Wine and food

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Geo: 45.3001, -122.973

This morning we went for a walk on Cannon Beach. There was a cool wind but the tide was out and there were many people walking, kids making sandcastles, people riding bikes. The Haystack and the other rock pillars look different in the morning light so Peter was keen to get some more photos. Fletcher found the soft sand hard going so after a short walk he perched on a large piece of driftwood and I joined him after a short stroll. We watched the gulls drinking from the shallow trickle of fresh water nearby and enjoyed the peace and tranquility of the morning.

We checked out about 11am and drove into the main town. There I had a half hour stroll to look at some of the shops. They are mainly gift and souvenir shops but also arts and crafts places. Naturally the book shop drew us. We had been there back in 2008 and again found a couple of books to purchase. Peter then drove us up the hill to Ecola State Park. This was a nice drive through glades of trees to a lookout which gave an excellent view back down the beach. Stunning.

We then set out to drive to the wine making area of Oregon. We travelled east first and then turned south down Route 26. The landscape is dominated by the millions of fir trees, the mainstay of the local economy. Interspersed is cleared ground, evidence of the logging activities. Getting hungry we stopped at Route 26 Diner. We were greeted by an enthusiastic "Hi!" and served by Savannah. Fletcher and I had a B.L.T each which were really good, not smothered in sauce and mayonnaise like some here. Peter opted for the all day breakfast of Loggers scrambled eggs.

Replenished we set off and soon turned off the main highway to wend our way up the hill sides to find the wineries. A sign indicated "Beaux Freres" and Peter ground to a halt. We had chanced on a place which Peter knew of but had not planned to visit. We returned there and went in to a very pleasant tasting room. This winery usually asks for appointments but our host was happy to let us stay. Most wineries here charge for a flight, this one was expensive at $20 for four wines. However the wine was excellent. They only make pinot noir but we could discern the differences in the different years and the grapes' origin. I really enjoyed these pinots but the cost was outrageous. The least expensive was $60 and the most, $120 a bottle. Peter, though, bought four bottles which then waived the tasting fee.Lovely wines but expensive.

Our next stop was at Maresh Wines, the first to be established in this area, therefore having te oldest vines. It was a hot day, in the high 30s, but the veranda overlooking the stunning views drew us. An attractive young girl, Ayla, served us and gave us a history of the place. The grandson of the original owner is now making the wine here. Again it was mainly pinots but these were less polished than the ones we had just tasted. However, a couple were nice light drinking and the Chardonnay we tasted at the end was very good. Scenically this was worth going to. The views across the vineyards were beautiful with the various shades of green making interesting contrasts with the pine tres in the background.

From there we drove to Newberg to find our accommodation for the night. This is a fairly non-descript middle American city with the main road lined with fast food outlets, motels and supermarkets etc. The Shilo Inn provided a spacious comfortable room for a very reasonable price.

Having rested and changed we headed south to Dayton for dinner at The Joel Palmer House. This had been rated as Restaurant of the Year and was also listed in "1000 places to go to before you die". It is in a beautiful 19th century house, built by Joel Palmer a local pioneer.. We sat outside under a veranda in the late afternoon air. A friend of Peter's, Bob Williams, from Portland, joined us. He was pleasant company and provided interesting conversation. It was silver service, the sommelier explaining the wines and several waiters providing service. There was a $49 three course menu with several choices. The specialty of the house is using wild mushrooms so they form the basis for many dishes.

Fletcher and I both started with the soup of the day which was a creamy cauliflower and carrot topped with white truffle oil. This was after our amuse-bouche of carrot topped by a slice of truffle. Surprisingly good! For main course I had duck with a rich blackberry jus while Fletcher tried the Elk. Mine was very tasty though a little fatty but there was plenty of it. Fletcher really enjoyed the Elk, soft and tasty and not "gamey". For dessert I had to try the Candy Creme Brulee while Fletcher had a Grand Marnier souffle which was light and delicious. The brulee made about 8 on the Chambery scale with the top being a little too sweet and chewy. We accompanied all this with a lovely local Pinot Gris, followed by two superb pinots, again made close by. We lingered in the gathering twilight, finishing the wine with some excellent local cheese. A lovely meal, but not to die for!

Peter drove us safely back to the hotel where I listened to the last quarter of the Crows game. I, obviously, was a jinx as they went from being two points up to losing by several goals to West Coast. Oh well, at least we had a night of gold medals in Glasgow!

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