There is a wonderful world of wines out there, and we have started to learn about the fantastic wineries and wines in our beautiful state of Oregon. Recently we attended an event in Dundee, Oregon called World of Wine. It was presented by the Dobbes Family Estate Winery and hosted by Tina’s Restaurant. The event was focused on pairing wines with a variety of foods to show how wines blend, or don’t blend, with the different flavors, textures, and spices found in dishes.
Dobbes and Tina’s
Dobbes is a winery in Dundee, Oregon. Across the street (a couple blocks away) is Tina’s Restaurant. Both are small, family owned businesses with an emphasis on the exceptional and extradordinary. On the Dobbes’ website they state, “Our job is to bring forth all of the flavors, textures, colors and aromas that the fruit is eager to share with the objective of producing wines true to their varietal character….” Tina’s website states that they “…strive to continue to offer quality interpretations of classic dishes and daring new ventures into the uncharted territories of food.” These two businesses put together a beautiful night of wine pairing and flavor explosions.
Event
We heard about the event when we made our first visit to the Dobbes Family Estate Tasting Room. Toni Harris, Dobbes’ Tasting Room Lead, was there to “show us around” the Dobbes Family wines. She was a wealth of information, and when she told us about this event we knew it would be an event not to miss. We had been desiring to do a food and wine pairing event, and the World of Wine fit the bill.
Arriving at the event we were able to easily park and head inside. The tables for the event were set up in community table fashion.
The tables were directly across from the beautiful bar area at the restaurant.
Each table was elegantly decorated with flowers, glowing candles, menus, and other accompaniments for the event.
We were told to pick a seat, so we chose to sit at the end so we could get a good view of Toni and the flickering fireplace.
Once we were seated, and the others arrived, Toni took us into the World of Wine and pairing of Dobbes’ wine with the amazing dishes prepared by Chef Michael Stiller.
First Pairing
The first pairing of the evening consisted of two different wines and an appetizer. Toni shared with us that she specifically selected wines that would both accentuate the flavors and clash with the flavors of the dishes. She stated she did this so we could learn how wines do and do not pair well with specific foods.
The wines for the first pairing were Dobbes’ 2017 Rose of Pinot Noir – Quailhurst Vineyard and the 2015 Grenache Blanc.
The first course served was an Avocado, Grapefruit, & Cranberry Poke with Curried Shrimp and Sesame Roll.
As Toni described the different notes of the wines, and how they pair with foods, we could understand why the wines did or did not pair well with the flavors and textures of the dish. The Rose of Pinot Noir paired well with the poke because of the fruity undertones and spices in the family of rosemary, sage, and cilantro. The Grenache Blanc paired well with the spicy flavors of the roll.
Second Pairing
The second pairing of the evening consisted of three different wines and a main course. The wines for the second pairing were Dobbes’ 2008 Quailhurst Vineyard Pinot Noir, 2013 Amelia Rose Cuvee Pinot Noir, and 2013 Momtazi Vineyard Pinot Noir.
The second course served was Mushroom Sauce with Truffled Cream, Grilled Garlic & Rosemary Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Beets & Braised Kale.
These wines were definitely heavier since they fall in the darker red category for wines. As we tasted the wines with the food, it was possible to detect the variances. One of the wines actually brought out the salt in the mushrooms more than the others. Toni told us that the Amelia Rose Cuvee Pinot Noir pairs very well with Hot and Sour Soup! (Who would of thought!) She also said the idea of pairing wines is to pair wines with food based on the notes of the wine to the seasonings in the food.
Third Pairing
The third pairing of the evening consisted of a port-style wine and a semi-dessert. The wine for this third pairing was Dobbes’ Barrel 6 Reserve Tawny Port-Style Syrah.
The third course served was Fourme D’Ambert Bleu Cheese Mousse with Cherry Marmalade and Pine Nut Biscotti.
The port-style wine was sweet, like a port, and accentuated the Cherry Marmalade very well. The Bleu Cheese Mousse offset the heavy sweet in a positive way. (I personally fell in love with this wine!)
At the end of the event we were provided with an order form so we could purchase, if desired, some of the wines highlighted at the event.
Thoughts
Given we are not wine experts, this event was an eye-opener for us. Toni did an amazing job explaining how wine notes affect taste palates and the flavors of various foods. It is evident that Toni loves what she does and is quite knowledgeable in the field of wine. Since the holidays are coming up, it was wonderful to have an intense food and wine pairing experience. We discovered it is a much more in-depth learning experience than pairing wine with cheese or chocolate (although, those are fun as well!). Chef Michael Stiller did an incredible job of developing recipes that would highlight how food and wines pair. Each dish was excellent with flavor explosions that tantalized the taste buds. We enjoyed meeting other wine lovers and had some interesting conversations. We would definitely attend an event similar to this again.
Note: We are not wine connoisseurs, so what we experienced could be experienced quite differently by someone with more knowledge of wines. In general, people’s tastes vary, so what is shared on here in relation to the tasting is what Toni explained and what we took away from the event.
You can find more on Dobbes Family Estate here:
Website: https://www.dobbesfamilyestate.com
Location: 240 SE 5th Street Dundee, Oregon 9711
Phone: 503-538-114
Email: info@dobbesfamilyestate.com
You can find more on Tina’s Restaurant here:
Website: https://www.tinasdundee.com
Location: 760 Highway 99W Dundee, OR 9711
Phone: 503-538-8880
Email: tinasindundee@gmail.com
