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Oregon… and Neighbors
June 14 @ 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Few pairings are as pleasing as wine and cheese. The key is finding the right cheeses to go with the right wines. What is indispensable is research on the internet. Also, it is very important to actually taste various cheeses with specific wines.
It’s interesting that certain cheeses go very well with a particular varietal but not with another wine consisting of the same varietal. Case in point is a cheese pairing with two Oregon Pinot Noirs. Not only are they both from the north Willamette Valley but their respective appellations are less than 30 air miles apart.
One wine we’re pouring at our event is an estate pinot from Domaine Drouhin Oregon. It’s from the Dundee Hills AVA. This wine should end the debate as to whether Oregon Pinot Noirs are too light for full enjoyment. The soil in Dundee Hills is deep red, rich in minerals. Geologists call this area “the red hills of Oregon” for good reason.
Light cheeses simply can’t stand up to this full-bodied red. However, we’re pairing it with Gruyere from Switzerland. What a great combination! This big earthy wine needs a big earthy cheese and gets it with Gruyere.
To show the variation of Oregon Pinot Noirs, we are making a comparison with a pinot from the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. This magnificent wine was produced by Ken Wright Cellars. It is elegant, red fruit forward with just the right amount of acidity. This wine has beautiful structure.
If you’re thinking of pairing this wine with Gruyere – don’t. We are pairing this wine with Goat cheese rich with acidity. This combination works remarkably well. You will love it!
It’s great to find a cheese that works well with different wines. Goat cheese is one answer to this challenge. We are also pairing this cheese with Sauvignon Blanc. But not just any; it will be a Stag’s Leap from Napa Valley. Could this be your favorite pairing of the night?
Well, there’s an excellent chance of that, except there will be so many great pairings at this event, it will be difficult to pick your favorite.
It’s a common thought to pair wine and cheese produced from the same area. However, keep in mind this is a guideline, not a hard rule. You shouldn’t think your wine won’t be very good with a cheese from an entirely different area.
Going through my notes from several years ago, I noticed that a consistently great wine and cheese pairing was Cabernet Sauvignon with Piave from Italy. I tried Piave with the two Cabernet Sauvignons we are having at this event. The cabs are from different areas, one from Napa Valley and the other from Walla Walla Valley in Washington. The Napa Cab is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% other Bordeaux varietals. The Washington cab is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. The difference of varietal content and geography didn’t matter. Both cabs were fantastic with Piave.
This event is truly a unique tasting. We are serving five different premium cheeses paired with nine great wines, four white and five red, all from beautiful Oregon…and its neighbors.
Join us at the Hilton Harrisburg on Friday evening, June 14th at 7:00 p.m. for this enjoyable special event. You do not want to miss this one!
Please inform us early of any food sensitivities via email to the Treasurer.
Reservation deadline is Tuesday, June 11th.
Member —$95
Patron —$90
Nonmember —$115
