard that Jacob was doing an Oregon Wine Seminar for Wine School Wednesday, and that Ashley was making the food, I was the first person to sign up! If you don’t know Ashley, she also works at It’s All About Wine and has an extensive knowledge about wine and food. She provides most of the food for the wine club pick-up parties, and the pairings of the food and wine are just perfect! A lot of thought and effort goes into it. As a side note, she also writes the food column for the Illinois Times – she is legit!
This event was a little different than the traditional Wine School Wednesday events – more food, more wine, which means (of course) a higher price. If you are a Wine Club Member, it was $65 to attend; if not, it was $75. Well worth it in my opinion!
So what makes Oregon wines so good?
- Marine sedimentary soils – excellent drainage and retains moisture;
- Volcanic influences – unique mineral compositions and good drainage properties (this should sound familiar to those who attended the Bievuma Wine Tasting);
- Loess deposits – well-drained soils with good moisture retention;
- Terroir variability – diverse geology; and
- Elevation and slopes
All of these elements create a favorable environment for wine production in the Willamette Valley, especially for cooler climate wines like Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. This region is on the same parallel as the Bordeaux and Burgundy wine regions in France, which is good for us 😊.
We started the night off with a Dry Riesling from Lemelson Vineyards. The grapes were grown on their Dundee Hills AVA vineyard. I’m generally not a fan of Rieslings, but I LOVED this wine! It was bright, fresh, and just delicious!
Our first food course was Vegetables with Lemon Whipped Ricotta. The food was served “family style” at each table, and we had enough to go around. The wines paired with the food was just divine!
Lemon Whipped Ricotta
1 pound fresh whole milk ricotta
Zest of one lemon, plus juice to taste
2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
A pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
Up to 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, chives, basil
Crushed black pepper to serve
Place the ricotta, lemon zest, olive oil and red pepper in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the herbs and pulse briefly to combine. Season to taste with salt and lemon juice as needed. Garnish with more olive oil, chopped herbs freshly crushed pepper
The Brooks Pinot Blanc from Willamette Valley and the Eyrie Pinot Gris from Dundee Hills were paired with this course.
Brooks has been growing vines for 50 years, and making wines for 25 years. Brooks was also named the 28th best vineyard in the world for 2023- one of only two vineyards in the U.S. to receive this honor. So what is a Pinot Blanc? It is a white grape mutation of Pinot Noir. Another delicious wine that paired very will with the vegetables and dip.
Founded in 1966 by David Lett, Eyrie Vineyards was one of the pioneering wineries in the Willamette Valley. Lett planted the first Pinot Noir vines in the region and is often referred to as the “Papa Pinot” of Oregon. Pinot Gris is a pinkish grape mutation of Pinot Noir. This wine had nice acidity and balance.
On to the second course, where we were served an amazing Smoked Salmon Spread. We ate it all, then went around to other tables to see if they had any left 😁.
Smoked Salmon Spread
8-10 ounces hot smoked salmon
8 ounces cream cheese
Zest and juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon old bay seasoning, to taste
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped herbs, such as chives or dill, optional
Combine all ingredients except herbs in a food processor and process until smooth. Add herbs and pulse briefly to combine. Adjust seasoning as needed. Chill thoroughly before serving.
This course was paired with two Chardonnays – one from Shea Wine Cellars and one from Winderlea.
Shea Vineyard was first planted to wine grapes in the late 1980s. They mostly grow Pinot Noir – only around six acres of their 155 acre vineyard is planted in Chardonnay. And 80% of the Pinot Noir grapes grown by Shea Vineyards are sold to some of the finest winemakers in Oregon and California. The rest is used by Shea Wine Cellars to produce outstanding Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. We all thought this wine was perfect with the Smoked Salmon Spread.
Winderlea farms 42 acres of grapes that they use to make their outstanding wines, and purchase the rest of the grapes they need from the community of farmers in the area, to include Shea Vineyards. I have had this wine many times and I love it!
Our table was split on which wine was better with the Smoked Salmon Spread. We thought the Winderlea Chardonnay brought out the lemon in the Smoked Salmon Spread, and both were great examples of a luscious, balanced Chardonnay.
For the third (and main) course we were served Pork Tenderloin with Cherry Mostarda.
Don’t sleep on this Cherry Mostarda recipe! It was sooooo delicious and went very well with the pork, and could also be used on other meats or cheese (think blue cheese here). I don’t know how Ashley did it (since I find it hard to do if I’m making it just for us), but all of the tenderloins were moist, juicy, perfectly cooked, and still warm!
The course was paired with two Pinot Noirs, one from Lemelson Vineyards and one from Johan Vineyards. Both of these wines paired perfectly with the pork tenderloin.
Lemelson Vineyards uses organic farming methods and an innovative gravity-flow winery to realize their dream of producing some of the finest Pinot Noir. Tasting notes from our table included great bouquet, cherry, flavor, and nice body.
Johan Vineyard is a certified Biodynamic estate winery within the Van Duper Corridor AVA. It is so interesting to taste from wineries that are not far apart (27 miles), both using organic farming and sustainable practices, to see the differences in the wine. Our table thought this wine was brighter, lighter, and smoother, with tastes of raspberry and cherry coming through.
We finished that tasting with Hazelnut Shortbread with Chocolates. It was a perfect way to end the tasting! Two Pinot Noirs – one from Winderlea and one from Shea Wine Cellars – were the perfect pairing for this course.
Winderlea Pinot Noir was what we considered a “classic” Oregon Pinot Noir – perfectly balanced, savory hints along with cherry fruit. It was very delicious!
Shea Wine Cellars Pinot Noir was darker and more full-bodied, and equally as good! I would drink either of these wines (and I will 😁).
Such a fun night! I love to see my friends Jacob and Ashley putting their talents for food and wine on display, and I’m looking forward to more fun events like this one at It’s All About Wine. Cheers!
Tales From The Wine Store 