A Night of Fantastic Italian Cuisine in Sisters, Oregon

November 1, 2007

By Leigh Brown
Leigh's Wine Buzz

I lived in Florence, Italy, one summer in college, learning about art and culture. Study soon dropped low on the totem pole when I discovered Italian food and wine. On weekend trips to small restaurants in Tuscany and other parts of Italy, we feasted on boar, pasta, rabbit and rich desserts, washing it all down with Grappa and Limoncello.

During too many trips daily to the gellateria down the street from our pensione, I closed my eyes from the sheer joy of hazelnuts, melon, strawberry and coconut in cream. At summer’s end, though ready to go home, I despaired that I might never taste such exquisite food again. A food-fussy child, I had never imagined eating rabbit, especially since I had a pet one. Italy was an awakening.

Continue reading "A Night of Fantastic Italian Cuisine in Sisters, Oregon"

The Undiscovered Country: Part II

July 24, 2007

By Leigh Brown
Leigh's Wine Buzz

This week's wine blog is a continuation of Leigh's Wine Buzz: The Undiscovered Country. Read on to hear part two of Leigh's adventure in Lane County. Cheers!

Across the way, one gets a glimpse of the sloping hills that brought out about the name, Sweet Cheeks Winery. The tasting room looks over Crow Valley, hence the Crow on their label. They recently acquired Mark Nicholl, an Australian, to be their new winemaker. They are most definitely a lucky bunch to have this Aussie on board. Mark was kind enough to give us a tour of the building and let us see their barrel room and winemaking facilities. Along with the tour, we sampled his soon-to-be bottled vintage of Pinot Noir. Wow. Mark also walked us down to their grape vines to show us the tiny green berries, soon to be ripe and juicy this fall.

Continue reading "The Undiscovered Country: Part II"

The Undiscovered Country: Part I

July 19, 2007

By Leigh Brown
Leigh's Wine Buzz

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting a part of Oregon I never knew existed. With hills full of green and views of incredible heights, one would wonder why people do not pass through the valleys of Lane County more frequently. While there was some sadness to see that others were not partaking in the bounty of food and wine in this area, I was internally gladdened to see that I did not have to wait in lines of traffic to visit a tasting room or two (or five!) and experience what Lane County had to offer. It was a treasure and a treat.

Continue reading "The Undiscovered Country: Part I"

Another Day Of Hiking, Dining & Wine Tasting in Oregon

May 22, 2007


Recently I had the pleasure of having my favorite sibling (actually he’s my only sibling) come to visit me from Columbus, Ohio. After much harassment, I convinced my brother visit for a weekend so that we could do what most Oregonians do: eat, drink, hike and drink some more.

On day one together, we decided to hit the hiking scene out at the Columbia Gorge and it was absolutely stunning. Why, you ask am I talking about hiking when I should be talking about wine? A girl needs to get out and about once and awhile and I’m also scheming my summer hikes and picnics this summer. I didn’t indulge in bringing wine with me on our hike together but I intend to do so in the future. With trail mix and berries in our pack, we hiked up Angel’s Rest near Multnomah Falls to find an incredible view. Once we reached the top we knew we needed a reward. And what do all hikers need post trek? Food, wine and drinks, of course.

Continue reading "Another Day Of Hiking, Dining & Wine Tasting in Oregon"

Willamette Wine Fling (A Wine Country Day Trip)

April 23, 2007

By Leigh Brown
Leigh's Wine Buzz Considering I work in the wine industry, I often find little time to explore wine country on my own time. So I took the liberty of dragging a few friends along (willingly) for a day trip through the Willamette Valley to eat and imbibe our Sunday away.

We had a bit of a late start so our first stop was lunch. We didn’t want to sample wine on an empty stomach so we treated ourselves to what I thought was going to be a light lunch but quickly turned into a hefty sampler at The Dundee Bistro. Unable to decide on what to eat, my friends and I shared our meal. My favorite dish we had was the country style pate de campagne along with the unique hand tossed pizza blanketed in spring leeks, arugula, balsamic-onion sauce, olive tapenade and provolone. My friend David had the 2006 Ponzi “Rosato” that smelled of spring strawberries and married well with the Bistro Burger’s juicy meat. Who knew?! My only beverage companion at this meal was coffee so as to ready me for the long day of tasting ahead.

Continue reading "Willamette Wine Fling (A Wine Country Day Trip)"

Wine Tsunami

March 12, 2007


Inspired to get away from the city, I decided to brave the coast and encounter massive wind, rain and (surprise!) wine. Lots of it. Trying to indulge in some quality time with myself, I encountered a downpour of spring in more ways than one. With a new season comes a new vintage and I happened upon a few wineries showing off their latest wines at various restaurants, galleries and shops during my day away. I hadn’t been to Cannon Beach in awhile and I had forgotten about the quaint wine shops in the downtown area.

To keep dry, I stepped inside The Wine Shack and chatted with owner Dean Reiman about his success in the wine biz while perusing his impressive collection. I was also happy to meet Brad McLeroy who was pouring wine from Ayres Winery. Brad was doing a tasting of two different Pinot Noirs, which were strikingly different and inspiring. My favorite was definitely his Estate Pinot Noir, which had some surprising yet lovely floral notes and an even more impressive presence in the mouth, expressing balance and integrity. Brad, unlike most men, is a multi-tasker (just kidding…sort of). He plays the role of vineyard manager and winemaker on top of promoting his charming wines.

Continue reading "Wine Tsunami"

First Thursday in the Pearl

January 10, 2007


It’s First Thursday in Portland and the choices are endless. I get off of work pouring wine at an event and I’m ready to have a glass of my own. So my first stop is back to Urban Wineworks to drop off my stuff and to join in on the imbibing. At Urban Wineworks we always feature a local artist, so we have a musician or DJ to keep the mood flowing. Not to mention donated food by one of our favorite caterers. My friend Meg met me to celebrate finishing her school exams, so we started cruising on over to the Pearl where all the pretty people play. First stop was Vino Paradiso . I’m a huge fan of this intimate venue, because not only do you get to see the chef chop up some goodies right behind the bar (the kitchen consists of a small section of the bar where the chef uses small burners to create your meal), but the wine list is impressive and flirtatious. This non-intimidating list is approachable yet non-conventional. Plus live music can be heard lingering in the background or center stage.

Continue reading "First Thursday in the Pearl"

I came, I ate, I drank, I stayed….

December 13, 2006


Living on the west coast has always been my dream. The first time I visited the west coast I fell in love with the climate, the ocean, food and state of mind. Originally from the Midwest, I had always craved somewhere sunny and full of outdoor activities to keep me occupied and tan. But I think what got me the most excited were the never ending farmers’ markets. The food was incredible and so fresh. But it wasn’t until I first visited Portland that I truly knew what the west coast had to offer.

Continue reading "I came, I ate, I drank, I stayed…."

Newsletter

Sign up for news:


Add to Technorati Favorites


Order your free Travel Oregon magazine

Travel Oregon features unique travel ideas and information that can inspire your own Oregon adventure. And it's free!