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It's
hard to imagine a more beautiful fall than the one we're experiencing
this year. But now that we have Fallen Back and it's pitch black
at 6pm, it's time to get the fireplace going, cuddle up with a good
book/movie/wii game and sip something rich and smooth to cap off a long
day. So this Friday, we're going to hold our first-ever Dessert
Wine Tasting! Expect some familiar wines from Sherry, Porto and
Tuscany and some unexpected gems as well.
A couple other
tastings are coming up on the calendar, so read about them and email or
call if you'd like to join us for one of these reservation events.
Speaking
of reservations, if a Wine Dinner at Castagna sounds appealing, read on
and join us for a wonderful evening of food, wine and communing at one
of Portland's finest restaurants.
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FRIDAY NIGHT FLIGHT · Dessert Wines · $15 tasting fee · 4:30 - 8:30pm
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With
colder weather and darker nights, nothing beats a little nip at the end
of a long meal or a long day. To help you plan your upcoming
holiday gatherings, family meals and because we've been meaning to do
it for a long time and just haven't had the time, join us this Friday
as we taste Dessert Wines from Around the World. We have a new
Sherry producer crafting small-batches of glee in a bottle, a wonderful
organic late-harvest Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley, one of our
favorite Porto producer's LBV bottling, a Pineau des Charantes from the
Bordeaux region, a Late Harvest Viognier from the Columbia Valley and
two sparkling options, one red and one white. Don't miss this
great tasting. Stop in anytime between 4:30 and 8:30pm and join
in the fun. Since our usual food offerings don't sound quite
right for this evening, we'll be doing a little chocolate sampling from
some of the many new bars we have in the shop to go along with your
dessert sipping pleasure.
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BACKROOM TASTINGS
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We
have two Backroom Tastings to tell you about, one this week and one
next. If you want to join us for either of both, just email me
back or call the shop and we'll save a place at the table.
Tastings start at 7pm and go about 1 hour in a sit-down format where we
can compare the wines side by side and talk about them. After
that, you can wander down the street to one of the many great
restaurants we have in the neighborhood. And add back to the list
the Alberta Street Oyster Bar & Grill, which reopens tomorrow,
November 7!
BUCKLIN TASTING · This Thursday, Nov. 8 · 7-8pm · $12/person
With
Thanksgiving right around the corner, there are two wines that always
pair well on the Holiday table - Gewurztraminer and Zinfandel.
Well, Will Bucklin happens to make both and the new vintages are
extremely good. If you want to taste both of these, along with
the Bald Mountain Syrah and the 2005 Mixed Blacks (his tasty
younger-vine red blend), please join us for this fun hour of tasting
this week. Limited to 14 people. Tasting starts promptly at
7pm.
RIOJA TASTING · Thursday, Nov. 15 · 7-8pm · $20/person
THIS
IS A CHANGE IN FORMAT. After listening to lots of feedback from
cork customers who have attended our classes and tastings, it seems the
preferred form is our Backroom Tastings, which last about 1 hour and
allow for a sit-down opportunity to taste wines side by side, but
without the food and without me rambling on for 2 hours in a class-like
setting.
Next Thursday, our Spain Series becomes the
Rioja Backroom Tasting and that means a shorter time and new price
based on the wines being tasted. We'll taste 6 Rioja wines that
sell for $15-65 retail. Limited to 14 people, and it's almost
full so let us know soon if you want a spot.
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CASTAGNA WINE DINNER · The Rhone Valley and Cassoulet · Wed, Nov. 28 · $80/person
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There
is no arguing that we have an amazing number of great restaurants to
choose from in Portland these days, but everytime another 6 worthy new
places comes along, I start to wonder how the great more established
places are going to keep busy and survive. So instead of just
letting fate take its course, we're going to continue trying to help
and support our favorites. And here's a great opportunity for you
to get in on an amazing evening of food, wine and conversation.
When
I moved back to Portland in 1992, we quickly surveyed the dining scene
and would find ourselves drawn almost weekly to this amazing little
Catalan restaurant at 28th and Stark, La Catalana. The chef at
the time, an unknown talent named Kevin Gibson, was kicking out some
addictively tasty fare that still haunts my food memorybank. Some
years later when we owned our own Italian restaurant, whenever there
was a need to celebrate something, sometimes with our kitchen staff, we
headed to Genoa for an elegant multi-course meal. For me, it was
always the menus that Kevin created there that were most
memorable. When Kevin and his wife Monique decided to open their
own place, Castagna, on SE Hawthorne, we were quick to check it
out. And on our second visit there, I had perhaps the greatest
dish I've eaten to date in Portland - a crackling pot of smoky
cassoulet topped with crusty breadcrumbs straight from the oven.
So that leads us to the point of this ramble . . . I have been working with Castagna for them to host a special wine dinner on Wednesday, November 28
and they've agreed to resurrect the lovely cassoulet for the
meal. To me, that means Chateauneuf du Pape, so the meal will be
geared around Wines of the Rhone Valley. Expect 4 courses
(including dessert), with a Rhone white to start, a flight of 2 Cotes
du Rhones for the second course and a flight of 2 Chateauneuf du Papes
for the main course.
Space is limited and reservations
need to be made through cork, so if you would like to join us, email me
back with the number in your party and a phone number and I will
confirm. The cost is $80/person including the food and wine, but
not including gratuity. You'll be paying Castagna directly the
night of the event, and I will provide the opportunity for you to buy
the wines we are tasting that night at great cork prices. If we
have enough interest, we might be able to book the whole restaurant and
have a little casual reception before the dinner starts, so gather your
friends and family and make reservations for this one. I hope you
can join us for another special culinary evening.
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Enjoy this weather while it lasts. See you soon,
Darryl and the Cork Crew.
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