Wine Bloggers Conference — Part I

The Wine Bloggers Conference in Portland was another extravaganza of wine and food. Because of the wide range of food, wine, and fun, this will be a three-part summary.

Bubbles on the bus

The event started with a pre-conference event sponsored by Wines of Chile. We loaded on a double-decker bus, where we enjoyed some sparkling rosé, perfect for a hot (90°+ F) day. We traveled to three Portland restaurants for food and Chilean wine pairings. The Wines of Chile representatives gave us an excellent overview of their products. (And Sue got to gripe to someone with influence about the illegibility of some Chilean wine labels — small type, unfortunate color choices, or both. Good wine, though.)

First stop was Andina, a terrific Peruvian restaurant, for grilled octopus kebabs with chimichurri and various sauces, paired with Chilean Sauvignon  Blanc and Pinot Noir.

Next was Clyde Common, for three courses: charred mission figs with pepper-cured duck bacon; seared lamb pâté with farro and cherry mostarda; and shaved beef brisket with ricotta salata and tomatillo relish. The courses were paired with Chilean Merlot, old-vine Carignan, and a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Carménère. Yummy.

Then we had a Portland food cart experience, with empanada-type pies, french fries, and crepes (the pear and chocolate crepe was excellent). Street-food wines were Chilean Chardonnay; Syrah; Cabernet Sauvignon; and a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carménère, and Malbec.

French fry food cart

In addition to being great fun, the tour proved that Chilean wines go well with all types of food.

You may note throughout these menus and those from IPNC that duck is a Very Big Deal. So is lamb.

The conference officially started with a reception sponsored by the Oregon Wine Board. We enjoyed wine from some of our favorites — R. Stuart and Scott Paul, for example — and some new finds.