A Date With Pinot

An hour outside of Portland the hills become greener and the population thins out. Out here, you can almost smell the sunshine on Oregon's warm summer breeze. There was a peaceful lull to the Oregon countryside Monday morning as our shuttle bus scooted down the highway towards the small town of Dundee. Soon the hills were rolling with rows of grape vines below blue skies and large white clouds. 

Sokol Blosser Winery broke ground 40 years ago on the lush red volcanic soil of Oregon by Bill and Susan Sokol Blosser. Certified organic in farming and wine production, Sokol Blosser  has believed from the start in sustainable farming practices. By using solar panels, recycling, organically farming (USDA certified), and maintaining their naturally cooled underground wine cellar --  Sokol Blosser Winery has not only become an Oregon leader in creating beautiful wines but also in spreading the word about sustainability.

"Our devotion to world class quality is paralleled by a desire to achieve it sustainably," they say. Their belief in maintaining the "good to the earth" theory, or in other words, if it came from the ground it can go back to the ground, is the strong base of their sustainability practices.

The group of us from Papa Haydn West had the great privilege of being led on a walking tour around the winery by Sokol Blosser's Western Brand Ambassador, Lee Medina and second generation wine grower and Co-President Alex Sokol Blosser. They filled our glasses with vintage wines, our stomachs with delicious food, and our heads with an abundance of wine knowledge.

Oregon, in the past thirty years, has become one of the front runners in Pinot Noir production. More recently though, international wine connoisseurs have been flocking to our beautiful state to see what the commotion is all about. Perhaps it is the beautiful rich volcanic soil that is perfect for Pinot growth. Maybe it is the mild summers and the crisp clean air of the country side. But more than likely, it is a combination of those things paired with Oregonian's strong desire and commitment to treat the earth with respect and love.

Sokol Blosser, our hat is off to you and your commitment to creating amazing wines and treating the earth with the respect it deserves. It is an honor to be friends and business partners. See you again soon!

For more information about how you can go and visit Sokol Blosser Winery yourself, visit their website at: Sokol Blosser Winery.

Photography © 2011 Jesse Mojica Photography

Welcome Our New Head Chef, Matt Dubois

Matt Dubois, a good humored young man of 30, grew up in the midwest state of Michigan. For him, his path as a chef began at Tula's, a jazz club in Seattle where he worked while going to school for audio production. But it wasn't until after Matt moved from Seattle to Florida that he really discovered the passion he had for creating beautiful dishes. There he worked in a spanish tapas bar and at a classical french nouveau bistro.
When family brought him back to Chicago, Matt decided to attend culinary school at Kendall. During that time he was able to train under Suzy Crofton at Crofton on Wells, and attests that much of his knowledge and influence came from working with her. While Matt was there, Crofton on Wells, received three and a half stars from the Chicago Tribune.
Portland's beautiful weather and scenery called to Matt and his family and eventually they headed out west. "We came out here for the beautiful weather,  beautiful products, and the upcoming market and fast growing food and community," he said. Here, Matt's skills were trained and honed at locally known Castagna and then eventually, and happily, he came to us as our new head chef. With being in tune with staying local and having strong relationships with where your food is coming from being the backbone of Portland's food scene, Matt has done wonders for Papa Haydn in the few weeks he has been here. From the blossoming relationship with Kookoolan Farms where the ducks were raised especially for us -- to the wild salmon coming from the Columbia River, Matt has a high respect for maintaing our relationships with local farms. "...The arugula I got today looks completely different than what you would get from any of the big companies...and it tastes better...and of course it's a better business model..."he said.

Columbia River King Salmon, Shimeji Mushrooms, Leeks,
Cucumbers, Vegetable Vinaigrette, Salmon Roe

Papa Haydn West is thrilled to welcome Matt to our team and excited to see our menu transition with the seasons. This summer the features of wild caught King Salmon from the Columbia River (pictured) and the Oregon grown New York Strip with housemade Smoked Tomato Jam are the favorites so far. Come down and see what other exciting fresh and local food we have to offer, you can always take a dessert to-go.